the advancement of learning-第17部分

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ellent　period　of　a　much　smaller　compass　of　time；　as　to　the　story　of　England；　that　is　to　say；　from　the　uniting　of　the　Roses　to　the　uniting　of　the　kingdoms；　a　portion　of　time；　wherein；　to　my　understanding；　there　hath　been　the　rarest　varieties　that　in　like　number　of　successions　of　any　hereditary　monarchy　hath　been　known。　For　it　beginneth　with　the　mixed　adoption　of　a　crown　by　arms　and　title：　an　entry　by　battle；　an　establishment　by　marriage；　and　therefore　times　answerable；　like　waters　after　a　tempest；　full　of　working　and　swelling；　though　without　extremity　of　storm；　but　well　passed　through　by　the　wisdom　of　the　pilot；　being　one　of　the　most　sufficient　kings　of　all　the　number。　Then　followeth　the　reign　of　a　king；　whose　actions；　howsoever　conducted；　had　much　intermixture　with　the　affairs　of　Europe；　balancing　and　inclining　them　variably；　in　whose　time　also　began　that　great　alteration　in　the　state　ecclesiastical；　an　action　which　seldom　cometh　upon　the　stage。　Then　the　reign　of　a　minor：　then　an　offer　of　a　usurpation；　though　it　was　but　as　FEBRIS　EPHEMERA。　Then　the　reign　of　a　queen　matched　with　a　foreigner：　then　of　a　queen　that　lived　solitary　and　unmarried；　and　yet　her　government　so　masculine；　that　it　had　greater　impression　and　operation　upon　the　states　abroad　than　it　any　ways　received　from　thence。　And　now　last；　this　most　happy　and　glorious　event；　that　this　island　of　Britain；　divided　from　all　the　world；　should　be　united　in　itself：　and　that　oracle　of　rest；　given　to　Aeneas；　ANTIQUAM　EXQUIRITE　MATREM；　should　now　be　performed　and　fulfilled　upon　the　nations　of　England　and　Scotland；　being　now　reunited　in　the　ancient　mother　name　of　Britain；　as　a　full　period　of　all　instability　and　peregrinations。　So　that　as　it　cometh　to　pass　in　massive　bodies；　that　they　have　certain　trepidations　and　waverings　before　they　fix　and　settle；　so　it　seemeth　that　by　the　providence　of　God　this　monarchy；　before　it　was　to　settle　in　your　majesty　and　your　generations；　（in　which　I　hope　it　is　now　established　for　ever；）　had　these　prelusive　changes　and　varieties。

9。　For　lives；　I　do　find　it　strange　that　these　times　have　so　little　esteemed　the　virtues　of　the　times；　as　that　the　writing　of　lives　should　be　no　more　frequent。　For　although　there　be　not　many　sovereign　princes　or　absolute　commanders；　and　that　states　are　most　collected　into　monarchies；　yet　are　there　many　worthy　personages　that　deserve　better　than　dispersed　report　or　barren　elogies。　For　herein　the　invention　of　one　of　the　late　poets　　is　proper；　and　doth　well　enrich　the　ancient　fiction：　for　he　feigneth　that　at　the　end　of　the　thread　or　web　of　every　man's　life　there　was　a　little　medal　containing　the　person's　name；　and　that　Time　waited　upon　the　shears；　and　as　soon　as　the　thread　was　cut；　caught　the　medals；　and　carried　them　to　the　river　of　Lethe；　and　about　the　bank　there　were　many　birds　flying　up　and　down；　that　would　get　the　medals　and　carry　them　in　their　beak　a　little　while；　and　then　let　them　fall　into　the　river：　only　there　were　a　few　swans；　which　if　they　got　a　name；　would　carry　it　to　a　temple　where　it　was　consecrate。　And　although　many　men；　more　mortal　in　their　affections　than　in　their　bodies；　do　esteem　desire　of　name　and　memory　but　as　a　vanity　and　ventosity；

