ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 275 



human hands, is sometimes placed upon the sand, as in the 

 case of Brutus, who, at his death, cried out, " O virtue, I have 

 reverenced thee as a being, but alas, thou art an empty name ! " 

 yet the same foundation is ever, by the Divine hand, fixed upon 

 a rock. And here we conclude the doctrine of rising in life, and 

 the general doctrine of business, together. 



CHAPTER III 



The Arts of Empire or State Policy omitted. Two Deficiencies alone 

 noticed. The Art of Enlarging the Bounds of Empire, and the 

 Knowledge of Universal Justice drawn from the Fountains of Law 



We come now to the art of empire, or the doctrine of govern- 

 ing a state, which includes economics, as a city includes a 

 family. But here, according to my former resolution, I impose 

 silence upon myself ; how well qualified soever I might seem to 

 treat the subject, from the constant course of life, studies, em- 

 ploys, and the public posts I have, for a long series of years, sus- 

 tained, even to the highest in the kingdom, which, through his 

 majesty's favor, and no merit of my own, I held for four years. 

 And this I speak to posterity, not out of ostentation ; but be- 

 cause I judge it may somewhat import the dignity of learn- 

 ing, to have a man born for letters rather than anything else, 

 who should, by a certain fatality, and against the bent of his 

 genius, be compelled into active life, and yet be raised, by a 

 prudent king, to the greatest posts of honor, trust, and civil 

 employ. And if I should hereafter have leisure to write upon 

 government, the work will probably either be posthumous or 

 abortive. But in the meantime, having now seated all the 

 sciences, each in its proper place, lest such a high chair as 

 that of government should remain absolutely vacant, we here 

 observe, that two parts of civil doctrine, though belonging not 

 to the secrets of state, but of a more open and vulgar nature, 

 are deficient, and shall, therefore, in our manner, give specimens 

 for supplying them. 



The art of government includes the political offices; viz., 

 i. the preservation; 2. the happiness; and 3. the enlargement 

 of a state. The two former have, in good measure, been excel- 

 lently treated by some ; but there is nothing extant upon the 

 last; which we, therefore, note as deficient, and propose the 



