80 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [9. 



entertainment with them ; otherwise if the fathers in 

 sciences be of the weakest sort or be ill maintained, 



Et patrum invalid! referent jejunia nati. 



10. Another defect I note, wherein I shall need some 

 alchemist to help me, who call upon men to sell their 

 books, and to build furnaces; quitting and forsaking 

 Minerva and the Muses as barren virgins, and relying 

 upon Vulcan. But certain it is, that unto the deep, 

 fruitful, and operative study of many sciences, specially 

 natural philosophy and physic, books be not only the 

 instrumentals ; wherein also the beneficence of men hath 

 not been altogether wanting. For we see spheres, globes, 

 astrolabes, maps, and the like, have been provided as 

 appurtenances to astronomy and cosmography, as well 

 as books. We see likewise that some places instituted for 

 physic have annexed the commodity of gardens for 

 simples of all sorts, and do likewise command the use 

 of dead bodies for anatomies. But these do respect but 

 a few things. In general, there will hardly be any main 

 proficience in the disclosing of nature, except there be 

 some allowance for expenses about experiments ; whe 

 ther they be experiments appertaining to Vulcanus or 

 Daedalus, furnace or engine, or any other kind. And 

 therefore as secretaries and spials of princes and states 

 bring in bills for intelligence, so you must allow the 

 spials and intelligencers of nature to bring in their bills ; 

 or else you shall be ill advertised. 



11. And if Alexander made such a liberal assignation to 

 Aristotle of treasure for the allowance of hunters, fowlers, 

 fishers, and the like, that he mought compile an history 

 of nature, much better do they deserve it that travail in 

 arts of nature. 



12. Another defect which I note, is an intermission or 



