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MAny doo enuie me.
It is better to be enuied, then pitied.
I am troubled with ye enuie of my ilwillers.
And who euer was friend vnto ver∣tue, that wanted that kinde of exercise? Run ouer in thy thought al lands, al ages, peruse al histories, and thou shalt scarce finde a man of any excellencie free from this pestilence. I meane not now to enter any discourse, the which may leade vs far away
from our purpose, but if thou remember any thing that euer thou hast read, thou canst not be ignorant of many by whose felowshyp thou mayest not only conceiue comfort, but also vaunt thy selfe.
I am spyted at.
Forsake honours and publique functions, leaue of the occasion to be spoken of among the people for thy stately pace, and proude retinue: Sequester thy selfe as muche as thou canst from the eyes of many that are enuious, neyther geue occasion vnto them to point at thee with the finger, eyther for thy looke, woorde, or gesture. The common people and malice dwell togeather in the streetes, and so for the most part dooth all wickednesse: Certayne enimies are by no meanes better escaped, then by flight, & seeking corners.
Malice foloweth after me, although I flie and hide my selfe.
Take away the cause of euyl, and thou shalt take away al euyll it selfe. Be measurable in thy ryches, and whatsoe∣uer thou hast, that by the excellent beautie and shewe thereof may enflame the minds of men and set their teeth one edge, either cast it of, or keepe it out of sight. If thou haue any thyng whiche thou wylt not or canst not want, vse it modestly: that enuie whiche pryde hath prouoked, humilitie wyll aswage. There are also cer∣tayne effectuall remedies whiche doo soone extinguish it, but they are woorse then the disease it selfe, to wit, misery, and an infamous lyfe: Concernyng one of whiche I haue sayde alredy, that miserie only is without enuie. And vnto the other appertayneth ye saying of Socrates: For when on a tyme Alcibiades demaunded by what meanes he might escape enuie, Socrates answered, Lyue sayde he, as dyd Thersites, whose lyfe yf thou knowe not, thou maist reade it in the Iliades of Homer. Truely a scoffyng and perfect Socratical answere: for there is no wysedome to forsake vertue to eschew enuie, and better it were to be Achilles with enuie, then Thersites without it: although it be also wel knowne, that cer∣tayne excellent men, to the intent to lyue at quiet, haue for a tyme dissembled both theyr vertue, & wisedome.
Many doo enuie me.
Thou canst scarce escape enuy but by cowardice or miserie, & if thou escape it by any of these meanes, thou shalt fall into contempt, both whiche to be free from, were a very harde matter.
I am ouerborne with the hatred
of many.
There is, as some say, another meanes and way to treade enuie vnderfoote, to wyt, by excellent glory, but this path is but litle tracted, so that many that begynne to walke forwarde therein, doo slyppe into that whiche they woulde es∣chewe.