THE SECOND BOOK. 81 



tions, and customs, we are beholding to poets more than to tte 

 philosophers works ; and for wit and eloquence, not much less 

 than to orators harangues. But it is not good to stay too 

 long in the theatre. Let us now pass on to the judicial place or 

 palace of the mind, which we are to approach and view with 

 more reverence and attention. 



V. (1) The knowledge of man is as the waters, some de 

 scending from above, and some springing from beneath : the 

 one informed by the light of nature, the other inspired by 

 divine revelation. The light of nature consisteth in the no 

 tions of the mind and the reports of the senses ; for as for 

 knowledge which man receiveth by teaching, it is cumulative 

 and not original, as in a water that besides his own spring-head 

 is fed with other springs and streams. So then, according to 

 these two differing illuminations or originals, knowledge is 

 first of all divided into divinity and philosophy. 



(2) In philosophy the contemplations of man do either pene 

 trate unto God ? or are circumferred to nature, or are reflected 

 or reverted upon himself. Out of which several inquiries 

 there do arise three knowledges divine philosophy, natural 

 philosophy, and human philosophy or humanity. For all 

 things are marked and stamped with this triple character of 

 the power of God, the difference of nature and the use of man. 

 But because the distributions and partitions of knowledge are 

 not like several lines that meet in one angle, and so touch but 

 in a point, but are like branches of a tree that meet in a stem, 

 which hath a dimension and quantity of entireness and con 

 tinuance before it come to discontinue and break itself into 

 arms and boughs ; therefore it is good, before we enter into 

 the former distribution, to erect and constitute one universal 

 science, by the name of philosophia prima, primitive or sum 

 mary philosophy, as the main and common way, before we 

 come where the ways part and divide themselves ; which science 

 whether I should report as deficient or no, I stand doubtful. 

 For I find a certain rhapsody of natural theology, and of divers 

 parts of logic ; and of that part of natural philosophy which con- 

 cerneth the principles, and of that other part of natural philo* 

 sophy which concerneth the soul or spirit all these strangely 

 commixed and confused; but being examined, it seemeth to 

 me rather a depredation of other sciences, advanced and exalted 

 unto some height of terms, than anything solid or substantive 

 of itself. Nevertheless I cannot be ignorant of the distinction 

 which is current, that the same things are handled but in 

 several respects. As for example, that logic considereth of 

 many things as they are in notion, and this philosophy as they 



