ning and fortified in their greatness. It is counted by some a weakness in princes to have favourites; but it is, of all others, the best remedy against ambitious great ones. For when the way of pleasuring and displeasuring lieth by the favourite, it is impossible any other should be over great. Another means to curb them is to balance them by others as proud as they. But then there must be some middle counsellors, to keep things steady; for without that ballast the ship will roll too much. At the least, a prince may animate and inure some meaner persons to be, as it were, scourges to ambitious men. As for the having of them obnoxious to ruin, if they be of fearful natures, it may do well; but if they be stout and daring, it may precipitate their designs, and prove dangerous. As for the pulling of them down, if the affairs require it, and that it may not be done with safety, suddenly, the only way is, the interchange continually of favours and disgraces; whereby they, may not know what to expect, and be, as it were, in a wood. Of ambi tions, it is less harmful the ambition to prevail in great things, than that other to appear in every thing; for that breeds con fusion, and mars business: but yet it is less danger to have an ambitious man stirring in business, than great in dependencies. He that seeketh to be eminent amongst able men hath a great task; but that is ever good for the public. But he that plots to be the only figure amongst ciphers is the decay of a whole age. Honour hath three things in it, the vantages ground to do good; the approach to kings and principal persons; and the raising of a man's own fortunes. He that hath the best of these intentions, when he aspireth, is an honest man and that prince, that can discern of these intentions.in another that aspireth, is a wise prince.. Generally let princes and states choose such ministers as are more sensible of duty than of rising; and such as love business rather upon conscience than upon bravery: and let them discern a busy nature from a willing mind.

12 Pleasure for please. Displeasure for displease. Obnoxious (obsolete) for liable.

It is less danger for there is less danger.

5

Bravery (old) for show, ostentation.

XXXVII. OF MASQUES AND TRIUMPHS.

4. These things are but toys to come amongst such serious observations; but yet, since princes will have such things, it is better they should be graced with elegancy than daubed with cost. Dancing to song is a thing of great state and pleasure. I understand it that the song be in quire, placed aloft, and accompanied with some broken music; and the ditty fitted to the device. Acting in song, especially in dialogues, hath an extreme good grace; I say acting, not dancing (for that is a mean and vulgar thing); and the voices of the dialogue would be strong and manly (a bass and a tenor, no treble), and the ditty high and tragical, not nice or dainty. Several quires placed one over against another, and taking the voice by catches anthem-wise, give great pleasure. Turning dances into figure is a childish curiosity; and generally let it be noted, that those things which I here set down are such as do naturally take the sense, and not respect petty wonderments. It is true, the alterations of scenes, so it be quietly and without noise, are things of great beauty and pleasure; for they feed and relieve the eye before it be full of the same object. Let the scenes abound with light, especially coloured and varied : and let the masquers, or any other that are to come down from the scene, have some motions upon the scene itself before their coming down; for it draws the eye strangely, and makes it with great pleasure to desire to see that' it cannot perfectly discern. Let the songs be loud and cheerful, and not chirpings or pulings. Let the music likewise be sharp and loud, and well placed. The colours that show best by candle-light are white, carnation, and a kind of sea-water green; and ouches, or spangs3, as they are of no great cost, so they are of most glory. As for rich embroidery, it is lost and not discerned. Let the suits of the masquers be graceful, and such as become the person when the vizards are off: not after examples of known attires; Turks, soldiers, mariners,

and the like. Let antimasques' not be long; they have been commonly of fools, satyrs, baboons, wild men, antics, beasts, sprites, witches, Ethiopes3, pigmies, turquets, nymphs, rustics, Cupids, statues moving, and the like. As for angels, it is not comical enough to put them in antimasques; and any thing that is hideous, as devils, giants, is, on the other side, as unfit. But chiefly, let the music of them be recreative, and with some strange changes. Some sweet odours suddenly coming forth, without any drops falling, are, in such a company as there is steam and heat, things of great pleasure and refreshment. Doubles masques, one of men, another of ladies, addeth state and variety; but all is nothing, except the room be kept clear and neat.

2. For justs, and tourneys, and barriers, the glories of them are chiefly in the chariots, wherein the challengers make their entry; especially if they be drawn with strange beasts, as lions, bears, camels, and the like or in the devices of their entrance, or in the bravery of their liveries, or in the goodly furniture of their horses and armour. But enough of these toys.

