FORTUNE is like the market; where many times if you can stay a little, the price will fall. Again, it is sometimes like Sibylla's offer; which at first, offereth the commodity at full, then consumeth part and part, and still holdeth up the price. For occasion (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 half way, though they come nothing near, than to keep too long a watch upon their approaches; for if a man watch too long, it is odds he will fall asleep. On the other side, to be deceived with too long shadows (as some have been, when the moon was low, and shone on their enemies' back), and so to shoot off before the time; or to teach dangers to come on, by over early buckling towards them; is another extreme. The ripeness, or unripeness, of the occasion (as we said) must ever be well weighed; and generally it is good, to commit the beginnings of all great actions to Argus, with his hundred eyes, and the ends to Briareus, with his hundred hands; first to watch, and then to speed. For the helmet of Pluto, which maketh the politic man go invisible, is secrecy in the counsel, and celerity in the execution. For when things are once come to the execution, there is no secrecy, comparable to celerity; like the motion of a bullet in the air, which flieth so swift, as it outruns the eye.
Fortune is like a market, where prices often fall if you can wait a little. At other times, it is like the Sibyl’s offer. She first offered all her books at full price. Then she destroyed them bit by bit, but still demanded the same price. As the familiar verse says, opportunity offers hair at the front of her head for you to seize. If you fail to grasp it, she turns a bald head toward you. Or she first offers a bottle’s handle, then turns its rounded body toward you, which is hard to grasp. Surely no wisdom is greater than knowing when to begin and act. Dangers are no less serious because they seem slight. More dangers have overcome people by deceiving them than by force. Indeed, it would be better to meet some dangers halfway, even if they never come close. That is better than watching too long for their approach. Anyone who watches too long is likely to fall asleep. But the opposite extreme is to be deceived by long shadows and fire too soon. Some have done this when a low moon shone behind their enemies. Another mistake is to encourage dangers to advance by preparing too early to confront them. As we said, we must always judge carefully whether the time is ripe. Generally, it is wise to entrust the beginnings of all great actions to Argus, with his hundred eyes. Entrust their completion to Briareus, with his hundred hands. First watch, then act swiftly. Pluto’s helmet, which makes the shrewd statesman invisible, is secrecy in planning and speed in execution. Once action has begun, no secrecy can compare with speed. It is like a bullet flying through the air so swiftly that the eye cannot follow it.