164 THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. 



counsel ; like ants, which is a wise creature for itself, but 

 very hurtful for the garden. This wisdom the Romans did 

 take much knowledge of : Nam, pol sapiens (saith the comical 

 poet) fine/it fortunam sibi; and it grew to an adage, JFaber 

 quisque fortunes proprice ; and Livy attributed it to Cato the 

 first, In hoc viro tanta vis animi et ingenii inerat, ut quocunque 

 loco natus esset sibi ipse fortunam 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 state in his government, and 

 giving an account thereof to the people as the manner was, 

 did conclude every particular with this clause, &quot; And in this 

 fortune had no part. And it came so to pass, that he never 

 prospered in anything he took in hand afterwards. For this is 

 too high and too arrogant, savouring of that which Ezekiel 

 saith of Pharaoh, Diets, Fluvius est meus et ego fed memet 

 ipsum ; or of that which another prophet speaketh, that men 

 offer sacrifices to their nets and snares ; and that which the 

 poet expresseth, 



&quot; Dextra mihi Deus, et telum quod missile libro, 

 Nuuc adsint !&quot; 



For these confidences were ever unhallowed, and unblessed ; 

 and, therefore, those that were great politiques indeed ever 

 ascribed their successes to their felicity and not to their skill 

 or virtue. For so Sylla surnamed himself Felix, not Magnus. 

 So Caesar said to the master of the ship, Ccesarem portas et 

 fortunam ejus. 



(12) But yet, nevertheless, these positions, Faber quisque 

 fortunes suce : Sapiens dominabitur astris : Tnvia virtuti nulla 

 est via, and the like, being taken and used as spurs to industry, 

 and not as stirrups to insolency, rather for resolution than for 

 the presumption or outward declaration, have been ever 

 thought sound and good ; and are no question imprinted 

 in the greatest minds, who are so sensible of this opinion 

 as they can scarce contain it within. As we see in Augustus 

 Caesar (who was rather diverse from his uncle than inferior 

 in virtue), how when he died he desired his friends about 

 him to give him a plaudite, as if he were conscious to him 

 self that he had played his part well upon the stage. This 

 part of knowledge we do report also as deficient ; not but 

 that it is practised too much, but it hath not been reduced to 

 writing. And, therefore, lest it should seem to any that it 



