Kaina kai palaia Things new and old, or, A store-house of similies, sentences, allegories, apophthegms, adagies, apologues, divine, morall, politicall, &c. : with their severall applications / collected and observed from the writings and sayings of the learned in all ages to this present by John Spencer ...

Men not to be proud of their Lands and Livings. [ 1854]

WHen Socrates saw Alcibiades proud of his spatious Fields and wide In∣heritance, he calls for a Map of the World,* 1.1 looks for Greece, and find∣ing it, asks Alcibiades, Whereabout his Lands lay? When he answered,* 1.2 They were not set forth in the Map: Why, saith Socrates, are thou proud of that which is no part of the Earth? And to speak truth, Why should any Man bear him∣self high upon the greatnesse of his Revenue, the largenesse of his demesnes; For if the dominion of a King be but a poor spot of Earth, What a nothing must the possession of a Subject be? some small parcell of a Shire, not worthy the name of a Chorographer;* 1.3 And had he with Lycinius as much as a Kite could fly over, yea, if all the whole Globe were his, six or seven foot would be enough to serve his turn in the Conclusion.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Aeliani Var. hist.
• * 1.2

  Jos. Hall Exon. Sem. at Court, 1632.
• * 1.3

  Quid superbis terra ac cin••s? Bern. in Serm.