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 fhore fide, and to fee a Ship tossed with tempest 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, perturbations, labours, and wanderings up and down of other men.

Lastly, leaving the vulgar arguments, that by learning man excelleth man in that wherein man excelleth beasts; that by Learning man ascendeth 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 lofs of a fyllable or letter; during which time, infinite Palaces, Temples, Castles, 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 Personages 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: fo that, if the invention of the Ship was thought so noble, which carrieth riches and commodities from place to place, and confociateth 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 Philosophers which were least divine, and most immersed in the senses, and denied generally the immortality of the soul, 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, shall be advanced to immortality, do difclaim these rudiments of the fenfes. But it muft be remembered both in this last 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 alfo continue whereupon Learning hath ever relied, and which faileth not: Juftificata eft fapientia a filiis fuis.

Of the Proficience and

Advancement of Learning,
Divine and Human.

To the King.

conve

T might feem to have more nience, though it come often otherwife to pafs, Excellent King, that thofe, which are fruitful in their generations, and have in themselves the forefight of Immortality in their defcendants, fhould likewise be more careful of the good eftate of future times, unto which they know they muft tranfmit and commend over their dearest pledges. Queen Elizabeth was a fojourner in the World in refpect of her unmarried life, and was a bleffing to her own times: and yet so as the impreffion of her good Government, befides her happy memory, is not without fome effect which doth furvive her. But to your Majefty, whom God hath already bleffed with so much Royal iffue, worthy to continue and represent you

for ever; and whofe youthful and fruitful bed doth yet promise many of the like renovations; it is proper and agreeable to be converfant, not only in the tranfitory parts of good government, but in thofe acts also which are in their nature permanent and perpetual: amongst the which, if affection do not transport me, there is not any more worthy than the further endowment of the world with found and fruitful knowledge. For why should a few received Authors ftand up like Hercules's Columns, beyond which there should be no failing or discovering, fince we have fo bright and benign a ftar as your Majefty to conduct and profper us? To return therefore where we left, it remaineth to confider of what kind those Acts are, which have been undertaken and performed by Kings and others for the increase and advancement of learning: wherein I purpose to speak actively without digreffing or dilating.

Let this ground therefore be laid, that all works are overcome by amplitude of reward, by foundness of direction, and by the conjunction of labours. The first multiplieth endeavour, the fecond preventeth error, and the third fupplieth the frailty of man but the principal of thefe is direction: for Claudus in via antevertit curforem extra viam ; and Solomon excellently fetteth it down, If the Iron be not sharp, it requireth more strength; but Wisdom is that which prevaileth; fignifying that the Invention or election of the Mean is more effectual than any inforcement or accumulation of endeavours.