82 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [12. 



learning of them hath drawn on by consequence the 

 superficial and unprofitable teaching and writing of them, 

 as fitteth indeed to the capacity of children. Another is 

 a lack I find in the exercises used in the universities, 

 which do make too great a divorce between invention 

 and memory. For their speeches are either premeditate, 

 in verbis concepts, where nothing is left to invention ; or 

 merely extemporal, where little is left to memory. Whereas 

 in life and action there is least use of either of these, but 

 rather of intermixtures of premeditation and invention, 

 notes and memory. So as the exercise fitteth not the 

 practice, nor the image the life ; and it is ever a true rule 

 in exercises, that they be framed as near as may be to 

 the life of practice ; for otherwise they do pervert the 

 motions and faculties of the mind, and not prepare them. 

 The truth whereof is not obscure, when scholars come 

 to the practices of professions, or other actions of civil 

 life ; which when they set into, this want is soon found 

 by themselves, and sooner by others. But this part, 

 touching the amendment of the institutions and orders of 

 universities, I will conclude with the clause of Caesar s 

 letter to Oppius and Balbus, Hoc quemadmodum fieri 

 possit, nonnulla mihi in mentem veniunt, et multa reperiri 

 possunt : de its rebus rogo vos ut cogitationem suscipiatis. 



13. Another defect which I note, ascendeth a little 

 higher than the precedent. For as the proficience of 

 learning consisteth much in the orders and institutions 

 of universities in the same states and kingdoms, so it 

 would be yet more advanced, if there were more intel 

 ligence mutual between the universities of Europe than 

 now there is. We see there be many orders and found 

 ations, which though they be divided under several 

 sovereignties and territories, yet they take themselves to 



