124 THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. 



foreign tongue more ; but most in such foreign tongues as 

 have ceased to be vulgar tongues, and are turned only to 

 learned tongues. The duty of it is of two natures : the 

 one popular, which is for the speedy and perfect attaining 

 languages, as well for intercourse of speech as for under 

 standing of authors ; the other philosophical, examining the 

 power and nature of words, as they are the footsteps and 

 prints of reason : which kind of analogy between words and 

 reason is handled sparsim, brokenly though not entirely ; 

 and, therefore, I cannot report it deficient, though I think 

 it very worthy to be reduced into a science by itself. 



(5) Unto grammar also belongeth, as an appendix, the con 

 sideration of the accidents of words ; which are measure, 

 sound, and elevation or accent, and the sweetness and harsh 

 ness of them : whence hath issued some curious observations 

 in rhetoric, but chiefly poesy, as we consider it, in respect 

 of the verse and not of the argument. Wherein though men 

 in learned tongues do tie themselves to the ancient measures, 

 yet in modern languages it seemeth to me as free to make new 

 measures of verses as of dances ; for a dance is a measured pace, 

 as a verse is a measured speech. In these things the sense is 

 better judge than the art : 



Ccense fercula nostrae 

 Mallem convivis quam placuisse cocis.&quot; 



And of the servile expressing antiquity in an unlike and an 

 unfit subject, it is well said, &quot; Quod tempore antiquum videtur, 

 id incongruitate est maxime novum.&quot; 



(6) For ciphers, they are commonly in letters or alphabets, 

 but may be in words. The kinds of ciphers (besides the simple 

 ciphers, with changes, and intermixtures of nulls and non- 

 significants) are many, according to the nature or rule of the 

 infolding, wheel-ciphers, key-ciphers, doubles, &c. But the 

 virtues of them, whereby they are to be preferred, are three ; 

 that they be not laborious to write and read ; that they be 

 impossible to decipher ; and, in some cases, that they be with 

 out suspicion. The highest degree whereof is to write omnia 

 per omnia; which is undoubtedly possible, with a propor 

 tion quintuple at most of the writing infolding to the writing 

 infolded, and no other restraint whatsoever. This art of 

 ciphering hath for relative an art of deciphering, by supposi 

 tion unprofitable, but, as things are, of great use. For suppose 

 that ciphers were well managed, there be multitudes of them 

 which exclude the decipherer. But in regard of the rawness 

 and unskilfulness of the hands through which they pass, 



