6 3 ESSA ys CIVIL AND ^ 



much mischief. And I sec many severe laws made to suppress them. 

 I hat tha hath given them grace, and some credit, consistcth in three 

 iings: first, that men mark when they hit, and never mark when they 

 m S3 J as they do, gencrallv, also of dreams. 1 he second is that pro- 

 bible conjectures, or obscure traditions, many times, turn themselves 

 into prophecies -.while the nature of man which covetcth divination 

 thinks it no peril to foretel that, which indeed they do but collect ; as 

 that of Seneca s verse. For so much was then subject to demonstra 

 tion, that the -lobe of the earth had great parts beyond the Atlantic, 

 which might be probably conceived not to be all sea : and adding 

 thereto, the tradition in Plato s Tim;cus, and his Atlanticus, it might 

 encourage one to turn it to a prediction. The third, and last, which is 

 the great one, is, that almost all of them, being infinite in number, have 

 been impostures, and by idle and crafty brains, merely contrived and 

 feigned, after the event passed. 



XXXVI. OF AMBITION. 



Ambition is like cholcr, which is an humour that maketh men 

 active, earnest, full of alacrity, and stirring, if it be not stopped. But 

 if it be stopped, and cannot have its way, it becometh adust, and 

 thereby malign and venomous. So ambitious men, if they find the 

 way open for their rising, and still get forward, they are rather busy 

 than dangerous ; but if they be checked in their desires, they become 

 secretly discontent, and look upon men and matters with an evil eye, 

 and are best pleased when things go backward ; which is the worst 

 property in a servant of a prince or state. Therefore it is good for 

 princes, if they use ambitious men, to handle it so, as they be still pro 

 gressive, and not retrograde ; which, because it cannot be without 

 inconvenience, it is good not to use such natures at all. For if they 

 rise not with their service, they will take order to make their service 

 fall with them. Hut since we have said it were good not to use men 

 of ambitious natures, except it be upon necessity, it is fit we speak, in 

 what cases they are of necessity. Good commanders in the wars must 

 be taken, be they never so ambitious : for the use of their service dispen- 

 seth with the rest ; and to take a soldier without ambition, is to pull 

 off his spurs. There is also great use of ambitious men, in being 

 screens to princes, in matters of danger and envy : for no man will take 

 that part, except he be like a seeled dove, that mounts, and mounts, 

 because he cannot sec about him. There is use also of ambitious men 

 in pulling down the greatness of any subject that over-tops ; as Tiberius 

 used Macro in the pulling down of Sejanus. Since therefore they 

 must be used in such cases, there resteth to speak how they are to be 

 bridled, that they may be less dangerous. There is less danger of 

 them, if they be of mean birth than if they be noble ; and if they be 

 rather harsh of nature, than gracious and popular ; and if they be 

 rather new raised, than grown cunning and fortified in their greatness 

 It is counted by some a weakness in princes to have favourites ; but it is, 

 of all others, the best remedy against ambitious great ones. For when 



