TEMPORARY INABILITY. CCCclvii 



upon books; for, although he read incessantly, he win 

 nowed quickly, (a) Interruption was only a diversion of 



Cyprian, or resolute Jerome, or flowing Chrysostome, or divine Ambrose, 

 or devout Bernard, or (who alone is all these) heavenly Augustine : and 

 talk with them and hear their wise and holy counsels, and so mix their 

 parts, that the pleasantries of the one may temper the austereness of the 

 other. Let us hold with that blessed Monica, that such like cogitations 

 are the food of the mind, yet even the mind also has her satiety, and may 

 surfeit of too much. Boyle s Meditations. 



One while mine eyes are busied, another while my hand, and some 

 times my mind takes the burthen from them both ; wherein I would imitate 

 the skilfullest cooks, which make the best dishes with manifold mixtures : 

 one hour is spent in textual divinity, another in controversy; histories relieve 

 them both. Now when the mind is weary of other labours, it begins to 

 undertake her own; sometimes it meditates and winds up for future use; 

 sometimes it lays forth her conceits into present discourse ; sometimes for 

 itself, ofter for others. Neither know I whether it works or plays in those 

 thoughts : I am sure no sport hath more pleasure, no work more use ; only 

 the decay of a weak body makes me think these delights insensibly 

 laborious. Thus could I all day (as singers use) make myself music with 

 changes, and complain sooner of the day for shortness than of the business 

 for toil, were it not that this faint monitor interrupts me still in the midst 

 of my busy pleasures, and enforces me both to respite and repast : I must 

 yield to both; while my body and mind are joined together in unequal 

 couples, the better must follow the weaker. 



Le changement d etude est toujours un delassement pour moi. 



D Aguesseau. 



(a) &quot; He was no plodder upon books, though he read much, and that 

 with great judgment, and rejection of impertinences incident to many 

 authors .&quot; Rawley . 



&quot; Study is like the heaven s glorious sun, 



That will not be deep searched with saucy looks ; 

 Small have continual plodders ever won, 

 Save bare authority from others books.&quot; Love s Labour s Lost. 



&quot; I was a scholar : seven useful springs 

 Did I deflower in quotations 

 Of crossed opinions bout the soul of man ; 

 The more I learnt, the more I learnt to doubt : 

 Delight, my spaniel slept, whilst I baus d leaves, 

 Tossed o er the dunces, pored on the old print 

 Of titled words ; and still my spaniel slept. 

 Whilst I wasted lamp-oil, baited my flesh, 



