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.

XXII. Of Cunning. (Book 22)

VVE take Cunning for a Sinister or Crooked Wi••∣dom. And certainly there is great difference between a Cunning Man and a Wise Man, not only in

point of Honesty, but in point of Ability. There be that can pack the Cards, and yet cannot play well: so there are some that are good in Canvasses and Factions, that are otherwise Weak Men. Again, it is one thing to understand Persons, and another thing to under∣stand Matters; for many are perfect in Mens Humours, that are not greatly capable of the real part of Bu∣siness, which is the Constitution of one that hath stu∣died Men more than Books. Such Men are fitter for Practice than for Counsel: and they are good but in their own Alley, turn them to new men, and they have lost their Aim: so as the old Rule to know a Fool from a Wise man; Mitte ambos nudos ad ignotos, & videbis, doth scarce hold for them. And because these Cunning Men are like Haberdashers of small Wares, it is not amiss to set forth their shop.

It is a point of Cunning to wait upon him, with whom you speak, with your eye, as the Jesuits give it in precept: For there may be many wise men that have secret Hearts and transparent Countenances. Yet this would be done with a demure Abasing of your eye sometimes, as the Jesuits also do use.

Another is, that when you have any thing to obtain of present dispatch, you entertain and amuse the party with whom you deal, with some other Discourse, that he be not too much awake to make Objections. Iknew a Counsellor and Secretary, that never came to Queen E∣lizabeth of England with Bills to sign, but he would al∣ways first put her into some Discourse of Estate, that she might the less mind the Bills.

The like surprize may be made by moving things, when the party is in hast, and cannot stay to consider advisedly of that is moved.

If a Man would cross a Business, that he doubts some other would hansomely and effectually move, let him pretend to wish it well, and move it himself in such ••o••t as may foyl it.

The breaking off in the midst of that one was a∣bout to say, as if he took himself up, breeds a grea∣ter Appetite in him with whom you confer to know more.

And because it works better, when any thing seem∣eth to be gotten from you by Question, than if you offer it of your self; you may lay a Bait for a Questi∣on, by shewing another Visage and Countenance than you are wont; to the end, to give occasion for the par∣ty to ask, what the matter is of the Change, as Nehemia•• did; And I had not before that time been sad before the King.

In things that are tender and unpleasing, it is good to break the Ice by some whose words are of less weight, and to reserve the more weighty voice to come in as by chance, so that he may be asked the Question upon the other Speech; as Narcissus did in relating to Claudius the marriage of Messalina and Silius.

In things that a Man would not be seen in himself, it is a point of Cunning to borrow the name of the World, as to say; The World says, or, There is a Speech a∣broad.

I knew one, that when he wrote a Letter, he would put that which was most material in the Post-script, as if it had been a By-matter.

I knew another, that when he came to have speech, he would pass over that he intended most, and go forth, and come back again and speak of it, as a thing that he had almost forgot.

Some procure themselves to be surprized at such times, as it is like the party that they work upon will suddenly come upon them, and to be found with a Letter in their hand, or doing somewhat which they are not accustomed; to the end they may be opposed of those things, which of themselves they are desirous to utter.

It is a point of Cunning, to let fall those Words in a mans own Name, which he would have another man

learn and use, and thereupon take advantage. I knew two that were Competitors for the Secretaries Place, in Queen Elizab••th's time, and yet kept good Quarter be∣tween themselves, and would confer one with another upon the Business; and one of them said, That to be a Secretary in the Declination of a Monarchy, was a tick∣lish thing, and that he did not affect it: the other strait caught up those Words, and discoursed with di∣vers of his Friends, That he had no reason to desire to be a Secretary in the Declining of a Monarchy. The first man took hold of it, and found means it was told the Queen, Who hearing of a Declination of a Monarchy, took it so ill, as she would never after hear of the other's Suit.

There is a Cunning, which we in England call, The turning of the Cat in Pan; which is, when that which a man says to another, he lays it as if another had said it to him; and to say truth, it is not easie, when such a matter pass'd between two, to make it appear from which of them it first moved and began.

It is a way that some men have to glance and dart at others, by justifying themselves by Negatives; as to say, This I did not: As Tigellinus did towards Burrhus; Se non diversas spes, sed incolumitatem Imperatoris simpliciter spectare.

Some have in readiness so many Tales and Stories, as there is nothing they would insinuate, but they can wrap it into a Tale, which serveth both to keep them selves more in Guard, and carry it with more Pleasure.

It is a good point of Cunning, for a man to shape the Answer he would have in his own Words and Proposi∣tions; for it makes the other party stick the less.

It is strange, how long some men will lie in wait to speak somewhat they desire to say, and how far about they will fetch, and how many other matters they will beat over to come near it; it is a thing of great Patience, but yet of much Use.

A sudden, bold, and unexpected Question, doth ma∣ny times surprize a man and lay him open: Like to him, that having changed his Name, and walked in Paul's, a∣nother suddenly came behind him, and called him by his true Name, whereat streight-ways he looked back.

But these small Wares, and petty points of Cunning are infinite; and it were a good deed to make a List of them: for that nothing doth more hurt in a State, that that Cunning Men pass for Wise.

But certainly some there are, that know the Resorts and Falls of Business, that cannot sink into the Main o•• it: Like a House that hath convenient Stairs and En∣tries, but never a fair Room. Therefore you shall see them find out pretty Looses in the Conclusion, but are no ways able to examine or debate Matters: and yet commonly they take advantage of their Inability, and would be thought Wits of direction. Some built rather upon the abusing of others, and (as we now say) Put∣ting tricks upon them; than upon the soundness of their own proceedings. But Solomon saith, Prudens advertit a•• gressus suos, Stultus divertit ad dolos.