The essays, or councils, civil and moral, of Sir Francis Bacon, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban with a table of the colours of good and evil, and a discourse of The wisdom of the ancients : to this edition is added The character of Queen Elizabeth, never before printed in English.

VI. Of Simulation and Dissimulation. (Book 6)

DIssimulation is but a faint kind of Policy or Wisdom; for it asketh a strong Wit and a strong Heart, to know when to tell truth, and to do it. Therefore it is the weak∣er sort of Politicks, that are the great Dissemblers.

Tacitus saith, Livia sorted well with the Arts of her Hus∣band and Dissimulation of her Son; attributing Arts or Policy to Augustus, and Dissimulation to Tiberius. And again, when Mucianus encourageth Vespasian to take Arms against Vi∣tellius, he saith, We rise not against the piercing Judgment of Augustus, nor the extream Caution or Closeness of Tiberi∣us. These properties of Arts, or Policy and Dissimulation, or Closeness, are indeed habits and faculties, several, and to be distinguished. For if a man have that penetration of Judgment, as he can discern, what things are to be laid open, and what to be secreted, and what to be shewed at half lights, and to whom, and when (which indeed are Arts of State, and Arts of Life, as Tacitus well call∣eth them) to him; a habit of Dissimulation is a hindrance, and a poorness. But if a Man cannot attain to that Judgment, then it is left to him generally to be Close, and a Dissembler. For where a man cannot chuse or va∣ry in Particulars, there it is good to take the safest and weariest way in general; like the going softly by one that cannot well see. Certainly the ablest Men that ever

were, have had all an openness and frankness of dealing, and a Name of Certainty and Veracity: but then they were like Horses, well managed; for they could tell passing well, when to stop or turn; And at such times, when they thought the case indeed required Dissimulati∣on, if then they used it, it came to pass, that the former Opinion spread abroad of their good faith, and clearness of dealing, made them almost invisible.

There are three degrees of this hiding and veiling of Mans self. The first Closeness, Reservation, and Secrecy; when a Man leaveth himself without observation, or without hold to be taken what he is. The Second Dissi∣mulation in the Negative, when a Man lets fall Signs and Arguments, that he is not that he is. And the third Si∣mulation in the Affirmative, when a Man industriously and expresly feigns and pretends to be that he is not.

For the first of these, Secrecy: It is indeed the vertue of a Confessor; and assuredly the Secret Man heareth many Confessions: For who will open himself to a Blab, or a Babler? But if a man be thought Secret, it inviteth discovery, as the more close Air sucketh in the more open: And as in confession, the revealing is not for worldly use, but for the ease of a Mans heart; so Se∣cret, Men come to the knowledge of many things in that kind, while Men rather discharge their minds, than im∣part their minds. In few words, Mysteries are due to Secrecy. Besides (to say truth) Nakedness is uncomely, as well in mind as in body; and it addeth no small reve∣rence to Mens manners and actions, if they be not alto∣gether open. As for Talkers, and Futile persons, they are commonly vain, and credulous withal. For he that talketh what he knoweth, will also talk what he know∣eth not. Therefore set it down, that an habit of Secrecy is both politick and moral. And in this part it is good, that a Mans face give his tongue leave to speak. For the dis∣covery of Mans self, by the tracts of his countenance, is a great weakness and betraying, by how much it is ma∣ny times more marked and believed, than a Mans words.

For the second, which is Dissimulation: It followed many times upon Secrecy by a necessity; so that he tha•• will be Secret, must be a Dissembler in some degree. Fo•• men are too cunning, to suffer a man to keep an indif∣ferent carriage between both, and to be Secret withou•• swaying the ballance on either side. They will so befo•••• a Man with questions, and draw him on, and pick it ou•• of him, that without an absurd silence, he must shew 〈◊〉〈◊〉 inclination one way; or if he do not, they will gather as much by his Silence, as by his Speech: As for Equivo∣cations, or Oraculous Speeches, they cannot hold ou•• long: so that no man can be Secret, except he give him∣self a little scope of Dissimulation, which is, as it were, bu•• the skirts or train of Secrecy.

But for the third degree, which is Simulation, and false profession: That I hold more culpable, and less politick, except it be in great and rare matters. And therefore a general custom of Simulation (which is this last degree) is a Vice, rising either of a natural falseness or fearful∣ness, or of a mind that hath some main faults; which because a man must needs disguise, it maketh him pra∣ctise Simulation in other things, lest his hand should be out of use.

The great advantages of Simulation and Dissimulation are three. First, To lay asleep opposition, and to sur∣prise: For where a Mans intentions are published, it is an alarm to call up all that are against them. The se∣cond is, to reserve to a Mans self a fair retreat: For if a man engage himself by a manifest Declaration, he must go through, or take a fall. The third is, the better to discover the mind of another: For to him that opens himself, Men will hardly shew themselves averse, but will (fair) let him go on, and turn their freedom of speech to freedom of thought. And therefore it is a good shrewd Proverb of the Spaniard, Tell a Lye, and find a Truth; as if there were no way of discovery, but by Si∣mulation.

There be also three disadvantages to set it even. The first, That Simulation and Dissimulation commonly carry with them a shew of fearfulness, which in any business doth spoil the feathers of round flying up to the mark. The second, That it puzzleth and perplexeth the conceits of many, that perhaps would otherwise co-operate with him, and makes a man walk almost alone to his own ends. The third and greatest is, That it depriveth a man of one of the most principal instruments for action, which is Trust and Belief. The composition and temperature is, to have Openness in fame and opinion, Secrecy in habit, Dis∣simulation in seasonable use, and a power to feign, if there be no remedy.