THE FIRST OBSERVATION.
THe Romans, even from the infancy of their state, were ever zealous admirers of true ho∣nour, and alwayes desired to behold with the eye to what measure of vertue every man had at∣tained; that the tongue with greater fervency of spirit might sound out the celebration of Macte virtute, which imported more honour then any wealth that could be heaped upon them. Neither was this the least part of their wisedome; consi∣dering that the most pretious things that are lose much of their worth, if they be not suted with o∣ther correspondent natures, whose sympathy ad∣deth much more excellency then is discerned when they appear by themselves without such as∣sistance. For how small is the beauty which Na∣ture hath given to the eye-pleasing Diamond, when it is not adorned with an artificiall form? or what perfection can the form give, without a foile to strengthen it? or what good is in either of them, if the light do not illuminate it? or what avail all these, where there wanteth an eye to ad∣mire it, a judgement to value it, and an heart to imbrace it? Such a union hath Nature imprinted in the diversitie of creatures concurring to perfe∣ction, and especially in morall actions, in whose carriage there is a far greater exactnesse of corre∣spondencie required to approve them honourable, then was requisite to make the jewel beautifull. And this did Caesar in all his battels; amongst the rest, that at Alesia is particularly noted in this manner, Quod in conspectu imperatoris res gere∣batur, neque recte aut turpiter factum celari po∣terat, utrosque & laudis cupiditas, & timor ignominiae ad virtutem excitabat And when Livie would expresse how valiantly an action was carried, he saith no more but in conspectu im∣peratoris res gerebatur: which is as much as to say, that forasmuch as the Romans were diligent observers of every mans worth, rewarding vertue with honour, and cowardise with reproch, every man bent his whole endeavour to deserve the good opinion of his Generall, by discharging that duty which he owed to the Commonwealth with all loyalty and faithfulnesse of spirit.