友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
合租小说网 返回本书目录 加入书签 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 『收藏到我的浏览器』

the advancement of learning-第4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!


d for sovereign medicines of the mind and manners; and so have been received ever since till this day。 Let this; therefore; serve for answer to Politiques; which in their humorous severity; or in their feigned gravity; have presumed to throw imputations upon Learning; which redargution nevertheless (save that we know not whether our la。bours may extend to other ages) were not needful for the present; in regard of the love and reverence towards Learning; which the example and countenance of two so learned Princes; Queen Elizabeth; and your Majesty; being as Castor and Pollux; LUCIDA SIDERA; stars of excellent light and most benign influence; hath wrought in all men of place and authority in our nation。

III。 1。 Now therefore we come to that third sort of discredit or diminution of credit that groweth unto Learning from learned men themselves; which commonly cleaveth fastest: it is either from their fortune; or from their manners; or from the nature of their studies。 For the first; it is not in their power; and the second is accidental; the third only is proper to be handled。 But because we are not in hand with true measure; but with popular estimation and conceit; it is not amiss to speak somewhat of the two former。 The derogations therefore which grow to Learning from the fortune or condition of learned men; are either in respect of scarcity of means; or in respect of privateness of life and meanness of employments。

2。 Concerning want; and that it is the case of learned men usually to begin with little; and not to grow rich so fast as other men by reason they convert not their labours chiefly to lucre and increase: it were good to leave the common place in commendation of poverty to some friar to handle; to whom much was attributed by Machiavel in this point; when he said; THAT THE KINGDOM OF THE CLERGY HAD BEEN LONG BEFORE AT AN END; IF THE REPUTATION AND REVERENCE TOWARDS THE POVERTY OF FRIARS HAD NOT BORNE MD THE SCANDAL OF THE SUPERFLOSTICS AND EXCESSES OF BISHOPS AND PRELATES。 So a man might say that the felicity and delicacy of princes and great persons had long since turned to rudeness and barbarism; if the poverty of Learning had not kept up civility and honour of life: but without any such advantages; it is worthy the observation what a reverend and honoured thing poverty was for some ages in the Roman state; which nevertheless was a state without paradoxes。 For we see what Titus Livius saith in his introduction: CAETERUM AUT ME AMOR NEGOTII SUSCEPTI FALLIT; AUT NULLA UNQUAM RESPUBLICA NEC MAJOR; NEC SANCTIOR; NEC BONIS EXEMPLIS DITIOR FUIT; NEC IN QUAM TAM SERAE AVARITIA LUXURIAQUE IMMIGRAVERINT; NEC UBI TANTUS AC TAM DIU PAUPERTATI AC PARSIMONIAE HONOS FUERIT。 We see likewise; after that the state of Rome was not itself; but did degenerate; how that person that took upon him to be counsellor to Julius Caesar after his victory where to begin his restoration of the state; maketh it of all points the most summary to take away the estimation of wealth: VERUM HAEC; ET OMNIA MALA PARITER CUM HONORE PECUNIAE DESINENT; SI NEQUE MAGISTRATUS; NEQUE ALIA VULGO CUPIENDA; VENALIA ERUNT。 To conclude this point; as it was truly said; that RUBOR EST VIRTUTIS COLOR; though sometime it come from vice;  so it may be fitly said that Paupertas est virtutis fortuna; though sometime it may proceed from misgovernment and accident。 Surely Salomon hath pronounced it both in censure; QUI FESTINAT AD DIVITIAS NON ERIT INSONS;  and in precept; BUY THE TRUTH; AND SELL IT NOT; AND SO OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE; judging that means were to be spent upon Learning; and not Learning to be applied to means。 '' And as for the privateness; or obscureness (as it may be in vulgar estimation accounted) of life of contemplative men; it is a theme so common to extol a private life; not taxed with sensuality and sloth; in comparison 'with' and to the disadvantage of a civil life; for safety; liberty; pleasure; and dignity; or at least freedom from indignity; as no man handleth it but handleth it well; such a consonancy it hath to men's conceits in the expressing; and to men's consents in the allowing。 This only I will add; that learned men forgotten in states and not living in the eyes of men; are like images of Cassius and Brutus in the funeral of Junia: of which not being represented; as many others were; Tacitus saith; EO IPSO PRAEFULGEBANT; QUOD NON VISEBANTUR。

