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206 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [XXI. 4 
and dispositions, should be omitted both in morality and 
policy; considering it is of so great ministry and sup- 
peditation to them both. A man shall find in the trad- 
itions of astrology some pretty and apt divisions of men’s 
natures, according to the predominances of the planets; 
lovers of quiet, lovers of action, lovers of victory, lovers 
of honour, lovers of pleasure, lovers of arts, lovers of 
change, and so forth. A man shall find in the wisest sort 
of these relations which the Italians make touching con- 
claves, the natures of the several cardinals handsomely 
and lively painted forth, A man shall meet with in 
every day’s conference the denominations of sensitive, 
dry, formal, real, humorous, certain, huomo di prima im- 
pressione, huomo dt ultima impressione, and the like: and 
yet nevertheless this kind of observations wandereth in 
words, but is not fixed in inquiry. For the distinctions 
are found (many of them), but we conclude no precepts 
upon them: wherein our fault is the greater; because 
both history, poesy, and daily experience are as goodly 
fields where these observations grow; whereof we make 
a few posies to hold in our hands, but no man bringeth 
them to the confectionary, that receipts mought be made 
of them for use of life. 
5. Of much like kind are those impressions of nature, 
which are imposed upon the mind by the sex, by the age, 
by the region, by health. and sickness, by beauty and 
deformity, and the like, which are inherent and not 
extern; and again, those which are caused by extern 
fortune; as sovereignty, nobility, obscure birth, riches, 
want, magistracy, privateness, prosperity, adversity, con- 
stant fortune, variable fortune, rising per sal/um, per 
gradus, and the like. And therefore we see that Plautus 
maketh it a wonder to see an old man_ beneficent, 
