Of Wisedome for a Mans selfe

An Ant is a wise Creature for it Selfe; But it is a shrewd Thing, in an Orchard, or Garden. And certainly, Men that are great Lovers of Themselves, waste the Publique. Divide with reason betweene Selfe-love, and Society: And be so true to thy Selfe, as thou be not false to Others; Specially to thy King, and Country. It is a poore Center of a Mans Actions, Himselfe. It is right Earth. For that onely stands fast upon his owne Center; Whereas all Things, that have Affinity with the Heavens, move upon the Center of another, which they benefit. The Referring of all to a Mans Selfe, is more tolerable in a Soveraigne Prince; Because Themselves are not onely Themselves; But their Good and Evill, is at the perill of the Publique Fortune. But it is a desperate Evill in a Servant to a Prince, or a Citizen in a Republique. For whatsoever Affaires passe such a Mans Hands, he crooketh them to his owne Ends: Which must needs be often Eccentrick to the Ends of his Master, or State. Therefore let Princes, or States, choose such Servants, as have not this marke; Except they meane their Service should be made but the Accessary. That which maketh the Effect more pernicious, is, that all Proportion is lost. It were disproportion enough, for the Servants Good, to be preferred before the Masters; But yet it is a greater Extreme, when a little Good of the Servant, shall carry Things, against a great Good of the Masters. And yet that is the case of Bad Officers, Treasurers, Ambassadours, Generals, and other False and Corrupt Servants; which set a Bias upon their Bowle, of their owne Petty Ends, and Envies, to the overthrow of their Masters Great and Important Affaires. And for the most part, the Good such Servants receive, is after the Modell of their own Fortune; But the Hurt they sell for that Good, is after the Modell of their Masters Fortune. And certainly, it is the Nature of Extreme Selfe-Lovers; As they will set an House on Fire, and it were but to roast their Egges: And yet these Men, many times, hold credit with their Masters; Because their Study is but to please Them, and profit Themselves: And for either respect, they will abandon the Good of their Affaires.

Wisedome for a Mans selfe, is in many Branches thereof, a depraved Thing. It is the Wisedome of Rats, that will be sure to leave a House, somewhat before it fall. It is the Wisedome of the Fox, that thrusts out the Badger, who digged & made Roome for him. It is the Wisedome of Crocodiles, that shed teares, when they would devoure. But that which is specially to be noted, is, that those, which (as Cicero saies of Pompey) are, Sui Amantes sine Rivali, are many times unfortunate. And whereas they have all their time sacrificed to Themselves, they become in the end themselves Sacrifices to the Inconstancy of Fortune; whose Wings they thought, by their Self-Wisedome, to have Pinnioned.