82 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



the providence of God hath made the distribution. For 

 it hath pleased God to ordain and illustrate two exem 

 plar states of the world for arms, learning, moral virtue, 

 policy, and laws ; the state of Grecia and the state of 

 Rome ; the histories whereof, occupying the middle 

 part of time, have more ancient to them histories which 

 may by one common name be termed the antiquities 

 of the world : and after them, histories which may be 

 likewise called by the name of modern history. 



7. Now to speak of the deficiencies. As to the 

 heathen antiquities of the world, it is in vain to note 

 them for deficient. Deficient they are no doubt, con 

 sisting most of fables and fragments ; but the deficience 

 cannot be holpen ; for antiquity is like fame, caput 

 inter nubila condit, her head is muffled from our sight. 

 For the history of the exemplar states it is extant in 

 good perfection. Not but I could wish there were 

 a perfect course of history for Grecia from Theseus to 

 Philopoemen (what time the affairs of Grecia drowned 

 and extinguished in the affairs of Rome), and for Rome 

 from Romulus to Justinianus, who may be truly said 

 to be ultimus Romanorum. In which sequences of 

 story the text of Thucydides and Xenophon in the one, 

 and the texts of Livius, Polybius, Sallustius, Caesar, 

 Appianus, Tacitus, Herodianus in the other, to be kept 

 entire without any diminution at all, and only to be 

 supplied and continued. But this is matter of magnifi 

 cence, rather to be commended than required : and we 

 speak now of parts of learning supplemental and not 

 of supererogation. 



8. But for modern histories, whereof there are some 

 few very worthy, but the greater part beneath medi 

 ocrity, leaving the care of foreign stories to foreign 

 states, because I will not be curiosus in aliena republica, 

 I cannot fail to represent to your Majesty the un- 

 worthiness of the history of England in the main con 

 tinuance thereof, and the partiality and obliquity of 

 that of Scotland in the latest and largest author that 

 I have seen : supposing that it would be honour for 

 your Majesty, and a work very memorable, if this island 



