The Disgraces of Learning from Politiques

And as for the disgraces which learning receiveth from Politiques, they bee of this nature; that learning doth soften mens mindes, and makes them more unapt for the honour and exercise of Armes; that it doth marre and pervert mens dispositions for matter of governement and policie; in making them too curious and irresolute by varietie of reading; or too peremptorie or positive by stricktnesse of rules and axiomes; or too immoderate and overweening by reason of the greatnesse of examples; or too incompatible and differing from the times, by reason of the dissimilitude of examples; or at least, that it doth divert mens travailes from action and businesse, and bringeth them to a love of leasure and privatenesse; and that it doth bring into States a relaxation of discipline, whilst everie man is more readie to argue, than to obey and execute. Out of this conceit, Cato surnamed the Censor, one of the wisest men indeed that ever lived, when Carneades the Philosopher came in Embassage to Rome, and that the young men of Rome began to flocke about him, being allured with the sweetnesse and Majestie of his eloquence and learning, gave counsell in open Senate, that they should give him his dispatch with all speede, least hee should infect and inchaunt the mindes and affections of the youth, and at unawares bring in an alteration of the manners and Customes of the State. Out of the same conceite or humor did Virgill, turning his penne to the advantage of his Countrey, and the disadvantage of his owne profession, make a kind of separation betweene policie and governement, and betweene Arts and Sciences, in the verses so much renowned, attributing and challenging the one to the Romanes, and leaving & yeelding the other to the Grecians, Tu regere imperio populos Romane memento, Hæ tibi erunt artes, &c. so likewise we see that Anytus the accuser of Socrates layd it as an Article of charge & accusation against him, that he did with the varietie and power of his discourses and disputations withdraw young men from due reverence to the Lawes and Customes of their Countrey: and that he did professe a dangerous and pernitious Science, which was to make the worse matter seeme the better, and to suppresse truth by force of eloquence and speech.

But these and the like imputations have rather a countenance of gravitie, than any ground of Justice: for experience doth warrant, that both in persons and in times, there hath beene a meeting, and concurrence in learning and Armes, flourishing and excelling in the same men, and the same ages. For as for men, there cannot be a better nor the like instance, as of that payre Alexander the Great, and Julius Cæsar the Dictator, whereof the one was Aristotles Scholler in Philosophie, and the other was Ciceroes Rivall in eloquence; or if any man had rather call for Schollers, that were great Generals, then Generals that were great Schollers; let him take Epaminondas the Thebane, or Xenophon the Athenian, whereof the one was the first that abated the power of Sparta; and the other was the first that made way to the overthrow of the Monarchie of Persia: And this concurrence is yet more visible in times than in persons, by how much an age is greater object than a Man. For both in Ægypt, Assyria, Persia, Grecia, and Rome the same times that are most renowned for Armes, are likewise most admired for learning; so that the greatest Authors and Philosophers, and the greatest Captaines and Governours have lived in the same ages: neither can it otherwise be; for as in Man, the ripenesse of strength of the bodie and minde commeth much about an age, save that the strength of the bodie commeth somewhat the more early; So in States, Armes and Learning, whereof the one correspondeth to the bodie, the other to the soule of Man, have a concurrence or nere sequence in times.

