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Essay XLIX: Of Suitors
Essay XLIX: Of Suitors
Many ill matters and projects are undertaken; and private suits do
putrefy the public good. Many good matters are undertaken with bad minds; I
mean not only corrupt minds, but crafty minds, that intend not performance.
Some embrace suits, which never mean to deal effectually in them; but if they
see there may be life in the matter by some other mean, they will be content
to win a thank, or take a second reward, or at least to make use in the
meantime of the suitor`s hopes. Some take hold of suits only for an occasion
to cross some other; or to make ^1 an information whereof they could not
otherwise have apt pretext; without care what become of the suit when that
turn is served; or, generally, to make other men`s business a kind of
entertainment to bring in their own. Nay, some undertake suits, with a full
purpose to let them fall; to the end to gratify the adverse party or
competitor. Surely there is in some sort a right in every suit; either a right
in equity, if it be a suit of controversy; ^2 or a right of desert, if it be a
suit of petition. ^3 If affection lead a man to favor the wrong side in
justice, let him rather use his countenance to compound ^4 the matter than to
carry it. ^5 If affection lead a man to favor the less worthy in desert, let
him do it without depraving or disabling ^6 the better deserver. In suits
which a man doth not well understand, it is good to refer them to some friend
of trust and judgment, that may report whether he may deal in them with honor:
but let him choose well his referendaries, for else he may be led by the nose.
Suitors are so distasted with delays and abuses, ^7 that plain dealing in
denying to deal in suits at first, and reporting the success ^8 barely, and in
challenging no more thanks than one hath deserved, is grown not only honorable
but also gracious. In suits of favor, the first coming ought to take little
place: so far forth consideration may be had of his trust, that if
intelligence of the matter could not otherwise have been had but by him,
advantage be not taken of the note, but the party left to his other means; and
in some sort recompensed for his discovery. To be ignorant of the value of a
suit is simplicity; as well as to be ignorant of the right thereof is want of
conscience. Secrecy in suits is a great mean of obtaining; for voicing them to
be in forwardness may discourage some kind of suitors, but doth quicken and
awake others. But timing of the suit is the principal. Timing, I say, not only
in respect of the person that should grant it, but in respect of those which
are like to cross it. Let a man, in the choice of his mean, rather choose the
fittest mean than the greatest mean; and rather them that deal in certain
things, than those that are general. The reparation of a denial is sometimes
equal to the first grant; if a man show himself neither dejected nor
discontented. Iniquum petas ut aequum feras [Ask more than is reasonable, that
you may get no less] is a good rule, where a man hath strength of favor: but
otherwise a man were better rise in his suit; for he that would have ventured
at first to have lost the suitor will not in the conclusion lose both the
suitor and his own former favor. Nothing is thought so easy a request to a
great person, as his letter; and yet, if it be not in a good cause, it is so
much out of his reputation. There are no worse instruments than these general
contrivers of suits; for they are but a kind of poison and infection to public
proceedings.
[Footnote 1: Get.]
[Footnote 2: Law-suit.]
[Footnote 3: For some favor or office.]
[Footnote 4: Compromise.]
[Footnote 5: Get an unjust decision.]
[Footnote 6: Decrying or disparaging.]
[Footnote 7: Deceits.]
[Footnote 8: Outcome.]
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