THE FIRST BOOK. 39 



misplacing of the last or furthest end of knowledge. For men 

 have entered into a desire of learning and knowledge, some 

 times upon a natural curiosity and inquisitive appetite ; some 

 times to entertain their minds with variety and delight 

 sometimes for ornament and reputation ; and sometimes to 

 enable them to victory of wit and contradiction ; and most 

 times for lucre and profession ; and seldom sincerely to give a 

 true account of their siftj&.reascmto the benefit and use of 

 men : us if there were sought in knowledge a couch whereupon 

 &quot;To rest a searching and restless spirit ; or a terrace for a 

 wandering and variable mind to walk up and down with a fair 

 prospect ; or a tower of state, for a proud mind to raise itself 

 upon ; or a fort or commanding ground, for strife and conten 

 tion ; or a shop, for profit or sale ; and not a rich storehouse 

 for the glory of the Creator and the relief of man s estate. 

 -but this is that which will indeed dignify and exalt knowledge, 

 it con tem pjaj-.inn and^ct^ may be more nearly and straitlv 

 conjoined andTunited together than they have been a con 

 junction like unto that of the two highest planets, Saturn the 

 planet of rest and contemplation ; and Jupiter, the planet of 

 civil society and action. Howbeit, I do not mean, when I 

 speak of use and action, that end before-mentioned of the 

 applying of knowledge to lucre and profession ; for I am not 

 ignorant how much that diverfceth and interrupted the prose 

 cution and advancement of knowledge, like unto the golden 

 ball thrown before Atalanta, which, while she goeth aside and 

 stoopeth to take up, the race is hindered, 



&quot; Declinat cursus, aurumque volubile tollit.&quot; * 



*l e ? her i? S my meanin S&amp;gt; as Wi ^ spoken of Socrates, to call 

 Philosophy down from heaven to converse upon the earth- 

 that is, to leave natural philosophy aside, and to apply know 

 ledge only to manners and policy. But as both heaven and t 

 earth do conspire and contribute to the use and benefit of man ^ 

 so the end ought to be, from both philosophies to separate and 

 reject vain speculations, and whatsoever is empty and void 

 and to preserve and augment whatsoever is solid and fruitful 

 that knowledge may not be as a courtesan, for pleasure and 

 vanity only, or as a bond-woman, to acquire and gain to her 

 comfort US6; aS a SP USe&amp;gt; f r S eneration &amp;gt; fruit, and 



(12) Thus have I described and opened, as by a kind of 

 x. 66? PS ^ thC raCb and takeS the *P eedin S g ld - Ovid. Metara, 



