that are advanced suddenly and per saltum.

Those that have joined with their honor great
travels, cares, or perils, are less subject to envy.
For men think that they earn their honors hardly,
and pity them sometimes; and pity ever healeth
envy. Wherefore you shall observe, that the more
deep and sober sort of politic persons, in their
greataess, are ever bemoaning themselves, what
a life they lead; chanting a quanta patimur! Not
that they feel it so, but only to abate the edge of
envy. But this is to be understood, of business that
is laid upon men, and not such, as they call unto
themselves. For nothing increaseth envy more,
than an unnecessary and ambitious engrossing of
business. And nothing doth extinguish envy more,
than for a great person to preserve all other infe-
rior officers, in their full lights and pre-eminences
of their places. For by that means, there be so
many screens between him and envy.

Above all, those are most subject to envy, which
carry the greatness of their fortunes, in an insolent
and proud manner; being never well, but while
they are showing how great they are, either by
outward pomp, or by triumphing over all opposi-
tion or competition; whereas wise men will rather
do sacrifice to envy, in suffering themselves some-
times of purpose to be crossed, and overborne in
things that do not much concern them. Notwith-