some hospitals for maimed soldiers; 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 personal°; the style of 5 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 10 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: honour to the general, riches to the treasury. out of the spoils, and donatives to the army. But that 15 honour, 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 impropriate the actual triumphs to themselves and their sons, for such wars as they did 20 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 25 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, 30

they may sow greatness to their posterity and succession. But these things are commonly not observed, but left to take their chance.

XXX. OF REGIMENT OF HEALTH

THERE is a wisdom in this beyond the rules of 5 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 conclusion to say, "This agreeth not well with me, therefore I will not continue it," than this, "I find no offence of this, 10 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 15 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 anything thou shalt 20 judge hurtful to discontinue 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,° 25 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, subtile and knotty inquisitions, joys and acclerations in excess, sadness not communicated. Entertain 5 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 10 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 extraordinary effect when sickness cometh. I commend rather some diet for certain seasons, than frequent use of physic, 15 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 principally, and in health action; for those that put their bodies to endure 20 in health may, in most sicknesses 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 25 do vary and interchange contraries; but with an inclination 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 30

cherished, and yet taught masteries. Physicians are some of them so pleasing and conformable to the humour of the patient, as they press not the true cure of the disease; and some other are so regular in 5 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 acquainted with 10 your body as the best reputed of for his faculty.

XXXI. OF SUSPICION

SUSPICIONS amongst thoughts are like bats amongst birds, they ever fly by twilight. Certainly they are to be repressed, or, at the least, well guarded°; for they cloud the mind, they lose friends, and they 15 check with business, whereby business cannot go on currently and constantly; they dispose kings to tyranny, husbands to jealousy, wise men to irresolution and melancholy. They are defects not in the heart, but in the brain, for they take place in the 20 stoutest natures; as in the example of Henry VII. of England, there was not a more suspicious man nor a more stout. And in such a composition° do small hurt, for commonly they are not admitted but with examination, whether they be likely or no; 25 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 5 have their own ends, and be truer to themselves than to them? Therefore there is no better way to moderate suspicions 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 pro- 10 vide 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 whis- 15 perings of others, have stings. Certainly, the best mean to clear the way in this same wood of suspicions, is frankly to communicate 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 20 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° licencia fede," as if 25 suspicion did give a passport to faith; but it ought rather to kindle it to discharge itself.