Page:Plutarch - Moralia, translator Holland, 1911.djvu/220

 we have gathered for this purpose, the principal in mine advice is this, which sheweth and teacheth us that all the passions and maladies of the mind be ordinarily accompanied with those inconveniences which we would seem to avoid by their means: as, for example, ambition and desire of honour hath commonly attending upon it dishonour; pain usually followeth the love of pleasures; labour and travail ensueth upon ease and delicacy; repulse, overthrows, and condemnations are the ends that ensue daily upon those that are given to be litigious, contentious, and desirous to cast, foil and conquer others; semblably it happeneth unto excessive bashfulness, which seeming to fly and shun the smoke of blame, casteth itself into the very fire and flame of infamy. For those who be abashed to gainsay and deny them, who importune them unreasonably, and will take no nay in things unjust, are constrained afterwards to bear both shame and blame at their hands who justly call them to their answer and accuse them worthily; and whiles they fear some light check or private rebuke, many times they are fain to incur and sustain open disgrace and reproach: for being abashed to deny a friend who craveth to borrow money, as being loth to say they have none, within a while after (with shame enough) they blush, when they shall be convinced to have had one; and having promised to assist and stand to some who have suit in law, by that means are forced to contend with others, and afterwards being ashamed thereof, are driven to hide their heads and fly out of the way. Also there be many whom this foolish modesty hath caused to enter into some disadvantageous promise as touching the marriage either of daughter or sister, and being entangled therewith have been constrained afterwards upon change of mind to break their word and fail in their promise; as for him who said in old time, that all the inhabitants of Asia served as slaves unto one man; for that they knew not how to pronounce one only negative syllable, oὐ, that is. No; he spake not in earnest but by way of bourd, and was disposed to jest: but surely these bashful persons may if they list without one word spoken, by knitting and bending their brows only, or nodding downward to the ground, avoid and escape many offices and absurd inconveniences, which oftentimes they do unwillingly and only upon importunity. For as Euripides said very well:

And haply we have more cause to take that course with such