the advancement of learning-第36部分

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XXII。　1。　Now　therefore　that　we　have　spoken　of　this　fruit　of　life；　it　remaineth　to　speak　of　the　husbandry　that　belongeth　thereunto；　without　which　part　the　former　seemeth　to　be　no　better　than　a　fair　image；　or　statua；　which　is　beautiful　to　contemplate；　but　is　without　life　and　motion；　whereunto　Aristotle　himself　subscribeth　in　these　words：　NECESSE　EST　SCILICET　DE　VIRTUTE　DICERE；　ET　QUID　SIT；　ET　EX　QUIBUS　GIGNATUR。　INUTILE　ENIM　FERE　FUERIT　VIRTUTEM　QUIDEM　NOSSE；　ACQUIRENDAE　AUTEM　EJUS　MODOS　ET　VIAS　IGNORARE：　NON　ENIM　DE　VIRTUTE　TANTUM；　QUA　SPECIE　SIT；　QUAERENDUM　EST；　SED　ET　QUOMODO　SUI　COPIAM　FACIAT：　UTRUMQUE　ENIM　VOLUMUS；　ET　REM　IPSAM　NOSSE；　ET　EJUS　COMPOTES　FIERI：　HOC　AUTEM　EX　VOTO　NON　SUCCEDET；　NISI　SCIAMUS　ET　EX　QUIBUS　ET　QUOMODO。　In　such　full　words　and　with　such　iteration　doth　he　inculcate　this　part。　So　saith　Cicero　in　great　commendation　of　Cato　the　second；　that　he　had　applied　himself　to　philosophy；　NON　ITA　DISPUTANDI　CAUSA；　SED　ITA　VIVENDI。　And　although　the　neglect　of　our　times；　wherein　few　men　do　hold　any　consultations　touching　the　reformation　of　their　life；　（as　Seneca　excellently　saith）　DE　PARTIBUS　VITAE　QUISQUE　DELIBERAT；　DE　SUMM？NEMO；　may　make　this　part　seem　superfluous；　yet　I　must　conclude　with　that　aphorism　of　Hippocrates；　QUI　GRAVI　MORBO　CORREPTI　DOLORES　NON　SENTIUNT；　IIS　MENS　AEGROTAT；　they　need　medicine；　not　only　to　assuage　the　disease；　but　to　awake　the　sense。　And　if　it　be　said；　that　the　cure　of　men's　minds　belongeth　to　sacred　divinity；　it　is　most　true：　but　yet　moral　philosophy　may　be　preferred　unto　her　as　a　wise　servant　and　humble　handmaid。　For　as　the　Psalm　saith；　THAT　THE　EYES　OF　THE　HANDMAID　LOOK　PERPETUALLY　TOWARDS　THE　MISTRESS；　and　yet　no　doubt　many　things　are　left　to　the　discretion　of　the　handmaid；　to　discern　of　the　mistress's　will；　so　ought　moral　philosophy　to　give　a　constant　attention　to　the　doctrines　of　divinity；　and　yet　so　as　it　may　yield　of　herself；　within　due　limits；　many　sound　and　profitable　directions。

2。　This　part　therefore；　because　of　the　excellency　thereof；　I　cannot　but　find　exceeding　strange　that　it　is　not　reduced　to　written　inquiry：　the　rather；　because　it　consisteth　of　much　matter；　wherein　both　speech　and　action　is　often　conversant；　and　such　wherein　the　common　talk　of　men；　（which　is　rare；　but　yet　cometh　sometimes　to　pass；）　is　wiser　than　their　books。　It　is　reasonable　therefore　that　we　propound　it　in　the　more　particularity；　both　for　the　worthiness；　and　because　we　may　acquit　ourselves　for　reporting　it　deficient；　which　seemeth　almost　incredible；　and　is　otherwise　conceived　and　presupposed　by　those　themselves　that　have　written。　We　will　therefore　enumerate　some　heads　or　points　thereof；　that　it　may　appear　the　better　what　it　is；　and　whether　it　be　extant。

3。　First；　therefore；　in　this；　as　in　all　things　which　are　practical；　we　ought　to　cast　up　our　account；　what　is　in　our　power；　and　what　not；　for　the　one　may　be　dealt　with　by　way　of　alteration；　but　the　other　by　way　of　application　only。　The　husbandman　cannot　command　neither　the　nature　of　the　earth；　nor　the　＇62＇　seasons　of　the　weather；　no　more　can　the　physician　the　constitution　of　the　patient；　nor　the　variety　of　accidents。　So　in　the　culture　and　cure　of　the　mind　of　man；　two　things　are　without　our　command；　points　of　nature；　and　points　of　fortune。　For　to　the　basis　of　the　one；　and　the　conditions　of　the　other；　our　work　is　limited　and　tied。　In　these　things　therefore　it　is　left　unto　us　to　proceed　by　application；

