184 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [XIX. 2. 



infancy thereof was the principal cause of the immense 

 greatness of that state which followed, so the culture 

 and manurance of minds in youth hath such a forcible 

 (though unseen) operation, as hardly any length of time 

 or contention of labour can countervail it afterwards. 

 And it is not amiss to observe also how small and mean 

 faculties gotten by education, yet when they fall into great 

 men or great matters, do work great and important 

 effects : whereof we see a notable example in Tacitus 

 of two stage players, Percennius and Vibulenus, who by 

 their faculty of playing put the Pannonian armies into 

 an extreme tumult and combustion. For there arising a 

 mutiny amongst them upon the death of Augustus Czesar, 

 Blaesus the lieutenant had committed some of the mutin- 

 ers, which were suddenly rescued; whereupon Vibulenus 

 got to be heard speak, which he did in this manner: 

 These poor innocent wretches appointed to cruel death, you 

 have restored to behold the light; but who shall restore my 

 brother to me, or life unto my brother, that was sent hither 

 in message from the legions of Germany, to treat of the 

 common cause ? and he hath murdered him this last night 

 by some of his fencers and ruffians, that he hath about him 

 for his executioners upon soldiers. Answer, Blasus, what 

 is done with his body t&amp;gt; The mortalest enemies do not deny 

 burial. When I have performed my last duties to the corpse 

 with kisses, with tears, command me to be slain besides him ; 

 so that these my fellows, for our good meaning and our true 

 hearts to the legions, may have leave to bury us. With which 

 speech he put the army into an infinite fury and uproar : 

 whereas truth was he had no brother, neither was there 

 any such matter; but he played it merely as if he had 

 been upon the stage. 



3. But to return : we are now come to a period of 



