negotiations。　　We　are　to　manage　human　enterprises　more　superficially　and
  roughly；　and　leave　a　great　part　to　fortune；　it　is　not　necessary　to
  examine　affairs　with　so　much　subtlety　and　so　deep：　a　man　loses　himself　in
  the　consideration　of　many　contrary　lustres；　and　so　many　various　forms：
  〃Volutantibus　res　inter　se　pugnantes；　obtorpuerunt。。。。　animi。〃
  ＇〃Whilst　they　considered　of　things　so　indifferent　in　themselves；
  they　were　astonished；　and　knew　not　what　to　do。〃Livy；　xxxii。　20。＇
  'Tis　what　the　ancients　say　of　Simonides；　that　by　reason　his　imagination
  suggested　to　him；　upon　the　question　King　Hiero　had　put　to　him　＇What　God
  was。Cicero；　De　Nat。　　Deor。；　i。　　22。＇（to　answer　which　he　had　had　many
  days　for　thought）；　several　sharp　and　subtle　considerations；　whilst　he
  doubted　which　was　the　most　likely；　he　totally　despaired　of　the　truth。
  He　who　dives　into　and　in　his　inquisition　comprehends　all　circumstances
  and　consequences；　hinders　his　election：　a　little　engine　well　handled　is
  sufficient　for　executions；　whether　of　less　or　greater　weight。　　The　best
  managers　are　those　who　can　worst　give　account　how　they　are　so；　while　the
  greatest　talkers；　for　the　most　part；　do　nothing　to　purpose；　I　know　one　of
  this　sort　of　men；　and　a　most　excellent　discourser　upon　all　sorts　of　good
  husbandry；　who　has　miserably　let　a　hundred　thousand　livres　yearly　revenue
  slip　through　his　hands；　I　know　another　who　talks；　who　better　advises　than
  any　man　of　his　counsel；　and　there　is　not　in　the　world　a　fairer　show　of
  soul　and　understanding　than　he　has；　nevertheless；　when　he　comes　to　the
  test；　his　servants　find　him　quite　another　thing；　not　to　make　any　mention
  of　his　misfortunes。
  CHAPTER　XXI
  AGAINST　IDLENESS
  The　Emperor　Vespasian；　being　sick　of　the　disease　whereof　he　died；　did　not
  for　all　that　neglect　to　inquire　after　the　state　of　the　empire；　and　even
  in　bed　continually　despatched　very　many　affairs　of　great　consequence；　for
  which；　being　reproved　by　his　physician；　as　a　thing　prejudicial　to　his
  health；　〃An　emperor；〃　said　he；　〃must　die　standing。〃　　A　fine　saying；　in　my
  opinion；　and　worthy　a　great　prince。　　The　Emperor　Adrian　since　made　use　of
  the　same　words；　and　kings　should　be　often　put　in　mind　of　them；　to　make
  them　know　that　the　great　office　conferred　upon　them　of　the　command　of　so
  many　men；　is　not　an　employment　of　ease；　and　that　there　is　nothing　can　so
  justly　disgust　a　subject；　and　make　him　unwilling　to　expose　himself　to
  labour　and　danger　for　the　service　of　his　prince；　than　to　see　him；　in　the
  meantime；　devoted　to　his　ease　and　frivolous　amusement；　and　to　be
  solicitous　of　his　preservation　who　so　much　neglects　that　of　his　people。
  Whoever　will　take　upon　him　to　maintain　that　'tis　better　for　a　prince　to
  carry　on　his　wars　by　others；　than　in　his　own　person；　fortune　will　furnish
  him　with　examples　enough　of　those　whose　lieutenants　have　brought　great
  enterprises　to　a　happy　issue；　and　of　those　also　whose　presence　has　done
  more　hurt　than　good：　but　no　virtuous　and　valiant　prince　can　with　patience
  endure　so　dishonourable　councils。　　Under　colour　of　saving　his　head；　like
