202 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



17. Neither are deeds such assured pledges, as that 

 they may be trusted without a judicious consideration 

 of their magnitude and nature : * Fraus sibi in parvis 

 fidem praestruit ut ma j ore emolumento fallat ; and 

 the Italian thinketh himself upon the point to be bought 

 and sold, when he is better used than he was wont to 

 be without manifest cause. For Email favours, they do 

 but lull men asleep, both as to caution and as to in 

 dustry; and are, as Demosthenes calleth them, Ali- 

 menta socordiae. So again we see how false the 

 nature of some deeds are, in that particular which 

 Mutianus practised upon Antonius Primus, upon that 

 hollow and unfaithful reconcilement which was made 

 between them ; whereupon Mutianus advanced many 

 of the friends of Antonius, Simul amicis ejus prae- 

 fecturas et tribunatus largitur : wherein, under pre 

 tence to strengthen him, he did desolate him, and won 

 from him his dependences. 



18. As for words, though they be like waters to phy 

 sicians, 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, You are 

 hurt because you do not reign ; of which Tacitus saith, 

 * Audita haec raram occulti pectoris vocem elicuere ; 

 correptamque Graeco versu admonuit, ideo laedi quia 

 non regnaret. And therefore the poet doth elegantly 

 call passions tortures, that urge men to confess their 

 secrets : 



Vino tortus et ira. 



And experience showeth, there are few men so true 

 to themselves and so settled, but that, sometimes upon 

 heat, sometimes upon bravery, sometimes upon kind 

 ness, sometimes upon trouble of mind and weakness, 

 they open themselves ; specially if they be put to ifc 

 with a counter-dissimulation, according to the proverb 

 of Spain, Di mentira, y sacaras verdad : * Tell a lie 

 and find a truth. 



