EIGHTH BOOK 



CHAPTER I 



Civil Knowledge divided into the Art of Conversation, the Art of 

 Negotiation, and the Art of State Policy. 



THERE goes an old tradition, excellent King, that many 

 Grecian philosophers had a solemn meeting before the 

 ambassador of a foreign prince, where each endeavored 

 to show his parts, that the ambassador might have somewhat to 

 relate of the Grecian wisdom ; but one among the number kept 

 silence, so that the ambassador, turning to him, asked : " But 

 what have you to say, that I may report it ? " He answered : 

 " Tell your king that you have found one among the Greeks 

 who knew how to be silent."** Indeed, I had forgot in this 

 compendium of arts to insert the art of silence. For as we are 

 now soon to be led, by the course of the work, to treat the sub- 

 ject of government ; and, knowing that I write to a king who 

 is so perfect a master of this science since his infancy, and being 

 also mindful of the high office I hold under your Majesty, we 

 thought we could not have a better occasion for putting the art 

 of silence in practice. Cicero makes mention not only of an art, 

 but even of an eloquence to be found in silence ; and relates in 

 an epistle to Atticus, how once in conversation he made use of 

 this art : " On this occasion," says he, " I assumed a part of your 

 eloquence; for I said nothing." And Pindar, who peculiarly 

 strikes the mind unexpectedly with some short surprising sen- 

 tence, has this among the rest : " Things unsaid have some- 

 times a greater effect than said." And, therefore, I have de- 

 termined either to be silent upon this subject, or, what is next 

 to it, very concise. 



Civil knowledge turns upon a subject of all others the most 

 immersed in matter, and therefore very difficult to reduce to 

 axioms. And there are some things that ease the difficulty. 

 For, i. as Cato said, " that the Romans were like sheep, easier 



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