diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/ebacn10.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/ebacn10.txt | 7266 |
1 files changed, 7266 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/old/ebacn10.txt b/old/ebacn10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..87ce333 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/ebacn10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7266 @@ +*****The Project Gutenberg Etext of Essays of Francis Bacon***** +#1 in our series by Francis Bacon + + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check +the copyright laws for your country before posting these files!! + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. Do not remove this. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**Etexts Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*These Etexts Prepared By Hundreds of Volunteers and Donations* + +Information on contacting Project Gutenberg to get Etexts, and +further information is included below. We need your donations. + + +Essays + +by Francis Bacon + +June, 1996 [Etext #575] +[Most recently updated September 1, 2003] + +*****The Project Gutenberg Etext of Essays of Francis Bacon***** +*****This file should be named ebacn10.txt or ebacn10.zip****** + +Corrected EDITIONS of our etexts get a new NUMBER, ebacn11.txt. +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, ebacn10a.txt. + + +This etext was created by Judith Boss, Omaha, Nebraska. +The equipment: an IBM-compatible 486/50, a Hewlett-Packard +ScanJet IIc flatbed scanner, and Calera Recognition Systems' +M/600 Series Professional OCR software and RISC accelerator board +donated by Calera Recognition Systems. + + +We are now trying to release all our books one month in advance +of the official release dates, for time for better editing. + +Please note: neither this list nor its contents are final till +midnight of the last day of the month of any such announcement. +The official release date of all Project Gutenberg Etexts is at +Midnight, Central Time, of the last day of the stated month. A +preliminary version may often be posted for suggestion, comment +and editing by those who wish to do so. To be sure you have an +up to date first edition [xxxxx10x.xxx] please check file sizes +in the first week of the next month. Since our ftp program has +a bug in it that scrambles the date [tried to fix and failed] a +look at the file size will have to do, but we will try to see a +new copy has at least one byte more or less. + + +Information about Project Gutenberg (one page) + +We produce about two million dollars for each hour we work. The +fifty hours is one conservative estimate for how long it we take +to get any etext selected, entered, proofread, edited, copyright +searched and analyzed, the copyright letters written, etc. This +projected audience is one hundred million readers. If our value +per text is nominally estimated at one dollar then we produce $2 +million dollars per hour this year as we release thirty-two text +files per month: or 400 more Etexts in 1996 for a total of 800. +If these reach just 10% of the computerized population, then the +total should reach 80 billion Etexts. + +The Goal of Project Gutenberg is to Give Away One Trillion Etext +Files by the December 31, 2001. [10,000 x 100,000,000=Trillion] +This is ten thousand titles each to one hundred million readers, +which is only 10% of the present number of computer users. 2001 +should have at least twice as many computer users as that, so it +will require us reaching less than 5% of the users in 2001. + + +We need your donations more than ever! + + +All donations should be made to "Project Gutenberg/IBC", and are +tax deductible to the extent allowable by law ("IBC" is Illinois +Benedictine College). (Subscriptions to our paper newsletter go +to IBC, too) + +For these and other matters, please mail to: + +Project Gutenberg +P. O. Box 2782 +Champaign, IL 61825 + +When all other email fails try our Executive Director: +Michael S. Hart <hart@pobox.com> + +We would prefer to send you this information by email +(Internet, Bitnet, Compuserve, ATTMAIL or MCImail). + +****** +If you have an FTP program (or emulator), please +FTP directly to the Project Gutenberg archives: +[Mac users, do NOT point and click. . .type] + +ftp uiarchive.cso.uiuc.edu +login: anonymous +password: your@login +cd etext/etext90 through /etext96 +or cd etext/articles [get suggest gut for more information] +dir [to see files] +get or mget [to get files. . .set bin for zip files] +GET INDEX?00.GUT +for a list of books +and +GET NEW GUT for general information +and +MGET GUT* for newsletters. + +**Information prepared by the Project Gutenberg legal advisor** +(Three Pages) + + +***START**THE SMALL PRINT!**FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS**START*** +Why is this "Small Print!" statement here? You know: lawyers. +They tell us you might sue us if there is something wrong with +your copy of this etext, even if you got it for free from +someone other than us, and even if what's wrong is not our +fault. So, among other things, this "Small Print!" statement +disclaims most of our liability to you. It also tells you how +you can distribute copies of this etext if you want to. + +*BEFORE!* YOU USE OR READ THIS ETEXT +By using or reading any part of this PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm +etext, you indicate that you understand, agree to and accept +this "Small Print!" statement. If you do not, you can receive +a refund of the money (if any) you paid for this etext by +sending a request within 30 days of receiving it to the person +you got it from. If you received this etext on a physical +medium (such as a disk), you must return it with your request. + +ABOUT PROJECT GUTENBERG-TM ETEXTS +This PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext, like most PROJECT GUTENBERG- +tm etexts, is a "public domain" work distributed by Professor +Michael S. Hart through the Project Gutenberg Association at +Illinois Benedictine College (the "Project"). Among other +things, this means that no one owns a United States copyright +on or for this work, so the Project (and you!) can copy and +distribute it in the United States without permission and +without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth +below, apply if you wish to copy and distribute this etext +under the Project's "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark. + +To create these etexts, the Project expends considerable +efforts to identify, transcribe and proofread public domain +works. Despite these efforts, the Project's etexts and any +medium they may be on may contain "Defects". Among other +things, Defects may take the form of incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other +intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged +disk or other etext medium, a computer virus, or computer +codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. + +LIMITED WARRANTY; DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES +But for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described below, +[1] the Project (and any other party you may receive this +etext from as a PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext) disclaims all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including +legal fees, and [2] YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE OR +UNDER STRICT LIABILITY, OR FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT, +INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE +OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE +POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. + +If you discover a Defect in this etext within 90 days of +receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) +you paid for it by sending an explanatory note within that +time to the person you received it from. If you received it +on a physical medium, you must return it with your note, and +such person may choose to alternatively give you a replacement +copy. If you received it electronically, such person may +choose to alternatively give you a second opportunity to +receive it electronically. + +THIS ETEXT IS OTHERWISE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS". NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE MADE TO YOU AS +TO THE ETEXT OR ANY MEDIUM IT MAY BE ON, INCLUDING BUT NOT +LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A +PARTICULAR PURPOSE. + +Some states do not allow disclaimers of implied warranties or +the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, so the +above disclaimers and exclusions may not apply to you, and you +may have other legal rights. + +INDEMNITY +You will indemnify and hold the Project, its directors, +officers, members and agents harmless from all liability, cost +and expense, including legal fees, that arise directly or +indirectly from any of the following that you do or cause: +[1] distribution of this etext, [2] alteration, modification, +or addition to the etext, or [3] any Defect. + +DISTRIBUTION UNDER "PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm" +You may distribute copies of this etext electronically, or by +disk, book or any other medium if you either delete this +"Small Print!" and all other references to Project Gutenberg, +or: + +[1] Only give exact copies of it. Among other things, this + requires that you do not remove, alter or modify the + etext or this "small print!" statement. You may however, + if you wish, distribute this etext in machine readable + binary, compressed, mark-up, or proprietary form, + including any form resulting from conversion by word pro- + cessing or hypertext software, but only so long as + *EITHER*: + + [*] The etext, when displayed, is clearly readable, and + does *not* contain characters other than those + intended by the author of the work, although tilde + (~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters may + be used to convey punctuation intended by the + author, and additional characters may be used to + indicate hypertext links; OR + + [*] The etext may be readily converted by the reader at + no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent + form by the program that displays the etext (as is + the case, for instance, with most word processors); + OR + + [*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at + no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the + etext in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC + or other equivalent proprietary form). + +[2] Honor the etext refund and replacement provisions of this + "Small Print!" statement. + +[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Project of 20% of the + net profits you derive calculated using the method you + already use to calculate your applicable taxes. If you + don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are + payable to "Project Gutenberg Association / Illinois + Benedictine College" within the 60 days following each + date you prepare (or were legally required to prepare) + your annual (or equivalent periodic) tax return. + +WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? +The Project gratefully accepts contributions in money, time, +scanning machines, OCR software, public domain etexts, royalty +free copyright licenses, and every other sort of contribution +you can think of. Money should be paid to "Project Gutenberg +Association / Illinois Benedictine College". + +*END*THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* + + + + + +Francis Bacon + + + + +THE ESSAYS +OR COUNSELS, +CIVIL AND MORAL, +OF FRANCIS Ld. VERULAM +VISCOUNT ST. ALBANS + + +THE ESSAYS + +Of Truth +Of Death +Of Unity in Religion +Of Revenge +Of Adversity +Of Simulation and Dissimulation +Of Parents and Children +Of Marriage and Single Life +Of Envy +Of Love +Of Great Place +Of Boldness +Of Goodness and Goodness of Nature +Of Nobility +Of Seditions and Troubles +Of Atheism +Of Superstition +Of Travel +Of Empire +Of Counsel +Of Delays +Of Cunning +Of Wisdom for a Man's Self +Of Innovations +Of Dispatch +Of Seeming Wise +Of Friendship +Of Expense +Of the True Greatness of Kingdoms and Estates +Of Regiment of Health +Of Suspicion +Of Discourse +Of Plantations +Of Riches +Of Prophecies +Of Ambition +Of Masques and Triumphs +Of Nature in Men +Of Custom and Education +Of Fortune +Of Usury +Of Youth and Age +Of Beauty +Of Deformity +Of Building +Of Gardens +Of Negotiating +Of Followers and Friends +Of Suitors +Of Studies +Of Faction +Of Ceremonies and Respects +Of Praise +Of Vain-glory +Of Honor and Reputation +Of Judicature +Of Anger +Of Vicissitude of Things +Of Fame + + + + + + + + + + + + +TO + +THE RIGHT HONORABLE + +MY VERY GOOD LORD + +THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM + +HIS GRACE, LORD + +HIGH ADMIRAL OF ENGLAND + + +EXCELLENT LORD: + +SALOMON saies; A good Name is as a precious +oyntment; And I assure my selfe, such wil +your Graces Name bee, with Posteritie. For your +Fortune, and Merit both, have been Eminent. And +you have planted Things, that are like to last. I doe +now publish my Essayes; which, of all my other +workes, have beene most Currant: For that, as it +seemes, they come home, to Mens Businesse, and +Bosomes. I have enlarged them, both in Number, +and Weight; So that they are indeed a New Worke. +I thought it therefore agreeable, to my Affection, +and Obligation to your Grace, to prefix your Name +before them, both in English, and in Latine. For I +doe conceive, that the Latine Volume of them, +(being in the Universall Language) may last, as +long as Bookes last. My Instauration, I dedicated to +the King: My Historie of Henry the Seventh, +(which I have now also translated into Latine) and +my Portions of Naturall History, to the Prince: +And these I dedicate to your Grace; Being of the +best Fruits, that by the good Encrease, which God +gives to my Pen and Labours, I could yeeld. +God leade your Grace by the Hand. Your Graces +most Obliged and faithfull Servant, + +FR. ST. ALBAN + + + + +Of Truth + + + + +WHAT is truth? said jesting Pilate,and would +not stay for an answer. Certainly there be, +that delight in giddiness, and count it a bondage to +fix a belief; affecting free-will in thinking, as well +as in acting. And though the sects of philosophers +of that kind be gone, yet there remain certain dis- +coursing wits, which are of the same veins, though +there be not so much blood in them, as was in those +of the ancients. But it is not only the difficulty and +labor, which men take in finding out of truth, nor +again, that when it is found, it imposeth upon +men's thoughts, that doth bring lies in favor; but +a natural, though corrupt love, of the lie itself. One +of the later school of the Grecians, examineth the +matter, and is at a stand, to think what should be +in it, that men should love lies; where neither they +make for pleasure, as with poets, nor for advan- +tage, as with the merchant; but for the lie's sake. +But I cannot tell; this same truth, is a naked, and +open day-light, that doth not show the masks, and +mummeries, and triumphs, of the world, half so +stately and daintily as candle-lights. Truth may +perhaps come to the price of a pearl, that showeth +best by day; but it will not rise to the price of a +diamond, or carbuncle, that showeth best in varied +lights. A mixture of a lie doth ever add pleasure. +Doth any man doubt, that if there were taken out +of men's minds, vain opinions, flattering hopes, +false valuations, imaginations as one would, and +the like, but it would leave the minds, of a number +of men, poor shrunken things, full of melancholy +and indisposition, and unpleasing to themselves? + +One of the fathers, in great severity, called poesy +vinum daemonum, because it fireth the imagina- +tion; and yet, it is but with the shadow of a lie. +But it is not the lie that passeth through the mind, +but the lie that sinketh in, and settleth in it, that +doth the hurt; such as we spake of before. But how- +soever these things are thus in men's depraved +judgments, and affections, yet truth, which only +doth judge itself, teacheth that the inquiry of truth, +which is the love-making, or wooing of it, the +knowledge of truth, which is the presence of it, and +the belief of truth, which is the enjoying of it, is +the sovereign good of human nature. The first +creature of God, in the works of the days, was the +light of the sense; the last, was the light of reason; +and his sabbath work ever since, is the illumina- +tion of his Spirit. First he breathed light, upon the +face of the matter or chaos; then he breathed light, +into the face of man; and still he breatheth and in- +spireth light, into the face of his chosen. The poet, +that beautified the sect, that was otherwise in- +ferior to the rest, saith yet excellently well: It is a +pleasure, to stand upon the shore, and to see ships +tossed upon the sea; a pleasure, to stand in the win- +dow of a castle, and to see a battle, and the adven- +tures thereof below: but no pleasure is comparable +to the standing upon the vantage ground of truth +(a hill not to be commanded, and where the air is +always clear and serene), and to see the errors, and +wanderings, and mists, and tempests, in the vale +below; so always that this prospect be with pity, +and not with swelling, or pride. Certainly, it is +heaven upon earth, to have a man's mind move in +charity, rest in providence, and turn upon the +poles of truth. + +To pass from theological, and philosophical +truth, to the truth of civil business; it will be ac- +knowledged, even by those that practise it not, that +clear, and round dealing, is the honor of man's +nature; and that mixture of falsehoods, is like alloy +in coin of gold and silver, which may make the +metal work the better, but it embaseth it. For these +winding, and crooked courses, are the goings of the +serpent; which goeth basely upon the belly, and +not upon the feet. There is no vice, that doth so +cover a man with shame, as to be found false and +perfidious. And therefore Montaigne saith pret- +tily, when he inquired the reason, why the word +of the lie should be such a disgrace, and such an +odious charge? Saith he, If it be well weighed, to +say that a man lieth, is as much to say, as that he is +brave towards God, and a coward towards men. +For a lie faces God, and shrinks from man. Surely +the wickedness of falsehood, and breach of faith, +cannot possibly be so highly expressed, as in that +it shall be the last peal, to call the judgments of God +upon the generations of men; it being foretold, +that when Christ cometh, he shall not find faith +upon the earth. + + + + + + +Of Death + + + +MEN fear death, as children fear to go in the +dark; and as that natural fear in children, +is increased with tales, so is the other. Certainly, +the contemplation of death, as the wages of sin, +and passage to another world, is holy and relig- +ious; but the fear of it, as a tribute due unto nature, +is weak. Yet in religious meditations, there is some- +times mixture of vanity, and of superstition. You +shall read, in some of the friars' books of mortifica- +tion, that a man should think with himself, what +the pain is, if he have but his finger's end pressed, +or tortured, and thereby imagine, what the pains +of death are, when the whole body is corrupted, +and dissolved; when many times death passeth, +with less pain than the torture of a limb; for the +most vital parts, are not the quickest of sense. And +by him that spake only as a philosopher, and nat- +ural man, it was well said, Pompa mortis magis +terret, quam mors ipsa. Groans, and convulsions, +and a discolored face, and friends weeping, and +blacks, and obsequies, and the like, show death +terrible. It is worthy the observing, that there is no +passion in the mind of man, so weak, but it mates, +and masters, the fear of death; and therefore, +death is no such terrible enemy, when a man hath +so many attendants about him, that can win the +combat of him. Revenge triumphs over death; love +slights it; honor aspireth to it; grief flieth to it; fear +preoccupateth it; nay, we read, after Otho the em- +peror had slain himself, pity (which is the tender- +est of affections) provoked many to die, out of mere +compassion to their sovereign, and as the truest +sort of followers. Nay, Seneca adds niceness and +satiety: Cogita quamdiu eadem feceris; mori velle, +non tantum fortis aut miser, sed etiam fastidiosus +potest. A man would die, though he were neither +valiant, nor miserable, only upon a weariness to +do the same thing so oft, over and over. It is no less +worthy, to observe, how little alteration in good +spirits, the approaches of death make; for they +appear to be the same men, till the last instant. +Augustus Caesar died in a compliment; Livia, con- +jugii nostri memor, vive et vale. Tiberius in dissi- +mulation; as Tacitus saith of him, Jam Tiberium +vires et corpus, non dissimulatio, deserebant. Ves- +pasian in a jest, sitting upon the stool; Ut puto deus +fio. Galba with a sentence; Feri, si ex re sit populi +Romani; holding forth his neck. Septimius Severus +in despatch; Adeste si quid mihi restat agendum. +And the like. Certainly the Stoics bestowed too +much cost upon death, and by their great prepara- +tions, made it appear more fearful. Better saith he, +qui finem vitae extremum inter munera ponat +naturae. It is as natural to die, as to be born; and to +a little infant, perhaps, the one is as painful, as the +other. He that dies in an earnest pursuit, is like one +that is wounded in hot blood; who, for the time, +scarce feels the hurt; and therefore a mind fixed, +and bent upon somewhat that is good, doth avert +the dolors of death. But, above all, believe it, the +sweetest canticle is', Nunc dimittis; when a man +hath obtained worthy ends, and expectations. +Death hath this also; that it openeth the gate to +good fame, and extinguisheth envy. - Extinctus +amabitur idem. + + + + +Of Unity + +IN RELIGION + + + + + +RELIGION being the chief band of human so- +ciety, it is a happy thing, when itself is well +contained within the true band of unity. The +quarrels, and divisions about religion, were evils +unknown to the heathen. The reason was, because +the religion of the heathen, consisted rather in +rites and ceremonies, than in any constant belief. +For you may imagine, what kind of faith theirs +was, when the chief doctors, and fathers of their +church, were the poets. But the true God hath this +attribute, that he is a jealous God; and therefore, +his worship and religion, will endure no mixture, +nor partner.We shall therefore speak a few words, +concerning the unity of the church; what are the +fruits thereof ; what the bounds; and what the +means. + +The fruits of unity (next unto the well pleasing +of God, which is all in all) are two: the one, towards +those that are without the church, the other, +towards those that are within. For the former; it is +certain, that heresies, and schisms, are of all others +the greatest scandals; yea, more than corruption +of manners. For as in the natural body, a wound, +or solution of continuity, is worse than a corrupt +humor; so in the spiritual. So that nothing, doth so +much keep men out of the church, and drive men +out of the church, as breach of unity. And there- +fore, whensoever it cometh to that pass, that one +saith, Ecce in deserto, another saith, Ecce in pene- +tralibus; that is, when some men seek Christ, in the +conventicles of heretics, and others, in an outward +face of a church, that voice had need continually +to sound in men's ears, Nolite exire, - Go not out. +The doctor of the Gentiles (the propriety of whose +vocation, drew him to have a special care of those +without) saith, if an heathen come in, and hear +you speak with several tongues, will he not say +that you are mad? And certainly it is little better, +when atheists, and profane persons, do hear of +so many discordant, and contrary opinions in re- +ligion; it doth avert them from the church, and +maketh them, to sit down in the chair of the +scorners. It is but a light thing, to be vouched in so +serious a matter, but yet it expresseth well the +deformity. There is a master of scoffing, that in his +catalogue of books of a feigned library, sets down +this title of a book, The Morris-Dance of Heretics. +For indeed, every sect of them, hath a diverse pos- +ture, or cringe by themselves, which cannot but +move derision in worldlings, and depraved politics, +who are apt to contemn holy things. + +As for the fruit towards those that are within; it +is peace; which containeth infinite blessings. It +establisheth faith; it kindleth charity; the outward +peace of the church, distilleth into peace of con- +science; and it turneth the labors of writing, and +reading of controversies, into treaties of mortifica- +tion and devotion. + +Concerning the bounds of unity; the true plac- +ing of them, importeth exceedingly. There appear +to be two extremes. For to certain zealants, all +speech of pacification is odious. Is it peace, Jehu,? +What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee be- +hind me. Peace is not the matter, but following, +and party. Contrariwise, certain Laodiceans, and +lukewarm persons, think they may accommodate +points of religion, by middle way, and taking part +of both, and witty reconcilements; as if they would +make an arbitrament between God and man. Both +these extremes are to be avoided; which will be +done, if the league of Christians, penned by our +Savior himself, were in two cross clauses thereof, +soundly and plainly expounded: He that is not +with us, is against us; and again, He that is not +against us, is with us; that is, if the points funda- +mental and of substance in religion, were truly +discerned and distinguished, from points not +merely of faith, but of opinion, order, or good in- +tention. This is a thing may seem to many a matter +trivial, and done already. But if it were done less +partially, it would be embraced more generally. + +Of this I may give only this advice, according to +my small model. Men ought to take heed, of rend- +ing God's church, by two kinds of controversies. +The one is, when the matter of the point contro- +verted, is too small and light, not worth the heat +and strife about it, kindled only by contradiction. +For, as it is noted, by one of the fathers, Christ's +coat indeed had no seam, but the church's vesture +was of divers colors; whereupon he saith, In veste +varietas sit, scissura non sit; they be two things, +unity and uniformity. The other is, when the +matter of the point controverted, is great, but it is +driven to an over-great subtilty, and obscurity; so +that it becometh a thing rather ingenious, than +substantial. A man that is of judgment and under- +standing, shall sometimes hear ignorant men dif- +fer, and know well within himself, that those +which so differ, mean one thing, and yet they +themselves would never agree. And if it come so +to pass, in that distance of judgment, which is be- +tween man and man, shall we not think that God +above, that knows the heart, doth not discern that +frail men, in some of their contradictions, intend +the same thing; and accepteth of both? The nature +of such controversies is excellently expressed, by +St. Paul, in the warning and precept, that he giveth +concerning the same, Devita profanas vocum novi- +tates, et oppositiones falsi nominis scientiae. Men +create oppositions, which are not; and put them +into new terms, so fixed, as whereas the meaning +ought to govern the term, the term in effect gov- +erneth the meaning.There be also two false peaces, +or unities: the one, when the peace is grounded, +but upon an implicit ignorance; for all colors will +agree in the dark: the other, when it is pieced up, +upon a direct admission of contraries, in funda- +mental points. For truth and falsehood, in such +things, are like the iron and clay, in the toes of +Nebuchadnezzar's image; they may cleave, but +they will not incorporate. + +Concerning the means of procuring unity; men +must beware, that in the procuring, or reuniting, +of religious unity, they do not dissolve and deface +the laws of charity, and of human society. There +be two swords amongst Christians, the spiritual +and temporal; and both have their due office and +place, in the maintenance of religion. But we may +not take up the third sword, which is Mahomet's +sword, or like unto it; that is, to propagate religion +by wars, or by sanguinary persecutions to force +consciences; except it be in cases of overt scandal, +blasphemy, or intermixture of practice against +the state; much less to nourish seditions; to author- +ize conspiracies and rebellions; to put the sword +into the people's hands; and the like; tending to +the subversion of all government, which is the +ordinance of God. For this is but to dash the first +table against the second; and so to consider men +as Christians, as we forget that they are men. +Lucretius the poet, when he beheld the act of Aga- +memnon, that could endure the sacrificing of his +own daughter, exclaimed: Tantum Religio potuit +suadere malorum. + +What would he have said, if he had known of +the massacre in France, or the powder treason of +England? He would have been seven times more +Epicure, and atheist, than he was. For as the tem- +poral sword is to be drawn with great circumspec- +tion in cases of religion; so it is a thing monstrous +to put it into the hands of the common people. Let +that be left unto the Anabaptists, and other furies. +It was great blasphemy, when the devil said, I will +ascend, and be like the highest; but it is greater +blasphemy, to personate God, and bring him in +saying, I will descend, and be like the prince of +darkness; and what is it better, to make the cause +of religion to descend, to the cruel and execrable +actions of murthering princes, butchery of people, +and subversion of states and governments? Surely +this is to bring down the Holy Ghost, instead of the +likeness of a dove, in the shape of a vulture or +raven; and set, out of the bark of a Christian +church, a flag of a bark of pirates, and assassins. +Therefore it is most necessary, that the church, by +doctrine and decree, princes by their sword, and +all learnings, both Christian and moral, as by their +Mercury rod, do damn and send to hell for ever, +those facts and opinions tending to the support of +the same; as hath been already in good part done. +Surely in counsels concerning religion, that coun- +sel of the apostle would be prefixed, Ira hominis +non implet justitiam Dei. And it was a notable +observation of a wise father, and no less ingenu- +ously confessed; that those which held and per- +suaded pressure of consciences, were commonly +interested therein., themselves, for their own ends. + + + + +Of Revenge + + +REVENGE is a kind of wild justice; which the +more man' s nature runs to, the more ought +law to weed it out. For as for the first wrong, it +doth but offend the law; but the revenge of that +wrong, putteth the law out of office. Certainly, in +taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; +but in passing it over, he is superior; for it is a +prince's part to pardon. And Solomon, I am sure, +saith, It is the glory of a man, to pass by an offence. +That which is past is gone, and irrevocable; and +wise men have enough to do, with things present +and to come; therefore they do but trifle with +themselves, that labor in past matters. There is no +man doth a wrong, for the wrong's sake; but +thereby to purchase himself profit, or pleasure, or +honor, or the like. Therefore why should I be +angry with a man, for loving himself better than +me? And if any man should do wrong, merely out +of ill-nature, why, yet it is but like the thorn or +briar, which prick and scratch, because they can +do no other. The most tolerable sort of revenge, is +for those wrongs which there is no law to remedy; +but then let a man take heed, the revenge be such +as there is no law to punish; else a man's enemy is +still before hand, and it is two for one. Some, when +they take revenge, are desirous, the party should +know, whence it cometh. This is the more gener- +ous. For the delight seemeth to be, not so much in +doing the hurt, as in making the party repent. But +base and crafty cowards, are like the arrow that +flieth in the dark. Cosmus, duke of Florence, had a +desperate saying against perfidious or neglecting +friends, as if those wrongs were unpardonable; +You shall read (saith he) that we are commanded +to forgive our enemies; but you never read, that we +are commanded to forgive our friends. But yet the +spirit of Job was in a better tune: Shall we (saith +he) take good at God's hands, and not be content to +take evil also? And so of friends in a proportion. +This is certain, that a man that studieth revenge, +keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise +would heal, and do well. Public revenges are for +the most part fortunate; as that for the death of +Caesar; for the death of Pertinax; for the death of +Henry the Third of France; and many more. But +in private revenges, it is not so. Nay rather, vindic- +tive persons live the life of witches; who, as they +are mischievous, so end they infortunate. + + + + +Of Adversity + + +IT WAS an high speech of Seneca (after the +manner of the Stoics), that the good things, +which belong to prosperity, are to be wished; but +the good things, that belong to adversity, are to be +admired. Bona rerum secundarum optabilia; ad- +versarum mirabilia. Certainly if miracles be the +command over nature, they appear most in adver- +sity. It is yet a higher speech of his, than the other +(much too high for a heathen), It is true greatness, +to have in one the frailty of a man, and the security +of a God. Vere magnum habere fragilitatem homi- +nis, securitatem Dei. This would have done better +in poesy, where transcendences are more allowed. +And the poets indeed have been busy with it; for +it is in effect the thing, which figured in that +strange fiction of the ancient poets, which seemeth +not to be without mystery; nay, and to have some +approach to the state of a Christian; that Hercules, +when he went to unbind Prometheus (by whom +human nature is represented), sailed the length of +the great ocean, in an earthen pot or pitcher; lively +describing Christian resolution, that saileth in the +frail bark of the flesh, through the waves of the +world. But to speak in a mean. The virtue of pros- +perity, is temperance; the virtue of adversity, is +fortitude; which in morals is the more heroical +virtue. Prosperity is the blessing of the Old Testa- +ment; adversity is the blessing of the New; which +carrieth the greater benediction, and the clearer +revelation of God's favor. Yet even in the Old +Testament, if you listen to David's harp, you shall +hear as many hearse-like airs as carols; and the +pencil of the Holy Ghost hath labored more in de- +scribing the afflictions of Job, than the felicities of +Solomon. Prosperity is not without many fears +and distastes; and adversity is not without com- +forts and hopes. We see in needle-works and em- +broideries, it is more pleasing to have a lively work, +upon a sad and solemn ground, than to have a dark +and melancholy work, upon a lightsome ground: +judge therefore of the pleasure of the heart, by the +pleasure of the eye. Certainly virtue is like precious +odors, most fragrant when they are incensed, or +crushed: for prosperity doth best discover vice, but +adversity doth best discover virtue. + + + + +Of Simulation +AND DISSIMULATION + + + +DISSIMULATION is but a faint kind of pol- +icy, or wisdom; for it asketh a strong wit, +and a strong heart, to know when to tell truth, and +to do it. Therefore it is the weaker sort of politics, +that are the great dissemblers. + +Tacitus saith, Livia sorted well with the arts of +her husband, and dissimulation of her son; attri- +buting arts or policy to Augustus, and dissimula- +tion to Tiberius. And again, when Mucianus +encourageth Vespasian, to take arms against Vitel- +lius, he saith, We rise not against the piercing +judgment of Augustus, nor the extreme caution or +closeness of Tiberius. These properties, of arts or +policy, and dissimulation or closeness, are indeed +habits and faculties several, and to be distin- +guished. For if a man have that penetration of +judgment, as he can discern what things are to +be laid open, and what to be secreted, and what to +be showed at half lights, and to whom and when +(which indeed are arts of state, and arts of life, as +Tacitus well calleth them), to him, a habit of dis- +simulation is a hinderance and a poorness. But if +a man cannot obtain to that judgment, then it is +left to bim generally, to be close, and a dissembler. +For where a man cannot choose, or vary in parti- +culars, there it is good to take the safest, and wari- +est way, in general; like the going softly, by one +that cannot well see. Certainly the ablest men +that ever were, have had all an openness, and +frankness, of dealing; and a name of certainty and +veracity; but then they were like horses well +managed; for they could tell passing well, when to +stop or turn; and at such times, when they thought +the case indeed required dissimulation, if then +they used it, it came to pass that the former opin- +ion, spread abroad, of their good faith and clear- +ness of dealing, made them almost invisible. + +There be three degrees of this hiding and veil- +ing of a man's self. The first, closeness, reservation, +and secrecy; when a man leaveth himself without +observation, or without hold to be taken, what he +is. The second, dissimulation, in the negative; +when a man lets fall signs and arguments, that he +is not, that he is. And the third, simulation, in the +affirmative; when a man industriously and ex- +pressly feigns and pretends to be, that he is not. + +For the first of these, secrecy; it is indeed the +virtue of a confessor. And assuredly, the secret +man heareth many confessions. For who will open +himself, to a blab or a babbler? But if a man be +thought secret, it inviteth discovery; as the more +close air sucketh in the more open; and as in con- +fession, the revealing is not for worldly use, but for +the ease of a man's heart, so secret men come to +the knowledge of many things in that kind; while +men rather discharge their minds, than impart +their minds. In few words, mysteries are due to +secrecy. Besides (to say truth) nakedness is un- +comely, as well in mind as body; and it addeth no +small reverence, to men's manners and actions, if +they be not altogether open. As for talkers and +futile persons, they are commonly vain and credu- +lous withal. For he that talketh what he knoweth, +will also talk what he knoweth not. Therefore set it +down, that an habit of secrecy, is both politic and +moral. And in this part, it is good that a man's face +give his tongue leave to speak. For the discovery of +a man' s self, by the tracts of his countenance, is a +great weakness and betraying; by how much it is +many times more marked, and believed, than a +man's words. + +For the second, which is dissimulation; it fol- +loweth many times upon secrecy, by a necessity; +so that he that will be