1 10 ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [Book 



them ; which age, because it is the age of least authority, it is trans 

 ferred to the disesteeming of those employments wherein youth is con 

 versant, and which are conversant about youth. But how unjust this 

 traduccmcnt is (if you will reduce things from popularity of opinion to 

 measure of reason) may appear in that we see men are more curious 

 what they put into anew vessel, than into a vessel seasoned ; and what 

 mould they lay about a young plant, than about a plant corroborate ; 

 so as the weakest terms and times of all things use to have the best 

 applications and helps. And will you hearken to the Hebrew 

 Rabbins ? &quot; Your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall 

 dream dreams ;&quot; say they, youth is the worthier age, for that visions are 

 nearer apparitions of God than dreams. And let it be noted, that 

 howsoever the condition of life of pedants hath been scorned upon 

 theatres, as the ape of tyranny ; and that the modern looseness or 

 negligence hath taken no due regard to the choice of schoolmasters 

 and tutors ; yet the ancient wisdom of the best times did always 

 make a just complaint, that states were too busy with their laws, and 

 too negligent in point of education : which excellent part of ancient 

 discipline hath been in some sort revived, of late times, by the colleges 

 of the Jesuits ; of whom, although in regard of their superstition I may 

 say &quot;quo meliores, eo deteriores;&quot; yet in regard of this, and some 

 other points concerning human learning and moral matters, I may say, 

 as Agesilaus said to his enemy Pharnabasus, &quot; Talis quum sis, utinam 

 nostcr esses.&quot; And thus much touching the discredits drawn from the 

 fortunes of learned men. 



As touching the manners of learned men, it is a thing personal and 

 individual : and no doubt there be amongst them, as in other pro 

 fessions, of all temperatures ; but yet so as it is not without truth, which 

 is said, that &quot; abeunt studia in mores,&quot; studies have an influence and 

 operation upon the manners of those that are conversant in them. 



But upon an attentive and indifferent review, I, for my part, cannot 

 find any disgrace to learning can proceed from the manners of learned 

 men not inherent to them as they are learned ; except it be a fault 

 (which was the supposed fault of Demosthenes, Cicero, Cato the 

 second, Seneca, and many more) that, because the times they read of 

 are commonly better than the times they live in, and the duties taught 

 better than the duties practised, they contend sometimes too far to 

 bring things to perfection, and to reduce the corruption of manners to 

 honesty of precepts, or examples of too great height. And yet hereof 

 they have caveats enough in their own walks. For Solon, when he was 

 asked whether he had given his citizens the best laws, answered wisely, 

 &quot;Yea, of such as they would receive :&quot; And Plato, rinding that his 

 own heart could not agree with the corrupt manners of his country, 

 refused to bear place or office ; saying, &quot;That a man s country was to 

 be used as his parents were, that is, with humble persuasions, and not 

 with contestations.&quot; And Cdesar s counsellor put in the same caveat, 

 &quot;Non ad vctera instituta revocans, quai jampridem conuptis moribus 

 ludibrio sunt :&quot; and Cicero noted this error directly in Cato the second., 

 v/hen he \\rites to his friend Atticus : &quot; Cato optime sentit, sed nocet 



