216 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



only that general map of the world, ' That all things 

 are vanity and vexation of spirit,' but many other 

 more particular cards and directions : chiefly that, 

 that being without well-being is a curse, and the greater 

 being the greater curse ; and that all virtue is most 

 rewarded, and all wickedness most punished in itself : 

 according as the poet saith excellently : 



Quae vobis, quae digna, viri, pro laudibus istis 

 Praemia posse rear solvi ? pulcherrima primum 

 Dii moresque dabunt vestri. 



And so of the contrary. And secondly they ought to 

 look up to the eternal providence and divine judgement, 

 which often subverteth the wisdom of evil plots and 

 imaginations, according to that scripture, ' He hath 

 conceived mischief, and shall bring forth a vain thing.' 

 And although men should refrain themselves from 

 injury and evil arts, yet this incessant and Sabbathless 

 pursuit of a man's fortune leaveth not tribute which 

 we owe to God of our time ; who (we see) demandeth 

 a tenth of our substance, and a seventh, which is more 

 strict, of our time : and it is to small purpose to have 

 an erected face towards heaven, and a perpetual grovel- 

 ing spirit upon earth, eating dust as doth the serpent, 

 ' Atque affigit humo divinae particulam aurae.' And 

 if any man flatter himself that he will employ his for- 

 tune well, though he should obtain it ill, as was said 

 concerning Augustus Caesar, and after of Septimius 

 Severus, ' That either they should never have been 

 bom, or else they should never have died,' they did so 

 much mischief in the pursuit and ascent of their great- 

 ness, and so much good when they were estabhshed ; 

 yet these compensations and satisfactions are good to 

 be used, but never good to be purposed. And lastly, 

 it is not amiss for men in their race toward their fortune, 

 to cool themselves a little with that conceit which is 

 elegantly expressed by the Emperor Charles the Fifth, 

 in his instructions to the king his son, ' That fortune 

 hath somewhat of the nature of a woman, that if she 

 be too much wooed she is the farther off.' But this 



