Letamanbutobservewhoareofgreatestauthorityincities，andwhobestdotheirownbusiness;weshallfindthattheyarecommonlymenoftheleastparts:women，children，andmadmenhavehadthefortunetogoverngreatkingdomsequallywellwiththewisestprinces，andThucydidessays，thatthestupidmoreordinarilydoitthanthoseofbetterunderstandings;weattributetheeffectsoftheirgoodfortunetotheirprudence:
\"UtquisqueFortunautitur，Itapraecellet;atqueexindesapereillumomnesdicimus;\"
[\"HemakeshiswaywhoknowshowtouseFortune，andthereuponweallcallhimwise。\"——Plautus，Pseudol。，ii。3，13。]
whereforeIsayunreservedly，eventsareaverypoortestimonyofourworthandparts。
Now，Iwasuponthispoint，thatthereneedsnomorebuttoseeamanpromotedtodignity;thoughweknewhimbutthreedaysbeforeamanoflittleregard，yetanimageofgrandeurofsufficiencyinsensiblystealsintoouropinion，andwepersuadeourselvesthat，beingaugmentedinreputationandtrain，heisalsoincreasedinmerit;wejudgeofhim，notaccordingtohisworth，butaswedobycounters，accordingtotheprerogativeofhisplace。Ifithappensothathefallagain，andbemixedwiththecommoncrowd，everyoneinquireswithamazementintothecauseofhishavingbeenraisedsohigh。\"Isthishe，\"saythey，\"washenowiserwhenhewasthere？Doprincessatisfythemselveswithsolittle？Truly，wewereingoodhands。\"ThisisathingthatIhaveoftenseeninmytime。Nay，eventheverydisguiseofgrandeurrepresentedinourcomediesinsomesortmovesandgullsus。ThatwhichImyselfadoreinkingsisthecrowdoftheiradorers;allreverenceandsubmissionareduetothem，exceptthatoftheunderstanding:myreasonisnotobligedtobowandbend;mykneesare。MelanthiusbeingaskedwhathethoughtofthetragedyofDionysius，\"Icouldnotseeit，\"saidhe，\"itwassocloudedwithlanguage\";somostofthosewhojudgeofthediscoursesofgreatmenoughttosay，\"Ididnotunderstandhiswords，theyweresocloudedwithgravity，grandeur，andmajesty。\"AntisthenesonedaytriedtopersuadetheAthenianstogiveorderthattheirassesmightbeemployedintillingthegroundaswellasthehorseswere;towhichitwasansweredthatthatanimalwasnotdestinedforsuchaservice:\"That’sallone，\"repliedhe，\"youhaveonlytoorderit:forthemostignorantandincapablemenyouemployinthecommandsofyourwarsincontinentlybecomeworthyenough，becauseyouemploythem\";towhichthecustomofsomanypeople，whocanonisethekingtheyhavechosenoutoftheirownbody，andarenotcontentonlytohonour，butmustadorethem，comesverynear。ThoseofMexico，aftertheceremoniesoftheirking’scoronationareover，darenomorelookhimintheface;