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the Stock of the Kingdom which should maintain them: neither is the Population to be reckoned only by number: for a finaller Number that spend more and earn lefs, do wear out an Eftate fooner than a greater Number that live lower and gather more. Therefore the Multiplying of Nobility, and other Degrees of Quality, in an over Proportion, to the Common People, doth speedily bring a State to Neceffity and fo doth likewise an overgrown Clergy; for they bring nothing to the Stock; and in like manner, when more are bred Scholars than Preferments can take off.

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It is likewise to be remembered, that, for as much as the increase of any Estate must be upon the Foreigner (for whatsoever is somewhere gotten, is somewhere loft), there be but three Things which one Nation felleth unto another; the Commodity as Nature yieldeth it; the Manufacture; and the Vecture or Carriage. So that if these three wheels go, Wealth will flow as in a Spring-tide. And it cometh many times to pass, that Materiam fuperabit Opus ;9 that the Work and Carriage is more worth than the Material, and enricheth a State more as is notably seen in the Low-Countrymen, who have the best Mines, above ground, in the World.

Above all things, good Policy is to be used, that the Treasure and Monies in a State be not gathered into few Hands: for, otherwise, a State may have a great Stock, and yet ftarve. And Money is like Muck, not good except it be spread. This is done

9 Ovid. Metam. ii. 5.

chiefly by fuppreffing or, at the least, keeping à ftrait Hand upon the Devouring Trades of Ufury, Engroffing,10 great Pafturages, and the like.

For Removing Difcontentments, or at least the danger of them; there is in every State (as we know) two Portions of Subjects, the Noblesse and the Commonalty. When one of these is Discontent, the danger is not great; for Common People are of flow Motion, if they be not excited by the Greater Sort; and the Greater Sort are of small ftrength, except the Multitude be apt and ready to move of themselves. Then is the danger, when the Greater Sort do but wait for the Troubling of the Waters amongst the Meaner, that then they may declare themselves. The Poets feign that the rest of the Gods would have bound Jupiter; which he hearing of, by the Counsel of Pallas fent for Briareus with his hundred Hands to come in to his Aid.11 An Emblem, no doubt, to fhew how fafe it is for Monarchs to make fure of the good Will of Common People.

To give moderate Liberty for Griefs and Difcontentments to evaporate (fo it be without too great Infolency or Bravery), is a fafe Way. For he that turneth the Humours back, and maketh the Wound bleed inwards, endangereth malign Ulcers, and pernicious Impofthumations.

10 By engroffing, what is now called foreftalling or regrating is meant. Great pafturages refers to the converfion of arable land into pasture or meadow, then confidered a crying evil, which many statutes had been made to prevent. As early as 1597, Bacon had himself made motion in the Houfe of Commons "against inclofures, and deilation of towns and houses, of husbandry and tillage.' "He also wards expatiates on this subject in his History of Henry VII. Hom. II. i. 398. Cf. Adv. of Learn. 11. iv. 4.

The Part of Epimetheus might well become Prometheus, in the cafe of Difcontentments; for there is not a better provision against them. Epimetheus, when Griefs and Evils flew abroad, at laft shut the lid, and kept Hope in the Bottom of the Veffel. Certainly, the politic and artificial Nourishing and Entertaining of Hopes, and Carrying Men from Hopes to Hopes, is one of the best Antidotes against the Poison of Discontentments. And it is a certain Sign of a wife Government and Proceeding, when it can hold Men's hearts by Hopes, when it cannot by Satisfaction: and when it can handle things in fuch manner as no Evil shall appear fo peremptory but that it hath fome Outlet of Hope: which is the less hard to do, because both particular Perfons and Factions are apt enough to flatter themselves, or at least to brave that which they believe not.

Alfo the Forefight and Prevention, that there be no likely or fit Head whereunto Discontented Perfons may refort, and under whom they may join, is a known but an excellent Point of Caution. I understand a fit Head to be one that hath Greatness and Reputation; that hath Confidence with the Discontented Party; and upon whom they turn their Eyes; and that is thought discontented in his own particular; which kind of Persons are either to be won and reconciled to the State, and that in a fast and true manner; or to be fronted with fome other of the fame Party that may oppose them, and fo divide the reputation. Generally, the Dividing and Breaking of all Factions and Combinations that are adverse to the State, and

setting them at distance, or at least distrust amongst themselves, is not one of the worft Remedies. For it is a defperate Case, if those, that hold with the Proceeding of the State be full of Difcord and Faction; and those that are against it, be entire and united.

I have noted, that some witty and sharp Speeches, which have fallen from Princes, have given fire to Seditions. Cæfar did himself infinite Hurt in that Speech; Sylla nefcivit Literas, non potuit dictare: 12 for it did utterly cut off that Hope which Men had entertained, that he would at one time or other give over his Dictatorship. Galba undid himself by that Speech; Legi à fe Militem, non emi: 13 for it put the Soldiers out of Hope of the Donative. Probus likewife, by that Speech; Si vixero, non opus erit ampliùs Romano Imperio militibus,14 a Speech of great Despair for the Soldiers; and many the like. Surely Princes had need, in tender Matters and Ticklish Times, to beware what they fay; especially in these fhort Speeches, which fly abroad like Darts, and are thought to be shot out of their secret Intentions. For as for large Difcourfes, they are flat Things, and not fo much noted.

Laftly, let Princes, against all Events, not be without fome Great Perfon, one or rather more, of Military Valour near unto them, for the Repreffing of Seditions in their beginnings. For without that, there useth to be more trepidation in

12 Suet. Vit. C. Jul. Cæf. i. 71. Cf. Adv. of L. 1. vii. 12. Cæfar here fports with the word dictare, which fignifies both to dictate and to act the part of dictator.

13 Tacit. Hift. i. 5.

14 Prob. Flav. Vop. vit. 20.

Court upon the first Breaking out of Troubles than were fit. And the State runneth the danger of that which Tacitus faith, Atque is habitus Animorum fuit, ut peffimum facinus auderent Pauci, Plures vellent, Omnes paterentur. 15 But let fuch Military Perfons be Affured, and well reputed of, rather than factious and popular; holding alfo good Correspondence with the other Great Men in the State; or else the Remedy is worse than the Disease.

XVI. Of Atheism.'

HAD rather believe all the Fables in the Legend, and the Talmud, and the Alcoran, than that this univerfal Frame

is without a Mind. And therefore, God never wrought Miracle to convince Atheism, because his Ordinary Works convince it. It is true, that a little Philosophy inclineth Man's Mind to Atheism; but depth in Philofophy bringeth Men's Minds about to Religion: for while the Mind of Man looketh upon Second Caufes Scattered, it may fometimes reft in them, and go no further; but when it beholdeth the Chain of them confederate and linked together, it must needs fly

15 Tacit. Hift. i. 28.

I The tenth discourse in the Meditationes Sacræ is " Of Atheifme," the theme being "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God," but there is little resemblance between the two.

2 i. e. The Golden Legend, containing Lives and Miracles of Saints.

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