IT CANNOT be denied, but outward accidents
conduce much to fortune; favor, opportunity,
death of others, occasion fitting virtue. But chiefly,
the mould of a man's fortune is in his own hands.
Faber quisque fortunae suae, saith the poet. And
the most frequent of external causes is, that the
folly of one man, is the fortune of another. For no
man prospers so suddenly, as by others' errors.
Serpens nisi serpentem comederit non fit draco.
Overt and apparent virtues, bring forth praise; but
there be secret and hidden virtues, that bring forth
fortune; certain deliveries of a man's self, which
have no name. The Spanish name, desemboltura,
partly expresseth them; when there be not stonds
nor restiveness in a man's nature; but that the
wheels of his mind, keep way with the wheels of
his fortune. For so Livy (after he had described
Cato Major in these words, In illo viro tantum ro-
bur corporis et animi fuit, ut quocunque loco natus
esset, fortunam sibi facturus videretur) falleth
upon that, that he had versatile ingenium. There-
fore if a man look sharply and attentively, he shall
see Fortune: for though she be blind, yet she is not
invisible. The way of fortune, is like the Milken
Way in the sky; which is a meeting or knot of a
number of small stars; not seen asunder, but giv-
ing light together. So are there a number of
little, and scarce discerned virtues, or rather facul-
ties and customs, that make men fortunate. The
Italians note some of them, such as a man would
little think. When they speak of one that cannot do
amiss, they will throw in, into his other conditions,
that he hath Poco di matto. And certainly there be
not two more fortunate properties, than to have a
little of the fool, and not too much of the honest.
Therefore extreme lovers of their country or
masters, were never fortunate, neither can they
be. For when a man placeth his thoughts without
himself, he goeth not his own way. An hasty for-
tune maketh an enterpriser and remover (the
French hath it better, entreprenant, or remuant);
but the exercised fortune maketh the able man.
Fortune is to be honored and respected, and it be
but for her daughters, Confidence and Reputation.
For those two, Felicity breedeth; the first within
a man's self, the latter in others towards him. All
wise men, to decline the envy of their own virtues,
use to ascribe them to Providence and Fortune; for
so they may the better assume them: and, besides,
it is greatness in a man, to be the care of the higher
powers. So Caesar said to the pilot in the tempest,
Caesarem portas, et fortunam ejus. So Sylla chose
the name of Felix, and not of Magnus. And it hath
been noted, that those who ascribe openly too
much to their own wisdom and policy, end infor-
tunate. It is written that Timotheus the Athenian,
after he had, in the account he gave to the state of
his government, often interlaced this speech, and
in this, Fortune had no part, never prospered in
anything, he undertook afterwards. Certainly
there be, whose fortunes are like Homer's verses,
that have a slide and easiness more than the verses
of other poets; as Plutarch saith of Timoleon's for-
tune, in respect of that of Agesilaus or Epaminon-
das. And that this shoulld be, no doubt it is much,
in a man's self.
Back to: The Essays