160 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



staircases, entries, doors, windows, and the like ; so 

 in speech, the conveyances and passages are of special 

 ornament and effect. 



A conclusion in a deliberative. 



So may we redeem the faults passed, and prevent 

 the inconveniences future. 



XIX. 1. There remain two appendices touching the 

 tradition of knowledge, the one critical, the other 

 pedantical. For all knowledge is either delivered by 

 teachers, or attained by men s proper endeavours : and 

 therefore as the principal part of tradition of knowledge 

 concerneth chiefly writing of books, so the relative part 

 thereof concerneth reading of books ; whereunto apper 

 tain incidently these considerations. The first is con 

 cerning the true correction and edition of authors ; 

 wherein nevertheless rash diligence hath done great 

 prejudice. For these critics have often presumed that 

 that which they understand not is false set down : as 

 the priest that, where he found it written of Saint Paul 

 * Demissus est per sportain , mended his book, and 

 made it Demissus est per portarn ; because sporta 

 was an hard word, and out of his reading : and surely 

 their errors, though they be not so palpable and ridicu 

 lous, yet are of the same kind. And therefore, as it hath 

 been wisely noted, the most corrected copies are com 

 monly the least correct. 



The second is concerning the exposition and explica 

 tion of authors, which resteth in annotations and com 

 mentaries : wherein it is over usual to blanch the 

 obscure places and discourse upon the plain. 



The third is concerning the times, which in many 

 cases give great light to true interpretations. 



The fourth is concerning some brief censure and 

 judgement of the authors ; that men thereby may make 

 some election unto themselves what books to read. 



And the fifth is concerning the syntax and disposition 

 of studies ; that men may know in what order or pursuit 

 to read. 



2. For pedantical knowledge, it containeth that 



