THE SECOND BOOK 337 



talk but in matter of more serious nature, (and supposing 

 it still in things merely indifferent,) to take pleasure in the 

 good of another, and a disposition contrariwise to take 

 distaste at the good of another; which is that property 

 which we call good-nature or ill-nature, benignity or 

 malignity? And therefore I cannot sufficiently marvel 

 that this part of knowledge touching the several characters 

 of natures and dispositions should be omitted both in 

 morality and policy, considering it is of so great ministery 

 and suppeditation to them both. A man shall find in the 

 traditions of astrology some pretty and apt divisions of 

 men's natures, according to the predominances of the 

 planets ; lovers of quiet, lovers of action, lovers of victory, 

 lovers of honour, lovers of pleasure, lovers of arts, lovers 

 of change, and so forth. A man shall find in the wisest 

 sort of these Relations which the Italians make touching 

 Conclaves, the natures of the several Cardinals handsomely 

 and lively painted forth. A man shall meet with in every 

 day's conference the denominations of sensitive, dry, 

 formal, real, humorous, certain, huomo di prima impressione, 

 huomo di ultima impressione, and the like : and yet never- 

 theless this kind of observations wandereth in words, but 

 is not fixed in inquiry. For the distinctions are found 

 (many of them), but we conclude no precepts upon them ; 

 wherein our fault is the greater, because both history, 

 poesy, and daily experience are as goodly fields where these 

 observations grow ; whereof we make a few posies to hold 

 in our hands, but no man bringeth them to the con- 

 fectionary, that receipts might be made of them for use 

 of life. 



Of much like kind are those impressions of nature, 

 which are imposed upon the mind by the sex, by the age, 

 by the region, by health and sickness, by beauty and 

 deformity, and the like, which are inherent and not extern; 

 and again those which are caused by extern fortune ; as 

 sovereignty, nobility, obscure birth, riches, want, magis- 

 tracy, privateness, prosperity, adversity, constant fortune, 

 variable fortune, rising per saltum, pet gradus, and the 

 like. And therefore we see that Plautus maketh it a 



