s, covetous, impatient, no doubt,
and lascivious, yet as thou art a Christian, correct and moderate thyself.
'Tis something, I confess, and able to move any man, to see himself
contemned, obscure, neglected, disgraced, undervalued, [3940]"left behind;"
some cannot endure it, no not constant Lipsius, a man discreet otherwise,
yet too weak and passionate in this, as his words express, [3941]_collegas
olim, quos ego sine fremitu non intueor, nuper terrae filios, nunc
Maecenates et Agrippas habeo,--summo jam monte potitos_. But he was much to
blame for it: to a wise staid man this is nothing, we cannot all be
honoured and rich, all Caesars; if we will be content, our present state is
good, and in some men's opinion to be preferred. Let them go on, get
wealth, offices, titles, honours, preferments, and what they will
themselves, by chance, fraud, imposture, simony, and indirect means, as too
many do, by bribery, flattery, and parasitical insinuation, by impudence
and time-serving, let them climb up to advancement in despite of virtue,
let them "go before, cross me on every side," _me non offendunt modo non
in, oculos incurrant_, [3942]as he said, correcting his former error, they
do not offend me, so long as they run not into mine eyes. I am inglorious
and poor, _composita paupertate_, but I live secure and quiet: they are
dignified, have great means, pomp, and state, they are glorious; but what
have they with it? [3943]"Envy, trouble, anxiety, as much labour to
maintain their place with credit, as to get it at first." I am contented
with my fortunes, _spectator e longinquo_, and love _Neptunum procul a
terra spectare furentem_: he is ambitious, and not satisfied with his: "but
what [3944]gets he by it? to have all his life laid open, his reproaches
seen: not one of a thousand but he hath done more worthy of dispraise and
animadversion than commendation; no better means to help this than to be
private." Let them run, ride, strive as so many fishes for a crumb, scrape,
climb, catch, snatch, cozen, collogue, temporise and fleer, take all
amongst them, wealth, honour, [3945]and get what they can, it offends me
not:

[3946] ------"me mea tellus
Lare secreto tutoque tegat,"

"I am well pleased with my fortunes," [3947]_Vivo et regno simul ista
relinquens_.

I have learned "in what state soever I am, therewith to be contented,"
Philip, iv 11. Come what can come, I am prepared. _Nave ferar magna an
parva, ferar unus et