the advancement of learning-第6部分

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ion　of　their　works　with　tropes　and　figures；　than　after　the　weight　of　matter；　worth　of　subject；　soundness　of　argument；　life　of　invention　or　depth　of　judgment。　Then　grew　the　flowing　and　watery　vein　of　Osorius　　the　Portugal　bishop；　to　be　in　price。　Then　did　Sturmius　spend　such　infinite　and　curious　pains　upon　Cicero　the　Orator；　and　Hermogenes　the　Rhetorician；　besides　his　own　books　of　Periods　and　Imitation；　and　the　like。　Then　did　Car　of　Cambridge；　and　Ascham　with　their　lectures　and　writings　almost　deify　Cicero　and　Demosthenes；　and　allure　all　young　men　that　were　studious；　unto　that　delicate　and　polished　kind　of　learning。　Then　did　Erasmus　take　occasion　to　make　the　scoffing　Echo：　DECEM　ANNOS　CONSUMPSI　IN　LEGENDO　CICERONE；　and　the　Echo　answered　in　Greek；　《　w（/ve　》；　ASINE。　Then　grew　the　learning　of　the　schoolmen　to　be　utterly　despised　as　barbarous。　In　sum；　the　whole　inclination　and　bent　of　those　times　was　rather　towards　copie　than　weight。

3。　Here；　therefore；　is　the　first　distemper　of　learning；　when　men　study　words　and　not　matter；　whereof；　though　I　have　represented　an　example　of　late　times；　yet　it　hath　been　and　will　be　SECUNDUM　MAJUS　ET　MINUS　in　all　time。　And　how　is　it　possible　but　this　should　have　an　operation　to　discredit　learning；　even　with　vulgar　capacities；　when　they　see　learned　men's　works　like　the　first　letter　of　a　patent；　or　limned　book；　which　though　it　hath　large　flourishes；　yet　is　but　a　letter？　It　seems　to　me　that　Pygmalion's　frenzy　is　a　good　emblem　or　portraiture　of　this　vanity：　for　words　are　but　the　images　of　matter；　and　except　they　have　life　of　reason　and　invention；　to　fall　in　love　with　them　is　all　one　as　to　fall　in　love　with　a　picture。

4。　But　yet　notwithstanding　it　is　a　thing　not　hastily　to　be　condemned；　to　clothe　and　adorn　the　obscurity　even　of　Philosophy　itself　with　sensible　and　plausible　elocution。　For　hereof　we　have　great　examples　in　Xenophon；　Cicero；　Seneca；　Plutarch；　and　of　Plato　also　in　some　degree；　and　hereof　likewise　there　is　great　use：　for　surely；　to　the　severe　inquisition　of　truth　and　the　deep　progress　into　philosophy；　it　is　some　hindrance；　because　it　is　too　early　satisfactory　to　the　mind　of　man；　and　quencheth　the　desire　of　further　search；　before　we　come　to　a　just　period。　But　then　if　a　man　be　to　have　any　use　of　such　knowledge　in　civil　occasions；　of　conference；　counsel；　persuasion；　discourse；　or　the　like；　then　shall　he　find　it　prepared　to　his　hands　in　those　authors　which　write　in　that　manner。　But　the　excess　of　this　is　so　justly　contemptible　that　as　Hercules；　when　he　saw　the　image　of　Adonis；　Venus'　minion；　in　a　temple；　said　in　disdain；　NIL　SACRI　ES；　so　there　is　none　of　Hercules'　followers　in　learning；　that　is；　the　more　severe　and　laborious　sort　of　inquirers　into　truth；　but　will　despise　those　delicacies　and　affectations；　as　indeed　capable　of　no　divineness。　And　thus　much　of　the　first　disease　or　distemper　of　learning。

