Men are too cunning to suffer a Man to keepe an indifferent carriage betweene both[1], and to be Secret, without Swaying the Ballance on either side. They will so beset a man with Questions, and draw him on, and picke it out of him, that, without an absurd[2] Silence, he must shew an Inclination one way; Or if he doe not, they will gather as much by his Silence as by his Speech. As for Equivocations, or Oraculous[3] Speeches, they cannot hold out long. So that no man can be secret, except he give himselfe a little Scope of Dissimulation; which is, as it were, but the Skirts or Traine of Secrecy.
But for the third Degree, which is Simulation and false Profession; That I hold more culpable and lesse politicke; except it be in great and rare Matters. And therefore a generall Custome of Simulation (which is this last Degree) is a Vice, rising either of[4] a naturall Falsenesse or Fearefulnesse, Or of[4] a Minde that hath some maine Faults; which because a man must needs disguise, it maketh him practise Simulation in other things, lest his Hand should be out of ure[5].
The great Advantages of Simulation and Dissimulation are three. First, to lay asleepe Opposition, and to Surprize. 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 Selfe a faire Retreat; For if a man engage himselfe by a manifest Declaration, he must goe through, or take a Fall[6]. The third is, the better to discover the Minde of another. For to him that opens himselfe, Men will hardly shew themselves adverse; but will (faire)[7] let him goe on, and turne their Freedome of Speech to Freedome of thought. And therefore, it is a good shrewd Proverbe of the Spaniard, Tell a lye and finde a Troth. As if there were no way of Discovery, but by Simulation. There be also three Disadvantages, to set it even[8]. The first, That Simulation and Dissimulation commonly carry
