L I B. VI II. Of the Advancement of Learning, 247 



. -— ^ 



acquit themfelves well, when they are called to the manage of Ci. 

 vil Affairs in ftate^ but that is a Promotion which happeneth to 

 few. Concerning the IVifdoin of EufineJ^ (whereof we now fpeak) 

 >vherein man's life is mofl: converfant , there be no Books at ail writ- 

 ten of it except, a handful or two of lome few Civil Advertifements, 

 that have no proportion to the magnitude of this Sibjeft. For if there 

 were Books extant of this Argument, as of other, I doubt not, but 

 Learned men with mean experience would far excel men of long ex- 

 perience without Learning; and out-fioot them ("as they lay) in their , 

 own Bore. Neither is there any caufe why we Ihould fear left the Mat- 

 ter of this Knowledge (hould be fo various, that it could not fall un- 

 der Precepts, for it \sm\xchr\2iXXOwevthzn\.he Science of Governments 

 which notwithftanding we fee is exa&ly labour'd, and fubdued. Of 

 this kind oUvifdom^ it ieems there have been fome ProfelTors amongft 

 the Romans in their beft and wifeft times. For Cicero reporcs that it ckeroJ 

 was in ufe a little before his time for Senators, that had the name and 

 opinion for wife and experienced men (the Cornncanii, Curii^ Lxlii^ 

 and others) to walk at certain hours in the Forum, where they might 

 give accels and audience to the Citizens, and might be confulted 

 withall; not only touching /»i?i«? of Law ^ but of aliy^r// ofBufinefs-j 

 as oT the /liar ri age of a Daughter-^ ox of ihe bringing up of a Son j or ■ 

 efaFHrchafe, of a Bargain^ cf ^^ /Iccnjation, Defence j and every o- ' 

 other occafion incident to man's life. By this it plainly appears, that 

 there is aJVifd^m of giving Counfel and Advice even in Private Bufi- 

 nefs ■■) ariBog out ofan univerfal infight into the Affairs of the World 5 

 which is ufed indeed upon Particular Caufes, but is gathered by ge- 

 neral obfervation of Cauies oflike nature. For fb we fee in the Book 

 Vfh\Qh ^Cicero writeth unto his Brother, De Pctitione ConffiLitus; qjcicsiodi 

 (being the only Book, of Particular Bufinels, that I know writteji by P'^titione 

 the Ancients) although it concerned fpecially an Aftion thcnon ""' 

 foot, yet it contains in it many Politick Axioms, which prefcribe not 

 only temporary ufe, but a perpetual direction in the cafe of Popular 

 Eleftions. And in this kjnd nothing is extant which may any way be 

 eompar'd Avith thofe Aphorilms wbXch Solomon the King let forth, of 

 whom the Scriptures teftifie5T/)d* his Heart was as the Sands of the Sea : 

 For as the. Sands of the Sea do incompafs all the atmoft bounds of the i.Reg.iv, 

 world^fohis wildom comprehended all matters,as well humane as di- 

 vine. In thefe Aphorifms you fhall clearly difcover,befides thole pre- 

 cepts which are more divinCjmany moft excellent Civil precepts and 

 advertifementSjlpringingout of the profound fecrets of wifdom, and 

 flowing over into a large field of variety. Now becaule we report 

 as Deficient^ the DoSrine touching difperfed occafions, (which is a firft 

 pon\onorthe-l{»owledgeofEufineJs^wew\\], after our manner, ftay 

 a while upon it, and propound an example thereof, taken out of thofe 

 Aphorifms^ or Parables of Solomon. Neither is there, in our judge- 

 ment, any caufe of juft reprehenfion, for that we draw from v/riters 

 of facred Scripture, fomething to a Politicall fence; for I am verily 

 of opinion, that\f thofe Commentaries of the fame Solomon were now ex- 1. Reg.' it. 

 tant concerning Mature (wherein he hath written of all Vegetables, From 

 the Mo ft Hpon the wall, to the Cedar ofLibanns ; and of living creatures') 



n 



