LIFE OF BACOiV. XI 



all her fruits about her, we should think it a betraying of 

 our trust to infect such a subject either with an ambitious, 

 an ignorant, or any other faulty manner of treating it.&quot; (a) 

 Some years after Bacon had quitted Cambridge, he 

 published his opinions upon the defects of universities ; (b) 

 in which, after having warned the community that, as 

 colleges are established for the communication of the 

 knowledge of our predecessors, there should be a college 

 appropriated to the discovery of new truths, a living spring 

 to mix with the stagnant waters, (c) &quot; Let it,&quot; he says, 

 &quot; be remembered that there is not any collegiate education 

 of statesmen, and that this has not only a malign influence 

 upon the growth of sciences, but is prejudicial to states 

 and governments, and is the reason why princes find a 

 solitude in regard of able men to serve them in causes of 

 state/ (d) 



() See the chapter on Vanity, in the admirable work, &quot; Search s Light 

 of Nature :&quot; where the distinction between the Love of Excelling and the 

 Love of Excellence as a motive for acquiring knowledge is fully explained. 



(6) See note K at the end. 



(c) See the sixth defect of universities, in Note M at the end, where he 

 says, the &quot; serpent of Moses should devour the serpents of the enchanters.&quot; 



(d~) Bacon says, first, therefore, amongst so many great foundations of 

 colleges in Europe, I find strange that they are all dedicated to professions, 

 and none left free to arts and sciences at large. And this I take to be a 

 great cause, that hath hindered the progression of learning, because these 

 fundamental knowledges have been studied but in passage. For if you 

 will have a tree bear more fruit than it hath used to do, it is not any thing 

 you can do to the boughs, but it is the stirring of the earth, and putting new 

 mould about the roots, that must work it. Neither is it to be forgotten, 

 that this dedicating of foundations and dotations to professory learning, hath 

 not only had a malign aspect and influence upon the growth of sciences, but 

 hath also been prejudicial to states and governments. For hence it pro- 

 ceedeth that princes find a solitude in regard of able men to serve them in 

 causes of state, because there is no education collegiate which is free, where 

 such as were so disposed might give themselves to histories, modern 

 languages, books of policy and civil discourse, and other the like enable- 

 ments unto service of state. See Note L at the end. This truth, confirmed 



