14 BACON'S ESSAYS 



For where a man's intentions are published, it is an alarum 

 to call up all that are against them. The second is, to 

 reserve to a man's self a fair retreat. For if a man engage 

 himself by a manifest declaration, he must go through or 

 take a fall. The third is, the better to discover the mind 

 of another. For to him that opens himself men will hardly 

 shew themselves adverse ; but will (fair) let him go on, 

 and turn their freedom of speech to freedom of thought. 

 And therefore it is a good shrewd proverb of the Spaniard, 

 ' Tell a lie and find a troth.' As if there were no way of 

 discovery but by simulation. There be also three dis- 

 advantages, to set it even. The first, that simulation and 

 dissimulation commonly carry with them a shew of fearful- 

 ness, which in any business doth spoil the feathers of round 

 flying up to the mark. The second, that it puzzleth and 

 perplexeth the conceits of many, that perhaps would other- 

 wise co-operate with him ; and makes a man walk almost 

 alone to his own ends. The third and greatest, is, that it 

 depriveth a man of one of the most principal instruments 

 for action ; which is trust and belief. The best composition 

 and temperature is to have openness in fame and opinion ; 

 secrecy in habit ; dissimulation in seasonable use ; and a 

 power to feign, if there be no remedy. 



VII 

 OF PARENTS AND CHILDREN 



THE joys of parents are secret ; and so are their griefs 

 and fears. They cannot utter the one ; nor they will not 

 utter the other. Children sweeten labours ; but they make 

 misfortunes more bitter. They increase the cares of life ; 

 but they mitigate the remembrance of death. The per- 

 petuity by generation is common to beasts ; but memory, 

 merit, and noble works, are proper to men. And surely 

 a man shall see the noblest works and foundations have 

 proceeded from childless men ; which have sought to 

 express the images of their minds, where those of their 



