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well founded, the people are not so foolish as is
said. And so we have destroyed the opinion which destroyed that of the
people.

But we must now destroy this last proposition and show that it remains
always true that the people are foolish, though their opinions are sound
because they do not perceive the truth where it is, and, as they place it
where it is not, their opinions are always very false and very unsound.

329. The reason of effects.--The weakness of man is the reason why so many
things are considered fine, as to be good at playing the lute. It is only an
evil because of our weakness.

330. The power of kings is founded on the reason and on the folly of the
people, and specially on their folly. The greatest and most important thing
in the world has weakness for its foundation, and this foundation is
wonderfully sure; for there is nothing more sure than this, that the people
will be weak. What is based on sound reason is very ill-founded as the
estimate of wisdom.

331. We can only think of Plato and Aristotle in grand academic robes. They
were honest men, like others, laughing with their friends, and, when they
diverted themselves with writing their Laws and the Politics, they did it as
an amusement. That part of their life was the least philosophic and the
least serious; the most philosophic was to live simply and quietly. If they
wrote on politics, it was as if laying down rules for a lunatic asylum; and
if they presented the appearance of speaking of a great matter, it was
because they knew that the madmen, to whom they spoke, thought they were
kings and emperors. They entered into their principles in order to make
their madness as litt