Advancement of Learning 3 i 



yet it must be coupled with this, Oportet edoctum judicare ; 

 for disciples do owe unto masters only a temporary belief 

 and a suspension of their own judgment until they be fully 

 instructed, and not an absolute resignation or perpetual 

 captivity: and therefore, to conclude this point, I will say 

 no more, but so let great authors have their due, as time, 

 which is the author of authors, be not deprived of his due, 

 which is, further and further to discover truth. 



4. Thus have I gone over these three diseases of learning ; 

 besides the which there are some other rather peccant 

 humours that formed diseases : which nevertheless are not 

 so secret and intrinsic but that they fall under a popular 

 observation and traducement, and therefore are not to be 

 passed over. 



(a) The first of these is the extreme affecting of two 

 extremities; the one antiquity, the othe.r novelty ; wherein 

 it seemeth the children of time do take aTter the nature and 

 malice of the father. For as he devoureth his children, so 

 one of them seeketh to devour and suppress the other; 

 while antiquity envieth there should be new additions, and 

 novelty cannot be content to add but it must deface. 

 Surely the advice of the prophet is the true direction in this 

 matter, State super vias antiquas, et videte qucznam fit via 

 recta et bona et ambulate in ea. 1 Antiquity deserveth that 

 reverence, that men should make a stand thereupon and 

 discover what is the best way ; but .when the discovery is 

 weU taken, then to make pj^gressioiL And to speak truly, 

 Antiquitas sczculi juventus mundi. 2 These times are the 

 ancient times, when the world is ancient, and not those 

 which we account ancient or dine retrograde, by a computa 

 tion backward from ourselves. 



(b) Another error induced by the former is a distrust that 

 anythingjihould be now to be found out, which the world* 

 should haveTmissed and passed over so long time ; as if the 

 fame objection were to be made to time, that Lucian maketh 

 to Jupiter and other the heathen gods; of which he won- 

 dereth that they begot so many children in old time, and 

 begot none in his time ; and asketh whether they were be 

 come septuagenary, or whether the law Papia, made against 

 old men s marriages, had restrained them. So it seemeth 

 men doubt lest time is become past children and generation ; 



1 Jerem. vi. 16 a See Nov. Org. i. 84. 



