10. There is a Cunning which we in England call the turning of Cat in The turning pan; which is, when what a Man fays to another, he pretends another of Cat in pan. had faid to him: and 'tis not eafy when fuch a Matter paffed between two, to make it appear from which of them it originally came.

11. There is an Artifice of glancing at others, by justifying ones felf The Artifice in Negatives; as to fay, This I do not. And fome have fuch a ready Ta- of Story-telllent at Story-telling, that there is nothing they would infinuate, but they ing. can wrap it up in a Tale, whereby they keep themselves fecure; as affirming nothing exprefly, and at the fame time caufe the thing they intended to be spread with the greater Pleafure.

12. 'Tis an useful Cunning for a Man to couch the Anfwer he defires To procure an in the others own Words and Propofitions; for this brings over the other the Words of Answer in with greater Ease.

another.

13. 'Tis ftrange how long fome Men will wait to speak what they in- The waiting tend; how far they will fetch it; and how many other Matters they will an Opportubeat over to come near it. This is a thing of great Patience, but of much nity to speak. Ufe.

14. A fudden, bold and unexpected Question fometimes furprizes a Sudden bold Perfon, and lays him open. Thus a Man who went by a falfe Name, ano- Queftions. ther coming behind him and calling him by his true one, is faid to have forgot himself, and prefently look'd back.

made of the

petty Points

15. But these finall Wares, and petty Points of Cunning, are numerous. 4 Lift to be It were proper, however, to make a Lift of them; for nothing proves more mischievous in States, than to have cunning Men pafs for wife. of Cunning. 16. There are those who know the Stops and Paufes of Bufinefs, but Some Men cannot enter the Heart of it; like fome Houses that have convenient Stairs fitter for and Galleries, but never a good Room. Hence fuch Men find commodi- Cunning than real Business. ous Exits in the Conclufion of Debates; tho they are no ways able to examine and deliberate Matters. Yet they commonly take advantage of their Inability; and would be thought Genius's fitter to direct and determine, than to difpute. And fome depend rather upon the abufing and tricking of others, than upon the Soundnefs of their own Proceedings. But Solomon fays, The Fool turneth afide to Deceit, whilft the prudent Man looketh well to his Goings.

I.

ESSAY VIII. Of SELF-CUNNING.

HE Ant has much Self-cunning, but proves a mischievous Thing Self-cunning THE in a Garden and certainly Self-lovers hurt the Publick. We not to be over fhould therefore divide equally betwixt Self-love and publick Spirit. Be indulged. true to thyfelf, but not injurious to others; efpecially not to thy King and Country 'Tis groveling for a Man's Actions to center in himself.

This Cunning 2. It is more tolerable in Princes to refer all things to themselves, because fuits better they act in a publick Capacity; but Selfishness is highly pernicious in a with Princes Subject or Servant of the State: for all the publick Affairs that pafs through than private

fuch Perfons.

chofe of this

fuch Hands, will be bent to selfish Ends; which must often prove eccentrick to the Ends of the governing Power.

No prime 3. Therefore let Princes choofe fuch Minifters and Servants as are not Officers to be felfish; unless where the Office is fecondary. What makes the Effect more Character, pernicious is, that it preferves no Proportion. It is a wide Difproportion, where the Servant's Advantage is preferred to the Master's; but a violent Extreme, where a fmall Advantage of the Servant is preferred to a great one of the Mafter. Yet this is frequently the Cafe in corrupt Minifters, Treasurers, Ambaffadors, Generals, and other felfifh Officers and Servants; who clap a Biafs upon the Bowl of their own petty Ends, which draws afide their Mafters important Affairs. The Advantages fuch Servants receive generally fquare with the Model of their Fortunes; but the Damage they do in Exchange is according to the Model of their Mafter's Fortune. For it is the Temper of fuch violent Self-lovers to fire a Houfe, fo they can but roaft their Eggs. Yet fuch Minifters often keep in their Prince's Favour, because they study but these two Points, to pleafe him, and profit themselves; and they will betray his Intereft for the Sake of either, The Self-cun- 4. Self-Cunning is a depraved Thing in many of its Branches. 'Tis the ning often un-Cunning of Rats, that will leave a Houfe fomewhat before it falls: 'Tis fortunate. the Cunning of the Fox, that turns out the Badger, who made the Den: 'Tis the Cunning of the Crocodile, who weeps over his Prey: But what is moft obfervable, extreme Self-lovers, who, as Cicero fays of Pompey, are without a Rival in their Love, generally end unfortunate; and, as they facrificed to themselves through the whole Courfe of their Lives, are at length facrificed by the Inconftancy of Fortune; whofe Wings they thought to have clipped by their hopeful Cunning.

