considerant tout, & ne croyant rien, mais donnant une impression qu'il croit, il trouve le vray, & n'est iamais surpris: car d'attendre le succés des choses pour en tirer de l'instruction, c'est tout le mal-heur de l'Ambassade; & à ce que dit Quintus Fabius, Le succés est le maistre des sots, qui ne reconnotssent iamais qu'ils sont trompez que quand ils le voyent avec les yeux, & qu'ils le touchent avec les mains.'[1]
(b) Of Prudence and Cunning:[2] 'I have said that the Embassador in receiving his Prince's Orders, ought to consult his Prudence before he executes them. I shall add in this, that it ought to serve him for a North Pole in the whole course of his Negotiation. It is she alone can make it successful, and it is she alone is capable of forming a perfect Embassador. She holds the first Rank among politick Virtues, and can alone supply all that is wanting in the Embassador; so that one may say very well with the Poet, Nullum numen abest si sit Prudentia.[3] … It is a Stroke of the most refin'd Prudence, to make it believ'd that one neglects those Things which one most desires; that one looks upon them with Indifferency, and that even one has some Aversion for them. If I might be allow'd to make use of the familiar Comparison of the Rowers, who turn their Backs to the Place they design to land at, I think it may be very well apply'd here. Cardinal Mazarin help'd himself wonderfully by this Artifice, and he gave an excellent Proof thereof, at the Congress of the Pyrenees.[4] … There is a species of Address, that is rather Roguery than either Cunning or Artifice.[5] … A publick Minister … ought to be above those little Cunnings and Duplicities, which are only the Products of a weak and ill turn'd Mind. … The Prudence of an Embassador consists chiefly in knowing how to elude the cunning Strokes of others, and to avoid the Snares that are prepared for him.[6] … Prudence has so vast an Object,
- ↑ Ibid., pp. 269–70.
- ↑ Wicquefort, bk. ii, ch. vi, pp. 329–39.
- ↑ Ibid., p. 329.
- ↑ p. 331. See the preceding words for the historical illustration.
- ↑ p. 333.
- ↑ p. 335. 'We take cunning for a sinister, or crooked wisdom; and certainly there is a great difference between a cunning man and a wise man, not only in point of honesty, but in point of ability. There be that
