28 2 Of the Advancement of Learning, Lib. VIlI. 



Pluravelist 

 V.Cardani 

 Proxen five 

 Arcana Pol. 

 6 quam Ar- 

 cana .' 



Libro del 

 Pnn. 



Cic.pro L« 

 Muixna. 



plutar.in ly' 

 fold. 



So love a man as yet thou maiji become an enemy ^^o hate a man as yet thou 

 maiji become his Friend--yior it utterly betrays and fruftrates all utility, 

 for a man to embark himfelftoofar in unfortunate friendfliipSjUnquiet 

 and troublefome fpleensjor childifh and humorous iEmulations. 



Thefepail fufficefor examples touching the knowledge of the Ad" 

 vancement of Life : yetl would have it reraembred, that thefe adum- 

 brations which we have drawn and fet down as De^h>«f j , are far 

 from corapleat Traftates of them , but only that they are as little 

 pieces and edgings for patternSaWhercby a judgement may be made of 

 the whole web. Again we are not fo weak and foolifli as to avouch 

 that Fortunes are not to be obtained without all this ado , for we 

 know well they come tumbling into fome mens laps, and a number 

 obtain goodfortunes only with diligence and afliduity ("with fome 

 little caution intermingled) in a plain way, without any great or pain- 

 ful Art. But as Cicero, when he fets down the Idea of a perfeft Ora- 

 tor, doth not mean that every Pleader ftiould be or can be fuch : 

 and again as in the defcription of a Prince oi* a Courtier, by fuch as 

 have handled thofe fubjefts , the Mould is made according to the per- 

 fedlion of the Art, and not according to common pradtice : the fame 

 we have performed in the inftrudfcion of a P<»/i^/V4 man j I mean Poli' 

 tickjor his otvn Fortune. And likewife take this advertilement along 

 with you. That the Precepts which we have chofen and fet downjare 

 all ofthat kind which may be counted and called Bona Artes. As for 

 Evil Art S:, ifaman would yield himfelf a difciple to Mac hiave I who 

 gives it in precept. That a man needs not much care for vertue itfelfbut 

 for the appearance only thereof in the eyes of the world, becaufe the fame 

 and credit of vertue, is a help, but the ufe of it a cumber , who in ano- 

 ther place gives this rule : That a Politick man lay this as a foundati- 

 on of his praftickwifdom, that heprefhppofe, that men are not rightly 

 andfafely to be n>r ought upon and bowed to the bent of our wills, otherwife 

 than by fear^ and therefore let him endeavour by all means pojfible to have 

 every man obnoxious, low and infireights. So as Machiavel's Politici- 

 an feems to be what the Italians call ilfeminatore del/efpine ^ orifa- 

 ny would embrace that Principle which Cicero cites, Cadant amici, 

 dummodo inimici intercidant ■) as the 7r7««»w>z fold the lives of their 

 friends, for the deaths of their enemies. Or if a man would be an 

 imitator of L. Catilina to become an incendiary and a perturber of 

 ftates, to the end he may better fifii in droumy waters, and unwrap hi* 

 fortune's j I (faith he) if once afire fei^e upon my Fortune, will extin- 

 guijh it not with water but with ruine , or if any one would convert to 

 his ufe that o£Lyfander, who was wont to fay, That children are to be 

 . deceivedwith Comfits, and men with Oaths. With other fuch corrupt 

 and pernicious Pofitions of the fame impreffion, whereot (as in all o« 

 ther things,) there arc more in number, than of the good and found. 

 If any (I fay) be delighted with fuch contagious and polluted 

 wi(dom,I deny not but with thefe difpenfations from all the laws of 

 charity and integrity,whollyenflaved to the prefBng ofhispwn For- 

 tunes, he may be more fpeedy and compendious in the promoting of 

 his Fortune : but it is in life, as it is in ways , the fhorteft way is 

 commonly the foulefl ; and furely the fiiirer way is not much 



about. 



