L 1 E. I. Gf the Advancement ofLe^rimg. 19 



of Leifurc, fharp , and ftrong wits, and fmall variety. of^Teading, 

 (for their wits were fliut up within the writing of a fc-w Authors, chiet- 

 Jy Arijlotk^ their Diftator,as their Perfbns were (hut up in the cells of 

 Monafterics and Colleges) and for mofl: part ignorant of the Hiftory 

 either of Nature, or of Time, did out oF no great Quantity of Matter, 

 but infinite agitation of their Wit and Phancy, as of thefpindle, fpin 

 out unto us thofe laborious webs of Learning, which are extant in 

 their Books. For the Wit and Mind of Man, if it work upon Matter, 

 by contemplating Nature and the Works of God, worketh according 

 to the (luff, and is limited thereby :i but if it worketh upon it (cif, as 

 thejpidcr rvorks his web, then it is endlcfs, and brings forth Cobrvebs of ' 

 Learning, indeed admirable for finenefs of thred and work, but of no 

 Subftance and Profit. 



§ This fame unprofitable////'///// or C«r/i'/?y, is of two forts i and 

 it is difcerned either in the fubjeft and Al.it ter it felf, fich as is fruitleis 

 Speculation or Controvcrfie, whereof there are no fmall number, both 

 . in Divinity and Philofophy 5 Or in the hUnner and Method of lund- 

 ■ ling, which araongft School-men was this. Upon every Po(itionor 

 Aflertion they framed objedtions, then folutions of thole objeftions, 

 which folutions, for the tnoftpart, were only diftindtions, whereas 

 indeed, theftrength ofalifciences, lik? the Old mans Fagot, conlifteth ^^'"5'Pv, r 

 not in every (lick afunder, but in them all together united in the band, ^l^^^ 

 For the Hartftony offciences, that is when each part fupports the other, 

 is and ought to be the true and brief way of confutation and fuppref- 

 (ion of all the fmaller fort of objections : but on the other (ide, if you 

 draw out every Axiom, as the fticks of a Fagot, one by one, you raay 

 eafily quarrel with them, and bend and break them at your pleafure. 

 So that as it was faid ofSencca^-vcrbonim Jllinutiis rerumfrafigit pondera, Fabuii 

 may truly be faid of the School- men, ^dejiiomtm MiKntiis jcientiunim Qi'-'rlif' 

 frangunt pondera. For were it not better for a man, in a fair room to 

 fetupone great light, or branching candleftick of lights, whereby all 

 may befeen at once, than to go up and down with a fmall watch can- 

 dle into ever corner ? And fuch is their AIethod,ihit refteth not fo much 

 upon evidence of Truth proved by Arguments, Authorities, Simili- 

 tudes and Examples; as upon particular Confutations, and Solutions 

 of every fcruple, cavillation, and objeftion •-, thus breeding .qucftion 

 upon queftion , even as hi the former refemblance, ivhen yon carry the 

 light into one corner, you darken the reji. So that the fable of Sc)/l/u feems 

 to be a lively image of this kind of Philofophy or knowledge , which 

 for the upper part had the fhape of a comely Virgin, but below, Candi- 

 dii ftccinciam latrantibus inguina. monjirif-, So you lliall find fome ge- Vr?. Bnci 

 neralities of the School- men, fair and well proportioned, and invented ^'^' ^• 

 to (brae good purpofe ; but then when you deicend to diftindtions and 

 decihons , in ftead of a fruitful womb for the ufe and benefit of mans 

 life, they end in monftrous and barking ^eft ions. Wherefore it is no 

 , marvail, if this quality of Knowledege fall under, even popular con- 

 tempt, the people being apt to contemn Truthupon occafion of Con- 

 troverfies,and altercations j and to think they are all out of their way, 

 which never meet and agree among themfelves ; and when they fee the 

 digladiationsof Learned men, about matters of no ufe or moment, they 

 ealily fall upon that judgement of Dionjfiits of Sy racufij verba ifafunt 



C 2 ' fcmivi 



