THE FIRST BOOK 21 



discipline hath been in some sort revived of late times 

 by the colleges of the Jesuits ; of whom, although in 

 regard of their superstition I may say, Quo meliores, 

 eo deteriores ; yet in regard to this, and some other 

 points concerning human learning and moral matters, 

 I may say, as Agesilaus said to his enemy Pharnabazus, 



* Talis quum sis, utinam noster esses. And thus much 

 touching the discredits drawn from the fortunes of 

 learned men. 



4. As touching the manners of learned men, it is 

 a thing personal and individual : and no doubt there 

 be amongst them, as in other professions, of all tempera 

 tures : but yet so as it is not without truth which is 

 said, that * Abeunt studia in mores, studies have an 

 influence and operation upon the manners of those that 

 are conversant in them. 



5. But upon an attentive and indifferent review, 

 I for my part cannot find any disgrace to learning can 

 proceed from the manners of learned men ; not in 

 herent to them as they are learned ; except it be 

 a fault (which was the supposed fault of Demosthenes, 

 Cicero, Cato the second, Seneca, and many more) that 

 because the times they read of are commonly better 

 than the times they live in, and the duties taught 

 better than the duties practised, they contend some 

 times too far to bring things to perfection, and to 

 reduce the corruption of manners to honesty of pre 

 cepts or examples of too great height. And yet hereof 

 they have caveats enough in their own walks. For 

 Solon, when he was asked whether he had given his 

 citizens the best laws, answered wisely, Yea of such 

 as they would receive : and Plato, finding that his 

 own heart could not agree with the corrupt manners of 

 his country, refused to bear place or office ; saying, 



* That a man s country was to be used as his parents 

 were, that is, with humble persuasions, and not with 

 contestations. And Caesar s counsellor put in the 

 same caveat, Non ad vetera instituta revocans quae 

 jampridem corruptis moribus ludibrio sunt : and 

 Cicero noteth this error directly in Cato the second, 



