20 Bacon 



two causes; the one, because the largeness of their mind 

 can hardly confine itself to dwell in the exquisite observa 

 tion or examination of the nature and customs of one person : 

 for it is a speech for a lover, and not for a wise man : Satis 

 magnum alter alteri theatrum sumus. 1 Nevertheless I shall 

 yield, that he that cannot contract the sight of his mind as 

 well as disperse and dilate it, wanteth a great faculty. But 

 there is a second cause, which is no inablity, but a rejection 

 upon choice and judgment. For the honest and just bounds 

 of observation by one person upon another, extend no 

 ferther but to understand him sufficiently, whereby not to 

 give him offence, or whereby to be able to give him faithful 

 counsel, or whereby to stand upon reasonable guard and 

 caution in respect of a man s self. But to be speculative 

 into another man to the end to know how to work him, or 

 wind him, or govern him, proceedeth from a heart that is 

 double and cloven and not entire and ingenuous ; which as 

 in friendship it is want of integrity, so towards princes or 

 superiors is want of duty. For the custom of the Levant, 

 which is that subjects do forbear to gaze or fix their eyes 

 upon princes, 2 is in the outward ceremony barbarous, but 

 the moral is good : for men ought not by cunning and bent 

 observations to pierce and penetrate into the hearts of kings 

 which Ihe scripture hath declared to be inscrutable. 3 



(8) y?here is yet another fault (with which I will conclude 

 this part) which is often noted in learned men, that they do 

 jnajivtrrries fail to observe decency and discretion irTTTTEir 

 behaviour and carriage, and coimniL_ejrrQrs_ in ...small_and 

 ordinary points of action so as the vulgar sort of capacities 

 ^p make adjudgment of them in greater matters bY_that 

 which they fma wanting in them__in smaller. But this 

 consequenoTHoth often deceive men71or&quot;which I do refer 

 them over to that which was said by Themistocles, arro 

 gantly and uncivilly being applied to himself out of his own 

 mouth, but, being applied to the general state of this ques 

 tion, pertinently and justly when, being invited to touch a 

 lute, he said, He could not fiddle, but he could make a small 

 lown a great state. 4 ) So, no doubt, many may be well seen in 

 the passages of government and policy, which are to seek in 



1 A saying of Epicurus. Seneca, Epist. Mor. i. j. 



9 Herod. I. 99. * Prov. xxv. 3. 



4 Plutarch, Vit. Themist., ad init. 



