OF NOBILITY.                                91

weighs men's minds and not their trash. But above
all, if he have St. Paul's perfection, that he would
wish to be an anathema from Christ for the salvation
of his brethren, it shows much of a divine nature, and
a kind of conformity with Christ himself.
 

XIV.
OF NOBILITY.

We will speak of nobility, first as a portion of an
estate, then as a condition of particular persons. A
monarchy, where there is no nobility at all, is ever a
pure and absolute tyranny, as that of the Turks.
For nobility attempers sovereignty, and draws the
eyes of the people somewhat aside from the line
royal. But for democracies they need it not; and
they are commonly more quiet, and less subject to
sedition than where there are stirps of nobles. For
men^s eyes are upon the business and not upon the
persons ; or, if upon the persons, it is for the business'