134                              OF DELAYS.
 

XXL
OF DEL A YS.

Fortune is like the market, where many times, if
you can stay a little, the price will fall. And, again,
it is sometimes like Sybilla's offer, which at first
offereth the commodity at full, then consumeth part
and part, and still holdeth up the price ; for occa¬
sion, as it is in the common verse, " turneth a bald
noddle after she hath presented her locks in front,
and no hold taken ;" or, at least, turneth the handle
of the bottle first to be received and after the belly,
which is hard to clasp. There is surely no greater
wisdom than well to time the beginnings and onsets
of things. Dangers are no more light if they once
seem light, and more dangers have deceived men
than forced them ; nay, it were better to meet some
dangers halfway, though they come nothing near,
than to keep too long a watch upon their ap¬
proaches ; for if a man watch too long, it is odds he
will fall asleep.    On  the other side, to be deceived