ClIAl . II. j HOW TO DISCERN CHARACTER. 321 



Men may be known six different ways ; viz., 1. by their 

 countenances; 2. their words; 3. their actions; 4. their 

 tempers ; 5. their ends ; and, 6. by the relation of others. 

 1. As to the countenance, there is no great matter in that 

 old proverb, &quot;Fronti nulla fides ;&quot;l for although this maybe 

 said with some truth of the external and general composure 

 of the countenance and gesture, yet there lie concealed cer 

 tain more subtile motions and actions of the eyes, face, looks, 

 and behaviour, by which the gate, as it were, of the mind is 

 unlocked and thrown open. r Who was more close than Tibe 

 rius 1 yet Tacitus observes a difference between his inward 

 thoughts and his language in eulogizing the exploits of 

 Drusus and Germanicus, thus characterizing his panegyric 

 of the latter : &quot;Magisin specieinverbis adorn atis quam ut peni- 

 tus sentire crederetur;&quot; and then that of Drusus, &quot; Pau- 

 cioribus sed intentior, et fida oratione.&quot; 8 Again, Tacitus 

 sketches the manner of the emperor on other occasions when 

 he was less crafty, and sums up his remarks thus : &quot; Quin 

 ipse compositus alias atque velut eluctantium verborum ; so- 

 lutius promptiusque loquebatur quoties subveniret.&quot; fc And 

 indeed, it is hard to find so great and masterly a dissembler, 

 or a countenance so well broke and commanded, as to carrj 

 on an artful and counterfeit discourse without some way 01 

 other betraying it. 



2. The words of men are full of deceit ; but this is well 

 detected in two ways ; viz., either when words are spoken on 

 the sudden, or in passion. So Tiberius, being suddenly sur 

 prised and hurried beyond himself, with a stinging speech 

 from Agrippina, went a step out of his natural dissimula 

 tion; for, says Tacitus, she thus drew an uncommon expres 

 sion from his secret breast, and he rebuked her as being 

 offended because she did not rule. u Whence the poet not 

 unjustly calls these perturbations tortures, mankind being 

 compelled by them to betray their own secrets. 

 &quot; Vino tortus et ira.&quot;* 



i Martial, i. Ep. 25, v. 4. * Cicero, Petit. Consulatus, 2. 



Annals, i. 52. * Annals, iv. 31. tt Annals, iv. 52. 



x Hor. Ep. ii. 18, v. 88. It must be remembered that Augustus 

 had some intention pf conferring the empire upon Uer husbatd Oer- 

 m.imcus. #, 



y 



