Ο F all the Author's Works, his Effays appear to have had the greatest Currency; both in his own Life-time, and fince. He judged the Reason to be, that they came home to Mens Bufinefs and Bofoms. And hence he ventured to predict, that the Latin Volume of them, being in the univerfal Language, might last as long as Books themselves fhould laft. And fo, fays a modern Well-wisher to his Works, may the English Edition too; if fome equal Hand would, once in a Century, repair the Decays of their fleeting Language. Certainly they enter deep into the Nature of Men, and Things; and contain very useful Inftructions for the Conduct of civil Life. The Author in Modefty entitles them Effays; but, perhaps, they are in ftrictness, Aphorifms: for they have a Nerve; a fullness of Matter; and really exhibit the Infides of Things, without foreign Ornament; fo as to verify their Latin Title. It should feem, they were rather intended to inftruct Men than Children; and, perhaps, there are not many, who clearly perceive their full Scope and Utility. Whence both the Teacher and the Learner had need be intelligent, where thefe Essays are taught in Grammar-Schools. Poffibly they are better adapted to the Use of Stydents in the Univerfities; who being come to fome ripeness of Judgment, are a little verfed in the Ways of Men. The greatest Politicians, or those that are best acquainted with civil Affairs, need not blush to have them found on their Table. In the prefent Edition they are divided into the three Parts indicated by their Latin Title; methodized according to their natural Order; collated with the later and fuller Latin Edition; and enrich'd by the Addition of feveral Pieces, originally written in Latin, by the Author, and never before tranflated into English. It may not be improper to advertise, that fome Writers have objected to feveral Particulars in thefe Effays, from a hafty Confideration of a few obvious Inftances; whereas the Author conftantly practises the METHOD OF REJECTION; and never admits of his own firft Thoughts, unless authorised by his fe cond; or, perhaps, by a more rigorous Trial; viz. the Art of redreffing the Infirmities of the Mind, according to the Directions of his Novum Organum. Interiora Rerum : OR, ESSAYS UPON MORAL, OECONOMICAL and POLITICAL 1. SUBJECTS. SECT. I. ESSAYS UPON MORAL SUBJECTS. S ESSAY I. Of STUDIES. TUDIES and Reading ferve for Delight, Ornament and Abili- The Advan ty; for Delight in Privacy and Retirement; for Ornament in tages of Difcourfe; and for Ability in the Judgment and Direction of Learning. Bufinefs. Expert Men can execute, and, perhaps, judge of Particulars, fingly; but general Counsels, Schemes, and the marshalling of Affairs, come beft from the Learned. 2. To spend too much time in Studies, is Sloth; to use them too much Its Ufe and for Ornament, is Affectation; and to judge wholly by their Rules, is pe- Abuse. dantick and unprofperous. Letters perfect Nature; and are perfected by Experience: For natural Abilities, like Plants, require pruning by Study: and Studies themselves give Direction too much at large, unless bounded by Experience. Crafty Men contemn Studies; fimple Men admire them; and wife Men ufe them: For Letters do not fufficiently teach their own Ufe; but this is a Wisdom beyond, and above them, gained by Obfer vation. VOL. II. K 3. Read Dir Etions for 3. Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe, and take upon its Ufe, and truft; nor to find matter of Difcourfe; but to learn, confider, and use a Acquirement. free Judgment. Some Books fhould be tafted; others fwallowed; and fome few fhou'd be chewed and digefted: That is, fome Books are to be read only in part; others to be read thorough, tho curforily; and fome few to be read and studied, with Diligence and Attention. Some Books alfo may be read by Deputy; and Extracts made of them by others: but this fhould be done only in the lefs important Subjects, and the meaner fort of Books: Otherwise, diftill'd Books are like the common diftill'd Waters; flashy things. The different 4. Reading makes a full Man; Conference a ready Man; and Writing an Effects of dif- exact Man. Therefore, he who writes little has