The Councils at this Day in most places are but familiar Meetings, where Matters are rather talked on than debated: and they run too swift to the Order or Act of Council. It were better that in Causes of weight the Matter were propounded one day and not spoken to till the next day; In Nocte Confilium.15 So was it done in the Commiffion of Union between England and Scotland; which was a grave and orderly Affembly. I commend fet Days for Petitions: for both it gives the Suitors more certainty for their Attendance; and it frees the Meetings for Matters of Eftate, that they may Hoc agere.16 In choice of Committees for ripening Business for the Council, it is better to choose Indifferent Persons than to make an Indifferency by putting in those that are strong on both fides. I commend also, standing Commissions; as for Trade, for Treasure, for War, for Suits, for fome Provinces for where there be divers particular Councils, and but one Council of Estate (as it is in Spain) they are, in effect, no more than Standing Commiffions; fave that they have greater Authority. Let fuch as are to inform Councils out of their particular Profeffions (as Lawyers, Seamen, Mintmen, and the like,) be first heard before Committees; and then, as Occafion ferves, before the Council. And let them not come in multitudes, or in a tribunitious manner; for that is to clamour Councils not to inform them. A long Table and a fquare Table, or Seats about the Walls, feem Things of Form, 15 'EV VUKTI Bovλý, Greek proverb. 16 A phrase in frequent ufe with the Romans for to attend to the business in hand. but are Things of Substance; for at a long Table a few at the upper end, in effect, fway all the Bufiness but in the other Form there is more use of the Counsellors' Opinions that fit lower. A King, when he prefides in Council, let him beware how he opens his own Inclination too much in that which he propoundeth for elfe Counsellors will but take the Wind of him, and instead of giving free Counfel, fing him a Song of Placebo. XXI. Of Delays.' ORTUNE is like the Market; where many times, if you can stay a little, the Price will fall. And again, it is fome times like Sybilla's Offer; which at firft offereth the Commodity at full, then confumeth part and part, and ftill holdeth up the Price. For Occafion (as it is in the common Verse) turneth a Bald Noddle after she hath presented her Locks in front, and no hold taken : 2 or at least turneth the 1 See Antitheta, No. 41. 2 See Catonis Difticha, ii. 66.-Phædr. Fab. v. 8, but above all Erafmus, Adag. p. 296, ed. Lugd. 1550, fol. where, in explaining the proverb Nofce Tempus, after mentioning the mode in which Opportunity was reprefented by the ancients, he fays, "Ad quod erudite femel et eleganter allufit quifquis is fuit, qui verficulum hunc confcripfit, Fronte capillata, poft hæc Occafio calva." He then refers to the Epigram of Pofidippus (Anthol. Jacobs. 11. 49), of which he gives a paraphrase. Alciat has alfo paraphrased it, see his 121ft Emblem, and Aufonius long before (Epigram XII) in which thefe lines occur: Crine tegis faciem. Cognofce nolo. Sed heus tu! G Handle of the Bottle first to be received, and after the Belly which is hard to clafp. There is furely no greater Wisdom than well to time the Beginnings and Onfets of Things. Dangers are no more 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, though they come nothing near, than to keep too long a watch upon their Approaches; for if a Man watch too long, it is odds he will fall asleep. On the other fide, to be deceived with too long. Shadows (as some have been when the Moon was low and shone on their Enemies' Back), and so to shoot off before the time; or to teach Dangers to come on by over early buckling towards them, is another Extreme. The Ripeness or Unripeness of the Occafion (as we faid) must ever be well weighed; and generally it is good to commit the Beginnings of all great Actions to Argus with his hundred Eyes; and the Ends to Briareus with his hundred Hands: firft to Watch, and then to Speed. For the Helmet of Pluto,3 which maketh the politick Man go invisible, is Secrecy in the Counsel, and Celerity in the Execution. For when things are once come to the Execution, there is no Secrecy comparable to Celerity; like the Motion of a Bullet in the Air, which flieth so swift as it outruns the Eye. 3 Hom. Il. 1. v. s. 45. XXII. Of Cunning. E take Cunning for a finifter or crooked Wisdom; and certainly there is great difference between a cunning Man and a wise Man, not only in Point of Honefty, but in point of Ability. There be that can pack the Cards,' and yet cannot play well; fo there are some that are good in Canvaffes and Factions, that are otherwise weak Men. Again, it is one thing to understand Perfons, and another thing to understand Matters; for many are perfect in Men's Humours, that are not greatly capable of the real Part of Bufinefs; which is the Conftitution of one that hath ftudied Men more than Books. Such Men are fitter for practice than for Counfel; and they are good but in their own Alley: turn them to new Men, and they have lost their Aim; fo as the old Rule, to know a Fool from a Wise Man; Mitte ambos nudos ad ignotos, et videbis ;3 doth scarce hold for them. And because these Cunning Men are like Haberdashers of small Wares,* it is not amiss to set forth their Shop. It is a Point of Cunning to wait upon him with whom you speak with your Eye, as the Jefuits give it in precept for there be many Wife Men that 1 To pack the cards was to fo arrange them in fhuffling as to fecure a good hand, a common practice with cheats who were often inferior players. 2 Practice here means intrigue, confederacy. 3 This is attributed to one of the philofophers in Apophthegms, No. 225. * Retail dealers of any kind were formerly called Haberdashers. have fecret Hearts and tranfparent Countenances. Yet this would be done with a demure abafing of your Eye fometimes, as the Jefuits alfo do use. Another is, that when you have any Thing to obtain of prefent Difpatch, you entertain and amuse the Party with whom you deal with some other Difcourfe; that he be not too much awake to make Objections. I knew a Counsellor and Secretary that never came to Queen Elizabeth of England with Bills to fign, but he would always first put her into fome Difcourfe of Eftate, that fhe might the less mind the Bills. The like Surprise may be made by moving Things when the Party is in haste and cannot stay to confider advisedly of that is moved. If a Man would cross a Business that he doubts fome other would handsomely and effectually move, let him pretend to wish it well, and move it himfelf, in fuch fort as may foil it. The breaking off in the midst of that one was about to say, as if he took himself up, breeds a greater Appetite in him with whom you confer, to know more. And because it works better when any Thing seemeth to be gotten from you by Question than if you offer it of yourself, you may lay a Bait for a Question by showing another Visage and Countenance than you are wont; to the end, to give Occafion for the Party to ask what the Matter is of the Change, as Nehemiah did; And I had not before that time been fad before the King.5 In Things that are tender and unpleasing, it is 5 Nehem, ii. 1. |