176 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



and traduce much of that which is good in professions, 

 than with judgement to discover and sever that which 

 is corrupt. For, as Salomon saith, he that cometh to 

 seek after knowledge with a mind to scorn and censure, 

 shall be sure to find matter for his humour, but no 

 De cauuUi matter for his instruction : ' Quaerenti 

 et maiia derisori scientiam ipsa se abscondit ; sed 



artibuB. studioso fit obviam.' But the managing 



of this argument with integrity and truth, which I note 

 as deficient, seemeth to me to be one of the best forti- 

 fications for honesty and virtue that can be planted. 

 For, as the fable goeth of the basilisk, that if he see 

 you first, you die for it ; but if you see him first, he 

 dieth : so is it with deceits and evil arts ; which, if 

 they be first espied they leese their life ; but if they 

 prevent, they endanger. So that we are much be- 

 holden to Machiavel and others, that write what men 

 do, and not what they ought to do. For it is not 

 possible to join serpentine wisdom with the columbine 

 innocency, except men know exactly all the conditions 

 of the serpent ; his baseness and going upon his belly, 

 his volubility and lubricity, his envy and sting, and the 

 rest ; that is, all forms and natures of evil. For with- 

 out this, virtue lieth open and unfenced. Nay, an honest 

 man can do no good upon those that are wicked, to 

 reclaim them, without the help of the knowledge of 

 evil. For men of corrupted minds presuppose that 

 honesty groweth out of simplicity of manners, and be- 

 lieving of preachers, schoolmasters, and men's exterior 

 language. So as, except you can make them perceive 

 that you know the utmost reaches of their own corrupt 

 opinions, they despise all morality. ' Non recipit 

 stultus verba prudentiae, nisi ea dixeris quae versantur 

 in corde ejus.' 



lO. Unto this part, touching respective duty, doth 

 also appertain the duties between husband and wife, 

 parent and child, master and servant. So likewise the 

 laws of friendship and gratitude, the civil bond of com- 

 panies, colleges, and politic bodies, of neighbourhood ; 

 and all other proportionate duties ; not as they are parta 



