The five days debate at Cicero's house in Tusculum between master and sophister.

SECT. 1. The Ancient Romans, probably not Strangers to Polite Learning, because Borderers upon Greece the Great.

AS in many other Instances, most worthy Brutus, I am wont to admire the Parts and Perfections of our Country-men, so especially in these Studies which they have but of very late time regarded, and brought over from Greece to this State. For whereas from the first Foundation of the City, Divination, Cere∣monies, Common-Councils, Appeals, Court of Senators, Train'd-bands of Horse and Foot, the whole order of the Militia, were, from a Wisdom almost more than Humane, establish'd upon the Regal Constitutions, and some of them upon their Laws; so when the Common-wealth was deli∣ver'd from the Oppression of Tyranny, (p) an ad∣mirable advance, and incredible carriere was made to∣wards

all excellency. Now this is not the proper place to dilate upon the Customs and Ordinances of our Ancestors, upon the Discipline and Temper of our Government; this hath been with some diligence, treated of by us elsewhere; but espe∣cially in those six Books which we have written of a Common-wealth. At the present, when I con∣sider the Study of Arts and Sciences, I meet with many Circumstances whereupon to frame an opi∣nion, that they also were imported hither from abroad, nor invited only, but follow'd also, and cherish'd; for they had almost in sight, Pythagoras, a man excellent and renowned for Wisdom, who was in Italy at the very time when L. Brutus the noble Founder of your honourable Family, set his Country at Liberty. Now the Learning of Py∣thagoras spreading far and near, seems to me to have reach'd even to this State. This is probable to conjecture; so may it be trac'd by some signs. For who can imagine, when there flourish'd In Italy, Greece which was call'd the Great, having very large and powerful States; and the renown of Pythagoras first, and then of the Pythagoreans, was so great in them, that our Country-men should stop their Ears against their most learned Dis∣courses. Nay, I suppose it was from the admira∣tion of the Pythagoreans, that King Numa was re∣puted by those of later Ages, to have been a Py∣thagorean; for they knowing the Discipline and Rules of Pythagoras; and having receiv'd from their Fore-fathers, the Equity and Wisdom of that King; but being ignorant of Chronology, to adjust the Times and Ages proper to each one, by reason of the great Antiquity, thought that he who so much excell'd in Wisdom, was the Auditor of Pythagoras.

(p) An admirable advance.] Spoken like a Common-wealths-man; but how got the rich Lampis an Estate? A small one, saith he, in a great time; and a great one in a small time.