paternal affection; and a purpose to live according to nature:
to be grave without affectation: to observe carefully the several
dispositions of my friends, not to be offended with idiots,
nor unseasonably to set upon those that are carried with the
vulgar opinions, with the theorems, and tenets of philosophers:
his conversation being an example how a man might accommodate
himself to all men and companies; so that though his company were
sweeter and more pleasing than any flatterer's cogging and fawning;
yet was it at the same time most respected and reverenced:
who also had a proper happiness and faculty, rationally and
methodically to find out, and set in order all necessary
determinations and instructions for a man's life. A man without
ever the least appearance of anger, or any other passion;
able at the same time most exactly to observe the Stoic Apathia,
or unpassionateness, and yet to be most tender-hearted: ever
of good credit; and yet almost without any noise, or rumour:
very learned, and yet making little show.
Vii. From Alexander the Grammarian, to be un-reprovable myself,
and not reproachfully to reprehend any man for a barbarism,
or a solecism, or any false pronunciation, but dextrously by way
of answer, or testimony, or confirmation of the same matter
(taking no notice of the word) to utter it as it should have
been spoken; or by some other such close and indirect admonition,
handsomely and civilly to tell him of it. VIII. Of Fronto,
to how much envy and fraud and hypocrisy the state of a tyrannous
king is subject unto, and how they who are commonly called
[Eupatridas Gk.], i.e. nobly born, are in some sort incapable,
or void of natural affection.