The open declaration of this is impolitic, being taken and used as spurs to industry, and not as stirrups to insolency, rather for resolution than for presumption or outward declaration, have been ever thought sound and good; and are, no question, imprinted in the greatest minds, who are so sensible of this opinion, as they can scarce contain it within. 3. Wisdom of conversation ought not to be too much 2. The knowledge of the advancement of life is deaffected, much less despised. 4. Of behaviour. The sum of behaviour is to retain a man's own dignity, without intruding upon the liberty of others. Behaviour seemeth to me as a garment of the mind, and to have the conditions of a garment. For it ought to be made in fashion; it ought not to be too curious; it ought to be shaped so as to set forth any good making of the mind, and hide any deformity; and above all, it ought not to be too strait, or restrained for exercise or motion. 5. Evils of too much attention to behaviour. 1. The danger of affectation. 2. Waste of time. 3. ficient. 231 The investigation of this subject concerns learning, both in honour and in substance. Pragmatical men should not go away with an opinion that learning is like a lark, that can mount, and sing, and please herself, and nothing else; but may know that she holdeth as well of the hawk, that can soar aloft, and can also descend and strike upon the prey. It is the perfect law of inquiry of truth, "that nothing be in the globe of matter, which should not be likewise in the globe of crystal, or form;" that is, that there be not any thing in being and action, which should not be drawn and collected into contemplation and doctrine. 3. Waste of mind, and checking aspirings to 4. Learning esteems the architecture of fortune as of higher virtues. 4. Retarding action. an inferior work.... 5. This doctrine is reducible to science. 6. The knowledge of conversation is not deficient. 229 6. Precepts respecting this knowledge. 1. This knowledge, to the derogation of learning, hath not been collected into writing. Of the three wisdoms which we have set down to pertain to civil life, for wisdom of behaviour, it is by learned men for the most part despised, as an inferior to virtue, and an enemy to meditation; for wisdom of government, they acquit themselves well when they are called to it, but that happeneth to few; but for the wisdom of business, wherein man's life is most conversant, there be no books of it, except some few scattered advertisements, that have no proportion to the magnitude of this subject. 2. This knowledge is reducible to precept, illustrated by the proverbs of Solomon... 229 3. Ancient fables and parables contain information upon this subject.. 231 KNOWLEDGE OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF LIFE.. 231 1. Preliminary observations. 1. This is the wisdom of pressing a man's own fortune. This is the knowledge “sibi sapere :" sapere is to move from the centre to the circumference:-sibi sapere, from the circumference to the centre. 2. Many are wise for themselves, yet weak for the public. Like ants, which are wise creatures for themselves, but very hurtful for the garden. 3. Faber quisque fortunæ propriæ. Livy attributeth it to Cato the first, "in hoc viro tanto vis animi et ingenii inerat, ut quocunque loco natus esset, sibi ipse fortunam facturus videretur." 232 7. The fundamental precept is to acquire knowledge of the particular motives by which those with whom we have to deal are actuated..... 232 2. By words. 3. By deeds. 4. By their natures. 5. By their ends. 6. By the relations of others. 11. More trust is to be given to countenances and deeds, than to words....... 232 It is an error frequent for men to shoot over, and to suppose deeper ends, and more compass-reaches than are. 1. Self-obtrusion. 2. Waste of ability. 3. Too sudden elation with applause. The Art of Covering Defects...... 234 The art of covering defects is of as much importance as a dexterous ostentation of virtue.. 234 Modes of concealing defects. 1. Caution. 2. Colour. 3. Confidence. 19. Princes are best interpreted by their natures; pri- 34. A man should not dismantle himself by showing vate persons by their ends. 20. The variety and predominancy of affections are to be estimated. 35. Of the Knowledge of Ourselves..... 233 36. 22. A man ought to make an exact estimate of his merits and defects: accounting these with the most, and those with the least. Though men look oft in a glass, yet they do suddenly forget themselves. Particular Considerations respecting Self-Knowledge. 