i88 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



needs have him carry her little dog, which he doing 

 officiously and yet uncomely, the page scoffed, and said, 

 ' That he doubted the philosopher of a Stoic would turn to 

 be a Cynic/ But above all the rest, the gross and palpable"^ 

 flattery whereunto many (not unlearned) have abased and 

 abused their wits and pens, turning (as Du Bartas saith) 

 Hecuba into Helena and Faustina into Lucretia, hath 

 most diminished the price and estimation of learning. 

 Neither is the moral dedications of books and writings, as 

 to patrons, to be commended : for that books (such as are 

 worthy the name of books) ought to have no patrons but 

 truth and reason ; and the ancient custom was to dedicate 

 them only to private and equal friends, or to intitle the 

 books with their names ; or if to kings and great persons, 

 it was to some such as the argument of the book was fit 

 and proper for. But these and the like courses may 

 deserve rather reprehension than defence. 



Not that I can tax or condemn the morigeration or 

 application of learned men to men in fortune. For the 

 answer was good that Diogenes made to one that asked 

 him in mockery, 'How it came to pass that philosophers 

 were the followers of rich men, and not rich men of 

 philosophers ? ' He answered soberly, and yet sharply, 

 'Because the one sort knew what they had need of, and 

 the other did not.' And of the like nature was the answer 

 which Aristippus made, when having a petition to Diony- 

 sius and no ear given to him, he fell down at his feet, 

 whereupon Dionysius staid and gave him the hearing and 

 granted it; and afterward some person tender on the 

 behalf of philosophy, reproved Aristippus that he would 

 offer the profession of philosophy such an indignity, as for 

 a private suit to fall at a tyrant's feet : but he answered, 

 ' It was not his fault, but it was the fault of Dionysius, 

 that had his ears in his feet/ Neither was it accounted 

 weakness, but discretion, in him that would not dispute his 

 best with Adrianus Caesar ; excusing himself, ' That it was 

 reason to yield to him that commanded thirty legions.' 

 These and the like applications and stooping to points 

 of necessity and convenience cannot be disallowed ; for 



