the advancement of learning-第42部分

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　settle；　and　in　the　end　induceth　satiety；　and　by　finding　too　soon　the　fruit　of　a　man's　virtue；　in　commendation；　applause；　honour；　favour；　wherein　if　a　man　be　pleased　with　a　little；　let　him　hear　what　is　truly　said：　CAVE　NE　INSUETUS　REBUS　MAJORIBUS　VIDEARIS；　SI　HAEC　TE　RES　PARVA　SICUTI　MAGNA　DELECTAT。

32。　But　the　covering　of　defects　is　of　no　less　importance　than　the　valuing　of　good　parts；　which　may　be　done　likewise　in　three　manners；　by　caution；　by　colour；　and　by　confidence。　Caution　is　when　men　do　ingeniously　and　discreetly　avoid　to　be　put　into　those　things　for　which　they　are　not　proper：　whereas；　contrariwise；　bold　and　unquiet　spirits　will　thrust　themselves　into　matters　without　difference；　and　so　publish　and　proclaim　all　their　wants。　Colour　is；　when　men　make　a　way　for　themselves；　to　have　a　construction　made　of　their　faults　or　wants；　as　proceeding　from　a　better　cause；　or　intended　for　some　other　purpose：　for　of　the　one　it　is　well　said；

Saepe　latet　vitium　proximitate　boni；

and　therefore　whatsoever　want　a　man　hath；　he　must　see　that　he　pretend　the　virtue　that　shadoweth　it；　as　if　he　be　dull；　he　must　affect　gravity；　if　a　coward；　mildness；　and　so　the　rest：　for　the　second；　a　man　must　frame　some　probable　cause　why　he　should　not　do　his　best；　and　why　he　should　dissemble　his　abilities；　and　for　that　purpose　must　use　to　dissemble　those　abilities　which　are　notorious　in　him；　to　give　colour　that　his　true　wants　are　but　industries　and　dissimulations。　For　confidence；　it　is　the　last　　but　surest　remedy；　namely；　　to　depress　and　seem　to　despise　whatsoever　a　man　cannot　attain；　observing　the　good　principle　of　the　merchants；　who　endeavour　to　raise　the　price　of　their　own　commodities；　and　to　beat　down　the　price　of　others。　But　there　is　a　confidence　that　passeth　this　other；　which　is　to　face　out　a　man's　own　defects；　in　seeming　to　conceive　that　he　is　best　in　those　things　wherein　he　is　failing；　and；　to　help　that　again；　to　seem　on　the　other　side　that　he　hath　least　opinion　of　himself　in　those　things　wherein　he　is　best：　like　as　we　shall　see　it　commonly　in　poets；　that　if　they　show　their　verses；　and　you　except　to　any；　they　will　say；　THAT　THAT　LINE　COST　THEM　MORE　LABOUR　THAN　ANY　OF　THE　REST；　and　presently　will　seem　to　disable　and　suspect　rather　some　other　line；　which　they　know　well　enough　to　be　the　best　in　the　number。　But　above　all；　in　this　righting　and　helping　of　a　man's　self　in　his　own　carriage；　he　must　take　heed　he　show　not　himself　dismantled；　and　exposed　to　scorn　and　injury；　by　too　much　dulceness；　goodness；　and　facility　of　nature；　but　show　some　sparkles　of　liberty；　spirit；　and　edge。　Which　kind　of　fortified　carriage；　with　a　ready　rescuing　of　a　man's　self　from　scorns；　is　sometimes　of　necessity　imposed　upon　men　by　somewhat　in　their　person　or　fortune；　but　it　ever　succeedeth　with　good　felicity。

