XII. But abstracted from the innumerable craigs and stumbling blocks
in the way of ambition, when it advances to its object by the
road of infamy; if its views are very high, the best and most safe
policy is, to pursue the pretension by the way of justice and truth.
Lord Chancellor Bacon, who was as great a politician as he was a
philosopher, divided policy into the high and the low. The exalted or
sound policy, consists in the knowledge of disposing means for the
attainment of ends, without deviating, either from truth, equity,
or honour. The low or mean policy, consists in the art of attaining
ends, by the means of fictions, flattery and sophistries; the first is
proper and natural to men, in whom a generous and an upright heart, is
joined to a clear understanding and a solid judgment. In fact, says
the author we have cited, almost all eminent politicians have been
of this character: _sane ubique reperias homines rerum tractandarum
peritissimos, omnes ferè candorem, ingenuitatem, & veracitatem in
negotiis præsetulisse_. The second sort is composed of men, of bastard
dispositions or understandings: or of such whose understandings are
so faintly enlightened, that they can discern no other road which
will lead them to their desired end, but that of deceit; or their
dispositions are so depraved, that they embrace dishonesty without
reluctance, if they conceive it will be useful to them; or I am rather
inclined to think, that both their dispositions and understandings are
vitiated.
XIII. The representation of both these sorts of politicians, may be
seen as in two mirrors, by viewing the characters of the two Emperors,
Augustus and Tiberius, who were immediate successors to each other.
Augustus was open, candid, generous, steady in his friendships,
faithful to his promises, and free from all deceit. In the whole
course of his life, which was a very long one, there does not appear
the least treachery; why do I say treachery? not even the slightest
fallacy. Tiberius, on the contrary, was deceitful, false, gloomy, and
dissembling. His looks and his breast, were never in concord, and his
words were always opposite to his designs; which of the two was the
best politician? Tacitus decides the question, when he extols the
perspicuity of Augustus, and remarks on the caution of Tiberius; in
the last he recognizes high dissimulation, and in the first supreme
ability, which induced Mucianus, by way of animating Vespasian against
Vitellius to say: _Non adversus Augusti acerrimam mentem, neque
adversus Tiberii cautissimam senectutem insurgimus._
XIV. I should always esteem him the best politician, who, contented
with the little or much which Heaven has bestowed on him, avoids
interfering with, or engaging in the traffic and bustle of the world;
in the same sense, we understand the saying, that the best thing which
can be done with dice, is to forbear playing with them; but we must
except the case of filling a public office, the business of which must
be attended to. The following admirable distich, of I don’t know what
antient, seems addressed to all private people:
_Mitte superba pati fastidia, spemque caducam_
_Despice, vive tibi cum moriare tibi._
XV. But I would not have it understood from what I have been saying,
that I approve of those they commonly call good men, who are in all
respects useless members of society, to whom may be applied the
Italian proverb, _Tanto buon che val niente._ They are so good, that
they are good for, or worth nothing. Much less do I approve of those
narrow-minded geniuses, who care for nobody but themselves. It is
meanness of spirit, says the excellent Bacon, for a man to direct all
his attention to his own convenience, and to make that the centre
of all his happiness: _Centrum plane ignobile est actionum hominis
cujusquam commodum proprium._ Man is a sociable animal, not only by
the force of social laws; but the obligation of assisting other men
when it is in our power, is a debt we owe to our own nature, and more
especially to our friend, and our neighbour, but most of all, to our
King and our country. Pliny says, that those who are disposed to acts
of beneficence, and to administer ease and comfort to other men, have
something divine in them: _Deus est mortali juvare mortalem._ Those
whose whole care or attention is confined to themselves only, scarce
deserve the name of human beings.