had made many such treaties himself.  When he gave him the treaty and he had read it, he asked him how he liked it, and said, “But I pray you heartily, tell me the very truth.”  And that he spake so heartily that the other thought he would fain have heard the truth, and in that trust he told him a fault in the treaty.  And at the hearing of it he swore in great anger, “By the mass, thou art a very fool!” The other afterward told me that he would never tell him the truth again.

ANTHONY:  Without question, cousin, I cannot greatly blame him.  And thus they themselves make every man mock them, flatter them, and deceive them—­those, I say, who are of such a vainglorious mind.  For if they be content to hear the truth, let them then make much of those who tell them the truth, and withdraw their ears from them who falsely flatter them, and they shall be more truly served than with twenty requests praying men to tell them true.

King Ladislaus—­our Lord absolve his soul!—­used much this manner among his servants.  When one of them praised any deed of his or any quality in him, if he perceived that they said but the truth he would let it pass by uncontrolled.  But when he saw that they set a gloss on it for his praise of their own making besides, then would he shortly say unto them, “I pray thee, good fellow, when thou sayest grace at my board, never bring in a Gloria Patri without a sicut erat. Any act that ever I did, if thou report it again to mine honour with a Gloria Patri, never report it but with a sicut erat—­that is, even as it was and none otherwise.  And lift me not up with lies, for I love it not.”  If men would use this way with them that this noble king used, it would diminish much of their false flattery.

I can well approve that men should commend such things as they see praiseworthy in other men—­keeping them within the bounds of truth—­to give them the greater courage to the increase of them.  For men keep still in that point one quality of children, that praise must prick them forth.  But better it were to do well and look for none.  Howbeit, those who cannot find it in their hearts to commend another man’s good deed show themselves either envious or else of nature very cold and dull.  But without question, he who putteth his pleasure in the praise of the people hath but a foolish fancy.  For if his finger do but ache of a hot blain, a great many men’s mouths blowing out his praise will scantly do him, among them all, so much ease as to have one boy blow on his finger!

XI

Let us now consider likewise what great worldly wealth ariseth unto men by great offices and authority—­to those worldly-disposed people, I say, who desire them for no better purpose.  For of those who desire them for better, we shall speak after anon.