need of a good Memory; ferent Studies. he who confers little, has need of a prefent Wit; and he who reads little, has need of much Cunning, that he may feem to know what he does not. Hiftory makes Men wife; Poetry, ingenious; Mathematicks, fubtile; Natural Philofophy, deep; Moral Philofophy, grave; Logick and Rhetorick, able to contend: Abeunt ftudia in mores The Defects of the Mind remedied by Studies. W 5. Nay, there is fcarce any Impediment in the Mind, but may be removed by fuitable Studies; as Difeafes of the Body have their appropriated Exercises. Thus Bowling is good for the Stone and Kidneys; Shooting for the Lungs and Breaft; gentle Walking for the Stomach; Riding for the Head, &c. So, if a Man's Wit be wandering, let him study Mathematicks; if not apt to diftinguish, let him ftudy the Schoolmen; if unapt to beat over Matters, and to call up one thing to prove and illustrate another, let him study Law-Cafes: And thus every Defect of the Mind may have a particular Remedy *. ESSAY II. Of CIVIL CEREMONIES, and BEHAVIOUR. Some degree I. of Ceremony necessary, How to be acquired. HE E who is only real, had need have a plentiful ftock of Virtue; as the Stone had need be rich, which is fet without Foil. It is in Praise and Commendation, as in Gains: For as light Gains make heavy Purfes, by coming thick, whilft large ones come but feldom; fo flender Virtues procure great Commendation, becaufe in continual Ufe; whereas the opportunity of exercising any capital Virtue comes but feldom: Whence it adds greatly to a Man's Reputation, and is like perpetual Letters of Recommendation, to have difcreet and graceful Forms of Behaviour. And to attain thefe, it almost fuffices not to defpife them: For thus a Man will obferve them in others; and let him truft himself with the reft. For if he endeavour too much to exprefs them, he will lofe their Grace; which is to be natural and unaffected. Some Mens Behaviour is like a Verfe; wherein Studies turn into Habits; and appear in our Behaviour. * The Merits of Learning, and Studies, here wrapt up aphoriftically, are profecuted at large in the entrance of the De Augmentis Scientiarum. See Frelim. §. III. And the Whole of the De Augmentis itself is an illuftrious Comment upon this Text. The Helps for the intellectual Faculties are alfo touched upon in the Author's Letter to Sir Henry Saville, in SUPPLEMENT V. y Direction can go no farther. wherein every Syllable is meafured. How can a Man be equal to great Matters, who fubjects his Mind to fuch trifling Obfervations? up 2. Not to use decent Ceremonies at all, is teaching others not to use them Where Cereagain; and fo diminishes the Refpect due to one's felf: Efpecially they mony is most fhould not be omitted to Strangers, and formal Natures. But to dwell useful. on them, and stretch them above measure, is not only tedious, but leffens the Credibility and Weight of the Speaker. There is a highly useful way of infinuating effectual and lafting Impreffions along with Complements; if a Man have the Addrefs". Among Equals we are to expect Familiarity; and therefore 'tis here proper to keep a little State. Among Inferiors, one is fure of Reverence; therefore 'tis here proper to be a little familiar. He who is too profufe either in Words or Actions, so as to give another an occafion of Satiety, makes himself cheap. To apply ones felf to others, is proper; provided it appear to be done out of Refpect, and not Facility. 'Tis a good Precept, in feconding another, always to add fomewhat of your own: thus if you affent to his Opinion, let it be with fome Diftinction; if you follow his Motion, let it be on condition; if take his Counfel, let it be with alledging a farther Reason. you 3. Men fhould be very cautious of appearing too great Masters of Ce- Not to be carremonies: For tho otherwife ever fo fufficient, their Enviers will give them that ried too far. Title, to the difadvantage of their greater Virtues. 