30 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. De ca 
One, Asine. Then grew the learning of the schoaee 
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, 
1 when men study..words and not matter; whereof, though 
I have r represented an example ‘of Taino times, yet it hath 
been and will be secundum majus e¢ 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 flou- 
rishes, yet it is but a letter? It seems to me that Pygma- 
lion’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 de- 
sire 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, dis- 
_.-course, 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 Her- 
cules, when he saw the image of Adonis, Venus’ minion, 
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