Roger L'Estrange

“ Nay the Attempt of any thing above our Force, with Vanity, and Presumption, most certainly ends in a Mis-carriage that makes the Pretender Ridiculous. The Our-doing of a Great Man in his Own Way, Savours in some degree of Ill Manners, as it is upon the Main, a High Point of Indiscretion. One man cakes it for an Affront to be Out-witted; Another to be Out-Fool'd, as Nero could not Endure to be Out-Fiddled; But in short, be the Matter never so Great, or never so Trivial, 'tis the same Case as to the Envy of the Competition. ”

“ REFLEXION.
‘Tis Vain and Dangerous to Enter into Competitions with our Superiors, in What Kind soever, whether it be in Arms, Letters, Expence, Strength of Body, Arts and Sciences, or the like. 'Tis Imposlible for any man, in fine, to take a True Measure of Another, without an Exact Knowledge and a True Judgment of Himself. ”