ioo BACON'S ESSAYS 



virtues bring forth praise ; but there be secret and hidden 

 virtues that bring forth fortune ; certain deliveries of a 

 man's self, which have no name. The Spanish name, 

 desemboltura, partly expresseth them ; when there be not 

 stonds nor restiveness in a man's nature ; but that the 

 wheels of his mind keep way with the wheels of his fortune. 

 For so Livy (after he had described Cato Major in these 

 words, In ilk viro tantum robur corporis et animi fuit> ut 

 quocunque loco natus esset, fortunam sibi facturus videretur) 

 falleth upon that, that he had versatile ingenium. There- 

 fore if a man look sharply and attentively, he shall see 

 Fortune : for though she be blind, yet she is not invisible. 

 The way of fortune is like the milken way in the sky; 

 which is a meeting or knot of a number of small stars ; 

 not seen asunder, but giving light together. So are there 

 a number of little and scarce discerned virtues, or rather 

 faculties and customs, that make men fortunate. The 

 Italians note some of them, such as a man would little 

 think. When they speak of one that cannot do amiss, 

 they will throw in into his other conditions, that he hath Poco 

 di matto. And certainly there be not two more fortunate 

 properties, than to have a little of the fool, and not too 

 much of the honest. Therefore extreme lovers of their 

 country or masters were never fortunate, neither can they 

 be. For when a man placeth his thoughts without him- 

 self, he goeth not his own way. An hasty fortune maketh 

 an enterpriser and remover; (the French hath it better, 

 entreprenant, or remnant;) but the exercised fortune maketh 

 the able man. 



Fortune is to be honoured and respected, and it be but 

 for her daughters, Confidence and Reputation. For those 

 two felicity breedeth ; the first within a man's self, the 

 latter in others towards him. All wise men, to decline the 

 envy of their own virtues, use to ascribe them to Provi- 

 dence and Fortune ; for so they may the better assume 

 them : and, besides, it is greatness in a man to be the 

 care of the higher powers. So Caesar said to the pilot in 

 the tempest, Caesarem portas, et fortunam ejus. So Sylla 

 chose the name of Felix, and not of Magnus. And it hath 



