XXII. i.] THE SECOND BOOK. 203 



doth he inculcate this part. So saith Cicero in great com 

 mendation of Cato the second, that he had applied himself 

 to philosophy, Non ita disputandi causa, sed ita Vivendi. 

 And although the neglect of our times, wherein few men 

 do hold any consultations touching the reformation of 

 their life (as Seneca excellently saith, De partibus vita 

 quisque deliberat, de summa nemo), may make this part 

 seem superfluous ; yet I must conclude with that aphor 

 ism of Hippocrates, Qui gravi morbo correpti do/ores non 

 sentiunt, us metis agrotat. They need medicine, not only 

 to assuage the disease, but to awake the sense. And if 

 it be said, that the cure of men s minds belongeth to 

 sacred divinity, it is most true : but yet moral philosophy 

 may be preferred unto her as a wise servant and humble 

 handmaid. For as the Psalm saith, That the eyes of the 

 handmaid look perpetually towards the mistress, and yet no 

 doubt many things are left to the discretion of the hand 

 maid, to discern of the mistress will; so ought moral 

 philosophy to give a constant attention to the doctrines 

 of divinity, and yet so as it may yield of herself (within 

 due limits) many sound and profitable directions. 



2. This part therefore, because of the excellency thereof, 

 I cannot but find exceeding strange that it is not reduced 

 to written inquiry: the rather, Because it consisteth of 

 much matter, wherein both speech and action is often 

 conversant ; and such wherein the common talk of men 

 (which is rare, but yet cometh sometimes to pass) is 

 wiser than their books. It is reasonable therefore that 

 we propound it in the more particularity, both for the 

 worthiness, and because we may acquit ourselves for 

 reporting it deficient; which seemeth almost incredible, 

 and is otherwise conceived and presupposed by those them 

 selves that have written. We will therefore enumerate 



