1 66 The Advancement of Learning 



Non recipit stultus verba prudentice, nisi ea dixeris qua 

 versantur in corde ejus} 



10. 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 companies, 

 colleges, and politic bodies, of neighbourhood, and all other 

 proportionate duties; not as they are parts of government 

 and society, but as to the framing of the mind of particular 

 persons. 



11. The knowledge concerning good respecting Society doth 

 handle it also, not simply alone, but comparatively ; where- 

 unto belongeth the weighing of duties between person and 

 person, case and case, particular and public: as we see in 

 the proceeding of Lucius Brutus against his own sons, which 

 was so much extolled; yet what was said? 



Infelix, utcunque ferent ea fata minores.* 



So the case was doubtful, and had opinion on both sides 

 Again, we see when M. Brutus and Cassius invited to a 

 supper certain whose opinions they meant to feel, whether 

 they were fit to be made their associates, and cast forth the 

 question touching the killing of a tyrant being a usurper, 

 they were divided in opinion ; ^ some holding that servitude 

 was the extreme of evils, and others that tyranny was better 

 than a civil war : and a number of the like cases there are 

 of comparative duty; amongst which that of all others 

 is the most frequent, where the question is of a great deal 

 of good to ensue of a small injustice. Which Jason of 

 Thessalia determined against the truth: Aliqua sunt 

 injuste facienda, ut multa juste fieri possint* But the reply 

 is good, Auctorem prcBsentis justitice habes, sponsor em 

 futurcB non habes. Men must pursue things which are just 

 in present, and leave the future to the divine Providence. 

 So then we pass on from this general part touching the 

 exemplar and description of good. 

 I. I. Now therefore that we have spoken of this fruit of life, 

 it remaineth to speak of the husbandry that belongeth 



• Prov. xviii. 2. From the Vulgate. 



• Virg. Mn. vi. 823. Bacon, or a misprint, has substituted fata 

 for facta. 



• See Plutarch, Life of Brutus. • Plut. Prac. Get. Reip. 24. 



