48-第1节

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48　Of　Followers　&　Friends　
Costly　followers　are　not　to　be　liked；　lest　while　a　man　maketh　his　train　longer；　he　
make　his　wings　shorter。　I　reckon　to　be　costly；　not　them　alone；　which　charge　the　purse；　but　which　are　wearisome　and　importune　in　suits。　Ordinary　followers　ought　to　challenge　no　higher　conditions；　than　countenance；　recommendation；　and　protection　from　wrongs。　
Factious　followers　are　worse　to　be　liked；　which　follow　not　upon　affection　to　him；　
with　whom　they　range　themselves；　but　upon　discontentment　conceived　against　some　other：　whereupon　commonly　ensueth　that　ill　intelligence；　that　we　many　times　see　between　great　personages。　Likewise　glorious　followers；　who　make　themselves　as　trumpets；　of　the　commendation　of　those　they　follow；　are　full　of　inconvenience；　for　they　taint　business　through　want　of　secrecy；　and　they　export　honour　from　a　man；　and　make　him　a　return　in　envy。　
There　is　a　kind　of　followers　likewise；　which　are　dangerous；　being　indeed　
espials；　which　enquire　the　secrets　of　the　house；　and　bear　tales　of　them　to　others。　

Yet　such　men；　many　times；　are　in　great　favour；　for　they　are　officious；　and　commonly　exchange　tales。　The　following　by　certain　estates　of　men；　answerable　to　that　which　a　great　person　himself　professeth　（as　of　soldiers　to　him　that　hath　been　employed　in　me　wars；　and　the　like）；　hath　ever　been　a　thing　civil；　and　well　taken　even　in　monarchies；　so　it　be　without　too　much　pomp　or　popularity。　But　the　most　honourable　kind　of　following；　is　to　be　followed　as　one　that　apprehendeth；　to　advance　virtue　and　desert；　in　all　sorts　of　persons。　
And　yet；　where　there　is　no　eminent　odds　in　sufficiency；　it　is　better　to　take　with　me　more　passable；　than　with　the　more　able。　And　besides；　to　speak　truth；　in　base　times；　active　men　are　of　more　use；　than　virtuous。　It　is　true　that　in　government；　it　is　good　to　use　men　of　one　rank　equally：　for　to　countenance　some　extraordinarily；　is　to　make　them　insolent；　and　the　rest　discontent；　because　they　may　claim　a　due。　
But　contrariwise　in　favour；　to　use　men　with　much　difference　and　election；　is　good；　for　it　makelh　the　persons　preferred　more　thankful；　and　the　rest　more　officious；　because　all　is　of　favour。　It　is　good　discretion；　not　to　make　too　much　of　any　man；　at　the　first；　because　one　cannot　hold　out　that　proportion。　
To　be　governed　（as　we　call　it）　by　one；　is　not　safe：　for　it　shows　softness；　and　gives　a　freedom　to　scandal　and　disreputation：　for　those　that　would　not　censure；　or　speak　ill　of　a　man　immediately；　will　talk　more　boldly　of　those　that　are　so　great　with　them；　and　thereby　wound　their　honour。　Yet　to　be　distracted　with　many　is　worse；　for　it　makes　men　to　be　of　the　last　impression；　and　full　of　change。　To　take　advice　of　some　few　friends　is　ever　honourable；　for　lookers…on；　many　times；　see　more　than　gamesters；　and　the　vale　best　discovered！　the　hill。　There　is　little　friendship　in　the　world；　and　least　of　all　between　equals；　which　was　wont　to　be　magnified。　That　that　is；　is　between　superior　and　inferior；　whose　fortunes　may　comprehend；　the　one　the　other。
　
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