ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 349 



prince, into whose mind all things are infused and 

 directed.&quot; 18 And Comines well observes, that &quot;it is better 

 being servant to a prince whose suspicions are endless, than 

 whose credulity is great.&quot; * 



XIY. A just man is merciful to the life of his beast, but the mercies of the 

 wicked are cruel 20 



Nature has endowed man with a noble and excellent 

 principle of compassion, which extends itself even to the 

 brutes, that by divine appointment are made subject to 

 him. Whence this compassion has some resemblance with 

 that of a prince toward his subjects. And it is certain, that 

 the noblest souls are most extensively merciful; for narrow 

 and degenerate spirits think compassion belongs not to 

 them, but a great soul, the noblest part of the creation, 

 is ever compassionate. Thus under the old law there were 

 numerous precepts not merely ceremonial, as the ordaining 

 of mercy, for example, the not eating of flesh with the blood 

 thereof, etc. So, likewise, the sects of the Essenes and 

 Pythagoreans totally abstained from flesh, as they do also 

 to this day, with an in violated superstition, in some parts of 

 the empire of Mogul. Nay, the Turks, though a cruel and 

 bloody nation, both in their descent and discipline, give 

 alms to brutes, and suffer them not to be tortured. But 

 lest this principle might seem to countenance all kinds of 

 compassion, Solomon wholesomely subjoins, &quot;That the 

 mercies of the wicked are cruel ; that is, when such great 

 offenders are spared, as ought to be cut off with the sword 

 of justice. For this kind of mercy is the greatest of all 

 cruelties, as cruelty affects but particular persons; while 

 impunity lets loose the whole army of evil-doers, and drives 

 them upon the innocent. 



XV. A fool speaks all his mind, but a wise man reserves something 

 for hereafter 21 



This aphorism seems principally levelled, not against the 

 futility of light persons, who speak what they should con- 



18 Annals, xii 3. 19 Memoires et Chroniques du Quinzieme Siecle. 



20 Prov. xii. 1. 21 Prov. xxix. 11. 



