2 6o BACON 



Tacitus observes a difference between his inward thoughts and 

 his language in eulogizing the exploits of Drusus and Ger- 

 manicus thus characterizing his panegyric of the latter: 

 " Magis in speciem verbis adornatis quam ut penitus sentire 

 crederetur;" and then that of Drusus " Paucioribus sed in- 

 tentior, et fida oratione." n Again, Tacitus sketches the man- 

 ner of the emperor on other occasions when he was less crafty, 

 and sums up his remarks thus : " Quin ipse compositus alias 

 atque velut eluctantium verborum; solutius promptiusque 

 loquebatur quoties subveniret." o And indeed, it is hard to find 

 so great and masterly a dissembler, or a countenance so well 

 broke and commanded, as to carry on an artful and counterfeit 

 discourse without some way or other betraying it. 



2. The words of men are full of deceit; but this is well 

 detected in two ways : viz., either when words are spoken on 

 the sudden, or in passion. So Tiberius, being suddenly sur- 

 prised and hurried beyond himself, with a stinging speech 

 from Agrippina, went a step out of his natural dissimulation; 

 for, says Tacitus, she thus drew an uncommon expression from 

 his secret breast, and he rebuked her as being offended because 

 she did not rule./' Whence the poet not unjustly calls these 

 perturbations tortures, mankind being compelled by them to 

 betray their own secrets 



" Vino tortus et ira." Horace.9 



And experience shows that there are very few so true to their 

 own secrets, and of so close a temper, as not sometimes, through 

 anger, ostentation, love to a friend, impotence of mind, or some 

 other affection, to reveal their own thoughts. But nothing 

 searches all the corners of the mind so much as dissimulation 

 practised against dissimulation, according to the Spanish pro- 

 verb, " Tell a lie and find a truth." 



3. Even facts themselves, though the surest pledges of the 

 human mind, are not altogether to be trusted, unless first 

 attentively viewed and considered as to their magnitude and 

 propriety; for it is certain that deceit gets itself a credit in 

 small things, that it may practise to more advantage in larger. 

 And the Italian thinks himself upon the cross with the crier, 

 or put up to sale, when, without manifest cause, he is treated 

 better than usual ; for small favors lull mankind, and disarm 

 them both of caution and industry ; whence they are properly 



