IT CANNOT be denied, but outward accidents

conduce much to fortune; favor, opportunity,

death of others, occasion fitting virtue. But chiefly,

the mould of a man's fortune is in his own hands.

Faber quisque fortunae suae, saith the poet. And

the most frequent of external causes is, that the

folly of one man, is the fortune of another. For no

man prospers so suddenly, as by others' errors.

Serpens nisi serpentem comederit non fit draco.

Overt and apparent virtues, bring forth praise; but

there be secret and hidden virtues, that bring forth

fortune; certain deliveries of a man's self, which

have no name. The Spanish name, desemboltura,

partly expresseth them; when there be not stonds

nor restiveness in a man's nature; but that the

wheels of his mind, keep way with the wheels of

his fortune. For so Livy (after he had described

Cato Major in these words, In illo viro tantum ro-

bur corporis et animi fuit, ut quocunque loco natus

esset, fortunam sibi facturus videretur) falleth

upon that, that he had versatile ingenium. There-

fore if a man look sharply and attentively, he shall

see Fortune: for though she be blind, yet she is not

invisible. The way of fortune, is like the Milken

Way in the sky; which is a meeting or knot of a

number of small stars; not seen asunder, but giv-

ing light together. So are there a number of

little, and scarce discerned virtues, or rather facul-

ties and customs, that make men fortunate. The

Italians note some of them, such as a man would

little think. When they speak of one that cannot do

amiss, they will throw in, into his other conditions,

that he hath Poco di matto. And certainly there be

not two more fortunate properties, than to have a

little of the fool, and not too much of the honest.

Therefore extreme lovers of their country or

masters, were never fortunate, neither can they

be. For when a man placeth his thoughts without

himself, he goeth not his own way. An hasty for-

tune maketh an enterpriser and remover (the

French hath it better, entreprenant, or remuant);

but the exercised fortune maketh the able man.

Fortune is to be honored and respected, and it be

but for her daughters, Confidence and Reputation.

For those two, Felicity breedeth; the first within

a man's self, the latter in others towards him. All

wise men, to decline the envy of their own virtues,

use to ascribe them to Providence and Fortune; for

so they may the better assume them: and, besides,

it is greatness in a man, to be the care of the higher

powers. So Caesar said to the pilot in the tempest,

Caesarem portas, et fortunam ejus. So Sylla chose

the name of Felix, and not of Magnus. And it hath

been noted, that those who ascribe openly too

much to their own wisdom and policy, end infor-

tunate. It is written that Timotheus the Athenian,

after he had, in the account he gave to the state of

his government, often interlaced this speech, and

in this, Fortune had no part, never prospered in

anything, he undertook afterwards. Certainly

there be, whose fortunes are like Homer's verses,

that have a slide and easiness more than the verses

of other poets; as Plutarch saith of Timoleon's for-

tune, in respect of that of Agesilaus or Epaminon-

das. And that this shoulld be, no doubt it is much,

in a man's self.