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THE SECOND BOOKE 241
hee made no esteeme; answered, that that was true
Philosophizing. They have gone about to consider
all, to ballance all, and have found that it was an
occupation fitting the naturall curiositie which is in
us. Some things they have written for the behoofe
of common societie, as their religions: And for this
consideration was it reasonable that they would not
throughly unfold common opinions, that so they might
not breed trouble in the obedience of lawes and customes
of their countries. Plato treateth this mysterie
in a very manifest kinde of sport. For, where he
writeth according to himselfe, he prescribeth nothing
for certaintie: When he institutes a Law giver, he
borroweth a very swaying and avouching kinde of
stile: Wherein he boldly entermingleth his most
fantasticall opinions; as profitable to perswade the
common sort, as ridiculous to perswade himselfe :
Knowing how apt wee are to receive all impressions,
and chiefly the most wicked and enormous. And
therefore is he very carefull in his lawes that nothing
bee sung in publike but Poesies the fabulous fictions
of which tend to some profitable end : being so apt to
imprint all manner of illusion in man's minde, that it
is injustice not to feed them rather with commodious
lies, than with lies either unprofitable or damageable.
He flatly saith in his Common-wealth that for the
benefit of men, it is often necessarie to deceive them.
It is easie to distinguish how some Sects have rather
followed truth, and some profit; by which the latter
have gained credit. It is the miserie of our condition
that often what offers it selfe unto our imagination for
the likelyst, presents not it selfe unto it for the most
beneficiall unto our life. The boldest sects, both Epicurean,
Pirrhonian and new Academike, when they
have cast their accompt are compelled to stoope to
the civill law. There are other subjects which they
have tossed, some on the left and some on the right
hand, each one labouring and striving to give it some
semblance, were it right or wrong: For, having found
nothing so secret, whereof they have not attempted
II. R