  the　statue　of　a　saint；　for　the　happiness　of　his　kingdom；　they　degrade　him
  from　and　declare　him　incapable　of　his　office；　which　is　military
  throughout：　I　know　one　＇Probably　Henry　IV。＇　who　had　much　rather　be
  beaten；　than　to　sleep　whilst　another　fights　for　him；　and　who　never
  without　jealousy　heard　of　any　brave　thing　done　even　by　his　own　officers
  in　his　absence。　　And　Soliman　I。　said；　with　very　good　reason；　in　my
  opinion；　that　victories　obtained　without　the　master　were　never　complete。
  Much　more　would　he　have　said　that　that　master　ought　to　blush　for　shame；
  to　pretend　to　any　share　in　the　honour；　having　contributed　nothing　to　the
  work；　but　his　voice　and　thought；　nor　even　so　much　as　these；　considering
  that　in　such　work　as　that；　the　direction　and　command　that　deserve　honour
  are　only　such　as　are　given　upon　the　spot；　and　in　the　heat　of　the
  business。　　No　pilot　performs　his　office　by　standing　still。　　The　princes
  of　the　Ottoman　family；　the　chiefest　in　the　world　in　military　fortune；
  have　warmly　embraced　this　opinion；　and　Bajazet　II。；　with　his　son；　who
  swerved　from　it；　spending　their　time　in　science　and　other　retired
  employments；　gave　great　blows　to　their　empire；　and　Amurath　III。；　now
  reigning；　following　their　example；　begins　to　find　the　same。　　Was　it　not
  Edward　III。；　King　of　England；　who　said　this　of　our　Charles　V。：　〃There
  never　was　king　who　so　seldom　put　on　his　armour；　and　yet　never　king　who
  gave　me　so　much　to　do。〃　　He　had　reason　to　think　it　strange；　as　an　effect
  of　chance　more　than　of　reason。　　And　let　those　seek　out　some　other　to　join
  with　them　than　me；　who　will　reckon　the　Kings　of　Castile　and　Portugal
  amongst　the　warlike　and　magnanimous　conquerors；　because　at　the　distance
  of　twelve　hundred　leagues　from　their　lazy　abode；　by　the　conduct　of　their
  captains；　they　made　themselves　masters　of　both　Indies；　of　which　it　has　to
  be　known　if　they　would　have　had　even　the　courage　to　go　and　in　person
  enjoy　them。
  The　Emperor　Julian　said　yet　further；　that　a　philosopher　and　a　brave　man
  ought　not　so　much　as　to　breathe；　that　is　to　say；　not　to　allow　any　more　to
  bodily　necessities　than　what　we　cannot　refuse；　keeping　the　soul　and　body
  still　intent　and　busy　about　honourable；　great；　and　virtuous　things。　　He
  was　ashamed　if　any　one　in　public　saw　him　spit；　or　sweat　（which　is　said　by
  some；　also；　of　the　Lacedaemonian　young　men；　and　which　Xenophon　says　of
  the　Persian）；　forasmuch　as　he　conceived　that　exercise；　continual　labour；
  and　sobriety；　ought　to　have　dried　up　all　those　superfluities。　　What
  Seneca　says　will　not　be　unfit　for　this　place；　which　is；　that　the　ancient
  Romans　kept　their　youth　always　standing；　and　taught　them　nothing　that
  they　were　to　learn　sitting。
  'Tis　a　generous　desire　to　wish　to　die　usefully　and　like　a　man；　but　the
  effect　lies　not　so　much　in　our　resolution　as　in　our　good　fortune；　a
  thousand　have　proposed　to　themselves　in　battle；　either　to　overcome　or　to
  die；　who　have　failed　both　in　the　one　and　the　other；　wounds　and
  imprisonment　crossing　their　design　and　compelling　them　to　live　against
