142 THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. 



is with a respect private to a man s own power, glory, ampli 

 fication, continuance ; as appeareth plainly, when it nndeth 

 a contrary subject. For that gigantine state of mind which 

 Dossesseth the troublers of the world, such as was Lucius Sylla 

 and infinite other in smaller model, who would have all men 

 happy or unhappy as they were their friends or enemies, and 

 would give form to the world, according to their own humours 

 (which is the true theomachy), pretendeth and aspireth to 

 active good, though it recedeth furthest from good of society, 

 which we have determined to be the greater. 



(2) To resume passive good, it receiveth a subdivision ot 

 conservative and perfective. For let us take a brief review 

 of that which we have said : we have spoken first ot the good 

 of society the intention whereof embraceth the form of human 

 nature whereof we are members and portions, and not our 

 own proper and individual form ; we have spoken of active 

 good, and supposed it as a part of private and particular good. 

 And rightly, for there is impressed upon all things a triple 

 desire or appetite proceeding from love to themselves : one of 

 preserving and continuing their form ; another of advancing 

 and perfecting their form ; and a third of multiplying and 

 extending their form upon other things : whereof the multi 

 plving or signature of it upon other things, is that which we 

 handled by the name of active good. So as there remaineth 

 the conserving of it, and perfecting or raising of it, which 

 latter is the highest degree of passive good. For to preserve in 

 state is the less, to preserve with advancement is the greater. 

 So in man, 



&quot; Igneus est ollis vigor, et cselestis origo. 



His approach or assumption to divine or angelical nature is 

 the perfection of his form; the error or false imitation of 

 which good is that which is the tempest of human life ; while 

 man, upon the instinct of an advancement, formal and es 

 sential is carried to seek an advancement local. For as those 

 which are sick, and find no remedy, do tumble up and down 

 and change place, as if by a remove local they could obtain a 

 remove internal, so is it with men in ambition, when failing 

 of the mean to exalt their nature, they are in a perpetual 

 estuation to exalt their place. So then passive good is, as 

 was said, either conservative or perfective. 



(3) To resume the good of conservation or comfort, which 

 consisteth in the fruition of that which is agreeable to our 

 natures it seemeth to be most pure and natural of pleasures, 

 but yet the softest and lowest. And this also receiveth a 



