ts ae hee 
84 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [15. 
and waste, and not improved and converted by the 
industry of man; to the end that such a plot made and 
recorded to memory, may both minister light to any 
public designation, and also serve to excite voluntary 
endeavours. Wherein nevertheless my purpose is at this 
time to note only omissions and deficiences, and not to 
make any redargution of errors or incomplete prosecu- 
tions. For it is one thing to set forth what ground lieth 
unmanured, and another thing to correct ill husbandry in 
that which is manured. 
In the handling and undertaking of which work I am 
not ignorant what it is that I do now move and attempt, 
nor insensible of mine own weakness to sustain my pur- 
pose. But my hope is, that if my extreme love to learning 
carry me too far, I may obtain the excuse of affection; 
for that Z¢ zs not granted to man to love and to be wise. 
But I know well I can use no other liberty of judgement 
than I must leave to others; and I for my part shall be 
indifferently glad either to perform myself, or accept from 
another, that duty of humanity; JVam gui errant’ comiter 
monstrat viam, &c. 1 do foresee likewise that of those 
things which I shall enter and register as deficiences and 
omissions, many will conceive and censure that some 
of them are already done and extant; others to be but 
curiosities, and things of no great use; and others to be 
of too great difficulty, and almost impossibility to be com- 
passed and effected. But for the two first, I refer myself 
to the particulars. For the last, touching impossibility, I 
take it those things are to be heldypossible which may be 
done by some person, though not by every one; and 
which may be done by many, though not by any one; 
and which may be done in succession of ages, though 
not within the hourglass of one man’s life; and which 
