244 BACON 



Aphorism 12 



Scornful men ensnare a city, but wise men prevent calamity q 



It may seem strange, that in the description of men, formed, 

 as it were, by nature, for the destruction of states, Solomon 

 should choose the character, not of a proud and haughty, not 

 of a tyrannical and cruel, not of a rash and violent, not of a se- 

 ditious and turbulent, not of a foolish or incapable man, but 

 the character of a scorner. Yet this choice is becoming the 

 wisdom of that king, who well knew how governments were 

 subverted, and how preserved. For there is scarce such an- 

 other destructive thing to kingdoms, and commonwealths, as 

 that the counsellors, or senators, who sit at the helm, should 

 be naturally scorners ; who, to show themselves courageous 

 advisers, are always extenuating the greatness of dangers, in- 

 sulting, as fearful wretches, those who weigh them as they 

 ought, and ridiculing the ripening delays of counsel and de- 

 bate, as tedious matters of oratory, unserviceable to the general 

 issue of business. They despise rumors as the breath of the 

 rabble, and things that will soon pass over, though the coun- 

 sels of princes are to be chiefly directed from hence. They ac- 

 count the power and authority of laws but nets unfit to hold 

 great matters. They reject, as dreams and melancholy notions, 

 those counsels and precautions that regard futurity at a dis- 

 tance. They satirize and banter such men as are really pru- 

 dent and knowing in affairs, or such as bear noble minds, and 

 are capable of advising. In short, they sap all the foundations 

 of political government at once a thing which deserves the 

 greater attention, as it is not effected by open attack, but by 

 secret undermining ; nor is it, by any means, so much suspected 

 among mankind as it deserves. 



Aphorism 13 



The prince who willingly hearkens to lies, has all his servants 



wicked r 



When a prince is injudiciously disposed to lend a credulous 

 ear to whisperers and flatterers, pestilent breath seems to pro- 

 ceed from him, corrupting and infecting all his servants ; and 

 now some search into his fears, and increase them with fictitious 

 rumors; some raise up in him the fury of envy, especially 



