pression. For many forms are equal in signification, which are differing in impression; as the difference is great in the piercing of that which is sharp, and that which is flat, though the strength of the percussion be the same: for there is no man but will be a little more raised by hearing it said; "Your ene"mies will be glad of this;" ti-egbolizem Hoc Ithacus velit, et magno mercentur Atridæ ; than by hearing it said only, "This is evil for you.' Secondly, I do resume also that which I mentioned before, touching provision or preparatory store, for the furniture of speech and readiness of invention, which appeareth to be of two sorts; the one in resemblance to a shop of pieces unmade up, the other to a shop of things ready made up, both to be applied to that which is frequent and most in request : the former of these I will call antitheta, and the latter formula.com Antitheta are theses argued pro et contra, wherein Antitheta men may be more large and laborious; but, in such rerum. as are able to do it, to avoid prolixity of entry, I wish the seeds of the several arguments to be cast up into some brief and acute sentences, not to be cited, but to be as scanes or bottoms of thread, to be unwinded at large when they come to be used; supplying authorities and examples by reference. ed-bueldet i PRO VERBIS LEGIS.Hemang Cum receditur à litera juder transit in legislatorem. Ex omnibus verbis est eliciendus sensus, qui inter- Formula are but decent and apt passages or conveyances of speech, which may serve indifferently for differing subjects; as of preface, conclusion, digression, transition, excusation, etc. For as in buildings there is great pleasure and use in the well-casting of the stair-cases, entries, doors, windows, and the like; so in speech, the conveyances and passages are of special ornament and effect. Dalegler of ent & A CONCLUSION IN A DELIBERATIVE. So may we redeem the faults passed, and prevent the inconveniences future. There remain two appendices touching the tradition of knowledge, the one critical, the other pedantical; for all knowledge is either delivered by teachers, or attained by men's proper endeavours: and therefore as the principal part of tradition of knowledge cons cerneth chiefly writing of books, so the relative part thereof concerneth reading of books: whereunto appertain incidently these considerations. The first is concerning the true correction and edition of authors, wherein nevertheless rash diligence hath done great prejudice. For these critics have often presumed that that which they understand not, is false set down. As the priest, that where he found it written of St. Paul, Demissus est per sportam, mended his book, and made it Demissus est per portam, because sporta was an hard word, and out of his reading: and surely their errors, though they be not so palpable and ridiculous, yet are of the same kind. And therefore as it hath been wisely noted, the most corrected copies are commonly the least correct. The second is concerning the exposition and explication of authors, which resteth in annotations and commentaries, wherein it is over usual to blanch the obscure places, and discourse upon the plain. The third is concerning the times, which in many cases give great light to true interpretations. The fourth is concerning some brief censure and judgment of the authors, that men thereby may make some election unto themselves what books to read. And the fifth is concerning the syntax and disposition of studies, that men may know in what order or pursuit to read. For pedantical knowledge, it containeth that dif ference of tradition which is proper for youth, whereunto appertain divers considerations of great fruit. As first the timing and seasoning of knowledges; as with what to initiate them, and from what for a time to refrain them. Secondly, the consideration where to begin with the easiest, and so proceed to the more difficult, and in what courses to press the more difficult, and then to turn them to the more easy; for it is one method to practise swimming with bladders, and another to practise dancing with heavy shoes. A third is the application of learning according into the propriety of the wits; for there is no defect in the faculties intellectual but seemeth to have a proper cure contained in some studies: as for example, if a child be bird-witted, that is, hath not the faculty of attention, the mathematics giveth a remedy thereunto, for in them, if the wit be caught away but a moment, one is new to begin: and as sciences have a propriety towards faculties for cure and help, so faculties or powers have a sympathy towards sciences for excellency or speedy profiting; and therefore it is an inquiry of great wisdom what kinds of wits and natures are most proper for what sciences. Fourthly, the ordering of exercises is matter of great consequence to hurt or help: for, as is well observed by Cicero, men in exercising their faculties, if they