the advancement of learning-第13部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



3。　From　moral　virtue　let　us　pass　on　to　matter　of　power　and　commandment；　and　consider　whether　in　right　reason　there　be　any　comparable　with　that　wherewith　knowledge　investeth　and　crowneth　man's　nature。　We　see　the　dignity　of　the　commandment　is　according　to　the　dignity　of　the　commanded：　to　have　commandment　over　beasts；　as　herdmen　have；　is　a　thing　contemptible；　to　have　commandment　over　children；　as　schoolmasters　have；　is　a　matter　of　small　honour；　to　have　commandment　over　galley…slaves　is　a　disparagement　rather　than　an　honour。　Neither　is　the　commandment　of　tyrants　much　better；　over　people　which　have　put　off　the　generosity　of　their　minds：　and　therefore　it　was　ever　holden　that　honours　in　free　monarchies　and　commonwealths　had　a　sweetness　more　than　in　tyrannies；　because　the　commandment　extendeth　more　over　the　wills　of　men；　and　not　only　over　their　deeds　and　services。　And　therefore；　when　Virgil　putteth　himself　forth　to　attribute　to　Augustus　Caesar　the　best　of　human　honours；　he　doth　it　in　these　words：

＇21＇Victorque　volentes　Per　populos　dat　jura；　viamque　affectat　Olympo。

But　yet　the　commandment　of　knowledge　is　yet　higher　than　the　commandment　over　the　will；　for　it　is　a　commandment　over　the　reason；　belief；　and　understanding　of　man；　which　is　the　highest　part　of　the　mind；　and　giveth　law　to　the　will　itself。　For　there　is　no　power　on　earth　which　setteth　up　a　throne　or　chair　of　state　in　the　spirits　and　souls　of　men；　and　in　their　cogitations；　imaginations；　opinions；　and　beliefs；　but　knowledge　and　learning。　And　therefore　we　see　the　detestable　and　extreme　pleasure　that　arch…heretics；　and　false　prophets；　and　impostors　are　transported　with；　when　they　once　find　in　themselves　that　they　have　a　superiority　in　the　faith　and　conscience　of　men；　so　great　as　if　they　have　once　tasted　of　it；　it　is　seldom　seen　that　any　torture　or　persecution　can　make　them　relinquish　or　abandon　it。　But　as　this　is　that　which　the　author　of　the　Revelation　calleth　the　depth　or　profoundness　of　Satan：　　so　by　argument　of　contraries；　the　just　and　lawful　sovereignty　over　men's　understanding；　by　force　　of　truth　rightly　interpreted；　is　that　which　approacheth　nearest　to　the　similitude　of　the　Divine　Rule。

4。　As　for　fortune　and　advancement；　the　beneficence　of　learning　is　not　so　confined　to　give　fortune　only　to　states　and　commonwealths；　as　it　doth　not　likewise　give　fortune　to　particular　persons。　For　it　was　well　noted　long　ago；　that　Homer　hath　given　more　men　their　livings；　than　either　Sylla；　or　Caesar；　or　Augustus　ever　did；　notwithstanding　their　great　largesses　and　donatives；　and　distributions　of　lands　to　so　many　legions。　And　no　doubt　it　is　hard　to　say。　whether　arms　or　learning　have　advanced　greater　numbers。　And　in　case　of　sovereignty　we　see；　that　if　arms　or　descent　have　carried　away　the　kingdom；　yet　learning　hath　carried　the　priesthood；　which　ever　hath　been　in　some　competition　with　empire。

5。　Again；　for　the　pleasure　and　delight　of　knowledge　and　learning；　it　far　surpasseth　all　other　in　nature：　for；　shall　the　pleasures　of　the　affections　so　exceed　the　senses；　as　much　as　the　obtaining　of　desire　or　victory　exceedeth　a　song　or　a　dinner；　and　must　not；　of　consequence；　the　pleasures　of　the　intellect　or　understanding　exceed　the　pleasures　of　the　affections？　We　see　in　all　other　pleasures　there　is　satiety；　and　after　they　be　used；　their　verdure　departeth；　which　showeth　well　they　be　but　deceits　of　pleasure；　and　not　pleasures：　and　that　it　was　the　novelty　which　pleased；　and　not　the　quality；　and　therefore　we　see　that　voluptuous　men　turn　friars；　and　ambitious　princes　turn　melancholy。　But　of　knowledge　there　is　no　satiety；　but　satisfaction　and　appetite　are　perpetually　interchangeable；　and　therefore　appeareth　to　be　good　in　itself　simply；　without　fallacy　or　accident。　Neither　is　that　pleasure　of　small　efficacy　and　contentment　to　the　mind　of　man　which　the　poet　Lucretius　describeth　elegantly；

