L I B. I. Of the Advancement of Learning. i < 



mony, barbarous, but good in the moral; for it becomes not Subjects 



by bent and inquifitive obfervations, to penetrate into the hearts <?/Prov.aj. 



Kings, which the Scripture hath declared to be jnfcrtitahle. 



§ There is yet another fault with which I will conclude this Part , 

 which is often noted in Learned men; namely , that injmall and out- 

 ward matters of behaviour and carriage (as in countenance, gefture, 

 march, ordinary difcourfejand the like)//)?/ do many times fail to obferve 

 decenfie and difcretion ; fo as the vulgar fort of capacities make a jud2;e- 

 ment of them in greater matters, by that which they find wanting in 

 ftnall and ordinary points of Adlion. But this prejudication doth of- 

 tentimes deceive them : nay let them know, they have their anfwer 

 from Themi^ocles, who being invited to touch a Lute, faid, arrogantly 

 enough, being applyed to himfelf, but pertinently to the purpofe in 

 hand. That he could not indeed fiddle^ hut he kjzcxv hoiv to mal^ a fmall •''"t in 

 Tovon^, a great State. And there are , no doubt, many well feen in the ^'^''"™''*- 

 Arts of Government, and Policy, which are tofcek in ordinary conver* 

 (ation and punctual occafions. I refer luch fcofFers to the Elogie Al- Plato ' 

 cibiades gn\e of hisMafter Socrates, whom he compar'd to the Gal/i' ^''"^° 

 pots of the Jpothecariesj which on the outfide rpere drawn with Apes^ Owls, 

 and Antiques, but contained within precious liquors andfoveraign con' 

 fe&ionsj acknowledging that to vulgar capacity and popular report, 

 he was not without fbme fuperficial leviteSjand deformities, but was in- 

 wardly replenifht with excellent powers and virtues. And (bmuch 

 touching the Point of Manners of learned men. 



§ In the mean time I thought good toadvertife, that I have no pur- 

 pole to give allowance to fbme bafe and unworthy Conditions of fame 

 Profeffors, whereby they have difcredited both Themfelves and Learn- 

 ing ; fuch were thofe trencher rhilofophers , which in the later age of 

 the Romanftate; were ufually in the houfes of great Perfons-, whom 

 not improperly you may callfolemn Parajttes : of which kind Lucian 

 makes a merry difcription of the Philofbpher, that the great Lady took 

 to ride with her in the Coach, and would needs have him carry her 

 YmleDog Melit£tts -J which he doing ofBcioufly and yet uncomely, the 

 Page fcoffing fiid, I doubt our rhilojopher of a Stoick^ will turn Cynique. DeMerc. 

 But above all the reft, thegrofs and palpable flattery whereunto ma- '^®"'^"^* 

 ny not unlearned have abafed and abufed their wits and pens, turning 

 as Du Bartus faith Hecuba into Helena^ and Faujiina into Lucretia, hath 

 diminifht the prize and eftimation of Learning. 



§ Neither is the Modern Dedication of Bookj to Patrons to he Cc%J- 

 mended ; for that Books, fuch as are worthy the name of Books,ought 

 to have no Patron but Truth and Reafon. The cuftom of the Ancients 

 was better, who were wont to dedicate their writings only to private and 

 equal friends , or to entitle the Books with the names of'fuch friends; 

 or if they Dedicated their Books to Kings or great Perfons, it was 

 to (bme fuch as the Argument of the Book was fit and proper 

 for. Thefe and the like Courses may deferve rather apprehenfion than 

 defeoce. 



i) Norfiylthis, as'if I condemned the Iliorigeration and application 

 of Learned men, to men in fortune and place , for the anfwer was good 

 that Arijiippus made to one that askt him in mockery, How it came topafs 

 that Phd'fophers were followers of Rich men^ and not Rich men of Philo- t^err, 



fophers^ J^riftjp. 



in 



