Lib. I. Of the Advancement of Learning. 3 5 



n>hole ejiate into obligations. But thc admiration ofthff Prif?ce, v/hilft 

 I reprefent him to my (elf, not as Alexander the Great, but zsAriJhtks 

 Scholar, hath perchance carried me too far. 



§ As for IhUus Ctgfar^ the excellency of his Learning, fleeds riot to be o'at. ' 

 argued, either from his education, or his company, or his anfwers, cic.de o- 

 For this, in a high degree, doth declare it felf in his own writings, g^^J^j ^^ 

 and works, whereof Ibme are extant, fbme unfortunately perifh't. lui. ' 

 For firft, there is left unto us that excellent Hijlory of his own noirs, which 

 he entitled only a Commentary^ wherein all fucceeding times have ad-^"'^^'" 

 mired thefolid weight of matter; and lively images of Aftions and^''^^^'* ' 

 Pcrfbns expreft in the greateft propriety of words, & perfpicuity of Nar- 

 ration, that ever was. Which endowments, that they were not in- 

 fofed by nature, butaccquired by Precepts and injiru&tons of Learning, 

 is well witneffed by that work of his entitled De Analogia, which was parag.s5c 

 nothing elfe but a Grammatical Philofophy, wherein he did labour, to 

 make this vox adPlacitum, to become vox ad Licitum, and to reduce 

 cuftome offpeech, to congruity offpeech; that words, which are the 

 the images ofthings, might accord with the things therafelves, and not 

 ftand to the Arbitrement of the vulgar. So likewi(e we have by his 

 edift, a reformed computation ofthej/ear, correfpondent to the courfe suet.in 

 of the Sun •■> which evidently (hews, that he accounted it his equal glo- parag. 40, 

 ry, to find out the laws of the ftars in heaven , as to give laws to men 

 on earth. So in that Book of his entitled Anti-Cato 5 it doth eafily ap- p[i,t jp 

 pear, that he did afpire, as well to viftory of wit, as viftory of war , C^fa 

 undertaking therein a Conflici againft the greateft Champion with the 

 Pen, that then lived, Cicero the Oratour. Again in his Book o£ Apoph- 

 thegms^ which he collefted, we fee he efteemed it more honour, to 

 to make hirafelf but a pair of Tables, or Codici/s, wherein to regifter 

 the wife and grave fayings of others j than if his own words were hal- 

 lowed as Oracles, as many vain Princes, by cuftom of Flattery, delight 

 to do. But if I (hould report divers of his 6'/)e£d:Ae/, as I did m Alex' 

 ander, they are truly fuch, as Solomon notes. Verba fapientumjunt tan- ^ ,^ , 

 quamacHlei, d^ tanquamclavi in altnm dejrxi.-wheiefotelwillhete only 

 propound three, not fo admirable for elegancy, as for vigour and effi- 

 cacy : Asfirft, it is reafon he be thought amafier of words ^ that could 

 with one word appeafea mutiny in his army: the occafion was this 5 

 The Romans, when their Generals did fpeak in their Army, did ufe 

 the word^ Mlites, when the Magiftrates fpake to the people, they 

 did vfe the word, ^irites : C<efars fouldiers were in a tumult, and fe- 

 ditioufly prayed to be called, not that they fo meant, but by expoftu- 

 lation thereof^ to draw C^far to other conditions; He, nothing daun- 

 ted and refolute, after fbme filence began thus, Ego, ^irites, which Suet.in , 

 word did admit them already caOiiered ; wherewith the fouldiers were ^^'-P^^S' 

 fofurprized, and (b amazed ; as they would not fufFer him to goon in 

 his fpeech ; and relinquiQiing their demands ofDifmiJJzon, made it now 

 their earnefl fuit, that the name of Milites, might be again reftored 

 them. The fecond fpeech was thus , Cafar did extreamly affeft the name 

 o^King'-, therefore (bme were fet on, as he paffed by, in popular accla- 

 mation to falute him /C/»^.- he finding the cry weak and poor, put off 

 theraatter with ajert, as if they had mift his fir-name, Non Rex fit m, ^"^^_'^^' 

 (faith he)/c^ Cafari, indeed fuch a fpeech, as if it be •Kaftlyfearch't, 



E 2 the 



