MAXIME CXXVIII.
The high Courage.
Is one of the principal conditions re∣quired in a Heroe, inasmuch as such a courage spurs him on to all that is great, refines his discerning, raises his heart, ele∣vates
The courtiers manual oracle, or, The art of prudence written originally in Spanish by Baltazar Gracian, and now done into English.
About this Item
- Title
- The courtiers manual oracle, or, The art of prudence written originally in Spanish by Baltazar Gracian, and now done into English.
- Author
- Gracián y Morales, Baltasar, 1601-1658.
- Publication
- London :: Printed by M. Flesher, for Abel Swalle ...,
- 1685.
- Rights/Permissions
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To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
- Subject terms
- Courts and courtiers.
- Maxims.
- Link to this Item
-
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A41733.0001.001
- Cite this Item
-
"The courtiers manual oracle, or, The art of prudence written originally in Spanish by Baltazar Gracian, and now done into English." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A41733.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 22, 2025.
Pages
Page 122
his thoughts and actions, and dispo∣ses him to majesty. It makes its way through, wherever it is: and when hard luck is cross to it, it essays all ways to come off with honour. The more it is confined within the bounds of possibility, the more it labours its enlargement. Mag∣nanimity, Generosity, and all Heroick Qualities, own it for their original.
The strong head, saith Gracian, chap. 4. of his Heroe, is for Philosophers; the good Tongue for Oratours; the Breast for Wrestlers, the Arms for Souldiers, the Feet for Runners, the Shoulders for Por∣ters, and the great Heart for Kings. The Heart of Alexander was an Arch-heart, seeing a whole world lodged easily in a corner of it, and that six more could have found room therein. That of Ju∣lius Caesar was very great; seeing it found no mean betwixt all and nothing. The heart is the stomach of Fortune. It di∣gests alike her favours and disgraces. A great stomach is not loaded with much food. A Giant is starved with that which surfeits a Dwarf.
That Prodigy of Valour, Charles, Dau∣phin of France, and afterward King, the seventh of that name, being informed that his Father, and the King of England his Competitour, had got him declared in
Page 123
Parliament incapable of succeeding, an∣swered boldly, That he appealed from it. And when he was asked with admiration, To whom? To my Courage, and the point of my Sword, Replyed he. The effect followed it. Charles Emanuel, the Achilles of Savoy, defeated four hundred Cuirassiers, having but four men to stand by him: and perceiving that all were sur∣prized at it, he said, that in the greatest dangers, there was no company so good as a great heart. The sufficiency of the heart supplies what is otherwise wanting. The King of Arabia shewing his Cour∣tiers a Damask Cutlass that had been pre∣sented to him, it was the opinion of them all, that the onely fault they found in it, was, that it was too short. But the Kings Son said, That there was no Wea∣pon too short for a brave Cavalier, seeing there needed no more but to advance one step, to make it long enough.