Nihil in vulgo modicum, terrere ni paveant, Vbi pertimuerint, impune contemni.
That it is eafier to passe from one extreame to another, then from an extreame to the middle. The two and fortieth Discourse.
SEeing Vertue is scituate and consists in the midst, no marvell if the ignorant multitude, leaving one extreame, instead of comming to the middle, goe to the other extreame: whereupon Averroes said ex∣ceeding well, that a Coward becomes sooner bold, then valiant; Facili•… est à superabundantia ad defectum venire; & ab hoc ad iilam, quam ad medium. And a little after, Timidus enim facilius aliquid audax operabitur, quam forte. It is therefore no marvell, if the people passe from Timiditie to Boldnesse; seeing it passeth also from base servitude to proud domination: Aut servit humiliter, (saith Livy) aut superbo dominatur; Liberta∣tem quae media est, neque spernere satis, neque habere sci∣unt. It may be said by some, that I contradict my selfe; having said in another discourse, that it is a most diffi∣cult thing to goe from one extreame to another, with∣out passing by the middle first. And besides, a Text in Aristotle may be brought for it; where hee saith, Medium est in quod continue mutans prius devenit quam in ultimum: For answer whereunto, wee must know that there are two middles; one which is Secundum Mutationem; (give me leave to use these termes) and in this, it is more easie to goe from one extreame to the middle, then from one extreame to another: and this is that which Aristotle meanes in his Physicks, and I in my other Discourse. The second middle is called Per Abnegationem, and it is the middle, which is be∣tweene Page 434 Excesse and Defect; and in this, it is more ea∣sie to passe from one extreame to the other, then from one extreame to the middle: and this is the midst, I meane in this Discourse.
