But let it be that these commodities be somewhat, such as they be.  Yet then consider whether any incommodities be so joined with them that a man might almost as well lack both as have both.  Goeth everything evermore as every one of them would have it?  That would be as hard as to please all the people at once with one weather, since in one house the husband would have fair weather for his corn and his wife would have rain for her leeks!  So those who are in authority are not all evermore of one mind, but sometimes there is variance among them, either for the respect of profit or the contention of rule, or for maintenance of causes, sundry parts for their sundry friends, and it cannot be that both the parties can have their own way.  Nor often are they content who see their conclusions fail, but they take the missing of their intent ten times more displeasantly than poor men do.  And this goeth not only for men of mean authority, but unto the very greatest.  The princes themselves cannot have, you know, all their will.  For how would it be possible, since almost every one of them would, if he could, be lord over all the rest?  Then many men, under their princes in authority, are in such a position that many bear them privy malice and envy in heart.  And many falsely speak them full fair and praise them with their mouth, who when there happeth any great fall unto them, bark and bite upon them like dogs.

Finally, there is the cost and charge, the danger and peril of war, in which their part is more than a poor man’s is, since that matter dependeth more upon them.  And many a poor ploughman may sit still by the fire while they must arise and walk.

And sometimes their authority falleth by change of their master’s mind.  And of that we see daily, in one place or another, such examples and so many that the parable of that philosopher can lack no testimony, who likened the servants of great princes unto the counters with which men do reckon accounts.  For like as that counter that standeth sometimes for a farthing is suddenly set up and standeth for a thousand pound, and afterward as soon is set down beneath to stand for a farthing again; so fareth it sometimes with those who seek the way to rise and grow up in authority by the favour of great princes—­as they rise up high, so fall they down again as low.

Howbeit, though a man escape all such adventures, and abide in great authority till he die, yet then at least every man must leave at last.  And that which we call “at last” hath no very long time to it.  Let a man reckon his years that are past of his age ere ever he can get up aloft; and let him, when he hath it first in his fist, reckon how long he shall be likely to live thereafter; and I daresay that then the most part shall have little cause to rejoice.  They shall see the time likely to be so short that their honour and authority by nature shall endure, beside the manifold chances by which they may lose it sooner.  And then, when they see that they must needs leave it—­the thing which they did much more set their hearts upon than ever they had reasonable cause—­what sorrow they take for it, that shall I not need to tell you.