secret, must be a dissembler +in some degree. For men are too cunning, to suffer +a man to keep an indifferent carriage between +both, and to be secret, without swaying the bal- +ance on either side. They will so beset a man with +questions, and draw him on, and pick it out of him, +that, without an absurd silence, he must show an +inclination one way; or if he do not, they will +gather as much by his silence, as by his speech. As +for equivocations, or oraculous speeches, they can- +not hold out long. So that no man can be secret, +except he give himself a little scope of dissimula- +tion; which is, as it were, but the skirts or train of +secrecy. + +But for the third degree, which is simulation, +and false profession; that I hold more culpable, +and less politic; except it be in great and rare mat- +ters. And therefore a general custom of simulation +(which is this last degree) is a vice, using either of +a natural falseness or fearfulness, or of a mind that +hath some main faults, which because a man must +needs disguise, it maketh him practise simulation +in other things, lest his hand should be out of use. + +The great advantages of simulation and dissi- +mulation are three. First, to lay asleep opposition, +and to surprise. For where a man's intentions are +published, it is an alarum, to call up all that are +against them. The second is, to reserve to a man's +self a fair retreat. For if a man engage himself by +a manifest declaration, he must go through or take +a fall. The third is, the better to discover the mind +of another. For to him that opens himself, men +will hardly show themselves adverse; but will fair +let him go on, and turn their freedom of speech, to +freedom of thought. And therefore it is a good +shrewd proverb of the Spaniard, Tell a lie and find +a troth. As if there were no way of discovery, but +by simulation. There be also three disadvantages, +to set it even. The first, that simulation and dissi- +mulation commonly carry with them a show of +fearfulness, which in any business, doth spoil the +feathers, of round flying up to the mark. The sec- +ond, that it puzzleth and perplexeth the conceits +of many, that perhaps would otherwise co-operate +with him; and makes a man walk almost alone, to +his own ends. The third and greatest is, that it +depriveth a man of one of the most principal in- +struments for action; which is trust and belief. +The best composition and temperature, is to have +openness in fame and opinion; secrecy in habit; +dissimulation in seasonable use; and a power to +feign, if there be no remedy. + + + + + +Of Parents + +AND CHILDREN + + + + + + +THE joys of parents are secret; and so are their +griefs and fears. They cannot utter the one; +nor they will not utter the other. Children sweeten +labors; but they make misfortunes more bitter. +They increase the cares of life; but they mitigate +the remembrance of death. The perpetuity by +generation is common to beasts; but memory, +merit, and noble works, are proper to men. And +surely a man shall see the noblest works and foun- +dations have proceeded from childless men; which +have sought to express the images of their minds, +where those of their bodies have failed. So the care +of posterity is most in them, that have no posterity. +They that are the first raisers of their houses, are +most indulgent towards their children; beholding +them as the continuance, not only of their kind, but +of their work; and so both children and creatures. + +The difference in affection, of parents towards +their several children, is many times unequal; and +sometimes unworthy; especially in the mothers; +as Solomon saith, A wise son rejoiceth the father, +but an ungracious son shames the mother. A man +shall see, where there is a house full of children, +one or two of the eldest respected, and the young- +est made wantons; but in the midst, some that +are as it were forgotten, who many times, never- +theless, prove the best. The illiberality of parents, +in allowance towards their children, is an harmful +error; makes them base; acquaints them with +shifts; makes them sort with mean company; and +makes them surfeit more when they come to +plenty. And therefore the proof is best, when men +keep their authority towards the children, but not +their purse. Men have a foolish manner (both par- +ents and schoolmasters and servants) in creating +and breeding an emulation between brothers, dur- +ing childhood, which many times sorteth to dis- +cord when they are men, and disturbeth families. +The Italians make little difference between chil- +dren, and nephews or near kinsfolks; but so they +be of the lump, they care not though they pass not +through their own body. And, to say truth, in +nature it is much a like matter; insomuch that we +see a nephew sometimes resembleth an uncle, or +a kinsman, more than his own parent; as the blood +happens. Let parents choose betimes, the vocations +and courses they mean their children should take; +for then they are most flexible; and let them not +too much apply themselves to the disposition of +their children, as thinking they will take best to +that, which they have most mind to. It is true, that +if the affection or aptness of the children be extra- +ordinary, then it is good not to cross it; but gener- +ally the precept is good, optimum elige, suave et +facile illud faciet consuetudo. Younger brothers +are commonly fortunate, but seldom or never +where the elder are disinherited. + + + + + +Of Marriage + +AND SINGLE LIFE + + + + + +HE THAT hath wife and children hath given +hostages to fortune; for they are impedi- +ments to great enterprises, either of virtue or mis- +chief. Certainly the best works, and of greatest +merit for the public, have proceeded from the un- +married or childless men; which both in affection +and means, have married and endowed the public. +Yet it were great reason that those that have chil- +dren, should have greatest care of future times; +unto which they know they must transmit their +dearest pledges. Some there are, who though they +lead a single life, yet their thoughts do end with +themselves, and account future times imperti- +nences. Nay, there are some other, that account +wife and children, but as bills of charges. Nay +more, there are some foolish rich covetous men, +that take a pride, in having no children, because +they may be thought so much the richer. For per- +haps they have heard some talk, Such an one is a +great rich man, and another except to it, Yea, but +he hath a great charge of children; as if it were an +abatement to his riches. But the most ordinary +cause of a single life, is liberty, especially in certain +self-pleasing and humorous minds, which are so +sensible of every restraint, as they will go near to +think their girdles and garters, to be bonds and +shackles. Unmarried men are best friends, best +masters, best servants; but not always best sub- +jects; for they are light to run away; and almost +all fugitives, are of that condition. A single life +doth well with churchmen; for charity will hardly +water the ground, where it must first fill a pool. It +is indifferent for judges and magistrates; for if +they be facile and corrupt, you shall have a ser- +vant, five times worse than a wife. For soldiers, I +find the generals commonly in their hortatives, +put men in mind of their wives and children; and +I think the despising of marriage amongst the +Turks, maketh the vulgar soldier more base. Cer- +tainly wife and children are a kind of discipline +of humanity; and single men, though they may +be many times more charitable, because their +means are less exhaust, yet, on the other side, they +are more cruel and hardhearted (good to make +severe inquisitors), because their tenderness is not +so oft called upon. Grave natures, led by custom, +and therefore constant, are commonly loving hus- +bands, as was said of Ulysses, vetulam suam praetu- +lit immortalitati. Chaste women are often proud +and froward, as presuming upon the merit of their +chastity. It is one of the best bonds, both of chastity +and obedience, in the wife, if she think her hus- +band wise; which she will never do, if she find him +jealous. Wives are young men's mistresses; com- +panions for middle age; and old men's nurses. So +as a man may have a quarrel to marry, when he +will. But yet he was reputed one of the wise men, +that made answer to the question, when a man +should marry, - A young man not yet, an elder +man not at all. It is often seen that bad husbands, +have very good wives; whether it be, that it raiseth +the price of their husband's kindness, when it +comes; or that the wives take a pride in their +patience. But this never fails, if the bad husbands +were of their own choosing, against their friends' +consent; for then they will be sure to make good +their own folly. + + + + + +Of Envy + + + +THERE be none of the affections, which have +been noted to fascinate or bewitch, but love +and envy. They both have vehement wishes; they +frame themselves readily into imaginations and +suggestions; and they come easily into the eye, +especially upon the present of the objects; which +are the points that conduce to fascination, if any +such thing there be. We see likewise, the Scripture +calleth envy an evil eye; and the astrologers, call +the evil influences of the stars, evil aspects; so that +still there seemeth to be acknowledged, in the act +of envy, an ejaculation or irradiation of the eye. +Nay, some have been so curious, as to note, that +the times when the stroke or percussion of an envi- +ous eye doth most hurt, are when the party envied +is beheld in glory or triumph; for that sets an edge +upon envy: and besides, at such times the spirits +of the person envied, do come forth most into the +outward parts, and so meet the blow. + +But leaving these curiosities (though not un- +worthy to be thought on, in fit place), we will +handle, what persons are apt to envy others; what +persons are most subject to be envied themselves; +and what is the difference between public and +private envy. + +A man that hath no virtue in himself, ever en- +vieth virtue in others. For men's minds, will either +feed upon their own good, or upon others' evil; and +who wanteth the one, will prey upon the other; +and whoso is out of hope, to attain to another's +virtue, will seek to come at even hand, by depress- +ing another's fortune. + +A man that is busy, and inquisitive, is com- +monly envious. For to know much of other men's +matters, cannot be because all that ado may con- +cern his own estate; therefore it must needs be, +that he taketh a kind of play-pleasure, in looking +upon the fortunes of others. Neither can he, that +mindeth but his own business, find much matter +for envy. For envy is a gadding passion, and walk- +eth the streets, and doth not keep home: Non est +curiosus, quin idem sit malevolus. + +Men of noble birth, are noted to be envious +towards new men, when they rise. For the distance +is altered, and it is like a deceit of the eye, that +when others come on, they think themselves, go +back. + +Deformed persons, and eunuchs, and old men, +and bastards, are envious. For he that cannot pos- +sibly mend his own case, will do what he can, to +impair another's; except these defects light upon +a very brave, and heroical nature, which thinketh +to make his natural wants part of his honor; in that +it should be said, that an eunuch, or a lame man, +did such great matters; affecting the honor of a +miracle; as it was in Narses the eunuch, and Agesi- +laus and Tamberlanes, that were lame men. + +The same is the case of men, that rise after ca- +lamities and misfortunes. For they are as men +fallen out with the times; and think other men's +harms, a redemption of their own sufferings. + +They that desire to excel in too many matters, +out of levity and vain glory, are ever envious. For +they cannot want work; it being impossible, but +many, in some one of those things, should surpass +them. Which was the character of Adrian the Em- +peror; that mortally envied poets, and painters, +and artificers, in works wherein he had a vein to +excel. + +Lastly, near kinsfolks, and fellows in office, and +those that have been bred together, are more apt +to envy their equals, when they are raised. For it +doth upbraid unto them their own fortunes, and +pointeth at them, and cometh oftener into their +remembrance, and incurreth likewise more into +the note of others; and envy ever redoubleth from +speech and fame. Cain's envy was the more vile +and malignant, towards his brother Abel, because +when his sacrifice was better accepted, there was +no body to look on. Thus much for those, that are +apt to envy. + +Concerning those that are more or less subject +to envy: First, persons of eminent virtue, when +they are advanced, are less envied. For their for- +tune seemeth , but due unto them; and no man +envieth the payment of a debt, but rewards and +liberality rather. Again, envy is ever joined with +the comparing of a man's self; and where there is +no comparison, no envy; and therefore kings are +not envied, but by kings. Nevertheless it is to be +noted, that unworthy persons are most envied, at +their first coming in, and afterwards overcome it +better; whereas contrariwise, persons of worth +and merit are most envied, when their fortune +continueth long. For by that time, though their +virtue be the same, yet it hath not the same lustre; +for fresh men grow up that darken it. + +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 their +fortune; 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 infe- +rior 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 opposi- +tion or competition; whereas wise men will rather +do sacrifice to envy, in suffering themselves some- +times of purpose to be crossed, and overborne in +things that do not much concern them. Notwith- +standing, 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 dis- +avow 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 them- +selves; 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. + +This envy, being in the Latin word invidia, +goeth in the modern language, by the name of +discontentment; of which we shall speak, in hand- +ling sedition. It is a disease, in a state, like to infec- +tion. For as infection spreadeth upon that which is +sound, and tainteth it; so when envy is gotten once +into a state, it traduceth even the best actions +thereof, and turneth them into an ill odor. And +therefore there is little won, by intermingling of +plausible actions. For that doth argue but a weak- +ness, and fear of envy, which hurteth so much the +more, as it is likewise usual in infections; which +if you fear them, you call them upon you. + +This public envy, seemeth to beat chiefly upon +principal officers or ministers, rather than upon +kings, and estates themselves. But this is a sure +rule, that if the envy upon the minister be great, +when the cause of it in him is small; or if the envy +be general, in a manner upon all the ministers of +an estate; then the envy (though hidden) is truly +upon the state itself. And so much of public envy +or discontentment, and the difference thereof from +private envy, which was handled in the first place. + +We will add this in general, touching the affec- +tion of envy; that of all other affections, it is the +most importune and continual. For of other affec- +tions, there is occasion given, but now and then; +and therefore it was well said, Invidia festos dies +non agit: for it is ever working upon some or other. +And it is also noted, that love and envy do make a +man pine, which other affections do not, because +they are not so continual. It is also the vilest affec- +tion, and the most depraved; for which cause it +is the proper attribute of the devil, who is called, +the envious man, that soweth tares amongst the +wheat by night; as it always cometh to pass, that +envy worketh subtilly, and in the dark, and to the +prejudice of good things, such as is the wheat. + + + + + + + +Of Love + + + + +THE stage is more beholding to love, than the +life of man. For as to the stage, love is ever +matter of comedies, and now and then of tragedies; +but in life it doth much mischief; sometimes like a +siren, sometimes like a fury. You may observe, that +amongst all the great and worthy persons (whereof +the memory remaineth, either ancient or recent) +there is not one, that hath been transported to +the mad degree of love: which shows that great +spirits, and great business, do keep out this weak +passion. You must except, nevertheless, Marcus +Antonius, the half partner of the empire of Rome, +and Appius Claudius, the decemvir and lawgiver; +whereof the former was indeed a voluptuous man, +and inordinate; but the latter was an austere and +wise man: and therefore it seems (though rarely) +that love can find entrance, not only into an open +heart, but also into a heart well fortified, if watch +be not well kept. It is a poor saying of Epicurus, +Satis magnum alter alteri theatrum sumus; as if +man, made for the contemplation of heaven, and +all noble objects, should do nothing but kneel be- +fore a little idol, and make himself a subject, +though not of the mouth (as beasts are), yet of the +eye; which was given him for higher purposes. It +is a strange thing, to note the excess of this passion, +and how it braves the nature, and value of things, +by this; that the speaking in a perpetual hyper- +bole, is comely in nothing but in love. Neither is it +merely in the phrase; for whereas it hath been +well said, that the arch-flatterer, with whom all +the petty flatterers have intelligence, is a man's +self; certainly the lover is more. For there was +never proud man thought so absurdly well of him- +self, as the lover doth of the person loved; and +therefore it was well said, That it is impossible to +love, and to be wise. Neither doth this weakness +appear to others only, and not to the party loved; +but to the loved most of all, except the love be reci- +proque. For it is a true rule, that love is ever re- +warded, either with the reciproque, or with an +inward and secret contempt. By how much the +more, men ought to beware of this passion, which +loseth not only other things, but itself! As for the +other losses, the poet's relation doth well figure +them: that he that preferred Helena, quitted the +gifts of Juno and Pallas. For whosoever esteemeth +too much of amorous affection, quitteth both riches +and wisdom. This passion hath his floods, in very +times of weakness; which are great prosperity, and +great adversity; though this latter hath been less +observed: both which times kindle love, and make +it more fervent, and therefore show it to be the +child of folly. They do best, who if they cannot but +admit love, yet make it keep quarters; and sever it +wholly from their serious affairs, and actions, of +life; for if it check once with business, it troubleth +men's fortunes, and maketh men, that they can no +ways be true to their own ends. I know not how, +but martial men are given to love: I think, it is but +as they are given to wine; for perils commonly ask +to be paid in pleasures. There is in man's nature, a +secret inclination and motion, towards love of +others, which if it be not spent upon some one or a +few, doth naturally spread itself towards many, +and maketh men become humane and charitable; +as it is seen sometime in friars. Nuptial love maketh +mankind; friendly love perfecteth it; but wanton +love corrupteth, and embaseth it. + + + + +Of Great Place + + +MEN in great place are thrice servants: ser- +vants of the sovereign or state; servants of +fame; and servants of business. So as they have no +freedom; neither in their persons, nor in their ac- +tions, nor in their times. It is a strange desire, to +seek power and to lose liberty: or to seek power +over others, and to lose power over a man's self. +The rising unto place is laborious; and by pains, +men come to greater pains; and it is sometimes +base; and by indignities, men come to dignities. +The standing is slippery, and the regress is either +a downfall, or at least an eclipse, which is a melan- +choly thing. Cum non sis qui fueris, non esse cur +velis vivere. Nay, retire men cannot when they +would, neither will they, when it were reason; but +are impatient of privateness, even in age and sick- +ness, which require the shadow; like old towns- +men, that will be still sitting at their street door, +though thereby they offer age to scom. Certainly +great persons had need to borrow other men's +opinions, to think themselves happy; for if they +judge by their own feeling, they cannot find it; but +if they think with themselves, what other men +think of them, and that other men would fain be, +as they are, then they are happy, as it were, by +report; when perhaps they find the contrary +within. For they are the first, that find their own +griefs, though they be the last, that find their +own faults. Certainly men in great fortunes are +strangers to themselves, and while they are in the +puzzle of business, they have no time to tend their +health, either of body or mind. Illi mors gravis +incubat, qui notus nimis omnibus, ignotus moritur +sibi. In place, there is license to do good, and evil; +whereof the latter is a curse: for in evil, the best +condition is not to win; the second, not to can. But +power to do good, is the true and lawful end of +aspiring. For good thoughts (though God accept +them) yet, towards men, are little better than good +dreams, except they be put in act; and that cannot +be, without power and place, as the vantage, and +commanding ground. Merit and good works, is +the end of man's motion; and conscience of the +same is the accomplishment of man's rest. For if a +man can be partaker of God's theatre, he shall like- +wise be partaker of God's rest. Et conversus Deus, +ut aspiceret opera quae fecerunt manus suae, vidit +quod omnia essent bona nimis; and then the sab- +bath. In the discharge of thy place, set before thee +the best examples; for imitation is a globe of pre- +cepts. And after a time, set before thee thine own +example; and examine thyself strictly, whether +thou didst not best at first. Neglect not also the +examples, of those that have carried themselves +ill, in the same place; not to set off thyself, by tax- +ing their memory, but to direct thyself, what to +avoid. Reform therefore, without bravery, or scan- +dal of former times and persons; but yet set it down +to thyself, as well to create good precedents, as to +follow them. Reduce things to the first institution, +and observe wherein, and how, they have degen- +erate; but yet ask counsel of both times; of the +ancient time, what is best; and of the latter time, +what is fittest. Seek to make thy course regular, +that men may know beforehand, what they may +expect; but be not too positive and peremptory; +and express thyself well, when thou digressest +from thy rule. Preserve the right of thy place; but +stir not questions of jurisdiction; and rather as- +sume thy right, in silence and de facto, than voice +it with claims, and challenges. Preserve likewise +the rights of inferior places; and think it more +honor, to direct in chief, than to be busy in all. +Embrace and invite helps, and advices, touching +the execution of thy place; and do not drive away +such, as bring thee information, as meddlers; but +accept of them in good part. The vices of authority +are chiefly four: delays, corruption, roughness, +and facility. For delays: give easy access; keep +times appointed; go through with that which is in +hand, and interlace not business, but of necessity. +For corruption: do not only bind thine own hands, +or thy servants' hands, from taking, but bind the +hands of suitors also, from offering. For integrity +used doth the one; but integrity professed, and +with a manifest detestation of bribery, doth the +other. And avoid not only the fault, but the sus- +picion. Whosoever is found variable, and changeth +manifestly without manifest cause, giveth sus- +picion of corruption. Therefore always, when thou +changest thine opinion or course, profess it plainly, +and declare it, together with the reasons that move +thee to change; and do not think to steal it. A +servant or a favorite, if he be inward, and no +other apparent cause of esteem, is commonly +thought, but a by-way to close corruption. For +roughness: it is a needless cause of discontent: +severity breedeth fear, but roughness breedeth +hate. Even reproofs from authority, ought to be +grave, and not taunting. As for facility: it is worse +than bribery. For bribes come but now and then; +but if importunity, or idle respects, lead a man, he +shall never be without. As Solomon saith, To re- +spect persons is not good; for such a man will +transgress for a piece of bread. It is most true, that +was anciently spoken, A place showeth the man. +And it showeth some to the better, and some to the +worse. Omnium consensu capax imperii, nisi im- +perasset, saith Tacitus of Galba; but of Vespasian +he saith, Solus imperantium, Vespasianus mutatus +in melius; though the one was meant of sufficiency, +the other of manners, and affection. It is an assured +sign of a worthy and generous spirit, whom honor +amends. For honor is, or should be, the place of +virtue; and as in nature, things move violently to +their place, and calmly in their place, so virtue in +ambition is violent, in authority settled and calm. +All rising to great place is by a winding star; and +if there be factions, it is good to side a man's self, +whilst he is in the rising, and to balance himself +when he is placed. Use the memory of thy prede- +cessor, fairly and tenderly; for if thou dost not, it is +a debt will sure be paid when thou art gone. If +thou have colleagues, respect them, and rather call +them, when they look not for it, than exclude +them , when they have reason to look to be called. +Be not too sensible, or too remembering, of thy +place in conversation, and private answers to +suitors; but let it rather be said, When he sits in +place, he is another man. + + + + + + +Of Boldness + + +IT IS a trivial grammar-school text, but yet +worthy a wise man's consideration. Question +was asked of Demosthenes, what was the chief +part of an orator? he answered, action; what next? +action; what next again? action. He said it, that +knew it best, and had, by nature, himself no ad- +vantage in that he commended. A strange thing, +that that part of an orator, which is but superficial, +and rather the virtue of a player, should be placed +so high, above those other noble parts, of invention, +elocution, and the rest; nay, almost alone, as if it +were all in all. But the reason is plain. There is in +human nature generally, more of the fool than of +the wise; and therefore those faculties, by which +the foolish part of men's minds is taken, are most +potent. Wonderful like is the case of boldness in +civil business: what first? boldness; what second +and third? boldness. And yet boldness is a child of +ignorance and baseness, far inferior to other parts. +But nevertheless it doth fascinate, and bind hand +and foot, those that are either shallow in judg- +ment, or weak in courage, which are the greatest +part; yea and prevaileth with wise men at weak +times. Therefore we see it hath done wonders, in +popular states; but with senates, and princes less; +and more ever upon the first entrance of bold per- +sons into action, than soon after; for boldness is an +ill keeper of promise. Surely, as there are mounte- +banks for the natural body, so are there mounte- +banks for the politic body; men that undertake +great cures, and perhaps have been lucky, in two +or three experiments, but want the grounds of +science, and therefore cannot hold out. Nay, you +shall see a bold fellow many times do Mahomet's +miracle. Mahomet made the people believe that +he would call an hill to him, and from the top of it +offer up his prayers, for the observers of his law. +The people assembled; Mahomet called the hill to +come to him, again and again; and when the hill +stood still, he was never a whit abashed, but said, +If the hill will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet +will go to the hill. So these men, when they have +promised great matters, and failed most shame- +fully, yet (if they have the perfection of boldness) +they will but slight it over, and make a turn, and +no more ado. Certainly to men of great judgment, +bold persons are a sport to behold; nay, and to the +vulgar also, boldness has somewhat of the ridicu- +lous. For if absurdity be the subject of laughter, +doubt you not but great boldness is seldom without +some absurdity. Especially it is a sport to see, when +a bold fellow is out of countenance; for that puts +his face into a most shrunken, and wooden pos- +ture; as needs it must; for in bashfulness, the spirits +do a little go and come; but with bold men, upon +like occasion, they stand at a stay; like a stale at +chess, where it is no mate, but yet the game cannot +stir. But this last were fitter for a satire than for a +serious observation. This is well to be weighed; +that boldness is ever blind; for it seeth not danger, +and inconveniences. Therefore it is ill in counsel, +good in execution; so that the right use of bold per- +sons is, that they never command in chief, but be +seconds, and under the direction of others. For in +counsel, it is good to see dangers; and in execution, +not to see them, except they be very great. + + + + +Of Goodness +& GOODNESS OF NATURE + + + + + + + +I TAKE goodness in this sense, the affecting of +the weal of men, which is that the Grecians +call philanthropia; and the word humanity (as +it is used) is a little too light to express it. Good- +ness I call the habit, and goodness of nature, the +inclination. This of all virtues, and dignities of the +mind, is the greatest; being the character of the +Deity: and without it, man is a busy, mischievous, +wretched thing; no better than a kind of vermin. +Goodness answers to the theological virtue, char- +ity, and admits no excess, but error. The desire of +power in excess, caused the angels to fall; the desire +of knowledge in excess, caused man to fall: but in +charity there is no excess; neither can angel, nor +man, come in dan ger by it. The inclination to good- +ness, is imprinted deeply in the nature of man; in- +somuch, that if it issue not towards men, it will +take unto other living creatures; as it is seen in the +Turks, a cruel people, who nevertheless are kind +to beasts, and give alms, to dogs and birds; inso- +much, as Busbechius reporteth, a Christian boy, in +Constantinople, had like to have been stoned, for +gagging in a waggishness a long-billed fowl. +Errors indeed in this virtue of goodness, or charity, +may be committed. The Italians have an ungra- +cious proverb, Tanto buon che val niente: so +good, that he is good for nothing. And one of +the doctors of Italy, Nicholas Machiavel, had +the confidence to put in writing, almost in plain +terms, That the Christian faith, had given up good +men, in prey to those that are tyrannical and un- +just. Which he spake, because indeed there was +never law, or sect, or opinion, did so much mag- +nify goodness, as the Christian religion doth. +Therefore, to avoid the scandal and the danger +both, it is good, to take knowledge of the errors of +an habit so excellent. Seek the good of other men, +but be not in bondage to their faces or fancies; for +that is but facility, or softness; which taketh an +honest mind prisoner. Neither give thou AEsop's +cock a gem, who would be better pleased, and hap- +pier, if he had had a barley-corn. The example of +God, teacheth the lesson truly: He sendeth his rain, +and maketh his sun to shine, upon the just and +unjust; but he doth not rain wealth, nor shine +honor and virtues, upon men equally. Common +benefits, are to be communicate with all; but pe- +culiar benefits, with choice. And beware how in +making the portraiture, thou breakest the pattern. +For divinity, maketh the love of ourselves the pat- +tern; the love of our neighbors, but the portraiture. +Sell all thou hast, and give it to the poor, and fol- +low me: but, sell not all thou hast, except thou +come and follow me; that is, except thou have a +vocation, wherein thou mayest do as much good, +with little means as with great; for otherwise, in +feeding the streams, thou driest the fountain. +Neither is there only a habit of goodness, directed +by right reason; but there is in some men, even in +nature, a disposition towards it; as on the other +side, there is a natural malignity. For there be, +that in their nature do not affect the good of others. +The lighter sort of malignity, turneth but to a +crassness, or frowardness, or aptness to oppose, or +difficulties, or the like; but the deeper sort, to envy +and mere mischief. Such men, in other men's ca- +lamities, are, as it were, in season, and are ever on +the loading part: not so good as the dogs, that licked +Lazarus' sores; but like flies, that are still buzzing +upon any thing that is raw; misanthropi, that +make it their practice, to bring men to the bough, +and yet never a tree for the purpose in their gar- +dens, as Timon had. Such dispositions, are the very +errors of human nature; and yet they are the fittest +timber, to make great politics of; like to knee tim- +ber, that is good for ships, that are ordained to be +tossed; but not for building houses, that shall stand +firm. The parts and signs of goodness, are many. If +a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it +shows he is a citizen of the world, and that his heart +is no island, cut off from other lands, but a conti- +nent, that joins to them. If he be compassionate +towards the afflictions of others, it shows that his +heart is like the noble tree, that is wounded itself, +when it gives the balm. If he easily pardons, and +remits offences, it shows that his mind is planted +above injuries; so that he cannot be shot. If he be +thankful for small benefits, it shows that he weighs +men's minds, and not their trash. But above all, if +he have St. Paul's perfection, that he would wish +to be anathema from Christ, for the salvation of +his brethren, it shows much of a divine nature, and +a kind of conformity with Christ himself + + + + + +Of Nobility + + +WE WILL speak of nobility, first as a portion +of an estate, then as a condition of particu- +lar persons. A monarchy, where there is no nobil- +ity at all, is ever a pure and absolute tyranny; as +that of the Turks. For nobility attempers sover- +eignty, and draws the eyes of the people, somewhat +aside from the line royal. But for democracies, +they need it not; and they are commonly more +quiet, and less subject to sedition, than where there +are stirps of nobles. For men's eyes are upon the +business, and not upon the persons; or if upon the +persons, it is for the business' sake, as fittest, and +not for flags and pedigree. We see the Switzers last +well, notwithstanding their diversity of religion, +and of cantons. For utility is their bond, and not +respects. The united provinces of the Low Coun- +tries, in their government, excel; for where there +is an equality, the consultations are more indif- +ferent, and the payments and tributes, more +cheerful. A great and potent nobility, addeth +majesty to a monarch, but diminisheth power; +and putteth life and spirit into the people, but +presseth their fortune. It is well, when nobles are +not too great for sovereignty nor for justice; and +yet maintained in that height, as the insolency of +inferiors may be broken upon them, before it come +on too fast upon the majesty of kings. A numerous +nobility causeth poverty, and inconvenience in a +state; for it is a surcharge of expense; and besides, +it being of necessity, that many of the nobility fall, +in time, to be weak in fortune, it maketh a kind of +disproportion, between honor and means. + +As for nobility in particular persons; it is a rev- +erend thing, to see an ancient castle or building, +not in decay; or to see a fair timber tree, sound and +perfect. How much more, to behold an ancient +noble family, which has stood against the waves +and weathers of time! For new nobility is but the +act of power, but ancient nobility is the act of time. +Those that are first raised to nobility, are com- +monly more virtuous, but less innocent, than their +descendants; for there is rarely any rising, but by +a commixture of good and evil arts. But it is reason, +the memory of their virtues remain to their pos- +terity, and their faults die with themselves. Nobil- +ity of birth commonly abateth industry; and he +that is not industrious, envieth him that is. Besides, +noble persons cannot go much higher; and he that +standeth at a stay, when others rise, can hardly +avoid motions of envy. On the other side, nobil- +ity extinguisheth the passive envy from others, +towards them; because they are in possession of +honor. Certainly, kings that have able men of +their nobility, shall find ease in employing them, +and a better slide into their business; for people +naturally bend to them, as born in some sort to +command. + + + + + +Of Seditions + +AND TROUBLES + + + +SHEPHERDS of people, had need know the +calendars of tempests in state; which are com- +monly greatest, when things grow to equality; as +natural tempests are greatest about the Equinoc- +tia. And as there are certain hollow blasts of wind, +and secret swellings of seas before a tempest, so +are there in states: + + +--Ille etiam caecos instare tumultus +Saepe monet, fraudesque et operta tunescere bella. + + +Libels and licentious discourses against the state, +when they are frequent and open; and in like sort, +false news often running up and down, to the dis- +advantage of the state, and hastily embraced; are +amongst the signs of troubles. Virgil, giving the +pedigree of Fame, saith, she was sister to the Giants: + + +Illam Terra parens, irra irritata deorum, +Extremam (ut perhibent) Coeo Enceladoque sororem +Progenuit.