(and those none of the worst sort) who pursue no other advantage
than only to look on, and consider how and why everything is done, and
to be spectators of the lives of other men, thereby the better to
judge of and regulate their own.

    To examples may fitly be applied all the profitable discourses
of philosophy, to which all human actions, as to their best rule,
ought to be especially directed: a scholar shall be taught to know-

                   "Quid fas optare, quid asper

      Utile nummus habet; patriae carisque propinquis

      Quantum elargiri deceat; quem te Deus esse

      Jussit, et humana qua parte locatus es in re;

      Quid sumus, aut quidnam victuri gignimur,"

what it is to know, and what to be ignorant; what ought to be the
end and design of study; what valor, temperance and justice are; the
difference between ambition and avarice, servitude and subjection,
license and liberty; by what token a man may know true and solid
contentment; how far death, affliction, and disgrace are to be
apprehended:

       "Et quo quemque modo fugiatque feratque laborem;"

by what secret springs we move, and the reason of our various
agitations and irresolutions: for, methinks, the first doctrine with
which one should season his understanding, ought to be that which
regulates his manners and his sense; that teaches him to know himself,
and how both well to die and well to live. Among the liberal sciences,
let us begin with that which makes us free; not that they do not all
serve in some measure to the instruction and use of life, as all other
things in some sort also do; but let us make choice of that which
directly and professedly serves to that end. If we are once able to
restrain the offices of human life within their just and natural
limits, we shall find that most of the sciences in use are of no great
use to us, and even in those that are, that there are many very
unnecessary cavities and dilatations which we had better let alone,
and following Socrates' direction, limit the course of our studies
to those things only where is a true and real utility:

                            "Sapere aude,

              Incipe; vivendi recte vui prorogat horam,

              Rusticus exspectat, dum defluat amnis; at ille

              Labitur et labetur in omne volubilis oevum."

  'Tis a great foolery to teach our children-

            "Quid moveant Pisces, animosaque signa Leonis,

             Lotus et Hesperia quid Capricornus aqua,"

the knowledge of the stars and the motion of the eighth sphere, before
their own.

                       "Ti, Pleiadessi Kamoi;

                       Ti d' astrasin Booteo;"

    Anaximenes writing to Pythagoras, "To what purpose," said he,
"should I trouble myself in searching out the secrets of the stars,
having death or slavery continually before my eyes?" for the kings
of Persia were at that time preparing to invade his country. Every one
ought to say thus, "Being assaulted, as I am by ambition, avarice,
temerity, superstition, and having within so many other enemies of
life, shall I go cudgel my brains about the world's revolutions?"

    After having taught him what will make him more wise and good, you
may then entertain him with the elements of logic, physics,
geometry, rhetoric, and the science which he shall then himself most
incline to, his judgment being beforehand formed and fit to choose, he
will quickly make his own. The way of instructing him ought to be
sometimes by discourse, and sometimes by reading, sometimes his
governor shall put the author himself, which he shall think most
proper for him, into his hands, and sometimes only the marrow and
substance of it; and if himself be not conversant enough in books to
turn to all the fine discourses the books contain for his purpose,
there may some man of learning be joined to him, that upon every
occasion shall supply him with what he stands in need of, to furnish
it to his pupil. And who can doubt, but that this way of teaching is
much more easy and natural than that of Gaza, in which the precepts
are so intricate, and so harsh, and the words so vain, lean, and
insignificant, that there is no hold to be taken of them, nothing that
quickens and elevates the wit and fancy, whereas here the mind has
what to feed upon and to digest. This fruit, therefore, is not only
without comparison, much more fair and beautiful; but will also be
much more early ripe.

    'Tis a thousand pities that matters should be at such a pass in
this age of ours, that philosophy, even with men of understanding,
should be looked upon as a vain and fantastic name, a thing of no use,
no value, either in opinion or effect, of which I think those
ergotisms and petty sophistries, by prepossessing the avenues to it,
are the cause. And people are much to blame to represent it to