'Tis a lofs also in Business, to be too full of Refpects, or too curious in obferving Times and Opportunities. Solomon fays, He that confidereth the wind, fhall not fow; and be that looketh to the clouds, fhall not reap. A wife Man will make more Opportunities than he finds. Mens Behaviours fhould be like their Cloaths; not too ftreight, but free and eafy". I. ESSAY III. Of BOLDNESS. Action in Oratory compared to Bold being fear in Bufi Orator? he anfwered, Action. What next? Action. What next nefs. again? Action. He faid this, who knew it beft; and had himself, by Nature, no great Advantage in what he recommended. It may defervedly seem strange, that this part of Oratory, which is but fuperficial, and rather the Qualification of a Player, fhould be placed fo high above those other noble parts, Invention, Elocution, and the rest. The Reafon is, human Nature generally participates more of the Fool, than of the wife Man; and therefore thofe Faculties are the most prevalent, by which the weaker part of Mens Minds is taken. The Cafe of Boldness in civil Bufinefs is extremely like, and parallel to this. What is the first Qualification in Bufinefs? Boldness. What the second and third? Boldness. And yet Boldness is the Child of Ignorance K 2 and An over-modeft Man is, perhaps, incapable of practising this Art; which feems founded in making another well pleafed or fatisfied with himself. See more upon this Subject in the De Augmentis Scientiarum, §. X. 2. of CIVIL DOCTRINE. The Bold are And the Ri and Basenefs; far inferior to other Parts of Civil Prudence: nevertheless, it fascinates, and leads thofe captive, who are either fhallow in Judgment, or weak in Courage, (which are the many) and, even prevails over wife Men, at their weak times: whence we fee it has done Wonders in popular States; but lefs with Senates and Princes. Nay, bold-fpirited Men perform more at their first entrance upon Action, than afterwards: For Boldness does not ftand to its Promife. 2. Surely, as there are Empiricks for the natural Body; fo there are Mountebanks for the political Body: Men that undertake the most difficult Cures, and have, perhaps, been lucky in two or three Experiments; but wanting the Grounds of the Science, prefently fail. However, you shall often fee your bold Fellows work Mahomet's Miracle, and go to the Mountain, when the Mountain will not come to them; that is, when they have promised great Matters, and failed moft fhamefully, yet if they have the Perfection of Boldness, they will flight it over, turn themselves round, and there's an end on't. 3. Certainly bold Perfons are a Sport to Men of Judgment: and even dicule of the to the Vulgar, Boldness has fomewhat of the ridiculous. For if Abfurdity wife. be the Subject of Laughter; great Boldness is feldom without fome Abfurdity. Efpecially, 'tis a great Pleafure to fee a bold Fellow out of countenance; for that neceffarily puts his Face into a most shrunk and wooden Pofture. In bafhful Perfons, the Spirits go and come a little; but in bold Men, upon the fame occafions, they ftand like a Stale at Chefs, where it is. no Mate; and the Game cannot proceed. The proper 4. It deferves to be confider'd, that Boldnefs is ever blind; for it fees Ufe of Bold- not Dangers and Inconveniencies: Whence 'tis bad in Counfel, tho good ness. in Execution. The right Ufe of bold Perfons therefore is, that they never command in chief; but ferve as feconds, under the Direction of others. For in Counsel, 'tis good to fee Dangers; and in Execution, not to fee them; unless they are very greatd. The Ufe of ESSAY IV. Of SIMULATION, and DISSIMULATION.. I. Diffimulation Dimulation is the Civil Art in Epitome; and a faint kind of Policy: For it requires a ftrong Head, and a ftrong Heart, to know when to tell the Truth, and dare to do it: whence the weaker fort of Politicians are the greatest Diffemblers. We muft, therefore, carefully diftinguish betwixt the Civil Arts and Pretences. Thus, if a Man has the happy Penetration and Perfpicuity to difcern what fhould be laid open See the De Augmentis Scientiarum, §. XXI. Of Civil Prudence. Obferve, that in this Incident at Chefs, the Game is not won; only the Partner cannot ftir: Which aptly expreffes the Cafe of a bold Man confounded. d For more upon this Subject, fee De Augment. Scientiar. §. XX. Of ETHICKS, OR MORALITY. Sec Prelim. to the De Augment. Scientiar. §. III. 10, 11, 12, &c. See also, the |