- + + +As if fames were the relics of seditions past; but +they are no less, indeed, the preludes of seditions to +come. Howsoever he noteth it right, that seditious +tumults, and seditious fames, differ no more but +as brother and sister, masculine and feminine; es- +pecially if it come to that, that the best actions of +a state, and the most plausible, and which ought +to give greatest contentment, are taken in ill sense, +and traduced: for that shows the envy great, as +Tacitus saith; conflata magna invidia, seu bene +seu male gesta premunt. Neither doth it follow, +that because these fames are a sign of troubles, that +the suppressing of them with too much severity, +should be a remedy of troubles. For the despising +of them, many times checks them best; and the +going about to stop them, doth but make a wonder +long-lived. Also that kind of obedience, which +Tacitus speaketh of, is to be held suspected: Erant +in officio, sed tamen qui mallent mandata impe- +rantium interpretari quam exequi; disputing, ex- +cusing, cavilling upon mandates and directions, is +a kind of shaking off the yoke, and assay of dis- +obedience; especially if in those disputings, they +which are for the direction, speak fearfully and +tenderly, and those that are against it, audaciously. + +Also, as Machiavel noteth well, when princes, +that ought to be common parents, make them- +selves as a party, and lean to a side, it is as a boat, +that is overthrown by uneven weight on the one +side; as was well seen, in the time of Henry the +Third of France; for first, himself entered league +for the extirpation of the Protestants; and pres- +ently after, the same league was turned upon him- +self. For when the authority of princes, is made +but an accessory to a cause, and that there be other +bands, that tie faster than the band of sovereignty, +kings begin to be put almost out of possession. + +Also, when discords, and quarrels, and factions +are carried openly and audaciously, it is a sign the +reverence of government is lost. For the motions +of the greatest persons in a government, ought to +be as the motions of the planets under primum +mobile; according to the old opinion: which is, +that every of them, is carried swiftly by the +highest motion, and softly in their own motion. +And therefore, when great ones in their own +particular motion, move violently, and, as Tacitus +expresseth it well, liberius quam ut imperan- +tium meminissent; it is a sign the orbs are out +of frame. For reverence is that, wherewith princes +are girt from God; who threateneth the dissolving +thereof; Solvam cingula regum. + +So when any of the four pillars of government, +are mainly shaken, or weakened (which are relig- +ion, justice, counsel, and treasure), men had need +to pray for fair weather. But let us pass from this +part of predictions (concerning which, neverthe- +less, more light may be taken from that which +followeth); and let us speak first, of the materials +of seditions; then of the motives of them; and +thirdly of the remedies. + +Concerning the materials of seditions. It is a +thing well to be considered; for the surest way to +prevent seditions (if the times do bear it) is to take +away the matter of them. For if there be fuel pre- +pared, it is hard to tell, whence the spark shall +come, that shall set it on fire. The matter of sedi- +tions is of two kinds: much poverty, and much dis- +contentment. It is certain, so many overthrown +estates, so many votes for troubles. Lucan noteth +well the state of Rome before the Civil War, + + +Hinc usura vorax, rapidumque in tempore foenus, +Hinc concussa fides, et multis utile bellum. + + +This same multis utile bellum, is an assured and +infallible sign, of a state disposed to seditions and +troubles. And if this poverty and broken estate in +the better sort, be joined with a want and necessity +in the mean people, the danger is imminent and +great. For the rebellions of the belly are the worst. +As for discontentments, they are, in the politic +body, like to humors in the natural, which are apt +to gather a preternatural heat, and to inflame. +And let no prince measure the danger of them by +this, whether they be just or unjust: for that were +to imagine people, to be too reasonable; who do +often spurn at their own good: nor yet by this, +whether the griefs whereupon they rise, be in fact +great or small: for they are the most dangerous +discontentments, where the fear is greater than +the feeling. Dolendi modus, timendi non item. +Besides, in great oppressions, the same things that +provoke the patience, do withal mate the courage; +but in fears it is not so. Neither let any prince, or +state, be secure concerning discontentments, be- +cause they have been often, or have been long, and +yet no peril hath ensued: for as it is true, that every +vapor or fume doth not turn into a storm; so it is +nevertheless true, that storms, though they blow +over divers times, yet may fall at last; and, as the +Spanish proverb noteth well, The cord breaketh at +the last by the weakest pull. + +The causes and motives of seditions are, innova- +tion in religion; taxes; alteration of laws and cus- +toms; breaking of privileges; general oppression; +advancement of unworthy persons; strangers; +dearths; disbanded soldiers; factions grown des- +perate; and what soever, in offending people, +joineth and knitteth them in a common cause. + +For the remedies; there may be some general +preservatives, whereof we will speak: as for the +just cure, it must answer to the particular disease; +and so be left to counsel, rather than rule. + +The first remedy or prevention is to remove, by +all means possible, that material cause of sedition +whereof we spake; which is, want and poverty in +the estate. To which purpose serveth the opening, +and well-balancing of trade; the cherishing of +manufactures; the banishing of idleness; the re- +pressing of waste, and excess, by sumptuary laws; +the improvement and husbanding of the soil; the +regulating of prices of things vendible; the moder- +ating of taxes and tributes; and the like. Generally, +it is to be foreseen that the population of a king- +dom (especially if it be not mown down by wars) +do not exceed the stock of the kingdom, which +should maintain them. Neither is the population +to be reckoned only by number; for a smaller num- +ber, that spend more and earn less, do wear out an +estate sooner, than a greater number that live +lower, and gather more. Therefore the multiply- +ing of nobility, and other degrees of quality, in an +over proportion to the common people, doth speed- +ily bring a state to necessity; and so doth likewise +an overgrown clergy; for they bring nothing to +the stock; and in like manner, when more are bred +scholars, than preferments can take off . + +It is likewise to be remembered, that forasmuch +as the increase of any estate must be upon the +foreigner (for whatsoever is somewhere gotten, is +somewhere lost), there be but three things, which +one nation selleth unto another; the commodity as +nature yieldeth it; the manufacture; and the vec- +ture, or carriage. So that if these three wheels go, +wealth will flow as in a spring tide. And it cometh +many times to pass, that materiam superabit opus; +that the work and carriage is more worth than the +material, and enricheth a state more; as is notably +seen in the Low-Countrymen, who have the best +mines above ground, in the world. + +Above all things, good policy is to be used, that +the treasure and moneys, in a state, be not gath- +ered into few hands. For otherwise a state may +have a great stock, and yet starve. And money is +like muck, not good except it be spread. This is +done, chiefly by suppressing, or at least keeping +a strait hand, upon the devouring trades of usury, +ingrossing great pasturages, and the like. + +For removing discontentments, or at least the +danger of them; there is in every state (as we +know) two portions of subjects; the noblesse and +the commonalty. When one of these is discontent, +the danger is not great; for common people are of +slow motion, if they be not excited by the greater +sort; and the greater sort are of small strength, +except the multitude be apt, and ready to move of +themselves. Then is the danger, when the greater +sort, do but wait for the troubling of the waters +amongst the meaner, that then they may declare +themselves. The poets feign, that the rest of the +gods would have bound Jupiter; which he hearing +of, by the counsel of Pallas, sent for Briareus, with +his hundred hands, to come in to his aid. An em- +blem, no doubt, to show how safe it is for mon- +archs, to make sure of the good will of common +people. To give moderate liberty for griefs and dis- +contentments to evaporate (so it be without too +great insolency or bravery), is a safe way. For he +that turneth the humors back, and maketh the +wound bleed inwards, endangereth malign ulcers, +and pernicious imposthumations. + +The part of Epimetheus mought well become +Prometheus, in the case of discontentments: for +there is not a better provision against them. Epime- +theus, when griefs and evils flew abroad, at last +shut the lid, and kept hope in the bottom of the +vessel. Certainly, the politic and artificial nourish- +ing, and entertaining of hopes, and carrying men +from hopes to hopes, is one of the best antidotes +against the poison of discontentments. And it is a +certain sign of a wise government and proceeding, +when it can hold men's hearts by hopes, when it +cannot by satisfaction; and when it can handle +things, in such manner, as no evil shall appear so +peremptory, but that it hath some outlet of hope; +which is the less hard to do, because both particu- +lar persons and factions, are apt enough to flatter +themselves, or at least to brave that, which they +believe not. + +Also the foresight and prevention, that there be +no likely or fit head, whereunto discontented per- +sons may resort, and under whom they may join, +is a known, but an excellent point of caution. I +understand a fit head, to be one that hath great- +ness and reputation; that hath confidence with +the discontented party, and upon whom they turn +their eyes; and that is thought discontented, in his +own particular: which kind of persons, are either +to be won, and reconciled to the state, and that in +a fast and true manner; or to be fronted with some +other, of the same party, that may oppose them, +and so divide the reputation. Generally, the divid- +ing and breaking, of all factions and combinations +that are adverse to the state, and setting them at +distance, or at least distrust, amongst themselves, +is not one of the worst remedies. For it is a desper- +ate case, if those that hold with the proceeding of +the state, be full of discord and faction, and those +that are against it, be entire and united. + +I have noted, that some witty and sharp +speeches, which have fallen from princes, have +given fire to seditions. Caesar did himself infinite +hurt in that speech, Sylla nescivit literas, non po- +tuit dictare; for it did utterly cut off that hope, +which men had entertained, that he would at one +time or other give over his dictatorship. Galba un- +did himself by that speech, legi a se militem, non +emi; for it put the soldiers out of hope of the dona- +tive. Probus likewise, by that speech, Si vixero, +non opus erit amplius Romano imperio militibus; +a speech of great despair for the soldiers. And +many the like. Surely princes had need, in tender +matters and ticklish times, to beware what they +say; especially in these short speeches, which fly +abroad like darts, and are thought to be shot out of +their secret intentions. For as for large discourses, +they are flat things, and not so much noted. + + +Lastly, let princes, against all events, not be +without some great person, one or rather more, of +military valor, near unto them, for the repressing +of seditions in their beginnings. For without that, +there useth to be more trepidation in court upon +the first breaking out of troubles, than were fit. +And the state runneth the danger of that which +Tacitus saith; Atque is habitus animorum fuit, ut +pessimum facinus auderent pauci, plures vellent, +omnes paterentur. But let such military persons be +assured, and well reputed of, rather than factious +and popular; holding also good correspondence +with the other great men in the state; or else the +remedy, is worse than the disease. + + + + + +Of Atheism + + +I HAD rather believe all the fables in the Leg- +end, and the Talmud, and the Alcoran, than +that this universal frame is without a mind. +And therefore, God never wrought miracle, to +convince atheism, because his ordinary works con- +vince it. It is true, that a little philosophy inclineth +man's mind to atheism; but depth in philosophy +bringeth men's minds about to religion. For while +the mind of man looketh upon second causes scat- +tered, it may sometimes rest in them, and go no +further; but when it beholdeth the chain of them, +confederate and linked together, it must needs fly +to Providence and Deity. Nay, even that school +which is most accused of atheism doth most dem- +onstrate religion; that is, the school of Leucippus +and Democritus and Epicurus. For it is a thousand +times more credible, that four mutable elements, +and one immutable fifth essence, duly and eter- +nally placed, need no God, than that an army of +infinite small portions, or seeds unplaced, should +have produced this order and beauty, without a +divine marshal. The Scripture saith, The fool hath +said in his heart, there is no God; it is not said, The +fool hath thought in his heart; so as he rather saith +it, by rote to himself, as that he would have, than +that he can thoroughly believe it, or be persuaded +of it. For none deny, there is a God, but those, for +whom it maketh that there were no God. It ap- +peareth in nothing more, that atheism is rather in +the lip, than in the heart of man, than by this; that +atheists will ever be talking of that their opinion, +as if they fainted in it, within themselves, and +would be glad to be strengthened, by the consent +of others. Nay more, you shall have atheists strive +to get disciples, as it fareth with other sects. And, +which is most of all, you shall have of them, that +will suffer for atheism, and not recant; whereas if +they did truly think, that there were no such thing +as God, why should they trouble themselves? Epi- +curus is charged, that he did but dissemble for his +credit's sake, when he affirmed there were blessed +natures, but such as enjoyed themselves, without +having respect to the government of the world. +Wherein they say he did temporize; though in +secret, he thought there was no God. But certainly +he is traduced; for his words are noble and divine: +Non deos vulgi negare profanum; sed vulgi opini- +ones diis applicare profanum. Plato could have +said no more. And although he had the confidence, +to deny the administration, he had not the power, +to deny the nature. The Indians of the West, have +names for their particular gods, though they have +no name for God: as if the heathens should have +had the names Jupiter, Apollo, Mars, etc., but not +the word Deus; which shows that even those bar- +barous people have the notion, though they have +not the latitude and extent of it. So that against +atheists, the very savages take part, with the very +subtlest philosophers. The contemplative atheist is +rare: a Diagoras, a Bion, a Lucian perhaps, and +some others; and yet they seem to be more than +they are; for that all that impugn a received re- +ligion, or superstition, are by the adverse part +branded with the name of atheists. But the great +atheists, indeed are hypocrites; which are ever +handling holy things, but without feeling; so as +they must needs be cauterized in the end. The +causes of atheism are: divisions in religion, if they +be many; for any one main division, addeth zeal to +both sides; but many divisions introduce atheism. +Another is, scandal of priests; when it is come to +that which St. Bernard saith, non est jam dicere, +ut populus sic sacerdos; quia nec sic populus ut +sacerdos. A third is, custom of profane scoffing in +holy matters; which doth, by little and little, de- +face the reverence of religion. And lastly, learned +times, specially with peace and prosperity; for +troubles and adversities do more bow men's minds +to religion. They that deny a God, destroy man's +nobility; for certainly man is of kin to the beasts, +by his body; and, if he be not of kin to God, by his +spirit, he is a base and ignoble creature. It destroys +likewise magnanimity, and the raising of human +nature; for take an example of a dog, and mark +what a generosity and courage he will put on, +when he finds himself maintained by a man; who +to him is instead of a God, or melior natura; which +courage is manifestly such, as that creature, with- +out that confidence of a better nature than his own, +could never attain. So man, when he resteth and +assureth himself, upon divine protection and +favor, gathered a force and faith, which human +nature in itself could not obtain. Therefore, as +atheism is in all respects hateful, so in this, that it +depriveth human nature of the means to exalt it- +self, above human frailty. As it is in particular +persons, so it is in nations. Never was there such a +state for magnanimity as Rome. Of this state hear +what Cicero saith: Quam volumus licet, patres con- +scripti, nos amemus, tamen nec numero Hispanos, +nec robore Gallos, nec calliditate Poenos, nec arti- +bus Graecos, nec denique hoc ipso hujus gentis et +terrae domestico nativoque sensu Italos ipsos et +Latinos; sed pietate, ac religione, atque hac una +sapientia, quod deorum immortalium numine +omnia regi gubernarique perspeximus, omnes +gentes nationesque superavimus. + + + + +Of Superstition + + +IT WERE better to have no opinion of God at all, +than such an opinion, as is unworthy of him. +For the one is unbelief, the other is contumely; +and certainly superstition is the reproach of the +Deity. Plutarch saith well to that purpose: Surely +(saith he) I had rather a great deal, men should +say, there was no such man at all, as Plutarch, +than that they should say, that there was one Plu- +tarch, that would eat his children as soon as they +were born; as the poets speak of Saturn. And as the +contumely is greater towards God, so the danger is +greater towards men. Atheism leaves a man to +sense, to philosophy, to natural piety, to laws, to +reputation; all which may be guides to an outward +moral virtue, though religion were not; but super- +stition dismounts all these, and erecteth an abso- +lute monarchy, in the minds of men. Therefore +theism did never perturb states; for it makes men +wary of themselves, as looking no further: and we +see the times inclined to atheism (as the time of +Augustus Caesar) were civil times. But supersti- +tion hath been the confusion of many states, and +bringeth in a new primum mobile, that ravisheth +all the spheres of government.The master of super- +stition, is the people; and in all superstition, wise +men follow fools; and arguments are fitted to prac- +tice, in a reversed order. It was gravely said by +some of the prelates in the Council of Trent, where +the doctrine of the Schoolmen bare great sway, +that the Schoolmen were like astronomers, which +did feign eccentrics and epicycles, and such en- +gines of orbs, to save the phenomena; though they +knew there were no such things; and in like man- +ner, that the Schoolmen had framed a number of +subtle and intricate axioms, and theorems, to save +the practice of the church. The causes of supersti- +tion are: pleasing and sensual rites and ceremonies; +excess of outward and pharisaical holiness; over- +great reverence of traditions, which cannot but +load the church; the stratagems of prelates, for +their own ambition and lucre; the favoring too +much of good intentions, which openeth the gate +to conceits and novelties; the taking an aim at +divine matters, by human, which cannot but +breed mixture of imaginations: and, lastly, bar- +barous times, especially joined with calamities +and disasters. Superstition, without a veil, is a de- +formed thing; for, as it addeth deformity to an +ape, to be so like a man, so the similitude of super- +stition to religion, makes it the more deformed. +And as wholesome meat corrupteth to little worms, +so good forms and orders corrupt, into a number of +petty observances. There is a superstition in avoid- +ing superstition, when men think to do best, if they +go furthest from the superstition, formerly re- +ceived; therefore care would be had that (as it +fareth in ill purgings) the good be not taken away +with the bad; which commonly is done, when the +people is the reformer. + + + + + + +Of Travel + + +TRAVEL, in the younger sort, is a part of edu- +cation, in the elder, a part of experience. He +that travelleth into a country, before he hath some +entrance into the language, goeth to school, and +not to travel. That young men travel under some +tutor, or grave servant, I allow well; so that he be +such a one that hath the language, and hath been +in the country before; whereby he may be able +to tell them what things are worthy to be seen, in +the country where they go; what acquaintances +they are to seek; what exercises, or discipline, the +place yieldeth. For else, young men shall go +hooded, and look abroad little. It is a strange thing, +that in sea voyages, where there is nothing to be +seen, but sky and sea, men should make diaries; +but in land-travel, wherein so much is to be ob- +served, for the most part they omit it; as if chance +were fitter to be registered, than observation. Let +diaries, therefore, be brought in use. The things to +be seen and observed are: the courts of princes, +especially when they give audience to ambassa- +dors; the courts of justice, while they sit and hear +causes; and so of consistories ecclesiastic; the +churches and monasteries, with the monuments +which are therein extant; the walls and fortifica- +tions of cities, and towns, and so the heavens and +harbors; antiquities and ruins; libraries; colleges, +disputations, and lectures, where any are; ship- +ping and navies; houses and gardens of state and +pleasure, near great cities; armories; arsenals; +magazines; exchanges; burses; warehouses; exer- +cises of horsemanship, fencing, training of sol- +diers, and the like; comedies, such whereunto the +better sort of persons do resort; treasuries of jewels +and robes; cabinets and rarities; and, to conclude, +whatsoever is memorable, in the places where +they go. After all which, the tutors, or servants, +ought to make diligent inquiry. As for triumphs, +masks, feasts, weddings, funerals, capital execu- +tions, and such shows, men need not to be put in +mind of them; yet are they not to be neglected. If +you will have a young man to put his travel into a +little room, and in short time to gather much, this +you must do. First, as was said, he must have some +entrance into the language before he goeth. Then +he must have such a servant, or tutor, as knoweth +the country, as was likewise said. Let him carry +with him also, some card or book, describing the +country where he travelleth; which will be a good +key to his inquiry. Let him keep also a diary. Let +him not stay long, in one city or town; more or less +as the place deserveth, but not long; nay, when he +stayeth in one city or town, let him change his +lodging from one end and part of the town, to an- +other; which is a great adamant of acquaintance. +Let him sequester himself, from the company of +his countrymen, and diet in such places, where +there is good company of the nation where he +travelleth. Let him, upon his removes from one +place to another, procure recommendation to some +person of quality, residing in the place whither he +removeth; that he may use his favor, in those +things he desireth to see or know. Thus he may +abridge his travel, with much profit. As for the +acquaintance, which is to be sought in travel; that +which is most of all profitable, is acquaintance +with the secretaries and employed men of ambas- +sadors: for so in travelling in one country, he shall +suck the experience of many. Let him also see, and +visit, eminent persons in all kinds, which are of +great name abroad; that he may be able to tell, +how the life agreeth with the fame. For quarrels, +they are with care and discretion to be avoided. +They are commonly for mistresses, healths, place, +and words. And let a man beware, how he keepeth +company with choleric and quarrelsome persons; +for they will engage him into their own quarrels. +When a traveller returneth home, let him not +leave the countries, where he hath travelled, alto- +gether behind him; but maintain a correspond- +ence by letters, with those of his acquaintance, +which are of most worth. And let his travel appear +rather in his discourse, than his apparel or gesture; +and in his discourse, let him be rather advised in +his answers, than forward to tell stories; and let it +appear that he doth not change his country man- +ners, for those of foreign parts; but only prick in +some flowers, of that he hath learned abroad, into +the customs of his own country. + + + + +Of Empire + + + +IT IS a miserable state of mind, to have few +things to desire, and many things to fear; and +yet that commonly is the case of kings; who, being +at the highest, want matter of desire, which makes +their minds more languishing; and have many rep- +resentations of perils and shadows, which makes +their minds the less clear. And this is one reason +also, of that effect which the Scripture speaketh of, +That the king's heart is inscrutable. For multitude +of jealousies, and lack of some predominant de- +sire, that should marshal and put in order all the +rest, maketh any man's heart, hard to find or +sound. Hence it comes likewise, that princes many +times make themselves desires, and set their hearts +upon toys; sometimes upon a building; sometimes +upon erecting of an order; sometimes upon the ad- +vancing of a person; sometimes upon obtaining +excellency in some art, or feat of the hand; as Nero +for playing on the harp, Domitian for certainty +of the hand with the arrow, Commodus for play- +ing at fence, Caracalla for driving chariots, and +the like. This seemeth incredible, unto those that +know not the principle, that the mind of man, is +more cheered and refreshed by profiting in small +things, than by standing at a stay, in great. We see +also that kings that have been fortunate conquer- +ors, in their first years, it being not possible for +them to go forward infinitely, but that they must +have some check, or arrest in their fortunes, turn +in their latter years to be superstitious, and melan- +choly; as did Alexander the Great; Diocletian; and +in our memory, Charles the Fifth; and others: for +he that is used to go forward, and findeth a stop, +falleth out of his own favor, and is not the thing +he was. + +To speak now of the true temper of empire, it is +a thing rare and hard to keep; for both temper, and +distemper, consist of contraries. But it is one thing, +to mingle contraries, another to interchange them. +The answer of Apollonius to Vespasian, is full of +excellent instruction. Vespasian asked him, What +was Nero's overthrow? He answered, Nero could +touch and tune the harp well; but in government, +sometimes he used to wind the pins too high, some- +times to let them down too low. And certain it is, +that nothing destroyeth authority so much, as the +unequal and untimely interchange of power +pressed too far, and relaxed too much. + +This is true, that the wisdom of all these latter +times, in princes' affairs, is rather fine deliveries, +and shiftings of dangers and mischiefs, when they +are near, than solid and grounded courses to keep +them aloof. But this is but to try masteries with +fortune. And let men beware, how they neglect +and suffer matter of trouble to be prepared; for no +man can forbid the spark, nor tell whence it may +come. The difficulties in princes' business are many +and great; but the greatest difficulty, is often in +their own mind. For it is common with princes +(saith Tacitus) to will contradictories, Sunt pler- +umque regum voluntates vehementes, et inter se +contrariae. For it is the solecism of power, to think +to command the end, and yet not to endure the +mean. + +Kings have to deal with their neighbors, their +wives, their children, their prelates or clergy, their +nobles, their second-nobles or gentlemen, their +merchants, their commons, and their men of war; +and from all these arise dangers, if care and cir- +cumspection be not used. + +First for their neighbors; there can no general +rule be given (for occasions are so variable), save +one, which ever holdeth, which is, that princes do +keep due sentinel, that none of their neighbors do +ever grow so (by increase of territory, by embrac- +ing of trade, by approaches, or the like), as they +become more able to annoy them, than they were. +And this is generally the work of standing coun- +sels, to foresee and to hinder it. During that trium- +virate of kings, King Henry the Eighth of England, +Francis the First King of France, and Charles the +Fifth Emperor, there was such a watch kept, that +none of the three could win a palm of ground, but +the other two would straightways balance it, +either by confederation, or, if need were, by a war; +and would not in any wise take up peace at inter- +est. And the like was done by that league (which +Guicciardini saith was the security of Italy) made +between Ferdinando King of Naples, Lorenzius +Medici, and Ludovicus Sforza, potentates, the one +of Florence, the other of Milan. Neither is the opin- +ion of some of the Schoolmen, to be received, that a +war cannot justly be made, but upon a precedent +injury or provocation. For there is no question, but +a just fear of an imminent danger, though there be +no blow given, is a lawful cause of a war. + +For their wives; there are cruel examples of +them. Livia is infamed, for the poisoning of her +husband; Roxalana, Solyman's wife, was the +destruction of that renowned prince, Sultan Mus- +tapha, and otherwise troubled his house and suc- +cession; Edward the Second of England, his queen, +had the principal hand in the deposing and mur- +der of her husband. This kind of danger, is then to +be feared chiefly, when the wives have plots, for +the raising of their own children; or else that they +be advoutresses. + +For their children; the tragedies likewise of +dangers from them, have been many. And gen- +erally, the entering of fathers into suspicion of +their children, hath been ever unfortunate. The +destruction of Mustapha (that we named before) +was so fatal to Solyman's line, as the succession of +the Turks, from Solyman until this day, is sus- +pected to be untrue, and of strange blood; for that +Selymus the Second, was thought to be supposi- +tious. The destruction of Crispus, a young prince of +rare towardness, by Constantinus the Great, his +father, was in like manner fatal to his house; for +both Constantinus and Constance, his sons, died +violent deaths; and Constantius, his other son, did +little better; who died indeed of sickness, but after +that Julianus had taken arms against him. The de- +struction of Demetrius, son to Philip the Second of +Macedon, turned upon the father, who died of +repentance. And many like examples there are; +but few or none, where the fathers had good by +such distrust; except it were, where the sons were +up in open arms against them; as was Selymus the +First against Bajazet; and the three sons of Henry +the Second, King of England. + +For their prelates; when they are proud and +great, there is also danger from them; as it was in +the times of Anselmus, and Thomas Becket, Arch- +bishops of Canterbury; who, with their croziers, +did almost try it with the king's sword; and yet +they had to deal with stout and haughty kings, +William Rufus, Henry the First, and Henry the +Second. The danger is not from that state, but +where it hath a dependence of foreign authority; +or where the churchmen come in and are elected, +not by the collation of the king, or particular +patrons, but by the people. + +For their nobles; to keep them at a distance, it is +not amiss; but to depress them, may make a king +more absolute, but less safe; and less able to per- +form, any thing that he desires. I have noted it, in +my History of King Henry the Seventh of Eng- +land, who depressed bis nobility; whereupon it +came to pass, that his times were full of difficulties +and troubles; for the nobility, though they con- +tinued loyal unto him, yet did they not co-operate +with him in his business. So that in effect, he was +fain to do all things himself. + +For their second-nobles; there is not much dan- +ger from them, being a body dispersed. They may +sometimes discourse high, but that doth little hurt; +besides, they are a counterpoise to the higher no- +bility, that they grow not too potent; and, lastly, +being the most immediate in authority, with the +common people, they do best temper popular com- +motions. + +For their merchants; they are vena porta; and +if they flourish not, a kingdom may have good +limbs, but will have empty veins, and nourish +little. Taxes and imposts upon them, do seldom +good to the king's revenue; for that that he wins in +the hundred, he leeseth in the shire; the particular +rates being increased, but the total bulk of trading, +rather decreased. + +For their commons; there is little danger from +them, except it be, where they have great and po- +tent heads; or where you meddle with the point of +religion, or their customs, or means of life. + +For their men of war; it is a dangerous state, +where they live and remain in a body, and are +used to donatives; whereof we see examples in the +janizaries, and pretorian bands of Rome; but train- +ings of men, and arming them in several places, +and under several commanders, and without +donatives, are things of defence, and no danger. + +Princes are like to heavenly bodies, which cause +good or evil times; and which have much venera- +tion, but no rest. All precepts concerning kings, +are in effect comprehended in those two remem- +brances: memento quod es homo; and memento +quod es Deus, or vice Dei; the one bridleth their +power, and the other their will. + + + + + +Of Counsel + + +THE greatest trust, between man and man, is +the trust of giving counsel. For in other con- +fidences, men commit the parts of life; their lands, +their goods, their children, their credit, some par- +ticular affair; but to such as they make their coun- +sellors, they commit the whole: by how much the +more, they are obliged to all faith and integrity. +The wisest princes need not think it any diminu- +tion to their greatness, or derogation to their suf- +ficiency, to rely upon counsel. God himself is not +without, but hath made it one of the great names +of his blessed Son: The Counsellor. Solomon hath +pronounced, that in counsel is stability. Things +will have their first, or second agitation: if they be +not tossed upon the arguments of counsel, they +will be tossed upon the waves of fortune; and be +full of inconstancy, doing and undoing, like the +reeling of a drunken man. Solomon's son found +the force of counsel, as his father saw the necessity +of it. For the beloved kingdom of God, was first +rent, and broken, by ill counsel; upon which coun- +sel, there are set for our instruction, the two marks +whereby bad counsel is for ever best discerned; +that it was young counsel, for the person; and +violent counsel, for the matter. + +The ancient times, do set forth in figure, both +the incorporation, and inseparable conjunction, of +counsel with kings, and the wise and politic use of +counsel by kings: the one, in that they say Jupi- +ter did marry Metis, which signifieth counsel; +whereby they intend that Sovereignty, is married +to Counsel: the other in that which followeth, +which was thus: They say, after Jupiter was mar- +ried to Metis, she conceived by him, and was with +child, but Jupiter suffered her not to stay, till she +brought forth, but eat her up; whereby he became +himself with child, and was delivered of Pallas +armed, out of his head. Which monstrous fable +containeth a secret of empire; how kings are to +make use of their counsel of state. That first, they +ought to refer matters unto them, which is the first +begetting, or impregnation; but when they are +elaborate, moulded, and shaped in the womb of +their counsel, and grow ripe, and ready to be +brought forth, that then they suffer not their coun- +sel to go through with the resolution and direc- +tion, as if it depended on them; but take the matter +back into their own hands, and make it appear to +the world, that the decrees and final directions +(which, because they come forth, with prudence +and power, are resembled to Pallas armed) pro- +ceeded from themselves; and not only from their +authority, but (the more to add reputation to them- +selves) from their head and device. + +Let us now speak of the inconveniences of coun- +sel, and of the remedies. The inconveniences that +have been noted, in calling and using counsel, are +three. First, the revealing of affairs, whereby they +become less secret. Secondly, the weakening of the +authority of princes, as if they were less of them- +selves. Thirdly, the danger of being unfaithfully +counselled, and more for the good of them that +counsel, than of him that is counselled. For which +inconveniences, the doctrine of Italy, and practice +of France, in some kings' times, hath introduced +cabinet counsels; a remedy worse than the disease. + +As to secrecy; princes are not bound to commu- +nicate all matters, with all counsellors; but may +extract and select. Neither is it necessary, that he +that consulteth what he should do, should declare +what he will do. But let princes beware, that the +unsecreting of their affairs, comes not from them- +selves. And as for cabinet counsels, it may be their +motto, plenus rimarum sum: one futile person, +that maketh it his glory to tell, will do more hurt +than many, that know it their duty to conceal. It is +true there be some affairs, which require extreme +secrecy, which will hardly go beyond one or two +persons, besides the king: neither are those coun- +sels unprosperous; for, besides the secrecy, they +conunonly go on constantly, in one spirit of direc- +tion, without distraction. But then it must be a +prudent king, such as is able to grind with a hand- +mill; and those inward counsellors had need also +be wise men, and especially true and trusty to the +king's ends; as it was with King Henry the Seventh +of England, who, in his great business, imparted +himself to none, except it were to Morton and Fox. + +For weakening of authority; the fable showeth +the remedy. Nay, the majesty of kings, is rather +exalted than diminished, when they are in the +chair of counsel; neither was there ever prince, be- +reaved of his dependences, by his counsel, except +where there hath been, either an over-greatness +in one counsellor, or an over-strict combination in +divers; which are things soon found, and holpen. + +For the last inconvenience, that men will coun- +sel, with an eye to themselves; certainly, non +inveniet fidem super terram is meant, of the na- +ture of times, and not of all particular persons. +There be, that are in nature faithful, and sincere, +and plain, and direct; not crafty and involved; let +princes, above all, draw to themselves such na- +tures. Besides, counsellors are not commonly so +united, but that one counsellor, keepeth sentinel +over another; so that if any do counsel out of fac- +tion or private ends, it commonly comes to the +king's ear. But the best remedy is, if princes know +their counsellors, as well as their counsellors +know them: + + +Principis est virtus maxima nosse suos. + +And on the other side, counsellors should not be +too speculative into their sovereign's person. The +true composition of a counsellor, is rather to be +skilful in their master's business, than in his na- +ture; for then he is like to advise him, and not feed +his humor. It is of singular use to princes, if they +take the opinions of their counsel, both separately +and together. For private opinion is more free; +but opinion before