man weakely conceiue that iust lawes, and true pollicy, haue any antipathy. For they are like the spirits, and sinewes that one moues within the other. Neither ought Iudges to be so ignorant of their owne right, as to thinke there is not left to them as a principall part of their office, a wise use and application of Lawes. For they may remember what the Apostle saith of a greater Law then theirs, Nos scimus quia lex bona est, modo quis ea vtatur legitime.

37. OF VAINE-GLORY.

It was pretily deuised of sop, The Flies ate vpon the Axletree of the Chariot wheele, and said, What a dust doe I raise? So are there some vaine persons, that whatsoeuer goeth alone, or moues vpon greater meanes, they thinke it is they that carry it. They that are glorious must needs be factious; for all brauery stands vpon comparisons. They must needes be violent, to make good their owne vaunts. Neither can they bee secret, and therefore not effectuall; but according to the French proverb, Beaucoup de bruit & peu de fruit, Much bruit, little fruit. Yet certainely there is vse of this quality in ciuill affaires. Where there is an opinion and fame to bee created, either of Vertue or Greatnesse: these men are good Trumpeters. Again, as Titus Liuius noteth in the case of Antiochus and the Etolians, There are sometimes greate effects of crosse lies; as if a man that should interpose himselfe to negotiate between two, should to either of them seuerally pretend, more interest than he hath in the other. And in this and the like kind, it often fals out, that somewhat

is produced of nothing. For lies are sufficiet to breed opinion, and opinion brings on substance. But principally in cases of great enterprise, vpon charge and aduenture such composition of glorious natures doth put life into busines, and those that are of solid and sober natures haue more of the ballast, then of the saile. Certainely Vaine-glory helpeth to perpetuate a mans memory, and Vertue was neuer so beholding to humane nature, as it receiued his due at the second hand. Neither had the fame of Cicero, Seneca, Plinius Secundus, borne her age so well, if it had not beene ioined with some vanity in themselues; like vnto varnish, that makes seelings not onely shine, but last. But all this while, when I speake of Vaine-glory, I meane not of that property that Tacitus doth attribute to Mucianus, Omnium quæ dixerat feceratque arte quadam ostentator: For that proceeds not of vanity, but of a natural magnanimity and discretion; and in some persons is not onely comely, but gracious. For excusations, cessions, modesty it selfe well gouerned are but arts of ostentation: and amongst those Arts there is none better, then that which Plinius Secundus speaketh of, which is to be liberall of praise & cōmendation to others, in that wherein a mans selfe hath any perfection. For saith Plinie very wittily; In commending another, you do your selfe right; for hee that you commend, is either superiour to you in that you commend or inferiour. If he be inferiour if he be to be commended; you much more; if he be superiour if hee be not to be commended; you much lesse.

38. OF THE GREATNESSE OF KINGDOMES.

THE speech of Themistocles, which was arrogant in

challenge, is profitable in censure.

quet to touch a Lute, hee said, Hee

Desired at a ban

could not fiddle;

but he could make a small Towne to become a great Citie. This speech at a time of solace, and not serious, was vnciuill, and at no time could be decent of a mans selfe. But it may haue a pretie application; For to speake truly of politikes & Statesmen, there are sometimes, though rarely, those that can make a small estate great, and cannot fiddell. And there bee many that can fiddell very cunningly, and yet the procedure of their Art is to make a flourishing estate ruinous & distressed. For certainly those degenerate Arts, whereby diuers politikes and Gouernors doe gaine both satisfactio with their Masters, and admiration with the vulgar, deserue no better name than fidling; if they adde nothing to the safetie, strength, and amplitude of the States they gouerne. The greatnes of a State in bulke or territory, doth fall vnder measure; & the greatnes of finances & reuenew, doth fall vnder computation: the population may appeare by Musters, and the number of Cities & Towns by Carts and Mappes: but yet there is nothing among ciuill affaires more subiect to error, then the right valuacion and true iudgement cōcerning the greatnes of an estate. Certainly there is a kind of resemblance betweene the Kingdome of heauen, and the Kingdomes vpon the earth. The Kingdome of heauen is compared not to any great kernell, or nut; but to a graine of Musterd; which is one of the least of graines, but hath in it a propertie and spirit hastily to get vp & spread. So are there

States that are great in Territory, and yet not apt to conquer or inlarge: and others that haue but a small dimention or stemme, and yet apt to be the foundatio of great Monarchies. Walled Townes, stored Arcenals and Armories, goodly Stables, Elephants, (if you wil) Masse of treasure, Number in Armies, Ordinance, and Artillerie, they are all but a Sheep in a Lions skin, except the breed and disposition of the people be militarie.1 The helpe is mercenary aides. But a Prince or State that resteth vpon waged Companies of forraine Armes, and not of his owne Natiues, may spread his feathers for a time, but he will mew them soone after. The blessing of Iudah and Issachar will neuer meet, to be both the Lions whelpe, and the Asse laid betweene burthens: Neither will a people ouercharged with tributes, bee euer fit for Empire. Nobilitie & Gentlemen multiplying in too great a proportion, maketh the common subiect grow to bee a pesant and base swaine driuen out of heart, and but the Gentlemans laborer: like as it is in copices, where if you leaue your staddels too thick, you shall neuer haue cleane vnderwood, but shrubbes and bushes. And take away the middle people, & you take away the infantery, which is the nerue of an Armie: and you bring it to this, that not the hundreth pole will be fit for a helmet, and so great population and little strength. Certainely Virgil coupled Armes and the plough together well in the constitution of ancient Italy;

Terra potens armis atq; vbere gleba.

For it is the Plough that yeeldeth the best soldier ;

1 So in the original; and compare p. 381. fourth line from the bottom: whence it appears that I was wrong in stating (vol. xi. p. 45. note 2) that Bacon always wrote either militar or militare.

but how? maintained in plentie and in the hand of
owners, and not of meere laborers. Sedentary and
within-doores Arts, and nice manufactures, that require
rather the finger than the hand or arme, haue in their
nature a contrariety to a disposition militar: and gen-
erally, all warlike people are a little idle, and loue dan-
ger better than pain: neither must they be too much
broken of it, if they shall be preserued in vigor. No
body can be healthfull without exercise, neither naturall
body, nor politike; & to the politike body of a King-
dome or estate, a ciuill warre is as the heate of a feuer:
but an honourable forraine warre is like the heate of
exercise. At least, discoueries, nauigations, honour-
able succours of other States may keepe health: For in
a slothfull peace, both courages will effeminate, and
manners corrupt. States liberall of naturalization, are
capable of greatnesse; and the iealous states that rest
vpon the first tribe & stirpe, quickly want body to
carrie the boughes and branches. Many are the ingre-
dients into the receit of greatnesse. No man can by
care taking adde a cubit to his stature, in the little
modell of a mans body. But certainly in the great
frame of Kingdomes and Commonwealths, it is in the
power of Princes or Estates by ordinances
and constitutions, and maners which

they may introduce, to sowe great-
ness to their posteritie and

succession. But these

things are commonly

left to chance.

FINIS.