CHAP. XXV.
* 1.1EVen as a poore man taketh comfort in his miserie, when he seeth other great mens fortune stagger, and with a more temperate minde hath bewayled his sonnes death in a corner of his cham∣ber, who seeth the wofull funerals of the heire of a Kingdome solemnized and borne forth; so with a more peaceable and con∣tented minde shall he endure to be harmed and contemned by another man, whosoeuer bethinketh himselfe that there is no Potentate so great, who is not, or may not be attempted with iniurie. And if the most wisest doe offend, let vs thin••e with our selues that there is no fault which is not excusable. Let vs con∣sider how oftentimes our yong yeares haue beene scarce diligent in performing dueties, immoderate in speech, scarce temperate in wine: if he be angry, let vs giue him tim•• wherein he may consider what he hath done, and hee himselfe will reproue himselfe; in conclusion, hee will punish himselfe, yet for all this must not we be angrie. This is vndoubtedly true, that he hath exempted him∣selfe from common men, and raised himselfe to a higher degree, that despiseth such as prouoke him. For it is the propertie of true magnitude, not to feele that he is strooken. So hath a furious beast, stalking a long with a setled pace looked backe on those Dogs that barked at him. So doe the enraged billowes of the Sea insult in vaine against an immoueable rocke. He that is not angry hath neuer beene shaken by iniurie, he that is angrie is moued: but he whom for the present I haue mounted aboue all incommoditie, with a certaine embrace en∣tertaineth the chiefest good, being equall not onely to himselfe, but also to for∣tune. Whatsoeuer thou doest, thou art not great enough to obscure the bright∣nesse