1 68 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [XVI. 4. 



them hath produced the science of grammar. For man 

 still striveth to reintegrate himself in those benedictions, 

 from which by his fault he hath been deprived ; and as 

 he hath striven against the first general curse by the in 

 vention of all other arts, so hath he sought to come forth 

 of the second general curse (which was the confusion of 

 tongues) by the art of grammar ; whereof the use in a 

 mother tongue is small, in a foreign tongue more ; but 

 most in such foreign tongues as have ceased to be vulgar 

 tongues, and are turned only to learned tongues. The 

 duty of it is of two natures : the one popular, which is for 

 the speedy and perfect attaining languages, as well for 

 intercourse of speech as for understanding of authors; 

 the other philosophical, examining the power and nature 

 of Words, as they are the footsteps and prints of reason : 

 which kind of analogy between words and reason is 

 handled sparstm, brokenly though not entirely; and there 

 fore I cannot report it deficient, though I think it very 

 worthy to be reduced into a science by itself. 



5. Unto grammar also belongeth, as an appendix, the 

 consideration of the accidents of words ; which are mea 

 sure, sound, and elevation or accent, and the sweetness 

 and harshness of them ; whence hath issued some curious 

 observations in rhetoric, but chiefly poesy, as we consider 

 it, in respect of the verse and not of the argument. 

 Wherein though men in learned tongues do tie themselves 

 to the ancient measures, yet in modern languages it 

 seemeth to me as free to make new measures of verses 

 as of dances : for a dance is a measured pace, as a verse 

 is a measured speech. In these things the sense is better 

 judge than the art ; 



Coenae fercula nostrae 

 Mallem convivis quam placuisse cocis. 



