ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 39 



arch since the Christian era who could bear any compar 

 ison with your Majesty in the variety and depth of your 

 erudition. Let any one run over the whole line of kings, 

 and he will agree with me. It indeed seems a great thing 

 in a monarch, if he can find time to digest a compendium 

 or imbibe the simple elements of science, or love and 

 countenance learning; but that a king, and he a king 

 born, should have drunk at the true fountain of knowl 

 edge, yea, rather, should have a fountain of learning in 

 himself, is indeed little short of a miracle. And the more 

 since in your Majesty s heart are united all the treasures 

 of sacred and profane knowledge, so that like Hermes, 

 your Majesty is invested with a triple glory, being dis 

 tinguished no less by the power of a king than by tho 

 illumination of a priest and the learning of a philosopher. * 

 Since, then, your Majesty surpasses other monarchs by 

 this property, which is peculiarly your own, it is but 

 just that this dignified pre-eminence should not only be 

 celebrated in the mouths of the present age, and be trans 

 mitted to posterity, but also that it should be engraved in 

 some solid work which might serve to denote the power of 

 so great a king and the height of his learning. 



Therefore, to return to our undertaking: no oblation 

 seemed more suitable than some treatise relating to that 

 purpose, the sum of which should consist of two parts 

 the first of the excellence of learning, and the merit of 

 those who labor judiciously and with energy for its propa 

 gation and development. The second, to point out what 

 part of knowledge has been already labored and perfected, 

 and what portions left unfinished or entirely neglected; in 

 order, since I dare not positively advise your Majesty to 

 adopt any particular course, that by a detailed representa 

 tion of our wants, I may excite your Majesty to examine 

 the treasures of your royal heart, and thence to extract, 

 whatever to your magnanimity and wisdom may seem best 

 fitted to enlarge the boundaries of knowledge. 



* Poemander of Hermes Trisme gistua. 



