ESSAIES.

OF STUDIES.

STUDIES serue for pastimes, for ornaments and for abilities. Their chiefe vse for pastime is in priuatenes and retiring; for ornamente is in discourse, and for abilitie is in iudgement. For expert men can execute, but learned men are fittest to iudge

or censure.

To spend too much time in them is slouth, to vse them too much for ornament is affectation: to make iudgement wholly by their rules, is the humour of a Scholler. They perfect Nature, and are perfected by experience. ¶ Craftie men continue them, simple men admire them, wise men vse them: For they teach not their owne vse, but that is a wisedome without them and aboue them wonne by observation. Reade not to contradict, nor to belieue, but to waigh and consider.

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Some bookes are to bee tasted, others to bee swallowed, and some few to bee chewed and disgested: That is, some bookes are to be read only in partes; others to be read, but cursorily, and some few to be read wholly and with diligence and attention. Reading maketh a full man, conference a readye man, and writing an exacte man. And therefore if a man write little, he had neede haue a great memorie, if he conferre little, he had neede haue a present wit, and if he reade little, hee had neede haue much cunning, to seeme to know that he doth not. ¶ Histories make men wise, Poets wittie: the Mathematickes subtle, naturall Phylosophie deepe: Morall graue, Logicke and Rhetoricke able to contend.

So in the original: corrected with a pen into contemne in the British Museum copy.

OF DISCOURSE.

SOME in their discourse desire rather commendation of wit in being able to holde all arguments, then of iudgement in discerning what is true, as if it were a praise to know what might be said, and not what shoulde be thought. Some haue certaine Common places and Theames wherein they are good, and want varietie, which kinde of pouertie is for the most part tedious, and nowe and then ridiculous. The honourablest part of talke is to guide the occasion, and againe to moderate and passe to somewhat else. ¶ It is good to varie and mixe speech of the present occasion with argument, tales with reasons, asking of questions, with telling of opinions, and iest with earnest. ¶ But some thinges are priuiledged from iest, namely Religion, matters of state, great persons, any mans present businesse of importance, and any case that deserueth pittie. He that questioneth much shall learn much, and content much, specially if hee applie his questions to the skill of the person of whome he asketh, for he shal giue them occasion to please themselues in speaking, and himselfe shall continually gather knowledge. If you dissemble sometimes your knowledge of that you are thought to knowe, you shall bee thought another time to know that you know not. Speech of a mans selfe is not good often, and there is but one case, wherin a man may commend himselfe with good grace, and that is in commending vertue in another, especially if it be such a vertue, as whereunto himselfe pretendeth. ¶ Discretion of speech is more then eloquence, and to speake agreably to him, with whome we deale is more the to speake in good wordes or in good order. A good continued speech without a good speech of interlocution sheweth slownesse: and a good reply or second speech without a good set speech sheweth shallownesse and weaknes, as wee see in beastes that those that are weakest in the course are yet nimblest in the turne. То vse too many circumstances ere one come to the matter is wearisome, to use none at all is blunt.

OF CEREMONIES AND RESPECTES.

HE that is onely reall had need haue exceeding great parts of vertue, as the stone had neede be rich that is set without foyle.

But commonly it is in praise as it is in gaine. For as the prouerbe is true, That light gaines make heauie Purses: Because they come thicke, wheras great come but now and then, so it is as true that smal matters winne great commendation: because they are continually in vse and in note, whereas the occasion. of any great vertue commeth but on holy-daies. To attaine ¶ good formes, it sufficeth not to despise them, for so shal a man observe them in others, and let him trust himselfe with the rest: for if he care to expresse them hee shall leese their grace, which is to be naturall and vnaffected. Some mens behauiour is like a verse wherein euery sillable is measured. How can a man comprehend great matters that breaketh his minde too much to small obseruations? Not to vse Ceremonies at all, is to teach others not to vse them againe, and so diminish his respect; especially they be not to bee omitted to straungers and strange natures. ¶Among a mans Peires a man shall be sure of familiaritie, and therefore it is a good title to keepe state; amongst a mans inferiours one shall be sure of reuerence, and therefore it is good a little to be familiar. ¶Hee that is too much in any thing, so that he give another occasion of satietie, maketh himselfe cheape. To applie ones selfe to others is good, so it be with demonstration that a man doth it upon regard, and not vpon facilitie. ¶It is a good precept generally in seconding another: yet to adde somewhat of ones owne; as if you will graunt his opinion, let it be with some distinction, if you wil follow his motion, let it be with condition; if you allow his counsell, let it be with alleadging further reason.

