154 OF THE COLOURS OF GOOD AND EVIL 



whereby the eye may divide it. So when a great monied 

 man hath divided his chests and coins and bags, he seemeth 

 to himself richer than he was, and therefore a way to 

 amplify anything is to break it and to make an anatomy of 

 it in several parts, and to examine it according to several 

 circumstances. And this maketh the greater show if it be 

 done without order ; for confusion maketh things muster 

 more; and besides, what is set down by order and division, 

 doth demonstrate that nothing is left out or omitted, but 

 all is there ; whereas if it be without order, both the mind 

 comprehendeth less that which is set down, and besides it 

 leaveth a suspicion, as if more might be said than is 

 expressed. 



This colour deceiveth, if the mind of him that is to be 

 persuaded do of itself over-conceive or prejudge of the 

 greatness of anything ; for then the breaking of it will 

 make it seem less, because it maketh it to appear more 

 according to the truth : and therefore if a man be in sick- 

 ness or pain, the time will seem longer without a clock or 

 hour-glass, than with it ; for the mind doth value every 

 moment, and then the hour doth rather sum up the 

 moments than divide the day. So in a dead plain the way 

 seemeth the longer, because the eye hath preconceived it 

 shorter than the truth, and the frustrating of that maketh 

 it seem longer than the truth. Therefore if any man have 

 an over-great opinion of anything, then if another think by 

 breaking it into several considerations he shall make it 

 seem greater to him, he will be deceived ; and therefore in 

 such cases it is not safe to divide, but to extol the entire 

 still in general. 



Another case wherein this colour deceiveth is when the 

 matter broken or divided is not comprehended by the sense 

 or mind at once, in respect of the distracting or scattering 

 of it ; and being entire and not divided, is comprehended : 

 as a hundred pounds in heaps of five pounds will shew 

 more than in one gross heap, so as the heaps be all upon 

 one table to be seen at once, otherwise not ; or flowers 

 growing scattered in divers beds will shew more than if 

 they did grow in one bed, so as all those beds be within a 



