Of Fame

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.
 
 

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