204 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



•principally sought. For so we see, when Tigellinus saw 

 himself outstripped by Petronius Turpilianus in Nero's 

 humours of pleasures, ' metus ejus rimatur,' he wrought 

 upon Nero's fears, whereby he brake the other's neck. 



22. But to all this part of inquiry the most com- 

 pendious way resteth in three things : the first, to have 

 general acquaintance and inwardness with those which 

 have general acquaintance and look most into the world ; 

 and specially according to the diversity of business, and 

 the diversity of persons, to have privacy and conver- 

 sation with some one friend at least which is perfect 

 and well intelhgenced in every several kind. The 

 second is to keep a good mediocrity in liberty of speech 

 and secrecy ; in most things liberty : secrecy where 

 it importeth ; for liberty of speech inviteth and pro- 

 voketh liberty to be used again, and so bringeth much 

 to a man's knowledge ; and secrecy on the ofeher side 

 induceth trust and inwardness. The last is the re- 

 ducing of a man's self to this watchful and serene habit, 

 as to make account and purpose, in every conference 

 and action, as well to observe as to act. For as Epic- 

 tetus would have a philosopher in every particular 

 action to say to himself, ' Et hoc volo, et etiam insti- 

 tutum servare ' ; so a politic man in everything should 

 say to himself, ' Et hoc volo, ac etiam aliquid addiscere.' 

 I have stayed the longer upon this precept of obtaining 

 good information, because it is a main part by itself, 

 which answereth to all the rest. But, above all things, 

 caution must be taken that men have a good stay and 

 hold of themselves, and that this much knowing do not 

 draw on much meddling ; for nothing is more unfor- 

 tunate than light and rash intermeddling in many 

 matters. So that this variety of knowledge tendeth 

 in conclusion but only to this, to make a better and 

 freer choice of those actions which may concern us, and 

 to conduct them with the less error and the more 

 dexterity. 



23. The second precept concerning this knowledge is, 

 for men to take good information touching their own 

 person, and well to understand themselves : knowing 



