Essay LIX: Of Fame - A Fragment |
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Essay LIX: Of Fame - A Fragment
Essay LIX: Of Fame - A Fragment
Of Fame ^1 - A Fragment
The poets make Fame a monster. They describe her in part finely and
elegantly, and in part gravely and sententiously. They say, look how many
feathers she hath, so many eyes she hath underneath; so many tongues; so many
voices; she pricks up so many ears.
[Footnote 1: Fame is used here in the two senses of reputation and rumor.]
This is a flourish. There follow excellent parables; as that she
gathereth strength in going; that she goeth upon the ground and yet hideth her
head in the clouds; that in the daytime she sitteth in a watch tower and
flieth most by night; that she mingleth things done with things not done; and
that she is a terror to great cities. But that which passeth all the rest is:
They do recount that the Earth, mother of the giants that made war against
Jupiter and were by him destroyed, thereupon in an anger brought forth Fame.
For certain it is that rebels, figured by the giants, and seditious fames and
libels are but brothers and sisters, masculine and feminine. But now, if a man
can tame this monster, and bring her to feed at the hand, and govern her, and
with her fly other ravening fowl and kill them, it is somewhat worth. But we
are infected with the style of the poets. To speak now in a sad and serious
manner: There is not in all the politics a place less handled and more worthy
to be handled than this of fame. We will therefore speak of these points: What
are false fames; and what are true fames; and how they may be best discerned;
how fames may be sown and raised; how they may be spread and multiplied; and
how they may be checked and laid dead. And other things concerning the nature
of fame. Fame is of that force, as there is scarcely any great action wherein
it hath not a great part; especially in the war. Mucianus undid Vitellius by a
fame that he scattered: that Vitellius had in purpose to remove the legions of
Syria into Germany and the legions of Germany into Syria; whereupon the
legions of Syria were infinitely inflamed. Julius Caesar took Pompey
unprovided and laid asleep his industry and preparations by a fame that he
cunningly gave out: Caesar`s own soldiers loved him not, and being wearied
with the wars and laden with the spoils of Gaul, would forsake him as soon as
he came into Italy. Livia settled all things for the succession of her son
Tiberius by continual giving out that her husband Augustus was upon recovery
and amendment. And it is an usual thing with the pashas to conceal the death
of the Great Turk from the janizaries ^2 and men of war, to save the sacking
of Constantinople and other towns, as their manner is. Themistocles made
Xerxes, king of Persia, post apace out of Grecia by giving out that the
Grecians had a purpose to break his bridge of ships which he had made athwart
Hellespont. There be a thousand such like examples; and the more they are, the
less they need to be repeated; because a man meeteth with them everywhere.
Therefore let all wise governors have as great a watch and care over fames as
they have of the actions and designs themselves.
[Footnote 2: The Sultan`s bodyguard.]
[The essay was not finished.]
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