33。　Another　precept　of　this　knowledge　is；　by　all　possible　endeavour　to　frame　the　mind　to　be　pliant　and　obedient　to　occasion；　for　nothing　hindereth　men's　fortunes　so　much　as　this：　IDEM　MANEBAT；　NEQUE　IDEM　DECEBAT；　men　are　where　they　were；　when　occasions　turn：　and　therefore　to　Cato；　whom　Livy　maketh　such　an　architect　of　fortune；　he　addeth；　that　he　had　VERSATILE　INGENIUM。　And　thereof　it　cometh　that　these　grave　solemn　wits；　which　must　be　like　themselves；　and　cannot　make　departures；　have　more　dignity　than　felicity。　But　in　some　it　is　nature　to　be　somewhat　viscous　and　inwrapped；　and　not　easy　to　turn；　in　some　it　is　a　conceit；　that　is　almost　a　nature；　which　is；　that　men　can　hardly　make　themselves　believe　that　they　ought　to　change　their　course；　when　they　have　found　good　by　it　in　former　experience。　For　Machiavel　noted　wisely；　how　Fabius　Maximus　would　have　been　temporizing　＇72＇　still；　according　to　his　old　bias；　when　the　nature　of　the　war　was　altered　and　required　hot　pursuit。　In　some　other　it　is　want　of　point　and　penetration　in　their　judgment；　that　they　do　not　discern　when　things　have　a　period；　but　come　in　too　late　after　the　occasion；　as　Demosthenes　　compareth　the　people　of　Athens　to　country　fellows；　when　they　play　in　a　fence　school；　that　if　they　have　a　blow；　then　they　remove　their　weapon　to　that　ward；　and　not　before。　In　some　other　it　is　a　lothness　to　leese　labours　passed；　and　a　conceit　that　they　can　bring　about　occasions　to　their　ply；　and　yet　in　the　end；　when　they　see　no　other　remedy；　then　they　come　to　it　with　disadvantage；　as　Tarquinius；　that　gave　for　the　third　part　of　Sibylla's　books　the　treble　price；　when　he　might　at　first　have　had　all　three　for　the　simple。　But　from　whatsoever　root　or　cause　this　restiveness　of　mind　proceedeth；　it　is　a　thing　most　prejudicial；　and　nothing　is　more　politic　than　to　make　the　wheels　of　our　mind　concentric　and　voluble　with　the　wheels　of　fortune。

34。　Another　precept　of　this　knowledge；　which　hath　some　affinity　with　that　we　last　spake　of；　but　with　difference；　is　that　which　is　well　expressed；　FATIS　ACCEDE　DEISQUE；　that　men　do　not　only　turn　with　the　occasions；　but　also　run　with　the　occasions；　and　not　strain　their　credit　or　strength　to　over　hard　or　extreme　points；　but　choose　in　their　actions　that　which　is　most　passable：　for　this　will　preserve　men　from　foal；　not　occupy　them　too　much　about　one　matter；　win　opinion　of　moderation；　please　the　most；　and　make　a　show　of　a　perpetual　felicity　in　all　they　undertake；　which　cannot　but　mightily　increase　reputation。


35。　Another　part　of　this　knowledge　seemeth　to　have　some　repugnancy　with　the　former　two；　but　not　as　I　understand　it；　and　it　is　that　which　Demosthenes　uttereth　in　high　terms；　ET　QUEMADMODUM　RECEPTUM　EST；　UT　EXERCITUM　DUCAT　IMPERATOR；　SIC　ET　A　CORDATIS　VIRIS　RES　IPSAE　DUCENDAE；　UT　QUAE　IPSIS　VIDENTUR；　EA　GERANTUR；　ET　NON　IPSI　EVENTUS　TANTUM　PERSEQUI　COGANTUR。　For；　if　we　observe；　we　shall　find　two　differing　kinds　of　sufficiency　in　managing　of　business；　some　can　make　use　of　occasions　aptly　and　dexterously；　but　plot　little；　some　can　urge　and　pursue　their　own　plots　well；　but　cannot　accommodate　nor　take　in；　　either　of　which　is　very　imperfect　without　the　other。