Animi　nil　magnae　laudis　egentes；

which　opinion　cometh　from　that　root；　NON　PRIUS　LAUDES　CONTEMPSIMUS；　QUAM　LAUDANDA　FACERE　DESIVIMUS：　yet　that　will　not　alter　Salomon's　judgment；　MEMORIA　JUSTI　CUM　LAUDIBUS；　AT　IMPIORUM　NOMEN　PUTRESCET：　　the　one　flourisheth；　the　other　either　consumeth　to　present　oblivion；　or　turneth　to　an　ill　odour。　＇＇　And　therefore　in　that　style　or　addition；　which　is　and　hath　been　long　well　received　and　brought　in　use；　FELICIS　MEMORIAE；　PIAE　MEMORIAE；　BONAE　MEMORIAE；　we　do　acknowledge　that　which　Cicero　saith；　borrowing　it　from　Demosthenes；　that　BONA　FAMA　PROPRIA　POSSESSIO　DEFUNCTORUM；　which　possession　I　cannot　but　note　that　in　our　times　it　lieth　much　waste；　and　that　therein　there　is　a　deficience。

10。　For　narrations　and　relations　of　particular　actions；　there　were　also　to　be　wished　a　greater　diligence　therein；　for　there　is　no　great　action　but　hath　some　good　pen　which　attends　it。　＇＇　And　because　it　is　an　ability　not　common　to　write　a　good　history；　as　may　well　appear　by　the　small　number　of　them；　yet　if　particularity　of　actions　memorable　were　but　tolerably　reported　as　they　pass；　the　compiling　of　a　complete　history　of　times　might　＇31＇　be　the　better　expected；　when　a　writer　should　arise　that　were　fit　for　it：　for　the　collection　of　such　relations　mought　be　as　a　nursery　garden；　whereby　to　plant　a　fair　and　stately　garden；　when　time　should　serve。

11。　There　is　yet　another　portion　of　history　which　Cornelius　Tacitus　maketh；　which　is　not　to　be　forgotten；　especially　with　that　application　which　he　accoupleth　it　withal；　annals　and　journals：　appropriating　to　the　former　matters　of　estate；　and　to　the　latter　acts　and　accidents　of　a　meaner　nature。　For　giving　but　a　touch　of　certain　magnificent　buildings；　he　addeth　CUM　EX　DIGNITATE　POPULI　ROMANI　REPERTUM　SIT；　RES　ILLUSTRES　ANNALIBUS　TALIA　DIURNIS　URBIS　ACTIS　MANDARE。　So　as　there　is　a　kind　of　contemplative　heraldry；　as　well　as　civil。　And　as　nothing　doth　derogate　from　the　dignity　of　a　state　more　than　confusion　of　degrees；　so　it　doth　not　a　little　embase　the　authority　of　a　history；　to　intermingle　matters　of　triumph；　or　matters　of　ceremony；　or　matters　of　novelty；　with　matters　of　state。　But　the　use　of　a　journal　hath　not　only　been　in　the　history　of　time；　but　likewise　in　the　history　of　persons；　and　chiefly　of　actions；　for　princes　in　ancient　time　had；　upon　point　of　honour　and　policy　both；　journals　kept　of　what　passed　day　by　day：　for　we　see　the　chronicle　which　was　read　before　Ahasuerus；　when　he　could　not　take　rest；　contained　matter　of　affairs　indeed；　but　such　as　had　passed　in　his　own　time；　and　very　lately　before：　but　the　journal　of　Alexander's　house　expressed　every　small　particularity；　even　concerning　his　person　and　court；　and　it　is　yet　a　use　well　received　in　enterprises　memorable；　as　expeditions　of　war；　navigations；　and　the　like；　to　keep　diaries　of　that　which　passeth　continually。

12。　I　cannot　likewise　be　ignorant　of　a　form　of　writing　which　some　wise　and　grave　men　have　used；　containing　a　scattered　history　of　those　actions　which　they　have　thought　worthy　of　memory；　with　politic　discourse　and　observation　thereupon：　not　incorporate　into　the　history；　but　separately；　and　as　the　more　principal　in　their　intention；　which　kind　of　ruminated　history　I　think　more　fit　to　place　amongst　books　of　policy；　whereof　we　shall　hereafter　speak；　than　amongst　books　of　history：　for　it　is　the　true　office　of　history　to　represent　the　events　themselves　together　with　the　counsels；　and　to　leave　the　observations　and　conclusions　thereupon　to　the　liberty　and　faculty　of　every　man's　judgment。　But　mixtures　are　things　irregular；　whereof　no　man　can　define。

