54 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [VII. 4. 



happy and flourishing that ever the Roman empire (which 

 then was a model of the world) enjoyed; a matter revealed 

 and prefigured unto Domitian in a dream the night before 

 he was slain; for he thought there was grown behind 

 upon his shoulders a neck and a head of gold: which 

 came accordingly to pass in those golden times which 

 succeeded : of which princes we will make some com 

 memoration ; wherein although the matter will be vulgar, 

 and may be thought fitter for a declamation than agreeable 

 to a treatise infolded as this is, yet because it is pertinent 

 to the point in hand, Neque semper arcum tendit Apollo, 

 and to name them only were too naked and cursory, I will 

 not omit it altogether. The first was Nerva ; the excellent 

 temper of whose government is by a glance in Cornelius 

 Tacitus touched to the life : Postquam divus Nerva res 

 oh m insodabiles miscuisset, imperium et libertatem. And in 

 token of his learning, the last act of his short reign left 

 to memory was a missive to his adopted son Trajan, pro 

 ceeding upon some inward discontent at the ingratitude of 

 the times, comprehended in a verse of Homer s : 



Telis, Phoebe, tuis lacrymas ulciscere nostras. 



5. Trajan, who succeeded, was for his person not 

 learned: but if we will hearken to the speech of our 

 Saviour, that saith, He that receive th a prophet in the name 

 of a prophet shall have a prophet s reward, he deserveth to 

 be placed amongst the most learned princes : for there 

 was not a greater admirer of learning or benefactor of 

 learning ; a founder of famous libraries, a perpetual ad 

 vancer of learned men to office, and a familiar converser 

 with learned professors and preceptors, who were noted 

 to have then most credit in court. On the other side, 

 how much Trajan s virtue and government was admired 

 and renowned, surely no testimony of grave and faithful 