23. The consonance, or dissonance of his constitution and temper with the times. Tiberius was never seen in public. Augustus lived ever in men's eyes. 24. The adaptation of his nature to the different professions and courses of life. 25. The competitors in different professions; that the course may be taken where there is most solitude. As Julius Cæsar did, who at first was an orator or pleader; but when he saw the excellency of Cicero, Hortensius, Catulus, and others, for eloquence, and saw there was no man of reputation for the wars but Pompeius, upon whom the state was forced to rely, he forsook his course begun toward a civil and popular greatness, and transferred his designs to a martial greatness. 26. In the choice of friends to consult similar nature. As we may see in Cæsar; all whose friends and followers were men active and effectual, but not solemn, or of reputation. 27. Caution is not being misled by examples. In which error it seemeth Pompey was, of whom Cicero saith, that he was wont often to say, "Sylla potuit, ego non potero ?" The Art of Revealing a Man's Self. 28 From not properly revealing a man's self, the less able man is often esteemed before the more able. 29. The setting forth virtues, and covering defects is advantageous.. 234 30. Self-setting-forth requires art, lest it turn to arrogance. too much dulceness, goodness, and facility of nature, without sparkles of liberty, spirit, and edge. The mind should be pliant and obedient to occasion... 235 Nothing is more politic than to make the wheels of our mind concentric and voluble with the wheels of fortune. Precepts for the architect of his own fortune. 1. He should not engage in too arduous mat ters......... Fatis accede deisque. ..... 235 2. He should be able to plan and to execute 3. He should observe a good mediocrity in the declaring or not declaring himself. 235 4. He should judge of the proportion or value of things. We shall find the logical part, as I may term it, of some men's minds good, but the mathematical part erroneous; that is, they can well judge of consequences, but not of proportions and comparisons, preferring things of show and sense before things of substance and effect.2 5. He should consider the order in which ob- 3. Fame and reputation should be ac quired. Because of the peremptory tides and currents it hath; which, if they be not taken in their due time, are seldom recovered, it being extreme hard to play an after-game of reputation.1 Men run after the satisfaction of their sottish appetites, foolish as fishes pursuing a rotten worm that covers a deadly hook or like children with great noise pursuing a bubble rising from a walnut shell. B. J. TAYLOR. • Money brings honour, friends, conquest and realms: Therefore, if at great things thou wouldst arrive, Get riches first, get wealth, and treasure heap.Riches are mine, fortune is in my hand: They whom I favour thrive in wealth amain, While virtue, valour, wisdom, sit in want. To whom, thus Jesus patiently replied: Yet wealth, without these three, is impotent To gain dominion, or to keep it gained. Witness, &c. Bacon says, "God in the first day of creation made nothing but light, allowing one whole day to that work, without creating any material thing therein: so the experiments of Neither give thou Esop's cock a gem, who would be bet-light and not of profit should be first investigated." ter pleased and happier if he had a barley-corn. The examples of God teaches the lesson truly: "He sendeth his rain, and maketh his sun to shine, upon the just and unjust:" but he doth not rain wealth, nor shine honour and virtues upon men equally common benefits are to be communicated with all, but peculiar benefits with choice.-Bacon's Essay on Gcoaness and Goodness of Nature. There are various sentiments similar to this in Shaks peare. "There is a tide in the affairs of men," &c. So in Antony and Cleopatra. Who seeks and will not take when once 'tis offered, The Advancement of Learning was published in 1605. in time to come. 1. 2. 4. 8. He should reserve a power to retreat. 237 3. 9. He should be cautious in his friendships "Et ama tanquam inimicus futurus, et odi 37. Fortunes may be obtained without precept. They come tumbling into some men's laps; and a number obtain good fortunes by diligence in a plain way, little intermeddling, and keeping themselves from gross errors. 38. Of vicious precepts for self-advancement.... 237 39. The number of bad precepts for advancement in life is greater than good.... 237 It is in life as it is in ways, the shortest way 40. In the pursuit of fortune, man ought to set before It is to small purpose to have an erected face 42. The adopting vicious precepts cannot be tolerated by the intended good ends. .... 