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OF FOLLOWERS AND FRIENDS.

COSTLY followers are not to be liked, least while a man maketh his traine longer, hee make his wings shorter, I reckon to be costly not them alone which charge the purse, but which are

So in the original: a mistake for "it is good a little."

weary some and importune in sutes. Ordinary following ought to challenge no higher conditions then countenance, recommendation and protection from wrong.

Factious followers are worse to be liked, which follow not vpon affection to him with whome they raunge themselues, but vpon discontentment conceiued against some other, wherevpon commonly insueth that ill intelligence that wee many times see between great personages. ¶ The following by certaine States answereable to that which a great person himselfe professeth, as of Souldiers to him that hath beene imployed in the warres, and the like hath euer beene a thing ciuile, and well taken euen in Monarchies, so it bee without too much pompe or popularitie. ¶ But the most honorable kind of following is to bee followed, as one that apprehendeth to aduance vertue and desert in all sortes of persons, and yet where there is no eminent oddes in sufficiencie, it is better to take with the more passable, then with the more able. In gouernment it is good to vse men of one rancke equally, for, to countenance some extraordinarily, is to make them insolente, and the rest discontent, because they may claime a due. But in fauours to vse men with much difference and election is good, for it maketh the persons preferred more thankefull, and the rest more officious, because all is of fauour. It is good not to make too much of any man at first, because one cannot holde out that proportion. To be gouerned by one is not good, and to be distracted with many is worse; but to take aduise of friends is ever honorable: For lookers on many times see more then gamesters, And the vale best discouereth the hill. There is little friendship in the worlde, and least of all betweene equals; which was wont to bee magnified. That that is, is betweene superiour and inferiour, whose fortunes may comprehend the one the other.

OF SUTES.

MANIE ill matters are vndertaken, and many good matters with ill mindes. Some embrace Sutes which neuer meane to deale effectually in them. But if they see there may be life in the matter by some other meane, they will be content to

Some take holde of

winne a thanke or take a second reward. Sutes onely for an occasion to crosse some other, or to make an information wherof they could not otherwise have an apt precept', without care what become of the Sute, when that turne is serued. Nay some vndertake Sutes with a full purpose to let them fall, to the ende to gratifie the adverse partie or competitor. Surely there is in sorte a right in euerie Sute, either a right of equitie, if it be a Sute of controuersie; or a right of desert, if it bee a Sute of petition. If affection leade a man to fauor the wrong side in iustice, let him rather vse his countenance to compound the matter then to carrie it. If affection lead a man to fauour the lesse worthy in desert, let him doe it, without deprauing or disabling the better deseruer. In Sutes a man doth not wel vnderstand, it is good to referre them to some friend of trust and iudgement, that may reporte whether he may deale in them with honor.

Suters are so distasted with delaies and abuses, that plaine dealing in denying to deale in Sutes at first, and reporting the successe barely, and in challendging no more thankes then one hath deserued, is growen not only honourable but also gracious. ¶ In Sutes of fauor the first comming ought to take little place, so far forth consideration may bee had of his trust, that if intelligence of the matter coulde not otherwise haue beene had but by him, aduantage be not taken of the note. To be ignorant of the value of a Sute is simplicitie, as wel as to be ignorant of the right thereof is want of conscience. ¶ Secrecie in Sutes is a great meane of obtaining, for voicing them to bee in forwardnes may discourage some kinde of suters, but doth quicken and awake others. ¶ But tyming of the Sutes is the principall, tyming I saye not onely in respect of the person that shoulde graunt it, but in respect of those which are like to crosse it. Nothing is thought so easie a request to a great person as his letter, and yet if it bee not in a good cause, it is so much out of his reputation.

'So in the original: a mistake, no doubt, for pretext,