The heroe of Lorenzo, or, The way to eminencie and perfection a piece of serious Spanish wit / originally in that language written ; and in English by Sir John Skeffington, Kt. and Barronet.

EXCELLENCIE XVI.

Renovacon de Grandeza.

THe first imployments are a tryall of worth, and a setting forth of cre∣dit and capacity to the view of the world. Mira∣cles by accident which fall out in progression, are not sufficient to enhanse ordi∣nary beginings; and what a man strives to do after∣wards, scarce makes a∣mends for what he should have done before.

A gallant begining hath this in advantage, that be∣side

what it gets of ap∣plause from the World, it engages still to higher at∣tempts.

Suspition in matter of re∣putation, at the begining is of the nature of Predesti∣naon, which if once it enter into contempt, it never gets out again.

Let the Heroes raise himself like the Sun in his East, affecting great enterprises; but the grea∣test at the begining.

A common employment can never get an extraor∣dinary credit; no more than a Pygmie can pass for a Giant.

Advantagious begin∣ings

are affianc'd to good opinion, and those of an Heroes, must take their mark a hundred Furlongs beyond the projects of the vulgar.

That Sun of Captaines, and Generall of Heroes, that Heroick Count Fu∣entes, was born to be ap∣plauded.

In one daies march of the Sunne, which appeares like a Giant in his Orient, he begun and finisht his Masterpiece.

His first attempt might have been a Barricado to th'ambition of the God of War: He never made his Novitiat in Fame, but past

the first day to immortali∣ty.

He besieged Cam∣bray, against the opinion of all the other Com∣manders, his compre∣hension being as extra∣vagant as his courage. He was sooner known for a Heroe than for a souldier.

To disingage with Honor from a great expectation, is no ordinary busines. He that is but a looker on con∣ceives highly, because it costs him less to imagin great actions, than another to put them in execution: an exploit unlookt for, shews more than a Prodigie that was prevented by expecta∣tion

The Cedar growes more in his first morning, than Hisop in an age: because the first fruites being vigo∣rous, the second threaten a gigantick growth.

A maxim in the An∣tecedent drawes a migh∣ty consequence, the pow∣er of Fortune declares it self: the greatnes of a ca∣pacity, universall applause, and common grace at∣tend it.

But vigorous begin∣nings are not enough, where it failes in the pro∣gress: Nero began his Reign with the applause of a Phoenix, but ended it with the horrour of a Basilisk.

If disproportionable extremes come to be joy∣ned together, there can be no production but mon∣struosity.

It is a hard matter to keep credit alwaies grow∣ing, and as hard as it was to give it a beginning; Reputation growes old, and applause is perishable as all other things, because the Lawes of time know no exception.

The Philosophers say, that the Sun, the grea∣test of Lights, hath lost much of that splendour and heat which it had at the Creation.

But it is of an Eagles na∣ture

as well as of a Phoenix to grow young in Fame, to renew greatnes, and to bring applause to a se∣cond birth.

The Sunne every day changes his Horizons, and removes his fires to new Theaters: to this end, that a privation in the one, and a newness in the other, may perpetuate admirati∣on and desire.

When the Caesars retur∣ned from illustrating the rest of the world with their victories, they came alwaies back to their O∣rient of Rome, where they were received like new∣born Monarchs.

The King of Metalls passing from one world to an other, hath also past from an extremity of contempt to another of * 1.1 estimation.

The greatest perfecti∣on loses of his worth by being every day in sight: the object cloyes desire, and distasts Appetite.

Notes

• * 1.1

  from Ame∣rica where it growes to Europ.