Lib. VL Of the Advancement of Learning. i ^^ 



FJrJi hecdnfe Felicity Jeems to be a feal and charafter of Divine favour ^ 

 and accordingly begets both confidence and alacrity in our f elves , and re^ 

 jpe5 and authority from others : And this Felicity comprehends many 

 calualties, yvhereunto the power and providence of a man cannot a- .t 

 fpire. As when C£far encouraging the Sayler, (aid Csfarem portas & ^"^'-'^ 

 f or tun am ejus '-y but if he had faid, Cd;farem portas C^ virtutem ejus, it 

 had been a cold comfort againft a tempeft. Secondly bccaufe thatfuch 

 things as proceedfrom virtue and ifidujiry, are imitable, and feafable by 

 ethers to be praffifedj whereas Felicity is a thing inimitable^and a Preroga- 

 tive offomefevpfingular perfons. Wherefore we generally ftejthat things 

 of Nature are preferr'd before things of Art, becaufe they be inimitable; 

 for what is imitable is in efFed Proftitute and common. Thirdly the Re- 

 •venues of Felicity, fee fa to be no pur chafe of our own, but a Donativefrcm 

 others : but what is acquired by our own proper virtue is, as it were, bought 

 at a price. Whereupon P/«^4rf A faith elegantly of the Arts of Tzw^^/t'- 

 ott^ a man of all men moft fortunate, compared with the Acts of Agefi- " *^""° 

 laus and Epaminondas who lived in the fame Age, that they were lii^e. 

 Homer's verfes, which as they exceWd in other points, fo they feem'd to 

 have an ea(ie native fiide in them and to be conduced by a happy Genius. 

 Fourthly becaufe what falls out beyond hope and expe&ation, infinuates it 

 felf more fiveetly, and with greater delight, into the minds of men ^ but 

 this cannot be incident to thole things, which proceed from our own 

 care and compafs. 



The Colour. 



1 2 '^'^ what cottfijls of many and dividedparts, is greater than that which 



" confijis of few Tarts, and is more entire 5 for all things confideredly 



' parts feem greater: wherefore both plurality of parts hath aJJjew of 



'Magnitude^ and the fame Plurality workj more Jirongly, if it be pre- 



^'^jented unto us without order 3 for it induceth a refembUnce of Infinity, 



and hinders Comprchenfion^ 



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This Colour (eems a Yallax, at firft fight very palpable : for not the 

 Tlurality of Parts alone, but the Majority ^mzy make the total Greater 5 

 yetneverthelefs the Colour many iimes carryes the imagination away 5 

 yea, it deceives fenfe. For it (eems to the eye, afhorterdiftanceofway, 

 if k be all dead and continued, fo as nothing intercurr which may break 

 the fight 5 than in fuch a coaft or quarter, where there are Trees and 

 Buildings, and other marks, which may meadire and Divide the fpace. 

 So when a great Monied-man hath divided and di(tributed his chefts 

 and bags into (everal and diftinft rooms, he feemeth to hirafelf richer 

 than he was. Therefore a way to Amplify any thing, is to breaks it in- 

 to many Parts, and to handle every part fevefally by it felf. And this 

 again will more fill the imagination, if it be done promi(cuou(iy and 

 without order 5 iox confufion taxkih an opinion ofmultitudey (b what 

 are pre(ented and propounded in order, both feem to be more finitCjand 

 demonftrate that nothing is left out, but all is there : whereas on th« 

 contrary, whatfbever things are reprefented confufedly, are not only 

 thought to be more numerous in themfelves ; but they leave a fufpicion 

 that more might be faid than is exprefled. 



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