others, is more reverent. In +private, men are more bold in their own humors; +and in consort, men are more obnoxious to others' +humors; therefore it is good to take both; and of +the inferior sort, rather in private, to preserve free- +dom; of the greater, rather in consort, to preserve +respect. It is in vain for princes, to take counsel +concerning matters, if they take no counsel like- +wise concerning persons; for all matters are as +dead images; and the life of the execution of af- +fairs, resteth in the good choice of persons. Neither +is it enough, to consult concerning persons secun- +dum genera, as in an idea, or mathematical de- +scription, what the kind and character of the +person should be; for the greatest errors are com- +mitted, and the most judgment is shown, in the +choice of individuals. It was truly said, optimi con- +siliarii mortui: books will speak plain, when coun- +sellors blanch.Therefore it is good to be conversant +in them, specially the books of such as themselves +have been actors upon the stage. + +The counsels at this day, in most places, are but +familiar meetings, where matters are rather talked +on, than debated. And they run too swift, to the +order, or act, of counsel. It were better that in +causes of weight, the matter were propounded one +day, and not spoken to till the next day; in nocte +consilium. So was it done in the Commission of +Union, between England and Scotland; which +was a grave and orderly assembly. I commend set +days for petitions; for both it gives the sudtors more +certainty for their attendance, and it frees the +meetings for matters of estate, that they may hoc +agere. In choice of committees; for ripening busi- +ness for the counsel, it is better to choose indifferent +persons, than to make an indifferency, by putting +in those, that are strong on both sides. I commend +also standing commissions; as for trade, for treas- +ure, for war, for suits, for some provinces; for +where there be divers particular counsels, and but +one counsel of estate (as it is in Spain), they are, in +effect, no more than standing commissions: save +that they have greater authority. Let such as are +to inform counsels, out of their particular profes- +sions (as lawyers, seamen, mintmen, and the like) +be first heard before committees; and then, as oc- +casion serves, before the counsel. And let them not +come in multitudes, or in a tribunitious manner; +for that is to clamor counsels, not to inform them. +A long table and a square table, or seats about the +walls, seem things of form, but are things of sub- +stance; for at a long table a few at the upper end, in +effect, sway all the business; but in the other form, +there is more use of the counsellors' opinions, that +sit lower. A king, when he presides in counsel, let +him beware how he opens his own inclination too +much, in that which he propoundeth; for else +counsellors will but take the wind of him, and in- +stead of giving free counsel, sing him a song of +placebo. + + + + + + +Of Delays + + +FORTUNE is like the market; where many +times if you can stay a little, the price will fall. +Again, it is sometimes like Sibylla's offer; which at +first, offereth the commodity at full, then con- +sumeth part and part, and still holdeth up the +price. For occasion (as it is in the common verse) +turneth a bald noddle, after she hath presented her +locks in front, and no hold taken; or at least turneth +the handle of the bottle, first to be received, and +after the belly, which is hard to clasp. There is +surely no greater wisdom, than well to time the +beginnings, and onsets, of things. Dangers are no +more light, if they once seem light; and more dan- +gers have deceived men, than forced them. Nay, +it were better, to meet some dangers half way, +though they come nothing near, than to keep too +long a watch upon their approaches; for if a man +watch too long, it is odds he will fall asleep. On the +other side, to be deceived with too long shadows +(as some have been, when the moon was low, and +shone on their enemies' back), and so to shoot off +before the time; or to teach dangers to come on, by +over early buckling towards them; is another ex- +treme. The ripeness, or unripeness, of the occasion +(as we said) must ever be well weighed; and gener- +ally it is good, to commit the beginnings of all +great actions to Argus, with his hundred eyes, and +the ends to Briareus, with his hundred hands; first +to watch, and then to speed. For the helmet of +Pluto, which maketh the politic man go invisible, +is secrecy in the counsel, and celerity in the execu- +tion. For when things are once come to the execu- +tion, there is no secrecy, comparable to celerity; +like the motion of a bullet in the air, which flieth +so swift, as it outruns the eye. + + + + +Of Cunning + + +WE TAKE cunning for a sinister or crooked +wisdom. And certainly there is a great dif- +ference, between a cunning man, and a wise man; +not only in point of honesty, but in point of ability. +There be, that can pack the cards, and yet cannot +play well; so there are some that are good in can- +vasses and factions, that are otherwise weak men. +Again, it is one thing to understand persons, and +another thing to understand matters; for many +are perfect in men's humors, that are not greatly +capable of the real part of business; which is the +constitution of one that hath studied men, more +than books. Such men are fitter for practice, than +for counsel; and they are good, but in their own +alley: turn them to new men, and they have lost +their aim; so as the old rule, to know a fool from a +wise man, Mitte ambos nudos ad ignotos, et vide- +bis, doth scarce hold for them. And because these +cunning men, are like haberdashers of small +wares, it is not amiss to set forth their shop. + +It is a point of cunning, to wait upon him with +whom you speak, with your eye; as the Jesuits give +it in precept: for there be many wise men, that +have secret hearts, and transparent countenances. +Yet this would be done with a demure abasing of +your eye, sometimes, as the Jesuits also do use. + +Another is, that when you have anything to +obtain, of present despatch, you entertain and +amuse the party, with whom you deal, with some +other discourse; that he be not too much awake to +make objections. I knew a counsellor and secre- +tary, that never came to Queen Elizabeth of Eng- +land, with bills to sign, but he would always first +put her into some discourse of estate, that she +mought the less mind the bills. + +The like surprise may be made by moving +things, when the party is in haste, and cannot stay +to consider advisedly of that is moved. + +If a man would cross a business, that he doubts +some other would handsomely and effectually +move, let him pretend to wish it well, and move it +himself in such sort as may foil it. + +The breaking off, in the midst of that one was +about to say, as if he took himself up, breeds a +greater appetite in him with whom you confer, to +know more. + +And because it works better, when anything +seemeth to be gotten from you by question, than +if you offer it of yourself, you may lay a bait for a +question, by showing another visage, and counte- +nance, than you are wont; to the end to give occa- +sion, for the party to ask, what the matter is of the +change? As Nehemias did; And I had not before +that time, been sad before the king. + +In things that are tender and unpleasing, it is +good to break the ice, by some whose words are of +less weight, and to reserve the more weighty voice, +to come in as by chance, so that he may be asked +the question upon the other's speech: as Narcissus +did, relating to Claudius the marriage of Messa- +lina and Silius. + +In things that a man would not be seen in him- +self, it is a point of cunning, to borrow the name of +the world; as to say, The world says, or There is a +speech abroad. + +I knew one that, when he wrote a letter, he +would put that, which was most material, in the +postscript, as if it had been a by-matter. + +I knew another that, when he came to have +speech, he would pass over that, that he intended +most; and go forth, and come back again, and +speak of it as of a thing, that he had almost forgot. + +Some procure themselves, to be surprised, at +such times as it is like the party that they work +upon, will suddenly come upon them; and to be +found with a letter in their hand, or doing some- +what which they are not accustomed; to the end, +they may be apposed of those things, which of +themselves they are desirous to utter. + +It is a point of cunning, to let fall those words in +a man's own name, which he would have another +man learn, and use, and thereupon take advan- +tage. I knew two, that were competitors for the +secretary's place in Queen Elizabeth's time, and +yet kept good quarter between themselves; and +would confer, one with another, upon the busi- +ness; and the one of them said, That to be a secre- +tary, in the declination of a monarchy, was a +ticklish thing, and that he did not affect it: the +other straight caught up those words, and dis- +coursed with divers of his friends, that he had no +reason to desire to be secretary, in the declination +of a monarchy. The first man took hold of it, and +found means it was told the Queen; who, hearing +of a declination of a monarchy, took it so ill, as she +would never after hear of the other's suit. + +There is a cunning, which we in England call, +the turning of the cat in the pan; which is, when +that which a man says to another, he lays it as if +another had said it to him. And to say truth, it is +not easy, when such a matter passed between two, +to make it appear from which of them it first +moved and began. + +It is a way that some men have, to glance and +dart at others, by justifying themselves by nega- +tives; as to say, This I do not; as Tigellinus did +towards Burrhus, Se non diversas spes, sed incolu- +mitatem imperatoris simpliciter spectare. + +Some have in readiness so many tales and +stories, as there is nothing they would insinuate, +but they can wrap it into a tale; which serveth both +to keep themselves more in guard, and to make +others carry it with more pleasure. It is a good +point of cunning, for a man to shape the answer +he would have, in his own words and propositions; +for it makes the other party stick the less. + +It is strange how long some men will lie in wait +to speak somewhat they desire to say; and how far +about they will fetch; and how many other mat- +ters they will beat over, to come near it. It is a thing +of great patience, but yet of much use. + +A sudden, bold, and unexpected question doth +many times surprise a man, and lay him open. +Like to him that , having changed his name, and +walking in Paul's, another suddenly came behind +him, and called him by his true name, whereat +straightways he looked back. + +But these small wares, and petty points, of cun- +ning, are infinite; and it were a good deed to make +a list of them; for that nothing doth more hurt in +a state, than that cunning men pass for wise. + +But certainly some there are that know the re- +sorts and falls of business, that cannot sink into +the main of it; like a house that hath convenient +stairs and entries, but never a fair room. Therefore, +you shall see them find out pretty looses in the con- +clusion, but are no ways able to examine or debate +matters. And yet commonly they take advantage +of their inability, and would be thought wits of +direction. Some build rather upon the abusing of +others, and (as we now say) putting tricks upon +them, than upon soundness of their own proceed- +ings. But Solomon saith, Prudens advertit ad gres- +sus suos; stultus divertit ad dolos. + + + + + + +Of Wisdom +FOR A MAN'S SELF + + + + + + +AN ANT is a wise creature for itself, but it is a + shrewd thing, in an orchard or garden. And +certainly, men that are great lovers of themselves, +waste the public. Divide with reason; between self- +love and society; and be so true to thyself, as thou +be not false to others; specially to thy king and +country. It is a poor centre of a man's actions, him- +self. It is right earth. For that only stands fast upon +his own centre; whereas all things, that have af- +finity with the heavens, move upon the centre of +another, which they benefit. The referring of all +to a man's self, is more tolerable in a sovereign +prince; because themselves are not only them- +selves, but their good and evil is at the peril of the +public fortune. But it is a desperate evil, in a ser- +vant to a prince, or a citizen in a republic. For +whatsoever affairs pass such a man's hands, he +crooketh them to his own ends; which must needs +be often eccentric to the ends of his master, or state. +Therefore, let princes, or states, choose such ser- +vants, as have not this mark; except they mean +their service should be made but the accessory. +That which maketh the effect more pernicious, is +that all proportion is lost. It were disproportion +enough, for the servant's good to be preferred be- +fore the master's; but yet it is a greater extreme, +when a little good of the servant, shall carry things +against a great good of the master's. And yet that +is the case of bad officers, treasurers, ambassadors, +generals, and other false and corrupt servants; +which set a bias upon their bowl, of their own +petty ends and envies, to the overthrow of their +master's great and important affairs. And for the +most part, the good such servants receive, is after +the model of their own fortune; but the hurt they +sell for that good, is after the model of their +master's fortune. And certainly it is the nature of +extreme self-lovers, as they will set an house on fire, +and it were but to roast their eggs; and yet these +men many times hold credit with their masters, +because their study is but to please them, and profit +themselves; and for either respect, they will aban- +don the good of their affairs. + +Wisdom for a man's self is, in many branches +thereof, a depraved thing. It is the wisdom of rats, +that will be sure to leave a house, somewhat before +it fall. It is the wisdom of the fox, that thrusts out +the badger, who digged and made room for him. +It is the wisdom of crocodiles, that shed tears when +they would devour. But that which is specially to +be noted is, that those which (as Cicero says of +Pompey) are sui amantes, sine rivali, are many +times unfortunate. And whereas they have, all +their times, sacrificed to themselves, they become +in the end, themselves sacrifices to the inconstancy +of fortune, whose wings they thought, by their +self-wisdom, to have pinioned. + + + + + + +Of Innovations + + +AS THE births of living creatures, at first are ill- +shapen, so are all innovations, which are the +births of time. Yet notwithstanding, as those that +first bring honor into their family, are commonly +more worthy than most that succeed, so the first +precedent (if it be good) is seldom attained by +imitation. For ill, to man's nature, as it stands +perverted, hath a natural motion, strongest in con- +tinuance; but good, as a forced motion, strongest +at first. Surely every medicine is an innovation; +and he that will not apply new remedies, must +expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator; +and if time of course alter things to the worse, and +wisdom and counsel shall not alter them to the +better, what shall be the end? It is true, that what +is settled by custom, though it be not good, yet at +least it is fit; and those things which have long +gone together, are, as it were, confederate within +themselves; whereas new things piece not so well; +but though they help by their utility, yet they +trouble by their inconformity. Besides, they are +like strangers; more admired, and less favored. All +this is true, if time stood still; which contrariwise +moveth so round, that a froward retention of cus- +tom, is as turbulent a thing as an innovation; and +they that reverence too much old times, are but a +scorn to the new. It were good, therefore, that men +in their innovations would follow the example of +time itself; which indeed innovateth greatly, but +quietly, by degrees scarce to be perceived. For +otherwise, whatsoever is new is unlooked for; and +ever it mends some, and pairs others; and he that +is holpen, takes it for a fortune, and thanks the +time; and he that is hurt, for a wrong, and imput- +eth it to the author. It is good also, not to try experi- +ments in states, except the necessity be urgent, or +the utility evident; and well to beware, that it be +the reformation, that draweth on the change, and +not the desire of change, that pretendeth the refor- +mation. And lastly, that the novelty, though it be +not rejected, yet be held for a suspect; and, as the +Scripture saith, that we make a stand upon the +ancient way, and then look about us, and discover +what is the straight and right way, and so to walk +in it. + + + + + +Of Dispatch + + + +AFFECTED dispatch is one of the most danger- +ous things to business that can be. It is like +that, which the physicians call predigestion, or +hasty digestion; which is sure to fill the body full of +crudities, and secret seeds of diseases. Therefore +measure not dispatch, by the times of sitting, but +by the advancement of the business. And as in +races it is not the large stride or high lift that makes +the speed; so in business, the keeping close to the +matter, and not taking of it too much at once, pro- +cureth dispatch. It is the care of some, only to come +off speedily for the time; or to contrive some false +periods of business, because they may seem men +of dispatch. But it is one thing, to abbreviate by +contracting, another by cutting off . And business +so handled, at several sittings or meetings, goeth +commonly backward and forward in an unsteady +manner. I knew a wise man that had it for a by- +word, when he saw men hasten to a conclusion, +Stay a little, that we may make an end the sooner. + +On the other side, true dispatch is a rich thing. +For time is the measure of business, as money is +of wares; and business is bought at a dear hand, +where there is small dispatch. The Spartans and +Spaniards have been noted to be of small dispatch; +Mi venga la muerte de Spagna; Let my death come +from Spain; for then it will be sure to be long in +coming. + +Give good hearing to those, that give the first +information in business; and rather direct them +in the beginning, than interrupt them in the con- +tinuance of their speeches; for he that is put out of +his own order, will go forward and backward, and +be more tedious, while he waits upon his memory, +than he could have been, if he had gone on in his +own course. But sometimes it is seen, that the +moderator is more troublesome, than the actor. + +Iterations are commonly loss of time. But there +is no such gain of time, as to iterate often the state +of the question; for it chaseth away many a frivo- +lous speech, as it is coming forth. Long and curious +speeches, are as fit for dispatch, as a robe or mantle, +with a long train, is for race. Prefaces and pas- +sages, and excusations, and other speeches of refer- +ence to the person, are great wastes of time; and +though they seem to proceed of modesty, they are +bravery. Yet beware of being too material, when +there is any impediment or obstruction in men's +wills; for pre-occupation of mind ever requireth +preface of speech; like a fomentation to make the +unguent enter. + +Above all things, order, and distribution, and +singling out of parts, is the life of dispatch; so as the +distribution be not too subtle: for he that doth not +divide, will never enter well into business; and he +that divideth too much, will never come out of it +clearly. To choose time, is to save time; and an un- +seasonable motion, is but beating the air. There be +three parts of business; the preparation, the debate +or examination, and the perfection. Whereof, if +you look for dispatch, let the middle only be the +work of many, and the first and last the work of +few. The proceeding upon somewhat conceived in +writing, doth for the most part facilitate dispatch: +for though it should be wholly rejected, yet that +negative is more pregnant of direction, than an +indefinite; as ashes are more generative than dust. + + + + + + + + + +Of Seeming Wise + + +IT HATH been an opinion, that the French are +wiser than they seem, and the Spaniards seem +wiser than they are. But howsoever it be between +nations, certainly it is so between man and man. +For as the Apostle saith of godliness, Having a +show of godliness, but denying the power thereof; +so certainly there are, in point of wisdom and suf- +ficiently, that do nothing or little very solemnly: +magno conatu nugas. It is a ridiculous thing, and +fit for a satire to persons of judgment, to see what +shifts these formalists have, and what prospectives +to make superficies to seem body, that hath depth +and bulk. Some are so close and reserved, as they +will not show their wares, but by a dark light; and +seem always to keep back somewhat; and when +they know within themselves, they speak of that +they do not well know, would nevertheless seem +to others, to know of that which they may not well +speak. Some help themselves with countenance +and gesture, and are wise by signs; as Cicero saith +of Piso, that when he answered him, he fetched +one of his brows up to his forehead, and bent the +other down to his chin; Respondes, altero ad fron- +tem sublato, altero ad mentum depresso super- +cilio, crudelitatem tibi non placere. Some think +to bear it by speaking a great word, and being per- +emptory; and go on, and take by admittance, that +which they cannot make good. Some, whatsoever +is beyond their reach, will seem to despise, or make +light of it, as impertinent or curious; and so would +have their ignorance seem judgment. Some are +never without a difference, and commonly by +amusing men with a subtilty, blanch the matter; +of whom A. Gellius saith, Hominem delirum, qui +verborum minutiis rerum frangit pondera. Of +which kind also, Plato, in his Protagoras, bringeth +in Prodius in scorn, and maketh him make a +speech, that consisteth of distinction from the be- +ginning to the end. Generally, such men in all +deliberations find ease to be of the negative side, +and affect a credit to object and foretell difficul- +ties; for when propositions are denied, there is an +end of them; but if they be allowed, it requireth a +new work; which false point of wisdom is the bane +of business. To conclude, there is no decaying mer- +chant, or inward beggar, hath so many tricks to +uphold the credit of their wealth, as these empty +persons have, to maintain the credit of their suf- +ficiency. Seeming wise men may make shift to get +opinion; but let no man choose them for employ- +ment; for certainly you were better take for busi- +ness, a man somewhat absurd, than over-formal. + + +Of Friendship + + + +IT HAD been hard for him that spake it to have +put more truth and untruth together in few +words, than in that speech, Whatsoever is delighted +in solitude, is either a wild beast or a god. For it is +most true, that a natural and secret hatred, and +aversation towards society, in any man, hath +somewhat of the savage beast; but it is most un- +true, that it should have any character at all, of the +divine nature; except it proceed, not out of a pleas- +ure in solitude, but out of a love and desire to +sequester a man's self, for a higher conversation: +such as is found to have been falsely and feignedly +in some of the heathen; as Epimenides the Can- +dian, Numa the Roman, Empedocles the Sicilian, +and Apollonius of Tyana; and truly and really, in +divers of the ancient hermits and holy fathers of +the church. But little do men perceive what soli- +tude is, and how far it extendeth. For a crowd is +not company; and faces are but a gallery of pic- +tures; and talk but a tinkling cymbal, where +there is no love. The Latin adage meeteth with it a +little: Magna civitas, magna solitudo; because in +a great town friends are scattered; so that there is +not that fellowship, for the most part, which is in +less neighborhoods. But we may go further, and +affirm most truly, that it is a mere and miserable +solitude to want true friends; without which the +world is but a wilderness; and even in this sense +also of solitude, whosoever in the frame of his +nature and affections, is unfit for friendship, he +taketh it of the beast, and not from humanity. + +A principal fruit of friendship, is the ease and +discharge of the fulness and swellings of the heart, +which passions of all kinds do cause and induce. +We know diseases of stoppings, and suffocations, +are the most dangerous in the body; and it is not +much otherwise in the mind; you may take sarza +to open the liver, steel to open the spleen, flowers +of sulphur for the lungs, castoreum for the brain; +but no receipt openeth the heart, but a true friend; +to whom you may impart griefs, joys, fears, hopes, +suspicions, counsels, and whatsoever lieth upon +the heart to oppress it, in a kind of civil shrift or +confession. + +It is a strange thing to observe, how high a rate +great kings and monarchs do set upon this fruit of +friendship, whereof we speak: so great, as they +purchase it, many times, at the hazard of their +own safety and greatness. For princes, in regard +of the distance of their fortune from that of their +subjects and servants, cannot gather this fruit, ex- +cept (to make themselves capable thereof) they +raise some persons to be, as it were, companions +and almost equals to themselves, which many +times sorteth to inconvenience. The modern lan- +guages give unto such persons the name of favor- +ites, or privadoes; as if it were matter of grace, or +conversation. But the Roman name attaineth the +true use and cause thereof, naming them parti- +cipes curarum; for it is that which tieth the knot. +And we see plainly that this hath been done, not +by weak and passionate princes only, but by the +wisest and most politic that ever reigned; who +have oftentimes joined to themselves some of +their servants; whom both themselves have called +friends, and allowed other likewise to call them in +the same manner; using the word which is re- +ceived between private men. + +L. Sylla, when he commanded Rome, raised +Pompey (after surnamed the Great) to that height, +that Pompey vaunted himself for Sylla's over- +match. For when he had carried the consulship for +a friend of his, against the pursuit of Sylla, and +that Sylla did a little resent thereat, and began to +speak great, Pompey turned upon him again, and +in effect bade him be quiet; for that more men +adored the sun rising, than the sun setting. With +Julius Caesar, Decimus Brutus had obtained that +interest as he set him down in his testament, for +heir in remainder, after his nephew. And this was +the man that had power with him, to draw him +forth to his death. For when Caesar would have +discharged the senate, in regard of some ill pres- +ages, and specially a dream of Calpurnia; this +man lifted him gently by the arm out of his chair, +telling him he hoped he would not dismiss the +senate, till his wife had dreamt a better dream. +And it seemeth his favor was so great, as Antonius, +in a letter which is recited verbatim in one of +Cicero's Philippics, calleth him venefica, witch; +as if he had enchanted Caesar. Augustus raised +Agrippa (though of mean birth) to that height, as +when he consulted with Maecenas, about the mar- +riage of his daughter Julia, Maecenas took the +liberty to tell him, that he must either marry his +daughter to Agrippa, or take away his life; there +was no third way, he had made him so great. With +Tiberius Caesar, Sejanus had ascended to that +height, as they two were termed, and reckoned, as +a pair of friends. Tiberius in a letter to him saith, +Haec pro amicitia nostra non occultavi; and the +whole senate dedicated an altar to Friendship, as +to a goddess, in respect of the great dearness of +friendship, between them two. The like, or more, +was between Septimius Severus and Plautianus. +For he forced his eldest son to marry the daughter +of Plautianus; and would often maintain Plau- +tianus, in doing affronts to his son; and did write +also in a letter to the senate, by these words: I love +the man so well, as I wish he may over-live me. +Now if these princes had been as a Trajan, or a +Marcus Aurelius, a man might have thought that +this had proceeded of an abundant goodness of +nature; but being men so wise, of such strength +and severity of mind, and so extreme lovers of +themselves, as all these were, it proveth most +plainly that they found their own felicity (though +as great as ever happened to mortal men) but as +an half piece, except they mought have a friend, +to make it entire; and yet, which is more, they +were princes that had wives, sons, nephews; and +yet all these could not supply the comfort of friend- +ship. + +It is not to be forgotten, what Comineus observ- +eth of his first master, Duke Charles the Hardy, +namely, that he would communicate his secrets +with none; and least of all, those secrets which +troubled him most. Whereupon he goeth on, and +saith that towards his latter time, that closeness +did impair, and a little perish his understanding. +Surely Comineus mought have made the same +judgment also, if it had pleased him, of his second +master, Lewis the Eleventh, whose closeness was +indeed his tormentor. The parable of Pythagoras +is dark, but true; Cor ne edito; Eat not the heart. +Certainly, if a man would give it a hard phrase, +those that want friends, to open themselves unto, +are carnnibals of their own hearts. But one thing +is most admirable (wherewith I will conclude this +first fruit of friendship), which is, that this com- +municating of a man's self to his friend, works +two contrary effects; for it redoubleth joys, and +cutteth griefs in halves. For there is no man, that +imparteth his joys to his friend, but he joyeth the +more; and no man that imparteth his griefs to his +friend, but he grieveth the less. So that it is in truth, +of operation upon a man's mind, of like virtue as +the alchemists use to attribute to their stone, for +man's body; that it worketh all contrary effects, +but still to the good and benefit of nature. But yet +without praying in aid of alchemists, there is a +manifest image of this, in the ordinary course of +nature. For in bodies, union strengtheneth and +cherisheth any natural action; and on the other +side, weakeneth and dulleth any violent impres- +sion: and even so it is of minds. + +The second fruit of friendship, is healthful and +sovereign for the understanding, as the first is for +the affections. For friendship maketh indeed a fair +day in the affections, from storm and tempests; but +it maketh daylight in the understanding, out of +darkness, and confusion of thoughts. Neither is +this to be understood only of faithful counsel, +which a man receiveth from his friend; but before +you come to that, certain it is, that whosoever hath +his mind fraught with many thoughts, his wits +and understanding do clarify and break up, in the +communicating and discoursing with another; he +tosseth his thoughts more easily; he marshalleth +them more orderly, he seeth how they look when +they are turned into words: finally, he waxeth +wiser than himself; and that more by an hour's +discourse, than by a day's meditation. It was well +said by Themistocles, to the king of Persia, That +speech was like cloth of Arras, opened and put +abroad; whereby the imagery doth appear in +figure; whereas in thoughts they lie but as in +packs. Neither is this second fruit of friendship, in +opening the understanding, restrained only to +such friends as are able to give a man counsel; +(they indeed are best;) but even without that, a +man learneth of himself, and bringeth his own +thoughts to light, and whetteth his wits as against +a stone, which itself cuts not. In a word, a man +were better relate himself to a statua, or picture, +than to suffer his thoughts to pass in smother. + +Add now, to make this second fruit of friendship +complete, that other point, which lieth more open, +and falleth within vulgar observation; which is +faithful counsel from a friend. Heraclitus saith +well in one of his enigmas, Dry light is ever the +best. And certain it is, that the light that a man +receiveth by counsel from another, is drier and +purer, than that which cometh from his own +understanding and judgment; which is ever in- +fused, and drenched, in his affections and customs. +So as there is as much difference between the coun- +sel, that a friend giveth, and that a man giveth +himself, as there is between the counsel of a friend, +and of a flatterer. For there is no such flatterer as +is a man's self; and there is no such remedy against +flattery of a man's self, as the liberty of a friend. +Counsel is of two sorts: the one concerning man- +ners, the other concerning business. For the first, +the best preservative to keep the mind in health, is +the faithful admonition of a friend. The calling of +a man's self to a strict account, is a medicine, some- +time too piercing and corrosive. Reading good +books of morality, is a little flat and dead. Observ- +ing our faults in others, is sometimes improper for +our case. But the best receipt (best, I say, to work, +and best to take) is the admonition of a friend. +It is a strange thing to behold, what gross errors +and extreme absurdities many (especially of the +greater sort) do commit, for want of a friend to tell +them of them; to the great damage both of their +fame and fortune: for, as St. James saith, they are +as men that look sometimes into a glass, and pres- +ently forget their own shape and favor. As for +business, a man may think, if he win, that two +eyes see no more than one; or that a gamester seeth +always more than a looker-on; or that a man in +anger, is as wise as he that hath said over the four +and twenty letters; or that a musket may be shot +off as well upon the arm, as upon a rest; and such +other fond and high imaginations, to think him- +self all in all. But when all is done, the help of good +counsel, is that which setteth business straight. +And if any man think that he will take counsel, +but it shall be by pieces; asking counsel in one +business, of one man, and in another business, of +another man; it is well (that is to say, better, per- +haps, than if he asked none at all); but he runneth +two dangers: one, that he shall not be faithfully +counselled; for it is a rare thing, except it be from +a perfect and entire friend, to have counsel given, +but such as shall be bowed and crooked to some +ends, which he hath, that giveth it. The other, that +he shall have counsel given, hurtful and unsafe +(though with good meaning), and mixed partly of +mischief and partly of remedy; even as if you +would call a physician, that is thought good for +the cure of the disease you complain of, but is unac- +quainted with your body; and therefore may put +you in way for a present cure, but overthroweth +your health in some other kind; and so cure the +disease, and kill the patient. But a friend that is +wholly acquainted with a man's estate, will be- +ware, by furthering any present business, how he +dasheth upon other inconvenience. And therefore +rest not upon scattered counsels; they will rather +distract and mislead, than settle and direct. + +After these two noble fruits of friendship (peace +in the affections, and support of the judgment), +followeth the last fruit; which is like the pome- +granate, full of many kernels; I mean aid, and +bearing a part, in all actions and occasions. Here +the best way to represent to life the manifold use +of friendship, is to cast and see how many things +there are, which a man cannot do himself; and +then it will appear, that it was a sparing speech of +the ancients, to say, that a friend is another him- +self; for that a friend is far more than himself. +Men have their time, and die many times, in de- +sire of some things which they principally take to +heart; the bestowing of a child, the finishing of a +work, or the like. If a man have a true friend, he +may rest almost secure that the care of those things +will continue after him. So that a man hath, as it +were, two lives in his desires. A man hath a body, +and that body is confined to a place; but where +friendship is, all offices of life are as it were granted +to him, and his deputy. For he may exercise them +by his friend. How many things are there which +a man cannot, with any face or comeliness, say or +do himself? A man can scarce allege his own +merits with modesty, much less extol them; a man +cannot sometimes brook to supplicate or beg; and +a number of the like. But all these things are grace- +ful, in a friend's mouth, which are blushing in a +man's own. So again, a man's person hath many +proper relations, which he cannot put off. A man +cannot speak to his son but as a father; to his wife +but as a husband; to his enemy but upon terms: +whereas a friend may speak as the case requires, +and not as it sorteth with the person. But to enu- +merate these things were endless; I have given the +rule, where a man cannot fitly play his own part; +if he have not a friend, he may quit the stage. + + + +Of Expense + + +RICHES are for spending, and spending for +honor and good actions. Therefore extra- +ordinary expense must be limited by the worth of +the occasion; for voluntary undoing, may be as +well for a man's country, as for the kingdom of +heaven. But ordinary expense, ought to be limited +by a man's estate; and governed with such regard, +as it be within his compass; and not subject to de- +ceit and abuse of servants; and ordered to the best +show, that the bills may be less than the estima- +tion abroad. Certainly, if a man will keep but of +even hand, his ordinary expenses ought to be but +to the half of his receipts; and if he think to wax +rich, but to the third part. It is no baseness, for the +greatest to descend and look into their own estate. +Some forbear it, not upon negligence alone, but +doubting to bring themselves into melancholy, in +respect they shall find it broken. But wounds can- +not be cured without searching. He that cannot +look into his own estate at all, had need both choose +well those whom he employeth, and change them +often; for new are more timorous and less subtle. +He that can look into his estate but seldom, it be- +hooveth him to turn all to certainties. A man had +need, if he be plentiful in some kind of expense, to +be as saving again in some other. As if he be plenti- +ful in diet, to be saving in apparel; if he be plenti- +ful in the hall, to be saving in the stable; and the +like. For he that is plentiful in expenses of all kinds, +will hardly be preserved from decay. In clearing +of a man's estate, he may as well hurt himself in +being too sudden, as in letting it run on too long. +For hasty selling, is commonly as disadvantage- +able as interest. Besides, he that clears at once will +relapse; for finding himself out of straits, he will +revert to his custom: but he that cleareth by de- +grees, induceth a habit of