an Open Place, where the Sunne made his Bodie runne with Sweat, and the Raine washed it. Philip of Macedon dreamed, He sealed up his Wives Belly: Whereby he did expound it, that his Wife should be barren: But Aristander the Soothsayer, told him, his Wife was with Childe, because Men doe not use to Seale Vessells that are emptie. A Phantasme, that appeared to M. Brutus in his Tent, said to him; Philippis iterùm me videbis. Tiberius said to Galba. Tu quoque Galba degustabis Imperium. In Vespasians Time, there went a Prophecie in the East; That those that should come forth of Iudea, should reigne over the World: which though it may be was meant of our Saviour, yet Tacitus expounds it of Vespasian. Domitian dreamed, the Night before he was slaine, that a Golden Head was growing out of the Nape of his Necke: And indeed, the Succession that followed him, for many yeares, made Golden Times. Henry the Sixt of England, said of Henry the Seventh, when he was a Lad, and gave him Water; This is the Lad, that shall enioy the Crowne, for which we strive. When I was in France, I heard from one D'. Pena, that the Q. Mother, who was given to Curious Arts, caused the King her Husbands Nativitie, to be Calculated, under a false Name; And the Astrologer gave a Iudgement, that he should be killed in a Duell; At which the Queene laughed, thinking her Husband, to be above Challenges and Duels: but he was slaine, upon a Course at Tilt, the Splinters of the Staffe of Mongomery, going in at his Bever. The triviall Prophecie,

which I heard, when I was a Childe, and Queene
Elizabeth was in the Flower of her Yeares, was;
When Hempe is sponne;
England's done.

Whereby, it was generally conceived, that after
the Princes had Reigned, which had the Princi-
piall Letters, of that Word Hempe, (which were
Henry, Edward, Mary, Philip, and Elizabeth)
England should come to utter Confusion: Which,
thankes be to God, is verified only, in the
Change of the Name: For that the Kings Stile,
is now no more of England, but of Britaine.
There was also another Prophecie, before the
year of 88. which I doe not well understand.
There shall be seene upon a day,
Betweene the Baugh, and the May,
The Blacke Fleet of Norway.
When that that is come and gone,
England build Houses of Lime and Stone
For after Warres shall you have None.
It was generally conceived, to be meant of the
Spanish Fleet, that came in 88. For that the
King of Spaines Surname, as they say, is Nor-
way. The Prediction of Regiomontanus;

Octogessimus octavus mirabilis Annus; Was thought likewise accomplished, in the Sending of that great Fleet, being the greatest in Strength, though not in Number, of all that ever swamme upon the Sea. As for Cleons Dreame, I thinke it was a lest. It was, that he was devoured of a long Dragon; And it was expounded of a Maker of Sausages, that troubled him exceedingly. There are Numbers of the like

kinde; Especially if you include Dreames, and, Predictions of Astrologie. But I have set downe these few onely of certaine Credit, for Example. My Iudgement is, that they ought all to be Despised; And ought to serve, but for Winter Talke, by the Fire side. Though when I say Despised, I meane it as for Beleefe: For otherwise, the Spreading or Publishing of them, is in no sort to be Despised. For they have done much Mischiefe: And I see many severe Lawes made to suppresse them. That, that hath given them Grace, and some Credit, consisteth in three Things. First, that Men marke, when they hit, and never marke, when they misse: As they doe, generally, also of Dreames. The second is, that Probable Coniectures, or obscure Traditions, many times, turne themselves into Prophecies: While the Nature of Man, which coveteth Divination, thinkes it no Perill to foretell that, which indeed they doe but collect. As that of Seneca's Verse. For so much was then subiect to Demonstration, that the Globe of the Earth, had great Parts beyond the Atlanticke; which mought be Probably conceived, not to be all Sea: And adding thereto, the Tradition in Plato's Timeus, and his Atlanticus, it mought encourage One, to turne it to a Prediction. The third, and Last (which is the Great one) is, that almost all of them, being infinite in Number, have beene Impostures, and by idle and craftie Braines, meerely contrived and faigned, after the Event Past.

XXXVI

Of Ambition

AMBITION is like Choler; Which is an

Humour, that maketh Men Active, Earnest, Full of Alacritie, and Stirring, if it be not stopped. But if it be stopped, and cannot have his Way, it becommeth Adust, and thereby Maligne and Venomous. So Ambitious Men, if they finde the way Open for their Rising, and still get forward, they are rather Busie then Dangerous; But if they be check't in their desires, they become secretly discontent, and looke upon Men and matters, with an Evill Eye; And are best pleased, when Things goe backward; Which is the worst Propertie, in a Servant of a Prince or State. Therefore it is good for Princes, if they use Ambitious Men, to handle it so, as they be still Progressive, and not Retrograde: Which because it cannot be without Inconvenience, it is good not to use such Natures at all. For if they rise not with their Service, they will take Order to make their Service fall with them. But since we have said, it were good not to use Men of Ambitious Natures, except it be upon

necessitie, it is fit we speake, in what Cases, they are of necessitie. Good Commanders in the Warres, must be taken, be they never so Ambitious: For the Use of their Service dispenseth with the rest; And to take a Soldier without Ambition, is to pull off his Spurres. There is also great use of Ambitious Men, in being Skreenes to Princes, in Matters of Danger and Envie: For no Man will take that Part, except he be like a Seel'd Dove, that mounts and mounts, because he cannot see about him. There is Use also of Ambitious Men, in Pulling downe the Greatnesse, of any Subiect that over-tops: As Tiberius used Macro in the Pulling down of Seianus. Since therefore they must be used, in such Cases, there resteth to speake, how they are to be brideled, that they may be lesse dangerous. There is lesse danger of them, if they be of Meane Birth, then if they be Noble: And if they be rather Harsh of Nature, then Gracious and Popular: And if they be rather New Raised, then growne Cunning, and Fortified in their Greatnesse. It is counted by some, a weaknesse in Princes, to have Favorites: 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 meanes to curbe them, is to Ballance them by others, as Proud as they. But then, there must be some Middle Counsellours, to keep Things steady: For without that Ballast, the Ship will roule too much. At the least, a Prince may animate and inure