i;8 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



Italians call ragioni di stato, whereof the same Pius Quintus 

 could not hear spoken with patience, terming them in- 

 ventions against religion and the moral virtues ; yet on the 

 other side, to recompense that, they are perfect in those 

 same plain grounds of religion, justice, honour, and moral 

 virtue ; which if they be well and watchfully pursued, there 

 will be seldom use of those other, no more than of physic 

 in a sound or well-dieted body. Neither can the experi- 

 ence of one man's life furnish examples and precedents for 

 the events of one man's life : for as it happeneth sometimes 

 that the grandchild or other descendant resembleth the 

 ancestor more than the son; so many times occurrences of 

 present times may sort better with ancient .examples than 

 with those of the later or immediate times : and lastly, the 

 wit of one man can no more countervail learning than one 

 man's means can hold way with a common purse. 



And as for those particular seducements or indispositions 

 of the mind for policy and government, which learning is 

 pretended to insinuate ; if it be granted that any such 

 thing be, it must be remembered withal, that learning 

 ministereth in every of them greater strength of medicine 

 or remedy, than it ofFereth cause of indisposition or in- 

 firmity. For if by a secret operation it make men per- 

 plexed and irresolute, on the other side by plain precept it 

 teacheth them when and upon what ground to resolve ; 

 ea, and how to carry things in suspense without prejudice 

 they resolve. If it make men positive and regular, jt 

 teacheth them what things are in their nature demon- 

 strative, and what are conjectural ; and as well the use of 

 distinctions and exceptions, as the latitude of principles 

 and rules. If it mislead by disproportion or dissimilitude 

 of examples, it teacheth men the force of circumstances, 

 the errors of comparisons, and all the cautions of applica- 

 tion ; so that in all these it^doth^ rtctjf^j^Q^^^ctj^j^ 

 than it can pervert;. And these medicines it conveyeth 

 into men's minds much more forcibly by the quickness 

 and penetration of examples. For let a man look into the 

 errors of Clement the seventh, so lively described by 

 Guicciardine, who served under him, or into the errors of 



