The First Book 15 



for answer to Politiques, which in their humorous severity, 

 or in their feigned gravity, have presumed to throw imputa- 

 tions upon Learning; which redargution nevertheless (save 

 that we know not whether our labours may extend to other 

 ages) were not needful for the present, in regard of the love 

 and reverence towards Learning, which the example and 

 countenance of two so learned Princes, Queen Elizabeth, 

 and your Majesty, being as Castor and Pollux, Lucidasidera} 

 stars of excellent light and most benign influence, hath 

 wrought in all men of place and authority in our nation. 

 IILi.Now therefore we come to that third sort of discredit 

 or diminution of credit that groweth unto Learning from 

 learned men themselves, which commonly cleaveth fastest : 

 it is either from their fortune ; or from their manners ; or 

 from the nature of their studies. For the first, it is not in 

 their power; and the second is accidental; the third only 

 is proper to be handled. But because we are not in hand 

 with true measure, but with popular estimation and conceit, 

 it is not amiss to speak somewhat of the two former. The 

 derogations therefore which grow to Learning from the 

 fortune or condition of learned men, are either in respect of 

 scarcity of means, or in respect of privateness of life and 

 meanness of employments. 

 2. Concerning want, and that it is the case of learned me n 

 usually to begin with little, and not to grow rich so fast 

 as other men by reason they convert not their labours 

 chiefly to lucre and increase : it were good to leave the com- ^ 

 mon place in commendation of poverty to some friar to 

 handle, to whom much was attributed by Machiavel in this 

 point ; when he said. That the kingdom of the clergy had been 

 long before at an end, if the reputation and reverence towards 

 the poverty of friars had not borne out the scandal of the super- 

 fluities and excesses of bishops and prelates^ So a man 

 might say that the felicity and delicacy of princes and great 

 persons had long since turned to rudeness and barbarism, if ^ 

 the poverty of Learning had not kept up civility and honour ^ 

 of life : but without any such advantages, it is worthy the 

 observation what a reverend and honoured thing poverty 

 was for some ages in the Roman state, which nevertheless 



1 Hor. Odes, iii. 2. 



* Mach. Disc, sopra Tit. Liv. iii. 1., speaking of the Franciscan 

 and Dominican orders. 