That Men

differ in point of Wisdom.

The Artifices of those who affect to feem wife.

I.

ESSAY IX. Of affecting the Appearance of WISDOM.

T is a receiv'd Opinion, that the French are wifer than they appear; IT and that the Spaniards appear wifer than they are: But however it be between Nations, 'tis certainly thus between Man and Man. For, as the Apostle fays of Godliness, having the Form of Godliness, but denying the Power thereof fo there are certain Solemn Triflers, no way deferving the Name of wife, that deliver Levities with Labour'.

2. 'Tis a ridiculous thing to Men of Senfe, and a Subject fit for Satyr, to fee into how many Shapes these Formalifts will change; and what Perspectives they ufe to make Surfaces appear as Solids. Some are fo close and fecret as only to fhew their Goods by a half-light; and seem to intimate more than they fpeak; and when they are confcious they talk of a Subject they do not understand, yet pretend to know what they may not fafely utter. Some help their Difcourfe with Looks and Gestures, and would fhew themselves wife by Signs. Some affect to fhine by talking big and peremptory, nimbly taking for granted the Things they can

not

ε Magno canatu magnas nugas.

not prove. Others will feem to defpife, as impertinent or trifling, whatever is beyond their Sphere; and thus put off their Ignorance for Judgment. Others are never without their Diftinctions; and generally skip over the Matter, by puzzling the Company. Such Men in Converfation commonly take the negative Side; and would raife a Character by starting Difficulties, and foretelling Inconveniencies: becaufe, when Propofitions are denied, there is an End of them; but if proved, fresh Work is cut So that this falfe Wisdom proves the Bane of Business.

out.

3. In fhort, no breaking Merchant, no fecret Bankrupt has fo many The feeming Shifts to keep a Credit, as thefe pretending wife Men to fupport their wife Men not to be trufted darling Sufficiency. And, though fuch Men may eafily catch the Opinion of the Crowd; yet let them never be trufted in ferious Bufinefs, or Business. Affairs of Weight. Certainly Bufinefs is better conducted by Men that commit fome Abfurdities, than by fuch difagreeable, empty Formalifts.

I.

F

ESSAY X. Of DELAYS.

Ortune is like the Market, where, if Men can wait a little, the The Nature Price will fall. 'Tis fometimes like the Sibyll's Offer, which of Fortune. firft prefents the Commodity entire, then confumes a Part, and still keeps up the Price. For Opportunity firft offers the Handle of the Bottle, then the Belly.

Conduct in

Dangers.

2. There is no greater Wisdom than rightly to time the Beginnings of The proper Things. Dangers are no longer light, if they once feem light: and more Dangers have deceived Men, than forced them. Nay, it were better to meet fome Dangers half way, than to be perpetually enquiring after their Motions, and watching their Approach; for in watching too long, Men are apt to fall asleep.

3. On the other hand, to be deceived by long Shadows, as fome have Dangers not to be overbeen, when the Moon was low, and fhone on their Enemies Back, and fo rated, or be to fhoot off before the Time; or to provoke Dangers, by over haftily provoked. arming against them, is the contrary Extreme.

ed.

4. The Ripenefs or Unripenefs of the Occafion must be well confidered; The Ripeness and generally 'tis beft to commit the Beginnings of all great Actions to of Opportunity to be feiz Argus with his hundred Eyes, and the Ends to Briarcus with his hundred Hands: firft to watch, and then to fpeed. Pluto's Helmet, which renders the Politician invifible, is Secrecy in Counsel, and Difpatch in Execution. For when things are ripe for Execution there is no Secrecy comparable to Difpatch".

"See the Fable of Perfeus explained, Vol. I. Pag. 64. See also ESSAY XI.

ESSAY

Affected Dif- 1.

ous.

The falfe
Dispatch.

The true.

To procure Dispatch in the Relator.

ESSAY XI. Of DISPATCH in BUSINESS.

Mmature and affected Difpatch generally proves the Bane of Business. 'Tis like what the Phyficians call hafty Digeftion; which fills the Body with Crudities, and the fecret Seeds of Diseases. Therefore we are not to measure Difpatch by the Time beftowed in Confultation; but by the Progress made in the Bufinefs confulted about. And as in the Course, it is not the large or the high Step, but the low and equable Motion of the Feet, that conftitutes Fleetnefs; fo in Bufinefs, the keeping close to the Matter, and not greedily taking too large a Part at once, procures Difpatch.

