220 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [XXIII. 4. 



experience, would far excel men of long experience with 

 out learning, and outshoot them in their own bow. 



5. Neither needeth it at all to be doubted, that this 

 knowledge should be so variable as it falleth not under 

 precept; for it is much less infinite than science of govern 

 ment, which we see is laboured and in some part re 

 duced. Of this wisdom it seemeth some of the ancient 

 Romans in the saddest and wisest times were professors ; 

 for Cicero reporteth, that it was then in use for senators 

 that had name and opinion for general wise men, as 

 Coruncanius, Curius, Laelius, and many others, to walk 

 at certain hours in the Place, and to give audience to 

 those that would use their advice ; and that the particular 

 citizens would resort unto them, and consult with them of 

 the marriage of a daughter, or of the employing of a son, 

 or of a purchase or bargain, or of an accusation, and 

 every other occasion incident to man s life. So as there 

 is a wisdom of counsel and advice even in private causes, 

 arising out of an universal insight into the affairs of the 

 world ; which is used indeed upon particular cases pro 

 pounded, but is gathered by general observation of cases 

 of like nature. For so we see in the book which Q. Cicero 

 writeth to his brother, De pelitione consulatus (being the 

 only book of business that I know written by the ancients), 

 although it concerned a particular action then on foot, 

 yet the substance thereof consisteth of many wise and 

 politic axioms, which contain not a temporary, but a 

 perpetual direction in the case of popular elections. But 

 chiefly we may see in those aphorisms which have place 

 amongst divine writings, composed by Salomon the king, 

 of whom the scriptures testify that his heart was as the 

 sands of the sea, encompassing the world and all worldly 

 matters, we see, I say, not a few profound and excellent 



