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The Fourteenth ADVERTISEMENT.
The Italian Academies send Commissioners into Parnassus to obtain some remedy from Apollo for their corruptions; and find the business impossible to be effected.
THe Commissioners sent to this Court from the Italian Academies, had not audience till the twentieth of the present month; at which time they told his Majestie, that the fundamental Principles of all Academies being excellently good and vertuous, the Schollers were at first very stu∣dious, and diligent in their disputations, and all other learned exercises; but that this so ardent desire of knowledge did with time so cool in them, as also those vertuous exercises; that whereas at first Academies were fre∣quented by privat men, and held in great reputation by Princes; in pro∣cess of time they grew so forsaken and despised, as they had often, to the great discouragement of Learning, been inhibited; as proving rather pre∣judicial, than advantagious. And that though many remedies had been applyed to this evil, yet none of them had procured the desired operati∣on: Wherefore the Italian Academies being much devoted to his Maje∣stie, were forced to have recourse to him, whom they did humbly beseech that he would be pleased to give them some preservative Medicine against so great corruption. These Commissioners were very graciously recei∣ved, and listened to by Apollo, who recommended the business to the Reformers of Learning: To whom when the Commissioners came, they found them so imployed in the important business which they are perpe∣tually troubled with, di far delle sancie fuse, with making much of no∣thing, as that they excused themselves, as not being then at leasure to at∣tend that business. Wherefore the Commissioners returned again to A∣pollo, who referred them to the Regio Collateral; where the Academies demands were often disputed and discust; and yesterday they had for their last answer, That all those Gentlemen after much debate and propo∣sals, were at last resolved that the saying was true, that Omnia orta occi∣dunt, & aucta senes•…•…unt. Wherefore it was impossible to prevent, but that a pair of shooes, how neat and spruce soever they were at the first, should in process of time become torne and ilfavoured. That therefore the lovers of Learning should be very diligent, in suddenly suppressing what∣soever Academy had swarved too farr from the good Rules of its first In∣stitution, and at the same time found new ones, to the end that the world (little to the credit of the Vertuosi) might not be full of unprofitable A∣cademies, but might alwaies enjoy the benefit which it receives from good ones.