58 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



great a glory to himself to observe and know the law 

 of the heavens, as to give law to men upon the earth. 



24. So likewise in that book of his, Anti-Cato, it may 

 easily appear that he did aspire as well to victory of 

 wit as victory of war : undertaking therein a conflict 

 against the greatest champion with the pen that then 

 lived, Cicero the orator. 



25. So again in his book of Apophthegms which he 

 collected, we see that he esteemed it more honour to 

 make himself but a pair of tables, to take the wise and 

 pithy words of others, than to have every word of his 

 own to be made an apophthegm or an oracle ; as vain 

 princes, by custom of flattery, pretend to do. And 

 yet if I should enumerate divers of his speeches, as 

 I did those of Alexander, they are truly such as Salomon 

 noteth, when he saith, * Verba sapientum tanquam 

 aculei, et tanquam clavi in altum defixi : whereof 

 I will only recite three, not so delectable for elegancy, 

 but admirable for vigour and efficacy. 



26. As first, it is reason he be thought a master of 

 words, that could with one word appease a mutiny in 

 his army, which was thus. The Romans, when their 

 generals did speak to their army, did use the word 

 Milites, but when the magistrates spake to the people, 

 they did use the word Quirites. The soldiers were in 

 tumult, and seditiously prayed to be cashiered ; not 

 that they so meant, but by expostulation thereof to 

 draw Caesar to other conditions ; wherein he being 

 resolute not to give way, after some silence, he began 

 his speech, Ego Quirites, which did admit them already 

 cashiered; wherewith they were so surprised, crossed, 

 and confused, as they would not suffer him to go on 

 in his speech, but relinquished their demands, and 

 made it their suit to be again called by the name of 

 Milites. 



27. The second speech was thus : Caesar did ex 

 tremely affect the name of king ; and some were set 

 on as he passed by, in popular acclamation to salute 

 him king. Whereupon, finding the cry weak and poor, 

 he put it off thus, in a kind of jest, as if they had mis- 



