2 Of the Advancement of Learning, Lib. I* 



excellency of thofe Vertues and Faculties in yoUjWhich the Philofophers 

 call intellectual 5 the capacity of your Mind comprehending fo many and 

 fo great Notions, the faithfulnefsof your Memory, thefwiftncfs of your 

 Apprehenfion, the penetration of your Judgment, the order and facility 

 of your Elocution. In truth P/<2/tf's Opinion fometimes comes into my 

 inPhtdt. niind, which maintains, That knorcUdgeis nothiKgdfe but reKiembrance^ 

 and that the mind of man by nature k^nows all things, once redimed and re- 

 Jiorcd to her own native light, which the (.loudy vatdt or gloomy tabernacle 

 of the body had orefpread with darknefs. For certainly the beft and cleareft 

 Inftance for this Aflertion (bines in your Majefty, who(e mind is fo ready 

 to take flame from the leaft occafion prefented, or the leaftfparkof an- 

 others Knowledge delivered. Wherefore as the facred Scripture faith of 

 1 Reg,4. jf^g wifeft Kmg, That his heart was as thefands ofthefea : which though 

 it be one of the largeft Bodies, yet it confifteth of the fmalleft portions j 

 fo hath God given your Majefty a compofition of Underftanding ex- 

 ceeding admirable, being able to compals and comprehend the greateft 

 matters, and nevertheless, to apprehend the leaft, and not to fuffer theni 

 to efcape your Obfervation : Whereas it ftiould feem very difficult, or ra- 

 thejr^n impoffibility in nature, for the fame Inftruraent to make it felf 

 fit for great and fmall works. And for your gift of Speech, I call to mind 

 ,'. J what Cornelius Tacitui faith o^ AuguUus C<efar, Attgitfio ((a^\xh\\t)pompa. 

 ac frof liens, qu£ deceret principem, eloqnentiafuit. In truth if we note it 

 well, Speech that is Elaborate, or JffeOate, or Imitating, although other- 

 wife excellent, hath fomewhat fervile in it and holding of the fubjed j 

 but your Majefties manner of Speech is indeed Prince-like,flowing as from 

 a Fountain , and yet ftreaming and branching it felf into Natures Order, 

 full of Facility and Felicity,/^;?/*?//^^ none,and Inimitable of any. And as in 

 your Civil eftate, refpefting as well your Kingdom as your Court, there 

 appeareth to be an Emulation and Contention of your MajeftiesVertue 

 with your Fortune, namely jCXcellent moral Endowments with a fortunate 

 Regiment ; a pious aifd patient expedation when time was, of your grea- 

 ter Fortune, with a profperous and fealbnable pofFeffion of what was ex- 

 pefted 5 a holy obfervation of the Laws of Marriage, with a blefled and 

 happy fruit of Marriage in a moftfair Progeny , a godly Propenfion and 

 mofl befeeming a Chriftian Prince to Peace, with a fortunate concurrence 

 of the like inclination in your neighbour Princes : So likewife in your 

 intelleftual Abilities, there feemeth to be no lefs Contention and Emula- 

 tion 3 if we compare your Majefties gifts of Nature with the rich Treafury 

 of multiplicious Erudition and the knowledge of many Arts. Neither 

 is it eafie to find any K/w^ fince Chrifts time, which may be compared 

 with your Majefty for variety and improvement of all kind of Learning 

 Divine and Humane. Let who will revolve and perufe the Succefiionof 

 Kings and Emperours, and he (hall find this judgement is truly made. 

 For indeed it feemeth much in Kings, if by the compendious Extraftion 

 of other mens Wits and Labours, they can take hold of knowledge, or 

 attain any fuperficial ornaments or (hews of Learning, or if they counte- 

 nance and prefer learned men 5 but for a King, and a Ring born, to drink 

 indeed the true Fountains of Learning, nay, to behirafelf a Fountain of 

 Learning, is almoft a Miracle. And this alfo is an accefs to your Majefty, 

 that in the fame Clofet of your Mind, there are treafurcd up as vvejl Di- 

 vine and Sacred Literature, as Prophaiie andFIumane 3 fb thaty.ourMa' 



jefty 



