96 The Advancement of Learning 



of nature, we know not whether man's inquiry can attain 

 unto it. But these three be the true stages of knowledge, 

 and are to them that are depraved no better than the giant's 

 hills: 



Ter sunt conati imponere Pelio Ossam, 



Scilicet atque Ossae frond osum involvere Olympum.* 



But to those who refer all things to the glory of God, they 

 are as the three acclamations, Sancie, sancte, sancte ! holy 

 in the description or dilatation of His works ; holy in the 

 connection or concatenation of them : and holy in the union 

 of them in a perpetual and uniform law. And therefore 

 the speculation was excellent in Parmenides and Plato, 

 although but a speculation in them, that all things by scale 

 did ascend to unity.^ So then always that knowledge is 

 worthiest which is charged with least multiplicity; which 

 appeareth to be metaphysique ; as that which considereth 

 the simple Forms or differences of things, which are few in 

 number, and the degrees and co-ordinations whereof make 

 all this variety. 



The second respect, which valueth and commendeth this 

 part of metaphysique, is that it doth enfranchise the power 

 of man unto the greatest liberty and possibility of works 

 and effects. For physique carrieth men in narrow and re- 

 strained ways, subject to many accidents of impediments, 

 imitating the ordinary flexuous courses of nature ; but latcB 

 undique sunt sapientibus vice : ^ to sapience, which was 

 anciently defined to be rerum divinarum et humanarum 

 scientia* there is ever choice of means. For physical causes 

 give light to new invention in simili materia ; but whoso- 

 ever knoweth any Form, knoweth the utmost possibility 

 of super-inducing that nature upon any variety of matter; 

 and so is less restrained in operation, either to the basis of 

 the matter, or the condition of the efficient ; which kind of 

 knowledge Salomon likewise, though in a more divine sort, 

 elegantly describeth : non arctabuntur gressus tut, et currens 

 lion habebis offendiculum.^ The ways of sapience are not 

 much liable either to particularity or chance. 

 7. The second part of metaphysique is the inquiry of final 



' Georg. i. 281, 282. •Plato, Farm. 165, 166. 



• Perhaps Prov, xv. 19, via justorum absque offendiculo. 

 « Cic. de Off. i. 43 (154). • Prov. iv. 12. 



