24 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. 



selves, and gone too far ; such as were those trencher phil 

 osophers, which in the later age of the Roman state were 

 usually in the houses of great persons, being little better 

 than solemn parasites ; of which kind, Lucian maketh a merry 

 description of the philosopher that the great lady took to 

 ride with her in her coach, and would needs have him carry 

 her little dog, which he doing officiously and yet uncomely, 

 the page scoffed, and said, That he doubted, the philosopher of 

 a Stoic would turn to be a Cynic. But above all the rest, the 



10 gross and palpable flattery, whereunto many not unlearned 

 have abased and abused their wits and pens, turning, as Du 

 Bartas saith, Hecuba into Helena, and Faustina into Lucretia, 

 hath most diminished the price and estimation of learning. 

 Neither is the modern dedication of books and writings, as 

 to patrons, to be commended, for that books, such as are 

 worthy the name of books, ought to have no patrons but 

 truth and reason. And the ancient custom was to dedicate 

 them only to private and equal friends, or to entitle the 

 books with their names : or if to kings and great persons, it 



20 was to some such as the argument of the book was fit and 

 proper for : but these and the like courses may deserve 

 rather reprehension than defence. 



Not that I can tax or condemn the morigeration or 

 application of learned men to men in fortune. For the 

 answer was good that Diogenes made to one that asked him 

 in mockery, How it came to pass that philosophers were the 

 followers of rich men, and not rich men of philosophers ? He 

 answered soberly, and yet sharply, Because the one sort knew 

 what they had need of, and the other did not. And of the like 



30 nature was the answer which Aristippus made, when having 

 a petition to Dionysius, and no ear given to him, he fell down 

 at his feet ; whereupon Dionysius stayed, and gave him the 

 hearing, and granted it ; and afterward some person, tender 

 on the behalf of philosophy, reproved Aristippus that he 

 would offer the profession of philosophy such an indignity, 

 as for a private suit to fall at a tyrant's feet : but he 



