Page:Bacons Essays 1908 West.djvu/40

Rh Men are too cunning to suffer a Man to keepe an indifferent carriage betweene both, and to be Secret, without Swaying the Ballance on either side. They will so beset a man with Questions, and draw him on, and picke it out of him, that, without an absurd Silence, he must shew an Inclination one way; Or if he doe not, they will gather as much by his Silence as by his Speech. As for Equivocations, or Oraculous Speeches, they cannot hold out long. So that no man can be secret, except he give himselfe a little Scope of Dissimulation; which is, as it were, but the Skirts or Traine of Secrecy.

But for the third Degree, which is Simulation and false Profession; That I hold more culpable and lesse politicke; except it be in great and rare Matters. And therefore a generall Custome of Simulation (which is this last Degree) is a Vice, rising either of a naturall Falsenesse or Fearefulnesse, Or of a Minde that hath some maine Faults; which because a man must needs disguise, it maketh him practise Simulation in other things, lest his Hand should be out of ure.

The great Advantages of Simulation and Dissimulation are three. First, to lay asleepe Opposition, and to Surprize. For where a Man's Intentions are published, it is an Alarum, to call up all that are against them. The second is, to reserve to a Man's Selfe a faire Retreat; For if a man engage himselfe by a manifest Declaration, he must goe through, or take a Fall. The third is, the better to discover the Minde of another. For to him that opens himselfe, Men will hardly shew themselves adverse; but will (faire) let him goe on, and turne their Freedome of Speech to Freedome of thought. And therefore, it is a good shrewd Proverbe of the Spaniard, Tell a lye and finde a Troth. As if there were no way of Discovery, but by Simulation. There be also three Disadvantages, to set it even. The first, That Simulation and Dissimulation commonly carry