be self a ant be a wise creature for itself but it be a shrewd thing in a  orchard or garden and certain man that be great lover of themselves waste the  public divide with reason between self love and society and be so true to  thyself as thou be not false to other special to thy king and country it be a  poor centre of a man action himself it be right earth for that only stand fast  upon his own centre whereas all thing that have affinity with the heaven move  upon the centre of another which they benefit the refer of all to a man self  be more tolerable in a sovereign prince because themselves be not only  themselves but their good and evil be at the peril of the public fortune but  it be a desperate evil in a servant to a prince or a citizen in a republic for  whatsoever affair pass such a man hand he crook they to his own end which must  needs be often eccentric to the end of his master or state therefore let  prince or state choose such servant as have not this mark except they mean  their service shall be make but the accessary that which make the effect more  pernicious be that all proportion be lose it be disproportion enough for the  servant good to be prefer before the master but yet it be a great extreme when  a little good of the servant shall carry thing against a great good of the  master and yet that be the case of bid officer treasurer ambassador general  and other false and corrupt servant which set a bias upon their bowl of their  own petty end and envy to the overthrow of their master great and important  affair and for the most part the good such servant receive be after the model  of their own fortune but the hurt they sell for that good be after the model  of their master fortune and certain it be the nature of extreme self lover as  they will set a house on fire and it be but to roast their egg and yet these  man many time hold credit with their master because their study be but to  please they and profit themselves and for either respect they will abandon the  good of their affair wisdom for a man self be in many branch thereof a deprave  thing it be the wisdom of rat that will be sure to leave a house somewhat  before it fall it be the wisdom of the fox that thrust out the badger who dig  and make room for he it be the wisdom of crocodile that shed tear when they  will devour but that which be special to be note be that those which as Cicero  say of Pompey be Himself lover without rival be many time unfortunate and  whereas they have all their time sacrifice to themselves they become in the  end themselves sacrifice to the inconstancy of fortune who wing they think by  their self wisdom to have pinion