Vincenda　est　omnis　fortuna　ferendo：

and　so　likewise；

Vincenda　est　omnis　Natura　ferendo。

But　when　that　we　speak　of　suffering；　we　do　not　speak　of　a　dull　and　neglected　suffering；　but　of　a　wise　and　industrious　suffering；　which　draweth　and　contriveth　use　and　advantage　out　of　that　which　seemeth　adverse　and　contrary；　which　is　that　property　which　we　call　accommodating　or　applying。　Now　the　wisdom　of　application　resteth　principally　in　the　exact　and　distinct　knowledge　of　the　precedent　state　or　disposition；　unto　which　we　do　apply：　for　we　cannot　fit　a　garment；　except　we　first　take　measure　of　the　body。

4。　So　then　the　first　article　of　this　knowledge　is　to　set　down　sound　and　true　distributions　and　descriptions　of　the　several　characters　and　tempers　of　men's　natures　and　dispositions；　especially　having　regard　to　those　differences　which　are　most　radical　in　being　the　fountains　and　causes　of　the　rest；　or　most　frequent　in　concurrence　or　commixture；　wherein　it　is　not　the　handling　of　a　few　of　them　in　passage；　the　better　to　describe　the　mediocrities　of　virtues；　that　can　satisfy　this　intention。　For　if　it　deserve　to　be　considered；　that　there　are　minds　which　are　proportioned　to　great　matters；　and　others　to　small；　（which　Aristotle　handleth；　or　ought　to　have　handled；　by　the　name　of　magnanimity；）　doth　it　not　deserve　as　well　to　be　considered；　that　there　are　minds　proportioned　to　intend　many　matters；　and　others　to　few？　So　that　some　can　divide　themselves：　others　can　perchance　do　exactly　well；　but　it　must　be　in　few　things　at　once：　and　so　there　cometh　to　be　a　narrowness　of　mind；　as　well　as　a　pusillanimity。　And　again；　that　some　minds　are　proportioned　to　that　which　may　be　dispatched　at　once；　or　within　a　short　return　of　time；　others　to　that　which　begins　afar　off；　and　is　to　be　won　with　length　of　pursuit：

Jam　tum　tenditque　fovetque。

So　that　there　may　be　fitly　said　to　be　a　longanimity；　which　is　commonly　also　ascribed　to　God　as　a　magnanimity。　So　further　deserved　it　to　be　considered　by　Aristotle；　THAT　THERE　IS　A　DISPOSITION　IN　CONVERSATION　（SUPPOSING　IT　IN　THINGS　WHICH　DO　IN　NO　SORT　TOUCH　OR　CONCERN　A　MAN'S　SELF；）　TO　SOOTHE　AND　PLEASE；　AND　A　DISPOSITION　CONTRARY　TO　CONTRADICT　AND　CROSS：　and　deserveth　it　not　much　better　to　be　considered；　THAT　THERE　IS　A　DISPOSITION；　NOT　IN　CONVERSATION　OR　TALK；　BUT　IN　MATTER　OF　MORE　SERIOUS　NATURE；　（AND　SUPPOSING　IT　STILL　IN　THINGS　MERELY　INDIFFERENT；）　TO　TAKE　PLEASURE　IN　THE　GOOD　OF　ANOTHER：　AND　A　DISPOSITION　CONTRARIWISE；　TO　TAKE　DISTASTE　AT　THE　GOOD　OF　ANOTHER？　which　is　that　property　　which　we　call　good　nature　or　ill　nature；　benignity　or　malignity：　and　therefore　I　cannot　sufficiently　marvel　that　this　part　of　knowledge；　touching　the　several　characters　of　natures　and　dispositions；　should　be　omitted　both　in　morality　and　policy；　considering　it　is　of　so　great　ministry　and　suppeditation　to　them　both。　A　man　shall　find　in　the　traditions　of　astrology　some　pretty　and　apt　divisions　of　men's　natures；　according　to　the　predominances　of　the　planets；　lovers　of　quiet；　lovers　of　action；　lovers　of　victory；　lovers　of　honour；　lovers　of　pleasure；　lovers　of　arts；　lovers　of　change；　and　so　forth。　A　man　shall　find　in　the　wisest　sort　of　these　relations　which　the　Italians　make　touching　conclaves；　the　natures　of　the　several　cardinals　handsomely　and　lively　painted　forth：　a　man　shall　meet　with　in　every　day's　conference；　the　denominations　of　sensitive；　dry；　formal；　real；　humorous；　certain；　HUOMO　DI　PRIMA　IMPRESSIONE；　HUOMO　DI　ULTIMA　IMPRESSIONE　and　the　like：　and　yet　nevertheless　this　kind　of　observation　wandereth　in　words；　but　is　not　fixed　in　inquiry。　For　the　distinctions　are　found；　many　of　them；　but　we　conclude　no　precepts　upon　them：　wherein　our　fault　is　the　greater；　because　both　history；　poesy；　and　daily　experience　are　as　goodly　fields　where　these　observations　grow；　whereof　we　make　a　few　posies　to　hold　in　our　hands；　but　no　man　bringeth　them　to　the　confectionary；　that　receipts　might　be　made　of　them　for　use　of　life。

