THE DANGERS OF THE PALACE

The wise minister ever acts as if he were still on probation. He does not take the prince's confidence for granted.

It would be disastrous to presume on the familiarity born of long connection and act contrary to etiquette.

One is strongly reminded of Bacon when reading these and some other couplets of Kural. But Bacon came many centuries after Tiru-Valluvar.

Great stress is laid on the ability of those serving in the king's cabinet to read his mind. This is as it must be in serving under autocratic princes or in the cabinets of modern dictators.

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