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therefore it was ever holden that honours in free Monarchies and Commonwealths had a sweetness more than in Tyrannies; because the commandment extendeth more over the wills of men, and not only over their deeds and fervices. And therefore, when Virgil putteth himself forth to attribute to Auguftus Cæfar the best of human honours, he doth it in these words:

Victorque volentes Per populos dat jura, viamque affectat Olympo. But the commandment of Knowledge is yet higher than the commandment 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 fetteth up a Throne or Chair of State in the spirits and fouls of men, and in their cogitations, imaginations, opinions, and beliefs, but Knowledge and Learning. And therefore we see the deteftable and extreme pleasure that Archheretics, and falfe Prophets, and Impoftors are tranfported with, when they once find in themselves that they have a fuperiority in the faith and Confcience of men; so great, that, if they have once tasted of it, it is feldom feen that any torture or perfecution can make them relinquish or abandon it. But as this is that which the Author of the Revelation calleth the depth or profoundness of Satan: fo by argument of contraries, the juft and lawful Sovereignty over men's understanding, by force of truth rightly interpreted, is that which approacheth nearest to the fimilitude 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 likewife give Fortune to particular perfons. For it was well noted long ago, that Homer hath given more men their livings, than either Sylla, or Cafar, or Auguftus ever did, notwithstanding their great largeffes and donatives, and diftributions of Lands to fo many legions: and no doubt it is hard to say, whether arms or learning have advanced greater numbers. And in cafe of Sovereignty we fee, that if arms or descent have carried away the Kingdom, yet learning hath carried the Priesthood, which ever hath been in fome competition with Empire.

Again, for the pleasure and delight of knowledge and learning, it far furpaffeth all other in nature : for, fhall the pleasures of the affections so exceed the senses, as much as the obtaining of defire or Victory exceedeth a song or a dinner; and must not, of consequence, the pleasures of the intellect or understanding exceed the pleasures of the affections? We see in all other pleasures there is fatiety, and after they be used, their verdure departeth; which sheweth well they be but deceits of pleasure, and not pleasures; and that it was the novelty which pleased, and not the quality: and therefore we see that voluptuous men turn Friars, and ambitious Princes turn melancholy. But of knowledge there is no fatiety, but fatisfaction and appetite are perpetually interchangeable; and therefore appeareth to be good in itself fimply, without fal

lacy or accident. Neither is that pleasure of small efficacy and contentment to the mind of man, which the Poet Lucretius defcribeth elegantly,

Suave mari magno, turbantibus æquora ventis, &c.

It is a view of delight, saith he, to stand or walk upon the shore fide, and to see a Ship tossed with tempeft upon the fea; or to be in a fortified Tower, and to fee two Battles join upon a plain; but it is a pleafure incomparable, for the mind of man to be fettled, landed, and fortified in the certainty of truth; and from thence to defcry and behold the errors, pertur bations, labours, and wanderings up and down of other men.

Laftly, leaving the vulgar arguments, that by learning man excelleth man in that wherein man excelleth beasts; that by Learning man afcendeth to the heavens and their motions, where in body he cannot come, and the like; let us conclude with the dignity and excellency of Knowledge and Learning in that whereunto man's nature doth most aspire, which is, immortality or continuance : for to this tendeth generation, and raising of houses and families; to this buildings, foundations, and monuments; to this tendeth the defire of memory, fame, and celebration, and in effect the strength of all other human defires. We fee then how far the monuments of wit and learning are more durable than the monuments of power or of the hands. For have not the Verses of Homer continued twenty-five hundred years, or more, without

the loss of a fyllable or letter; during which time, infinite Palaces, Temples, Caftles, Cities, have been decayed and demolished? It is not poffible to have the true pictures or statues of Cyrus, Alexander, Cæfar; no, nor of the Kings or great Perfonages of much later years; for the originals cannot laft, and the Copies cannot but lofe of the life and truth. But the Images of men's wits and knowledges remain in Books, exempted from the wrong of time, and capable of perpetual renovation. Neither are they fitly to be called Images, because they generate ftill, and caft their feeds in the minds of others, provoking and caufing infinite actions and opinions in fucceeding ages: so that, if the invention of the Ship was thought fo noble, which carrieth riches and commodities from place to place, and consociateth the most remote Regions in participation of their Fruits, how much more are letters to be magnified, which, as Ships, pass through the vaft Seas of time, and make ages fo distant to participate of the wisdom, illuminations, and inventions, the one of the other? Nay further, we see, some of the Philofophers which were leaft divine, and most immersed in the fenfes, and denied generally the immortality of the foul, yet came to this point, that whatsoever motions the spirit of man could act and perform without the Organs of the body, they thought, might remain after death, which were only thofe of the understanding, and not of the affections: fo immortal and incorruptible a thing did knowledge seem unto

them to be. But we, that know by divine Revelation, that not only the understanding but the affections purified, not only the spirit but the body changed, fhall be advanced to immortality, do difclaim these rudiments of the fenfes. But it must be remembered both in this laft point, and so it may likewise be needful in other places, that in probation of the dignity of Knowledge or Learning, I did in the beginning separate Divine testimony from human, which Method I have pursued, and fo handled them both apart.

Nevertheless, I do not pretend, and I know it will be impoffible for me, by any Pleading of mine, to reverse the Judgment, either of Æsop's Cock, that preferred the Barleycorn before the Gem; or of Midas, that being chosen Judge between Apollo Prefident of the Muses, and Pan God of the Flocks, judged for Plenty: or of Paris, that judged for Beauty and love against Wisdom and Power; nor of Agrippina, Occidat matrem, modo imperet, that preferred Empire with conditions never fo deteftable; or of Ulyffes, Qui vetulam prætulit immortalitati, being a figure of those which prefer Custom and Habit before all excellency; or of a number of the like popular judgments. For these things continue as they have been: but fo will that also continue whereupon Learning hath ever relied, and which faileth not: Juftificata eft fapientia a filiis fuis.

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