The Passions of the Mind in General

...Castilians, nor are these as crafty as the Andalusians. Therefore, as we prove in beasts that some, by their natural instinct, are more wily than others—such as foxes, monkeys, and apes—so we find in men that some surpass others in an aptitude to deceive and in craftiness to circumvent. And in this we may confess that Spaniards and Italians go before us, for commonly they can better conceal their own Passions and discover those of others than we can. Our people, for the most part, reveal and disclose themselves very familiarly and easily; the Spaniard and Italian demur much, and sell their secrets and their friendship by drams; you shall converse very long with them before you shall know what is in them. He will show a countenance of friendship, although he intends revenge; he can direct his purposes from afar to undermine where he pleases; he will praise where he feels spite, and dispraise where he loves for some further project; he can observe his times better than we for his plots, and mark fitter occasions to effectuate his intent; he can gain ground in a man's affection by some small conversation, and afterward prevail in whatever he wishes when he has gained the advantage. In short, he can better dissemble his own passions and conduct himself therein more circumspectly than we can do. Therefore, I thought it good to try if a little direction would help our countrymen to counterpoise their native wariness, and open the way—not to become crafty and deceitful, which is vicious—but how to discover other men's passions, and how to behave ourselves when such affections extraordinarily possess us, which is the chiefest point of prudence and the fittest means to attain unto religious, civil, and gentlemanly conversation, which is virtuous. Whereunto especially this discourse of Affections aims, although for a more complete doctrine, I have handled almost all those questions which concern the Passions in general.

But for all this, I would not have any man think that I am of the opinion that all Italians and Spaniards surpass all Englishmen in subtlety and wariness, for I have found several of our nation whom I believe neither Italian nor Spaniard could overreach in any negotiation whatsoever; but I only mean that, for the most part, those nations surpass ours in a certain politic craftiness, which nature first bred in them, education perfected, and virtue amends,