and cannot have his way, it becometh adust,° and thereby malign and venomous. So ambitious 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 ambitious men, to handle it so as they be 10 still progressive 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.

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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 dis- 2 penseth 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 25 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, 3

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 5 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 10 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; 15 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 20 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 favours and 25 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 everything; for that breeds confusion, and mars 30 business. But yet it is less danger to have an am

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bitious man stirring in business, than great in depen dances. 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 an whole age.

Honour 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 intentions when he aspireth, is an honest man; and that prince 10 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; and such as love business rather upon conscience than upon bravery°; and let 15 them discern a busy nature from a willing mind.

XXXVII. OF MASQUES AND TRIUMPHS

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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.°

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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: 25 I say acting, not dancing (for that is a mean and

vulgar thing); and the voices of the dialogue would be 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 5 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 won10 derments. 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 15 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 20 uiscern. Let the songs be not chirpings or pulings. 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, 25 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 become the person when the vizars are off; not after examples of known attires Turks, soldiers, 30 mariners, and the like. Let anti-masques not be

that it cannot perfectly loud and cheerful, and Let the music likewise

long; they have been commonly of fools, satyrs, baboons, wild men, antiques, beasts, sprites, witches, Ethiopes, pigmies, turquets,° nymphs, rustics, Cupids, statuas moving, and the like. As for angels, it is not comical enough to put them in anti-masques; and any-5 thing 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 10 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 15 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 goodly furniture 20 of their horses and armour. But enough of these toys.

XXXVIII. OF NATURE IN MEN

NATURE is often hidden, sometimes overcome, seldom extinguished. Force maketh nature more violent in the return; doctrine and discourse maketh 25 nature less importune°; but custom only doth alter and subdue nature.