144 THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. 



themselves were men dedicated to a private, free, and un 

 applied course of life. For as we see, upon the lute or like 

 instrument, a ground, though it be sweet and have show of 

 many changes, yet breaketh not the hand to such strange and 

 hard stops and passages, as a set song or voluntary ; much 

 after the same manner was the diversity between a philo 

 sophical and civil life. And, therefore, men are to imitate the 

 wisdom of jewellers : who, if there be a grain, or a cloud, or an 

 ice which may be ground forth without taking too much of the 

 stone, they help it ; but if it should lessen and abate the stone 

 too much, they will not meddle with it : so ought men so to 

 procure serenity as they destroy not magnanimity. 



(6) Having therefore deduced the good of man which is 

 private and particular, as far as seemeth fit, we will now re 

 turn to that good of man which respecteth and beholdeth 

 society, which we may term duty ; because the term of duty is 

 more proper to a mind well framed and disposed towards 

 others, as the term of virtue is applied to a mind well formed 

 and composed in itself ; though neither can a man understand 

 virtue without some relation to society, nor duty without an 

 inward disposition. This part may seem at first to pertain to 

 science civil and politic ; but not if it be well observed. For 

 it concerneth the regiment and government of every man over 

 himself, and not over others. And as in architecture the di 

 rection of framing the posts, beams, and other parts of build 

 ing, is not the same with the manner of joining them and 

 erecting the building ; and in mechanicals, the direction how 

 to frame an instrument or engine is not the same with the 

 manner of setting it on work and employing it ; and yet, 

 nevertheless, in expressing of the one you incidently express 

 the aptness towards the other ; so the doctrine of conjugation 

 of men in society differeth from that of their conformity 

 thereunto. 



(7) This part of duty is subdivided into two parts : the 

 common duty of every man, as a man or member of a state ; 

 the other, the respective or special duty of every man in 

 his profession, vocation, and place. The first of these is ex 

 tant and well laboured, as hath been said. The second like 

 wise I may report rather dispersed than deficient ; which 

 manner of dispersed writing in this kind of argument I ac 

 knowledge to be best. For who can take upon him to write 

 of the proper duty, virtue, challenge, and right of every 

 several vocation, profession, and place? For although some 

 times a looker on may see more than a gamester, and there be 

 a proverb more arrogant than sound, &quot; That the vale best &amp;lt;ij&- 



