Page:The Works of Francis Bacon (1884) Volume 1.djvu/422

 294 THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS. bearing of Medusa s head in his shield; to which there is no kind of defence for excellency com parable : for the one famous and memorable act prosperously effected and brought to pass, doth restrain the motions and insolencies of enemies and makes Envv herself silent and amazed. ENDYMION, OR A FAVOURITE. IT is said that Luna was in love with the shep herd Endymion, and in a strange and unwonted manner bewrayed her affection ; for he lying in a cave framed by nature under the mountain Lat- mus, she oftentimes descended from her sphere to enjoy his company as he slept; and after she had kissed him ascended up again. Yet, not withstanding this, his idleness and sleepy security did not any way impair his estate or fortune ; for Luna brought it so to pass, that he alone, of all the rest of the shepherds, had his flock in best plight, and most fruitful. This fable may have reference to the nature and dispositions of princes ; for they being full of doubts and prone to jealousy, do not easily acquaint men of prying and curious eyes, and as it were of vigilant and wakeful dispositions, with the secret humours and manners of their life ; but such rather as are of quiet and obser vant natures, suffering them to do what they list without further scanning, making as if they were ignorant, and perceiving nothing, but of a stupid disposition, and possessed with sleep, yielding unto them simple obedience rather than sly com pliments ; for it pleaseth princes now and then to descend from their thrones or majesty, like Luna from the superior orb, and laying aside their robes of dignity, which always to be cumbered with would seem a kind of burden, familiarly to con verse with men of this condition, which they think may be done without danger; a quality chiefly noted in Tiberius Caesar, who, of all others, was a prince most severe ; yet such only were gracious in his favour, as being well ac quainted with his disposition, did yet constantly dissemble as if they knew nothing. This was the custom also of Lewis the Eleventh, King of Fiance, a cautious and wfiy prince. Neither is it without elegancy that the cause of Endymion is mentioned in the fable, because that it is a thing usual with such as are the fa vourites of princes, to have certain pleasant retiring places whither to invite them for recreation both of body and mind, and that without hurt or pre judice to their fortunes also. And indeed these kind of favourites are men commonly well to pass; for princes, although peradventure they promote them not ever to places of honour, yet do they advance them sufficiently by their favour and countenance : neither do they affect them thus only to serve their own turn ; but are wont to enrich them now and then with great dignities ind bounties. THE SISTER OF THE GIANTS, OR FAME. IT is a poetical relation, that the giants oegotten of the earth made war upon Jupiter and the o.hor gods ; and by the force of lightning they were resisted and overthrown : whereat the tarth being excitated to wrath, in revenge of her children, brought forth Fame, the youngest sister of the giants. i:trriiiMin (ut perliibent) Caeo Enceladooue sororem, Progemiit&quot; Provoked hy wrathful gods, the mother earth Gives Fame, the giant s youngest sister, birth. The meaning of the fable seems to be thus: By the earth is signified the nature of the vulgar, always swollen and malignant, and still broach ing new scandals against superiors, and having gotten fit opportunity stirs up rebels and seditious persons, that with impious courage do molest princes, and endeavour to subvert their estates ; but being suppressed, the same natural disposi tion of the people still leaning to the viler sort, being impatient of peace and tranquillity, spread rumours, raise malicious slanders, repining whis perings, infamous libels, and others of that kind, to the detraction of them that are in authority; so as rebellious actions and seditious reports differ nothing in kind and blood, but as it were in sex only, the one sort being masculine and the other feminine. ACTION AND PENTHEUS, OR A CU RIOUS MAN. THE curiosity of men in prying into secrets, and coveting v&amp;gt; an undiscreet desire to attain the knowledge of things forbidden, is set forth by the ancients in two other examples, the one of Actaeon, the other of Pentheus. Actaeon having unawares, and as it were by chance, beheld Diana naked, was turned into a stag, and devoured by his own dogs. And Pentheus climbing up into a tree with a desire to be a spectator of the hidden sacrifices of Bacchus, was strucken with such a kind of frenzy, as that whatsoever he looked upon he thought it always double, supposing, among other things, he saw two suns and two Thebes; inso much, that running towards Thebes, spying an other Thebes, instantly turned back again, and so kept still running forward and backward with perpetual unrest. &quot;Eumenidum veluti demens vidit aginina Pentheus, Et solem geminum, et duplices se ostendere Thebas.&quot; Pentheus amazed, doth troops of Furies spy; And sun and Thebes seem double to his eye. The first of the fables pertains to the secrets of princes, the second to divine mysteries. For those that are near about princes, and come to the knowledge of more secrets than they would have them, do certainly incur great hatred : and there-