264 BACON 



he is unfit, that he may, upon the first opportunity, quit it and 

 take to another as Valentine Borgia did, who, being educated 

 by his father for the priesthood, afterwards renounced, followed 

 his own inclination, and appeared in a military character. 



Let a third consideration be, how a man stands compared 

 with his equals and rivals, who may also probably be his com- 

 petitors in his fortune, and let him hold that course of life in 

 which there is the greatest want of eminent men, and wherein 

 it is most likely that himself may rise the highest, as Caesar did, 

 who was first an orator, a pleader, and scarce anything more 

 than a gownman ; but when he found that Cicero, Hortensius, 

 and Catullus bore away the prize of eloquence, and that none 

 had greatly signalized themselves in war except Pompey, he 

 quitted the gown, and taking a long farewell of civil power, 

 went over to the arts of the general and the emperor, whereby 

 he rose to the top pinnacle of sovereignty. 



Let the fourth consideration be, to regard one's own nature 

 and temper in the choice of friends and dependants ; for different 

 men require different kinds of friends some those that are 

 grave and secret, others such as are bold and ostentatious, etc. 

 It is worth observing of what kind the friends of Julius Caesar 

 were ; viz., Antony, Hirtius, Balbus, Dolabella, Pollio, etc., 

 who usually swore to die that he might live ; thereby express- 

 ing an infinite affection for Caesar, but an arrogance and con- 

 tempt towards everybody else. And they were all men dili- 

 gent in business, but of no great fame and reputation. 



Let a fifth consideration be, to beware of examples, and not 

 fondly square one's self to the imitation of others, as if what 

 was achieved by them must needs be achieved by us, without 

 considering the difference there may be between our own dis- 

 position and manners compared with theirs we propose to imi- 

 tate. Pompey manifestly fell into this error, who, as Cicero 

 writes of him, had these words often in his mouth " Sylla 

 could do this, why shall not I ?" y In which particular he 

 greatly imposed upon himself ; for Sylla's temper and method 

 of acting differed infinitely from his the one's being fierce, 

 violent, and pressing to the end, the other's composed, mindful 

 of the laws, and directing all to majesty and reputation ; whence 

 he was greatly curbed and restrained in executing his designs. 

 And these considerations may serve as a specimen of the rest. 



But it is not enough for a man to know himself; he must 



