so much as the whole kingdom was indebted to him. But such an accident is rare; and a small hospital will hold those statesmen who have impaired their means, not by their private carelessness, but carefulness for the public. As for his carriage towards home-persons,

He studieth men's natures, first reading the title-pages of them by the report of fame, but credits not fame's relations to the full. Otherwise, as in London Exchange one shall overbuy wares who gives half the price at first demanded, so he that believeth the moiety of fame may believe too much. Wherefore, to be more accurate,

He reads the chapters of men's natures (chiefly his concurrents and competitors) by the reports of their friends and foes, making allowance for their engagements, not believing all in the mass, but only what he judiciously extracteth. Yet virtues confessed by their foes, and vices acknowledged by their friends, are commonly true. The best intelligence, if it can be obtained, is from a fugitive privado.

But the most legible character and truest edition wherein he reads a man, is in his own occasional openings; and that in these three

cases:

1. When the party discloses himself in his wine; for though it be unlawful to practise on any to make them drunk, yet no doubt one

may make a good use of another man's abusing himself. What they say of the herb lunaria, ceremoniously gathered at some set times, that, laid upon any lock, it makes it fly open, is most true of drunkenness, unbolting the most impor

tant secrets.

2. When he discovereth himself in his passions. Physicians, to make some small veins in their patients' arms plump and full, that they may see them the better to let them blood, use to put them into hot water: so the heat of passion presenteth many invisible veins in men's hearts to the eye of the beholder; yea, the sweat of anger washeth off their paint, and makes them appear in their true colors.

3. When accidentally they bolt out speeches unawares to themselves. More hold is then to be taken of a few words casually uttered, than of set, solemn speeches, which rather show men's arts than their natures, as indited rather from their brains than hearts. The drop of one word may show more than the stream of a whole oration; and our statesman, by examining such fugitive passages (which have stolen on a sudden out of the party's mouth), arrives at his best intelligence.

In court-factions he keeps himself in a freeneutrality. Otherwise to engage himself needlessly were both folly and danger. When Francis the First, King of France, was con

sulting with his captains how to lead his army over the Alps into Italy, whether this way or that way, Amarill, his fool, sprang out of a corner, where he sat unseen, and bade them rather take care which way they should bring their army out of Italy back again. Thus is it easy for one to interest and embark himself in others' quarrels, but much difficulty it is to be disengaged from them afterwards. Nor will our statesman entitle himself a party in any feminine discords, knowing that women's jars breed men's wars.

Yet he counts neutrality profaneness in such matters wherein God, his prince, the Church, or State are concerned. Indeed, "he that meddleth with strife not belonging unto him is like one that taketh a dog by the ears." Yet, if the dog worrieth a sheep, we may, yea, ought to rescue it from his teeth, and must be champions for innocence when it is overborne with might. He that will stand neuter in such matters of moment, wherein his calling commands. him to be a party, with Servilius in Rome, will please neither side; of whom the historian says, P. Servilius medium se gerendo, nec plebis vitavit odium, nec apud patres gratiam inivit. And just it is with God, that they should be strained in the twist who stride so wide as to set their legs in two opposite sides. Indeed, an upright shoe may fit both feet, but I never saw

a glove that would serve both hands. Neutrality in matters of an indifferent nature may fit well, but never suit well in important matters, of far different conditions.

He is the centre wherein lines of intelligence meet from all foreign countries. He is careful that his outlandish instructions be full, true, and speedy; not with the sluggard telling for news at noon that the sun is risen. But more largely hereof in the Ambassador, hereafter.

He refuseth all underhand pensions from foreign princes. Indeed, honorary rewards received with the approbation of his sovereign, may be lawful, and less dangerous. For, although even such gifts tacitly oblige him by way of gratitude to do all good offices to that foreign prince whose pensioner he is, yet his counsels pass not but with an open abatement in regard of his known engagements; and so the State is armed against the advice of such who are well known to lean to one side. secret pensions, which flow from foreign princes, like the River Anas in Spain, underground, not known or discerned, are most mischievous. The receivers of such will play under-board at the council-table; and the eating and digesting of such outlandish food will by degrees fill their veins with outlandish blood, even in their very hearts.

But

His masterpiece is in negotiating for his own

master with foreign princes. At Rhodes there was a contention betwixt Apelles and Protogenes, corrivals in the mystery of limning. Apelles, with his pencil, drew a very slender even line; Protogenes drew another, more small and slender, in the midst thereof with another color; Apelles again, with a third line of a different color, drew through the midst of that Protogenes had made, nullum relinquens amplius subtilitati locum. Thus our statesman traverseth matters, doubling and redoubling in his foreign negotiations with the politicians of other princes, winding and intrenching themselves mutually within the thoughts each of other, till at last our statesman leaves no degrees of subtilty to go beyond him.

To conclude, some plead that dissembling is lawful in state-craft, upon the presupposition that men must meet with others which dissemble. Yea, they hold, that thus to counterfeit, se defendendo, against a crafty corrival, is no sin, but a just punishment on our adversary, who first began it. And therefore statesmen sometimes must use crooked shoes to fit hurled feet. Besides, the honest politician would quickly be beggared, if, receiving black money from cheaters, he pays them in good silver, and not in their own coin back again. For my part, I confess that herein I rather see what than whither to fly; neither able to answer their