206 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [XXII. 4. 



and dispositions, should be omitted both in morality and 

 policy; considering it is of so great ministry and sup- 

 peditation to them both. A man shall find in the trad 

 itions of astrology some pretty and apt divisions of men s 

 natures, according to the predominances of the planets; 

 lovers of quiet, lovers of action, lovers of victory, lovers 

 of honour, lovers of pleasure, lovers of arts, lovers of 

 change, and so forth. A man shall find in the wisest sort 

 of these relations which the Italians make touching con 

 claves, the natures of the several cardinals handsomely 

 and lively painted forth. A man shall meet with in 

 every day s conference the denominations of sensitive, 

 dry, formal, real, humorous, certain, huomo di prima im- 

 presswne, huomo di ultima impressions, and the like : and 

 yet nevertheless this kind of observations wandereth in 

 words, but is not fixed in inquiry. For the distinctions 

 are found (many of them), but we conclude no precepts 

 upon them : wherein our fault is the greater ; because 

 both history, poesy, and daily experience are as goodly 

 fields where these observations grow ; whereof we make 

 a few posies to hold in our hands, but no man bringeth 

 them to the confectionary, that receipts mought be made 

 of them for use of life. 



5. Of much like kind are those impressions of nature, 

 which are imposed upon the mind by the sex, by the age, 

 by the region, by health and sickness, by beauty and 

 deformity, and the like, which are inherent and not 

 extern; and again, those which are caused by extern 

 fortune; as sovereignty, nobility, obscure birth, riches, 

 want, magistracy, privateness, prosperity, adversity, con 

 stant fortune, variable fortune, rising per saltum, per 

 gradus, and the like. And therefore we see that Plautus 

 maketh it a wonder to see an old man beneficent. 