2. Some only affect the Appearance of doing a great deal in a little Time, or contrive falfe Periods of Bufinefs, that they may feem Men of Difpatch. But 'tis one thing to fave Time by contracting, and another by breaking off. Bufinefs treated at feveral Meetings, generally fluctuates, backwards and forwards, with great uncertainty. I knew a wife Man, who, when he found People over hafty, would constantly fay to them, Stay a little, that we may have done the fooner.

3. On the other hand, true Dispatch is a valuable Thing. For Time is the Measure of Bufinefs, as Money is of Commodities; and therefore Business will be dear bought, where Time is too long delay'd. The Spartans and Spaniards have been remarked for Slowness. Let my Death come from Spain, fays the Proverb; for then it will be long in coming. 4. Lend a patient Ear to the firft Informers in Bufinefs; and rather direct them in the Beginning, than interrupt them often in the Thread of their Difcourfe: for a Man put out of his own Method, will ramble, and prove more tedious while he recollects his Memory, than if he had been fuffered to proceed without Disturbance. But fometimes the Moderator

is more troublesome than the Relator.

By cutting off 5. Repetitions generally wafte Time, which however is never faved more Superfluous than by often repeating the State of the Queftion; for this ftifles many Speeches. impertinent Speeches in the Birth. Prolix and florid Harangues are as unfit for Business, as a long Robe for a Race. Prefaces, fine Transitions, Apologies, and other perfonal Speeches are great Wafters of Time; and, tho they may feem to proceed from Modefty, are in reality Oftentation: yet beware of coming bluntly to the Matter, when there is any Obftrution or Impediment in Mens Wills; for pre-poffeffion of Mind always requires a preparatory Speech, like a Fomentation to make the Unguent

By a right
Difpofal of
Bulinefs.

enter.

6. Above all, Order, Diftribution, and an apt fingling out of Parts is the Life of Difpatch, provided the Distribution be not too fubtile; for he who does not divide, will never enter well into Bufinefs and he who divides too much, will fcarce come out of it clearly. To choose Time, is to fave Time: for an unfeafonable Motion is but beating the Air, and a Lofs of Time.

There

7. There are three parts of Bufinefs; viz. the Preparation, the Exami- The three nation or Debate, and the Execution; where, if Difpatch is intended, let the Parts of Bu finess, how to Examination be the Work of many; but the Preparation and Execution be managed.

the Work of few.

8. To enter upon Business from fome Scheme drawn up in Writing, Business to generally promotes Dispatch; for tho fuch a Scheme fhould be wholly re-proceed upon jected, yet even this affords more Direction, than to have had no definitive fome Plan. Scheme at all as Afhes are more fertilizing than Duft w.

I.

ESSAY XII. Of CARES.

F Cares be not moderated they fruftrate themselves, opprefs the Cares to be

I'Mind, confound the Judgment, and run out into Prophanenes, moderated.

for they fhew that a Man promises himself a kind of Perpetuity in the Affairs of this World. But Life being fo fhort, we fhould be Men of to day, and not of to morrow, and feize Time as it comes; leaving Futurity to be present in its turn. Care for immediate Things is, therefore, the principal Bufinefs of Men; and fufficient to the day is the evil thereof.

2. Moderate Cares, however, whether of a publick or private Nature, Two Exceffes are not to be condemned; but they may have two Exceffes. The first is, of Cares. when our Cares are extended to too great a length, and to Times very remote; as if by our Care we could bind the divine Providence, which was always an unusual, and reckoned an unprofperous thing, even among the Heathens for it has generally happened, that they who attributed much to Fortune, and kept themselves on the watch for prefent Occafions, met with great Succefs: whereas they who by Anxiety, and deep Forethought, trufted they had confidered and provided for every thing, have proved unfortunate.

3. The fecond Excefs is, when we dwell longer upon Cares than is ne- The fecond ceffary for a juft Deliberation and Determination. For what Man can Excefs. poffibly take even fo much Care as fhall fuffice to clear his own Way, or to judge that he cannot clear it; but muft often beat over the fame Tracks again to no purpofe; run round in the fame Wheel of Thought; and yet vanish from himself at laft? And this kind of carking Care or Sollicitude, is a Thing directly contrary to all Measures, both divine and human.

ESSAY XIII. Of HOPE.

I. IS truly faid, that the Sight of the Eye is better than the Pro- Hope and greffion of the Mind; for a diftinct and clear Perception of Par- Fear deceitful ticulars, puts the Understanding into a better Frame than progreffive and Paffions. The Meaning feems to be, that Particulars are more inftructive than Generals ; as Duft is a general Earth, and Afhes a particular Species.

VOL. II.

endlefs