frugality, and gaineth +as well upon his mind, as upon his estate. Cer- +tainly, who hath a state to repair, may not despise +small things; and commonly it is less dishonor- +able, to abridge petty charges, than to stoop to +petty gettings. A man ought warily to begin +charges which once begun will continue; but in +matters that return not, he may be more magni- +ficent. + + + + +Of the True +GREATNESS OF KING- +DOMS AND ESTATES + + +THE speech of Themistocles the Athenian, +which was haughty and arrogant, in taking +so much to himself, had been a grave and wise +observation and censure, applied at large to others. +Desired at a feast to touch a lute, he said, He could +not fiddle, but yet he could make a small town, a +great city. These words (holpen a little with a +metaphor) may express two differing abilities, in +those that deal in business of estate. For if a true +survey be taken of counsellors and statesmen, +there may be found (though rarely) those which +can make a small state great, and yet cannot fid- +dle; as on the other side, there will be found a great +many, that can fiddle very cunningly, but yet are +so far from being able to make a small state great, +as their gift lieth the other way; to bring a great +and flourishing estate, to ruin and decay. And cer- +tainly whose degenerate arts and shifts, whereby +many counsellors and governors gain both favor +with their masters, and estimation with the vulgar, +deserve no better name than fiddling; being things +rather pleasing for the time, and graceful to them- +selves only, than tending to the weal and advance- +ment of the state which they serve. There are also +(no doubt) counsellors and governors which may +be held sufficient (negotiis pares), able to manage +affairs, and to keep them from precipices and +manifest inconveniences; which nevertheless are +far from the ability to raise and amplify an estate +in power, means, and fortune. But be the workmen +what they may be, let us speak of the work; that +is, the true greatness of kingdoms and estates, and +the means thereof. An argument fit for great and +mighty princes to have in their hand; to the end +that neither by over-measuring their forces, they +leese themselves in vain enterprises; nor on the +other side, by undervaluing them, they descend to +fearful and pusillanimous counsels. + +The greatness of an estate, in bulk and territory, +doth fall under measure; and the greatness of +finances and revenue, doth fall under computa- +tion. The population may appear by musters; and +the number and greatness of cities and towns by +cards and maps. But yet there is not any thing +amongst civil affairs more subject to error, than +the right valuation and true judgment concerning +the power and forces of an estate. The kingdom of +heaven is compared, not to any great kernel or nut, +but to a grain of mustard-seed: which is one of the +least grains, but hath in it a property and spirit +hastily to get up and spread. So are there states, +great in territory, and yet not apt to enlarge or +command; and some that have but a small dimen- +sion of stem, and yet apt to be the foundations of +great monarchies. + +Walled towns, stored arsenals and armories, +goodly races of horse, chariots of war, elephants, +ordnance, artillery, and the like; all this is but a +sheep in a lion's skin, except the breed and disposi- +tion of the people, be stout and warlike. Nay, num- +ber (itself) in armies importeth not much, where +the people is of weak courage; for (as Virgil saith) +It never troubles a wolf, how many the sheep be. +The army of the Persians, in the plains of Arbela, +was such a vast sea of people, as it did somewhat +astonish the commanders in Alexander's army; +who came to him therefore, and wished him to set +upon them by night; and he answered, He would +not pilfer the victory. And the defeat was easy. +When Tigranes the Armenian, being encamped +upon a hill with four hundred thousand men, dis- +covered the army of the Romans, being not above +fourteen thousand, marching towards him, he +made himself merry with it, and said, Yonder men +are too many for an embassage, and too few for a +fight. But before the sun set, he found them enow +to give him the chase with infinite slaughter. +Many are the examples of the great odds, between +number and courage; so that a man may truly +make a judgment, that the principal point of great- +ness in any state, is to have a race of military men. +Neither is money the sinews of war (as it is trivially +said), where the sinews of men's arms, in base and +effeminate people, are failing. For Solon said well +to Croesus (when in ostentation he showed him his +gold), Sir, if any other come, that hath better iron, +than you, he will be master of all this gold. There- +fore let any prince or state think solely of his forces, +except his militia of natives be of good and valiant +soldiers. And let princes, on the other side, that +have subjects of martial disposition, know their +own strength; unless they be otherwise wanting +unto themselves. As for mercenary forces (which +is the help in this case), all examples show, that +whatsoever estate or prince doth rest upon them, +he may spread his feathers for a time, but he will +mew them soon after. + +The blessing of Judah and Issachar will never +meet; that the same people, or nation, should be +both the lion's whelp and the ass between bur- +thens; neither will it be, that a people overlaid +with taxes, should ever become valiant and mar- +tial. It is true that taxes levied by consent of the +estate, do abate men's courage less: as it hath been +seen notably, in the excises of the Low Countries; +and, in some degree, in the subsidies of England. +For you must note, that we speak now of the heart, +and not of the purse. So that although the same +tribute and tax, laid by consent or by imposing, be +all one to the purse, yet it works diversely upon the +courage. So that you may conclude, that no people +overcharged with tribute, is fit for empire. + +Let states that aim at greatness, take heed how +their nobility and gentlemen do multiply too fast. +For that maketh the common subject, grow to be a +peasant and base swain, driven out of heart, and in +effect but the gentleman's laborer. Even as you +may see in coppice woods; if you leave your stad- +dles too thick, you shall never have clean under- +wood, but shrubs and bushes. So in countries, if the +gentlemen be too many, the commons will be base; +and you will bring it to that, that not the hundred +poll, will be fit for an helmet; especially as to the +infantry, which is the nerve of an army; and so +there will be great population, and little strength. +This which I speak of, hath been nowhere better +seen, than by comparing of England and France; +whereof England, though far less in territory and +population, hath been (nevertheless) an over- +match; in regard the middle people of England +make good soldiers, which the peasants of France +do not. And herein the device of king Henry the +Seventh (whereof I have spoken largely in the +History of his Life) was profound and admirable; +in making farms and houses of husbandry of a +standard; that is, maintained with such a propor- +tion of land unto them, as may breed a subject to +live in convenient plenty and no servile condition; +and to keep the plough in the hands of the owners, +and not mere hirelings. And thus indeed you shall +attain to Virgil's character which he gives to an- +cient Italy: + + +Terra potens armis atque ubere glebae. + +Neither is that state (which, for any thing I know, +is almost peculiar to England, and hardly to be +found anywhere else, except it be perhaps in +Poland) to be passed over; I mean the state of free +servants, and attendants upon noblemen and +gentlemen; which are no ways inferior unto the +yeomanry for arms. And therefore out of all ques- +tions, the splendor and magnificence, and great +retinues and hospitality, of noblemen and gentle- +men, received into custom, doth much conduce +unto martial greatness. Whereas, contrariwise, the +close and reserved living of noblemen and gentle- +men, causeth a penury of military forces. + +By all means it is to be procured, that the trunk +of Nebuchadnezzar's tree of monarchy, be great +enough to bear the branches and the boughs; that +is, that the natural subjects of the crown or state, +bear a sufficient proportion to the stranger sub- +jects, that they govern.Therefore all states that are +liberal of naturalization towards strangers, are fit +for empire. For to think that an handful of people +can, with the greatest courage and policy in the +world, embrace too large extent of dominion, it +may hold for a time, but it will fail suddenly. The +Spartans were a nice people in point of naturaliza- +tion; whereby, while they kept their compass, +they stood firm; but when they did spread, and +their boughs were becomen too great for their +stem, they became a windfall, upon the sudden. +Never any state was in this point so open to receive +strangers into their body, as were the Romans. +Therefore it sorted with them accordingly; for +they grew to the greatest monarchy. Their manner +was to grant naturalization (which they called jus +civitatis), and to grant it in the highest degree; that +is, not only jus commercii, jus connubii, jus haere- +ditatis; but also jus suffragii, and jus honorum. +And this not to singular persons alone, but likewise +to whole families; yea to cities, and sometimes to +nations. Add to this their custom of plantation of +colonies; whereby the Roman plant was removed +into the soil of other nations. And putting both +constitutions together, you will say that it was not +the Romans that spread upon the world, but it was +the world that spread upon the Romans; and that +was the sure way of greatness. I have marvelled, +sometimes, at Spain, how they clasp and contain +so large dominions, with so few natural Spaniards; +but sure the whole compass of Spain, is a very great +body of a tree; far above Rome and Sparta at the +first. And besides, though they have not had that +usage, to naturalize liberally, yet they have that +which is next to it; that is, to employ, almost indif- +ferently, all nations in their militia of ordinary +soldiers; yea, and sometimes in their highest com- +mands. Nay, it seemeth at this instant they are +sensible, of this want of natives; as by the Prag- +matical Sanction, now published, appeareth. + +It is certain that sedentary, and within-door +arts, and delicate manufactures (that require +rather the finger than the arm), have, in their na- +ture, a contrariety to a military disposition. And +generally, all warlike people are a little idle, and +love danger better than travail. Neither must they +be too much broken of it, if they shall be preserved +in vigor. Therefore it was great advantage, in the +ancient states of Sparta, Athens, Rome, and others, +that they had the use of slaves, which commonly +did rid those manufactures. But that is abolished, +in greatest part, by the Christian law. That which +cometh nearest to it, is to leave those arts chiefly to +strangers (which, for that purpose, are the more +easily to be received), and to contain the principal +bulk of the vulgar natives, within those three +kinds, - tillers of the ground; free servants; and +handicraftsmen of strong and manly arts, as +smiths, masons, carpenters, etc.; not reckoning +professed soldiers. + +But above all, for empire and greatness, it im- +porteth most, that a nation do profess arms, as their +principal honor, study, and occupation. For the +things which we formerly have spoken of, are but +habilitations towards arms; and what is habilita- +tion without intention and act? Romulus, after his +death (as they report or feign), sent a present to the +Romans, that above all, they should intend arms; +and then they should prove the greatest empire of +the world. The fabric of the state of Sparta was +wholly (though not wisely) framed and composed, +to that scope and end. The Persians and Macedo- +nians had it for a flash. The Gauls, Germans, +Goths, Saxons, Normans, and others, had it for a +time. The Turks have it at this day, though in great +declination. Of Christian Europe, they that have it +are, in effect, only the Spaniards. But it is so +plain, that every man profiteth in that, he most +intendeth, that it needeth not to be stood upon. It +is enough to point at it; that no nation which doth +not directly profess arms, may look to have great- +ness fall into their mouths. And on the other side, +it is a most certain oracle of time, that those states +that continue long in that profession (as the Ro- +mans and Turks principally have done) do won- +ders. And those that have professed arms but for +an age, have, notwithstanding, commonly at- +tained that greatness, in that age, which main- +tained them long after, when their profession and +exercise of arms hath grown to decay. + +Incident to this point is, for a state to have those +laws or customs, which may reach forth unto them +just occasions (as may be pretended) of war. For +there is that justice, imprinted in the nature of +men, that they enter not upon wars (whereof so +many calamities do ensue) but upon some, at the +least specious, grounds and quarrels. The Turk +hath at hand, for cause of war, the propagation of +his law or sect; a quarrel that he may always com- +mand. The Romans, though they esteemed the +extending the limits of their empire, to be great +honor to their generals, when it was done, yet they +never rested upon that alone, to begin a war. First, +therefore, let nations that pretend to greatness +have this; that they be sensible of wrongs, either +upon borderers, merchants, or politic ministers; +and that they sit not too long upon a provocation. +Secondly, let them be prest, and ready to give aids +and succors, to their confederates; as it ever was +with the Romans; insomuch, as if the confederate +had leagues defensive, with divers other states, +and, upon invasion offered, did implore their aids +severally, yet the Romans would ever be the fore- +most, and leave it to none other to have the honor. +As for the wars which were anciently made, on +the behalf of a kind of party, or tacit conformity of +estate, I do not see how they may be well justified: +as when the Romans made a war, for the liberty of +Grecia; or when the Lacedaemonians and Athe- +nians, made wars to set up or pull down democ- +racies and oligarchies; or when wars were made +by foreigners, under the pretence of justice or pro- +tection, to deliver the subjects of others, from +tyranny and oppression; and the like. Let it suf- +fice, that no estate expect to be great, that is not +awake upon any just occasion of arming. + +No body can be healthful without exercise, +neither natural body nor politic; and certainly to +a kingdom or estate, a just and honorable war, is +the true exercise. A civil war, indeed, is like the +heat of a fever; but a foreign war is like the heat of +exercise, and serveth to keep the body in health; +for in a slothful peace, both courages will effemi- +nate, and manners corrupt. But howsoever it be +for happiness, without all question, for greatness, +it maketh to be still for the most part in arms; and +the strength of a veteran army (though it be a +chargeable business) always on foot, is that which +commonly giveth the law, or at least the reputa- +tion, amongst all neighbor states; as may well be +seen in Spain, which hath had, in one part or other, +a veteran army almost continually, now by the +space of six score years. + +To be master of the sea, is an abridgment of a +monarchy. Cicero, writing to Atticus of Pompey +his preparation against Caesar, saith, Consilium +Pompeii plane Themistocleum est; putat enim, +qui mari potitur, eum rerum potiri. And, without +doubt, Pompey had tired out Caesar, if upon vain +confidence, he had not left that way. We see the +great effects of battles bv sea. The battle of Actium, +decided the empire of the world. The battle of Le- +panto, arrested the greatness of the Turk. There be +many examples, where sea-fights have been final +to the war; but this is when princes or states have +set up their rest, upon the battles. But thus much +is certain, that he that commands the sea, is at +great liberty, and may take as much, and as little, +of the war as he will. Whereas those that be strong- +est by land, are many times nevertheless in great +straits. Surely, at this day, with us of Europe, the +vantage of strength at sea (which is one of the prin- +cipal dowries of this kingdom of Great Britain) is +great; both because most of the kingdoms of Eu- +rope, are not merely inland, but girt with the sea +most part of their compass; and because the wealth +of both Indies seems in great part, but an accessory +to the command of the seas. + +The wars of latter ages seem to be made in the +dark, in respect of the glory, and honor, which +reflected upon men from the wars, in ancient time. +There be now, for martial encouragement, some +degrees and orders of chivalry; which nevertheless +are conferred promiscuously, upon soldiers and +no soldiers; and some remembrance perhaps, upon +the scutcheon; and some hospitals for maimed sol- +diers; and such like things. But in ancient times, +the trophies erected upon the place of the victory; +the funeral laudatives and monuments for those +that died in the wars; the crowns and garlands per- +sonal; the style of emperor, which the great kings +of the world after borrowed; the triumphs of the +generals, upon their return; the great donatives +and largesses, upon the disbanding of the armies; +were things able to inflame all men's courages. +But above all, that of the triumph, amongst the +Romans, was not pageants or gaudery, but one of +the wisest and noblest institutions, that ever was. +For it contained three things: honor to the general; +riches to the treasury out of the spoils; and dona- +tives to the army. But that honor, perhaps were not +fit for monarchies; except it be in the person of the +monarch himself, or his sons; as it came to pass in +the times of the Roman emperors, who did impro- +priate the actual triumphs to themselves, and their +sons, for such wars as they did achieve in person; +and left only, for wars achieved by subjects, some +triumphal garments and ensigns to the general. + +To conclude: no man can by care taking (as the +Scripture saith) add a cubit to his stature, in this +little model of a man's body; but in the great frame +of kingdoms and commonwealths, it is in the +power of princes or estates, to add amplitude and +greatness to their kingdoms; for by introducing +such ordinances, constitutions, and customs, as we +have now touched, they may sow greatness to +their posterity and succession. But these things are +commonly not observed, but left to take their +chance. + + + + + +Of Regiment + +OF HEALTH + + + + + +THERE is a wisdom in this; beyond the rules of +physic: a man's own observation, what he +finds good of, and what he finds hurt of, is the best +physic to preserve health. But it is a safer conclu- +sion to say, This agreeth not well with me, there- +fore, I will not continue it; than this, I find no +offence of this, therefore I may use it. For strength +of nature in youth, passeth over many excesses, +which are owing a man till his age. Discern of the +coming on of years, and think not to do the same +things still; for age will not be defied. Beware of +sudden change, in any great point of diet, and, if +necessity enforce it, fit the rest to it. For it is a secret +both in nature and state, that it is safer to change +many things, than one. Examine thy customs of +diet, sleep, exercise, apparel, and the like; and try, +in any thing thou shalt judge hurtful, to discon- +tinue it, by little and little; but so, as if thou dost +find any inconvenience by the change, thou come +back to it again: for it is hard to distinguish that +which is generally held good and wholesome, +from that which is good particularly, and fit for +thine own body. To be free-minded and cheerfully +disposed, at hours of meat, and of sleep, and of +exercise, is one of the best precepts of long lasting. +As for the passions, and studies of the mind; avoid +envy, anxious fears; anger fretting inwards; +subtle and knotty inquisitions; joys and exhilara- +tions in excess; sadness not communicated. Enter- +tain hopes; mirth rather than joy; variety of +delights, rather than surfeit of them; wonder and +admiration, and therefore novelties; studies that +fill the mind with splendid and illustrious objects, +as histories, fables, and contemplations of nature. +If you fly physic in health altogether, it will be too +strange for your body, when you shall need it. If +you make it too familiar, it will work no extra- +ordinary effect, when sickness cometh. I commend +rather some diet for certain seasons, than frequent +use of physic, except it be grown into a custom. For +those diets alter the body more, and trouble it less. +Despise no new accident in your body, but ask +opinion of it. In sickness, respect health prin- +cipally; and in health, action. For those that put +their bodies to endure in health, may in most sick- +nesses, which are not very sharp, be cured only +with diet, and tendering. Celsus could never have +spoken it as a physician, had he not been a wise +man withal, when he giveth it for one of the great +precepts of health and lasting, that a man do vary, +and interchange contraries, but with an inclina- +tion to the more benign extreme: use fasting and +full eating, but rather full eating; watching and +sleep, but rather sleep; sitting and exercise, but +rather exercise; and the like. So shall nature be +cherished, and yet taught masteries. Physicians +are, some of them, so pleasing and conformable to +the humor of the patient, as they press not the true +cure of the disease; and some other are so regular, +in proceeding according to art for the disease, as +they respect not sufficiently the condition of the +patient. Take one of a middle temper; or if it may +not be found in one man, combine two of either +sort; and forget not to call as well, the best ac- +quainted with your body, as the best reputed of +for his faculty. + + + + +Of Suspicion + + +SUSPICIONS amongst thoughts, are like bats +amongst birds, they ever fly by twilight. Cer- +tainly they are to be repressed, or at least well +guarded: for they cloud the mind; they leese +friends; and they check with business, whereby +business cannot go on currently and constantly. +They dispose kings to tyranny, husbands to jeal- +ousy, wise men to irresolution and melancholy. +They are defects, not in the heart, but in the brain; +for they take place in the stoutest natures; as in the +example of Henry the Seventh of England. There +was not a more suspicious man, nor a more stout. +And in such a composition they do small hurt. For +commonly they are not admitted, but with exami- +nation, whether they be likely or no. But in fearful +natures they gain ground too fast. There is nothing +makes a man suspect much, more than to know +little; and therefore men should remedy suspicion, +by procuring to know more, and not to keep their +suspicions in smother. What would men have? Do +they think, those they employ and deal with, are +saints? Do they not think, they will have their own +ends, and be truer to themselves, than to them? +Therefore there is no better way, to moderate sus- +picions, than to account upon such suspicions as +true, and yet to bridle them as false. For so far a +man ought to make use of suspicions, as to provide, +as if that should be true, that he suspects, yet it +may do him no hurt. Suspicions that the mind of +itself gathers, are but buzzes; but suspicions that +are artificially nourished, and put into men's +heads, by the tales and whisperings of others, have +stings. Certainly, the best mean, to clear the way +in this same wood of suspicions, is frankly to com- +municate them with the party, that he suspects; +for thereby he shall be sure to know more of the +truth of them, than he did before; and withal shall +make that party more circumspect, not to give +further cause of suspicion. But this would not be +done to men of base natures; for they, if they find +themselves once suspected, will never be true. The +Italian says, Sospetto licentia fede; as if suspicion, +did give a passport to faith; but it ought, rather, to +kindle it to discharge itself. + + + +Of Discourse + + +SOME, in their discourse, desire rather com- +mendation of wit, in being able to hold all +arguments, than of judgment, in discerning what +is true; as if it were a praise, to know what might +be said, and not, what should be thought. Some +have certain common places, and themes, wherein +they are good and want variety; which kind of +poverty is for the most part tedious, and when it is +once perceived, ridiculous. The honorablest part of +talk, is to give the occasion; and again to moderate, +and pass to somewhat else; for then a man leads the +dance. It is good, in discourse and speech of con- +versation, to vary and intermingle speech of the +present occasion, with arguments, tales with rea- +sons, asking of questions, with telling of opinions, +and jest with earnest: for it is a dull thing to tire, +and, as we say now, to jade, any thing too far. As +for jest, there be certain things, which ought to be +privileged from it; namely, religion, matters of +state, great persons, any man's present business of +importance, and any case that deserveth pity. Yet +there be some, that think their wits have been +asleep, except they dart out somewhat that is +piquant, and to the quick. That is a vein which +would be bridled: + + +Parce, puer, stimulis, et fortius utere loris. + + +And generally, men ought to find the difference, +between saltness and bitterness. Certainly, he that +hath a satirical vein, as he maketh others afraid of +his wit, so he had need be afraid of others' memory. +He that questioneth much, shall learn much, and +content much; but especially, if he apply his ques- +tions to the skill of the persons whom he asketh; for +he shall give them occasion, to please themselves +in speaking, and himself shall continually gather +knowledge. But let his questions not be trouble- +some; for that is fit for a poser. And let him be sure +to leave other men, their turns to speak. Nay, if +there be any, that would reign and take up all +the time, let him find means to take them off, +and to bring others on; as musicians use to do, with +those that dance too long galliards. If you dis- +semble, sometimes, your knowledge of that you +are thought to know, you shall be thought, another +time, to know that you know not. Speech of a +man's self ought to be seldom, and well chosen. I +knew one, was wont to say in scorn, He must needs +be a wise man, he speaks so much of himself: and +there is but one case, wherein a man may com- +mend himself with good grace; and that is in +commending virtue in another; especially if it be +such a virtue, whereunto himself pretendeth. +Speech of touch towards others, should be spar- +ingly used; for discourse ought to be as a field, +without coming home to any man. I knew two +noblemen, of the west part of England, whereof +the one was given to scoff, but kept ever royal cheer +in his house; the other would ask, of those that had +been at the other's table, Tell truly, was there never +a flout or dry blow given? To which the guest +would answer, Such and such a thing passed. +The lord would say, I thought, he would mar a +good dinner. Discretion of speech, is more than +eloquence; and to speak agreeably to him, with +whom we deal, is more than to speak in good +words, or in good order. A good continued speech, +without a good speech of interlocution, shows +slowness: and a good reply or second speech, with- +out a good settled speech, showeth shallowness +and weakness. As we see in beasts, that those that +are weakest in the course, are yet nimblest in the +turn; as it is betwixt the greyhound and the hare. +To use too many circumstances, ere one come to +the matter, is wearisome; to use none at all, is +blunt. + + + + +Of Plantations + + +PLANTATIONS are amongst ancient, primi- +tive, and heroical works. When the world was +young, it begat more children; but now it is old, it +begets fewer: for I may justly account new plan- +tations, to be the children of former kingdoms. I +like a plantation in a pure soil; that is, where +people are not displanted, to the end, to plant in +others. For else it is rather an extirpation, than a +plantation. Planting of countries, is like planting +of woods; for you must make account to leese al- +most twenty years' profit, and expect your recom- +pense in the end. For the principal thing, that hath +been the destruction of most plantations, hath +been the base and hasty drawing of profit, in the +first years. It is true, speedy profit is not to be neg- +lected, as far as may stand with the good of the +plantation, but no further. It is a shameful and +unblessed thing, to take the scum of people, and +wicked condemned men, to be the people with +whom you plant; and not only so, but it spoileth +the plantation; for they will ever live like rogues, +and not fall to work, but be lazy, and do mischief, +and spend victuals, and be quickly weary, and +then certify over to their country, to the discredit +of the plantation. The people wherewith you +plant ought to be gardeners, ploughmen, laborers, +smiths, carpenters, joiners, fishermen, fowlers, +with some few apothecaries, surgeons, cooks, and +bakers. In a country of plantation, first look about, +what kind of victual the country yields of itself to +hand; as chestnuts, walnuts, pineapples, olives, +dates, plums, cherries, wild honey, and the like; +and make use of them. Then consider what victual +or esculent things there are, which grow speedily, +and within the year; as parsnips, carrots, turnips, +onions, radish, artichokes of Hierusalem, maize, +and the like. For wheat, barley, and oats, they ask +too much labor; but with pease and beans you may +begin, both because they ask less labor, and be- +cause they serve for meat, as well as for bread. And +of rice, likewise cometh a great increase, and it is +a kind of meat. Above all, there ought to be brought +store of biscuit, oat-meal, flour, meal, and the like, +in the beginning, till bread may be had. For beasts, +or birds, take chiefly such as are least subject to +diseases, and multiply fastest; as swine, goats, +cocks, hens, turkeys, geese, house-doves, and the +like. The victual in plantations, ought to be ex- +pended almost as in a besieged town; that is, with +certain allowance. And let the main part of the +ground, employed to gardens or corn, be to a com- +mon stock; and to be laid in, and stored up, and +then delivered out in proportion; besides some +spots of ground, that any particular person will +manure for his own private. Consider likewise +what commodities, the soil where the plantation +is, doth naturally yield, that they may some way +help to defray the charge of the plantation (so it be +not, as was said, to the untimely prejudice of the +main business), as it hath fared with tobacco in +Virginia. Wood commonly aboundeth but too +much; and therefore timber is fit to be one. If there +be iron ore, and streams whereupon to set the mills, +iron is a brave commodity where wood aboundeth. +Making of bay-salt, if the climate be proper for it, +would be put in experience. Growing silk likewise, +if any be, is a likely commodity. Pitch and tar, +where store of firs and pines are, will not fail. So +drugs and sweet woods, where they are, cannot +but yield great profit. Soap-ashes likewise, and +other things that may be thought of. But moil not +too much under ground; for the hope of mines is +very uncertain, and useth to make the planters +lazy, in other things. For government; let it be in +the hands of one, assisted with some counsel; and +let them have commission to exercise martial laws, +with some limitation. And above all, let men make +that profit, of being in the wilderness, as they have +God always, and his service, before their eyes. Let +not the government of the plantation, depend +upon too many counsellors, and undertakers, in +the country that planteth, but upon a temperate +number; and let those be rather noblemen and +gentlemen, than merchants; for they look ever to +the present gain. Let there be freedom from cus- +tom, till the plantation be of strength; and not +only freedom from custom, but freedom to carry +their commodities, where they may make their +best of them, except there be some special cause of +caution. Cram not in people, by sending too fast +company after company; but rather harken how +they waste, and send supplies proportionably; but +so, as the number may live well in the plantation, +and not by surcharge be in penury. It hath been a +great endangering to the health of some planta- +tions, that they have built along the sea and rivers, +in marish and unwholesome grounds. Therefore, +though you begin there, to avoid carriage and +like discommodities, yet build still rather upwards +from the streams, than along. It concerneth like- +wise the health of the plantation, that they have +good store of salt with them, that they may use it +in their victuals, when it shall be necessary. If you +plant where savages are, do not only entertain +them, with trifles and gingles, but use them justly +and graciously, with sufficient guard nevertheless; +and do not win their favor, by helping them to in- +vade their enemies, but for their defence it is not +amiss; and send oft of them, over to the country +that plants, that they may see a better condition +than their own, and commend it when they re- +turn. When the plantation grows to strength, then +it is time to plant with women, as well as with +men; that the plantation may spread into genera- +tions, and not be ever pieced from without. It is the +sinfullest thing in the world, to forsake or destitute +a plantation once in forwardness; for besides the +dishonor, it is the guiltiness of blood of many com- +miserable persons. + + + + + + +Of Riches + + +I CANNOT call riches better than the baggage +of virtue. The Roman word is better, impedi- +menta. For as the baggage is to an army, so is riches +to virtue. It cannot be spared, nor left behind, but +it hindereth the march; yea, and the care of it, +sometimes loseth or disturbeth the victory. Of +great riches there is no real use, except it be in the +distribution; the rest is but conceit. So saith Solo- +mon, Where much is, there are many to consume +it; and what hath the owner, but the sight of it +with his eyes? The personal fruition in any man, +cannot reach to feel great riches: there is a custody +of them; or a power of dole, and donative of them; +or a fame of them; but no solid use to the owner. +Do you not see what feigned prices, are set upon +little stones and rarities? and what works of osten- +tation are undertaken, because there might seem +to be some use of great riches? But then you will +say, they may be of use, to buy men out of dangers +or troubles. As Solomon saith, Riches are as a +strong hold, in the imagination of the rich man. +But this is excellently expressed, that it is in imagi- +nation, and not always in fact. For certainly great +riches, have sold more men, than they have bought +out. Seek not proud riches, but such as thou mayest +get justly, use soberly, distribute cheerfully, and +leave contentedly. Yet have no abstract nor friarly +contempt of them. But distinguish, as Cicero saith +well of Rabirius Posthumus, In studio rei ampli- +ficandae apparebat, non avaritiae praedam, sed +instrumentum bonitati quaeri. Harken also to +Solomon, and beware of hasty gathering of riches; +Qui festinat ad divitias, non erit insons. The poets +feign, that when Plutus (which is Riches) is sent +from Jupiter, he limps and goes slowly; but when +he is sent from Pluto, he runs, and is swift of foot. +Meaning that riches gotten by good means, and +just labor, pace slowly; but when they come by +the death of others (as by the course of inheritance, +testaments, and the like), they come tumbling +upon a man. But it mought be applied likewise to +Pluto, taking him for the devil. For when riches +come from the devil (as by fraud and oppression, +and unjust means), they come upon speed. The +ways to enrich are many, and most of them foul. +Parsimony is one of the best, and yet is not inno- +cent; for it withholdeth men from works of liberal- +ity and charity. The improvement of the ground, +is the most natural obtaining of riches; for it is our +great mother's blessing, the earth's; but it is slow. +And yet where men of great wealth do stoop to +husbandry, it multiplieth riches exceedingly. I +knew a nobleman in England, that had the great- +est audits of any man in my time; a great grazier, +a great sheep-master, a great timber man, a great +collier, a great corn-master, a great lead-man, and +so of iron, and a number of the like points of hus- +bandry. So as the earth seemed a sea to him, in +respect of the perpetual importation. It was truly +observed by one, that himself came very hardly, +to a little riches, and very easily, to great riches. +For when a man's stock is come to that, that he can +expect the prime of markets, and overcome those +bargains, which for their greatness are few men's +money, and be partner in the industries of younger +men, he cannot but increase mainly. The gains of +ordinary trades and vocations are honest; and +furthered by two things chiefly: by diligence, and +by a good name, for good and fair dealing. But the +gains of bargains, are of a more doubtful nature; +when men shall wait upon others' necessity, broke +by servants and instruments to draw them on, put +off others cunningly, that would be better chap- +men, and the like practices, which are crafty and +naught. As for the chopping of bargains, when a +man buys not to hold but to sell over again, that +commonly grindeth double, both upon the seller, +and upon the buyer. Sharings do greatly enrich, +if the hands be well chosen, that are trusted. Usury +is the certainest means of gain, though one of the +worst; as that whereby a man doth eat his bread, +in sudore vultus alieni; and besides, doth plough +upon Sundays. But yet certain though it be, it hath +flaws; for that the scriveners and brokers do value +unsound men, to serve their own turn. The fortune +in being the first, in an invention or in a privilege, +doth cause sometimes a wonderful overgrowth in +riches; as it was with the first sugar man, in the +Canaries. Therefore if a man can play the true +logician, to have as well judgment, as invention, +he may do great matters; especially if the times be +fit. He that resteth upon gains certain, shall hardly +grow to great riches; and he that puts all upon +adventures, doth oftentimes break and come to +poverty: it is good, therefore, to guard adventures +with certainties, that may uphold losses. Monopo- +lies, and coemption of wares for re-sale, where +they are not restrained, are great means to enrich; +especially if the party have intelligence, what +things are like to come into request, and so store +himself beforehand. Riches