good to break the ice by fome whofe Words are of less weight, and to reserve the more weighty Voice to come in as by chance, fo that he may be asked the Question upon the other's Speech; as Narciffus did, in relating to Claudius, the Marriage of Meffalina and Silius.6

In Things, that a Man would not be seen in himself, it is a Point of Cunning to borrow the Name of the World; as to fay, The World fays, or, There is a Speech abroad.

I knew one that, when he wrote a Letter, he would put that which was moft Material in the Poft-fcript, 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 moft; 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 furprized at fuch times as it is like the party, that they work upon, will fuddenly come upon them and to be found

with a Letter in their hand, or

doing somewhat

which they are not accustomed; to the end, they may be apposed of those things which of themselves they are defirous 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 Advantage. I knew two that were Competitors, for the Secretary's Place, in Queen Elizabeth's time, and yet kept good Quarter between themselves;

6 Vid. Tacit. Ann. xi. 29. feq. It was rather the intrigue of Meffalina and Silas. Narciffus was the freedman of Claudius, and his pander. On the disclosure Silas was put to death.

7 Appofed, i. e. questioned.

and would confer, one with another upon the Bufinefs; and the one of them said, That to be a Secretary, in the Declination of a Monarchy, was a ticklish Thing, and that he did not affect it: the other ftraight caught up those Words, and difcourfed with divers of his Friends, that he had no reason to desire to be Secretary in the Declination of a Monarchy. The firft Man took hold of it, and found Means it was told the Queen; who hearing of a Declination of a Monarchy, took it fo 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;8 which is, when that which a Man fays to another, he lays it as if another had said it to him; and to fay Truth, it is not easy, when fuch a Matter paffed between two, to make it appear from which of them it first moved and began.

It is a way, that fome men have, to glance and dart at others by justifying themselves by Negatives; as to say, This I do not: as Tigillinus did towards Burrhus; Se non diverfas fpes, fed Incolumitatem Imperatoris fimpliciter fpectare.9

Some have in readiness so many Tales and Stories, as there is Nothing they would infinuate, but they can wrap it into a Tale; which ferveth 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

8 It was originally no doubt "Cate in the pan," but thus popularly corrupted. The allufion is probably to the dexterous turning or fhifting the fide of a pancake by a fleight of hand familiar to cooks. Tacit. Ann. xiv. 57.

Propofitions; for it makes the other Party stick the lefs.

It is ftrange how long fome Men will lie in wait to speak somewhat they defire to fay; and how far about they will fetch; and how many other Matters they will beat over to come near it; it is a Thing of great Patience, but yet of much Ufe.

A fudden, 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 fuddenly came behind him and called him by his true Name, whereat ftraightways he looked back.

But these small Wares and petty Points of Cunning are infinite; 10 and it were a good deed to make a Lift of them; for that nothing doth more hurt in a State than that Cunning Men pafs for Wife.

But certainly fome there are that know the Reforts and Falls of Business, that cannot fink 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 Conclufion, 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 abufing of others, and (as we now fay) putting Tricks upon them, than upon Soundness of their own Proceedings: but Salomon faith, Prudens advertit ad Greffus fuos: Stultus divertit ad Dolos.11

10 In the edition of 1612 is this remarkable variation, "Very many are the differences between cunning and wisdom."

11 Prov. xiv. 15.

XXIII. Of Wisdom for a Man's

Self.

N Ant is a wife Creature for it Self; but it is a fhrewd Thing in an Orchard or Garden. And certainly Men that are great Lovers of Themfelves wafte the Publick. Divide with reason between Self-love and Society; and be fo true to thy Self as thou be not falfe to Others; fpecially to thy King, and Country. It is a poor Centre of a Man's actions, Himfelf. It is right Earth. For that only stands faft upon his own Centre; whereas all Things that have Affinity 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 Themfelves, but their Good and Evil is at the peril of the publick Fortune. But it is a desperate Evil in a Servant to a Prince, or a Citizen in a Republick. For whatsoever Affairs pafs fuch a Man's Hands, he crooketh them to his own Ends: which must needs be often Eccentrick to the Ends of his Mafter or State. Therefore let Princes or States choose fuch Servants as have not this mark; except they mean their Service fhould be made but the Acceffary. That which maketh the Effect more pernicious is, that all Proportion is loft: it were Difproportion enough, for the Servant's Good to be preferred before 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 cafe of bad Officers, Treasurers, Ambassadors, Generals, and other false and corrupt Servants; which fet 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 fuch Servants receive is after the Model of their own Fortune; but the Hurt they fell for that Good is after the Model of their Master's Fortune. And certainly it is the Nature of extreme SelfLovers, as they will fet 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 Themfelves and for either respect they will abandon 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 fure to leave a House, fomewhat before it fall. It is the Wisdom of the Fox, that thrufts 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 fpecially to be noted is, that those which (as Cicero fays of Pompey) are Sui Amantes fine Rivali, are many times unfortunate; and whereas they have all their time facrificed to Themselves, they

It was one of the popular beliefs that the crocodile imitated the cry of a child to attract the mother in order to devour her. But fee Erafm. Adag. in Crocodili Lachrymæ, p. 553. Lugd. 1550. 2 Cicero ad Quint. Frat. iii. 8.