36。　Another　part　of　this　knowledge　is　the　observing　a　good　mediocrity　in　the　declaring；　or　not　declaring　a　man's　self：　for　although　　depth　of　secrecy；　and　making　way；　QUALIS　EST　VIA　NAVIS　IN　MARI；　（which　the　French　calleth　SOURDES　MEN蒃S；　when　men　set　things　in　work　without　opening　themselves　at　all；）　be　sometimes　both　prosperous　and　admirable；　yet　many　times　DISSIMULATIO　ERRORES　PARIT；　QUI　DISSIMULATOREM　IPSUM　ILLAQUEANT；　and　therefore；　we　see　the　greatest　politiques　have　in　a　natural　and　free　manner　professed　their　desires；　rather　than　been　reserved　and　disguised　in　them。　For　so　we　see　that　Lucius　Sylla　made　a　kind　of　profession；　that　he　wishcd　all　men　happy　or　unhappy；　as　they　stood　his　friends　or　enemies。　So　Caesar；　when　he　went　first　into　Gaul；　made　no　scruple　to　profess　THAT　HE　HAD　RATHER　BE　FIRST　IN　A　VILLAGE；　THAN　SECOND　AT　ROME。　So　again；　as　soon　as　he　had　begun　the　war；　we　see　what　Cicero　saith　of　him；　ALTER　（meaning　of　Caesar）　NON　RECUSAT；　SED　QUODAMMODO　POSTULAT；　UT；　UT　EST；　SIC　APPELLETUR　TYRANNUS。　So　we　may　see　in　a　letter　of　Cicero　to　Atticus；　that　Augustus　Caesar；　in　his　very　entrance　into　affairs；　when　he　was　a　darling　of　the　senate；　yet　in　his　harangues　to　the　people　would　swear；　ITA　PARENTIS　HONORES　CONSEQUI　LICEAT；　which　was　no　less　than　the　tyranny；　save　that；　to　help　it；　he　would　stretch　forth　his　hand　towards　a　statua　of　Caesar's　that　was　erected　in　the　place：　and　men　laughed；　and　wondered；　and　said；　Is　it　possible？　or；　Did　you　ever　hear　the　like？　and　yet　thought　he　meant　no　hurt；　he　did　it　so　handsomely　and　ingenuously。　And　all　these　were　prosperous：　whereas　Pompey；　who　tended　to　the　same　end；　but　in　a　more　dark　and　dissembling　manner；　as　Tacitus　saith　of　him；　OCCULTIOR；　NON　MELIOR；　wherein　Sallust　concurreth；　ORE　PROBO；　ANIMO　INVERECUNDO；　made　it　his　design；　by　infinite　secret　engines；　to　cast　the　state　into　an　absolute　anarchy　and　confusion；　that　the　state　might　cast　itself　into　his　arms　for　necessity　and　protection；　and　so　the　sovereign　power　be　put　upon　him；　and　he　never　seen　in　it：　and　when　he　had　brought　it；　as　he　thought；　to　that　point；　when　he　was　chosen　consul　alone；　as　never　any　was；　yet　he　could　make　no　great　matter　of　it；　because　men　understood　him　not；　but　was　fain；　in　the　end；　to　go　the　beaten　track　of　getting　arms　into　his　hands；　by　colour　of　the　doubt　of　Caesar's　designs：　so　tedious；　casual；　and　unfortunate　are　these　deep　dissimulations：　whereof　it　seemeth　Tacitus　made　his　judgment；　that　they　were　a　cunning　of　an　inferior　form　in　regard　of　true　policy；　attributing　the　one　to　Augustus；　the　other　to　Tiberius；　where　speaking　of　Livia；　he　saith；　ET　CUM　ARTIBUS　MARITI　SIMULATIONE　FILII　BENE　COMPOSITA：　　for　surely　the　continual　habit　of　dissimulation　is　but　a　weak　and　sluggish　cunning；　and　not　greatly　politic。

37。　Another　precept　of　this　architecture　of　fortune　is；　to　accustom　our　minds　to　judge　of　the　proportion　or　value　of　things；　as　they　conduce　and　are　material　to　our　particular　ends：　and　that　to　do　substantially；　and　not　superficially。　For　we　shall　find　the　logical　part；　as　I　may　term　it；　of　some　men's　minds　good；　but　the　mathematical　part　erroneous；　that　is；　they　can　well　judge　of　consequences；　but　not　of　proportions　and　comparisons；　preferring　things　of　show　and　sense　before　things　of　substance　and　effect。　So　some　fall　in　love　with　access　to　princes；　others　with　popular　fame　and　applause；　supposing　they　are　things　of　great　purchase：　when　in　many　cases　they　are　but　matters　of　envy；　peril；　and　impediment。　＇＇　So　some　measure　things　according　to　the　labour　and　difficulty；　or　assiduity；　which　are　spent　about　them；　and　think；　if　they　be　ever　moving；　that　they　must　needs　advance　and　proceed；　as　Caesar　saith　in　a　despising　manner　of　Cato　the　second；　when　he　describeth　how　laborious　and　indefatigable　he　was　to　no　great　purpose；　HAEC　OMNIA　MAGNO　STUDIO　AGEBAT。　So　in　most　things　men　are　ready　to　abuse　themselves　in　thinking　the　greatest　means　to　be　best；　when　it　should　be　the　fittest。

＇73＇　38。　As　for　the　true　marshalling　of　men's　pursuits　towards　their　fortune；　as　they　are　more　or　less　material；　I　hold　them　to　stand　thus：　first　the　amendment　of　their　own　minds。　For　the　remove　of　the　impediments　of　the　mind　will　sooner　clear　the　passages　of　fortune；　than　the　obtaining　fortune　will　remove　the　impediments　of　the　mind。　In　the　second　plac