The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

BOOK I. ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNINC. 167
end, if the reputation and reverence towards the popularity of opinion to measure of reason) may
poverty of friars had not borne out the scandal appear in that, we see men are more curious what
of the superfluities and excesses of bishops and they put in a new vessel, than into a vessel seaprelates." So a man might say, that the felicity soned; and what mould they lay about a young
and delicacy of princes and great persons had long plant, than about a plant corroborate; so as the
since turned to rudeness and barbarism, if the weakest terms and times of all things use to have
poverty of learning had not kept up civility and the best applications and helps. And will you
honour of life: but without any such advantages, hearken to the Hebrew Rabbins. "Your young
it is worthy the observation, what a reverend and men shall see visions, and your old mlen shall
honoured thing poverty of fortune was, for some dream dreams;" say the youth is the worthier age,
ages, in the Roman state, which nevertheless was for that visions are nearer apparitions of God than
a state without paradoxes: for we see what Titus dreams. And let it be noted, that howsoever the
Livius saith in his introduction: " Ceeterum aut condition of life of pedants hath been scorned upon
me amor negotii suscepti fallit aut nulla unquam theatres, as the ape of tyranny; and that the
respublica nec major, nec sanctior, nee bonis ex- modern looseness or negligence hath taken no
emplis ditior fuit; nec in quam tam serm avaritia due regard to the choice of schoolmasters and
luxuriaque immigraverint; nec ubi tantus ac tam tutors; yet the ancient wisdom of the best times
diu paupertati ac parsimoniee honos fuerit." We did always make a just complaint, that states
see likewise, after that the state of Rome was not were too busy with their laws, and too negligent
itself, but did degenerate, how that person, that in point of education; which excellent part of
took upon him to be counsellor to Julius Caesar ancient discipline hath been in some sort revived of
after his victory, where to begin his restoration of late times by the colleges of the Jesuits; of whom,
the state, maketh it of all points the most sum- although in regard of their superstition I may
mary to take away the estimation of wealth: say, ", quo meliores, eo deteriores;" yet in regard'T Verum hec, et omnia mala pariter cum honore of this, and some other points concerning human
pecunia desinent: si neque magistratus, neque learning and moral matters, I may say, as Agesialia vu!go cupiendia, venalia erunt." To con- laus said to his enemy Pharnabaus, "' Talis quum
cludo this point, as it was truly said, that 1" rubor sis, utinam noster esses." And thus much touchestvirtutis color," though sometimes it come from ing the discredits drawn from the fortunes of
vice; so it may be fitly said that,c paupertas est learned men.
virtutis fortuna," though sometimes it may proceed As touching the manners of learned men, it is
from misgovernment and accident. Surely Solo- a thing personal and individual: and no doubt
mon hath pronounced it both in censure, ", Qui there be amongst them, as in other professions,
festinat ad divitias, non erit insons; and in pre- of all temperatures: but yet so as it is not without
cept; ", Buy the truth, and sell it not;" and so truth, which is said, that " abeunt studia in moof wisdom and knowledge: judging that means res," studies have an influence and operation upon
were to be spent upon learning, and not learning the manners of those that are conversant in them.
to be applied to means. And as for the private- But upon an attentive and indifferent review,
ness, or obscureness (as it may be in vulgar esti- I for my part cannot find any disgrace to learning
mation accounted) of life of contemplative men; can proceed from the manners of learned men not
it is a theme so common, to extol a private life inherent to them as they are learned; except it
not taxed with sensuality and sloth, in comparison be a fault (which was the supposed fault of Deand to the disadvantage of a civil life, for safety, mosthenes, Cicero, Cato the Second, Seneca, and
liberty, pleasure, and dignity, or at least freedom many more) that, because the times they read of
from indignity, as no man handleth it, buthandleth are commonly better than the times they live in,
it well: such a consonancy it hath to men's con- and the duties taught better than the duties pracceits in the expressing, and to men's consents in tised, they contend sometimes too far to bring
the allowing. This only I will add, that learned things to perfection, and to reduce the corruption
men forgotten in states, and not living in the eyes of manners to honesty of precepts, or examples
of men, are like the images of Cassius and Brutus of too great height. And yet hereof they have
in the funeral of Junia: of which not being repre- caveats enough in their own walks. For Solon,
sented, as many others were, Tacitus saith, ", Eo when he was asked whether he had given his
ipso prefulgebant, quod non visebantur." citizens the best laws, answered wisely, 1" Yea
And for meanness of employment, that which of such as they would receive:" and Plato, find
is most traduced to contempt is that the govern- ing that his own heart could not agree with the
ment of youth is commonly allotted to them; corrupt manners of his country, refused to bear
which age, because it is the age of least authority, place or office; saying, "That a man's country
it is transferred to the disesteeming of those era- was to be used as his parents were, that is, with
ployments whereinyouth is conversant, and which humble persuasions, and not with contestations."
are conversant about youth. Buthowunjust this And Caesar's counsellor put in the same caveat.
traducement is (if you will reduce things from " Non ad vetera instituta revocans quae jampride!pi