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Of Suspicion
by Francis Bacon |
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Suspicions amongst thoughts, are like bats amongst birds, they
ever fly by twilight. Certainly they are to be repressed, or at
least well guarded: for they cloud the mind; they leese friends; and
they check with business, whereby business cannot go on currently
and constantly. They dispose kings to tyranny, husbands to jealousy,
wise men to irresolution and melancholy. They are defects, not in
the heart, but in the brain; for they take place in the stoutest
natures; as in the example of Henry the Seventh of England. There
was not a more suspicious man, nor a more stout. And in such a
composition they do small hurt. For commonly they are not admitted,
but with examination, whether they be likely or no. But in fearful
natures they gain ground too fast. There is nothing makes a man
suspect much, more than to know little; and therefore men should
remedy suspicion, by procuring to know more, and not to keep their
suspicions in smother. What would men have? Do they think, those
they employ and deal with, are saints? Do they not think, they will
have their own ends, and be truer to themselves, than to them?
Therefore there is no better way, to moderate suspicions, than to
account upon such suspicions as true, and yet to bridle them as false.
For so far a man ought to make use of suspicions, as to provide, as if
that should be true, that he suspects, yet it may do him no hurt.
Suspicions that the mind of itself gathers, are but buzzes; but
suspicions that are artificially nourished, and put into men's
heads, by the tales and whisperings of others, have stings. Certainly,
the best mean, to clear the way in this same wood of suspicions, is
frankly to communicate them with the party, that he suspects; for
thereby he shall be sure to know more of the truth of them, than he
did before; and withal shall make that party more circumspect, not
to give further cause of suspicion. But this would not be done to
men of base natures; for they, if they find themselves once suspected,
will never be true. The Italian says, Sospetto licentia fede; as if
suspicion, did give a passport to faith; but it ought, rather, to
kindle it to discharge itself.
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contact: morgan at [email protected] page last modified: thu jan 12 01:37:48 2006 |
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