be not well advised, do exercise their faults, and get ill habits as well as good; so there is a great judgment to be had in the continuance and intermission of exercises. It were too long to particularize a number of other considerations of this nature; things but of mean appearance, but of singular efficacy for as the wronging or cherishing of seeds or young plants, is that that is most important to their thriving; and as it was noted, that the first six kings, being in truth as tutors of the state of Rome in the infancy thereof, was the principal cause of the immense greatness of that state which followed; so the culture and manurance of minds in youth hath such a forcible, though unseen, operation, as hardly any length of time or contention of labour can countervail it afterwards. And it is not amiss to observe also, how small and mean faculties gotten by educa tion, yet when they fall into great men or great 66 matters, do work great and important effects; whereof we see a notable example in Tacitus, of two stage players, Percennius and Vibulenus, who by their faculty of playing put the Pannonian armies into an extreme tumult and combustion; for there arising a mutiny amongst them, upon the death of Augustus Cæsar, Blæsus the lieutenant had committed some of the mutineers, which were suddenly rescued; whereupon Vibulenus got to be heard speak, which he did in this manner: These poor innocent wretches appointed to cruel death, you have restored to "behold the light: but who shall restore my brother "to me, or life unto my brother, that was sent hither "in message from the legions of Germany, to treat "of the common cause? And he hath murdered "him this last night by some of his fencers and "ruffians, that he hath about him for his execution"ers upon soldiers. Answer, Blasius, what is done "with his body? The mortalest enemies do not deny burial; when I have performed my last "duties to the corpse with kisses, with tears, com"mand me to be slain besides him, so that these my "fellows, for our good meaning, and our true hearts "to the legions, may have leave to bury us.". With which speech he put the army into an infinite fury and uproar; whereas truth was he had no brother, neither was there any such matter, but he played it merely as if he had been upon the stage.me! 66 But to return, we are now come to a period of rational knowledges, wherein if I have made the divisions other than those that are received, yet would I not be thought to disallow all those divisions which I do not use; for there is a double necessity imposed upon me of altering the divisions. The one, because it differeth in end and purpose, to sort together those things which are next in nature, and those things which are next in use; for if a secretary of estate should sort his papers, it is like in his study, or general cabinet, he would sort together things of a nature, as treaties, instructions, etc. but in his boxes, or particular cabinet, he would sort together those that he were like to use together, though of several natures; so in this general cabinet of knowledge it was necessary for me to follow the divisions of the nature of things; whereas if myself had been to handle any particular knowledge, I would have respected the divisions fittest for use. The other, because the bringing in of the deficiences did by consequence alter the partitions of the rest: for let the knowledge extant, for demonstration sake, be fifteen, let the knowledge with the deficiences be twenty, the parts of fifteen are not the parts of twenty, for the parts of fifteen are three and five, the parts of twenty are two, four, five and ten; so as these things are without contradiction, and could not otherwise be. WE proceed now to that knowledge which considereth of the Appetite and Will of Man, whereof Solomon saith, Ante omnia, fili, custodi cor tuum, nam inde procedunt actiones vitæ. In the handling of this science, those which have written seem to me to have done as if a man that professed to teach to write, did only exhibit fair copies of alphabets, and letters joined, without giving any precepts or di rections for the carriage of the hand and framing of the letters; so have they made good and fair exemplars and copies, carrying the draughts and portraitures of good, virtue, duty, felicity; propounding them well described as the true objects and scopes of man's will and desires; but how to attain these excellent marks, and how to frame and subdue the will of man to become true and conformable to these pursuits, they pass it over altogether, or slightly and unprofitably; for it is not the disputing that moral virtues are in the mind of man by habit and not by nature, or the distinguishing that generous spirits are wo by doctrines and persuasions, and the vulgar sort by reward and punishment, and the like scattered glances and touches, that can excuse the absence of this part. The reason of this omission I suppose to be that |