Advancement of Learning 165 



or in time. But let Cicero be read in his oration pro Mar- 

 cello, which is nothing but an excellent table of Caesar s 

 virtue, and made to his face; besides the example of many 

 other excellent persons, wiser a great deal than such ob 

 servers; and we will never doubt, upon a full occasion, to 

 give just praises to present or absent. 



But to return: there belongeth further to the handling 

 of this part, touching the duties of professions and voca 

 tions, a relative or opposite, touching the frauds, cautels, 

 impostures, and vices of every profession, which hath been 

 likewise handled : but how ? rather in a satire and cynically 

 than seriously and wisely: for men have rather sought by 

 wit to deride and traduce much of that which is good in 

 professions, than with judgment to discover and sever that 

 which is corrupt. For, as Salomon saith, he that cometh 

 to seek after knowledge with a mind to scorn and censure, 

 shall be sure to find matter for his humour, but no matter 

 for his instruction: Qucerenti derisori scientiam ipsa se 

 abscondit ; sed studioso fit obviam. 1 But the managing of 

 this argument with integrity and truth, which I note as 

 deficient, seemeth to me to be one of the best fortifications 

 for honesty and virtue that can be planted. For, as the 

 fable goeth of the basilisk, that if he see you first, you 

 die for it; but if you see him first, he dieth: so it is 

 with deceits and evil arts; which, if they be first espied 

 they leese their life; but if they prevent, they endanger. 

 So that we are much beholden to Machiavel and others, 

 that write what men do, and not what they ought to do. 

 For it is not possible to join serpentine wisdom with colum 

 bine innocency, 2 except men know exactly all the conditions 

 of the serpent : his baseness and going upon his belly, his 

 volubility and lubricity, his envy and sting, and the rest; 

 that is, all forms and natures of evil: for without this, 

 virtue lieth open and unfenced. Nay, an honest man can 

 do no good upon those that are wicked to reclaim them, 

 without the help of the knowledge of evil. For men of 

 corrupted minds presuppose that honesty groweth out of 

 simplicity of manners, and believing of preachers, school 

 masters, and men s exterior language: so as, except you 

 can make them perceive that you know the utmost reaches 

 of their own corrupt opinions, they despise all morality; 



1 Prov. xiv. 6. a Matt. x. 1 6. 



M7 J 9 