And for matter of policie and governement, that Learning should rather hurt, than inable thereunto, is a thing verie improbable: we see it is accounted an errour, to commit a naturall bodie to Emperique Phisitions, which commonly have a fewe pleasing receits, whereupon they are confident and adventurous, but know neither the causes of diseases, nor the complexions of Patients, nor perill of accidents, nor the true methode of Cures; We see it is a like error to rely upon Advocates or Lawyers, which are onely men of practise, and not grounded in their Bookes, who are many times easily surprised, when matter falleth out besides their experience, to the prejudice of the causes they handle: so by like reason it cannot be but a matter of doubtfull consequence, if States bee managed by Emperique Statesmen, not well mingled with men grounded in Learning. But contrary wise, it is almost without instance contradictorie, that ever any governement was disastrous, that was in the hands of learned Governors. For howsoever it hath beene ordinarie with politique men to extenuate and disable learned men by the names of Pedantes: yet in the Records of time it appeareth in many particulers, that the Governements of Princes in minority (notwithstanding the infinite disadvantage of that kinde of State) have neverthelesse excelled the governement of Princes of mature age, even for that reason, which they seek to traduce, which is, that by that occasion the state hath been in the hands of Pedantes: for so was the State of Rome for the first five yeeres, which are so much magnified, during the minoritie of Nero, in the handes of Seneca a Pedanti: So it was againe for ten yeres space or more during the minoritie of Gordianus the younger, with great applause and contentation in the hands of Misitheus a Pedanti: so was it before that, in the minoritie of Alexander Severus in like happinesse, in hands not much unlike, by reason of the rule of the women, who were ayded by the Teachers and Preceptors. Nay, let a man looke into the governement of the Bishops of Rome, as by name, into the governement of Pius Quintus, and Sextus Quintus in out times, who were both at their entrance esteemed, but as Pedanticall Friers, and he shall find that such Popes doe greater thinges, and proceed upon truer principles of Estate, than those which have ascended to the Papacie from an education & breeding in affaires of Estate, and Courts of Princes; for although men bred in Learning, are perhaps to seeke in points of convenience, and accommodating for the present which the Italians call Ragioni di stato , whereof the same Pius Quintus could not heare spoken with patience, tearming them Inventions against Religion and the morall vertues; yet on the other side to recompence that, they are perfite in those same plaine grounds of Religion, Justice, Honour, and Morall vertue; which if they be well and watchfully pursued, there will bee seldome use of those other, no more than of Phisicke in a sound or well dieted bodie; neither can the experience of one mans life, furnish examples and presidents for the events of one mans life. For as it happeneth sometimes, that the Graund child, or other descendent, resembleth the Ancestor more than the Sonne: so many times occurrences of present times may sort better with ancient examples, than with those of the later or immediate times; and lastly, the wit of one man, can no more countervaile learning, than one mans meanes can hold way with a common purse.

And as for those particular seducements or indispositions of the minde for policie and governement, which learning is pretended to insinuate; if it be graunted that any such thing be, it must be remembred withall, that learning ministreth in every of them greater strength of medicine or remedie, than it offereth cause of indisposition or infirmitie; For if by a secret operation, it make men perplexed and irresolute, on the other side by plaine precept, it teacheth them when, and upon what ground to resolve: yea, and how to carrie thinges in suspence without prejudice, till they resolve: If it make men positive and reguler, it teacheth them what thinges are in their nature demonstrative, & what are conjecturall; and aswell the use of distinctions, and exceptions, as the latitude of principles and rules. If it mislead by disproportion, or dissimilitude of Examples, it teacheth men the force of Circumstances, the errours of comparisons, and all the cautions of application: so that in all these it doth rectifie more effectually, than it can pervert And these medicines it conveyeth into mens minds much more forcibly by the quicknesse and penetration of Examples: for let a man looke into the errours of Clement the seventh, so lively described by Guicciardine, who served under him, or into the errours of Cicero painted out by his owne pensill in his Epistles to Atticus, and he will flye apace from being irresolute. Let him looke into the errors of Phocion, and he will beware how he be obstinate or inflexible Let him but read the Fable of Ixion, and it will hold him from being vaporous or imaginative; let him look into the errors of Cato the second, and he will never be one of the Antipodes, to tread opposite to the present world.

And for the conceite that Learning should dispose men to leasure and privatenesse, and make men slouthfull: it were a strange thing if that which accustometh the minde to a perpetuall motion and agitation, should induce slouthfulnesse, whereas contrariwise it may bee truely affirmed, that no kinde of men love businesse for it selfe, but those that are learned; for other persons love it for profite; as an hireling that loves the worke for the wages; or for honour; as because it beareth them up in the eyes of men, and refresheth their reputation, which otherwise would weare; or because it putteth them in mind of their fortune, and giveth them occasion to pleasure and displeasure; or because it exerciseth some faculty, wherein they take pride, and so entertaineth them in good humor, and pleasing conceits toward themselves; or because it advanceth any other their ends. So that as it is sayd of untrue valors, that some mens valors are in the eyes of them that look on; So such mens industries are in the eyes of others, or at least in regard of their owne designements; onely learned men love businesse, as an action according to nature, as agreable to health of minde, as exercise is to health of bodie, taking pleasure in the action it selfe, & not in the purchase: So that of all men, they are the most indefatigable, if it be towards any businesse, which can hold or detaine their minde.

