business; What first?-Boldness. What second and third? -Boldness. 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 done 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.

LORD BACON

318. D. PEDRO. The lady Beatrice hath a quarrel to you; the gentleman, that danced with her, told her, she is much wronged by you.

:

BENEDICK. O, she misused me past the endurance of a block; an oak, but with one green leaf on it, would have answered her; my very visor began to assume life, and scold with her she told me, not thinking I had been myself, that I was the prince's jester: that I was duller than a great thaw; huddling jest upon jest, with such impossible conveyance, upon me, that I stood like a man at a mark, with a whole army shooting at me: she speaks poniards, and every word stabs if her breath were as terrible as her terminations, there were no living near her, she would infect to the north star. I would not marry her, though she were endowed with all that Adam had left him before he transgressed; she would have made Hercules have turned spit; yea, and have cleft his club to make the fire too. Come, talk not of her; you shall find her the infernal Atê in good apparel. I would to God, some scholar would conjure her; for, certainly, while she is here, a man may live as quiet in hell, as in a sanctuary; and people sin upon purpose, because they would go thither: so, indeed, all disquiet, horror, and perturbation follow her.

W. SHAKESPEARE

319.

CHARACTER. In the great place, to which he had recently been promoted, he had so borne himself, that after

a very few months even faction and envy had ceased to murmur at his elevation. In truth he united all the qualities of a great judge, an intellect comprehensive, quick and acute, diligence, integrity, patience, suavity. In council the calm wisdom, which he possessed in a measure rarely found among men of parts so quick and opinions so decided as his, acquired for him the authority of an oracle. The superiority of his powers appeared not less clearly in private circles. The charm of his conversation was heightened by the frankness with which he poured out his thoughts. His good temper and his good breeding never failed. His gesture, his look, his tones were expressive of benevolence. His humanity was the more remarkable, because he had received from nature a body such as is generally found united with a peevish and irritable mind. His life was one long malady; his nerves were weak, his complexion was livid, his face was prematurely wrinkled: yet his enemies could not pretend that he had ever once, during a long and troubled public life, been goaded even by sudden provocation into vehemence inconsistent with the mild dignity of his character.

But

320. If, among so many funerals of my countrymen, in a year so full of pestilence and sorrow, you were induced, as you say, by rumour to believe that I also was snatched away, it is not surprising; and if such a rumour prevailed among those of your nation, as it seems to have done, because they were solicitous for my health, it is not unpleasing: for I must esteem it as a proof of their benevolence towards me. by the graciousness of God, who had prepared for me a safe retreat in the country, I am still alive and well; and, I trust, not utterly an unprofitable servant, whatever duty in life there yet remains for me to fulfil. That you remember me after so long an interval in our correspondence, gratifies me exceedingly; though, by the politeness of your expression, you seem to afford me room to suspect that you have rather forgotten me, since, as you say, you admire in me so many different virtues wedded together. From so many weddings I should assuredly dread a family too numerous, were it not certain that in narrow circumstances, and under severity of fortune, virtues are most excellently reared and most flourishing. In ending my letter let me obtain from you this favour: that if you find any parts of it incorrectly written, and without stops, you will impute it to the boy who writes

for me, who is utterly ignorant of Latin, and to whom I am forced (wretchedly enough) to repeat every single letter that I dictate. Farewell.

321. CHARACTER. He was of extraordinary endowments great acquirements and transcendant arrogance. Bold and voluble in his speech, daring in his counsel, and fixed in his resolves; the stature of his mind overtopped his associates and collected upon him the eyes of all, the shafts of many. An humble origin could not moderate his pride, though success and almost supreme power seemed to temper it. In wrath less violent than sudden, in revenge not frequent but implacable. He deserved more political friends, but there was something in him that would be obeyed; and his opponents fled and his party failed before his victorious and envied ascendancy. As Chancellor, he had no enemy, and administered justice with undivided applause. In private he was amiable to his family, friends, and followers, indulgent, faithful, generous and kind. In peaceful times, he would have been beloved and lost. In days of ferment, if a demagogue, he would have subverted, as, when a minister, he supported the pillars of the State.

