No King can be so little inclined to dissemble but he must needs learn it from his Subjects, who every Day give him such Lessons of it.  Dissimulation is like most other Qualities, it hath two Sides; it is necessary, and yet it is dangerous too.  To have none at all layeth a Man open to Contempt, to have too much exposeth him to Suspicion, which is only the less dishonourable Inconvenience.  If a Man doth not take very great Precautions, he is never so much shewed as when he endeavoureth to hide himself.  One Man cannot take more pains to hide himself, than another will do to see into him, especially in the Case of Kings.

It is none of the exalted Faculties of the Mind, since there are Chamber-Maids will do it better than any Prince in Christendom.  Men given to dissembling are like Rooks at play, they will cheat for Shillings, they are so used to it.  The vulgar Definition of Dissembling is downright Lying; that kind of it which is less ill-bred cometh pretty near it.  Only Princes and Persons of Honour must have gentler Words given to their Faults, than the nature of them may in themselves deserve.

Princes dissemble with too many, not to have it discovered; no wonder then that He carried it so far that it was discovered.  Men compared Notes, and got Evidence; so that those whose Morality would give them leave, took it for an Excuse for serving him ill.  Those who knew his Face, fixed their Eyes there; and thought it of more Importance to see, than to hear what he said.  His Face was as little a Blab as most Mens, yet though it could not be called a prattling Face, it would sometimes tell Tales to a good Observer.  When he thought fit to be angry, he had a very peevish Memory; there was hardly a Blot that escaped him.  At the same time that this shewed the Strength of his Dissimulation, it gave warning too; it fitted his present Purpose, but it made a Discovery that put Men more upon their Guard against him.  Only Self-flattery furnisheth perpetual Arguments to trust again:  The comfortable Opinion Men have of themselves keepeth up Human Society, which would be more than half destroyed without it.

Of his WIT and CONVERSATION.

His Wit consisted chiefly in the Quickness of his Apprehension.  His Apprehension made him find Faults, and that led him to short Sayings upon them, not always equal, but often very good.

By his being abroad, he contracted a Habit of conversing familiarly, which added to his natural Genius, made him very apt to talk; perhaps more than a very nice judgment would approve.