THE FIRST BOOK 39 



to be a sharp champion or defender, to be a methodical 

 compounder or abridger, and so the patrimony of 

 knowledge cometh to be sometimes improved, but 

 seldom augmented. 



11. But the greatest error of all the rest is the mis 

 taking or misplacing of the last or furthest end of 

 knowledge. For men have entered into a desire of 

 learning and knowledge, sometimes upon a natural 

 curiosity and inquisitive appetite ; sometimes to enter 

 tain their minds with variety and delight ; sometimes 

 for ornament and reputation ; and sometimes to enable 

 them to victory of wit and contradiction ; and most 

 times for lucre and profession ; and seldom sincerely 

 to give a true account of their gift of reason, to the 

 benefit and use of men : as if there were sought in 

 knowledge a couch whereupon to rest a searching and 

 restless spirit ; or a terrace for a wandering and vari 

 able mind to walk up and down with a fair prospect ; 

 or a tower of state for a proud mind to raise itself 

 upon ; or a fort or commanding ground for strife and 

 contention ; or a shop for profit or sale ; and not 

 a rich storehouse for the glory of the Creator and the 

 relief of man s estate. But this is that which will 

 indeed dignify and exalt knowledge, if contemplation 

 and action may be more nearly and straitly conjoined 

 and united together than they have been ; a conjunc 

 tion like unto that of the two highest planets, Saturn, 

 the planet of rest and contemplation, and Jupiter, the 

 planet of civil society and action. Howbeit, I do not 

 mean, when I speak of use and action, that end before- 

 mentioned of the applying of knowledge to lucre and 

 profession ; for I am not ignorant how much that 

 divertcth and interrupteth the prosecution and advance 

 ment of knowledge, like unto the golden ball thrown 

 before Atalanta, which while she goeth aside and 

 Btoopeth to take up, the race is hindered, 



Declinat cursus, aurumque volubile tollit. 



Neither is my meaning, as was spoken of Socrates, to 

 call philosophy down from heaven to converse upon 



