ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 361 



amples, produced for the sake of the treatise, are but suc 

 cinctly and nakedly quoted, and, as slaves, wholly attend 

 the call of the discourse. 



It is worth while to observe this difference, that as the 

 histories of times afford the best matter for discourses upon 

 politics, such as those of Machiavel,&quot; so the histories of lives 

 are most advantageously used for instructions of business, 

 because they contain all the possible variety of occasions 

 and affairs, as well great as small. Yet a more commo 

 dious foundation may be had for the precepts of business 

 than either of these histories, and that is, the discoursing 

 upon prudent and serious epistles, such as those of Cicero 

 to Atticus; for epistles represent business nearer and more 

 to the life than either annals or lives. And thus we have 

 treated of the matter and form of the first part of the doc 

 trine of business, which regards variety of occasions, and 

 place it among the desiderata. 



There is another part of the doctrine of business differing 

 as much from the former as the being wise in general, and 

 the being wise for one s self the one seems to move as from 

 the centre to the circumference, and the other as from the 

 circumference to the centre. For there is a certain prudence 

 of giving counsel to others, and another of looking to 

 one s own affairs. Both these, indeed, are sometimes found 

 united, but oftenest separate; as many are prudent in the 

 management of their own private concerns, and weak in 

 public administration, or the giving advice, like the ant, 

 which is a wise creature for itself but pernicious in a 

 garden. This virtue of self- wisdom was not unknown even 

 to the Eomans, those great lovers of their country ; whence, 

 says the comedian, &quot;the wise man forms his own fortune&quot; 



&quot;Nam pol sapiens fingit fortunam sibi&quot; ; 50 



and they had it proverbial among them &quot;Every man s 



19 Especially his II Principe, with the notes of Conringius, which was found 

 in the carriage of Napoleon after the battle of Mont St. Jean, with the annota 

 tions of the emperor. Ed. 



50 Plautus, Trinum. Act. ii. sc. 2, v. 84. 

 SCIENCE Yol. 2116 