Suave　mari　magno；　turbantibus　aequora　ventis；　etc。

IT　IS　A　VIEW　OF　DELIGHT；　saith　he；　TO　STAND　OR　WALK　UPON　THE　SHORE　SIDE；　AND　TO　SEE　A　SHIP　TOSSED　WITH　TEMPEST　UPON　THE　SEA；　OR　TO　BE　IN　A　FORTIFIED　TOWER；　AND　TO　SEE　TWO　BATTLES　JOIN　UPON　A　PLAIN；　BUT　IT　IS　A　PLEASURE　INCOMPARABLE；　FOR　THE　MIND　OF　MAN　TO　BE　SETTLED；　LANDED；　AND　FORTIFIED　IN　THE　CERTAINTY　OF　TRUTH；　AND　FROM　THENCE　TO　DESCRY　AND　BEHOLD　THE　ERRORS；　PERTURBATIONS；　LABOURS；　AND　WANDERINGS　UP　AND　DOWN　OF　OTHER　MEN。

6。　Lastly；　leaving　the　vulgar　arguments；　that　by　learning　man　excelleth　in　in　that　wherein　man　excelleth　beasts；　that　by　learning　man　ascendeth　to　the　heavens　and　their　motions；　where　in　body　he　cannot　come；　and　the　like；　let　us　conclude　with　the　dignity　and　excellency　of　knowledge　and　learning　in　that　whereunto　man's　nature　doth　most　aspire；　which　is；　immortality　or　continuance：　for　to　this　tendeth　generation；　and　raising　of　houses　and　families；　to　this　buildings；　foundations；　and　monuments；　to　this　tendeth　the　desire　of　memory；　fame；　and　celebration；　and　in　effect　the　strength　of　all　other　human　desires。　We　see　then　how　far　the　monuments　of　wit　and　learning　are　more　durable　than　the　monuments　of　power　or　of　the　hands。　For　have　not　the　verses　of　Homer　continued　twenty…five　hundred　years；　or　more；　without　the　loss　of　a　syllable　or　letter；　during　which　time；　infinite　palaces；　temples；　castles；　cities；　have　been　decayed　and　demolished？　It　is　not　possible　to　have　the　true　pictures　or　statues　of　Cyrus；　Alexander；　Caesar；　no；　nor　of　the　kings　or　great　personages　of　much　later　years；　for　the　originals　cannot　last；　and　the　copies　cannot　but　leese　of　the　life　and　truth。　But　the　images　of　men's　wits　and　knowledges　remain　in　books；　exempted　from　the　wrong　of　time；　and　capable　of　perpetual　renovation。　Neither　are　they　fitly　to　be　called　images；　because　they　generate　still；　and　cast　their　seeds　in　the　minds　of　others；　provoking　and　causing　infinite　actions　and　opinions　in　succeeding　ages：　so　that；　if　the　invention　of　the　ship　was　thought　so　noble；　which　carrieth　riches　and　commodities　from　place　to　place；　and　consociateth　the　most　remote　regions　in　participation　of　their　fruits；　how　much　more　are　letters　to　be　magnified；　which；　as　ships；　pass　through　the　vast　seas　of　time；　and　make　ages　so　distant　to　participate　of　the　wisdom；　illuminations；　and　inventions；　the　one　of　the　other？　Nay　further；　we　see　some　of　the　philosophers　which　were　least　divine；　and　most　immersed　in　the　senses；　and　denied　generally　the　immortality　of　the　soul；　yet　came　to　this　point；　that　whatsoever　motions　the　spirit　of　man　could　act　and　perform　without　the　organs　of　the　body；　they　thought　might　remain　after　death；　which　were　only　those　of　the　understanding；　and　not　of　the　affection：　so　immortal　and　incorruptible　a　thing　did　knowledge　seem　unto　them　to　be。　But　we；　that　know　by　divine　revelation　that　not　only　the　understanding　but　the　affections　purified；　not　only　the　spirit　but　the　body　changed；　shall　be　advanced　to　immortality；　do　disclaim　in　these　rudiments　of　the　senses。　But　it　must　be　remembered　both　in　this　last　point；　and　so　it　may　likewise　be　needful　in　other　places；　that　in　probation　of　the　dignity　of　knowledge　or　learning；　I　did　in　the　beginning　separate　divine　testimony　from　human；　which　method　I　have　pursued；　and　so　handled　them　both　apart。

