Page:The Works of Francis Bacon (1884) Volume 1.djvu/251

Rh such things were: so they, to save the practice of the church, had devised a number of strange positions.

275. It was also said by many concerning the canons of that council, "That we are beholden to Aristotle for many articles of our faith."

276. The Lo. Henry Howard, being lord privy-seal, was asked by the king openly at the table, where commonly he entertained the king, upon the sudden, "My lord, have you not a desire to see Rome?" My lord privy-seal answered, "Yes, indeed, sir." The king said, "And why?" My lord answered, "Because, and it please your majesty, it was once the seat of the greatest monarchy, and the seminary of the bravest men of the world, amongst the heathen: and then again, because after it was the see of so many holy bishops in the primitive church, most of them martyrs." The king would not give it over, but said, "And for nothing else?" My lord answered, "Yes, and it please your majesty, for two things especially: the one to see him, who, they say, hath so great a power to forgive other men their sins, to confess his own sins upon his knees before a chaplain or priest; and the other to hear Antichrist say his creed."

277. There was a nobleman said of a great counsellor, "that he would have made the worst farrier in the world; for he never shod horse but he cloyed him: so he never commended any man to the king for service, or upon occasion of suit, or otherwise, but that he would come in, in the end with a but, and drive in a nail to his disadvantage."

278. There was a lady of the west country, that gave great entertainment at her house to most of the gallant gentlemen thereabout, and amongst thers Sir Walter Raleigh was one. This lady, though otherwise a stately dame, was a notable good housewife; and in the morning betimes she called to one of her maids that looked to the swine, and asked, "Is the piggy served?" Sir Walter Raleigh's chamber was fast by the lady's, so as he heard her. A little before dinner, the lady came down in great state into the great chamber, which was full of gentlemen: and as soon as Sir Walter Raleigh set eye upon her, "Madam," saith he, "Is the piggy served?" The lady answered, "You best know whether you have had your breakfast."

279. There was a gentleman fell very sick, and a friend of his said to him, "Surely, you are in danger; I pray send for a physician." But the sick man answered, "It is no matter, for if I die, I will die at leisure."

280. There was an Epicurean vaunted, that divers of other sects of philosophers did after turn Epicureans; but there was never any Epicureans that turned to any other sect. Whereupon a philosopher that was of another sect said, "The reason was plain; for that cocks may be made capons, but capons could never be made cocks."

1. said well, "It is otherwise in a commonwealth of men than of bees: the hive of a city or kingdom is in best condition when there is least of noise or buz in it."

2. The same Plutarch said of men of weak abilities set in great place, "That they were like little statues set on great bases, made to appear the less by their advancement."

3. He said again, "Good fame is like fire. When you have kindled it, you may easily preserve it; but if once you extinguish it, you will not easily kindle it again; at least, not make it burn as bright as it did."

4. The answer of Apollonius to Vespasian is full of excellent instruction: Vespasian asked him, "What was Nero's overthrow ?" He answered, "Nero could touch and tune the harp well; but in government sometimes he used to wind the pins too high, sometimes to let them down too low." And certain it is, that nothing destroyeth authority so much as the unequal and untimely interchange of power pressed too far and relaxed too much.

5. Queen Elizabeth, seeing Sir Edward in her garden, looked out at her window, and asked him in Italian, "What does a man think of when he thinks of nothing?" Sir Edward,