OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING, [v. 9. 



Nil tarn metuens, quam ne dubitare aliqua de re videretur; 

 nor on the other side into Socrates his ironical doubting 

 of all things ; but to propound things sincerely with more 

 or less asseveration, as they stand in a man s own judge 

 ment proved more or less. 



10. Other errors there are in the scope that men 

 propound to themselves, whereunto they bend their en 

 deavours ; for whereas the more constant and devote 

 kind of professors of any science ought to propound to 

 themselves to make some additions to their science, they 

 convert their labours to aspire to certain second prizes : 

 as to be a profound interpreter or commenter, to be a 

 sharp champion or defender, to be a methodical com- 

 pounder or abridger, and so the patrimony of knowledge 

 cometh to be sometimes improved, but seldom aug 

 mented. 



11. But the greatest error^of all the j-gst is^ the mis- 

 tajdng or^n^placin g ofthe^Tast or furthest end of know 

 ledge. For men have entered into a desire of learning 



\ ImcfTnowledge, sometimes upon a^aturaLcuriosity and 

 inquisitive appetite : sometimes tOk^gntertain their jninds 

 with variety and delight ; sometimes for^ornament and 

 I \ reputation and sometimes to ^enable them to victory of 

 \ wit and contjarh rtinn and jnost t%ies for lucre and 

 \ profession ; and seldom sincerely to giveatrue_ 



^ -_ i ^. _^ - ^ **^^ * 



gf thejTgjttof reason, to the benenTand use of men : as 

 if there were sought in knowledge a couch \vhereupon to 

 rest a searching and restless spirit ; or a terrace for a 

 wandering and variable mind to walk up and down with 

 a fair prospect ; or a tower ot state for a proud mind to 

 raise itself upon ; or a fort or commanding ground for 

 strife and contention; or a shop for profit or sale; and 

 not a rich storehouse for the glory of the Creator and the 



