L I B. I. ' Of the Advancement of Learning, q o 



ther is the commandment of Tyrants much better, over a fervile Peo- 

 ple, difmantled of their Spirits and generofity of mind 5 therefore it 

 wasever held, that honours in free Monarchies and Common-wealths 

 had a fweetneis more than in Tyrannies 5 becaufe a command over the 

 willing is more honourable than over the forced and compelled: 

 Wherefore J^Trgil, when he would out of the higheft ftrain of his Art 

 expre(s the beft of Humane honourSjthat he could attribute to C^far^he 

 doth it in thefe words, 



vi&orq'-i -volentes Georg 4, 



■Per Populot datjura^ viaf^qj affeSat Olympo. 



But the Commandment of knovpledge is far higher than the Commandment 

 over the will, though free, and not enflaved and vajJaVd : For it is a DO" 

 7»inion over Reafon^Belief and the Vnder^anding^tfhich is the highejipart 

 of man,and gives Law to thevptU it felf : For without Qiieftion there is no 

 power on earth,which advanceth and fets up a Throne, andjas it were, 

 « chair ofefiate, in the fouls of men and their Cogitations, Alfents, and 

 Belief, but Knowledge and Learning : And therefore we fee, the detefta- 

 bleand extreme pleafure t\\zt Arch-Hereticks, falfe Prophets, and Impg- 

 iiors are ravifht, and tranlported withal, when once they find that they 

 begin to have a Dominion, and Superiority over the faith and confci- 

 ences of men ; indeed (b great, as he that hath once tafted it, it is (cl- 

 dom feen that any perlecution or torture can make them relinquifh this 

 Soveraignty ; But as this is that which the Divine Author of the R.eve- 

 . lations calls, The depth or prof oundnefs of Satan ; (bon the contrary, the apocz; 

 juft and lawful Soveraignty over mens minds, eftabliflit by the clear e- 

 vidence , and fweet commendation of Truth, approacheth certainly 

 neareft to the limilitude of the Divine Rule. 



§ As for Fortunes and Honours, the magnificence of Learning doth not 

 fo enrich and adorn whole Kingdoms and Common-wealths, as it doth not 

 lil{ewife amplife and advance the Fortunes and Ejiates of particular perfons^ 

 For it is an ancient obfervation , that Homer hath given more men their 

 living, than either Scylla, or Csfarj^Jr Auguftus ever did, notwithftanding 

 their great Largeiles,fuch infinite donatives, and diftributionsofrauch 

 Land. No doubt, it is hard to iay,whether Arms or Learning have ad- 

 vanced greater numbers : But if we fpeak of Soveraignty, we fee, that 

 if Arms have carried away the Kingdom , yet Learning hath born away 

 the Priejlhood, which ever hath been in fome competition with ■ 

 Empire. 



§ Again, If you contemplate the Pleafure and Delight of Knowledge and 

 .Learning, affttredly it far furpaffes all other pleafure : For what ? Shall, 

 perchance, thepleafures of the Affeftions fo far excel the pleafuresof 

 the fenfes, as a happy obtaining of a defire, doth a (bng or a dinner 5 

 and muft not by the fame degrees of confequence, the pleafure of the 

 Intelled tranfcend thofe of the AfFeftions? In all other pleafures there 

 is a finite (atiety, and after they grow a little ftale, their flower and 

 verdure vades and departs ; whereby we are inftrudted, that they were 

 not indeed pure and finccrc pleafures, but (hadows and deceits oCPlea^ 

 fures i and that it was the Novelty which plcas'd, and not the Qua- 

 lity ; therefore voluptuous men often turn Fryars , and the declining 



