Kaina kai palaia Things new and old, or, A store-house of similies, sentences, allegories, apophthegms, adagies, apologues, divine, morall, politicall, &c. : with their severall applications / collected and observed from the writings and sayings of the learned in all ages to this present by John Spencer ...

[ 1370] The deepest Dissembler at one time or other discovering himself.

XEnophon writes of the Persians,* 1.1 that they taught their Children to lye to their Enemies, and to speak truth to their Friends; but they soon forgot their distinction, and so discovered themselves: As it is in the Fable, A Woolf being crept into a Sheeps-skin, went so long to School, till he came to the spell∣ing of his Pater-noster;* 1.2 And being asked, What spells P and a, he answered, Pa; Then what spells t, e, r. he answered, ter; Put them together, said the Master: The Wolf cryed, Agnus; Ore protulit quod in corde fuit, saith the Mo∣rall; intimating, that the deepest dissembler will at one time or other discover him∣self.* 1.3 No Man can personate another long, neither can any so transform himself, but now and then you shall see his heart at his tongues end: The Devill may transform himself into an Angel of light, and Men may seem to be zealous in a good Matter, when their hearts are ranging after their lusts; yet mark them well, and at one time or other, you shall find that true, which the Damsel said unto Peter, Thou art a Galilean, thy speech bewrayeth thee, &c. Mark 14. 70.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Lib. de Instit. Cyri.
• * 1.2

  Laur. Abste∣mius in My∣tholog.
• * 1.3

  Nem•• potest personam fictam diu ••erre, &c. Se••. ep. ad Ner••nem.