4 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [2. 



in a king, and in a king born, is almost a miracle. And 

 the more, because there is met in your Majesty a rare 

 conjunction, as well of divine and sacred literature, as of 

 profane and human ; so as your Majesty standeth in 

 vested of that triplicity, which in great veneration was 

 ascribed to the ancient Hermes ; the power and fortune 

 of a king, the knowledge and illumination of a priest, and 

 the learning and universality of a philosopher. This 

 propriety inherent and individual attribute in your Majesty 

 deserveth to be expressed not only in the fame and ad 

 miration of the present time, nor in the history or tradition 

 of the ages succeeding, but also in some solid work, fixed 

 memorial, and immortal monument, bearing a character 

 or signature both of the power of a king and the differ 

 ence and perfection of such a king. 



3. Therefore I did conclude with myself, that I could 

 not make unto your Majesty a better oblation than of 

 some treatise tending to that end, whereof the sum will 

 consist of these two parts; the former concerning the 

 excellency of learning and knowledge, and the excel 

 lency of the merit and true glory in the augmentation and 

 propagation thereof: the latter, what the particular acts 

 and works are, which have been embraced and under 

 taken for the advancement of learning ; and again, what 

 defects and undervalues I find in such particular acts : to 

 the end that though I cannot positively or affirmatively 

 advise your Majesty, or propound unto you framed par 

 ticulars, yet I may excite your princely cogitations to 

 visit the excellent treasure of your own mind, and thence 

 to extract particulars for this purpose, agreeable to your 

 magnanimity and wisdom. 



