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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.