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The Praise of Folly 41 companion, Self-love, be present with it? Nor does she without cause supply me the place of a Sister, since her whole endeavours are to act my part every where. For what is more foolish than for a man to study nothing else than how to please himself? To make himself the object of his own admiration ? And yet, what is there that is either delightful or taking, nay rather what not the contrary, that a man does against the hair? "Take away this Salt of life, and the Orator may ev’n sit still with his Action, the Musitian with all his division will be able to please no man, the Player be hist off the Stage, the Poet and all his Muses ridiculous, the Painter with his Art contemptible, and the Physitian with all his Slip-slops go a begging. Lastly, thou wilt be taken t for an Ugly fellow instead of a Beautiful, for Old and Decrepit instead of Youthful, and a Beast instead of a Wise man, a Child instead of Eloquent, and instead of a well-bred man, a clown. So necessary a thing it is that every one flatter himself, and commend himself to himself before he can be commended by others. 1 pro Nireo Thersites, pro Phaone Nestor, pro Minerva sus.
