208 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [XXII. 6. 



of the affections. For as the ancient politiques in 

 popular estates were wont to compare the people to the 

 sea, and the orators to the winds; because as the sea 

 would of itself be calm and quiet, if the winds did not 

 move and trouble it; so the people would be peaceable 

 and tractable, if the seditious orators did not set them in 

 working and agitation : so it may be fitly said, that the 

 mind in the nature thereof would be temperate and 

 stayed, if the affections, as winds, did not put it into tumult 

 and perturbation. And here again I find strange, as 

 before, that Aristotle should have written divers volumes 

 of Ethics, and never handled the affections, which is the 

 principal subject thereof; and yet in his Rhetorics, where 

 they are considered but collaterally and in a second 

 degree (as they may be moved by speech), he findeth 

 place for them, and handleth them well for the quantity ; 

 but where their true place is, he pretermitteth them. For 

 it is not his disputations about pleasure and pain that can 

 satisfy this inquiry, no more than he that should generally 

 handle the nature of light can be said to handle the nature 

 of colours; for pleasure and pain are to the particular 

 affections, as light is to particular colours. Better tra 

 vails, I suppose, had the Stoics taken in this argument, as 

 far as I can gather by that which we have at second hand. 

 But yet it is like it was after their manner, rather in 

 subtilty of definitions (which in a subject of this nature 

 are but curiosities), than in active and ample descriptions 

 and observations. So likewise I find some particular 

 writings of an elegant nature, touching some of the af 

 fections ; as of anger, of comfort upon adverse accidents, 

 of tenderness of countenance, and other. But the poets 

 and writers of histories are the best doctors of this know 

 ledge ; where we may find painted forth with great life, 



