that they consume their substance in lawsuits, or
otherwise in hospitality, feasting, fine clothes, to get a few bombast
titles, for _ambitiosa paupertate laboramus omnes_, to outbrave one
another, they will tire their bodies, macerate their souls, and through
contentions or mutual invitations beggar themselves. Scarce two great
scholars in an age, but with bitter invectives they fall foul one on the
other, and their adherents; Scotists, Thomists, Reals, Nominals, Plato and
Aristotle, Galenists and Paracelsians, &c., it holds in all professions.

Honest [1717]emulation in studies, in all callings is not to be disliked,
'tis _ingeniorum cos_, as one calls it, the whetstone of wit, the nurse of
wit and valour, and those noble Romans out of this spirit did brave
exploits. There is a modest ambition, as Themistocles was roused up with
the glory of Miltiades; Achilles' trophies moved Alexander,

[1718] "Ambire semper stulta confidentia est,
Ambire nunquam deses arrogantia est."

'Tis a sluggish humour not to emulate or to sue at all, to withdraw
himself, neglect, refrain from such places, honours, offices, through
sloth, niggardliness, fear, bashfulness, or otherwise, to which by his
birth, place, fortunes, education, he is called, apt, fit, and well able to
undergo; but when it is immoderate, it is a plague and a miserable pain.
What a deal of money did Henry VIII. and Francis I. king of France, spend
at that [1719]famous interview? and how many vain courtiers, seeking each
to outbrave other, spent themselves, their livelihood and fortunes, and
died beggars? [1720]Adrian the Emperor was so galled with it, that he
killed all his equals; so did Nero. This passion made [1721]Dionysius the
tyrant banish Plato and Philoxenus the poet, because they did excel and
eclipse his glory, as he thought; the Romans exile Coriolanus, confine
Camillus, murder Scipio; the Greeks by ostracism to expel Aristides,
Nicias, Alcibiades, imprison Theseus, make away Phocion, &c. When Richard
I. and Philip of France were fellow soldiers together, at the siege of Acon
in the Holy Land, and Richard had approved himself to be the more valiant
man, insomuch that all men's eyes were upon him, it so galled Philip,
_Francum urebat Regis victoria_, saith mine [1722]author, _tam aegre
ferebat Richardi gloriam, ut carpere dicta, calumniari facta_; that he
cavilled at all his proceedings, and fell at length to open defiance; he
could contain no longer