226 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [XXII1. 9. 
g. But. this difference is not amiss to be remembered, 
that as history of times is the best ground for discourse 
of government, such as Machiavel handleth, so histories 
of lives is the most proper for discourse of business, 
because it is more conversant in private actions. Nay, 
there is a ground of discourse for this purpose fitter 
than them both, which is discourse upon letters, such 
as are wise and weighty, as many are of Cicero ad 
Atticum, and others. For letters have a great and more 
jo Te eae 
Sa 
particular representation of business than either chronicles - 
or lives. Thus have we spoken both of the matter and 
form of this part of civil knowledge, touching mens © 
which we note to be deficient. 
ro. But yet there is another part of this part, which 
differeth as much from that whereof we have spoken 
as sapere and szbi sapere, the one moving as it were to 
the circumference, the other to the centre. For there 
is a wisdom of counsel, and again there is a wisdom 
of pressing a man’s own fortune; and they do some- 
times meet, and often sever. For many are wise in 
their own ways that are weak for government or coun- 
sels; like ants, which is a wise creature for itself, but 
very hurtful for the garden. This wisdom the Romans 
did take much knowledge of: am fol sapiens (saith the 
comical poet) fingit for/unam sibi; and it grew to an 
adage, Faber quisque fortune proprie; and Livy attri- 
buted it to Cato the first, Zz hoc viro tanta vis animi 
et ingenit inerat, ut quocunque loco natus esset sibi ipse 
Jortunam facturus videretur. 
11. This conceit or position, if it be too much declared 
and professed, hath been thought a thing impolitic and 
unlucky, as was observed in Timotheus the Athenian, 
who, having done many great services to the estate in 
