2^4 ^f ^^^ Advancement of Learning, Lib. VII. 



and pourtrait, feldom mention their Afts and Atchievements, but 

 withal, infert fomething touching their nature and difpofitions j (b 

 likewife many Relations, touching the Conclaves of ropes, which we 

 have met withal, reprefent good Chara&ers, and lively Imprcjjious, 

 otthe natural difpofitions oi^ Cardinals j as the letters of Ambafladors, 

 fet forth the nature and manners of Counfellors to Princes. Where- 

 fore let there be a full, and perfed collection made of this arguraenf, 

 whereof we have fpoken, which certainly is fertil and copious. Nei- 

 ther would toe, that thofe CharaBers in the Ethicks (as it is with Hifto- 

 rians. Poets, and in common fpeech,) fhould be accepted as perfeft 

 politick Images, which compounded and commixt conftitute any 

 refemblances whatfoever 3 how many and of what fort they may be 3 , 

 and how they are connext and fubordinate one with another : that 

 there may be made, as it were, an artificial and accurate difleftion of 

 natures and difpofitions; and a-difcovery of the fecret inclinations 

 of Individual tempers ; and that from a knowledge thereof, precepts 

 of cure may be more pertinently prefcribed. 



§ And not only the Chara&ers of difpofitions, iraprefTed by nature, 

 fhould be received into this Traftate , but thofe alfo which are impo- 

 led upon the mind, from Sex, Age, Region, Health, Beauty, and 

 the like : as alfo thofe from extern fortune, as of Princes, Nobles, 

 obfcurePerfons; Rich, Poor, Private per fons, Profperous, Mifera- 

 ble and the like. For we fee Plautus makes it a wonder to fee an old 

 Mil. G 0. ^^^ Beneficent, Benignitas quidem hujus, oppido ut adolcfcentuli eji : 

 Epiraen."' '^^ and St. Faul, commanding that the feverity of dilcipline, (hould be 

 ufed to the Cretans, (rebuke them fijarplji) accufeth the nature of that 

 injugurth. Nation from a Poet ; Cretenfesfemper mendaces, mala befii£, ventres 

 pigri. Salufi notes this in the nature of Kings, that it is ufual with 

 Hift.lib.i. theni to defire contradiftories ; Plerunq-j Regia voluntates ut vehemeff 

 tes [ttnt 3 fie mobiles, fepeq--, ipfa fibi adverfa, Tacitus obferves that 

 Honours and Advancements, oftner change mens natures to the worle, 

 than tothcbetter,6"^/«/ Vefpafianus mutatus in melius. Pindarus makes 

 an obfervation, that great and Sodoms fortune, for moft part, loofens 

 Pfa!.52, and diffinews mens minds , f^nt, qui magnam f elicit atem concoquere 

 non pojjunt : fothe Pfalm Iheweth, that it is more eafie to keep a 

 meafure and temperament, in a modeft confiftency j than in the in* 

 creafe of Fortune, If Riches increafe, fet not your heart upon them. 

 Thefe obfervatioms and the like, I deny not, but are touched a lit- 

 tle by Ari^otle, as in paffage, in his Rhetoricks ; as likewife in the 

 writings of others difperfedly by the way ; but they were never yet 

 incorporated into Moral Philofophy, to which they do principally ap- 

 perta'm, no left certainly, than the handling of the di verfity of grounds 

 and moulds, doth to Agriculture •-, or the handling of the diverfity of 

 completions and conftitutions of the body, doth to Medicine. The 

 fame muft be obfervtd here, except we mean to follow the indifcre- 

 tion of Empiricks, which miniftej- the fame medicines to all Patients, 

 of what confiiitution foever. 



II. After the ktwvrledge ofCharaHers follows the knowledge ofAffe- 

 Bions and Pal/ions, which are as the Dijeafes of the Mind, as hath 

 been faid. For as the Ancient Politicks in Popular States were wont 



to 



