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70 Erasmus
where ever they come, a special priviledge it
seems the Gods have given ’em to refresh the
pensiveness of life. Whence it is, that whereas
the world is so differently affected one towards
another,—that all men indifferently admit
them as their companions, desire, feed, cherish,
embrace them, take their parts upon all occa¬
sions, and permit ’em without offence to do
or say what they list. And so little doth every
thing desire to hurt them, that even the very
Beasts, by a kind of natural instinct of their
innocence no doubt, pass by their injuries.
For of them it may be truly said that they are
consecrate to the Gods, and therefore and not
without cause do men have ’em in such esteem.
Whence is it else that they are in so great
request with Princes, that they can neither eat
nor drink, go any whither, or be an hour without
them? Nay, and in some degree they prefer
these Fools before their crabbish Wise-men,
whom yet they keep about them for State-sake.
Nor do I conceive the reason so difficult, or that
it should seem strange why they are prefer’d
before t’ others, for that these wise men speak
to Princes about nothing but grave, serious