On the other side, True Dispatch is a rich Thing. For Time is the measure of Businesse, as Money is of Wares: And Businesse is bought at a deare Hand, where there is small dispatch. The Spartans, and Spaniards, have been noted to be of Small dispatch; Mi venga la Muerte de Spagna; Let my Death come from Spaine; For then it will be sure to be long in comming.

Give good Hearing to those, that give the first Information in Businesse; And rather direct them in the beginning, then interrupt them in the continuance of their Speeches: for he that is put out of his owne Order, will goe forward and backward, and be more tedious while he waits upon his Memory, then he could have been, if he had gone on, in his owne course. But sometimes it is seene, that the Moderator is more troublesome, then the Actor.

Iterations are commonly losse of Time: But there is no such Gaine of Time, as to iterate often the State of the Question: For it chaseth away many a Frivolous Speech, as it is comming forth. Long and Curious Speeches, are as fit for Dispatch, as a Robe or Mantle with a long Traine, is for Race. Prefaces, and Passages, and Excusations, and other Speeches of Reference to the Person, are great wasts of Time; And though they seeme to proceed of Modesty, they are Bravery. Yet beware of being too Materiall, when there is any Impediment or Obstruction in Mens Wils; For Pre-occupation of Minde, ever requireth preface of Speech; Like a Fomentation to make the unguent enter.

Above all things, Order, and Distribution,

and Singling out of Parts, is the life of Dispatch; So as the Distribution be not too subtill: For he that doth not divide, will never enter well into Businesse; And he that divideth too much, will never come out of it clearely. To choose Time, is to save Time; And an Unseasonable Motion is but Beating the Ayre. There be three Parts of Businesse: The Preparation; The Debate, or Examination; And the Perfection. Whereof, if you looke for Dispatch, let the Middle onely be the Worke of Many, and the First and Last the Worke of Few. The Proceeding upon somewhat conceived in Writing, doth for the most part facilitate Dispatch: For though it should be wholly reiected, yet that Negative is more pregnant of Direction, then an Indefinite; As Ashes are more Generative then Dust.

XXVI

Of Seeming wise

IT hath been an Opinion, that the French are

wiser then they seeme; And the Spaniards seeme wiser then they are. But howsoever it be between Nations, certainly it is so between Man and Man. For as the Apostle saith of Godlinesse; Having a shew of Godlinesse, but denying the Power thereof; So certainly, there are in Point of Wisedome, and Sufficiency, that doe Nothing or Little, very solemnly; Magno conatu Nugas. It is a Ridiculous Thing, and fit for a Satyre, to Persons of Iudgement, to see what shifts these Formalists have, and what Prospectives, to make Superficies to seeme Body, that hath Depth and Bulke. Some are so Close and Reserved, as they will not shew their Wares, but by a darke Light; And seeme alwaies to keepe backe somewhat: And when they know within themselves, they speake of that they doe not well know, would neverthelesse seeme to others, to know of that, which they may not well speake. Some helpe themselves with Countenance, and Gesture, and are wise by Signes; As Cicero saith of Piso, that when he answered him, he fetched one of his Browes, up to his Fore-·

head, and bent the other downe to his Chin: Respondes, altero ad Frontem sublato, altero ad Mentum depresso Supercilio; Crudelitatem tibi non placere. Some thinke to beare it, by Speaking a great Word, and being peremptory; And goe on, and take by admittance that, which they cannot make good. Some, whatsoever is beyond their reach, will seeme to despise or make light of it, as Impertinent, or Curious; And so would have their Ignorance seeme Iudgement. Some are never without a Difference, and commonly by Amusing Men with a Subtilty, blanch the matter; Of whom A. Gellius saith; Hominem delirum, qui Verborum Minutijs Rerum frangit Pondera. Of which kinde also, Plato in his Protagoras bringeth in Prodicus, in Scorne, and maketh him make a Speech, that consisteth of distinctions from the Beginning to the End. Generally, Such Men in all Deliberations, finde ease to be of the Negative Side; and affect a Credit, to obiect and foretell Difficulties: For when propositions are denied, there is an End of them; But if they be allowed, it requireth a New Worke: which false Point of Wisedome, is the Bane of Businesse. To conclude, there is no decaying Merchant, or Inward Beggar, hath so many Tricks, to uphold the Credit of their wealth, as these Empty persons have, to maintaine the Credit of their Sufficiency. Seeming Wise-men may make shift to get Opinion: But let no Man choose them for Employment; For certainly, you were better take for Businesse, a Man somewhat Absurd, then over Formall.

XXVII

Of Frendship

T had beene hard for him that spake it, to

I have put more Truth and untruth together,

in few Words, then in that Speech; Whosoever is delighted in solitude, is either a wilde Beast, or a God. For it is most true, that a Naturall and Secret Hatred, and Aversation towards Society, in any Man, hath somewhat of the Savage Beast; But it is most Untrue, that it should have any Character, at all, of the Divine Nature; Except it proceed, not out of a Pleasure in Solitude, but out of a Love and desire, to sequester a Mans Selfe, for a Higher Conversation: Such as is found, to have been falsely and fainedly, in some of the Heathen; As Epimenides the Candian, Numa the Roman, Empedocles the Sicilian, and Apollonius of Tyana; And truly and really, in divers of the Ancient Hermits, and Holy Fathers of the Church. But little doe Men perceive, what Solitude is, and how farre it extendeth. For a Crowd is not Company; And Faces are but a Gallery of Pictures; And Talke but a Tinckling Cymball,