in a heat of choler, and raging mad, if I hear that one hath given me any bad terms; marry, as for this man (meaning him whom he flattereth), he casteth doubts at no peril and danger, all is one with him, sea or land, he can endure all hardness, and he counteth nothing painful, no hurt there is in him, a singular man he is, and hath not his fellow, he is angry at nothing, he
beareth all with patience. But say he meet with one at a
venture, which standeth upon his own bottom, and hath some great opinion of his own sufficiency for wit and understanding, who hath a desire to be austere, and not to depend upon the conceits of others, but resteth in his own judgment; and upon a certain uprightness in himself, eftsoons hath these verses in his mouth:
Sir Diomede, do not me praise
So much to more or less,
Nor out of measure me dispraise,
I love not such excess.
This flatterer, then, who is his own craftsmaster and hath thoroughly learned his trade, goeth not the old way to work in setting upon him, but he hath another engine and device in store to assail such a grim sir withal. He will make an errand to him for counsel in his own affairs, as being the man whom he esteemeth to have more wit and wisdom than himself. There be divers others (quoth he) with whom I have better acquaintance and familiarity than with yourself: Howbeit, sir, I am forced of necessity to make bold and to importune you a little: For whither else should we Ingram men repair that have need of advice? and to whom are we to have recourse in matters of trust and secrecy? And then, after he hath heard once what he will say, and it makes no matter what it be; he will take his leave, saying that he hath received not counsel from a man, but an oracle from some god. Now before he departeth, if haply he perceive that he taketh upon him good skill and insight in literature, he will present unto him some compositions of his own penning, praying him withal to peruse them, yea, and to correct the same. Mithridates, the king, affected and loved the art of physic very well: by reason whereof some of his familiar friends about him came and offered themselves to be cut and cauterised by him: which was a mere flattery in deed and not in word. For it seemed that they gave great testimony of his skill, in that they put their lives into his hands:
Of subtile spirits, thus you may see,
That many forms and shapes there be.
