THE SECOND BOOK 213 



of reputation. And lastly I place honour, which is 

 more easily won by any of the other three, much more 

 by all, than any of them can be purchased by honour. 

 To conclude this precept, as there is order and priority 

 in matter, so is there in time, the preposterous placing 

 whereof is one of the commonest errors : while men fly 

 to their ends when they should intend their beginnings, 

 and do not take things in order of time as they come 

 on, but marshal them according to greatness and not 

 according to instance ; not observing the good precept, 

 * Quod nunc instat agamus.' 



39. Another precept of this knowledge is not to em- 

 brace any matters which do occupy too great a quantity 

 of time, but to have that sounding in a man's ears, 

 ' Sed fugit interea fugit irreparabile tempus ' : and that 

 is the cause why those which take their course of rising 

 by professions of burden, as lawyers, orators, painful 

 divines, and the like, are not commonly so politic for 

 their own fortune, otherwise than in their ordinary 

 way, because they want time to learn particulars, to 

 wait occasions, and to devise plots. 



40. Another precept of this knowledge is to imitate 

 nature which doth nothing in vain ; which surely a man 

 may do if he do well interlace his business, and bend 

 not his mind too much upon that which he principally 

 intendeth. For a man ought in every particular action 

 so to carry the motions of his mind, and so to have one 

 thing under another, as if he cannot have that he 

 seeketh in the best degree, yet to have it in a second, 

 or so in a third ; and if he can have no part of that 

 which he purposed, yet to turn the use of it to somewhat 

 else ; and if he cannot make anything of it for the 

 present, yet to make it as a seed of somewhat in time to 

 come ; and if he can contrive no effect or substance 

 from it, yet to win some good opinion by it, or the like. 

 So that he should exact an account of himself of every 

 action, to reap somewhat, and not to stand amazed 

 and confused if he fail of that he chiefly meant : for 

 nothing is more impolitic than to mind actions wholly 

 one by one. For he that doth so leeseth infinite occa- 



