I've been spendng a lot of time talking with Gus lately (Great Universal Spirit; we've been on a first name basis for awhile now), maybe it would be more accurate to say I've been focusing more on listening because I've oft suspected that Gus never does shut up. One of our games is communicating through the super cheap bin at the used book store. The other day the new entry that grabbed my attention was The Courtier by Baldesar Castiglione, first published in Italian in 1528, and translated into English in 1561. (tangent: This interesting site on coursework.info came up during the google for previous link). One of the reason the book attracted my attention was a recent reading of Stephenson's novel Quicksilver.

This morning while waiting for the kettle to boil I flipped open Courtier at random for a morning meditation, and found these following sentences underlined (used book, eh).

Hence, to talk little and to do much, and not to praise oneself for deeds that are praiseworthy, but tactfully to dissimulate them, serves to enhance both the one virtue and the other in anyone who knows how to employ this method discreetly; and so it is with all other good qualities.

...And the first and most important of these is that he should avoid affectation above all else,

...And I think that even as it is wrong to seek false glory or what is not deserved, so is it wrong also to rob oneself of a deserved honor and not to seek that praise which alone is the true reward of virtuous labors.

Woaaa, that was hitting pretty close to the personal. These comments were bracketed by some more general statements which are below.

And often these errors are covered with a kind of veil that prevents the one who commits them from seeing them unless he keeps in this a diligent watch; and, although there are many reasons why our eyes are wanting in discernment, it is by ambition [emphasis added by anonymous underliner] that they are especially blurred, because everyone is ready to put himself forward in that wherein he thinks himself to be knowledgeable, no matter whether it be true or not.

...

...if he will but keep in mind the motive that leads him to war, which is nothing except honor.

These were from pg 97 - 99 in my copy, and the book was sparsely underlined and these pages didn't stand out such as sometimes happens with a broken spine or dogear. Anyway a very good contemplation to think about while I do some morning chores.