44 ^f ^^^ Advancement of Learning. L i b. L 



time, and many ways enricht it 5 but in truth, to Your Majefty, whom 

 God hath bleft with fo much Royal Iffue worthy to perpetuate you for 

 ever 5 whofe youthful and fruitful Bed, doth yet promife more chil- 

 dren j it is very proper, npt only to irradiate, as you do, your own 

 times, but alfo to extend your Cares to thofe Afts which fucceeding 

 Ages may cherilb, and Eternity it felf behold : Amongfl: which, if my 

 affeftioq to Learning do not tranfport me, there is none more wor- 

 thy, or more noble, thatt the e»dorct»ent of the world with found and 

 fruitful Advancements of Learning : For whyfliould we ereft unto our 

 felves fome kw Authors, toftand like Hercules Columns^ bieyoad which 

 there (hould be no difcovery of knowledge 5 feeing we havej-owr Majc 

 /7y, as a bright and benign Star, toconduft and profper us in thisNa-" 

 vigation. 



I. To return therefore unto our purpofe, let us weigh and conG- 

 der with our felves, what hitherto hath been performed, what pre- 

 termitted by Princes and others, for the Propagation of Learning: And 

 this we will purfue clofely and diftioftly, in an Aftive and Mafculine 

 Expreffion, no where digrefiing , nothing dilating. Let this ground 

 therefore be laid, which Everyone may grant, that the greateft and 

 mod difScult works are overcome, cither by the Amplitude of Reward^ 

 or by the r\>Tfdom andfoundnefs of DirfSion , or by conjunQion of La- 

 bours ; whereof the firft, enccurageth our .endeavours''^ thefecond^ takes 

 •avpay Error and Confufion 5 the third, fnppHes the frailty of Man. But 

 the Principal amongft thefe three , is the wifdom andfoundnejs of Di- 

 xeiiion^ that is , a Delineation and Demonftration of a right and 

 eafie way to accomplilh any enterprize : Claudus enint , as the 

 Ecclef. 10. (aying is, in via antevertit Curforem extra viam 5 and Solomon apt- 

 ly to the purpofe , If the Iron he blunt , and he do not rvhet the 

 edge , then mtifi he put too more jlrength 5 but reifdont is profitable 

 t:9 DireUion : By tvhich words he infinuateth, that a wife ele&jon of 

 the Alean^ doth more efficacioufly conduce to the perfeQing of uny en- 

 terprizc, than any enforcement or accumulation of endeavours. This I 

 am prefTed to fpeak , for that fnot derogating from the Honour of 

 thofe who have any way delerved well of Learning) I fee and ob- 

 ferve, that many of their Works and Afts , are rather matter of 

 Magnificence and Memory of their own names , than of ProgreJJion 

 and Proficience of Learning 5 and have rather encreafed the num- 

 ber of Learned men , than much promoted the Augmentation of 

 Learning. 



II. The Works or Ada pertaini-ng to the Propagation of Learning , 

 are conversant about three objei!is , about the Places of Learn- 

 ingj zboiit the Books i and about the Perjons of Learned men. For 

 as rvater, whether falling from the Dew of Heaven, or rifing from 

 the fpringsof the earth,- is eafily fcattered and loft in the ground, 

 except it be colleded into fome receptacles , where it may by 

 union and Congregation into one body comfort and fuftain it 

 felf; for that purpofe the induftry of man hath invented Con- 

 duits , Cifterns and Pools , and beautified them with divers ac- 

 complidimentg , as well of Magnificence and Stare , as of Ufe 

 and Neceffity ; fo this mofl: excellent liquor of Knowledge ^ whether 

 it diftll flora a divide infpira-tion 3 or Ipring from the fenfes , 



would 



