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eluded human philosophy ; and with human philosophy, 

 philosophy in general. And being now at some pause, looking 

 back into that I have passed through, this writing seemeth to 

 me (si nunquam fallit imago), as far as a man can judge of his 

 own work, not much better than that noise or sound which 

 musicians make while they are in tuning their instruments, 

 which is nothing pleasant to hear, but yet is a cause why the 

 music is sweeter afterwards. So have I been content to tune 

 the instruments of the Muses, that they may play that have 

 better hands. And surely, when I set before me the condition 

 of these times, in which learning hath made her third visita 

 tion or circuit in all the qualities thereof ; as the excellency 

 and vivacity of the wits of this age ; the noble helps and lights 

 which we have by the travails of ancient writers ; the art of 

 printing, which communicateth books to men of all fortunes ; 

 the openness of the world by navigation, which hath disclosed 

 multitudes of experiments, and a mass of natural history ; the 

 leisure wherewith these times abound, not employing men so 

 generally in civil business, as the states of Grsecia did, in 

 respect of their popularity, and the state of Home, in respect 

 of the greatness of their monarchy ; the present disposition of 

 these times at this instant to peace ; the consumption of all 

 that ever can be said in controversies of religion, which have 

 so much diverted men from other sciences ; the perfection of 

 your Majesty s learning, which as a phcenix may call whole 

 volleys of wits to follow you ; and the inseparable propriety 

 of time, which is ever more and more to disclose truth ; I 

 cannot but be raised to this persuasion, that this third period of 

 time will far surpass that of the Grecian and Roman learning ; 

 only if men will know their own strength and their own weak 

 ness both ; and take, one from the other, light of invention, 

 and not fire of contradiction ; and esteem of the inquisition of 

 truth as of an enterprise, and not as of a quality or ornament ; 

 and employ wit and magnificence to things of worth and ex 

 cellency, and not to things vulgar and of popular estimation. 

 As for my labours, if any man shall please himself or others in 

 the reprehension of them, they shall make that ancient and 

 patient request, Verbera, sed audi : let men reprehend them, 

 so they observe and weigh them. For the appeal is lawful 

 (though it may be it shall not be needful) from the first cogita 

 tions of men to their second, and from the nearer times to the 

 times further off. Now let us come to that learning, which 

 both the former times were not so blessed as to know, sacred 

 and inspired divinity, the Sabbath and port of all men s labours 

 and peregrinations. 



