23 \ ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. [Book 



ac cording to greatness, and not according to instance, not observing 

 the good precept, &quot; Quod mine instat agamus.&quot; 



Another precept of this knowledge is, not to embrace any matters 

 which do occupy too great a quantity of time, but to have that sound 

 ing in a man s ears, &quot; Sod fugit interea, fugit irreparabile tempus :&quot; and 

 that is the cause why those which take their course of rising by 

 professions of burden, as lawyers, orators, painful divines, and the like, 

 are not commonly so politic for their own fortunes, otherwise than in 

 their ordinary way, because they want time to learn particulars, to 

 wait occasions, and to devise plots. 



Another precept of this knowledge is, to imitate nature, which doth 

 nothing in vain : which surely a man may do if he do well interlace his 

 business, and bend not his mind too much upon that which he princi 

 pally intendeth. For a man ought in every particular action so to 

 carry the motions of his mind, and so to have one thing under another, 

 as if he cannot have that he seeketh in the best degree, yet to have it 

 in a second, or so in a third ; and if he can have no part of that which 

 he purposed, yet to turn the use of it to somewhat else ; and if he 

 cannot make anything of it for the present, yet to make it as a seed of 

 somewhat in time to come ; and if he can contrive no effect or substance 

 from it, yet to win some good opinion by it, or the like. So that he 

 should exact an account of himself of every action, to reap somewhat, 

 and not to stand amazed and confused if he fail of that he chiefly 

 meant : for nothing is more impolitic than to mind actions wholly one 

 by one ; for he that doth so, loseth infinite occasions which intervene, 

 and are many times more proper and propitious for somewhat that he 

 shall need afterwards, than for that which he urgcth for the present ; 

 and therefore men must be perfect in that rule, &quot; Hrcc oportct faccrc, 

 ct ilia non omittcre.&quot; 



Another precept of this knowledge is, not to engage a man s self 

 peremptorily in anything, though it seem not liable to accident, but 

 ever to have a window to fly out at, or a way to retire; following the 

 wisdom in the ancient fable of the two frogs, which consulted when 

 their plash was dry whither they should go, and the one moved to go 

 down into a pit, because it was not likely the water would dry there, 

 but the other answered, &quot;True, but if it do, how shall we get out again ?&quot; 



Another precept of this knowledge is, that ancient precept of Bias, 

 construed not to any point of pcrfkliousncss, but only to caution and 

 moderation, &quot; Et ama tanquam inimicus futurus, et odi tanquam 

 amaturus :&quot; for it utterly bctrayeth all utility, for men to embark them 

 selves too far into unfortunate friendships, troublesome spleens, and 

 childish and humourous envies or emulations. 



But I continue this beyond the measure of an example, led, because 

 I would not have such knowledges, which I note as deficient, to be 

 thought things imaginative, or in the air ; or an observation or two 

 much made of, but things of bulk and mass, whereof an end is hardlier 

 made than a beginning. It must be likewise conceived that in those 

 points which I mention and set down, they are far from complete 

 tractates of them, but only as small pieces for patterns : and lastly, 



