OF AMBITION.                              209
 

XXXVI.

OF AMBITION.

Ambition is like choler, which is a humour that
maketh men active, earnest, full of alacrity and stir¬
ring, if it be not stopped.    But if it be stopped, and
cannot have its way, it becometh adust, and thereby
malign and venomous.  So ambitious men, if they find
the way open for their  rising, and still get forward,
they are rather busy than dangerous; but if they be
checked in their desires, they become secretly discon¬
tent, and look upon men and matters with an evil eye,
and are best pleased when things go backward, which
is the worst property in a servant of a prince or state.
Therefore it is good for princes, if they use ambitious
men, to handle it so as they be still progressive, and
not retrograde ; which, because it cannot be without
inconvenience, it is good not to use such natures at
all; for if they rise not with their service, they will
take order to make their service fall with them.   But
since we have  said it were  good not to use men of