3。 And for meanness of employment; that which is most traduced to contempt is that the government '7' of youth is commonly allotted to them; which age; because it is the age of least authority; it is transferred to the disesteeming of those employments wherein youth is conversant; and which are conversant about youth。 But how unjust this traducement is (if you will reduce things from popularity of opinion to measure of reason) may appear in that we see men are more curious what they put into a new vessel than into a vessel seasoned; and what mould they lay about a young plant than about a plant corroborate; so as the weakest terms and times of all things use to have the best applications and helps。 And will you hearken to the Hebrew rabbins ? YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS; AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS; say they youth is the worthier age; for that visions are nearer apparitions of God than dreams。 And let it be noted; that howsoever the condition  of life of PEDANTES hath been scorned upon theatres; as the ape of tyranny; and that the modern looseness or negligence hath taken no due regard to the choice of schoolmasters and tutors; yet the ancient wisdom of the best times did always make a just complaint; that states were too busy with their laws and too negligent in point of education: which excellent part of ancient discipline hath been in some sort revived of late times by the colleges of the Jesuits; of whom; although in regard of their superstition I may say; QUO MELIORES; EO DETERIORES; yet in regard of this; and some other points concerning human learning and moral matters; I may say; as Agesilaus said to his enemy Pharnabazus。 TALIS QUUM SIS; UTINAM NOSTER ESSES。 And thus much touching the discredits drawn from the fortunes of learned men。

4。 As touching the manners of learned men; it is a thing personal and individual: and no doubt there be amongst them; as in other professions; of all temperatures: but yet so as it is not without truth; which is said; that ABEUNT STUDIA IN MORES; studies have an influence and operation upon the manners of those that are conversant in them。

5。 But upon an attentive and indifferent review; I for my part cannot find any disgrace to Learning can proceed from the manners of learned men not inherent  to them as they are learned; except it be a fault (which was the supposed fault of Demosthenes; Cicero; Cato the second; Seneca; and many more) that; because the times they read of are commonly better than the times they live in; and the duties taught better than the duties practised; they contend sometimes too far to bring things to perfection; and to reduce the corruption of manners to honesty of precepts; or examples of too great height。 And yet hereof they have caveats enough in their own walks。 For Solon; when he was asked whether he had given his citizens the best laws; answered wisely; YEA OF SUCH AS THEY WOULD RECEIVE: and Plato; finding that his own heart could not agree with the corrupt manners of his country; refused to bear place or once; saying; THAT A MAN'S COUNTRY WAS TO BE USED AS HIS PARENTS WERE; THAT IS; WITH HUMBLE PERSUASIONS; AND NOT WITH CONTESTATIONS。 And Caesar's counsellor put in the same caveat; NON AD VETERA INSTITUTA REVOCANS QUAE JAMPRIDEM CORRUPTIS MORIBUS LUDIBRIO SUNT: and Cicero noteth this error directly in Cato the second; when he writes to his friend Atticus; CATO OPTIME SENTIT; SED NOCET INTERDUM REIPUBLICAE; LOQUITUR ENIM TANQUAM IN REIPUBLIC?PLATONIS;  NON TANQUAM IN FAECE ROMULI。 And the same Cicero doth excuse and expound the philosophers for going too far; and being too exact in their prescripts; when he saith; ISTI IPSE PRAECEPTORES VIRTUTIS ET MAGISTRI; VIDENTUR FINES OFFICIORUM PAULO LONGIUS QUAM NATURA VELLET PROTULISSE; UT CUM AD ULTIMUM ANIMO CONTENDISSEMUS; IBI TAMEN; UBI OPORTET; CONSISTEREMUS: and yet himself might have said; MONITIS SUM MINOR IPSE MEIS; for it was his own fault; though not in so extreme a degree。

6。 Another fault likewise much of this kind hath been incident to learned men; which is; that they have esteemed the preservation; good; and honour of their countries or masters before their own fortunes or safeties。 For so saith Demosthenes unto the Athenians; IF IT PLEASE YOU TO NOTE IT; MY COUNSELS UNTO YOU ARE NOT SUCH WHEREBY I SHOULD GROW GREAT AMONGST YE; AND YE BECOME LITTLE AMONGST THE GRECIANS: BUT THEY BE OF THAT NATURE; AS THEY ARE SOMETIMES NOT GOOD FOR ME TO GIVE; BUT ARE ALWAYS GOOD FOR YOU TO FOLLOW。 And so Seneca; after he had consecrated that QUINQUENNIUM NERONIS  to the eternal glory of learned governors; held on his honest and loyal course of good and free counsel; after his master grew extremely corrupt in his government。 Neither can this point otherwise be; for Learning endueth men's minds with a true sense of the frailty of their persons; the casualty of their fortunes; and the dignity of their soul and vocation: so that it is impossible for them to esteem that any greatness of their own fortune can be a true or worthy end of their being and ordainment; and therefore are desirous to give their account to God; and so likewise to their masters under God (as kings and states that they serve) in these words; ECCE TIBI LUCREFECI; and not ECCE MIHI LUCREFECI; whereas; the corrupter sort of mere Politiques; that have not their thoughts established by learning in the love and apprehension of duty; nor never look abroad into universality; do refer all things to themselves; and thrust themselves into the centre of the world; as if all lines should meet in them and their fortunes; never caring in all tempests what becomes of the ship of estates; so they may save themselves in the cockboat of their own fortune: whereas men that feel the weight of duty and know the limits of self love; use to make good their places and duties; though with peril; and if they stand in seditious and violent 
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
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!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!