13。　So　also　is　there　another　kind　of　history　manifoldly　mixed；　and　that　is　history　of　cosmography：　being　compounded　of　natural　history；　in　respect　of　the　regions　themselves；　of　history　civil；　in　respect　of　the　habitations；　regiments；　and　manners　of　the　people；　and　the　mathematics；　in　respect　of　the　climates　and　configurations　towards　the　heavens：　which　part　of　learning　of　all　others　in　this　latter　time　hath　obtained　most　proficience。　For　it　may　be　truly　affirmed　to　the　honour　of　these　times；　and　in　a　virtuous　emulation　with　antiquity；　that　this　great　building　of　the　world　had　never　through…lights　made　in　it；　till　the　age　of　us　and　our　fathers：　for　although　they　had　knowledge　of　the　Antipodes；

Nosque　ubi　primus　equis　Oriens　afflavit　anhelis；　Illic　sera　rubens　accendit　lumina　Vesper：

yet　that　mought　be　by　demonstration；　and　not　in　fact；　and　if　by　travel；　it　requireth　the　voyage　but　of　half　the　globe。　But　to　circle　the　earth；　as　the　heavenly　bodies　do；　was　not　done　or　enterprised　till　these　latter　times：　and　therefore　these　times　may　justly　bear　in　their　word；　not　only　PLUS　ULTRA；　in　precedence　of　the　ancient　NON　ULTRA；　and　IMITABILE　FULMEN；　in　precedence　of　the　ancient　NON　IMITABILE　FULMEN；

Demens　qui　nimbos　et　non　imitabile　fulmen；　etc。

but　likewise　IMITABILE　COELUM；　in　respect　of　the　many　memorable　voyages　after　the　manner　of　heaven　about　the　globe　of　the　earth。

14。　And　this　proficience　in　navigation　and　discoveries　may　plant　also　an　expectation　of　the　further　proficience　and　augmentation　of　all　sciences；　because　it　may　seem　they　are　ordained　by　God　to　be　coevals；　that　is；　to　meet　in　one　age。　For　so　the　prophet　Daniel；　speaking　of　the　latter　times；　foretelleth　PLURIMI　PERTRANSIBUNT；　ET　MULTIPLEX　ERIT　SCIENTIA：　as　if　the　openness　and　thorough　passage　of　the　world　and　the　increase　of　knowledge　were　appointed　to　be　in　the　same　ages；　as　we　see　it　is　already　performed　in　great　part；　the　learning　of　these　latter　times　not　much　giving　place　to　the　former　two　periods　or　returns　of　learning；　the　one　of　the　Grecians；　the　other　of　the　Romans。

III。　1。　History　ecclesiastical　receiveth　the　same　divisions　with　history　civil：　but　further；　in　the　propriety　thereof；　may　be　divided　into　the　history　of　the　church；　by　a　general　name；　history　of　prophecy；　and　history　of　providence。　The　first　describeth　the　times　of　the　militant　church；　whether　it　be　fluctuant；　as　the　ark　of　Noah；　or　moveable；　as　the　ark　in　the　wilderness；　or　at　rest；　as　the　ark　in　the　temple：　that　is；　the　state　of　the　church　in　persecution；　in　remove；　and　in　peace。　This　part　I　ought　in　no　sort　to　note　as　deficient；　only　I　would　that　the　virtue　and　sincerity　of　it　were　according　to　the　mass　and　quantity。　But　I　am　not　now　in　hand　with　censures；　but　with　omissions。

2。　The　second；　which　is　history　of　prophecy；　consisteth　of　two　relatives；　the　prophecy；　and　the　accomplishment；　and　therefore　the　nature　of　such　a　work　ought　to　be；　that　every　prophecy　of　the　Scripture　be　sorted　with　the　event　fulfilling　the　same；　throughout　the　ages　of　the　world；　both　for　better　confirmation　of　faith；　and　for　the　better　illumination　of　the　Church　touching　those　parts　of　prophecies　which　are　yet　unfulfilled：　allowing　nevertheless　that　latitude　which　is　agreeable　and　familiar　unto　divine　prophecies；　being　of　the　nature　of　their　Author；　with　whom　a　thousand　years　are　but　as　one　day；　and　therefore　are　not　fulfilled　punctually　at　once；　but　have　springing　and　germinant　accomplishment　throughout　many　a