gotten by service, +though it be of the best rise, yet when they are +gotten by flattery, feeding humors, and other serv- +ile conditions, they may be placed amongst the +worst. As for fishing for testaments and executor- +ships (as Tacitus saith of Seneca, testamenta et +orbos tamquam indagine capi), it is yet worse; by +how much men submit themselves to meaner per- +sons, than in service. Believe not much, them that +seem to despise riches; for they despise them, that +despair of them; and none worse, when they come +to them. Be not penny-wise; riches have wings, +and sometimes they fly away of themselves, some- +times they must be set flying, to bring in more. +Men leave their riches, either to their kindred, or +to the public; and moderate portions, prosper best +in both. A great state left to an heir, is as a lure to +all the birds of prey round about, to seize on him, if +he be not the better stablished in years and judg- +ment. Likewise glorious gifts and foundations, are +like sacrifices without salt; and but the painted +sepulchres of alms, which soon will putrefy, and +corrupt inwardly. Therefore measure not thine +advancements, by quantity, but frame them by +measure: and defer not charities till death; for, +certainly, if a man weigh it rightly, he that doth +so, is rather liberal of another man's, than of his +own. + + +Of Prophecies + + + +I MEAN not to speak of divine prophecies; nor +of heathen oracles; nor of natural predictions; +but only of prophecies that have been of cer- +tain memory, and from hidden causes. Saith the +Pythonissa to Saul, To-morrow thou and thy son +shall be with me. Homer hath these verses: + + +At domus AEneae cunctis dominabitur oris, +Et nati natorum, et qui nascentur ab illis. + + +A prophecy, as it seems, of the Roman empire. +Seneca the tragedian hath these verses: + + + --Venient annis +Saecula seris, quibus Oceanus +Vincula rerum laxet, et ingens +Pateat Tellus, Tiphysque novos +Detegat orbes; nec sit terris +Ultima Thule: + + +a prophecy of the discovery of America. The daugh- +ter of Polycrates, dreamed that Jupiter bathed her +father, and Apollo anointed him; and it came to +pass, that he was crucified in an open place, where +the sun made his body run with sweat, and the +rain washed it. Philip of Macedon dreamed, he +sealed up bis wife's belly; whereby he did expound +it, that his wife should be barren; but Aristander +the soothsayer, told him his wife was with child, +because men do not use to seal vessels, that are +empty. A phantasm that appeared to M. Brutus, in +his tent, said to him, Philippis iterum me videbis. +Tiberius said to Galba, Tu quoque, Galba, degusta- +bis imperium. In Vespasian's time, there went a +prophecy in the East, that those that should come +forth of Judea, should reign over the world: +which though it may be was meant of our Savior; +yet Tacitus expounds it of Vespasian. Domitian +dreamed, the night before he was slain, that a +golden head was growing, out of the nape of his +neck: and indeed, the succession that followed him +for many years, made golden times. Henry the +Sixth of England, said of Henry the Seventh, when +he was a lad, and gave him water, This is the lad +that shall enjoy the crown, for which we strive. +When I was in France, I heard from one Dr. Pena, +that the Queen Mother, who was given to curious +arts, caused the King her husband's nativity to be +calculated, under a false name; and the astrologer +gave a judgment, that he should be killed in a duel; +at which the Queen laughed, thinking her hus- +band to be above challenges and duels: but he was +slain upon a course at tilt, the splinters of the staff +of Montgomery going in at his beaver. The trivial +prophecy, which I heard when I was a child, and +Queen Elizabeth was in the flower of her years, +was, + + +When hempe is spun + +England's done: + +whereby it was generally conceived, that after the +princes had reigned, which had the principal +letters of that word hempe (which were Henry, +Edward, Mary, Philip, and Elizabeth), England +should come to utter confusion; which, thanks be +to God, is verified only in the change of the name; +for that the King's style, is now no more of Eng- +land but of Britain. There was also another proph- +ecy, before the year of '88, which I do not well +understand. + + +There shall be seen upon a day, +Between the Baugh and the May, +The black fleet of Norway. +When that that is come and gone, +England build houses of lime and stone, +For after wars shall you have none. + + +It was generally conceived to be meant, of the +Spanish fleet that came in '88: for that the king of +Spain's surname, as they say, is Norway. The pre- +diction of Regiomontanus, + + +Octogesimus octavus mirabilis annus, + + +was thought likewise accomplished in the sending +of that great fleet, being the greatest in strength, +though not in number, of all that ever swam upon +the sea. As for Cleon's dream, I think it was a jest. +It was, that he was devoured of a long dragon; and +it was expounded of a maker of sausages, that +troubled him exceedingly. There are numbers of +the like kind; especially if you include dreams, and +predictions of astrology. But I have set down these +few only, of certain credit, for example. My judg- +ment is, that they ought all to be despised; and +ought to serve but for winter talk by the fireside. +Though when I say despised, I mean it as for be- +lief; for otherwise, the spreading, or publishing, +of them, is in no sort to be despised. For they have +done much mischief; and I see many severe laws +made, to suppress them. That that hath given them +grace, and some credit, consisteth in three things. +First, that men mark when they hit, and never +mark when they miss; as they do generally also of +dreams. The second is, that probable conjectures, +or obscure traditions, many times turn themselves +into prophecies; while the nature of man, which +coveteth divination, thinks it no peril to foretell +that which indeed they do but collect. As that of +Seneca's verse. For so much was then subject to +demonstration, that the globe of the earth had +great parts beyond the Atlantic, which mought +be probably conceived not to be all sea: and adding +thereto the tradition in Plato's Timaeus, and his +Atlanticus, it mought encourage one to turn it to +a prediction. The third and last (which is the great +one) is, that almost all of them, being infinite in +number, have been impostures, and by idle and +crafty brains merely contrived and feigned, after +the event past. + + + + +Of Ambition + + + +AMBITION is like choler; which is an humor +that maketh men active, earnest, full of alac- +rity, and stirring, if it be not stopped. But if it be +stopped, and cannot have his way, it becometh +adust, and thereby malign and venomous. So am- +bitious men, if they find the way open for their +rising, and still get forward, they are rather busy +than dangerous; but if they be checked in their +desires, they become secretly discontent, and look +upon men and matters with an evil eye, and are +best pleased, when things go backward; which is +the worst property in a servant of a prince, or state. +Therefore it is good for princes, if they use ambi- +tious men, to handle it, so as they be still progres- +sive and not retrograde; which, because it cannot +be without inconvenience, it is good not to use such +natures at all. For if they rise not with their service, +they will take order, to make their service fall with +them. But since we have said, it were good not to +use men of ambitious natures, except it be upon +necessity, it is fit we speak, in what cases they are +of necessity. Good commanders in the wars must +be taken, be they never so ambitious; for the use +of their service, dispenseth with the rest; and to +take a soldier without ambition, is to pull off his +spurs. There is also great use of ambitious men, in +being screens to princes in matters of danger and +envy; for no man will take that part, except he be +like a seeled dove, that mounts and mounts, be- +cause he cannot see about him. There is use also of +ambitious men, in pulling down the greatness of +any subject that overtops; as Tiberius used Marco, +in the pulling down of Sejanus. Since, therefore, +they must be used in such cases, there resteth to +speak, how they are to be bridled, that they may be +less dangerous. There is less danger of them, if they +be of mean birth, than if they be noble; and if they +be rather harsh of nature, than gracious and popu- +lar: and if they be rather new raised, than grown +cunning, and fortified, in their greatness. It is +counted by some, a weakness in princes, to have +favorites; but it is, of all others, the best remedy +against ambitious great-ones. For when the way +of pleasuring, and displeasuring, lieth by the +favorite, it is impossible any other should be over- +great. Another means to curb them, is to balance +them by others, as proud as they. But then there +must be some middle counsellors, to keep things +steady; for without that ballast, the ship will roll +too much. At the least, a prince may animate +and inure some meaner persons, to be as it were +scourges, to ambitions men. As for the having of +them obnoxious to ruin; if they be of fearful +natures, it may do well; but if they be stout and +daring, it may precipitate their designs, and prove +dangerous. As for the pulling of them down, if the +affairs require it, and that it may not be done with +safety suddenly, the only way is the interchange, +continually, of favors and disgraces; whereby +they may not know what to expect, and be, as it +were, in a wood. Of ambitions, it is less harmful, +the ambition to prevail in great things, than that +other, to appear in every thing; for that breeds +confusion, and mars business. But yet it is less dan- +ger, to have an ambitious man stirring in business, +than great in dependences. He that seeketh to be +eminent amongst able men, hath a great task; but +that is ever good for the public. But he, that plots +to be the only figure amongst ciphers, is the decay +of a whole age. Honor hath three things in it: the +vantage ground to do good; the approach to kings +and principal persons; and the raising of a man's +own fortunes. He that hath the best of these inten- +tions, when he aspireth, is an honest man; and that +prince, that can discern of these intentions in an- +other that aspireth, is a wise prince. Generally, let +princes and states choose such ministers, as are +more sensible of duty than of using; and such as +love business rather upon conscience, than upon +bravery, and let them discern a busy nature, from +a willing mind. + + +Of Masques + +AND TRIUMPHS + + + + + +THESE things are but toys, to come amongst +such serious observations. But yet, since +princes will have such things, it is better they +should be graced with elegancy, than daubed with +cost. Dancing to song, is a thing of great state and +pleasure. I understand it, that the song be in quire, +placed aloft, and accompanied with some broken +music; and the ditty fitted to the device. Acting in +song, especially in dialogues, hath an extreme +good grace; I say acting, not dancing (for that is a +mean and vulgar thing); and the voices of the dia- +logue would be strong and manly (a base and a +tenor; no treble); and the ditty high and tragical; +not nice or dainty. Several quires, placed one over +against another, and taking the voice by catches, +anthem-wise, give great pleasure. Turning dances +into figure, is a childish curiosity. And generally +let it be noted, that those things which I here set +down, are such as do naturally take the sense, and +not respect petty wonderments. It is true, the al- +terations of scenes, so it be quietly and without +noise, are things of great beauty and pleasure; for +they feed and relieve the eye, before it be full of +the same object. Let the scenes abound with light, +specially colored and varied; and let the masquers, +or any other, that are to come down from the +scene, have some motions upon the scene itself, +before their coming down; for it draws the eye +strangely, and makes it, with great pleasure, to +desire to see, that it cannot perfectly discern. Let +the songs be loud and cheerful, and not chirpings +or pulings. Let the music likewise be sharp and +loud, and well placed. The colors that show best by +candle-light are white, carnation, and a kind of +sea-water-green; and oes, or spangs, as they are of +no great cost, so they are of most glory. As for rich +embroidery, it is lost and not discerned. Let the +suits of the masquers be graceful, and such as be- +come the person, when the vizors are off; not after +examples of known attires; Turke, soldiers, mari- +ners', and the like. Let anti-masques not be long; +they have been commonly of fools, satyrs, baboons, +wild-men, antics, beasts, sprites, witches, Ethiops, +pigmies, turquets, nymphs, rustics, Cupids, statuas +moving, and the like. As for angels, it is not comi- +cal enough, to put them in anti-masques; and +anything that is hideous, as devils, giants, is on +the other side as unfit. But chiefly, let the music +of them be recreative, and with some strange +changes. Some sweet odors suddenly coming forth, +without any drops falling, are, in such a company +as there is steam and heat, things of great pleasure +and refreshment. Double masques, one of men, +another of ladies, addeth state and variety. But all +is nothing except the room be kept clear and neat. + +For justs, and tourneys, and barriers; the glories +of them are chiefly in the chariots, wherein the +challengers make their entry; especially if they +be drawn with strange beasts: as lions, bears, +camels, and the like; or in the devices of their en- +trance; or in the bravery of their liveries; or in the +goodly furniture of their horses and armor. But +enough of these toys. + + + + + +Of Nature + +IN MEN + + + +NATURE is often hidden; sometimes over- +come; seldom extinguished. Force, maketh +nature more violent in the return; doctrine and dis- +course, maketh nature less importune; but custom +only doth alter and subdue nature. He that seeketh +victory over his nature, let him not set himself too +great, nor too small tasks; for the first will make +him dejected by often failings; and the second will +make him a small proceeder, though by often pre- +vailings. And at the first let him practise with +helps, as swimmers do with bladders or rushes; +but after a time let him practise with disadvan- +tages, as dancers do with thick shoes. For it breeds +great perfection, if the practice be harder than the +use. Where nature is mighty, and therefore the +victory hard, the degrees had need be, first to stay +and arrest nature in time; like to him that would +say over the four and twenty letters when he was +angry; then to go less in quantity; as if one should, +in forbearing wine, come from drinking healths, +to a draught at a meal; and lastly, to discontinue +altogether. But if a man have the fortitude, and +resolution, to enfranchise himself at once, that is +the best: + + +Optimus ille animi vindex laedentia pectus +Vincula qui rupit, dedoluitque semel. + + +Neither is the ancient rule amiss, to bend nature, +as a wand, to a contrary extreme, whereby to set it +right, understanding it, where the contrary ex- +treme is no vice. Let not a man force a habit upon +himself, with a perpetual continuance, but with +some intermission. For both the pause reinforceth +the new onset; and if a man that is not perfect, be +ever in practice, he shall as well practise his errors, +as his abilities, and induce one habit of both; and +there is no means to help this, but by seasonable +intermissions. But let not a man trust his victory +over his nature, too far; for nature will lay buried +a great time, and yet revive, upon the occasion or +temptation. Like as it was with AEsop's damsel, +turned from a cat to a woman, who sat very de- +mutely at the board's end, till a mouse ran before +her. Therefore, let a man either avoid the occasion +altogether; or put himself often to it, that he may +be little moved with it. A man's nature is best per- +ceived in privateness, for there is no affectation; +in passion, for that putteth a man out of his pre- +cepts; and in a new case or experiment, for there +custom leaveth him. They are happy men, whose +natures sort with their vocations; otherwise they +may say, multum incola fuit anima mea; when +they converse in those things, they do not affect. +In studies, whatsoever a man commandeth upon +himself, let him set hours for it; but whatsoever is +agreeable to his nature, let him take no care for +any set times; for his thoughts will fly to it, of +themselves; so as the spaces of other business, or +studies, will suffice. A man's nature, runs either to +herbs or weeds; therefore let him seasonably water +the one, and destroy the other. + + + + +Of Custom + +AND EDUCATION + + + + + +MEN'S thoughts, are much according to their +inclination; their discourse and speeches, +according to their learning and infused opinions; +but their deeds, are after as they have been accus- +tomed. And therefore, as Machiavel well noteth +(though in an evil-favored instance), there is no +trusting to the force of nature, nor to the bravery +of words, except it be corroborate by custom. His +instance is, that for the achieving of a desperate +conspiracy, a man should not rest upon the fierce- +ness of any man's nature, or his resolute under- +takings; but take such an one, as hath had his +hands formerly in blood. But Machiavel knew not +of a Friar Clement, nor a Ravillac, nor a Jaureguy, +nor a Baltazar Gerard; yet his rule holdeth still, +that nature, nor the engagement of words, are not +so forcible, as custom. Only superstition is now so +well advanced, that men of the first blood, are as +firm as butchers by occupation; and votary reso- +lution, is made equipollent to custom, even in mat- +ter of blood. In other things, the predominancy of +custom is everywhere visible; insomuch as a man +would wonder, to hear men profess, protest, en- +gage, give great words, and then do, just as they +have done before; as if they were dead images, +and engines moved only by the wheels of custom. +We see also the reign or tyranny of custom, what +it is. The Indians (I mean the sect of their wise men) +lay themselves quietly upon a stock of wood, and +so sacrifice themselves by fire. Nay, the wives +strive to be burned, with the corpses of their hus- +bands. The lads of Sparta, of ancient time, were +wont to be scourged upon the altar of Diana, with- +out so much as queching. I remember, in the be- +ginning of Queen Elizabeth's time of England, an +Irish rebel condemned, put up a petition to the +deputy, that he might be hanged in a withe, and +not in an halter; because it had been so used, with +former rebels. There be monks in Russia, for pen- +ance, that will sit a whole night in a vessel of water, +till they be engaged with hard ice. Many examples +may be put of the force of custom, both upon mind +and body. Therefore, since custom is the principal +magistrate of man's life, let men by all means en- +deavor, to obtain good customs. Certainly custom +is most perfect, when it beginneth in young years: +this we call education; which is, in effect, but an +early custom. So we see, in languages, the tongue +is more pliant to all expressions and sounds, the +joints are more supple, to all feats of activity and +motions, in youth than afterwards. For it is true, +that late learners cannot so well take the ply; ex- +cept it be in some minds, that have not suffered +themselves to fix, but have kept themselves open, +and prepared to receive continual amendment, +which is exceeding rare. But if the force of cus- +tom simple and separate, be great, the force of +custom copulate and conjoined and collegiate, is +far greater. For there example teacheth, company +comforteth, emulation quickeneth, glory raiseth: +so as in such places the force of custom is in his +exaltation. Certainly the great multiplication of +virtues upon human nature, resteth upon socie- +ties well ordained and disciplined. For common- +wealths, and good governments, do nourish virtue +grown but do not much mend the deeds. But the +misery is, that the most effectual means, are now +applied to the ends, least to be desired. + + +Of Fortune + + +IT CANNOT be denied, but outward accidents +conduce much to fortune; favor, opportunity, +death of others, occasion fitting virtue. But chiefly, +the mould of a man's fortune is in his own hands. +Faber quisque fortunae suae, saith the poet. And +the most frequent of external causes is, that the +folly of one man, is the fortune of another. For no +man prospers so suddenly, as by others' errors. +Serpens nisi serpentem comederit non fit draco. +Overt and apparent virtues, bring forth praise; but +there be secret and hidden virtues, that bring forth +fortune; certain deliveries of a man's self, which +have no name. The Spanish name, desemboltura, +partly expresseth them; when there be not stonds +nor restiveness in a man's nature; but that the +wheels of his mind, keep way with the wheels of +his fortune. For so Livy (after he had described +Cato Major in these words, In illo viro tantum ro- +bur corporis et animi fuit, ut quocunque loco natus +esset, fortunam sibi facturus videretur) falleth +upon that, that he had versatile ingenium. There- +fore if a man look sharply and attentively, he shall +see Fortune: for though she be blind, yet she is not +invisible. The way of fortune, is like the Milken +Way in the sky; which is a meeting or knot of a +number of small stars; not seen asunder, but giv- +ing light together. So are there a number of +little, and scarce discerned virtues, or rather facul- +ties and customs, that make men fortunate. The +Italians note some of them, such as a man would +little think. When they speak of one that cannot do +amiss, they will throw in, into his other conditions, +that he hath Poco di matto. And certainly there be +not two more fortunate properties, than to have a +little of the fool, and not too much of the honest. +Therefore extreme lovers of their country or +masters, were never fortunate, neither can they +be. For when a man placeth his thoughts without +himself, he goeth not his own way. An hasty for- +tune maketh an enterpriser and remover (the +French hath it better, entreprenant, or remuant); +but the exercised fortune maketh the able man. +Fortune is to be honored and respected, and it be +but for her daughters, Confidence and Reputation. +For those two, Felicity breedeth; the first within +a man's self, the latter in others towards him. All +wise men, to decline the envy of their own virtues, +use to ascribe them to Providence and Fortune; for +so they may the better assume them: and, besides, +it is greatness in a man, to be the care of the higher +powers. So Caesar said to the pilot in the tempest, +Caesarem portas, et fortunam ejus. So Sylla chose +the name of Felix, and not of Magnus. And it hath +been noted, that those who ascribe openly too +much to their own wisdom and policy, end infor- +tunate. It is written that Timotheus the Athenian, +after he had, in the account he gave to the state of +his government, often interlaced this speech, and +in this, Fortune had no part, never prospered in +anything, he undertook afterwards. Certainly +there be, whose fortunes are like Homer's verses, +that have a slide and easiness more than the verses +of other poets; as Plutarch saith of Timoleon's for- +tune, in respect of that of Agesilaus or Epaminon- +das. And that this shoulld be, no doubt it is much, +in a man's self. + + + + + + +Of Usury + + +MANY have made witty invectives against +usury. They say that it is a pity, the devil +should have God's part, which is the tithe. That the +usurer is the greatest Sabbath-breaker, because his +plough goeth every Sunday. That the usurer is the +drone, that Virgil speaketh of; + + +Ignavum fucos pecus a praesepibus arcent. + +That the usurer breaketh the first law, that was +made for mankind after the fall, which was, in +sudore vultus tui comedes panem tuum; not, in +sudore vultus alieni. That usurers should have +orange-tawny bonnets, because they do judaize. +That it is against nature for money to beget money; +and the like. I say this only, that usury is a conces- +sum propter duritiem cordis; for since there must +be borrowing and lending, and men are so hard +of heart, as they will not lend freely, usury must +be permitted. Some others, have made suspicious +and cunning propositions of banks, discovery of +men's estates, and other inventions. But few have +spoken of usury usefully. It is good to set before us, +the incommodities and commodities of usury, that +the good, may be either weighed out or culled out; +and warily to provide, that while we make forth +to that which is better, we meet not with that +which is worse. + +The discommodities of usury are, First, that it +makes fewer merchants. For were it not for this +lazy trade of usury, money would not he still, but +would in great part be employed upon merchan- +dizing; which is the vena porta of wealth in a state. +The second, that it makes poor merchants. For, as +a farmer cannot husband his ground so well, if he +sit at a great rent; so the merchant cannot drive +his trade so well, if he sit at great usury. The third +is incident to the other two; and that is the decay of +customs of kings or states, which ebb or flow, with +merchandizing. The fourth, that it bringeth the +treasure of a realm, or state, into a few hands. For +the usurer being at certainties, and others at uncer- +tainties, at the end of the game, most of the money +will be in the box; and ever a state flourisheth, +when wealth is more equally spread. The fifth, +that it beats down the price of land; for the em- +ployment of money, is chiefly either merchandiz- +ing or purchasing; and usury waylays both. The +sixth, that it doth dull and damp all industries, im- +provements, and new inventions, wherein money +would be stirring, if it were not for this slug. The +last, that it is the canker and ruin of many men's +estates; which, in process of time, breeds a public +poverty. + +On the other side, the commodities of usury are, +first, that howsoever usury in some respect hinder- +eth merchandizing, yet in some other it advanceth +it; for it is certain that the greatest part of trade is +driven by young merchants, upon borrowing at +interest; so as if the usurer either call in, or keep +back, his money, there will ensue, presently, a +great stand of trade. The second is, that were it not +for this easy borrowing upon interest, men's neces- +sities would draw upon them a most sudden un- +doing; in that they would be forced to sell their +means (be it lands or goods) far under foot; and so, +whereas usury doth but gnaw upon them, bad +markets would swallow them quite up. As for +mortgaging or pawning, it will little mend the +matter: for either men will not take pawns with- +out use; or if they do, they will look precisely for +the forfeiture. I remember a cruel moneyed man +in the country, that would say, The devil take this +usury, it keeps us from forfeitures, of mortgages +and bonds. The third and last is, that it is a vanity +to conceive, that there would be ordinary borrow- +ing without profit; and it is impossible to conceive, +the number of inconveniences that will ensue, if +borrowing be cramped. Therefore to speak of the +abolishing of usury is idle. All states have ever had +it, in one kind or rate, or other. So as that opinion +must be sent to Utopia. + +To speak now of the reformation, and reigle- +ment, of usury; how the discommodities of it may +be best avoided, and the commodities retained. It +appears, by the balance of commodities and dis- +commodities of usury, two things are to be recon- +ciled. The one, that the tooth of usury be grinded, +that it bite not too much; the other, that there be +left open a means, to invite moneyed men to lend +to the merchants, for the continuing and quicken- +ing of trade. This cannot be done, except you intro- +duce two several sorts of usury, a less and a greater. +For if you reduce usury to one low rate, it will ease +the common borrower, but the merchant will be +to seek for money. And it is to be noted, that the +trade of merchandize, being the most lucrative, +may bear usury at a good rate; other contracts +not so. + +To serve both intentions, the way would be +briefly thus. That there be two rates of usury: +the one free, and general for all; the other under +license only, to certain persons, and in certain +places of merchandizing. First, therefore, let usury +in general, be reduced to five in the hundred; and +let that rate be proclaimed, to be free and current; +and let the state shut itself out, to take any penalty +for the same. This will preserve borrowing, from +any general stop or dryness. This will ease infinite +borrowers in the country. This will, in good part, +raise the price of land, because land purchased +at sixteen years' purchase will yield six in the +hundred, and somewhat more; whereas this rate +of interest, yields but five. This by like reason +will encourage, and edge, industrious and profit- +able improvements; because many will rather +venture in that kind, than take five in the hun- +dred, especially having been used to greater profit. +Secondly, let there be certain persons licensed, +to lend to known merchants, upon usury at a +higher rate; and let it be with the cautions fol- +lowing. Let the rate be, even with the merchant +himself, somewhat more easy than that he used +formerly to pay; for by that means, all bor- +rowers, shall have some ease by this reformation, +be he merchant, or whosoever. Let it be no +bank or common stock, but every man be master +of his own money. Not that I altogether mis- +like banks, but they will hardly be brooked, in +regard of certain suspicions. Let the state be +answered some small matter for the license, and +the rest left to the lender; for if the abatement be +but small, it will no whit discourage the lender. +For he, for example, that took before ten or nine in +the hundred, will sooner descend to eight in the +hundred than give over his trade of usury, and go +from certain gains, to gains of hazard. Let these +licensed lenders be in number indefinite, but re- +strained to certain principal cities and towns of +merchandizing; for then they will be hardly able +to color other men's moneys in the country: so as +the license of nine will not suck away the current +rate of five; for no man will send his moneys far +off, nor put them into unknown hands. + +If it be objected that this doth in a sort authorize +usury, which before, was in some places but per- +missive; the answer is, that it is better to mitigate +usury, by declaration, than to suffer it to rage, by +connivance. + + + + + + + + + +Of Youth + +AND AGE + + +A MAN that is young in years, may be old in +hours, if he have lost no time. But that hap- +peneth rarely. Generally, youth is like the first +cogitations, not so wise as the second. For there is +a youth in thoughts, as well as in ages. And yet the +invention of young men, is more lively than that +of old; and imaginations stream into their minds +better, and, as it were, more divinely. Natures that +have much heat, and great and violent desires and +perturbations, are not ripe for action, till they have +passed the meridian of their years; as it was with +Julius Caesar and Septimius Severus. Of the latter, +of whom it is said, Juventutem egit erroribus, imo +furoribus, plenam. And yet he was the ablest em- +peror, almost, of all the list. But reposed natures +may do well in youth. As it is seen in Augustus +Caesar, Cosmus Duke of Florence, Gaston de Foix, +and others. On the other side, heat and vivacity in +age, is an excellent composition for business. +Young men are fitter to invent, than to judge; fitter +for execution, than for counsel; and fitter for new +projects, than for settled business. For the experi- +ence of age, in things that fall within the compass +of it, directeth them; but in new things, abuseth +them. + +The errors of young men, are the ruin of busi- +ness; but the errors of aged men, amount but to +this, that more might have been done, or sooner. +Young men, in the conduct and manage of actions, +embrace more than they can hold; stir more than +they can quiet; fly to the end, without considera- +tion of the means and degrees; pursue some +few principles, which they have chanced upon +absurdly; care not to innovate, which draws un- +known inconveniences; use extreme remedies at +first; and, that which doubleth all errors, will not +acknowledge or retract them; like an unready +horse, that will neither stop nor turn. Men of age +object too much, consult too long, adventure too +little, repent too soon, and seldom drive business +home to the full period, but content themselves +with a mediocrity of success. Certainly it is good to +compound employments of both; for that will be +good for the present, because the virtues of either +age, may correct the defects of both; and good for +succession, that young men may be learners, while +men in age are actors; and, lastly, good for extern +accidents, because authority followeth old men, +and favor and popularity, youth. But for the moral +part, perhaps youth will have the pre-eminence, as +age hath for the politic. A certain rabbin, upon the +text, Your young men shall see visions, and your +old men shall dream dreams, inferreth that young +men, are admitted nearer to God than old, because +vision, is a clearer revelation, than a dream. And +certainly, the more a man drinketh of the world, +the more it intoxicateth; and age doth profit rather +in the powers of understanding, than in the virtues +of the will and affections. There be some, have an +over-early ripeness in their years, which fadeth +betimes. These are, first, such as have brittle wits, +the edge whereof is soon turned; such as was Her- +mogenes the rhetorician, whose books are exceed- +ing subtle; who afterwards waxed stupid. A second +sort, is of those that have some natural dispositions +which have better grace in youth, than in age; +such as is a fluent and luxuriant speech; which +becomes youth well, but not age: so Tully saith of +Hortensius, Idem manebat, neque idem decebat. +The third is of such, as take too high a strain at the +first, and are magnanimous, more than tract of +years can uphold. As was Scipio Africanus, of +whom Livy saith in effect, Ultima primis cedebant. + + + + + + +Of Beauty + + +VIRTUE is like a rich stone, best plain set; and +surely virtue is best, in a body that is comely, +though not of delicate features; and that hath +rather dignity of presence, than beauty of aspect. +Neither is it almost seen, that very beautiful per- +sons are otherwise of great virtue; as if nature were +rather busy, not to err, than in labor to produce +excellency. And therefore they prove accom- +plished, but not of great spirit; and study rather +behavior, than virtue. But this holds not always: +for Augustus Caesar, Titus Vespasianus, Philip le +Belle of France, Edward the Fourth of England, +Alcibiades of Athens, Ismael the Sophy of Persia, +were all high and great spirits; and yet the most +beautiful men of their times. In beauty, that of +favor, is more than that of color; and that of decent +and gracious motion, more than that of favor. That +is the best part of beauty, which a picture cannot +express; no, nor the first sight of the life. There is no +excellent beauty, that hath not some strangeness +in the proportion. A man cannot tell whether +Apelles, or Albert Durer, were the more trifler; +whereof the one, would make a personage by geo- +metrical proportions; the other, by taking the best +parts out of divers faces, to make one excellent. +Such personages, I think, would please nobody, +but the painter that made them. Not but I think a +painter may make a better face than ever was; but +he must do it by a kind of felicity (as a musician +that maketh an excellent air in music), and not by +rule. A man shall see faces, that if you examine +them part by part, you shall find never a good; +and yet altogether do well. If it be true that the +principal part of beauty is in decent motion, cer- +tainly it is no marvel, though persons in years +seem many times more amiable; pulchrorum +autumnus pulcher; for no youth can be comely +but by pardon, and considering the youth, as to +make up the comeliness. Beauty is as summer +fruits,) which are easy to corrupt, and cannot last; +and for the most part it makes a dissolute youth, +and an age a little out of countenance; but yet cer- +tainly again, if it light well, it maketh virtue shine, +and vices blush. + + +Of Deformity + + + +DEFORMED persons are commonly even with +nature; for as nature hath done ill by them, +so do they by nature; being for the most part (as +the Scripture saith) void of natural affection; and +so they have their revenge of nature. Certainly +there is a consent, between the body and the mind; +and where nature erreth in the one, she ventureth +in the other. Ubi peccat in uno, periclitatur in al- +tero. But because there is, in man, an election +touching the frame of his mind, and a necessity in +the frame of his body, the stars of natural inclina- +tion are sometimes obscured, by the sun of disci- +pline and virtue. Therefore it is good to consider of +deformity, not as a sign, which is more deceivable; +but as a cause, which seldom faileth of the effect. +Whosoever hath anything fixed in his person, that +doth induce contempt, hath also a perpetual spur +in himself, to rescue and deliver himself from +scorn. Therefore all deformed persons, are extreme +bold. First, as in their own defence, as being ex- +posed to scorn; but in process of time, by a general +habit. Also it stirreth in them industry, and espe- +cially of this kind, to watch and observe the weak- +ness of others, that they may have somewhat to +repay. Again, in their superiors, it quencheth +jealousy towards them, as persons that they think +they may, at pleasure, despise: and it layeth their +competitors and emulators asleep; as never believ- +ing they should be in possibility of advancement, +till they see them in possession. So that upon the +matter, in a great wit, deformity is an advantage +to rising. Kings in ancient times (and at this pres- +ent in some countries) were wont to put great trust +in eunuchs; because they that are envious towards +all are more obnoxious and officious, towards one. +But yet their trust towards them, hath rather +been as to good spials, and good wbisperers, than +good magistrates and officers. And much like is +the reason of deformed persons. Still the ground +is, they will, if they be of spirit, seek to free them- +selves from scorn; which must be either by virtue +or malice; and therefore let it not be marvelled, if +sometimes they prove excellent persons; as was +Agesilaus, Zanger the son of Solyman, AEsop, +Gasca, President of Peru; and Socrates may go +likewise amongst them; with others. + + +Of Building + + + +HOUSES are built to live in, and not to look on; +therefore let use be preferred before uni- +formity, except where both