M2 ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [Book 



or reward, which in most places is assigned unto them ; whether they 

 be lectures of arts or of professions. For it is necessary to the pro 

 gression of sciences, that readers be of the most able and sufficient 

 men, as those which are ordained for generating and propagating of 

 sciences, and not for transitory use. This cannot be, except their 

 condition and endowment be such as may content the ablest man to 

 appropriate his whole labour, and continue his whole age in that 

 function and attendance, and therefore must have a proportion 

 answerable to that mediocrity or competency of advancement, which 

 may be expected from a profession, or the practice of a profession. 

 So as, if you will have sciences flourish, you must observe David s 

 military law, which was, &quot; That those which staid with the carriage, 

 should have equal part with those which were in the action ; &quot; else will 

 the carriages be ill attended. So readers in sciences are indeed the 

 guardians of the stores and provisions of sciences, whence men in 

 active courses are furnished, and therefore ought to have equal enter 

 tainment with them ; otherwise if the fathers in sciences be of the 

 weakest sort, or be ill-maintained, 



Et patrum invalid! referent jejunia nati. 



Another defect I note, wherein I shall need some alchemist to help 

 me, who call upon men to sell their books, and to build furnaces, 

 quitting and forsaking Minerva and the Muses as barren virgins, and 

 relying upon Vulcan. But certain it is, that unto the deep, fruitful, and 

 operative study of many sciences, especially natural philosophy and 

 physic, books be not only the instrumentals wherein also the bene 

 ficence of men hath not been altogether wanting : for we see spheres, 

 globes, astrolabes, maps, and the like, have been provided as appur 

 tenances to astronomy and cosmography, as well as books ; we see 

 likewise, that some places instituted for physic have annexed the 

 commodity of gardens for simples of all sorts, and do likewise 

 command the use of dead bodies for anatomies. But these do respect 

 but a few things. In general, there will hardly be any main pro- 

 ficience in the disclosing of nature, except there be some allowance for 

 expenses about experiments ; whether they be experiments appertaining 

 to Vulcanus or Daedalus, furnace or engine, or any other kind ; and 

 therefore as secretaries and spials of princes and states bring in .bills for 

 intelligence, so you must allow the spials and intelligencers of nature 

 to bring in their bills, or else you shall be ill advertised. 



And if Alexander made such a liberal assignation to Aristotle of 

 treasure for the allowance of hunters, fowlers, fishers, and the like, 

 that he might compile an history of nature, much better do they 

 deserve it that travel in arts of nature. 



Another defect which I note, is an intermission or neglect, in those 

 which are governors in universities, of consultation ; and in princes, or 

 superior persons, of visitation : to enter into account and consideration, 

 whether the readings, exercises, and other customs, appertaining unto 

 earning, anciently begun, and since continued, be well instituted or 

 no, and thereupon to ground an amendment or reformation in that 