  their　will。　　There　are　diseases　that　overthrow　even　our　desires；　and　our
  knowledge。　　Fortune　ought　not　to　second　the　vanity　of　the　Roman　legions；
  who　bound　themselves　by　oath；　either　to　overcome　or　die：
  〃Victor；　Marce　Fabi；　revertar　ex　acie：　si　fallo；　Jovem　patrem；
  Gradivumque　Martem　aliosque　iratos　invoco　deos。〃
  ＇〃I　will　return；　Marcus　Fabius；　a　conqueror；　from　the　fight：
  and　if　I　fail；　I　invoke　Father　Jove；　Mars　Gradivus；　and　the
  other　angry　gods。〃Livy；　ii。　45。＇
  The　Portuguese　say　that　in　a　certain　place　of　their　conquest　of　the
  Indies；　they　met　with　soldiers　who　had　condemned　themselves；　with
  horrible　execrations；　to　enter　into　no　other　composition　but　either　to
  cause　themselves　to　be　slain；　or　to　remain　victorious；　and　had　their
  heads　and　beards　shaved　in　token　of　this　vow。　　'Tis　to　much　purpose　for
  us　to　hazard　ourselves　and　to　be　obstinate：　it　seems　as　if　blows　avoided
  those　who　present　themselves　too　briskly　to　them；　and　do　not　willingly
  fall　upon　those　who　too　willingly　seek　them；　and　so　defeat　them　of　their
  design。　　Such　there　have　been；　who；　after　having　tried　all　ways；　not
  having　been　able　with　all　their　endeavour　to　obtain　the　favour　of　dying
  by　the　hand　of　the　enemy；　have　been　constrained；　to　make　good　their
  resolution　of　bringing　home　the　honour　of　victory　or　of　losing　their
  lives；　to　kill　themselves　even　in　the　heat　of　battle。　　Of　which　there　are
  other　examples；　but　this　is　one：　Philistus；　general　of　the　naval　army　of
  Dionysius　the　younger　against　the　Syracusans；　presented　them　battle　which
  was　sharply　disputed；　their　forces　being　equal：　in　this　engagement；　he
  had　the　better　at　the　first；　through　his　own　valour：　but　the　Syracusans
  drawing　about　his　gally　to　environ　him；　after　having　done　great　things　in
  his　own　person　to　disengage　himself　and　hoping　for　no　relief；　with　his
  own　hand　he　took　away　the　life　he　had　so　liberally；　and　in　vain；　exposed
  to　the　enemy。
  Mule　Moloch；　king　of　Fez；　who　lately　won　against　Sebastian；　king　of
  Portugal；　the　battle　so　famous　for　the　death　of　three　kings；　and　for　the
  transmission　of　that　great　kingdom　to　the　crown　of　Castile；　was　extremely
  sick　when　the　Portuguese　entered　in　an　hostile　manner　into　his　dominions；
  and　from　that　day　forward　grew　worse　and　worse；　still　drawing　nearer　to
  and　foreseeing　his　end；　yet　never　did　man　better　employ　his　own
  sufficiency　more　vigorously　and　bravely　than　he　did　upon　this　occasion。
  He　found　himself　too　weak　to　undergo　the　pomp　and　ceremony　of　entering。
  into　his　camp；　which　after　their　manner　is　very　magnificent；　and
  therefore　resigned　that　honour　to　his　brother；　but　this　was　all　of　the
  office　of　a　general　that　he　resigned；　all　the　rest　of　greatest　utility
  and　necessity　he　most；　exactly　and　gloriously　performed　in　his　own
  person；　his　body　lying　upon　a　couch；　but　his　judgment　and　courage　upright
  and　firm　to　his　last　gasp；　and　in　some　sort　beyond　it。　　He　might　have
  wasted　his　enemy；　indiscreetly　advanced　into　his　dominions；　without
  striking　a　blow；　and　it　was　a　very　unhappy　occurrence；　that　for　want　of　a
  little　life　or