I ragguagli di Parnasso, or, Advertisements from Parnassus in two centuries : with the politick touch-stone / written originally in Italian by that famous Roman Trajano Bocalini ; and now put into English by the Right Honourable Henry, Earl of Monmouth.

The Ninth ADVERTISEMENT.

A Sommary of what the Learned in Sciences have sowed and reaped.

THe Harvest is already over, and the whole encrease of this year is brought by the Possessers thereof into their Grainaries; which though it hath been various, according to the nature of the grounds, and condition of seed, which hath been thereupon sown; yet the Harvest may be said in general, to be penurious. Since by the publick calamity of mankind, peoples wits are become steril and barren, as well as is the aire and earth. Those who have sowed the study of the Law, have usually had a great encrease, and many are much enriched thereby, particularly those who have cultivated the fields in the Common Pleas; their Harvest is so plentifull, as it yields fifty for one. Greater things have been seen in the fruitfull fields of the Courts at Rome, where particularly Silvestro Aldobrandini, and Markantonio Borghese, two Roman Advocates, each of whose sons were Popes, having sowed the study of the Law with much cost, and infinite labour, and watered it with their sweat, have filled their Granaries with rich treasure, and their sons who have practised the same Husbandry, have thereby purchased Principalities for their Families, and Divine Dignities for themselves.

Those who have sowed the study of Phisick, have likewise had a good harvest; but not to be compared with that of the Law; for it gives on∣ly twelve for one. The Plowers of Poetry have seen their fields make a beautifull shew in the Spring of their age, and had great reason to expect a rich harvest; but when in the beginning of Iuly, the season of earing began, they saw their sweat and labours dissolve all into leaves and flowres; so as having laboured in vain, the Poets find themselves pil'd and pol'd, not having meat to eat: Wherefore this sort of Husbandry, as being more for appearance then profit, is almost given over: But little Greek hath been sown, there being in these times but small vent thereof; which may peradventure be occasioned because the bread which is made of such grain, although it hath formerly been the daily food of a numerous Na∣tion, it seems notwithstanding that it proves hard of digestion to the squeasie stomacks of modern weak-wits. Hence it is that some of the more Learned sort have only sowed so much thereof in their Gardens as will serve for their houshold expence, and rather not to appear igno∣rant, than to seem learned; and to maintain Seed, but not to make Mer∣chandize

thereof. The Seed of Hebrew is almost quite lost; for it be∣ing no longer in use, there are but very few that sow any; and certainly it redounds much to the general shame of all men, that this tongue is not ambitiously aspired unto, since God by his speaking in that Language, hath given it so great reputation.

The Husbandmen of Philosophy have even lost their seed; and there∣fore the world is about to give over such Merchandize, as that which re∣quireth the fruitfull fields of subtile wits, and infinite study to make it grow and come to maturity; and since it yields but little fruit, and but very few buyers of that little, to intend it, is to loose the Principal. They who have sowed good turns (contrary to the opinion of many) have had a most plentifull harvest: and certainly such seed is as pretious as wonder∣full: For, of many bushels-full thereof, if one onely grain spring up and prosper, it yields so abundant an encrease to the Husbandman, as it makes him rich. It is true, that only magnanimous minds, and men of great liberality, attend the most noble Husbandry of sowing Benefits; for the costive avaricious men, whose greediness is such, as they would reap before they sow, dare not venture to throw that seed upon the ground, which they see is for the most part lost. Those who have sown threats and injurious words, have reaped great store of actual offences; the sowers of curses, reap great store of maledictions. Those likewise who have sown tribulation, have reaped so plentifull a harvest of Thorns, as they have filled their Granaries therewithall, even up to the top, for their own use, and from those that shall descend from them, even to the sixtieth ge∣neration.