may be had. Leave +the goodly fabrics of houses, for beauty only, to +the enchanted palaces of the poets; who build them +with small cost. He that builds a fair house, upon +an ill seat, committeth himself to prison. Neither +do I reckon it an ill seat, only where the air is un- +wholesome; but likewise where the air is unequal; +as you shall see many fine seats set upon a knap of +ground, environed with higher hills round about +it; whereby the heat of the sun is pent in, and the +wind gathereth as in troughs; so as you shall have, +and that suddenly, as great diversity of heat and +cold as if you dwelt in several places. Neither is it +ill air only that maketh an ill seat, but ill ways, ill +markets; and, if you will consult with Momus, ill +neighbors. I speak not of many more; want of +water; want of wood, shade, and shelter; want of +fruitfulness, and mixture of grounds of several +natures; want of prospect; want of level grounds; +want of places at some near distance for sports of +hunting, hawking, and races; too near the sea, too +remote; having the commodity of navigable rivers, +or the discommodity of their overflowing; too far +off from great cities, which may hinder business, +or too near them, which lurcheth all provisions, +and maketh everything dear; where a man hath +a great living laid together, and where he is +scanted: all which, as it is impossible perhaps to +find together, so it is good to know them, and think +of them, that a man may take as many as he can; +and if he have several dwellings, that he sort them +so that what he wanteth in the one, he may find in +the other. Lucullus answered Pompey well; who, +when he saw his stately galleries, and rooms so +large and lightsome, in one of his houses, said, +Surely an excellent place for summer, but how do +you in winter? Lucullus answered, Why, do you +not think me as wise as some fowl are, that ever +change their abode towards the winter? + +To pass from the seat, to the house itself; we will +do as Cicero doth in the orator's art; who writes +books De Oratore, and a book he entitles Orator; +whereof the former, delivers the precepts of the +art, and the latter, the perfection. We will there- +fore describe a princely palace, making a brief +model thereof. For it is strange to see, now in +Europe, such huge buildings as the Vatican and +Escurial and some others be, and yet scarce a very +fair room in them. + +First, therefore, I say you cannot have a perfect +palace except you have two several sides; a side for +the banquet, as it is spoken of in the book of Hester, +and a side for the household; the one for feasts and +triumphs, and the other for dwelling. I understand +both these sides to be not only returns, but parts +of the front; and to be uniform without, though +severally partitioned within; and to be on both +sides of a great and stately tower, in the midst of +the front, that, as it were, joineth them together +on either hand. I would have on the side of the ban- +quet, in front, one only goodly room above stairs, +of some forty foot high; and under it a room for a +dressing, or preparing place, at times of triumphs. +On the other side, which is the household side, I +wish it divided at the first, into a hall and a chapel +(with a partition between); both of good state and +bigness; and those not to go all the length, but to +have at the further end, a winter and a summer +parlor, both fair. And under these rooms, a fair +and large cellar, sunk under ground; and likewise +some privy kitchens, with butteries and pantries, +and the like. As for the tower, I would have it two +stories, of eighteen foot high apiece, above the two +wings; and a goodly leads upon the top,railed with +statuas interposed; and the same tower to be di- +vided into rooms, as shall be thought fit. The stairs +likewise to the upper rooms, let them be upon a +fair open newel, and finely railed in, with images +of wood, cast into a brass color; and a very fair +landing-place at the top. But this to be, if you do +not point any of the lower rooms, for a dining place +of servants. For otherwise, you shall have the ser- +vants' dinner after your own: for the steam of it, +will come up as in a tunnel. And so much for the +front. Only I understand the height of the first +stairs to be sixteen foot, which is the height of the +lower room. + +Beyond this front, is there to be a fair court, but +three sides of it, of a far lower building than the +front. And in all the four corners of that court, fair +staircases, cast into turrets, on the outside, and not +within the row of buildings themselves. But those +towers, are not to be of the height of the front, but +rather proportionable to the lower building. Let +the court not be paved, for that striketh up a great +heat in summer, and much cold in winter. But +only some side alleys, with a cross, and the quar- +ters to graze, being kept shorn, but not too near +shorn. The row of return on the banquet side, let it +be all stately galleries: in which galleries let there +be three, or five, fine cupolas in the length of it, +placed at equal distance; and fine colored windows +of several works. On the household side, chambers +of presence and ordinary entertainments, with +some bed-chambers; and let all three sides be a +double house, without thorough lights on the sides, +that you may have rooms from the sun, both for +forenoon and afternoon. Cast it also, that you may +have rooms, both for summer and winter; shady +for summer, and warm for winter. You shall have +sometimes fair houses so full of glass, that one can- +not tell where to become, to be out of the sun or +cold. For inbowed windows, I hold them of good +use (in cities, indeed, upright do better, in respect +of the uniformity towards the street); for they be +pretty retiring places for conference; and besides, +they keep both the wind and sun off; for that +which would strike almost through the room, doth +scarce pass the window. But let them be but few, +four in the court, on the sides only. + +Beyond this court, let there be an inward court, +of the same square and height; which is to be en- +vironed with the garden on all sides; and in the +inside, cloistered on all sides, upon decent and +beautiful arches, as high as the first story. On the +under story, towards the garden, let it be turned +to a grotto, or a place of shade, or estivation. And +only have opening and windows towards the gar- +den; and be level upon the floor, no whit sunken +under ground, to avoid all dampishness. And let +there be a fountain, or some fair work of statuas, in +the midst of this court; and to be paved as the other +court was. These buildings to be for privy lodgings +on both sides; and the end for privy galleries. +Whereof you must foresee that one of them be for +an infirmary, if the prince or any special person +should be sick, with chambers, bed-chamber, ante- +camera, and recamera joining to it. This upon the +second story. Upon the ground story, a fair gallery, +open, upon pillars; and upon the third story like- +wise, an open gallery, upon pillars, to take the +prospect and freshness of the garden. At both cor- +ners of the further side, by way of return, let there +be two delicate or rich cabinets, daintily paved, +richly hanged, glazed with crystalline glass, and +a rich cupola in the midst; and all other elegancy +that may be thought upon. In the upper gallery +too, I wish that there may be, if the place will yield +it, some fountains running in divers places from +the wall, with some fine avoidances. And thus +much for the model of the palace; save that you +must have, before you come to the front, three +courts. A green court plain, with a wall about it; +a second court of the same, but more garnished, +with little turrets, or rather embellishments, upon +the wall; and a third court, to make a square with +the front, but not to be built, nor yet enclosed with +a naked wall, but enclosed with terraces, leaded +aloft, and fairly garnished, on the three sides; and +cloistered on the inside, with pillars, and not with +arches below. As for offices, let them stand at dis- +tance, with some low galleries, to pass from them +to the palace itself. + + +Of Gardens + + +G0D Almighty first planted a garden. And +indeed it is the purest of human pleasures. +It is the greatest refreshment to the spirits of man; +without which, buildings and palaces are but +gross handiworks; and a man shall ever see, that +when ages grow to civility and elegancy, men +come to build stately sooner than to garden finely; +as if gardening were the greater perfection. I do +hold it, in the royal ordering of gardens, there +ought to be gardens, for all the months in the year; +in which severally things of beauty may be then +in season. For December, and January, and the +latter part of November, you must take such things +as are green all winter: holly; ivy; bays; juniper; +cypress-trees; yew; pine-apple-trees; fir-trees; +rosemary; lavender; periwinkle, the white, the +purple, and the blue; germander; flags; orange- +trees; lemon-trees; and myrtles, if they be stoved; +and sweet marjoram, warm set. There followeth, +for the latter part of January and February, the +mezereon-tree, which then blossoms; crocus ver- +nus, both the yellow and the grey; primroses, +anemones; the early tulippa; hyacinthus orien- +talis; chamairis; fritellaria. For March, there +come violets, specially the single blue, which are +the earliest; the yellow daffodil; the daisy; the +almond-tree in blossom; the peach-tree in blos- +som; the cornelian-tree in blossom; sweet-briar. +In April follow the double white violet; the wall- +flower; the stock-gilliflower; the cowslip; flower- +delices, and lilies of all natures; rosemary-flowers; +the tulippa; the double peony; the pale daffodil; +the French honeysuckle; the cherry-tree in blos- +som; the damson and plum-trees in blossom; the +white thorn in leaf; the lilac-tree. In May and +June come pinks of all sorts, specially the blush- +pink; roses of all kinds, except the musk, which +comes later; honeysuckles; strawberries; bugloss; +columbine; the French marigold, flos Africanus; +cherry-tree in fruit; ribes; figs in fruit; rasps; vine- +flowers; lavender in flowers; the sweet satyrian, +with the white flower; herba muscaria; lilium +convallium; the apple-tree in blossom. In July +come gilliflowers of all varieties; musk-roses; the +lime-tree in blossom; early pears and plums in +fruit; jennetings, codlins. In August come plums +of all sorts in fruit; pears; apricocks; berberries; +filberds; musk-melons; monks-hoods, of all colors. +In September come grapes; apples; poppies of +all colors; peaches; melocotones; nectarines; cor- +nelians; wardens; quinces. In October and the +beginning of November come services; medlars; +bullaces; roses cut or removed to come late; holly- +hocks; and such like. These particulars are for the +climate of London; but my meaning is perceived, +that you may have ver perpetuum, as the place +affords. + +And because the breath of flowers is far sweeter +in the air (where it comes and goes like the warb- +ling of music) than in the hand, therefore nothing +is more fit for that delight, than to know what be +the flowers and plants that do best perfume the air. +Roses, damask and red, are fast flowers of their +smells; so that you may walk by a whole row of +them, and find nothing of their sweetness; yea +though it be in a morning's dew. Bays likewise +yield no smell as they grow. Rosemary little; nor +sweet marjoram. That which above all others +yields the sweetest smell in the air is the violet, +specially the white double violet, which comes +twice a year; about the middle of April, and about +Bartholomew-tide. Next to that is the musk-rose. +Then the strawberry-leaves dying, which yield a +most excellent cordial smell. Then the flower of +vines; it is a little dust, like the dust of a bent, which +grows upon the cluster in the first coming forth. +Then sweet-briar. Then wall-flowers, which are +very delightful to be set under a parlor or lower +chamber window. Then pinks and gilliflowers, +especially the matted pink and clove gilliflower. +Then the flowers of the lime-tree. Then the honey- +suckles, so they be somewhat afar off. Of bean- +flowers I speak not, because they are field flowers. +But those which perfume the air most delightfully, +not passed by as the rest, but being trodden upon +and crushed, are three; that is, burnet, wild- +thyme, and watermints. Therefore you are to set +whole alleys of them, to have the pleasure when +you walk or tread. + +For gardens (speaking of those which are indeed +princelike, as we have done of buildings), the con- +tents ought not well to be under thirty acres of +ground; and to be divided into three parts; a green +in the entrance; a heath or desert in the going +forth; and the main garden in the midst; besides +alleys on both sides. And I like well that four acres +of ground be assigned to the green; six to the +heath; four and four to either side; and twelve to +the main garden. The green hath two pleasures: +the one, because nothing is more pleasant to the +eye than green grass kept finely shorn; the other, +because it will give you a fair alley in the midst, by +which you may go in front upon a stately hedge, +which is to enclose the garden. But because the +alley will be long, and, in great heat of the year or +day, you ought not to buy the shade in the garden, +by going in the sun through the green, therefore +you are, of either side the green, to plant a covert +alley upon carpenter's work, about twelve foot in +height, by which you may go in shade into the +garden. As for the making of knots or figures, with +divers colored earths, that they may lie under the +windows of the house on that side which the gar- +den stands, they be but toys; you may see as good +sights, many times, in tarts. The garden is best to +be square, encompassed on all the four sides with +a stately arched hedge. The arches to be upon pil- +lars of carpenter's work, of some ten foot high, and +six foot broad; and the spaces between of the same +dimension with the breadth of the arch. Over the +arches let there be an entire hedge of some four +foot high, framed also upon carpenter's work; and +upon the upper hedge, over every arch, a little tur- +ret, with a belly, enough to receive a cage of birds: +and over every space between the arches some +other little figure, with broad plates of round col- +ored glass gilt, for the sun to play upon. But this +hedge I intend to be raised upon a bank, not steep, +but gently slope, of some six foot, set all with +flowers. Also I understand, that this square of the +garden, should not be the whole breadth of the +ground, but to leave on either side, ground enough +for diversity of side alleys; unto which the two +covert alleys of the green, may deliver you. But +there must be no alleys with hedges, at either end +of this great enclosure; not at the hither end, for +letting your prospect upon this fair hedge from +the green; nor at the further end, for letting your +prospect from the hedge, through the arches upon +the heath. + +For the ordering of the ground, within the great +hedge, I leave it to variety of device; advising +nevertheless, that whatsoever form you cast it into, +first, it be not too busy, or full of work. Wherein I, +for my part, do not like images cut out in juniper +or other garden stuff; they be for children. Little +low hedges, round, like welts, with some pretty +pyramids, I like well; and in some places, fair +columns upon frames of carpenter's work. I would +also have the alleys, spacious and fair. You may +have closer alleys, upon the side grounds, but none +in the main garden. I wish also, in the very middle, +a fair mount, with three ascents, and alleys, +enough for four to walk abreast; which I would +have to be perfect circles, without any bulwarks +or embossments; and the whole mount to be thirty +foot high; and some fine banqueting-house, with +some chimneys neatly cast, and without too much +glass. + +For fountains, they are a great beauty and re- +freshment; but pools mar all, and make the garden +unwholesome, and full of flies and frogs. Foun- +tains I intend to be of two natures: the one that +sprinkleth or spouteth water; the other a fair re- +ceipt of water, of some thirty or forty foot square, +but without fish, or slime, or mud. For the first, +the ornaments of images gilt, or of marble, which +are in use, do well: but the main matter is so to +convey the water, as it never stay, either in the +bowls or in the cistern; that the water be never by +rest discolored, green or red or the like; or gather +any mossiness or putrefaction. Besides that, it is to +be cleansed every day by the hand. Also some +steps up to it, and some fine pavement about it, +doth well. As for the other kind of fountain, which +we may call a bathing pool, it may admit much +curiosity and beauty; wherewith we will not +trouble ourselves: as, that the bottom be finely +paved, and with images; the sides likewise; and +withal embellished with colored glass, and such +things of lustre; encompassed also with fine rails +of low statuas. But the main point is the same +which we mentioned in the former kind of foun- +tain; which is, that the water be in perpetual +motion, fed by a water higher than the pool, and +delivered into it by fair spouts, and then dis- +charged away under ground, by some equality of +bores, that it stay little. And for fine devices, of +arching water without spilling, and making it rise +in several forms (of feathers, drinking glasses, +canopies, and the like), they be pretty things to +look on, but nothing to health and sweetness. + +For the heath, which was the third part of our +plot, I wish it to be framed, as much as may be, to +a natural wildness. Trees I would have none in it, +but some thickets made only of sweet-briar and +honeysuckle, and some wild vine amongst; and +the ground set with violets, strawberries, and +primroses. For these are sweet, and prosper in the +shade. And these to be in the heath, here and there, +not in any order. I like also little heaps, in the na- +ture of mole-hills (such as are in wild heaths), to +be set, some with wild thyme; some with pinks; +some with germander, that gives a good flower to +the eye; some with periwinkle; some with violets; +some with strawberries; some with cowslips; some +with daisies; some with red roses; some with lilium +convallium; some with sweet-williams red; some +with bear's-foot: and the like low flowers, being +withal sweet and sightly. Part of which heaps, are +to be with standards of little bushes pricked upon +their top, and part without. The standards to be +roses; juniper; holly; berberries (but here and +there, because of the smell of their blossoms); red +currants; gooseberries; rosemary; bays; sweet- +briar; and such like. But these standards to be kept +with cutting, that they grow not out of course. + +For the side grounds, you are to fill them with +variety of alleys, private, to give a full shade, some +of them, wheresoever the sun be. You are to frame +some of them, likewise, for shelter, that when the +wind blows sharp you may walk as in a gallery. +And those alleys must be likewise hedged at both +ends, to keep out the wind; and these closer alleys +must be ever finely gravelled, and no grass, be- +cause of going wet. In many of these alleys, like- +wise, you are to set fruit-trees of all sorts; as well +upon the walls, as in ranges. And this would be +generally observed, that the borders wherein you +plant your fruit-trees, be fair and large, and low, +and not steep; and set with fine flowers, but thin +and sparingly, lest they deceive the trees. At the +end of both the side grounds, I would have a mount +of some pretty height, leaving the wall of the en- +closure breast high, to look abroad into the fields. + +For the main garden, I do not deny, but there +should be some fair alleys ranged on both sides, +with fruit-trees; and some pretty tufts of fruit- +trees, and arbors with seats, set in some decent +order; but these to be by no means set too thick; but +to leave the main garden so as it be not close, but +the air open and free. For as for shade, I would +have you rest upon the alleys of the side grounds, +there to walk, if you be disposed, in the heat of the +year or day; but to make account, that the main +garden is for the more temperate parts of the year; +and in the heat of summer, for the morning and +the evening, or overcast days. + +For aviaries, I like them not, except they be of +that largeness as they may be turfed, and have +living plants and bushes set in them; that the birds +may have more scope, and natural nesting, and +that no foulness appear in the floor of the aviary. +So I have made a platform of a princely garden, +partly by precept, partly by drawing, not a model, +but some general lines of it; and in this I have +spared for no cost. But it is nothing for great +princes, that for the most part taking advice with +workmen, with no less cost set their things to- +gether; and sometimes add statuas and such things +for state and magnificence, but nothing to the true +pleasure of a garden. + + + + +Of Negotiating + + + +IT IS generally better to deal by speech than by +letter; and by the mediation of a third than by +a man's self. Letters are good, when a man would +draw an answer by letter back again; or when it +may serve for a man's justification afterwards to +produce his own letter; or where it may be danger +to be interrupted, or heard by pieces. To deal in +person is good, when a man's face breedeth regard, +as commonly with inferiors; or in tender cases, +where a man's eye, upon the countenance of him +with whom he speaketh, may give him a direction +how far to go; and generally, where a man will +reserve to himself liberty, either to disavow or to +expound. In choice of instruments, it is better to +choose men of a plainer sort, that are like to do +that, that is committed to them, and to report back +again faithfully the success, than those that are +cunning, to contrive, out of other men's business, +somewhat to grace themselves, and will help the +matter in report for satisfaction's sake. Use also +such persons as affect the business, wherein they +are employed; for that quickeneth much; and +such, as are fit for the matter; as bold men for ex- +postulation, fair-spoken men for persuasion, crafty +men for inquiry and observation, froward, and +absurd men, for business that doth not well bear +out itself. Use also such as have been lucky, and +prevailed before, in things wherein you have em- +ployed them; for that breeds confidence, and they +will strive to maintain their prescription. It is bet- +ter to sound a person, with whom one deals afar +off, than to fall upon the point at first; except you +mean to surprise him by some short question. It is +better dealing with men in appetite, than with +those that are where they would be. If a man deal +with another upon conditions, the start or first per- +formance is all; which a man cannot reasonably +demand, except either the nature of the thing be +such, which must go before; or else a man can +persuade the other party, that he shall still need +him in some other thing; or else that he be counted +the honester man. All practice is to discover, or to +work. Men discover themselves in trust, in passion, +at unawares, and of necessity, when they would +have somewhat done, and cannot find an apt pre- +text. If you would work any man, you must either +know his nature and fashions, and so lead him; or +his ends, and so persuade him; or his weakness and +disadvantages, and so awe him; or those that have +interest in him, and so govern him. In dealing with +cunning persons,we must ever consider their ends, +to interpret their speeches; and it is good to say +little to them, and that which they least look for. +In all negotiations of difficulty, a man may not +look to sow and reap at once; but must prepare +business, and so ripen it by degrees. + + + + + +0f Followers + +AND FRIENDS + + + + + +COSTLY followers are not to be liked; lest +while a man maketh his train longer, he +make his wings shorter. I reckon to be costly, not +them alone which charge the purse, but which are +wearisome, and importune in suits. Ordinary fol- +lowers ought to challenge no higher conditions, +than countenance, recommendation, and protec- +tion from wrongs. Factious followers are worse to +be liked, which follow not upon affection to him, +with whom they range themselves, but upon +discontentment conceived against some other; +whereupon commonly ensueth that ill intelli- +gence, that we many times see between great per- +sonages. Likewise glorious followers, who make +themselves as trumpets of the commendation of +those they follow, are full of inconvenience; for +they taint business through want of secrecy; and +they export honor from a man, and make him a +return in envy. There is a kind of followers like- +wise, which are dangerous, being indeed espials; +which inquire the secrets of the house, and bear +tales of them, to others. Yet such men, many times, +are in great favor; for they are officious, and com- +monly exchange tales. The following by certain +estates of men, answerable to that, which a great +person himself professeth (as of soldiers, to him +that hath been employed in the wars, and the like), +hath ever been a thing civil, and well taken, even +in monarchies; so it be without too much pomp +or popularity. But the most honorable kind of fol- +lowing, is to be followed as one, that apprehendeth +to advance virtue, and desert, in all sorts of per- +sons. And yet, where there is no eminent odds in +sufficiency, it is better to take with the more pass- +able, than with the more able. And besides, to +speak truth, in base times, active men are of more +use than virtuous. It is true that in government, it +is good to use men of one rank equally: for to coun- +tenance some extraordinarily, is to make them +insolent, and the rest discontent; because they +may claim a due. But contrariwise, in favor, to +use men with much difference and election is +good; for it maketh the persons preferred more +thankful, and the rest more officious: because all is +of favor. It is good discretion, not to make too much +of any man at the first; because one cannot hold +out that proportion. To be governed (as we call it) +by one is not safe; for it shows softness, and gives +a freedom, to scandal and disreputation; for those, +that would not censure or speak ill of a man imme- +diately, will talk more boldly of those that are so +great with them, and thereby wound their honor. +Yet to be distracted with many is worse; for it +makes men to be of the last impression, and full of +change. To take advice of some few friends, is ever +honorable; for lookers-on many times see more +than gamesters; and the vale best discovereth the +hill. There is little friendship in the world, and least +of all between equals, which was wont to be mag- +nified. That that is, is between superior and in- +ferior, whose fortunes may comprehend the one +the other. + + + + +Of Suitors + + + +MANY ill matters and projects are under- +taken; and private suits do putrefy the pub- +lic good. Many good matters, are undertaken with +bad minds; I mean not only corrupt minds, but +crafty minds, that intend not performance. Some +embrace suits, which never mean to deal effectu- +ally in them; but if they see there may be life in +the matter, by some other mean, they will be con- +tent to win a thank, or take a second reward, or at +least to make use, in the meantime, of the suitor's +hopes. Some take hold of suits, only for an occa- +sion to cross some other; or to make an informa- +tion, whereof they could not otherwise have apt +pretext; without care what become of the suit, +when that turn is served; or, generally, to make +other men's business a kind of entertainment, to +bring in their own. Nay, some undertake suits, +with a full purpose to let them fall; to the end to +gratify the adverse party, or competitor. Surely +there is in some sort a right in every suit; either a +right of equity, if it be a suit of controversy; or a +right of desert, if it be a suit of petition. If affection +lead a man to favor the wrong side in justice, let +him rather use his countenance to compound the +matter, than to carry it. If affection lead a man +to favor the less worthy in desert, let him do it, +without depraving or disabling the better deserver. +In suits which a man doth not well understand, it +is good to refer them to some friend of trust and +judgment, that may report, whether he may deal +in them with honor: but let him choose well his +referendaries, for else he may be led by the nose. +Suitors are so distasted with delays and abuses, +that plain dealing, in denying to deal in suits at +first, and reporting the success barely, and in chal- +lenging no more thanks than one hath deserved, +is grown not only honorable, but also gracious. In +suits of favor, the first coming ought to take little +place: so far forth, consideration may be had of +his trust, that if intelligence of the matter could +not otherwise have been had, but by him, advan- +tage be not taken of the note, but the party left to +his other means; and in some sort recompensed, +for his discovery. To be ignorant of the value of a +suit, is simplicity; as well as to be ignorant of the +right thereof, is want of conscience. Secrecy in +suits, is a great mean of obtaining; for voicing +them to be in forwardness, may discourage some +kind of suitors, but doth quicken and awake others. +But timing of the suit is the principal. Timing, I +say, not only in respect of the person that should +grant it, but in respect of those, which are like to +cross it. Let a man, in the choice of his mean, rather +choose the fittest mean, than the greatest mean; +and rather them that deal in certain things, than +those that are general. The reparation of a denial, +is sometimes equal to the first grant; if a man +show himself neither dejected nor discontented. +Iniquum petas ut aequum feras is a good rule, +where a man hath strength of favor: but other- +wise, a man were better rise in his suit; for +he, that would have ventured at first to have lost +the suitor, will not in the conclusion lose both the +suitor, and his own former favor. Nothing is +thought so easy a request to a great person, as his +letter; and yet, if it be not in a good cause, it is so +much out of his reputation. There are no worse +instruments, than these general contrivers of suits; +for they are but a kind of poison, and infection, to +public proceedings. + + + + +Of Studies + + + +STUDIES serve for delight, for ornament, and +for ability. Their chief use for delight, is in +privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in dis- +course; and for ability, is in the judgment, and +disposition of business. For expert men can exe- +cute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; +but the general counsels, and the plots and mar- +shalling of affairs, come best, from those that are +learned. To spend too much time in studies is sloth; +to use them too much for ornament, is affectation; +to make judgment wholly by their rules, is the +humor of a scholar. They perfect nature, and are +perfected by experience: for natural abilities are +like natural plants, that need proyning, by study; +and studies themselves, do give forth directions too +much at large, except they be bounded in by ex- +perience. Crafty men contemn studies, simple men +admire them, and wise men use them; for they +teach not their own use; but that is a wisdom with- +out them, and above them, won by observation. +Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe +and take for granted; nor to find talk and dis- +course; but to weigh and consider. Some books are +to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few +to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are +to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not +curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and +with diligence and attention. Some books also may +be read by deputy, and extracts made of them by +others; but that would be only in the less impor- +tant arguments, and the meaner sort of books, else +distilled books are like common distilled waters, +flashy things. Reading maketh a full man; confer- +ence a ready man; and writing an exact man. And +therefore, if a man write little, he had need have +a great memory; if he confer little, he had need +have a present wit: and if he read little, he had +need have much cunning, to seem to know, that +he doth not. Histories make men wise; poets witty; +the mathematics subtile; natural philosophy deep; +moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. +Abeunt studia in mores. Nay, there is no stond or +impediment in the wit, but may be wrought out +by fit studies; like as diseases of the body, may +have appropriate exercises. Bowling is good for +the stone and reins; shooting for the lungs and +breast; gentle walking for the stomach; riding for +the head; and the like. So if a man's wit be wan- +dering, let him study the mathematics; for in +demonstrations, if his wit be called away never so +little, he must begin again. If his wit be not apt to +distinguish or find differences, let him study the +Schoolmen; for they are cymini sectores. If he be +not apt to beat over matters, and to call up one +thing to prove and illustrate another, let him study 197 +the lawyers' cases. So every defect of the mind, +may have a special receipt. + + + + + + +Of Faction + +MANY have an opinion not wise, that for a +prince to govern his estate, or for a great +person to govern his proceedings, according to the +respect of factions, is a principal part of policy; +whereas contrariwise, the chiefest wisdom, is +either in ordering those things which are general, +and wherein men of several factions do neverthe- +less agree; or in dealing with correspondence to +particular persons, one by one. But I say not that +the considerations of factions, is to be neglected. +Mean men, in their rising, must adhere; but +great men, that have strength in themselves, were +better to maintain themselves indifferent, and +neutral. Yet even in beginners, to adhere so moder- +ately, as he be a man of the one faction, which is +most passable with the other, commonly giveth +best way. The lower and weaker faction, is the +firmer in conjunction; and it is often seen, that a +few that are stiff, do tire out a greater number, that +are more moderate. When one of the factions is ex- +tinguished, the remaining subdivideth; as the +faction between Lucullus, and the rest of the +nobles of the senate (which they called Optimates) +held out awhile, against the faction of Pompey +and Caesar; but when the senate's authority was +pulled down, Caesar and Pompey soon after brake. +The faction or party of Antonius and Octavianus +Caesar, against Brutus and Cassius, held out like- +wise for a time; but when Brutus and Cassius were +overthrown, then soon after, Antonius and Octa- +vianus brake and subdivided. These examples are +of wars, but the same holdeth in private factions. +And therefore, those that are seconds in factions, +do many times, when the faction subdivideth, +prove principals; but many times also, they prove +ciphers and cashiered; for many a man's strength +is in opposition; and when that faileth, he groweth +out of use. It is commonly seen, that men, once +placed, take in with the contrary faction, to that +by which they enter: thinking belike, that they +have the first sure, and now are ready for a new +purchase. The traitor in faction, lightly goeth +away with it; for when matters have stuck long in +balancing, the winning of some one man casteth +them, and he getteth all the thanks. The even car- +riage between two factions, proceedeth not always +of moderation, but of a trueness to a man's self, +with end to make use of both. Certainly in Italy, +they hold it a little suspect in popes, when they +have often in their mouth Padre commune: and +take it to be a sign of one, that meaneth to refer all +to the greatness of his own house. Kings had need +beware, how they side themselves, and make +themselves as of a faction or party; for leagues +within the state, are ever pernicious to monarchies: +for they raise an obligation, paramount to obliga- +tion of sovereignty, and make the king tanquam +unus ex nobis; as was to be seen in the League of +France. When factions are carried too high and too +violently, it is a sign of weakness in princes; and +much to the prejudice, both of their authority and +business. The motions of factions under kings +ought to be, like the motions (as the astronomers +speak) of the inferior orbs, which may have their +proper motions, but yet still are quietly carried, by +the higher motion of primum mobile. + + + + + +Of Ceremonies, + +AND RESPECTS + + + + + +HE THAT is only real, had need have exceed- +ing great parts of virtue; as the stone had +need to be rich, that is set without foil. But if a +man mark it well, it is, in praise and commenda- +tion of men, as it is in gettings and gains: for the +proverb is true, That light gains make heavy +purses; for light gains come thick, whereas great, +come but now and then. So it is true, that small +matters win great commendation, because they +are continually in use and in note: whereas the +occasion of any great virtue, cometh but on festi- +vals. Therefore it doth much add to a man's reputa- +tion, and is (as Queen Isabella said) like perpetual +letters commendatory, to have good forms. To at- +tain them, it almost sufficeth not to despise them; +for so shall a man observe them in others; and let +him trust himself with the rest. For if he labor too +much to express them, he shall lose their grace; +which is to be natural and unaffected. Some men's +behavior is like a verse, wherein every syllable is +measured; how can a man comprehend great mat- +ters, that breaketh his mind too much, to small +observations? Not to use ceremonies at all, is to +teach others not to use them again; and so dimin- +isheth respect to himself; especially they be not to +be omitted, to strangers and formal natures; but +the dwelling upon them, and exalting them above +the moon, is not only tedious, but doth diminish +the faith and credit of him that speaks. And cer- +tainly, there is a kind of conveying, of effectual +and imprinting passages amongst compliments, +which is of singular use, if a man can hit upon it. +Amongst a man's peers, a man shall be sure of +familiarity; and therefore it is good, a little to keep +state. Amongst a man's inferiors one shall be sure +of reverence; and therefore it is good, a little to be +familiar. He that is too much in anything, so that +he giveth another occasion of satiety, maketh him- +self cheap. To apply one's self to others, is good; so +it be with demonstration, that a man doth it upon +regard, and not upon facility. It is a good precept +generally, in seconding another, yet to add some- +what of one's own: as if you will grant his opinion, +let it be with some distinction; if you will follow +his motion, let it be with condition; if you allow +his