322. CHARACTER OF KING HENRY VIII. As for his faults, I find that of opinionate and wilful much objected: Insomuch that the impressions privately given him by any court whisperer were hardly or never to be effaced. And herein the persons near him had a singular ability: while beginning with the commendations of those they would disgrace, their manner was to insinuate such exceptions, as they would discommend a man more in few words, than commend him in many: doing therein like cunning wrestlers, who, to throw one down, first take him up. Besides this wilfulness had a most dangerous quality annexed to it especially towards his latter end, being an intense jealousy almost of all persons and affairs, which disposed him easily to think the worst. Whereas it is a greater part of wisdom to prevent, than suspect. These conditions, again being armed with power, produced such terrible effects, as stiled him both at home and abroad by the name of Cruel. With all his crimes, yet he was one of the most glorious princes of his time: insomuch that not only the chief potentates of Christendom

did court him, but his subjects in general did highly reverence him, as the many trials he put them to sufficiently testify which yet expired so quickly, that it may be truly said, all his pomp died with him; his memory being now exposed to that obloquy, as his accusers will neither admit reason of state to cover any where, or necessity to excuse his actions. LORD HERBERT

323. FAMILIAR INSTANCES THE BEST. But the truth is, they be not the highest instances that give the securest information; as may be well expressed in the tale so common of the philosopher, that while he gazed upwards to the stars fell into the water; for if he had looked down he might have seen the stars in the water, but looking aloft he could not see the water in the stars. So it cometh often to pass, that mean and small things discover great better than great can discover the small; and therefore Aristotle noteth well, that the nature of everything is best seen in his smallest portions. And for that cause he inquireth the nature of a commonwealth first in a family and the simple conjugations of man and wife, parent and child, master and servant, which are in every cottage. LORD BACON

324.

EDUCATION. The end of learning is to repair the ruins of our first parents by regaining to know God aright, and out of that knowledge to love him, to imitate him, to be like him, as we may the nearest by possessing our souls of true virtue, which being united to the heavenly grace of faith makes up the highest perfection. But because our understanding cannot in this body found itself but on sensible things, nor arrive so clearly to the knowledge of God and things invisible, as by orderly conning over the visible and inferior creature, the same method is necessarily to be followed in all discreet teaching. And seeing every nation affords not experience and tradition enough for all kind of learning, therefore we are chiefly taught the languages of those people who have at any time been most industrious after wisdom: so that language is but the instrument conveying to us things useful to be known. J. MILTON

325. SPEECH OF WILLIAM, DUKE OF NORMANDY, BEFORE THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS. He represented to them that the event, which they and he had long wished for, was approaching: the whole fortune of the war now depended on their swords, and would be decided in a single action: that never army had greater motives for exerting a vigorous courage, whether they considered the prize which would attend their victory, or the inevitable destruction which must ensue upon their discomfiture: that if their martial and veteran bands could once break those raw soldiers, who had rashly dared to approach them, they conquered a kingdom at one blow, and were justly entitled to all its possessions as the reward of their prosperous valour: that, on the contrary, if they remitted in the least their wonted prowess, an enraged enemy hung upon their rear, the sea met them in their retreat, and an ignominious death was the certain punishment of their imprudent cowardice; that, by collecting so numerous and brave a host, he had ensured every human means of conquest, and the commander of the enemy, by his criminal conduct, had given him just cause to hope for the favour of the Almighty, in whose hands alone lay the event of wars and battles.

D. HUME

326. AMERICAN HUNTING. Hardly any device, which the ingenuity of man has discovered for ensnaring or destroying wild animals, was unknown to the Americans. While engaged in this favourite exercise, they shake off the indolence peculiar to their nature, the latent powers and vigour of their minds are roused, and they become active, persevering and indefatigable. Their sagacity in finding their prey, and their address in killing it, are equal. Their reason and their senses being constantly directed towards this one object, the former displays such fertility of invention, and the latter acquire such a degree of acuteness, as appear almost incredible. They discern the footsteps of a wild beast, which escape every other eye, and can follow them with certainty through the pathless forest. If they attack their game openly, their arrow seldom errs from the mark: if they endeavour to circumvent it by art, it is almost impossible to avoid their toils. Their ingenuity always on the stretch, and sharpened by emulation as well as necessity has struck out many inventions, which greatly facilitate success in the chase. The most singular of these is the discovery of a poison, in which