the advancement of learning-第5部分

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to　make　good　their　places　and　duties；　though　with　peril；　and　if　they　stand　in　seditious　and　violent　alterations；　it　is　rather　the　reverence　which　many　times　both　adverse　parts　do　give　to　honesty；　than　any　versatile　advantage　of　their　own　carriage。　But　for　this　point　of　tender　sense　and　fast　obligation　of　duty　which　learning　doth　endue　the　mind　withal；　howsoever　fortune　may　tax　it；　and　many　in　the　depth　of　their　corrupt　principles　may　despise　it；　yet　it　will　receive　an　open　allowance；　and　therefore　needs　the　less　disproof　or　excusation。

7。　Another　fault　incident　commonly　to　learned　men；　which　may　be　more　properly　defended　than　truly　＇8＇　denied；　is；　that　they　fail　sometimes　in　applying　themselves　to　particular　persons：　which　want　of　exact　application　ariseth　from　two　causes；　the　one；　because　the　largeness　of　their　mind　can　hardly　confine　itself　to　dwell　in　the　exquisite　observation　or　examination　of　the　nature　and　customs　of　one　person：　for　it　is　a　speech　for　a　lover；　and　not　for　a　wise　man：　SATIS　MAGNUM　ALTER　ALTERI　THEATRUM　SUMUS。　Nevertheless　I　shall　yield；　that　he　that　cannot　contract　the　sight　of　his　mind　as　well　as　disperse　and　dilate　it；　wanteth　a　great　faculty。　But　there　is　a　second　cause；　which　is　no　inablity；　but　a　rejection　upon　choice　and　judgment。　For　the　honest　and　just　bounds　of　observation　by　one　person　upon　another；　extend　no　further　but　to　understand　him　sufficiently；　whereby　not　to　give　him　offence；　or　whereby　to　be　able　to　give　him　faithful　counsel；　or　whereby　to　stand　upon　reasonable　guard　and　caution　in　respect　of　a　man's　self。　But　to　be　speculative　into　another　man　to　the　end　to　know　how　to　work　him；　or　wind　him；　or　govern　him；　proceedeth　from　a　heart　that　is　double　and　cloven　and　not　entire　and　ingenuous；　which　as　in　friendship　it　is　want　of　integrity；　so　towards　princes　or　superiors　is　want　of　duty。　For　the　custom　of　the　Levant；　which　is　that　subjects　do　forbear　to　gaze　or　fix　their　eyes　upon　princes；　is　in　the　outward　ceremony　barbarous；　but　the　moral　is　good：　for　men　ought　not　by　cunning　and　bent　observations　to　pierce　and　penetrate　into　the　hearts　of　kings　which　the　scripture　hath　declared　to　be　inscrutable。

8。　There　is　yet　another　fault　（with　which　I　will　conclude　this　part）　which　is　often　noted　in　learned　men；　that　they　do　many　times　fail　to　observe　decency　and　discretion　in　their　behaviour　and　carriage；　and　commit　errors　in　small　and　ordinary　points　of　action　so　as　the　vulgar　sort　of　capacities　do　make　a　judgment　of　them　in　greater　matters　by　that　which　they　find　wanting　in　them　in　smaller。　But　this　consequence　doth　often　deceive　men；　for　which　I　do　refer　them　over　to　that　which　was　said　by　Themistocles；　arrogantly　and　uncivilly　being　applied　to　himself　out　of　his　own　mouth；　but；　being　applied　to　the　general　state　of　this　question；　pertinently　and　justly　when；　being　invited　to　touch　a　lute；　he　said；　HE　COULD　NOT　FIDDLE；　BUT　HE　COULD　MAKE　A　SMALL　TOWN　A　GREAT　STATE。　So；　no　doubt；　many　may　be　well　seen　in　the　passages　of　government　and　policy；　which　are　to　seek　in　little　and　punctual　occasions。　I　refer　them　also　to　that　which　Plato　said　of　his　master　Socrates；　whom　he　compared　to　the　gallipots　of　apothecaries；　which　on　the　outside　had　apes　and　owls　and　antiques；　but　contained　within　sovereign　and　precious　liquors　and　confections；　acknowledging　that　to　an　external　report　he　was　not　without　superficial　levities　and　deformities；　but　was　inwardly　replenished　with　excellent　virtues　and　powers。　And　so　much　touching　the　point　of　manners　of　learned　men。

