have been affected to see these things!
To see a man turn himself into all shapes like a chameleon, or as
Proteus, omnia transformans sese in miracula rerum, to act twenty parts
and persons at once, for his advantage, to temporise and vary like
Mercury the planet, good with good; bad with bad; having a several
face, garb, and character for every one he meets; of all religions,
humours, inclinations; to fawn like a spaniel, mentitis et mimicis
obsequis; rage like a lion, bark like a cur, fight like a dragon, sting
like a serpent, as meek as a lamb, and yet again grin like a tiger,
weep like a crocodile, insult over some, and yet others domineer over
him, here command, there crouch, tyrannise in one place, be baffled in
another, a wise man at home, a fool abroad to make others merry.
To see so much difference betwixt words and deeds, so many parasangs
betwixt tongue and heart, men like stage-players act variety of parts,
[365]give good precepts to others, soar aloft, whilst they themselves
grovel on the ground.
To see a man protest friendship, kiss his hand, [366]quem mallet
truncatum videre, [367]smile with an intent to do mischief, or cozen
him whom he salutes, [368]magnify his friend unworthy with hyperbolical
eulogiums; his enemy albeit a good man, to vilify and disgrace him, yea
all his actions, with the utmost that livor and malice can invent.
To see a [369]servant able to buy out his master, him that carries the
mace more worth than the magistrate, which Plato, lib. 11, de leg.,
absolutely forbids, Epictetus abhors. A horse that tills the [370]land
fed with chaff, an idle jade have provender in abundance; him that
makes shoes go barefoot himself, him that sells meat almost pined; a
toiling drudge starve, a drone flourish.
To see men buy smoke for wares, castles built with fools' heads, men
like apes follow the fashions in tires, gestures, actions: if the king
laugh, all laugh;
[371]Rides? majore chachiano
Concutitur, flet si lachrymas conspexit amici.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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