speeches, they cannot hold out long. So that no man can be secret, except he give himself a little scope of dissimulation; which is, as it were, but the skirts or train of secrecy.
But for the third degree, which is Simulation and false profession; that I hold more culpable, and less politic; except it be in great and rare matters. And therefore a general custom of simulation (which is this last degree) is a vice, rising either of a natural falseness or fearfulness, or of a mind that hath some main faults, which because a man must needs disguise, it maketh him practise simulation in other things, lest his hand should be out of use.
The great advantages of simulation and dissimulation are three. First, to lay asleep opposition, and to surprise. For where a man's intentions are published, it is an alarum to call up all that are against them. The second is, to reserve to a man's self a fair retreat. For if a man engage himself by a manifest declaration, he must go through or take a fall.[1] The third is, the better to discover the mind of another. For to him that opens himself men will hardly shew themselves adverse; but will (fair)[2] let him go on, and turn their freedom of speech to freedom of thought. And therefore it is a good shrewd proverb of the Spaniard, Tell a lie and find a troth.[3] As if there were no way of discovery but by simulation. There be also three disadvantages,
- ↑ Fall. A bout at wrestling; to 'take a fall' is to be tripped, to be thrown.
- ↑ The Latin translation renders fair by potius, rather; the adverb fairly preserves the sense in the phrase fairly well = rather well.
- ↑ This Spanish proverb will be found in the Advancement of Learning, II. xxiii. 18: "Di mentira, y sacaras verdad."