9。　But　in　the　mean　time　I　have　no　purpose　to　give　allowance　to　some　conditions　and　courses　base　and　unworthy　wherein　divers　professors　of　learning　have　wronged　themselves　and　gone　too　far；　such　as　were　those　trencher　philosophers　which　in　the　later　age　of　the　Roman　state　were　usually　in　the　houses　of　great　persons；　being　little　better　than　solemn　parasites；　of　which　kind　Lucian　maketh　a　merry　description　of　the　philosopher　that　the　great　lady　took　to　ride　with　her　in　her　coach；　and　would　needs　have　him　carry　her　little　dog；　which　he　doing　officiously　and　yet　uncomely；　the　page　scoffed　and　said；　THAT　HE　DOUBTED；　THE　PHILOSOPHER　OF　A　STOIC　WOOLD　TURN　TO　BE　A　CYNIC。　But　above　all　the　rest；　the　gross　and　palpable　flattery；　whereunto　many　not　unlearned　have　abased　and　abused　their　wits　and　pens；　turning；　as　Du　Bartas　saith；　Hecuba　into　Helena；　and　Faustina　into　Lucretia；　hath　most　diminished　the　price　and　estimation　of　learning。　Neither　is　the　moral　　dedication　of　books　and　writings；　as　to　patrons；　to　be　commended：　for　that　books；　such　as　are　worthy　the　name　of　books；　ought　to　have　no　patrons　but　truth　and　reason。　And　the　ancient　custom　was　to　dedicate　them　only　to　private　and　equal　friends；　or　to　entitle　the　books　with　their　names：　or　if　to　kings　and　great　persons；　it　was　to　some　such　as　the　argument　of　the　book　was　fit　and　proper　for：　but　these　and　the　like　courses　may　deserve　rather　reprehension　than　defence。

10。　Not　that　I　can　tax　or　condemn　the　morigeration　or　application　of　learned　men　to　men　in　fortune。　For　the　answer　was　good　that　Diogenes　made　to　one　that　asked　him　in　mockery；　HOW　IT　CAME　TO　PASS　THAT　PHILOSOPHERS　WERE　THE　FOLLOWERS　OF　RICH　MEN；　AND　NOT　RICH　MEN　OF　PHILOSOPHERS？　He　answered　soberly；　and　yet　sharply；　BECAUSE　THE　ONE　SORT　KNEW　WHAT　THEY　HAD　NEED　OF；　AND　THE　OTHER　DID　NOT。　And　of　the　like　nature　was　the　answer　which　Aristippus　made；　when　having　a　petition　to　Dionysius；　and　no　ear　given　to　him；　he　fell　down　at　his　feet；　whereupon　Dionysius　staid；　and　gave　him　the　hearing；　and　granted　it；　and　afterward　some　person；　tender　on　the　behalf　of　philosophy；　reproved　Aristippus　that　he　would　offer　the　profession　of　philosophy　such　an　indignity　as　for　a　private　suit　to　fall　at　a　tyrant's　feet：　but　he　answered；　IT　WAS　NOT　HIS　FAULT；　BUT　IT　WAS　THE　FAULT　OF　DIONYSIUS　THAT　HAD　HIS　EARS　IN　HIS　FEET。　Neither　was　it　accounted　weakness；　but　discretion　in　him　that　would　not　dispute　his　best　with　Adrianus　Caesar；　excusing　himself；　THAT　IT　WAS　REASON　TO　YIELD　TO　HIM　THAT　COMMANDED　THIRTY　LEGIONS。　These　and　the　like　applications；　and　stooping　to　points　of　necessity　and　convenience；　cannot　be　disallowed；　for　though　they　may　have　some　outward　baseness；　yet　in　a　judgment　truly　made　they　are　to　be　accounted　submissions　to　the　occasion；　and　not　to　the　person。