counsel, let it be with alleging further reason. +Men had need beware, how they be too perfect in +compliments; for be they never so sufficient other- +wise, their enviers will be sure to give them that +attribute, to the disadvantage of their greater vir- +tues. It is loss also in business, to be too full of re- +spects, or to be curious, in observing times and +opportunities. Solomon saith, He that considereth +the wind, shall not sow, and he that looketh to +the clouds, shall not reap. A wise man will make +more opportunities, than he finds. Men's behavior +should be, like their apparel, not too strait or point +device, but free for exercise or motion. + + + + + + +Of Praise + + +PRAISE is the reflection of virtue; but it is as +the glass or body, which giveth the reflec- +tion. If it be from the common people, it is com- +monly false and naught; and rather followeth vain +persons, than virtuous. For the common people +understand not many excellent virtues. The lowest +virtues draw praise from them; the middle virtues +work in them astonishment or admiration; but of +the highest virtues, they have no sense of perceiv- +ing at all. But shows, and species virtutibus similes, +serve best with them. Certainly fame is like a river, +that beareth up things light and swoln, and drowns +things weighty and solid. But if persons of quality +and judgment concur, then it is (as the Scripture +saith) nomen bonum instar unguenti fragrantis. +It fireth all round about, and will not easily away. +For the odors of ointments are more durable, than +those of flowers. There be so many false points of +praise, that a man may justly hold it a suspect. +Some praises proceed merely of flattery; and if he +be an ordinary flatterer, he will have certain com- +mon attributes, which may serve every man; if he +be a cunning flatterer, he will follow the arch- +flatterer, which is a man's self; and wherein a man +thinketh best of himself, therein the flatterer will +uphold him most: but if he be an impudent flat- +terer, look wherein a man is conscious to himself, +that he is most defective, and is most out of counte- +nance in himself, that will the flatterer entitle him +to perforce, spreta conscientia. Some praises come +of good wishes and respects, which is a form due, in +civility, to kings and great persons, laudando +praecipere, when by telling men what they are, +they represent to them, what they should be. Some +men are praised maliciously, to their hurt, thereby +to stir envy and jealousy towards them: pessimum +genus inimicorum laudantium; insomuch as it +was a proverb, amongst the Grecians, that he that +was praised to his hurt, should have a push rise +upon his nose; as we say, that a blister will rise +upon one's tongue, that tells a lie. Certainly mod- +erate praise, used with opportunity, and not vul- +gar, is that which doth the good. Solomon saith, +He that praiseth his friend aloud, rising early, it +shall be to him no better than a curse. Too much +magnifying of man or matter, doth irritate con- +tradiction, and procure envy and scorn. To praise +a man's self, cannot be decent, except it be in rare +cases; but to praise a man's office or profession, he +may do it with good grace, and with a kind of mag- +nanimity. The cardinals of Rome, which are theo- +logues, and friars, and Schoolmen, have a phrase +of notable contempt and scorn towards civil busi- +ness: for they call all temporal business of wars, +embassages, judicature, and other employments, +sbirrerie, which is under-sheriffries; as if they +were but matters, for under-sheriffs and catch- +poles: though many times those under-sheriffries +do more good, than their high speculations. St. +Paul, when he boasts of himself, he doth oft inter- +lace, I speak like a fool; but speaking of his calling, +he saith, magnificabo apostolatum meum. + + + + +Of Vain-glory + + + +IT WAS prettily devised of AEsop, The fly sat +upon the axle-tree of the chariot wheel, and +said, What a dust do I raise! So are there some vain +persons, that whatsoever goeth alone, or moveth +upon greater means, if they have never so little +hand in it, they think it is they that carry it. They +that are glorious, must needs be factious; for all +bravery stands upon comparisons. They must +needs be violent, to make good their own vaunts. +Neither can they be secret, and therefore not ef- +fectual; but according to the French proverb, +Beaucoup de bruit, peu de fruit; Much bruit little +fruit. Yet certainly, there is use of this quality in +civil affairs. Where there is an opinion and fame to +be created, either of virtue or greatness, these men +are good trumpeters. Again, as Titus Livius noteth, +in the case of Antiochus and the AEtolians, There +are sometimes great effects, of cross lies; as if a +man, that negotiates between two princes, to draw +them to join in a war against the third, doth extol +the forces of either of them, above measure, the +one to the other: and sometimes he that deals be- +tween man and man, raiseth his own credit with +both, by pretending greater interest than he hath +in either. And in these and the like kinds, it often +falls out, that somewhat is produced of nothing; +for lies are sufficient to breed opinion, and opinion +brings on substance. In militar commanders and +soldiers, vain-glory is an essential point; for as +iron sharpens iron, so by glory, one courage sharp- +eneth another. In cases of great enterprise upon +charge and adventure, a composition of glorious +natures, doth put life into business; and those that +are of solid and sober natures, have more of the +ballast, than of the sail. In fame of learning, the +flight will be slow without some feathers of osten- +tation. Qui de contemnenda gloria libros scri- +bunt, nomen, suum inscribunt. Socrates, Aristotle, +Galen, were men full of ostentation. Certainly +vain-glory helpeth to perpetuate a man's memory; +and virtue was never so beholding to human na- +ture, as it received his due at the second hand. +Neither had the fame of Cicero, Seneca, Plinius +Secundus, borne her age so well, if it had not been +joined with some vanity in themselves; like unto +varnish, that makes ceilings not only shine but +last. But all this while, when I speak of vain-glory, +I mean not of that property, that Tacitus doth at- +tribute to Mucianus; Omnium quae dixerat fece- +ratque arte quadam ostentator: for that proceeds +not of vanity, but of natural magnanimity and +discretion; and in some persons, is not only comely, +but gracious. For excusations, cessions, modesty +itself well governed, are but arts of ostentation. +And amongst those arts, there is none better than +that which Plinius Secundus speaketh of, which is +to be liberal of praise and commendation to others, +in that, wherein a man's self hath any perfection. +For saith Pliny, very wittily, In commending +another, you do yourself right; for he that you +commend, is either superior to you in that you +commend, or inferior. If he be inferior, if he be to +be commended, you much more; if he be superior, +if he be not to be commended, you much less. +Glorious men are the scorn of wise men, the ad- +miration of fools, the idols of parasites, and the +slaves of their own vaunts. + + + + + + +Of Honor +AND REPUTATION + + + +THE winning of honor, is but the revealing of +a man,s virtue and worth, without disadvan- +tage. For some in their actions, do woo and effect +honor and reputation, which sort of men, are +commonly much talked of, but inwardly little +admired. And some, contrariwise, darken their +virtue in the show of it; so as they be undervalued +in opinion. If a man perform that, which hath not +been attempted before; or attempted and given +over; or hath been achieved, but not with so good +circumstance; he shall purchase more honor, than +by effecting a matter of greater difficulty or virtue, +wherein he is but a follower. If a man so temper +his actions, as in some one of them he doth content +every faction, or combination of people, the music +will be the fuller. A man is an ill husband of bis +honor, that entereth into any action, the failing +wherein may disgrace him, more than the carry- +ing of it through, can honor him. Honor that is +gained and broken upon another, hath the quick- +est reflection, like diamonds cut with facets. And +therefore, let a man contend to excel any competi- +tors of his in honor, in outshooting them, if he can, +in their own bow. Discreet followers and servants, +help much to reputation. Omnis fama a domesticis +emanat. Envy, which is the canker of honor, is +best extinguished by declaring a man's self in +his ends, rather to seek merit than fame; and by +attributing a man's successes, rather to divine +Providence and felicity, than to his own virtue or +policy. + +The true marshalling of the degrees of sovereign +honor, are these: In the first place are conditores +imperiorum, founders of states and common- +wealths; such as were Romulus, Cyrus, Caesar, +Ottoman, Ismael. In the second place are legis- +latores, lawgivers; which are also called second +founders, or perpetui principes, because they gov- +ern by their ordinances after they are gone; such +were Lycurgus, Solon, Justinian, Eadgar, Alphon- +sus of Castile, the Wise, that made the Siete Parti- +das. In the third place are liberatores, or salvatores, +such as compound the long miseries of civil +wars, or deliver their countries from servitude of +strangers or tyrants; as Augustus Caesar, Vespasi- +anus, Aurelianus, Theodoricus, King Henry the +Seventh of England, King Henry the Fourth of +France. In the fourth place are propagatores or +propugnatores imperii; such as in honorable wars +enlarge their territories, or make noble defence +against invaders. And in the last place are patres +patriae; which reign justly, and make the times +good wherein they live. Both which last kinds need +no examples, they are in such number. Degrees of +honor, in subjects, are, first participes curarum, +those upon whom, princes do discharge the great- +est weight of their affairs; their right hands, as +we call them. The next are duces belli, great leaders +in war; such as are princes' lieutenants, and do +them notable services in the wars. The third are +gratiosi, favorites; such as exceed not this scant- +ling, to be solace to the sovereign, and harmless to +the people. And the fourth, negotiis pares; such as +have great places under princes, and execute their +places, with sufficiency. There is an honor, like- +wise, which may be ranked amongst the greatest, +which happeneth rarely; that is, of such as sacri- +fice themselves to death or danger for the good of +their country; as was M. Regulus, and the two +Decii. + + + +Of Judicature + + +JUDGES ought to remember, that their office is +jus dicere, and not jus dare; to interpret law, +and not to make law, or give law. Else will it be +like the authority, claimed by the Church of Rome, +which under pretext of exposition of Scripture, +doth not stick to add and alter; and to pronounce +that which they do not find; and by show of an- +tiquity, to introduce novelty. Judges ought to be +more learned, than witty, more reverend, than +plausible,and more advised, than confident. Above +all things, integrity is their portion and proper +virtue. Cursed (saith the law) is he that removeth +the landmark. The mislayer of a mere-stone is to +blame. But it is the unjust judge, that is the capital +remover of landmarks, when he defineth amiss, of +lands and property. One foul sentence doth more +hurt, than many foul examples. For these do but +corrupt the stream, the other corrupteth the foun- +tain. So with Solomon, Fons turbatus, et vena +corrupta, est justus cadens in causa sua coram +adversario. The office of judges may have reference +unto the parties that use, unto the advocates that +plead, unto the clerks and ministers of justice +underneath them, and to the sovereign or state +above them. + +First, for the causes or parties that sue. There be +(saith the Scripture) that turn judgment, into +wormwood; and surely there be also, that turn it +into vinegar; for injustice maketh it bitter, and +delays make it sour. The principal duty of a judge, +is to suppress force and fraud; whereof force is the +more pernicious, when it is open, and fraud, when +it is close and disguised. Add thereto contentious +suits, which ought to be spewed out, as the surfeit +of courts. A judge ought to prepare his way to a +just sentence, as God useth to prepare his way, by +raising valleys and taking down hills: so when +there appeareth on either side an high hand, vio- +lent prosecution, cunning advantages taken, com- +bination, power, great counsel, then is the virtue +of a judge seen, to make inequality equal; that he +may plant his judgment as upon an even ground. +Qui fortiter emungit, elicit sanguinem; and where +the wine-press is hard wrought, it yields a harsh +wine, that tastes of the grape-stone. Judges must +beware of hard constructions, and strained infer- +ences; for there is no worse torture, than the tor- +ture of laws. Specially in case of laws penal, they +ought to have care, that that which was meant for +terror, be not turned into rigor; and that they +bring not upon the people, that shower whereof +the Scripture speaketh, Pluet super eos laqueos; +for penal laws pressed, are a shower of snares upon +the people. Therefore let penal laws, if they have +been sleepers of long, or if they be grown unfit for +the present time, be by wise judges confined in the +execution: Judicis officium est, ut res, ita tempora +rerum, etc. In causes of life and death, judges ought +(as far as the law permitteth) in justice to remem- +ber mercy; and to cast a severe eye upon the +example, but a merciful eye upon the person. + +Secondly, for the advocates and counsel that +plead. Patience and gravity of hearing, is an essen- +tial part of justice; and an overspeaking judge is no +well-tuned cymbal. It is no grace to a judge, first +to find that, which he might have heard in due +time from the bar; or to show quickness of conceit, +in cutting off evidence or counsel too short; or to +prevent information by questions, though perti- +nent. The parts of a judge in hearing, are four: to +direct the evidence; to moderate length, repetition, +or impertinency of speech; to recapitulate, select, +and collate the material points, of that which hath +been said; and to give the rule or sentence. What- +soever is above these is too much; and proceedeth +either of glory, and willingness to speak, or of im- +patience to hear, or of shortness of memory, or of +want of a staid and equal attention. It is a strange +thing to see, that the boldness of advocates should +prevail with judges; whereas they should imitate +God, in whose seat they sit; who represseth the pre- +sumptuous, and giveth grace to the modest. But it +is more strange, that judges should have noted +favorites; which cannot but cause multiplication +of fees, and suspicion of by-ways. There is due from +the judge to the advocate, some commendation +and gracing, where causes are well handled and +fair pleaded; especially towards the side which +obtaineth not; for that upholds in the client, the +reputation of his counsel, and beats down in him +the conceit of his cause. There is likewise due to the +public, a civil reprehension of advocates, where +there appeareth cunning counsel, gross neglect, +slight information, indiscreet pressing, or an over- +bold defence. And let not the counsel at the bar, +chop with the judge, nor wind himself into the +handling of the cause anew, after the judge hath +declared his sentence; but, on the other side, let +not the judge meet the cause half way, nor give +occasion to the party, to say his counsel or proofs +were not heard. + +Thirdly, for that that concerns clerks and minis- +ters. The place of justice is an hallowed place; and +therefore not only the bench, but the foot-place; +and precincts and purprise thereof, ought to be +preserved without scandal and corruption. For +certainly grapes (as the Scripture saith) will not +be gathered of thorns or thistles; either can justice +yield her fruit with sweetness, amongst the briars +and brambles of catching and polling clerks, and +ministers. The attendance of courts, is subject to +four bad instruments. First, certain persons that +are sowers of suits; which make the court swell, +and the country pine. The second sort is of those, +that engage courts in quarrels of jurisdiction, and +are not truly amici curiae, but parasiti curiae, in +puffing a court up beyond her bounds, for their +own scraps and advantage. The third sort, is of +those that may be accounted the left hands of +courts; persons that are full of nimble and sinister +tricks and shifts, whereby they pervert the plain +and direct courses of courts, and bring justice into +oblique lines and labyrinths. And the fourth, is the +poller and exacter of fees; which justifies the com- +mon resemblance of the courts of justice, to the +bush whereunto, while the sheep flies for defence +in weather, he is sure to lose part of his fleece. On +the other side, an ancient clerk, skilful in prece- +dents, wary in proceeding, and understanding in +the business of the court, is an excellent finger of +a court; and doth many times point the way to the +judge himself. + +Fourthly, for that which may concern the sov- +ereign and estate. Judges ought above all to re- +member the conclusion of the Roman Twelve +Tables; Salus populi suprema lex; and to know +that laws, except they be in order to that end, are +but things captious, and oracles not well inspired. +Therefore it is an happy thing in a state, when +kings and states do often consult with judges; and +again, when judges do often consult with the king +and state: the one, when there is matter of law, +intervenient in business of state; the other, when +there is some consideration of state, intervenient +in matter of law. For many times the things de- +duced to judgment may be meum and tuum, when +the reason and consequence thereof may trench to +point of estate: I call matter of estate, not only the +parts of sovereignty, but whatsoever introduceth +any great alteration, or dangerous precedent; or +concerneth manifestly any great portion of peo- +ple. And let no man weakly conceive, that just +laws and true policy have any antipathy; for they +are like the spirits and sinews, that one moves with +the other. Let judges also remember, that Solo- +mon's throne was supported by lions on both sides: +let them be lions, but yet lions under the throne; +being circumspect that they do not check or oppose +any points of sovereignty. Let not judges also be +ignorant of their own right, as to think there is not +left to them, as a principal part of their office, a +wise use and application of laws. For they may +remember, what the apostle saith of a greater law +than theirs; Nos scimus quia lex bona est, modo +quis ea utatur legitime. + + + + + +Of Anger + + +TO SEEK to extinguish anger utterly, is but a +bravery of the Stoics. We have better oracles: +Be angry, but sin not. Let not the sun go down +upon your anger. Anger must be limited and con- +fined, both in race and in time. We will first speak +how the natural inclination and habit to be angry, +may be attempted and calmed. Secondly, how the +particular motions of anger may be repressed, or +at least refrained from doing mischief. Thirdly, +how to raise anger, or appease anger in another. + +For the first; there is no other way but to medi- +tate, and ruminate well upon the effects of anger, +how it troubles man's life. And the best time to do +this, is to look back upon anger, when the fit is +thoroughly over. Seneca saith well, That anger is +like ruin, which breaks itself upon that it falls. +The Scripture exhorteth us to possess our souls in +patience. Whosoever is out of patience, is out of +possession of his soul. Men must not turn bees; + + +... animasque in vulnere ponunt. + + + +Anger is certainly a kind of baseness; as it ap- +pears well in the weakness of those subjects in +whom it reigns; children, women, old folks, sick +folks. Only men must beware, that they carry +their anger rather with scorn, than with fear; so +that they may seem rather to be above the injury, +than below it; which is a thing easily done, if a +man will give law to himself in it. + +For the second point; the causes and motives of +anger, are chiefly three. First, to be too sensible of +hurt; for no man is angry, that feels not himself +hurt; and therefore tender and delicate persons +must needs be oft angry; they have so many things +to trouble them, which more robust natures have +little sense of. The next is, the apprehension and +construction of the injury offered, to be, in the cir- +cumstances thereof, full of contempt: for contempt +is that, which putteth an edge upon anger, as much +or more than the hurt itself. And therefore, when +men are ingenious in picking out circumstances of +contempt, they do kindle their anger much. Lastly, +opinion of the touch of a man's reputation, doth +multiply and sharpen anger. Wherein the remedy +is, that a man should have, as Consalvo was wont +to say, telam honoris crassiorem. But in all refrain- +ings of anger, it is the best remedy to win time; +and to make a man's self believe, that the oppor- +tunity of his revenge is not yet come, but that he +foresees a time for it; and so to still himself in the +meantime, and reserve it. + +To contain anger from mischief, though it take +hold of a man, there be two things, whereof you +must have special caution. The one, of extreme bit- +terness of words, especially if they be aculeate and +proper; for cummunia maledicta are nothing so +much; and again, that in anger a man reveal no +secrets; for that, makes him not fit for society. The +other, that you do not peremptorily break off, in +any business, in a fit of anger; but howsoever you +show bitterness, do not act anything, that is not +revocable. + +For raising and appeasing anger in another; it +is done chiefly by choosing of times, when men +are frowardest and worst disposed, to incense +them. Again, by gathering (as was touched before) +all that you can find out, to aggravate the con- +tempt. And the two remedies are by the contraries. +The former to take good times, when first to relate +to a man an angry business; for the first impres- +sion is much; and the other is, to sever, as much as +may be, the construction of the injury from the +point of contempt; imputing it to misunderstand- +ing, fear, passion, or what you will. + + + + +Of Vicissitude +OF THINGS + + + +SOLOMON saith, There is no new thing upon +the earth. So that as Plato had an imagination, +That all knowledge was but remembrance; so +Solomon giveth his sentence, That all novelty is +but oblivion. Whereby you may see, that the river +of Lethe runneth as well above ground as below. +There is an abstruse astrologer that saith, If it were +not for two things that are constant (the one is, +that the fixed stars ever stand a like distance one +from another, and never come nearer together, nor +go further asunder; the other, that the diurnal +motion perpetually keepeth time), no individual +would last one moment. Certain it is, that the mat- +ter is in a perpetual flux, and never at a stay. The +great winding-sheets, that bury all things in ob- +livion, are two; deluges and earthquakes. As for +conflagrations and great droughts, they do not +merely dispeople and destroy. Phaeton's car went +but a day. And the three years' drought in the time +of Elias, was but particular, and left people alive. +As for the great burnings by lightnings, which are +often in the West Indies, they are but narrow. But +in the other two destructions, by deluge and earth- +quake, it is further to be noted, that the remnant +of people which hap to be reserved, are commonly +ignorant and mountainous people, that can give +no account of the time past; so that the oblivion is +all one, as if none had been left. If you consider +well of the people of the West Indies, it is very +probable that they are a newer or a younger peo- +ple, than the people of the Old World. And it is +much more likely, that the destruction that hath +heretofore been there, was not by earthquakes (as +the Egyptian priest told Solon concerning the +island of Atlantis, that it was swallowed by an +earthquake), but rather that it was desolated by a +particular deluge. For earthquakes are seldom in +those parts. But on the other side, they have such +pouring rivers, as the rivers of Asia and Africk and +Europe, are but brooks to them. Their Andes, like- +wise, or mountains, are far higher than those with +us; whereby it seems, that the remnants of gen- +eration of men, were in such a particular deluge +saved. As for the observation that Machiavel hath, +that the jealousy of sects, doth much extinguish +the memory of things; traducing Gregory the +Great, that he did what in him lay, to extinguish +all heathen antiquities; I do not find that those +zeals do any great effects, nor last long; as it ap- +peared in the succession of Sabinian, who did +revive the former antiquities. + +The vicissitude of mutations in the superior +globe, are no fit matter for this present argument. +It may be, Plato's great year, if the world should +last so long, would have some effect; not in renew- +ing the state of like individuals (for that is the fume +of those, that conceive the celestial bodies have +more accurate influences upon these things below, +than indeed they have), but in gross. Comets, out +of question, have likewise power and effect, over +the gross and mass of things; but they are rather +gazed upon, and waited upon in their journey, +than wisely observed in their effects; specially in, +their respective effects; that is, what kind of comet, +for magnitude, color, version of the beams, plac- +ing in the reign of heaven, or lasting, produceth +what kind of effects. + +There is a toy which I have heard, and I would +not have it given over, but waited upon a little. +They say it is observed in the Low Countries (I +know not in what part) that every five and thirty +years, the same kind and suit of years and weath- +ers come about again; as great frosts, great wet, +great droughts, warm winters, summers with little +heat, and the like; and they call it the Prime. It is +a thing I do the rather mention, because, comput- +ing backwards, I have found some concurrence. + +But to leave these points of nature, and to come +to men. The greatest vicissitude of things amongst +men, is the vicissitude of sects and religions. For +those orbs rule in men's minds most. The true re- +ligion is built upon the rock; the rest are tossed, +upon the waves of time. To speak, therefore, of the +causes of new sects; and to give some counsel con- +cerning them, as far as the weakness of human +judgment can give stay, to so great revolutions. +When the religion formerly received, is rent by +discords; and when the holiness of the professors +of religion, is decayed and full of scandal; and +withal the times be stupid, ignorant, and bar- +barous; you may doubt the springing up of a new +sect; if then also, there should arise any extrava- +gant and strange spirit, to make himself author +thereof. All which points held, when Mahomet +published his law. If a new sect have not two prop- +erties, fear it not; for it will not spread. The one is +the supplanting, or the opposing, of authority es- +tablished; for nothing is more popular than that. +The other is the giving license to pleasures, and a +voluptuous life. For as for speculative heresies +(such as were in ancient times the Arians, and now +the Armenians), though they work mightily upon +men's wits, yet they do not produce any great al- +terations in states; except it be by the help of civil +occasions. There be three manner of plantations of +new sects. By the power of signs and miracles; by +the eloquence, and wisdom, of speech and persua- +sion; and by the sword. For martyrdoms, I reckon +them amongst miracles; because they seem to ex- +ceed the strength of human nature: and I may do +the like, of superlative and admirable holiness of +life. Surely there is no better way, to stop the rising +of new sects and schisms, than to reform abuses; to +compound the smaller differences; to proceed +mildly, and not with sanguinary persecutions; +and rather to take off the principal authors by win- +ning and advancing them, than to enrage them +by violence and bitterness. + +The changes and vicissitude in wars are many; +but chiefly in three things; in the seats or stages of +the war; in the weapons; and in the manner of the +conduct. Wars, in ancient time, seemed more to +move from east to west; for the Persians, Assyrians, +Arabians, Tartars (which were the invaders) were +all eastern people. It is true, the Gauls were west- +ern; but we read but of two incursions of theirs: +the one to Gallo-Grecia, the other to Rome. But east +and west have no certain points of heaven; and no +more have the wars, either from the east or west, +any certainty of observation. But north and south +are fixed; and it hath seldom or never been seen +that the far southern people have invaded the +northern, but contrariwise. Whereby it is manifest +that the northern tract of the world, is in nature +the more martial region: be it in respect of the stars +of that hemisphere; or of the great continents that +are upon the north, whereas the south part, for +aught that is known, is almost all sea; or (which is +most apparent) of the cold of the northern parts, +which is that which, without aid of discipline, +doth make the bodies hardest, and the courages +warmest. + +Upon the breaking and shivering of a great state +and empire, you may be sure to have wars. For +great empires, while they stand, do enervate and +destroy the forces of the natives which they have +subdued, resting upon their own protecting forces; +and then when they fail also, all goes to ruin, and +they become a prey. So was it in the decay of the +Roman empire; and likewise in the empire of +Almaigne, after Charles the Great, every bird tak- +ing a feather; and were not unlike to befall to +Spain, if it should break. The great accessions and +unions of kingdoms, do likewise stir up wars; for +when a state grows to an over-power, it is like a +great flood, that will be sure to overflow. As it hath +been seen in the states of Rome, Turkey, Spain, +and others. Look when the world hath fewest bar- +barous peoples, but such as commonly will not +marry or generate, except they know means to live +(as it is almost everywhere at this day, except Tar- +tary), there is no danger of inundations of people; +but when there be great shoals of people, which go +on to populate, without foreseeing means of life +and sustentation, it is of necessity that once in an +age or two, they discharge a portion of their people +upon other nations; which the ancient northern +people were wont to do by lot; casting lots what +part should stay at home, and what should seek +their fortunes. When a warlike state grows soft and +effeminate, they may be sure of a war. For com- +monly such states are grownm rich in the time of +their degenerating; and so the prey inviteth, and +their decay in valor, encourageth a war. + +As for the weapons, it hardly falleth under rule +and observation: yet we see even they, have re- +turns and vicissitudes. For certain it is, that ord- +nance was known in the city of the Oxidrakes in +India; and was that, which the Macedonians +called thunder and lightning, and magic. And it +is well known that the use of ordnance, hath been +in China above two thousand years. The conditions +of weapons, and their improvement, are; First, the +fetching afar off; for that outruns the danger; as +it is seen in ordnance and muskets. Secondly, the +strength of the percussion; wherein likewise ord- +nance do exceed all arietations and ancient inven- +tions. The third is, the commodious use of them; as +that they may serve in all weathers; that the car- +riage may be light and manageable; and the like. + +For the conduct of the war: at the first, men +rested extremely upon number: they did put the +wars likewise upon main force and valor; pointing +days for pitched fields, and so trying it out upon +an even match and they were more ignorant in +ranging and arraying their battles. After, they +grew to rest upon number rather competent, than +vast; they grew to advantages of place, cunning +diversions, and the like: and they grew more skil- +ful in the ordering of their battles. + +In the youth of a state, arms do flourish; in the +middle age of a state, learning; and then both of +them together for a time; in the declining age of a +state, mechanical arts and merchandize. Learning +hath his infancy, when it is but beginning and +almost childish; then his youth, when it is luxuri- +ant and juvenile; then his strength of years, when +it is solid and reduced; and lastly, his old age, when +it waxeth dry and exhaust. But it is not good to look +too long upon these turning wheels of vicissitude, +lest we become giddy. As for the philology of +them, that is but a circle of tales, and therefore not +fit for this writing. + + + + + +Of Fame + + +THE poets make Fame a monster. They de- +scribe her in part finely and elegantly, and +in part gravely and sententiously. They say, look +how many feathers she hath, so many eyes she +hath underneath; so many tongues; so many +voices; she pricks up so many ears. + +This is a flourish. There follow excellent par- +ables; as that, she gathereth strength in going; +that she goeth upon the ground, and yet hideth her +head in the clouds; that in the daytime she sitteth +in a watch tower, and flieth most by night; that +she mingleth things done, with things not done; +and that she is a terror to great cities. But that +which passeth all the rest is: They do recount that +the Earth, mother of the giants that made war +against Jupiter, and were by him destroyed, there- +upon in an anger brought forth Fame. For certain +it is, that rebels, figured by the giants, and seditious +fames and libels, are but brothers and sisters, mas- +culine and feminine. But now, if a man can tame +this monster, and bring her to feed at the hand, +and govern her, and with her fly other ravening +fowl and kill them, it is somewhat worth. But we +are infected with the style of the poets. To speak +now in a sad and serious manner: There is not, in +all the politics, a place less handled and more +worthy to be handled, than this of fame. We will +therefore speak of these points: What are false +fames; and what are true fames; and how they +may be best discerned; how fames may be sown, +and raised; how they may be spread, and multi- +plied; and how they may be checked, and laid +dead. And other things concerning the nature of +fame. Fame is of that force, as there is scarcely any +great action, wherein it hath not a great part; es- +pecially in the war. Mucianus undid Vitellius, by +a fame that he scattered, that Vitellius had in pur- +pose to remove the legions of Syria into Germany, +and the legions of Germany into Syria; where- +upon the legions of Syria were infinitely inflamed. +Julius Caesar took Pompey unprovided, and laid +asleep his industry and preparations, by a fame +that he cunningly gave out: Caesar's own soldiers +loved him not, and being wearied with the wars, +and laden with the spoils of Gaul, would forsake +him, as soon as he came into Italy. Livia settled +all things for the succession of her son Tiberius, by +continual giving out, that her husband Augustus +was upon recovery and amendment, and it is an +usual thing with the pashas, to conceal the death +of the Great Turk from the janizaries and men of +war, to save the sacking of Constantinople and +other towns, as their manner is. Themistocles made +Xerxes, king of Persia, post apace out of Grecia, by +giving out, that the Grecians had a purpose to +break his bridge of ships, which he had made ath- +wart Hellespont. There be a thousand such like +examples; and the more they are, the less they +need to be repeated; because a man meeteth with +them everywhere. Therefore let all wise governors +have as great a watch and care over fames, as they +have of the actions and designs themselves. + + +[This essay was not finished] + + + +A Glossary +OF ARCHAIC WORDS +AND PHRASES + + + + +Abridgment: miniature +Absurd: stupid, unpolished +Abuse: cheat, deceive +Aculeate: stinging +Adamant: loadstone +Adust: scorched +Advoutress: adulteress +Affect: like, desire +Antic: clown +Appose: question +Arietation: battering-ram +Audit: revenue +Avoidance: secret outlet +Battle: battalion +Bestow: settle in life +Blanch: flatter, evade +Brave: boastful +Bravery: boast, ostentation +Broke: deal in brokerage +Broken: shine by comparison +Broken music: part music +Cabinet: secret +Calendar: weather forecast +Card: chart, map +Care not to: are reckless +Cast: plan +Cat: cate, cake +Charge and adventure: cost and +risk +Check with: interfere +Chop: bandy words +Civil: peaceful +Close: secret, secretive +Collect: infer +Compound: compromise +Consent: agreement +Curious: elaborate +Custom: import duties +Deceive: rob +Derive: divert +Difficileness: moroseness +Discover: reveal +Donative: money gift +Doubt: fear +Equipollent: equally powerful +Espial: spy +Estate: state +Facility: of easy persuasion +Fair: rather +Fame: rumor +Favor: feature +Flashy: insipid +Foot-pace: lobby +Foreseen: guarded against +Froward: stubborn +Futile: babbling +Globe: complete body +Glorious: showy, boastful +Humorous: capricious +Hundred poll: hundredth head +Impertinent: irrelevant +Implicit: entangled + + + +In a mean: in moderation +In smother: suppressed +Indifferent: impartial +Intend: attend to +Knap:knoll +Leese: lose +Let: hinder +Loose: shot +Lot: spell +Lurch: intercept +Make: profit, get +Manage: train +Mate: conquer +Material: business-like +Mere-stone: boundary stone +Muniting: fortifying +Nerve: sinew +Obnoxious: subservient, liable +Oes: round spangles +Pair: impair +Pardon: allowance +Passable: mediocre +Pine-apple-tree: pine +Plantation: colony +Platform: plan +Plausible: praiseworthy +Point device: excessively precise +Politic: politician +Poll: extort +Poser: examiner +Practice: plotting +Preoccupate: anticipate +Prest: prepared +Prick: plant +Proper: personal +Prospective: stereoscope +Proyne: prune +Purprise: enclosure +Push: pimple +Quarrel: pretext +Quech: flinch +Reason: principle +Recamera: retiring-room +Return: reaction +Return: wing running back +Rise: dignity +Round: straight +Save: account for +Scantling: measure +Seel: blind +Shrewd: mischievous +Sort: associate +Spial: spy +Staddle: sapling +Steal: do secretly +Stirp: family +Stond: stop, stand +Stoved: hot-housed +Style: title +Success: outcome +Sumptuary law: law against +extravagance +Superior globe: the heavens +Temper: proportion +Tendering: nursing +Tract: line, trait +Travel: travail, labor +Treaties: treatises +Trench to: touch +Trivial: common +Turquet: Turkish dwarf +Under foot: below value +Unready: untrained +Usury: interest +Value: certify +Virtuous: able +Votary: vowed +Wanton: spoiled +Wood: maze +Work: manage, utilize + + + + +End of The Project Gutenberg Etext of Essays of Francis Bacon + |