34 oe THE SECOND BOOK. 85 
may be done by public designation, though not by private 
endeavour. But notwithstanding, if any man will take to 
himself rather that of Salomon, Dic¢t piger, Leo est in via, 
than that of Virgil, Possunt guia posse videntur, I shall be 
content that my labours be esteemed but as the better 
sort of wishes: for as it asketh some knowledge to de- 
mand a question not impertinent, so it requireth some 
sense to make a wish not absurd. 
beat “THE parts of human learning have reference 
to the three parts of man’s understanding, 
which is the seat- of learning: history to his memory, 
oesy to his imagination, and philosophy to his reason, 
Divine learning receiveth the same distribution; for the 
spirit of man is the same, though the revelation of oracle 
and sense be diverse. So as theology consisteth also. of 
history of the church ; of parables, which is divine poesy ; 
and_of holy-doctrine or precept. For as for that part 
which seemeth supernumerary, which is prophecy, it is 
but divine history ; which hath that prerogative over 
human, as the narration may be before the fact as well 
as after. 
2. History is natural, civil, ecclesiastical, and literary ; 
whereof the three first I allow as extant, the 5. .0,i4 
fourth I note as deficient. For no man hath Ziserarum, 
propounded to himself the general state of 
learning to be described and represented from age to 
age, as many have done the works of nature, and the 
state civil and ecclesiastical ; without which the history 
of the world seemeth to me to be as the statua of 
Polyphemus with his eye out; that part being wanting 
which doth most show the spirit and life of the person. 
And yet I am not ignorant that in divers particular 