IV。　1。　Now　I　proceed　to　those　errors　and　vanities　which　have　intervened　amongst　the　studies　themselves　of　the　learned；　which　is　that　which　is　principal　and　proper　to　the　present　argument；　wherein　my　purpose　is　not　to　make　a　justification　of　the　errors；　but　by　a　censure　and　separation　of　the　errors　to　make　a　justification　of　that　which　is　good　and　sound；　and　to　deliver　that　from　the　aspersion　of　the　other。　For　we　see　that　it　is　the　manner　of　men　to　scandalize　and　deprave　that　which　retaineth　the　state　　and　virtue；　by　taking　advantage　upon　that　which　is　corrupt　and　degenerate：　as　the　heathens　in　the　primitive　church　used　to　blemish　and　taint　the　Christians　＇9＇　with　the　faults　and　corruptions　of　heretics。　But　nevertheless　I　have　no　meaning　at　this　time　to　make　any　exact　animadversion　of　the　errors　and　impediments　in　matters　of　learning；　which　are　more　secret　and　remote　from　vulgar　opinion；　but　only　to　speak　unto　such　as　do　fall　under　or　near　unto　a　popular　observation。

2。　There　be　therefore　chiefly　three　vanities　in　studies；　whereby　learning　hath　been　most　traduced。　For　those　things　we　do　esteem　vain；　which　are　either　false　or　frivolous；　those　which　either　have　no　truth　or　no　use：　and　those　persons　we　esteem　vain；　which　are　either　credulous　or　curious；　and　curiosity　is　either　in　matter　or　words：　so　that　in　reason；　as　well　as　in　experience；　there　fall　out　to　be　these　three　distempers；　as　I　may　term　them；　of　learning：　the　first；　fantastical　learning；　the　second；　contentious　learning；　and　the　last；　delicate　learning；　vain　imaginations；　vain　altercations；　and　vain　affectations；　and　with　the　last　I　will　begin。

（a）　Martin　Luther；　conducted　no　doubt　by　a　higher　providence；　but　in　discourse　of　reason　　finding　what　a　province　he　had　undertaken　against　the　bishop　of　Rome　and　the　degenerate　traditions　of　the　church；　and　finding　his　own　solitude；　being　no　ways　aided　by　the　opinions　of　his　own　time；　was　enforced　to　awake　all　antiquity；　and　to　call　former　times　to　his　succours　to　make　a　party　against　the　present　time。　So　that　the　ancient　authors；　both　in　divinity　and　in　humanity；　which　had　long　time　slept　in　libraries；　began　generally　to　be　read　and　revolved。　Thus　by　consequence　did　draw　on　a　necessity　of　a　more　exquisite　travail　in　the　languages　original；　wherein　those　authors　did　write；　for　the　better　understanding　of　those　authors；　and　the　better　advantage　of　pressing　and　applying　their　words。　And　thereof　grew　again　a　delight　in　their　manner　of　style　and　phrase；　and　an　admiration　of　that　kind　of　writing；　which　was　much　furthered　and　precipitated　by　the　enmity　and　opposition　that　the　propounders　of　those　primitive　but　seeming　new　opinions　had　against　the　schoolmen；　who　were　generally　of　the　contrary　part；　and　whose　writings　were　altogether　in　a　different　style　and　form；　taking　liberty　to　coin　and　frame　new　terms　of　art　to　express　their　own　sense；　and　to　avoid　circuit　of　speech；　without　regard　to　the　pureness；　pleasantness；　and；　as　I　may　call　it；　lawfulness　of　the　phrase　or　word。　And　again；　because　the　great　la。bnur　that　then　was　with　the　people　（of　whom　the　Pharisees　were　wont　to　say；　EXECRABLIS　ISTA　TURBA；　QUAE　NON　NOVIT　LEGEM）　　for　the　winning　and　persuading　of　them；　there　grew　of　necessity　in　chief　price　and　request　eloquence　and　variety　of　discourse；　as　the　fittest　and　forciblest　access　into　the　capacity　of　the　vulgar　sort：　so　that　these　four　causes　concurring；　the　admiration　of　ancient　authors；　the　hate　of　the　schoolmen；　the　exact　study　of　languages；　and　the　efficacy　of　preaching；　did　bring　in　an　affectionate　study　of　eloquence　and　copie　of　speech；　which　then　began　to　flourish。　This　grew　speedily　to　an　excess；　for　men　began　to　hunt　more　after　words　than　matter；　more　after　the　choiceness　of　the　phrase；　and　the　round　and　clean　composition　of　the　sentence；　and　the　sweet　falling　of　the　clauses；　and　the　varying　and　illustration　of　their　works　with　tropes　and　figures；　than　after　the　weight　of　matter；　worth　of　subject；　sound