ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 247 



trition and humiliation, it is usual with them to retire from 

 their office or employ, and sometimes to resign their places and 

 dignities into their prince's hands. But Solomon disapproves 

 this method as pernicious. For, i. it publishes the disgrace 

 too much ; whence both our enemies and enviers are more 

 emboldened to hurt us, and our friends the more intimidated 

 from lending their assistance. 2. By this means the anger of 

 the prince, which perhaps would have blown over of itself, had 

 it not been made public, becomes more fixed ; and having now 

 begun to displace the person, ends not but in his downfall. 3. 

 This resigning carries something of ill-will with it, and shows 

 a dislike of the times, which adds the evil of indignation to that 

 of suspicion. The following remedies regard the cure: i. Let 

 him above all things beware how by any insensibility, or ela- 

 tion of mind, he seems regardless of his prince's displeasure, or 

 not affected as he ought. He should not compose his coun- 

 tenance to a stubborn melancholy, but to a grave and decent 

 dejection ; and show himself, in all his actions, less brisk and 

 cheerful than usual. It may also be for his advantage to use 

 the assistance and mediation of a friend with the prince, sea- 

 sonably to insinuate, with how great a sense of grief the person 

 in disgrace is inwardly affected. 2. Let him carefully avoid 

 even the least occasions of reviving the thing which caused the 

 displeasure ; or of giving any handle to fresh distaste, and open 

 rebuke. 3. Let him diligently seek all occasions wherein his 

 service may be acceptable to his prince, that he may both show 

 a ready desire of retrieving his past offence, and his prince per- 

 ceive what a servant he must lose if he quit him. 4. Either let 

 him prudently transfer the blame upon others, or insinuate that 

 the offence was committed with no ill design, or show that their 

 malice, who accused him to the prince, aggravated the thing 

 above measure. 5. Lastly, let him in every respect be watch- 

 ful and intent upon the cure. 



Aphorism 17 



The first in his own cause is fust; then comes the other party, 

 and inquires into him x 



The first information in any cause, if it dwell a little with the 

 judge, takes root, tinges, and possesses him so, as hardly to be 

 removed again, unless some manifest falsity be found in the 



