what first? Boldness: what second and third? Boldness. And yet boldness is a child of ignorance and baseness, far inferior to other parts. But nevertheless it doth fascinate and bind hand and foot those that are either shallow in judgment or weak in courage, which are the greatest part; yea and prevaileth with wise men at weak times. Therefore we see it hath done wonders in popular states; but with senates and princes less; and more ever upon the first entrance of bold persons into action than soon after; for boldness is an ill keeper of promise. Surely as there are mountebanks[1] for the natural body, so are there mountebanks for the politic[2] body; men that undertake great cures, and perhaps have been lucky in two or three experiments, but want the grounds of science, and therefore cannot hold out. Nay you shall see a bold fellow many times do Mahomet's miracle. Mahomet[3] made the people believe that he would call an hill to him, and from the top of it offer up his prayers for the observers of his law. The people assembled; Mahomet called the hill to come to him, again and again; and when the hill stood still, he was never a whit[4] abashed, but said, If the hill will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet will go to the hill. So these men, when they have promised great matters and failed most shame-
- ↑ Mountebank. A quack doctor who mounts a bench or platform to sell his wares. Ben Jonson gives a good description of an Elizabethan mountebank in his satirical comedy, Volpone. ii. 1.
- ↑ Politic. Political.
- ↑ Mohammed, or Mahomet, 'the praised one,' 570–632 A.D., founder of Mohammedanism, or Islam ('surrender,' namely, to God).
- ↑ Whit. The smallest part; a jot, tittle, or iota: often used adverbially, and generally with a negative. "For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles." II. Corinthians xi. 5.