7。　Nevertheless；　I　do　not　pretend；　and　I　know　it　will　＇22＇　be　impossible　for　me；　by　any　pleading　of　mine；　to　reverse　the　judgment；　either　of　Aesop's　Cock；　that　preferred　the　barleycorn　before　the　gem；　or　of　Midas；　that　being　chosen　judge　between　Apollo；　president　of　the　Muses；　and　Pan；　god　of　the　flocks；　judged　for　plenty：　　or　of　Paris；　that　judged　for　beauty　and　love　against　wisdom　and　power；　nor　of　Agrippina；　OCCIDAT　MATREM；　MODO　IMPERET；　that　preferred　empire　with　conditions　never　so　detestable；　　or　of　Ulysses；　QUI　VETULAM　PRAETULIT　IMMORTALITATI；　being　a　figure　of　those　which　prefer　custom　and　habit　before　all　excellency；　or　of　a　number　of　the　like　popular　judgments。　For　these　things　continue　as　they　have　been：　but　so　will　that　also　continue　whereupon　learning　hath　ever　relied；　and　which　faileth　not：　JUSTIFICATA　EST　SAPIENTIA　A　FILIIS　SUIS。

THE　SECOND　BOOK

OF

FRANCIS　BACON

OF　THE

PROFICIENCE　AND　ADVANCEMENT　OF　LEARNING

DIVINE　AND　HUMAN

To　the　King

1。　IT　might　seem　to　have　more　convenience；　though　it　come　often　otherwise　to　pass；　excellent　King；　that　those；　which　are　fruitful　in　their　generations；　and　have　in　themselves　the　foresight　of　immortality　in　their　descendants；　should　likewise　be　more　careful　of　the　good　estate　of　future　times；　unto　which　they　know　they　must　transmit　and　commend　over　their　dearest　pledges。　Queen　Elizabeth　was　a　sojourner　in　the　world　in　respect　of　her　unmarried　life；　and　was　a　blessing　to　her　own　times；　and　yet　so　as　the　impression　of　her　good　government；　besides　her　happy　memory；　is　not　without　some　effect　which　doth　survive　her。　But　to　your　Majesty；　whom　God　hath　already　blessed　with　so　much　royal　issue；　worthy　to　continue　and　represent　you　for　ever；　and　whose　youthful　and　fruitful　bed　doth　yet　promise　many　of　the　like　renovations；　it　is　proper　and　agreeable　to　be　conversant　not　only　in　the　transitory　parts　of　good　government；　but　in　those　acts　also　which　are　in　their　nature　permanent　and　perpetual：　amongst　the　which；　if　affection　do　not　transport　me；　there　is　not　any　more　worthy　than　the　further　endowment　of　the　world　with　sound　and　fruitful　knowledge。　For　why　should　a　few　received　authors　stand　up　like　Hercules'　columns；　beyond　which　there　should　be　no　sailing　or　discovering；　since　we　have　so　bright　and　benign　a　star　as　your　Majesty　to　conduct　and　prosper　us？　To　return　therefore　where　we　left；　it　remaineth　to　consider　of　what　kind　those　acts　are　which　have　been　undertaken　and　performed　by　kings　and　others　for　the　increase　and　advancement　of　learning：　wherein　I　purpose　to　speak　actively　without　digressing　or　dilating。

2。　Let　this　ground　therefore　be　laid；　that　all　works　are　overcome　by　amplitude　of　reward；　by　soundness　of　direction；　and　by　the　conjunction　of　labours。　The　first　multiplieth　endeavour；　the　second　preventeth　error；　and　the　third　supplieth　the　frailty　of　man：　but　the　principal　of　these　is　direction：　for　CLAUDUS　IN　VIA　ANTEVERTIT　CURSOREM　EXTRA　VIAM；　and　Salomon　excellently　setteth　it　down；　IF　THE　IRON　BE　NOT　SHARP；　IT　REQUIRETH　MORE　STRENGTH；　BUT　WISDOM　IS　THAT　WHICH　PREVAILETH