Conference a ready Man; and Writing an exact Man. And, therefore, if a Man write little, he had need have a great Memory; if he confer little, he had need have a prefent Wit; and if he read little, he had need have much Cunning to seem to know that he doth not. Hiftories make Men wife; Poets Witty; the Mathematicks fubtile; natural Philofophy deep; moral Grave; Logick and Rhetorick able to contend. Abeunt ftudia in Mores; nay, there is no Stond or Impediment in the Wit, but may be wrought out by fit Studies: like as Diseases of the Body may have Appropriate Exercises. Bowling is good for the Stone and Reins; Shooting for the Lungs and Breast; gentle Walking for the Stomach; Riding for the Head, and the like. So if a Man's Wit be wandering, let him Study the Mathematicks; for in Demonftrations, if his Wit be called away never fo little, he must begin again; if his Wit be not apt to dif and as we learn from Bacon's dedication of the Effays to his brother, that MS. copies had got abroad, it is most probable that the writer of the tract had seen the Effay on Study, and being struck with the paffage adopted it to his purpose. But here is another flagrant adoption of Bacon's words without acknowledgement of later date: "Nous voyons beaucoup d'hommes de lettres tres ignorans aux actions de la vie civile, pour ne fçavoir pus fe fervir de leur talent; car encore due la lecture de l'Hiftoire puiffe rendre l'homme prevoyant, celle des Poëtes agreable, la Mathematique ingenieux, la Rhetorique eloquent, la Dialectique fubtil, la Phyfique fpeculatif, la Politique Jociable, neantmoins toutes ces facultéz demeurent ftupides ou inutiles, fi elles ne font mis en œuvre avec jugement; leur application legitime dépend pluftot d'une puiffance et d'une economie originelle, qui eft née avec nous, que de leur lumiere propre."-Teftament ou Confeils fidelles d'un bon Pêre a fes Enfans, par P. Fortin, Sieur de la Hoquette, 4me. Edit. Paris, 1651, 8vo. pp. 172-3. 3 Ovid. Heroid. xvi. 83. tinguish or find difference, let him study the Schoolmen, for they are Cymini fectores. If he be not apt to beat over Matters, and to call up one Thing to prove and illustrate another, let him study the Lawyer's Cafes; fo every Defect of the Mind may have a special Receipt. M LI. Of Faction. ANY have an Opinion not wife, that for a Prince to govern his Eftate, or for a great Person to govern his Proceedings, according to the Respect of Factions, is a Principal Part of Policy: whereas, contrariwife, the chiefeft Wisdom is either in ordering those Things which are general, and wherein Men of several Factions do nevertheless agree; or in dealing with Correspondence to particular Perfons, one by one. But I fay not, that the confideration of Factions is to be Neglected. Mean Men, in their rifing, must adhere; but great Men, that have Strength in themselves, were better to maintain themselves indifferent and neutral. Yet even in Beginners, to adhere fo moderately, as he be a Man of the one Faction, which is most paffable with the other, commonly giveth best Way. The lower and weaker Faction is the firmer in * i. e. Hair-splitters; Parte el Capello, Spanish. See note on Effay VI. Cf. Adv. of L. 1. vii. 7. It was applied by Dion Caffius to Antoninus Pius, and Aristotle, Eth. Nic. iv. 1. 39, applies the word kvμvoжρiorηs to a miserly perfon, or split-fig as we say. Conjunction, and it is often seen that a Few that are stiff do tire out a greater Number that are more moderate. When One of the Factions is extinguished, the remaining fubdivideth; as the Faction between Lucullus and the Reft of the nobles of the Senate (which they called Optimates) held out a while against the Faction of Pompey and Cæfar: but when the Senate's Authority was pulled down, Cæfar and Pompey foon after brake. The Faction or Party of Antonius and Octavianus Cæfar, against Brutus and Caffius, held out likewise for a time: but when Brutus and Caffius were overthrown, then foon after Antonius and Octavianus brake and subdivided. These Examples are of Wars, but the same holdeth in private Factions. And therefore those that are Seconds in Factions do many times, when the Faction subdivideth, prove Principals but many times also they prove Ciphers and cashiered: for many a Man's strength is in oppofition; and when that faileth, he groweth out of use. It is commonly seen that Men once placed take in with the contrary Faction to that by which they enter; thinking, belike, that they have the First fure; and now are ready for a new Purchase. The Traitor in Faction lightly goeth away with it; for when Matters have ftuck long in balancing, the winning of fome one Man cafteth them, and he getteth all the Thanks. The even Carriage between two Factions proceedeth not always of Moderation, but of a Trueness to a Man's Self, with End to make use of both. Certainly, in Italy, they hold it a little suspect in Popes, when : they have often in their Mouth Padre commune, and take it to be a Sign of one that meaneth to refer all to the Greatness of his own Houfe. Kings had need beware how they fide themselves, and make themselves as of a Faction or Party for Leagues within the State are ever pernicious to Monarchies; for they raise an Obligation paramount to Obligation of Sovereignty, and make the King Tanquam unus ex nobis; as was to be seen in the League of France. When Factions are carried too high and too violently, it is a Sign of Weakness in Princes and much to the Prejudice both of their Authority and Business. The Motions of Factions under Kings ought to be like the Motions (as the Aftronomers speak) of the inferior Orbs; which may have their proper Motions, but yet ftill are quietly carried by the higher Motion of Primum Mobile. LII. Of Ceremonies and E that is only real had need have ex- without Foil. But if a Man mark it well, it is in Praise and Commendation of Men, as it is in Gettings and Gains; for the Proverb is true That light Gains make heavy Purses; for light I See Antitheta, No. 34. 2 Gains come thick, whereas Great come but now and then. So it is true, that small Matters win great Commendation, because they are continually in Use and in note; whereas the Occafion of any great Virtue cometh but on Festivals; therefore it doth much add to a Man's Reputation, and is (as Queen Ifabella faid) Like perpetual Letters commendatory, to have good Forms. To attain them, it almost sufficeth not to despise them; for fo fhall a Man observe them in Others; and let him trust himself with the reft; for if he labour too much to express them, he shall lose their Grace; which is to be natural and unaffected. Some Men's Behaviour is like a Verfe, wherein every Syllable is measured: how can a Man comprehend great Matters that breaketh his Mind too much to small Obfervations? Not to use Ceremonies at all is to teach Others not to use them again; and fo diminifheth Respect to himself: especially they be not to be omitted to Strangers and formal Natures: but the dwelling upon them, and exalting them above the Moon, is not only tedious, but doth diminish the Faith and Credit of him that speaks. And certainly, there is a Kind of Conveying of effectual and imprinting Paffages amongst Compliments, which is of fingular use, if a Man can hit upon it. Amongst a Man's Peers, a Man fhall be fure of Familiarity; and therefore, it is good a little to keep State: amongst a Man's Inferiors, 2 Queen Ifabella, wife of Ferdinand of Arragon, fee Apophthegms, No. 99. It feems Ariftotle had long fince faid fo of perfonal appearance, τὸ καλλός πασης επιστολῆς συστατικώτε pov vai.. Stobæus LXIV. |