5。　The　second　which　followeth　is　in　nature　worse　than　the　former：　for　as　substance　of　matter　is　better　than　beauty　of　words；　so　contrariwise　vain　matter　is　worse　than　vain　words：　wherein　it　seemeth　the　reprehension　of　St。　Paul　was　not　only　proper　for　those　times；　but　prophetical　for　the　times　following；　＇10＇　and　not　only　respective　to　divinity；　but　extensive　to　all　knowledge；　DEVITA　PROFANAS　VOCUM　NOVITATES；　ET　OPPOSITIONES　FALSI　NOMINIS　SCIENTIAE。　For　he　assigneth　two　marks　and　badges　of　suspected　and　falsified　science：　the　one；　the　novelty　and　strangeness　of　terms；　the　other；　the　strictness　of　positions；　which　of　necessity　doth　induce　oppositions；　and　so　questions　and　altercations。　Surely；　like　as　many　substances　in　nature　which　are　solid　do　putrify　and　corrupt　into　worms；　so　it　is　the　property　of　good　and　sound　knowledge　to　putrify　and　dissolve　into　a　number　of　subtle；　idle；　unwholesome；　and；　as　I　may　term　them；　vermiculate　questions；　which　have　indeed　a　kind　of　quickness　and　life　of　spirit；　but　no　soundness　of　matter　or　goodness　of　quality。　This　kind　of　degenerate　learning　did　chiefly　reign　amongst　the　Schoolmen：　　who　having　sharp　and　strong　wits；　and　abundance　of　leisure；　and　small　variety　of　reading；　but　their　wits　being　shut　up　in　the　cells　of　a　few　authors　（chiefly　Aristotle　their　dictator）　as　their　persons　were　shut　up　in　the　cells　of　monasteries　and　colleges；　and　knowing　little　history；　either　of　nature　or　time；　did　out　of　no　great　quantity　of　matter　and　infinite　agitation　of　wit　spin　out　unto　those　laborious　webs　of　learning　which　are　extant　in　their　books。　For　the　wit　and　mind　of　man；　if　it　work　upon　matter；　which　is　the　contemplation　of　the　creatures　of　God；　worketh　according　to　the　stuff；　and　is　limited　thereby；　but　if　it　worl；　upon　itself；　as　the　spider　worketh　his　web；　then　it　is　endless；　and　brings　forth　indeed　cobwebs　of　learning；　admirable　for　the　fineness　of　thread　and　work；　but　of　no　substance　or　profit。

6。　This　same　unprofitable　subtility　or　curiosity　is　of　two　sorts；　either　in　the　subject　itself　that　they　handle；　when　it　is　a　fruitless　speculation　or　controversy；　（whereof　there　are　no　small　number　both　in　Divinity　and　Philosophy；）　or　in　the　manner　or　method　of　handling　of　a　knowledge；　which　amongst　them　was　this；　upon　every　particular　position　or　assertion　to　frame　objections；　and　to　those　objections；　solutions；　which　solutions　were　for　the　most　part　not　confutations　but　distinctions：　whereas　indeed　the　strength　of　all　sciences　is；　as　the　strength　of　the　old　man's　fagot；　in　the　band。　For　the　harmony　of　a　science；　supporting　each　part　the　other；　is　and　ought　to　be　the　true　and　brief　confutation　and　suppression　of　all　the　smaller　sort　of　objections。　But；　on　the　other　side；　if　you　take　out　every　axiom；　as　the　sticks　of　the　fagot；　one　by　one；　you　may　quarrel　with　them；　and　bend　them；　and　break　them　at　your　pleasure：　so　that；　as　was　said　of　Seneca；　VERBORUM　MINUTIIS　RERUM　FRANGIT　PONDERA；　　so　a　man　may　truly　say　of　the　schoolmen；　QUAESTIONUM　MINUTIIS　SCIENTIARUM　FRANGUNT　SOLIDITATEM。　For　were　it　not　better　for　a　man　in　a　fair　room　to　set　up　one　great　light　or　branching　candlestick　of　lights；　than　to　go　about　with　a　small　watch　candle　into　every　corner？　And　such　is　their　method；　that　rests　not　so　much　upon　evidence　of　truth　proved　by　arguments；　authorities；　similitudes；　examples；　as　upon　particular　confutations　and　solutions　of　every　scruple；　cavilation；　and　objection；　breeding　for　the　most　part　one　question　as　fast　as　it　solveth　another；　even　as　in　the　former　resemblance；　when　you　carry　the　light　into　one　corner；　you　darken　the　rest；　so　that　the　fable　and　fiction　of　Scylla　seemeth　to　be　a　lively　image　of　this　kind　of　philosophy　or　knowledge；　which　was　transformed　into　a　comely　virgin　for　the　upper　parts；　but　then

