Page:Plutarch - Moralia, translator Holland, 1911.djvu/211

Rh than to look pale; as having good reason to acquaint and teach youth to dread shame and reproach more than blame and reproof; yea, and suspicion or obloquy rather than peril or danger.

Howbeit, we must abridge and cut off the excess and overmuch, which is in such timidity and fear of reproach; for that oftentimes it cometh to pass in some, who dreading no less to hear ill and be accused than to be chastised or punished; for false hearts are frighted from doing their duty, and in no wise can abide to have an hard word spoken of them. But as we are not to neglect these that are so tender, nor ought to feed them in their feebleness of heart; so again, we must not praise their disposition who are stiff and inflexible: such as the poet describeth when he saith:

but we ought to compound a good mixture and temperate medley of both extremities, which may take away this excessive obstinacy which is impudence, and that immoderate modesty which is mere childishness and imbecility. True it is that the cure of these two maladies is difficult; neither can this excess both in the one and the other be cut off without danger. For like as the skilful husbandman when he would rid the ground of some wild bushes and fruitless plants, he layeth at them mainly with has grubbing hook or mattock, until he have fetched them up by the root; or else sets fire unto them and so bumeth them; but when he comes to prune or cut a vine, an apple-tree, or an olive, he carrieth his hand lightly for fear of wounding any of the sound wood, in fetching off the superfluous and rank branches, and so kill the heart thereof; even so the philosopher, intending to pluck out of the mind of a young man either envy, an unkind and savage plant, which hardly or unneth at all may be made gentle and brought to any good use; or the unseasonable and excessive greediness of gathering good, or dissolute and disordinate lust; he never feareth at all in the cutting thereof, to draw blood, to press and pierce hard to the bottom, yea, and to make a large wound and deep scar. But when he setteth to the keen edge of remonstrance and speech, to the tender and delicate part of the soul, for to cut away that which is excessive or overmuch, to wit, wherein is seated this unmeasurable and sleepish bashfulness, he hath a great care and regard, lest ere he