THE SECOND BOOK. 167 



deeds are, in that particular which Mutianus practised upon, 

 Antonius Primus, upon that hollow and unfaithful reconcile 

 ment which was made between them ; whereupon Mutianus 

 advanced many of the friends of Antonius, Simul amicis ejus 

 prafecturas et tribunatus largitur : wherein, under pretence to 

 strengthen him, he did desolate him, and won from him his 

 dependents. 



(18) As for words, though they be like waters to physicians, 

 full of flattery and uncertainty, yet they are not to be despised, 

 specially with the advantage of passion and affection. For so 

 we see Tiberius, upon a stinging and incensing speech of 

 Agrippina, came a step forth of his dissimulation when he 

 said, &quot;You are hurt because you do not reign;&quot; of which 

 Tacitus saith, Audita hcec raram occulti pectoris vocem elicuere : 

 correptamque Grceco versu admonuit, idea Icedi quia non 

 regnaret. And, therefore, the poet doth elegantly call pas 

 sions tortures that urge men to confess their secrets : 



&quot;Vino tortus et ira.&quot; 



And experience showeth there are few men so true to them 

 selves and so settled but that, sometimes upon heat, sometimes 

 upon bravery, sometimes upon kindness, sometimes upon 

 trouble of mind and weakness, they open themselves ; specially 

 if they be put to it with a counter-dissimulation, according to 

 the proverb of Spain, Di mentira, y sacar as verdad : &quot; Tell a 

 lie and find a truth.&quot; 



(19) As for the knowing of men which is at second hand from 

 reports : men s weaknesses and faults are best known from 

 their enemies, their virtues and abilities from their friends, 

 their customs and times from their servants, their conceits 

 and opinions from their familiar friends, with whom they dis 

 course most. General fame is light, and the opinions conceived 

 by superiors or equals are deceitful ; for to such men are more 

 masked : Veriorfama e domesticis emanat. 



(20) But the soundest disclosing and expounding of men is 

 by their natures and ends, wherein the weakest sort of men 

 are best interpreted by their natures, and the wisest by their 

 ends. For it was both pleasantly and wisely said (though I 

 think very untruly) by a nuncio of the Pope, returning from a 

 certain nation where he served as lidger ; whose opinion being 

 asked touching the appointment of one to go in his place, he 

 wished that in any case they did not send one that was too 

 wise ; because no very wise man would ever imagine what they 

 in that country were like to do. And certainly it is an error 



