ESSAYS CIVIL AND MORAL. 



questions, and draw him on, and pick it out of him, that, without an 

 absurd silence, he must show an inclination one way ; or if he do not, 

 they will gather as much by his silence as by his speech. As for equi 

 vocations, or oraculous speeches, they cannot hold out long. So that 

 no man can be secret, except he give himself a little scope of dissimu 

 lation, which is as it were but the skirts or train of secrecy. 



But for the third degree, which is simulation and false profession ; 

 that I hold more culpable and less politic, except it be in great and 

 rare matters. And therefore a general custom of simulation, which is 

 this last degree, is a vice rising either of a natural falseness, or fearful- 

 ness, or of a mind that hath some main faults ; which because a man 

 must needs disguise, it makcth him practise simulation in other things, 

 lest his hand should be out of use. 



The great advantages of simulation and dissimulation are three. 

 First, to lay asleep opposition, and to surprise. For where a man s 

 intentions are published, it is an alarm to call up all that are against 

 them. The second is, to reserve 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 show 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 truth. As if there were no way of 

 discovery but by simulation. There be also three disadvantages to set 

 it even. The first, that simulation and dissimulation commonly carry 

 with them a show of fearfulncss, which in any business doth spoil the 

 feathers of round flying up to the mark. The second, that it puzzlcth 

 and perplcxcth the conceits of many, that perhaps would otherwise co 

 operate with him ; and makes a man walk almost alone, to his own 

 ends. The third and greatest is, that it dcprivcth 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 arc 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 in 

 crease the cares of life, but they mitigate the remembrance of deatlu 

 The perpetuity by generation is common to beasts ; but memory, 

 merit, and noble works, arc 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 bodies have failed : so the care of posterity is most in them 

 that have no posterity. They that are the first raisers of thci. houses, 

 are most indulgent towards their children ; beholding them as the 

 continuance, not only of their kind, but of their work ; and so both 

 children and creatures. 