Candida　succinctam　latrantibus　inguina　monstris：

so　the　generalities　of　the　schoolmen　are　for　a　while　good　and　proportionable；　but　then；　when　you　descend　into　their　distinctions　and　decisions；　instead　of　a　fruitful　womb　for　the　use　and　benefit　of　man's　life；　they　end　in　monstrous　altercations　and　barking　questions。　So　as　it　is　not　possible　but　this　quality　of　knowledge　must　fall　under　popular　contempt；　the　people　being　apt　to　contemn　truth　upon　occasion　of　controversies　and　altercations；　and　to　think　they　are　all　out　of　their　way　which　never　meet；　and　when　they　see　such　digladiation　about　subtilties；　and　matters　of　no　use　or　moment；　they　easily　fall　upon　that　judgment　of　Dionysius　of　Syracuse；　VERBA　ISTA　SUNT　SENUM　OTIOSORUM。

7。　Notwithstanding；　certain　it　is　that　if　those　Schoolmen　to　their　great　thirst　of　truth　and　unwearied　travail　of　wit　had　joined　variety　and　universality　of　reading　and　contemplation；　they　had　proved　excellent　lights；　to　the　great　advancement　of　all　learning　and　knowledge：　but　as　they　are；　they　are　great　undertakers　indeed；　and　fierce　with　dark　keeping：　but　as　in　the　inquiry　of　the　divine　truth；　their　pride　inclined　to　leave　the　oracle　of　God's　word；　and　to　vanish　in　the　mixture　of　their　own　inventions；　so　in　the　inquisition　of　nature；　they　ever　left　the　oracle　of　God's　works；　and　adored　the　deceiving　and　deformed　images　which　the　unequal　mirror　of　their　own　minds；　or　a　few　received　authors　or　principles　did　represent　unto　them。　And　thus　much　for　the　second　disease　of　learning。

8。　For　the　third　vice　or　disease　of　learning；　which　concerneth　deceit　or　untruth；　it　is　of　all　the　rest　the　foulest；　as　that　which　doth　destroy　the　essential　form　of　knowledge；　which　is　nothing　but　a　representation　of　truth：　for　the　truth　of　being　and　the　truth　of　knowing　are　one；　differing　no　more　than　the　direct　beam　and　the　beam　reflected。　This　vice　therefore　brancheth　itself　into　two　sorts；　delight　in　deceiving；　and　aptness　to　be　deceived；　imposture　and　credulity；　which；　although　they　appear　to　be　of　a　diverse　nature；　the　one　seeming　to　proceed　of　cunning　and　the　other　of　simplicity；　yet　certainly　they　do　for　the　most　part　concur：　for；　as　the　verse　noteth；


Percontatorem　fugito；　nam　garrulus　idem　est；

an　inquisitive　man　is　a　prattler；　so；　upon　the　like　reason　a　credulous　man　is　a　deceiver：　as　we　see　it　in　fame；　that　he　that　will　easily　believe　rumours；　will　as　easily　augment　rumours；　and　add　somewhat　to　them　of　his　own；　which　Tacitus　wisely　noteth；　when　he　saith；　FINGUNT　SIMUL　CREDUNTQUE：　so　great　an　affinity　hath　fiction　and　belief。

9。　This　facility　of　credit　and　accepting　or　admitting　things　weakly　authorised　or　warranted；　is　of　two　kinds　according　to　the　subject：　for　it　is　either　a　belief　of　history　（as　　the　lawyers　speak；　matter　of　fact）；　or　else　of　matter　of　art　and　opinion。　As　to　the　＇11＇　former；　we　see　the　experience　and　inconvenience　of　this　error　in　ecclesiastical　history；　which　hath　too　easily　received　and　registered　reports　and　narrations　of　miracles　wrought　by　martyrs；　hermits；　or　monks　of　the　desert；　and　other　holy　men；　and　their　relics；　shrines；　chapels；　and　images：　which　though　they　had　a　passage　for　a　time　by　the　ignorance　of　the　people；　the　superstitious　simplicity　of　some；　and　the　politic　toleration　of　others　holding　them　but　as　divine　poesies；　yet　after　a　period　of　time；　when　the　mist　began　to　clear　up；　they　grew　to　be　esteemed　but　as　old　wives'　fables；　impostures　of　the　clergy；　illusions　of　spirits；　and　badges　of　Antichrist；　to　the　great　scandal　and　detriment　of　religion。

10。　So　in　natural　history；　we　see　there　hath　not　been　that　choice　an