THE FIRST BOOK 11 



the senses, do offer themselves to the mind of man, if 

 it dwell and stay there it may induce some oblivion 

 of the highest cause ; but when a man passeth on 

 further, and seeth the dependence of causes, and the 

 works of Providence, then, according to the allegory 

 of the poets, he will easily believe that the highest link 

 of nature s chain must needs be tied to the foot of 

 Jupiter s chair. To conclude therefore, let no man 

 upon a weak conceit of sobriety or an ill-applied 

 moderation think or maintain, that a man can search 

 too far, or be too well studied in the book of God s 

 word, or in the book of God s works, divinity or philo 

 sophy ; but rather let men endeavour an endless pro 

 gress or proficience in both ; only let men beware 

 that they apply both to charity, and not to swelling ; 

 to use, and not to ostentation ; and again, that they 

 do not unwisely mingle or confound these learnings 

 together. 



II. 1. And as for the disgraces which learning re 

 ceive th from politiques, they be of this nature ; that 

 learning doth soften men s minds, and makes them 

 more unapt for the honour and exercise of arms ; that 

 it doth mar and pervert men s dispositions for matter 

 of government and policy, in making them too curious 

 and irresolute by variety of reading, or too peremptory 

 or positive by strictness of rules and axioms, or too 

 immoderate and overweening by reason of the great 

 ness of examples, or too incompatible and differing from 

 the times by reason of the dissimilitude of examples ; 

 or at least, that it doth divert men s travails from 

 action and business, and bringeth them to a love of 

 leisure and privateness ; and that it doth bring into 

 states a relaxation of discipline, whilst every man is 

 more ready to argue than to obey and execute. Out 

 of this conceit, Cato, surnamed the Censor, one of the 

 wisest men indeed that ever lived, when Carneades the 

 philosopher came in embassage to Rome, and that the 

 young men of Rome began to flock about him, being 

 allured with the sweetness and majesty of his eloquence 

 and learning, gave counsel in open senate that they 



