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 somewhat which they are not accustomed; to the end they may be apposed1 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 advantage. I knew two that were competitors for the secretary's place in Queen Elizabeth's time, and yet kept good quarter2 between themselves; and would confer one with another upon the business; and the one of them said, That to be a secretary in the declinations of a monarchy was a ticklish thing, and that he did not affect it: the other straight caught up those words, and discoursed 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.5 1 Appose. 2 Quarter. To examine; to question. Relations with, or conduct towards, another, especially in the phrase to keep good (or fair) quarter with (between). "So he would keep fair quarter with his bed." 3 Declination. Shakspere. The Comedy of Errors. ii. 1. A gradual falling off from a condition of prosperity or vigor; decline. 4 A8. That. In 1597, Sir Robert Cecil was made secretary of state over Sir Thomas Bodley, who was the candidate of the Earl of Essex. Mr. Spedding first suggested that Bacon is here relating a cunning trick played by his cousin, the younger Cecil. There is a cunning, which we in England call The turning of the cat in the pan;1 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 negatives; as to say, This I do not: as Tigellinus did toward Burrhus, Se non diversas spes, sed incolumitatem imperatoris simpliciter spectare.2 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 in3 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 matters 4 1 To turn the cat in the pan. To reverse the order of things so dexterously as to make them appear the very opposite of what they really are. The origin of the phrase is obscure. 2 That he had not expectations from different quarters, but looked simply to the safety of the emperor. Tacitus. Annalium Liber XIV. 57. 3 In. On. "But look you pray, all you that kiss my Lady Peace at home, that our armies join not in a hot day." Shakspere. King Henry IV. i. 2. To fetch about. To take a roundabout course or method. It makes the course of thoughts to fetch about." II. 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 cunning 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 resorts1 and falls2 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 pretty3 looses* in the conclusion,5 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 1 Resort. Spring; active power or movement. A Gallicism. 2 Fall. What befalls or happens; chance. "Black be your fa'!" Burns. Address to the Deil. xvi. 3 Pretty. Suitable; fit; convenient. "Armado. "Moth. 4 Loose. Pretty and apt." How mean you, sir? I pretty and my saying apt, or I apt, and my saying pretty?" Shakspere. Love's Labour's Lost. i. 2. Issue, way of escape. In archery, a loose is the dis charge of the arrow or dart from the bow. "The extreme dart of time extremely forms That which long process could not arbitrate." Conclusion. v. ii. abusing of others, and (as we now say) putting tricks upon them, than upon soundness of their own proceedings. But Salomon saith, Prudens advertit ad gressus suos: stultus divertit ad dolos.1 XXIII. 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 waste3 the public. Divide with reason between selflove 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 1 The prudent man looks to his steps: the fool turns aside to deceits. Proverbs xiv. 8. This is a translation of Bacon's Latin. The Authorized Version is: "The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit." As Bacon remembered this saying of Solomon's, it seems to be made up from two verses of the Vulgate, loosely quoted:-Sapientia callidi est intelligere viam suam; et imprudentia stultorum errans. Proverbs xiv. 8, and astutus considerat gressus suos. Proverbs xiv. 15. 2 Shrewd. Sly, mischievous, unkind. "Do my Lord of Canterbury A shrewd turn, and he is your friend for ever." Shakspere. King Henry VIII. v. 2. "For many are wise in their own ways that are weak for government or counsel; like ants, which is a wise creature for itself, but very hurtful for the garden." Advancement of Learning. II. xxiii. 10. 3 Waste. To lay waste; to devastate. "To thine own self be true; Shakspere. Hamlet. i. 3. self. It is right1 earth. For that only stands fast upon his own centre; 2 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 themselves, but their good and evil is at the peril of the public fortune. But it is a desperate evil in a servant to a prince, or a citizen in a republic. For whatsoever affairs pass such a man's hands, he crooketh3 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 servants as have not this mark; except they mean their service should be made but the accessary. 4 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 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 case of bad officers, treasurers, ambassadors, generals, and other false and corrupt servants; which set a bias5 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 1 Right. True, genuine, actual, real. "The Poet is indeed the right Popular Philosopher. Whereof Esops tales give good proofe." Sir Philip Sidney. The Defense of Poesie. p. 18. 2 Bacon accepted the Ptolemaic system, which made the earth the centre of the universe. The Copernican system was not generally received until long after his time. 3 Crook. To bend or turn out of the straight course; to pervert. 4 Accessary, also spelled accessory. 5 Bias. A weight in one side of the bowl, that is, 'ball,' which de flects it from the straight line. |