THE poets make Fame a monster. They de-
scribe her in part finely and elegantly, and
in part gravely and sententiously. They say, look
how many feathers she hath, so many eyes she
hath underneath; so many tongues; so many
voices; she pricks up so many ears.
This is a flourish. There follow excellent par-
ables; as that, she gathereth strength in going;
that she goeth upon the ground, and yet hideth her
head in the clouds; that in the daytime she sitteth
in a watch tower, and flieth most by night; that
she mingleth things done, with things not done;
and that she is a terror to great cities. But that
which passeth all the rest is: They do recount that
the Earth, mother of the giants that made war
against Jupiter, and were by him destroyed, there-
upon in an anger brought forth Fame. For certain
it is, that rebels, figured by the giants, and seditious
fames and libels, are but brothers and sisters, mas-
culine and feminine. But now, if a man can tame
this monster, and bring her to feed at the hand,
and govern her, and with her fly other ravening
fowl and kill them, it is somewhat worth. But we
are infected with the style of the poets. To speak
now in a sad and serious manner: There is not, in
all the politics, a place less handled and more
worthy to be handled, than this of fame. We will
therefore speak of these points: What are false
fames; and what are true fames; and how they
may be best discerned; how fames may be sown,
and raised; how they may be spread, and multi-
plied; and how they may be checked, and laid
dead. And other things concerning the nature of
fame. Fame is of that force, as there is scarcely any
great action, wherein it hath not a great part; es-
pecially in the war. Mucianus undid Vitellius, by
a fame that he scattered, that Vitellius had in pur-
pose to remove the legions of Syria into Germany,
and the legions of Germany into Syria; where-
upon the legions of Syria were infinitely inflamed.
Julius Caesar took Pompey unprovided, and laid
asleep his industry and preparations, by a fame
that he cunningly gave out: Caesar's own soldiers
loved him not, and being wearied with the wars,
and laden with the spoils of Gaul, would forsake
him, as soon as he came into Italy. Livia settled
all things for the succession of her son Tiberius, by
continual giving out, that her husband Augustus
was upon recovery and amendment, and it is an
usual thing with the pashas, to conceal the death
of the Great Turk from the janizaries and men of
war, to save the sacking of Constantinople and
other towns, as their manner is. Themistocles made
Xerxes, king of Persia, post apace out of Grecia, by
giving out, that the Grecians had a purpose to
break his bridge of ships, which he had made ath-
wart Hellespont. There be a thousand such like
examples; and the more they are, the less they
need to be repeated; because a man meeteth with
them everywhere. Therefore let all wise governors
have as great a watch and care over fames, as they
have of the actions and designs themselves.
Back to: The Essays