OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [XXIV. 



of the world by navigation, which hath disclosed multi 

 tudes of experiments, and a mass of natural history ; the 

 leisure wherewith these times abound, not employing men 

 so generally in civil business, as the states of Grecia did, 

 in respect of their popularity, and the state of Rome, in 

 respect of the greatness of their monarchy; the present 

 disposition of these times at this instant to peace; the 

 consumption of all that ever can be said in controversies 

 of religion, which have so much diverted men from other 

 sciences ; the perfection of your Majesty s learning, which 

 as a phoenix may call whole vollies of wits to follow you ; 

 and the inseparable propriety of time, which is ever more 

 and more to disclose truth ; I cannot but be raised to this 

 persuasion that this third period of time will far surpass 

 that of the Grecian and Roman learning : only if men will 

 know their own strength, and their own weakness both ; 

 and take, one from the other, light of invention, and not 

 fire of contradiction ; and esteem of the inquisition of 

 truth as of an enterprise, and not as of a quality or orna 

 ment; and employ wit and magnificence to things of 

 worth and excellency, and not to things vulgar and of 

 ^popular estimation. As for my labours, if any man shall 

 please himself or others in the reprehension of them, they 

 shall make that ancient and patient request, Verbera, sed 

 audi; let men reprehend them, so they observe and 

 weigh them. For the appeal is lawful (though it may be 

 it shall not be needful) from the first cogitations of men 

 to their second, and from the nearer times to the times 

 further off. Now let us come to that learning, which both 

 the former times were not so blessed as to know, sacred 

 and inspired divinity, the Sabbath and port of all men s 

 labours and peregrinations. 



