234 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



consequence the superficial and unprofitable teaching and 

 writing of them, as fitteth indeed to the capacity of 

 children. Another is a lack I find in the exercises used 

 in the universities, which do make too great a divorce 

 between invention and memory ; for their speeches are 

 either premeditate in verbis concepts, where nothing is left 

 to invention, or merely extemporal, where little is left to 

 memory: whereas in life and action there is least use of 

 either of these, but rather of intermixtures of premedita- 

 tion and invention, notes and memory ; so as the exercise 

 fitteth not the practice, nor the image the life ; and it is 

 ever a true rule in exercises, that they be framed as near 

 as may be to the life of practice ; for otherwise they do 

 pervert the motions and faculties of the mind, and not 

 prepare them. The truth whereof is not obscure, when 

 scholars come to the practices of professions, or other 

 actions of civil life ; which when they set into, this want 

 is soon found by themselves, and sooner by others. But 

 this part, touching the amendment of the institutions and 

 orders of universities, I will conclude with the clause of 

 Caesar's letter to Oppius and Balbus, Hoc quemadmodum 

 fieri possit, nonnulla mihi in mentem veniunt, et multa reperiri 

 possunt; de us rebus rogo vos ut cogitationem suscipiatis. 



Another defect which I note, ascendeth a little higher 

 than the precedent. For as the proficience of learning 

 consisteth much in the orders and institutions of univer- 

 sities in the same states and kingdoms, so it would be yet 

 more advanced, if there were more intelligence mutual 

 between the universities of Europe than now there is. 

 We see there be many orders and foundations, which 

 though they be divided under several sovereignties and 

 territories, yet they take themselves to have a kind of 

 contract, fraternity, and correspondence one with the 

 other, insomuch as they have Provincials and Generals. 

 And surely as nature createth brotherhood in families, and 

 arts mechanical contract brotherhoods in communalties, 

 and the anointment of God superinduceth a brotherhood 

 in kings and bishops ; so in like manner there cannot but 

 be a fraternity in learning and illumination, relating to 



