I.] ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. 137 



ment thereof. Nay, farther, in general and in sum, certain it is, that 

 writ is and bonitas differ but as the seal and the print : for truth prims 

 goodness ; and they be the clouds of error, which descend in the 

 torms of passions and perturbations. 



From moral virtue let us pass o~. to matter of power and com- 

 m.indment, and consider whether in right reason there be any 

 comparable with that, wherewith knowledge investeth and crowneth 

 man s nature. We see the dignity of the commandment is according 

 to the dignity of the commanded : to have commandment over beasts, 

 as hcrdmen have, is a thing contemptible ; to have commandmenc 

 over children, as schoolmasters have, is a matter of small honour; to 

 have commandment over galley-slaves, is a disparagement, rather 

 than an honour. Neither is the commandment of tyrants mucft 

 better, over people which have put oft the generosity of their minds : 

 and therefore it was ever holden, that honours in free monarchies and 

 commonwealths had a sweetness more than in tyrannies, because the 

 commandment extendcth more over the wills of men, and not only 

 over their deeds and services. And therefore when Virgil puttcth 

 himself forth to attribute to Augustus Ca?sar the best of human 

 honours, he doth it in these words : 



victorque volentes 



Per populos dat jura, vhtnque affectat Olympo. 



But the commandment of knowledge is yet higher than the command 

 ment over the will ; for it is a commandment over the reason, belief, 

 and understanding of man, which is the highest part of the mind, 

 and giveth law to the will itself: for there is no power on earth, which 

 sctteth up a throne, or chair of state, in the spirits and souls of men, 

 and in their cogitations, imaginations, opinions, and beliefs, but know 

 ledge and learning. And therefore we see the detestable and extreme 

 pleasure that arch-heretics, and false prophets are transported with, 

 when they once find in themselves that they have a superiority 

 in the faith and conscience of men ; so great, as, if they have once 

 tasted of it, it is seldom seen that any torture or persecution can 

 make them relinquish or abandon it. But as this is that which the 

 author of the &quot;Revelation&quot; calleth &quot;the depth,&quot; or profoundness, 

 &quot;of Satan;&quot; so, by argument of contraries, the just and lawful 

 sovereignty over men s understanding, by force of truth rightly 

 interpreted, is that which approachcth nearest to the similitude of 

 the divine rule. 



As for fortune and advancement, the beneficence of learning is 

 not so confined to give fortune only to states and commonwealths, as 

 it doth not likewise give fortune to particular persons. For it was 

 well noted long ago, that Homer hath given more men their livings, 

 than cither Sylla, or Caesar, or Augustus ever did, notwithstanding 

 their great largesses and donatives, and distributions of lands to so 

 many legions ; and no doubt it is hard to say, whether arms or learn 

 ing h.ive advanced greater numbers. And in case of sovereignty we 

 see, that if arms or descent have carried away the kingdom, yet 



