Michel de Montaigne

“ Howsoever it were, I would be loth be so used in mine owne small and particular businesse, we do so willingly upon every slight occasion and pretence neglect and forgoe commandement, and are so farre from obeying, that we rather usurp a kinde of mastery and free power: every man doth so naturally aspire unto liberty and authoritie, that no profit ought to be so dear unto a superior, proceeding from those that serve him as their simple and naturall obedience. ”

“ On the other side a man might also consider, that this so strict obedience belongs but to precise and prefixed commandements. Ambassadors have a more scopefull and free charge, which in many points dependeth chiefly of their disposition. They doe not meerely execute, but frame and direct by their owne advice and counsell, the will of their Master. I have in dayes seene some persons of commandement, checked and found fault withall, because they had rather obeyed the literall sense, and bare words of the Kings letters, than the occasions of the affaires they had in hand. ”

“ For commonly we see the contrary, that many chuse rather to discourse of any other trade than their owne; supposing it to be so much new reputation gotten: witnes the quip Archidamus gave Periander, saying that he forsooke the credit of a good Physitian, to become a paltry Poet. ”