1 8 ESS A YS CIVIL AND MORAL. 



And yet boldness is a child of ignorance and baseness, far inferior to 

 other parts. But nevertheless it doth fascinate, and bind hand and 

 foot those that are either shallow in judgment or weak in courage, 

 which are the greatest part ; yea, and prevaileth with wise men at 

 weak times : therefore we see it hath clone wonders in popular states, 

 but with senates and princes less ; and more ever upon the first 

 entrance of bold persons into action, than soon after ; for boldness is 

 an ill keeper of promise. Surely, as there are mountebanks for the 

 natural body, so there are mountebanks for the politic body : men 

 that undertake great cures, and perhaps have been lucky in two or 

 three experiments, but want the grounds of science, and therefore 

 cannot hold out : nay, you shall see a bold fellow many times do 

 Mahomet s miracle. Mahomet made the people believe that he 

 would call an hill to him, and from the top of it offer up prayers for the 

 observers of his law. The people assembled : Mahomet called the hill 

 to come to him again and again ; and when the hill stood still he was 

 never a whit abashed, but said, &quot; If the hill will not come to Mahomet, 

 Mahomet will go to the hill.&quot; So these men, when they have promised 

 great matters, failed most shamefully, yet, if they have the perfection 

 of boldness, they will but slight it over, and make a turn, and no more 

 ado. Certainly to men of great judgment bold persons are a sport to 

 behold ; nay, and to the vulgar also boldness hath somewhat of the 

 ridiculous : for if absurdity be the subject of laughter, doubt you not 

 but great boldness is seldom without some absurdity : especially it is 

 a sport to sec when a bold fellow is out of countenance, for that puts 

 his face into a most shrunken and wooden posture, as needs it must ; 

 for in bashfulncss the spirits do a little go and come ; but with bold 

 men, upon like occasion, they stand at a stay j like a stale at chess, 

 where it is no mate, but yet the game cannot stir : but this last were 

 fitter for a satire, than for a serious observation. This is well to be 

 weighed, that boldness is ever blind ; for it seeth not dangers and 

 inconveniences: therefore it is ill in counsel, good in execution: so 

 that the right use of bold persons is, that they never command in 

 chief, but be seconds, and under the direction of others. For in 

 counsel it is good to sec dangers j and in execution not to see them, 

 except they be very great. 



XIII. OF GOODNESS, AND GOODNESS OF NATURE. 



I take goodness in this sense, the affecting of the weal of men, 

 which is that the Grecians ca\\philanthropia; and the word humanity, 

 as it is used, is a little too light to express it. Goodness I call the 

 habit, and goodness of nature the inclination. This of all virtues and 

 dignities of the mind is the greatest, being the character of the Deity ; 

 and without it man is a busy, mischievous, wretched thing, no better 

 than a kind of vermin. Goodness answers to the theological virtue 

 charity, and admits no excess but error. The desire of power in excess 

 caused the angels to fall ; the desire of knowledge in excess caused 

 man to fall : but in charity there is no excess, neither can angel or 



