"At the Roman Court good Fortune generally prevails, and there is but seldom room for talent or honesty; every thing is obtained through intrigue or luck, not to mention money, which seems to hold supreme sway all over the world. A friend of mine, sore at the preference given over him to men very much his inferiors, both in learning and merit, complained to Angelotto, Cardinal of Saint-Mark, that no account was taken of his worth, that he was left aside for people who could not bear comparison with himself; and he spoke of the pains he had been at for his education and the acquisition of knowledge. The Cardinal was never slow at animadverting upon the pravity of Court: "Here," quoth he, "learning and merit stand for nothing; however, be not disheartened, but devote some of your time to unlearning the good you know and learning some of the bad you know not, if you wish to be acceptable to the Pope.""
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No. 23: A Friend of Mine Who Grieved at Seeing Preferred to Himself Many Who Were His Inferiors in Learning and Honesty
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