306 OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 



sideration of the Accidents of Words ; which are measure, 

 sound, and elevation or accent, and the sweetness and 

 harshness of them ; whence hath issued some curious 

 observations in Rhetoric, but chiefly Poesy, as we consider 

 it in respect of the verse and not of the argument : where- 

 in though men in learned tongues do tie themselves to the 

 ancient measures, yet in modern languages it seemeth to 

 me as free to make new measures of verses as of dances ; 

 for a dance is a measured pace, as a verse is a measured 

 speech. In these things the sense is better judge than 

 the art ; 



Coenae fercula nostrae 

 Mallem convivis quam placuisse cods. 



And of the servile expressing antiquity in an unlike and an 

 unfit subject, it is well said, Quod tempore antiquum videtur, 

 id incongruitate est maxime novum. 



For Ciphers, they are commonly in letters or alphabets, 

 but may be in words. The kinds of Ciphers (besides the 

 simple ciphers with changes and intermixtures of nulls and 

 non-significants) are many, according to the nature or rule 

 of the infolding ; Wheel-ciphers, Key-ciphers, Doubles, etc. 

 But the virtues of them, whereby they are to be preferred, 

 are three ; that they be not laborious to write and read ; 

 that they be impossible to decipher; and, in some cases, that 

 they be without suspicion. The highest degree whereof is 

 to write omnia per omnia ; which is undoubtedly possible, 

 with a proportion quintuple at most of the writing infold- 

 ing to the writing infolded, and no other restraint whatso- 

 ever. This art of Ciphering, hath for relative an art of 

 Disciphering ; by supposition unprofitable ; but, as things are, 

 of great use. For suppose that ciphers were well managed, 

 there be multitudes of them which exclude the discipherer. 

 But in regard of the rawness and unskilfulness of the 

 hands through which they pass, the greatest matters are 

 many times carried in the weakest ciphers. 



In the enumeration of these private and retired arts, it 

 may be thought I seek to make a great muster-roll of 

 sciences; naming them for shew and ostentation, and to 



