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Persons of noble blood, are less envied in their rising. For it seemeth but right done to their birth. Besides, there seemeth not much added to theirfortune; and envy is as the sunbeams, that beat hotter upon a bank, or steep rising ground, than upon a flat. And for the same reason, those that are advanced by degrees, are less envied than those that are advanced suddenly and per saltum.
Those that have joined with their honor great travels, cares, or perils, are less subject to envy. For men think that they earn their honors hardly, and pity them sometimes; and pity ever healeth envy. Wherefore you shall observe, that the more deep and sober sort of politic persons, in their greataess, are ever bemoaning themselves, what a life they lead; chanting a quanta patimur! Not that they feel it so, but only to abate the edge of envy. But this is to be understood, of business that is laid upon men, and not such, as they call unto themselves. For nothing increaseth envy more, than an unnecessary and ambitious engrossing of business. And nothing doth extinguish envy more, than for a great person to preserve all other inferior officers, in their full lights and pre-eminences of their places. For by that means, there be so many screens between him and envy.
Above all, those are most subject to envy, which carry the greatness of their fortunes, in an insolent and proud manner; being never well, but while they are showing how great they are, either by outward pomp, or by triumphing over all opposition or competition; whereas wise men will rather do sacrifice to envy, in suffering themselves sometimes of purpose to be crossed, and overborne in things that do not much concern them. Notwithstanding, so much is true, that the carriage of greatness, in a plain and open manner (so it be without arrogancy and vain glory) doth draw less envy, than if it be in a more crafty and cunning fashion. For in that course, a man doth but disavow fortune; and seemeth to be conscious of his own want in worth; and doth but teach others, to envy him.
Lastly, to conclude this part; as we said in the beginning, that the act of envy had somewhat in it of witchcraft, so there is no other cure of envy, but the cure of witchcraft; and that is, to remove the lot (as they call it) and to lay it upon another. For which purpose, the wiser sort of great persons, bring in ever upon the stage somebody upon whom to derive the envy, that would come upon themselves; sometimes upon ministers and servants; sometimes upon colleagues and associates; and the like; and for that turn there are never wanting, some persons of violent and undertaking natures, who, so they may have power and business, will take it at any cost.
Now, to speak of public envy. There is yet some good in public envy, whereas in private, there is none. For public envy, is as an ostracism, that eclipseth men, when they grow too great. And therefore it is a bridle also to great ones, to keep them within bounds
出身貴族者在升遷時較少遭人嫉妒，因為那看上去無非是出身高貴的必然結果，再說這種錦上添花似乎也不會給他們帶來更多的好處。且嫉妒猶如日光，它射在陡坡峭壁上比射在平地上更使人感覺其熱；與此同理，逐漸高升者比驟然騰達者較少遭人嫉妒。
那些一直把自己的顯赫與辛勞、焦慮或風險連在一起的人較少成為嫉妒的對象，因為世人會覺得他們的高位顯取來之不易，甚至有時候還會可憐他們，而憐憫往往可以治愈嫉妒。故此世人可見，一些較老謀深算的政界人物在位高權重時常常向人家訴苦，說自己活得多苦多累；其實他們并非真那樣感覺，而只是想減輕別人的嫉妒而已。不過人們能體諒的是那種依命行事的辛勞，而不是那種沒事找事的忙碌，因為最讓人妒上加妒的事就是那種毫無必要且野心勃勃的事必躬親；所以對位高權重者來說，保證各級屬下的充分權利和應有身份是消除嫉妒的最佳方法，因為用這種方法不啻在自己與嫉妒之間筑起了一道道屏障。
因大富大貴而趾高氣揚者尤其易遭妒忌，因為這種人不炫耀其富貴就不舒服，結果他們或是在舉止言談上神氣活現，或是總要壓倒一切相反意見或競爭對手。可聰明人則寧愿吃點虧而給嫉妒者一點實惠，有時故意在某些與己關系不大的事情上讓對手占占上風。但盡管如此，以下事實仍不謬：以直率坦蕩的態度對待富資比用虛偽狡詐的態度更少遭人妒忌，只要那直率坦蕩中沒有傲慢與自負的成分；因為用后一種態度者無非是否認自己的幸運，而那會讓人覺得他自己都感到他不配享受富貴，因此他恰好是教別人來嫉妒自己。
最后讓筆者贅言幾句來結束這個部分。如本文開篇所言，嫉妒行為有幾分巫術的性質，因此治嫉妒的最好方法就是治巫術的方法，也就是移開世人所謂的“符咒”，使之鎮在別人頭上。為達到這一目的，有些聰明的大人物總是讓別人替自己拋頭露面，從而使本會降到自己身上的嫉妒降到他人身上，這種他人有時候是侍從仆役，有時候是同僚伙伴或諸如此類的角色；而要找這種替身，世間還真不乏一些雄心勃勃的冒昧之徒，只要能獲得權位，這種人不惜付出任何代價。
現在且來談談公眾的嫉妒。雖說私人間的嫉妒有百害而無一利，但公眾的嫉妒卻還有一點好處，因為它就像陶片放逐法①，可除去那些位高專權者，所以它對其他大人物亦是一種制約，可使他們循規蹈矩。
