226 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [XXIII. 9. 



9. 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 

 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 negotiation, 

 which we note to be deficient. 



10. But yet there is another part of this part, which 

 differeth as much from that whereof we have spoken 

 as sapere and sibi 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: Nam pol sapiens (saith the 

 comical poet) fingit foriunam sibi; and it grew to an 

 adage, Faber quisque fortunes, proprice; and Livy attri 

 buted it to Cato the first, In hoc vtro tanta vis animi 

 et ingenii merat, ut quocunque loco natus esset sibi ipse 



foriunam 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 



