74 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



foundations, which though they be divided under 

 several sovereignties and territories, yet they take 

 themselves to have a kind of contract, fraternity, and 

 correspondence one with the other, insomuch as they 

 have provincials and generals. And surely as nature 

 createth brotherhood in families, and arts mechanical 

 contract brotherhoods in communalties, and the anoint- 

 ment of God superinduceth a brotherhood in kings and 

 bishops, so in like manner there cannot but be a frater- 

 nity in learning and illumination, relating to that 

 paternity which is attributed to God, who is called 

 the Father of illuminations or lights. 



14. The last defect which I will note is, that there 

 hath not been, or very rarely been, any public designa- 

 tion of writers or inquirers, concerning such parts of 

 knowledge as may appear not to have been already 

 sufficiently laboured or undertaken ; unto which point 

 it is an inducement to enter into a view and examina- 

 tion what parts of learning have been prosecuted and 

 what omitted. For the opinion of plenty is amongst 

 the causes of want, and the great quantity of books 

 maketh a show rather of superfluity than lack ; which 

 surcharge nevertheless is not to be remedied by making 

 no more books, but by making more good books, which, 

 as the serpent of Moses, mought devour the serpents of 

 the enchanters. 



15. The removing of all the defects formerly enu- 

 merate, except the last, and of the active part also of 

 the last (which is the designation of writers), are opera 

 basilica ; towards which the endeavours of a private 

 man may be but as an image in a crossway, that may 

 point at the way, but cannot go it. But the inducing 

 part of the latter (which is the survey of learning) may 

 be set forward by private travail. Wherefore I will 

 now attempt to make a general and faithful perambula- 

 tion of learning, with an inquiry what parts thereof lie 

 fresh and waste, and not improved and converted by 

 the industry of man ; to the end that such a plot made 

 and recorded to memory, may both minister light to 

 any public designation, and also serve to excite volun- 



