Nobility is power,not in all places,but only in those Commonwealths where it has privileges;for in such privileges consisteth their power.
Eloquence is power;because it is seeming prudence.
Form is power;because being a promise of good,it recommendeth men to the favour of women and strangers.
The sciences are small powers;because not eminent,and therefore,not acknowledged in any man;nor are at all,but in a few,and in them,but of a few things.For science is of that nature,as none can understand it to be,but such as in a good measure have attained it.
Arts of public use,as fortification,making of engines,and other instruments of war,because they confer to defence and victory,are power;and though the true mother of them be science,namely,the mathematics yet,because they are brought into the light by the hand of the artificer,they be esteemed (the midwife passing with the vulgar for the mother)as his issue.
The value or worth of a man is,as of all other things,his price;that is to say,so much as would be given for the use of his power,and therefore is not absolute,but a thing dependent on the need and judgement of another.An able conductor of soldiers is of great price in time of war present or imminent,but in peace not so.Alearned and uncorrupt judge is much worth in time of peace,but not so much in war.And as in other things,so in men,not the seller,but the buyer determines the price.For let a man,as most men do,rate themselves at the highest value they can,yet their true value is no more than it is esteemed by others.
The manifestation of the value we set on one another is that which is commonly called honouring and dishonouring.To value a man at a high rate is to honour him;at a low rate is to dishonour him.But high and low,in this case,is to be understood by comparison to the rate that each man setteth on himself.
The public worth of a man,which is the value set on him by the Commonwealth,is that which men commonly call dignity.And this value of him by the Commonwealth is understood by offices of command,judicature,public employment;or by names and titles introduced for distinction of such value.
To pray to another for aid of any kind is to honour;because a sign we have an opinion he has power to help;and the more difficult the aid is,the more is the honour.
To obey s to honour;because no man obeys them who they think have no power to help or hurt them.And consequently to disobey is to dishonour.
To give great gifts to a man is to honour him;because it is buying of protection,and acknowledging of power.To give little gifts is to dishonour;because it is but alms,and signifies an opinion of the need of small helps.
To be sedulous in promoting another's good,also to flatter,is to honour;as a sign we seek his protection or aid.To neglect is to dishonour.
To give way or place to another,in any commodity,is to honour;being a confession of greater power.To arrogate is to dishonour.
To show any sign of love or fear of another is honour;for both to love and to fear is to value.To contemn,or less to love or fear than he expects,is to dishonour;for it is undervaluing.
To praise,magnify,or call happy is to honour;because nothing but goodness,power,and felicity is valued.To revile,mock,or pity is to dishonour.
To speak to another with consideration,to appear before him with decency and humility,is to honour him;as signs of fear to offend.To speak to him rashly,to do anything before him obscenely,slovenly,impudently is to dishonour.
To believe,to trust,to rely on another,is to honour him;sign of opinion of his virtue and power.To distrust,or not believe,is to dishonour.
To hearken to a man's counsel,or discourse of what kind soever,is to honour;as a sign we think him wise,or eloquent,or witty.To sleep,or go forth,or talk the while,is to dishonour.
To do those things to another which he takes for signs of honour,or which the law or custom makes so,is to honour;because in approving the honour done by others,he acknowledgeth the power which others acknowledge.To refuse to do them is to dishonour.
To agree with in opinion is to honour;as being a sign of approving his judgement and wisdom.To dissent is dishonour,and an upbraiding of error,and,if the dissent be in many things,of folly.
To imitate is to honour;for it is vehemently to approve.To imitate one's enemy is to dishonour.
To honour those another honours is to honour him;as a sign of approbation of his judgement.To honour his enemies is to dishonour him.
To employ in counsel,or in actions of difficulty,is to honour;as a sign of opinion of his wisdom or other power.To deny employment in the same cases to those that seek it is to dishonour.
All these ways of honouring are natural,and as well within,as without Commonwealths.But in Commonwealths where he or they that have the supreme authority can make whatsoever they please to stand for signs of honour,there be other honours.
A sovereign doth honour a subject with whatsoever title,or office,or employment,or action that he himself will have taken for a sign of his will to honour him.
The king of Persia honoured Mordecai when he appointed he should be conducted through the streets in the king's garment,upon one of the king's horses,with a crown on his head,and a prince before him,proclaiming,"Thus shall it be done to him that the king will honour."And yet another king of Persia,or the same another time,to one that demanded for some great service to wear one of the king's robes,gave him leave so to do;but with this addition,that he should wear it as the king's fool;and then it was dishonour.So that of civil honour,the fountain is in the person of the Commonwealth,and dependeth on the will of the sovereign,and is therefore temporary and called civil honour;such as are magistracy,offices,titles,and in some places coats and scutcheons painted:
and men honour such as have them,as having so many signs of favour in the Commonwealth,which favour is power.