A treatise of the passions and faculties of the soul of man With the…A treatise of the passions and faculties of the soule of man With the…

Lastly Pride, greatness of Mind or Parts, and opinion of Merit; especially if it meet with discontentedness and conceits of being neglected, doth very often embolden men to great and now ⟨p. 271⟩Attempts: For it is a very hard thing when great Abilities and vast Hopes meet together, to govern them with moderation. Private Ends being in that case very apt to engage a mans parts, and to take them off from public service unto particular advantage. And therefore I take it, there is no temper of Mind that will with that evenness and uniformity of proceeding, or felicity of success, promote public and honourable Ends, as Height of Abilities, with moderation of Desires; because in that case a man can never stand in his own light, no• have any mist or obstacle between his Eye and his End.

Lastly Pride, greatnesse of Minde or Parts, and opinion of Merit; especially if it meet with discontentednesse and conceits of being neglected, doth very often embolden men to great and now ⟨p. 271⟩Attempts: For it is a very hard thing when great Abilities and vast Hopes meet together, to governe them with moderation. Private Ends being in that case very apt to engage a mans parts, and to take them off from publicke service unto particular advantage. And therefore I take it, there is no temper of Minde that will with that evennesse and uniformity of proceeding, or felicity of successe, promote publicke and honourable Ends, as Height of Abilities, with moderation of Desires; because in that case a man can never stand in his own light, no• have any mist or obstacle between his Eye and his End.

Now from this ground I believe did arise that¹ Maxim of some of the States of Greece noted by Tully, and at large debated by the Philosopher, Nem• de nobis unui excellat, that they would not have any one man to be notoriously eminent in abilities above the rest, and thereupon instituted Ostracism, or an honourable Banishment, as a restraint either to abate the excessive worth of eminent men: or to satisfy and assuage the Envy which others might conceive against them, who are apt to hate the virtues which they can only admire: or lastly, to prevent the dangers which greatness of parts taking advantage of popularity and vulgar applause, might haply venture to bring upon things. Upon this ground the Ephe sians expelled Hermodorus; and the Athenians, Aristides, because he was too just for the rest of the people. As one Voice in a Consort, which is loud above the proportion of the rest, doth not adorn,