第4部分(第5/6 頁)

e　often　eccentric　to　the　ends　of　his　master　or　state。　Therefore；　let　princes；　or　states；　choose　such　servants　as　have　not　this　mark；　except　they　mean　their　service　should　be　made　but　the　accessory。　That　which　maketh　the　effect　more　pernicious　is　that　all　proportion　is　lost。　It　were　disproportion　enough　for　the　servant’s　good　to　be　preferred　before　the　master’s；　but　yet　it　is　a　greater　extreme；　when　a　little　good　of　the　servant　shall　carry　things　against　a　great　good　of　the　master’s。　And　yet　that　is　the　case　of　bad　officers；　treasurers；　ambassadors；　generals；　and　other　false　and　corrupt4　servants；　which　set　a　bias　upon　their　bowl；　of　their　own　petty　ends　and　envies；　to　the　overthrow　of　their　master’s　great　and　important　affairs。　And　for　the　most　part；　the　good　such　servants　receive　is　after　the　model　of　their　own　fortune；　but　the　hurt　they　sell　for　that　good　is　after　the　model　of　their　master’s　fortune。　And　certainly　it　is　the　nature　of　extreme　self…lovers；　as　they　will　set　an　house　on　fire；　and　it　were　but　to　roast　their　eggs；　and　yet　these　men　many　times　hold　credit　with　their　masters；　because　their　study　is　but　to　please　them　and　profit　themselves；　and　for　either　respect　they　will　abandon　the　good　of　their　affairs。

Wisdom　for　a　man’s　self　is；　in　many　branches　thereof；　a　depraved　thing。　It　is　the　wisdom　of　rats；　that　will　be　sure　to　leave　a　house　somewhat　before　it　fall。　It　is　the　wisdom　of　the　fox；　that　thrusts　out　the　badger；　who　digged　and　made　room　for　him。　It　is　the　wisdom　of　crocodiles5；　that　shed　tears　when　they　would　devour。　But　that　which　is　specially　to　be　noted　is；　that　those　which　（as　Cicero　says　of　Pompey）　are　sui　amantes；　sine　rivali；　are　many　times　unfortunate。　And　whereas　they　have　all　their　time　sacrificed　to　themselves；　they　bee　in　the　end　them