Essays English and American Author:Raymond Macdonald Alden Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: x them; a man cannot sometimes brook57 to supplicate or beg; and a number of the like. But all these things are graceful in a friend's mouth, which are blushi... more »ng in a man's own. So again, a man's person hath many proper58 relations which he cannot put off. A man cannot speak to his son but as a father; to his wife but as a husband; to his enemy but upon terms: whereas a friend may speak as tlie case requires, and not as it sorteth59 with the person. But to enumerate these things were endless: I have given the rule, where a man cannot fitly play his own part: if he have not a friend, he may quit the stage. N OF DISCOURSE1 Some in their discourse desire rather commendation of wit, in being able to hold all arguments, than of judgment, in discerning what is true; as if it were a praise to know what might be said, and not what should be thought. Some have certain common-places and themes wherein they are good, and want2 variety; which kind of poverty is for the most part tedious, and, when it is once perceived, ridiculous. The honorablest part of talk is to give the occasion; and again to moderate3 and pass to somewhat else; for then a man leads the dance. It is good, in discourse, and speech of conversation, to vary and intermingle speech of the present occasion with arguments; tales with reasons; asking of questions with telling of opinions; and jest with earnest: for it is a dull thing to tire, and, as we say now, to jade4 anything too far. As for jest, there be certain things which ought to be privileged from it; namely, religion, matteis of state, great 57. brook. Endure, 58. proper. Peculiar to himself. 59. sorteth. Suits. 1. This essay flrst appeared in 1597; it was enlarged in 1612 and again in 1625, and was eventually numbered XXXII. 2. want. Lack. 3...« less