And if any man be laborious in reading and study, and yet idle in busines & action, it groweth from some weakenes of body, or softnes of spirit; such as Seneca speaketh of: Quidam tam sunt umbratiles, ut putent in turbido esse, quicquid in luce est; and not of learning; wel may it be that such a point of a mans nature may make him give himselfe to learning, but it is not learning that breedeth any such point in his Nature.

And that learning should take up too much time or leasure, I answere, the most active or busie man that hath been or can bee, hath (no question) many vacant times of leasure, while he expecteth the tides and returnes of businesse (except he be either tedious, and of no dispatch, or lightly and unworthily ambitious, to meddle in thinges that may be better done by others) and then the question is, but how those spaces and times of leasure shall be filled and spent: whether in pleasures, or in studies; as was wel answered by Demosthenes to his adversarie Æschynes, that was a man given to pleasure, and told him, That his Orations did smell of the Lampe: Indeede (sayd Demosthenes) there is a great difference betweene the thinges that you and I doe by Lampe-light: so as no man neede doubt, that learning will expulse businesse, but rather it will keepe and defend the possession of the mind against idlenesse and pleasure, which otherwise, at unawares, may enter to the prejudice of both.

Againe, for that other conceit, that learning should undermine the reverence of Lawes and governement, it is assuredly a meere depravation and calumny without all shadowe of truth: for to say that a blind custome of obedience should be a surer obligation, than dutie taught and understood; it is to affirme that a blind man may tread surer by a guide, than a seeing man can by a light: and it is without all controversie, that learning doth make the minds of men gentle, generous, maniable, and pliant to government whereas Ignorance makes them churlish, thwart, and mutinous; and the evidence of time doth cleare this assertion, considering that the most barbarous, rude, and unlearned times have beene most subject to tumults, seditions, and changes.

And as to the judgement of Cato the Censor, he was well punished for his blasphemie against learning in the same kinde wherein hee offended; for when he was past threescore yeeres old, he was taken with an extreame desire to goe to Schoole againe, and to learne the Greeke tongue, to the end to peruse the Greeke Authors; which doth well demonstrate, that his former censure of the Grecian Learning, was rather an affected gravitie, than according to the inward sence of his owne opinion. And as for Virgils verses, though it pleased him to brave the world in taking to the Romanes, the Art of Empire, and leaving to others the arts of subjects: yet so much is manifest, that the Romanes never ascended to that height of Empire, till the time they had ascended to the height of other Arts: For in the time of the two first Cæsars, which had the art of governement in greatest perfection, there lived the best Poet Virgilius Maro, the best Historiographer Titus Livius, the best Antiquarie Marcus Varro, and the best or second Orator Marcus Cicero, that to the memorie of man are knowne. As for the accusation of Socrates, the time must be remembred, when it was prosecuted; which was under the thirtie Tyrants, the most base, bloudy, and envious persons that have governed; which revolution of State was no sooner over, but Socrates, whom they had made a person criminall, was made a person heroycall, and his memorie accumulate with honors divine and humane; and those discourses of his which were then tearmed corrupting of manners, were after acknowledged for soveraigne Medicines of the minde and manners, and so have beene received ever since till this day. Let this therefore serve for answere to Politiques, which in their humorous severitie, or in their fayned gravitie have presumed to throwe imputations upon learning, which redargution neverthelesse (save that wee know not whether our labours may extend to other ages) were not needefull for the present, in regard of the love and reverence towards Learning, which the example and countenance of twoo so learned Princes Queene Elizabeth, and your Majestie; being as Castor and Pollux, Lucida Sydera, Starres of excellent light, and most benigne influence, hath wrought in all men of place and authoritie in our Nation.