5。　Of　much　like　kind　are　those　impressions　of　nature；　which　are　imposed　upon　the　mind　by　the　sex；　by　the　age；　by　the　region；　by　health　and　sickness；　by　beauty　and　deformity；　and　the　like；　which　are　inherent　and　not　extern；　and　again；　those　which　are　caused　by　extern　fortune；　as　sovereignty；　nobility；　obscure　birth；　riches；　want；　magistracy；　privateness；　prosperity；　adversity；　constant　fortune；　variable　fortune；　rising　PER　SALTUM；　PER　GRADUS；　and　the　like。　And　therefore　we　see　that　Plautus　maketh　it　a　wonder　to　see　an　old　man　beneficent；　BENIGNITAS　HUJUS　UT　ADOLESCENTULI　EST。　St。　Paul　concludeth　that　severity　of　discipline　was　to　be　used　to　the　Cretans；　INCREPA　EOS　DURE；　upon　the　disposition　of　their　country；　CRETENSES　SEMPER　MENDACES；　MALAE　BESTIAE；　VENTRES　PIGRI。　Sallust　noteth　that　it　is　usual　with　kings　to　desire　contradictories：　SED　PLERUMQUE　REGIAE　VOLUNTATES；　UT　VEHEMENTES　SUNT；　SIC　MOBILES；　SAEPEQUE　IPSAE　SIBI　ADVERSAE。　Tacitus　observeth　how　rarely　raising　of　the　fortune　mendeth　the　disposition：　solus　Vespasianus　mutatus　in　melius。　Pindarus　maketh　an　observation；　that　great　and　sudden　fortune　for　the　most　part　defeateth　men　QUI　MAGNAM　FELICITATEM　CONCOQUERE　NON　POSSUNT。　So　the　psalm　showeth　it　is　more　easy　to　keep　a　measure　in　the　enjoying　of　fortune；　than　in　the　increase　of　fortune：　DIVITIAE　SI　AFFLUANT；　NOLITE　COR　APPONERE。　These　observations；　and　the　like；　I　deny　not　but　are　touched　a　little　by　Aristotle；　as　in　passage　in　his　Rhetorics；　and　are　handled　in　some　scattered　discourses：　but　they　were　never　incorporated　into　moral　philosophy；　to　which　they　do　essentially　appertain；　as　the　knowledge　of　the　diversity　of　grounds　and　moulds　doth　to　agriculture；　and　the　knowledge　of　the　diversity　of　complexions　and　constitutions　doth　to　the　physician；　except　we　mean　to　follow　the　＇63＇　indiscretion　of　empirics；　which　minister　the　same　medicines　to　all　patients。

6。　Another　article　of　this　knowledge　is　the　inquiry　touching　the　affections；　for　as　in　medicining　of　the　body；　it　is　in　order　first　to　know　the　divers　complexions　and　constitutions；　secondly；　the　diseases；　and　lastly；　the　cures：　so　in　medicining　of　the　mind；　after　knowledge　of　the　divers　characters　of　men's　natures；　it　followeth；　in　order；　to　know　the　diseases　and　infirmities　of　the　mind；　which　are　no　other　than　the　perturbations　and　distempers　of　the　affections。　For　as　the　ancient　politiques　in　popular　states　were　wont　to　compare　the　people　to　the　sea；　and　the　orators　to　the　winds；　because　as　the　sea　would　of　itself　be　calm　and　quiet；　if　the　winds　did　not　move　and　trouble　it；　so　the　people　would　be　peaceable　and　tractable；　if　the　seditious　orators　did　not　set　them　in　working　and　agitation：　so　it　may　be　fitly　said；　that　the　mind　in　the　nature　thereof　would　be　temperate　and　stayed；　if　the　affections；　as　winds；　did　not　put　it　into　tumult　and　perturbation。　And　here　again　I　find　strange；　as　before；　that　Aristotle　should　h