venience, it is good not to use such natures at all. For if they rise not with their service, they will take order1 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 speak2 in what cases they are of necessity. Good commanders in the wars must be taken, be they never so ambitious :3 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 because 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 Macro in the pulling down of Sejanus. Since, therefore, they must be used in such cases, there resteth to speak 5 how they are to be bridled, that they may 4 Take order] Take measures ; endeavour. 2 Speak] State. Be they never, &c.] In expressions of this kind, ever (Lat. utcunque) may be more correct than never; it should be observed, however, that the latter word is an abridgment of the phrase as never was. A seeled dove] To seel the eyes of a hawk was to blind it by sewing up the eyelids, that it might become accustomed to the hood. This cruelty was sometimes practised on doves, which made them, when let loose, soar almost perpendicularly like the lark, until they were exhausted and dropped dead. In Shakspeare's Macbeth, iii. 2, we have 'Come, seeling night, Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day.' Ford, in the Broken Heart, which was written in 1633, seems to have had Bacon's comparison in mind, where it is said— 'Ambition, like a seeled dove, mounts upward, But tumbles headlong down with heavier ruin.'—ii. 2. 5 There resteth to speak] It remains for me to state. à dire. 1 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 popular; 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 favourites; but it is, of all others, the best remedy against ambitious great ones. For when the way of pleasuring and displeasuring lieth by the favourite, 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 ambitious men. As for the having of them obnoxious to ruin: if they be of fearful natures, it may do well; but if they be stout3 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 favours and disgraces;4 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 everything; for that breeds confusion, and mars business but yet it is less danger to have an ambitious man stirring in business, than great in dependences. He that seeketh to be eminent amongst able men hath a great 1 Of all others] See p. 10, note 4. 2 Pleasuring] Compare Shakspeare, Merry Wives, i. 1, 'What I do is to pleasure you;' Much Ado, v. I, 'Draw, to pleasure us ;' Merch. of Ven. i. 3, 'Will you pleasure me?' * Stout] Bold. Disgraces] Disfavours. 5 Great in dependences] Powerful in dependents or objects of patronage. Lat. Qui gratiâ et clientelis pollet. 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. Honour hath three things in it: the vantageground 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 intentions, when he aspireth, is an honest man; and that Prince that can discern of these intentions in another that aspireth, is a wise Prince. Generally, let Princes and States choose such ministers as are more sensible of duty than of rising;2 and such as love business rather upon conscience than upon bravery :3 and let them discern a busy nature from a willing mind. XXXVII. OF MASQUES AND TRIUMPHS1 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 1 The vantage ground, &c.] Compare the passage in the 11th Essay, 'But power to do good is the true and lawful end of aspiring,' &c. 2 More sensible of duty, &c.] More actuated or influenced by the sense of duty than by the feeling of ambition. 3 Bravery] Ostentation. * Masques and triumphs] Masques were dramatic performances in which the actors wore masks. Triumphs were precessional pageants or shows by torchlight. This Essay is omitted in the Latin translation. 5 Toys] Trifles. • In quire] In choir. 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 dialogue would be3 strong and manly (a bass 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 alterations 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 coloured 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 colours that show best by candle-light are white, carnation, and a kind of sea-water green; and oes, or spangs, as they are of 1 Broken music] By this name the music of the harp, lute, and other stringed instruments was distinguished from that of wind instruments. Shakspeare plays with the expression; thus, in Troil. and Cress. iii. 1, 'Fair prince, here is good broken music;' As You Like It, i. 2, 'Is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides;' Henry V. v. 2, 'Come, your answer in broken music; for thy voice is music, and thy English broken.' 2 The ditty fitted, &c.] The words fitted to the nature of the diver sion. 3 Would be] Ought to be. See p. 135, note 3. Oes or spangs] Circlets or spangles. Shakspeare frequently calls 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 become the person when the vizors are off: not after examples of known attires; Turks, soldiers, mariners, and the like. Let antimasques2 not be long; they have been commonly of fools, satyrs, baboons, wild men, antics, beasts, sprites, witches, Ethiopes, pigmies, Turquets,3 nymphs, rustics, Cupids, statuas moving, and the like. As for angels, it is not comical enough to put them in antimasques; 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 odours 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 entrance; or in the bravery of their liveries; or in the a circular shape an O. In Mids. N. Dream, iii. 2, comparing Helena with the stars, he says— 2 'Fair Helena, who more engilds the night Than all yon fiery oes and eyes of light.' Glory] Show; splendour. Antimasques] These were interludes between the Acts of the principal masque. 3 Turquets] Turks. • Statuas] This is the Italian word statua pluralised. See p. 113, note 2. • Barriers] The Palestra, for wrestling and other athletic perform ances. • Bravery] Showiness. |