XXXVIII. OF NATURE IN MEN.

Nature is often hidden, sometimes overcome, seldom extinguished. Force maketh nature more violent in the return; doctrine and discourse maketh nature less importune'; but custom only doth alter and subdue nature. He that seeketh victory over his nature, let him not set himself too great nor too small tasks: for the first will make him dejected by often failings, and the second will make him a small proceeder, though by often prevailings: and, at the first, let him practice with helps, as swimmers do with bladders, or rushes; but, after a time, let him practice with disadvantages, as dancers do with thick shoes. For it breeds great perfection if the prac

'Antimasques were short masques or light interludes played in the 17th century between the parts of the principal masques.

2

3

Sprite (old) for spirit.

Ethiopes (unused) for Ethiopians, blacks.

4 Turquet (unused) probably for Turk.

5 Tourney for tournament.

Bravery (old) for finery.
Importune for importunate.

1

tice be harder than the use. Where nature is mighty, and therefore the victory hard, the degrees had need be; first to stay and arrest nature in time; like to him that would say oyer the four and twenty letters when he was angry: then to go less in quantity: as if one should, in forbearing wine, come from drinking healths to a draught at a meal and, lastly, to discontinue altogether. But if a man have the fortitude and resolution to enfranchise himself at once, that is the best :

"Optimus ille animi vindex, lædentia pectus
Vincula qui rupit, dedoluitque semel."

Neither is the ancient rule amiss, to bend nature as a wand, to a contrary extreme, whereby to set it right: understanding it where the contrary extreme is no vice. Let not a man force a habit upon himself with a perpetual continuance, but with some intermission. For both the pause reinforceth the new onset; and, if a man that is not perfect be ever in practice, he shall as well practice his errors as his abilities, and induce one habit of both; and there is no means to help this but by seasonable intermissions. But let not a man trust his victory over his nature too far; for nature will lie buried a great time, and yet revive upon the occasion, or temptation. Like as it was with Esop's damsel, turned from a cat to a woman, who sat very demurely at the board's end till a mouse ran before her: therefore, let a man either avoid the occasion altogether, or put himself often to it, that he may be little moved with it. A man's nature is best perceived in privateness, for there is no affectation; in passion, for that putteth a man out of his precepts; and in a new case or experiment, for there custom leaveth him. They are happy men whose natures sort with their vocations; otherwise they may say, "multum incola fuit anima mea," when they converse in those things they do not affect 3. In studies, whatsoever a man commandeth upon himself, let him set hours for it: but-whatsoever is agreeable to his nature, let him take no care for any set times; for his thoughts will fly

Like to (old) for like. To sort for to agree. 3 To affect (old) for like.

to it of themselves; so as the spaces of other business or studies will suffice. A man's nature runs either to herbs or weeds; therefore let him seasonably water the one, and destroy the other.

XXXIX OF CUSTOM AND EDUCATION.

Men's thoughts are much according to their inclination; their discourse and speeches according to their learning and infused opinions; but their deeds are after as they have been accustomed. And, therefore, as Machiavel well noteth (though in an evil favoured instance), there is no trusting to the force of nature, nor to the bravery of words, except it be corroborate by custom. His instance is, that for the achieving of a desperate conspiracy, a man should not rest upon the fierceness of any man's nature, or his resolute undertakings; but take such a one as hath had his hands formerly in blood. But Machiavel knew not of a friar Clement, nor a Ravillac, nor a Jaureguy, nor a Baltazar Gerard; yet this rule holdeth still, that nature, nor the engagement of words, are not so forcible as custom. Only superstition is now so well advanced that men of the first blood are as firm as, butchers by occupaamen tion and votary resolution is made equipollent to custom even in matter of blood. In other things, the predominancy of custom, is every where visible; insomuch as a man would wonder to hear, men profess, protest, engage; give great

So as for so that."

'Bravery for show or perhaps boasting.

3 Jacques Clement, a dominican friar, who assassinated Henry III, of France in 1589. The sombre fanatic was but 25 years of age; and he had announced the intention of killing with his own hands the great enemy of his faith; he was instigated by the Leaguers and particu larly by the Duchess of Montpensier, the sister of the Duke of Guise.

It is scarcely necessary to observe that Ravaillac was the murderer of Henry IV. of France, in 1610. Fanaticism is supposed to have nerved the arm and steeled the heart of the assassin.

5 Jaureguy was a Belgian who in 1582 attempted to assassinate William of Nassau, Prince of Orange, who was then at the head of the Protestant party.

Baltazar Gerard succeeded in assassinating in 1584 the Prince of Orange, whose life Jaureguy had attempted in vain. It is supposed that Gerard meditated and prepared his crime six years.

7 Are not (old) for are. The double negation is frequent with the old writers.