The First Book 19 



amongst you, and you become little amongst the Grecians : hut 

 they he of that nature, as they are sometimes not good for me to 

 give, hut are always good for you to follow} And so Seneca, 

 after he had consecrated that Quinquennium Neronis ^ to 

 the eternal glory of learned governors, held on his honest 

 and loyal course of good and free counsel, after his master 

 grew extremely corrupt in his government. Neither can 

 this point otherwise be; for Learning endueth men's minds 

 with a true sense of the frailty of their persons, the casualty 

 of their fortunes, and the dignity of their soul and vocation : 

 so that it is impossible for them to esteem that any greatness 

 of their own fortune can be a true or worthy end of their 

 being and ordainment; and therefore are desirous to give 

 their account to God, and so likewise to their masters under 

 God (as kings and states that they serve) in these words; 

 Ecce tihi lucrefeci, and not Ecce mihi lucrefeci ; ^ whereas, 

 the corrupter sort of mere Politiques, that have not their 

 thoughts estabhshed by learning in the love and apprehen- 

 sion of duty, nor never look abroad into universality, do 

 refer all things to themselves, and thrust themselves into the 

 centre of the world, as if all hues should meet in them and 

 their fortunes; never caring in all tempests what becomes 

 of the ship of estates, so they may save themselves in the 

 cockboat of their own fortune: whereas men that feel the 

 weight of duty and know the limits of self love, use to make 

 good their places and duties, though with peril ; and if they 

 stand in seditious and violent alterations, it is rather the 

 reverence which many times both adverse parts do give to 

 honesty, than any versatile advantage of their own carriage. 

 But for this point of tender sense and fast obhgation of duty 

 which learning doth endue the mind withal, howsoever 

 fortune may tax it, and many in the depth of their corrupt 

 principles may despise it, yet it will receive an open allow- 

 ance, and therefore needs the less disproof or excusation. 

 7. Another fault incident commonly to learned men, 

 which may be more properly defended than truly denied, is, 

 that they fail sometimes in applying themselves to particu- 

 lar persons: which want of exact apphcation ariseth from 



* Demosth. Chers. 187, ad finem. 



• The Quinquennium Neronis refers to the first five years oi 

 Nero's reign, during which he was under Seneca's influence. 



» Matt. XXV. 20. 



