II.] ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. 227 



as to caution and as to industry, and are, as Demosthenes callcth 

 them, &quot; Alimcnta socordia?.&quot; So again we see how false the nature of 

 some deeds are, in that particular which Mutianus practised upon 

 Antonius Primus, upon that hollow and unfaithful reconcilement which 

 was made between them : whereupon Mutianus advanced many of the 

 friends of Antonius : &quot;simul amicis cjus pr.tfccturas ct tribunatus 

 largitur :&quot; wherein, under pretence to strengthen him, he did desolate 

 him, and won from him his dependencies. 



As for words, though they be, like waters to physicians, full of 

 flattery and uncertainty, yet they are not to be despised, specially with 

 the advantage of passion and affection. For so we see Tiberius, upon 

 a stinging and incensing speech of Agrippina, came a step forth of his 

 dissimulation, when he said, &quot; You are hurt because you do not reign ;&quot; 

 of which Tacitus saith, &quot;Audita IUTC raram occulti pcctoris vocem 

 clicucrc, correptaniijue Gracco versu admonuit : idco la:di, quia non 

 rcgnaret.&quot; And therefore the poet doth elegantly call passions, tor 

 tures, that urge men to confess their secrets : 



Vino tortus ct ira. 



And experience showeth, there are few men so true to themselves, and 

 so settled, but that sometimes upon heat, sometimes upon bravery, 

 sometimes upon kindness, sometimes upon trouble of mind and weak 

 ness, they open themselves ; specially if they be put to it with a 

 counter-dissimulation, according to the proverb of Spain, &quot; Di mentira, 

 y sacaras vcrdad,&quot; &quot;Tell a lie, and find a truth.&quot; 



As for the knowing of men, which is at second hand from reports : 

 men s weakness and faults are best known from their enemies, their 

 virtues and abilities from their friends, their customs and times from 

 their servants, their conceits and opinions from their familiar friends, 

 with whom they discourse most. General fame is light, and the 

 opinions conceived by superiors or equals are deceitful ; for to such, 

 men are more masked, &quot; Verier fama e domcsticis cmanat.&quot; 



But the soundest disclosing and expounding of men is, by their 

 natures and ends ; wherein the weakest sort of men arc best inter 

 preted by their natures, and the wisest by 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 licger ; 

 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 arc : the Italian proverb being elegant, and for the most 

 part true, 



Di dinar!, di scnno, c di fcde, 



Cc* n6 manco chc non crcdi : 



&quot; There is commonly less money, less wisdom, and less good faith, 

 than men do account upon.&quot; 



lint princes, upon a far other reason, are best interpreted by their 



