THE FIRST BOOK. 39 



sometimes to entertain their minds with variety and delight ; 

 sometimes for ornament and reputation ; and sometimes to 

 enable them to victory of wit and contradiction ; and most 

 times for lucre and profession ; and seldom sincerely to give 

 a true account of their gift of reason, to^ the benefit and us_e ^ 

 of men : as if there were sought in knowledge a couch, where 

 upon to rest a searching and restless spirit ; or a tarasse, for a * 

 wandering and variable mind to walk up and down with 

 a fair prospect ; or a tower of state, for a proud mind to 

 raise itself upon ; or a fort or commanding ground, for strife 10 

 and contention ; or a shop, for profit or sale ; and not a 

 rich storehouse, for the glory of the Creator, and the relief 

 of man's estate. But this is that which will indeed dignify 

 and exalt knowledge, if contemplation and action may be 

 more nearly and straitly conjoined and united together than 

 they have been ; a conjunction like unto that of the two 

 highest planets, Saturn, the planet of rest and contemplation, 

 and Jupiter, the planet of civil society and action : howbeit, 

 I do not mean, when I speak of use and action, that end 

 before-mentioned of the applying of knowledge to lucre and 20 

 profession ; for I am not ignorant how much that diverteth 

 and interrupteth the prosecution and advancement of know 

 ledge, like unto the golden ball thrown before Atalanta, 

 which while she goeth aside and stoopeth to take up, the race 

 is hindered ; 



Declinat cursus, aurumque volubile tollit: 

 [She goes aside from her course, and picks up the rolling gold.] 

 Neither is my meaning, as was spoken of Socrates, to call 

 philosophy down from heaven to converse upon the earth ; 

 that is, to leave natural philosophy aside, and to apply 30 

 knowledge only to manners and policy. But as both heaven 

 and earth do conspire and contribute to the use and benefit 

 of man ; so the end ought to be, from both philosophies to 

 separate and reject vain speculations, and whatsoever is 

 empty and void, and to preserve and augment whatsoever is 

 solid and fruitful ; that knowledge may not be, as a courtesan, 



