56 BACON'S ESSAYS 



Some procure themselves to be surprised at such times as 

 it is like the party that they work upon will suddenly come 

 upon them ; and to be found with a letter in their hand, or 

 doing somewhat which they are not accustomed ; to the end 

 they may be apposed of those things which of themselves 

 they are desirous to utter. 



It is a point of cunning, to let fall those words in a man's 

 own name, which he would have another man learn and use, 

 and thereupon take advantage. I knew two that were 

 competitors for the secretary's place in Queen Elizabeth's 

 time, and yet kept good quarter between themselves ; and 

 would confer one with another upon the business ; and the 

 one of them said, That to be a secretary in the declination 

 of a monarchy was a ticklish thing, and that he did not 

 affect it : the other straight caught up those words, and 

 discoursed with divers of his friends, that he had no reason 

 to desire to be secretary in the f declination of a monarchy/ 

 The first man took hold of it, and found means it was told 

 the Queen ; who hearing of a c declination of a monarchy/ took 

 it so ill, as she would never after hear of the other's suit. 



There is a cunning, which we in England call ' The turn- 

 ing of the cat in the pan ' ; which is, when that which a man 

 says to another, he lays it as if another had said it to him. 

 And to say truth, it is not easy, when such a matter passed 

 between two, to make it appear from which of them it 

 first moved and began. It is a way that some men have, 

 to glance and dart at others by justifying themselves by 

 negatives ; as to say, ' This I do not ' ; as Tigellinus did 

 towards Burrhus, Se non diversas spes, sed incolumitatem 

 imperatoris simpliciter sfectare. 



Some have in readiness so many tales and stories, as 

 there is nothing they would insinuate, but they can wrap it 

 into a tale ; which serveth both to keep themselves more in 

 guard, and to make others carry it with more pleasure. 



It is a good point of cunning, for a man to shape the 

 answer he would have in his own words and propositions ; 

 for it makes the other party stick the less. 



It is strange how long some men will lie in wait to speak 

 somewhat they desire to say ; and how far about they will 



