XXIII. 49.] THE SECOND BOOK. 251 



may term it) animation of laws. Upon which I insist the 

 less, because I purpose (if God give me De pruden- 

 leave), having begun a work of this nature in tia legislat- 

 aphorisms, to propound it hereafter, noting or/a X de 

 it in the mean time for deficient. /ontibus juris. 



50. And for your Majesty s laws of England, I could 

 say much of their dignity, and somewhat of their defect ; 

 but they cannot but excel the civil laws in fitness for the 

 government : for the civil law was non hos qu&situm munus 

 in usus ; it was not made for the countries which it 

 governeth. Hereof I cease to speak, because I will not 

 intermingle matter of action with matter of general 

 learning. 



XXIV. ^THUS have I concluded this portion of 

 learning touching civil knowledge ; and 

 with civil knowledge have concluded human philosophy; 

 and with human philosophy, philosophy in general. And 

 being now at some pause, looking back into that I have 

 passed through, this writing seemeth to me (si minquam 

 fallit imago), as far as a man can judge of his own work, 

 not much better than that noise or sound which musicians 

 make while they are in tuning their instruments : which 

 is nothing pleasant to hear, but yet is a cause why the 

 music is sweeter afterwards. So have I been content to 

 tune the instruments of the Muses, that they may play 

 that have better hands. And surely, when I set before 

 me the condition of these times, in which learning hath 

 made her third visitation or circuit in all the qualities 

 thereof; as the excellency and vivacity of the wits of this 

 age ; the noble helps and lights which we have by the 

 travails of ancient writers ; the art of printing, which com- 

 municaleth books to men of all fortunes; the openness 