43. Fortune, like a woman, if too much wooed, is the further off....... 238 44. Divinity points upwards to the kingdom of God: philosophy inwards to the goods of the mind. The human foundation hath somewhat of ment of Learning in existence, with Shakspeare's autograph There are in nature certain fountains of justice, whence all civil laws are derived but as streams; and like as waters do take tinctures and tastes from the soils through which they run, so do civil laws vary according to the regions and governments where they are planted, though they proceed from the same fountains. 5. Of the wisdom of a law maker.............. .... 238 Bacon intends a work in aphorisms upon universal justice.2 6. 7. Of the laws of England....... 8. 239 1. It is the sabbath of all men's labours. 3. Sacred theology is grounded upon the oracle of God sive. The Christain Faith, as in all things so in this, deserveth to be highly magnified; holding and preserving the golden mediocrity in this point between the law of the heathen and the law of Mahomet, which have embraced the two extremes. For the religion of the heathen had no constant belief or confession, but left all to the liberty of argument; and the religion of Mahomet, on the other side, interdicteth argument altogether: the one having the very face of error, and the other of imposture. 5. Uses of reason in spiritual matters........ 240 6. A treatise on the limits of reason in spiritual matters is wanting. The same sentiment is contained in the Essays. "It is usu ■ Events are not in our power; but it always is to make a This would be an opiate to stay and bridle not only the vanity of curious speculations, wherewith the schools labour, but the fury of controversies, wherewith the church laboureth. Parts of divinity. 1. The matter revealed. 2. The nature of the revelation.. 241 See the Treatise "De Augmentis," where some progress is made in this science, now nobly advanced, and advancing by the labours of Bentham.-(See note V.) THE NATURE OF THE REVELATION. 1. Its limits. 2. Its sufficiency. 3. Its acquisition. 8. The points fundamental and of perfection ought to be distinguished.... .... 241 We see Moses when he saw the Israelite and the Egyptian fight, he did not say, Why strive you? but drew his sword and slew the Egyptian: but when he saw the two Israelites fight, he said, You are brethren, why strive you? 242 17. Divine knowledge beyond human reach. 2. The perfection of the laws of nature. of divers colours. This divine water which excelleth so much that of Jacob's well, is drawn forth much in the same kind as natural water useth to be out of wells and fountains; either it is first forced up into a cistern, and from thence not dilated into commonplaces, or hunting after controversies, or methodized, but scattered. MATTER REVEALED...... 20. Different sorts. 243 22. Deviations from religion. Atheism. Heresy. Idolatry. Witchcraft. fetched and derived for use; or else it is 23. There is no deficience in divinity. drawn and received in buckets and vessels im- 13. Methodical mode of interpretation. It seems to be more ready, but is more subject to corrupt. 14. Objects of methodical interpretation. 1. Summary brevity. 2. Compacted strength. 15. Solute method of interpretation..... 3. Complete perfection. 242 16. There have been divers curious but unsafe modes. 243 I can find no space or ground that lieth vacant and unsown in the matter of divinity; 80 diligent have men been, either in sowing of good seed, or in sowing of tares. Thus have I made as it were a small Globe of the Intellectual World, as truly and faithfully as I could discover; with a note and description of those parts which seem to me not constantly occupale, or not well converted by the labour of man. KNOWLEDGE OF MAN. 1. Man as an individual. 201. 2. Division of learning. 187. 2. Appendices. 192. 2. Epistles. 3. Apophthegms. 2. Poetry, relating to the imagination. 192. 3. Philosophy, relating to the understanding. 1. Narrative. 2. Representative. 3. Parabolical. 11. Revealed. 193. 239. 2. From Reason. 193. 51. General philosophy. 193. 2. Particular philosophy. 2. Natural Philosophy. 195. 2. Metaphysics. 196. Mathematics. 198. 1. Natural Religion. 194. 1. Physics. 196. 1. Speculative. 195. 3. Human Philosophy, or Knowledge of Man. 201. (a) 4. Pleasure. 205. 1. Literate Experience. 209. 1. Of arts and sciences. 2. Novum Organum. 12. Of argument. 209. 2. Nature of memory. 212. 51. Helps of memory. 212. 1. Grammar. 213. {1. Literary. 4 Tradition. 212. 2. Rhetoric. 215. 3. Appendices. 2. Philosophical. 1. The Art Critical. 2. The Art of Instruction. 2. The Will. 218. 1. The Image of Good. 219. 12. The Culture of the Mind. 223 |