THE SECOND BOOK 359 



their ends. For it was both pleasantly and wisely said 

 (though I think very untruly) by a nuncio of the pope, 

 returning from a certain nation where he served as lieger ; 

 whose opinion being asked touching the appointment of 

 one to go in his place, he wished that in any case they did 

 not send one that was too wise ; because no very wise man 

 would ever imagine what they in that country were like to 

 do. And certainly it is an error frequent for men to shoot 

 over, and to suppose deeper ends and more compass reaches 

 than are : the Italian proverb being elegant, and for the 

 most part true : 



Di danari^ di senno, e 



Ce ne manco che non credi: 



There is commonly less money, less wisdom, and less good 

 faith, than men do account upon. 



But Princes upon a far other reason are best interpreted 

 by their natures, and private persons by their ends ; for 

 princes being at the top of human desires, they have for the 

 most part no particular ends whereto they aspire, by distance 

 from which a man might take measure and scale of the 

 rest of their actions and desires ; which is one of the causes 

 that maketh their hearts more inscrutable. Neither is it 

 sufficient to inform ourselves in men's ends and natures of 

 the variety of them only, but also of the predominancy, 

 what humour reigneth most, and what end is principally 

 sought. For so we see, when Tigellinus saw himself out- 

 stripped by Petronius Turpilianus in Nero's humours of 

 pleasures, metus ejus rimatur, he wrought upon Nero's fears, 

 whereby he brake the other's neck. 



But to all this part of inquiry the most compendious 

 way resteth in three things. The first, to have general 

 acquaintance and inwardness with those which have general 

 acquaintance and look most into the world ; and specially 

 according to the diversity of business and the diversity of 

 persons, to have privacy and conversation with some one 

 friend at least which is perfect and well intelligenced in 

 every several kind. The second is to keep a good medi- 

 ocrity in liberty of speech and secrecy ; in most things 



