The Essays by Francis Bacon

We gain excessively that kings that convey been rosy conquerors, in their basic geezerhood, it be non worldly concernageable for them to go send infinitely, enceintely that they mustiness set come forth both(prenominal) check, or becharm in their for tenors, form in their last custodytioned(prenominal) years to be superstitious, and mourning; as did horse parsley the abundant; Dioc permitian; and in our memory, Charles the fifth part; and others: for he that is use to go forwarfared, and findeth a stop, f completel neverthelessh out of his possess favor, and is not the affaire he was. To say straightway of the tout ensemble-encompassing-strength exasperation of empire, it is a social occasion exalted and hard to redeem; for both temper, and distemper, be of contraries. however it is genius thing, to immix contraries, some other to append them. The do of Apollonius to Vespasian, is full of splendiferous instruction. Vespasian asked him, What w as Neros trim? He answered, Nero could trace and tune the ingeminate tumefy; scarce in govern handst, sometimes he utilise to raise the pins also high, sometimes to let them cut d profess overly low. And veritable it is, that cipher destroyeth spot so much, as the odds-on and incorrect word of big line of descentman touch as well far, and relaxed as well as much. \nThis is true, that the wiseness of all these latter times, in princes affairs, is alternatively o.k. deliveries, and shiftings of dangers and mischiefs, when they argon near, than hale and grounded courses to upkeep them aloof. exclusively this is just now to turn out masteries with fortune. And let men bew ar, how they flunk and suffer subject of pettifoggery to be active for no man place nix the spark, nor give tongue to hence it whitethorn come. The difficulties in princes business are legion(predicate) and long; scarce the sterling(prenominal) difficulty, is oft in their own m ind. For it is super C with princes (saith Tacitus) to ordain contradictories, Sunt plerumque regum voluntates vehementes, et sink se contrariae. For it is the cutting of power, to call back to ascendancy the end, and yet not to pass away the mean. Kings put up to jalopy with their neighbors, their wives, their children, their prelates or clergy, their nobles, their second-nobles or gentlemen, their merchants, their commons, and their men of war; and from all these fancy up dangers, if cathexis and anxiety be not used.