Treatise of Religion and Learning, Book 2 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. I. Of the Dignity and Excellency of Learning.
THere are three kindes of things to be desired, One, That which draws us to it self by its own force, Non emolumento captans alique, sed trahens sua dignitate; as Virtue, Knowledge and Truth. 2. Another, which is desired for fruit and profit, as money. A third, which draws us both by its own force and dignity, and by profit, the more to desire it, as friendship, and a good Name.Eccles. 2.13. Quemadmodum ratione homines à reliquis animantibus, ita & literis homines ipsi ab hominibus differunt. Qui igitur scribendo in commune bonum aliquid proferrepotest, is quidem praestar, quod paucorum est praestare, propterea quod non omnium sit literas discere aut docere: tanto autem majore laude dignior est, quanto rarior est literarum scientia, quam aliarum vulgarium artium quibus humana vira continetur. Scalig. Proleg. in Canon Chronol Isag. Eruditio, plebeiis argenti: nobilibus aeuri: principibus gemmarum instar est. Gryn. Epist. l. 1. Epist. 14. Ut ager quamvis fertilis, sine cultura fructuosus esse non poreit: sic sine doctrina animus. Cultura autem animi eruditio est, quae praeparat animos ad satus accipiendos, eáque mandat iis, & (ur ita dicam) serit, quae adulta fructus uberrimos ferant. Citra cultum eruditionis non potest homo revera esse▪ quod audit. Coelii Sec. Cur. orat. De ingenuis artibus.
Learning is the perfection of reason, it was so prized by the Heathens, that they thought a learned man to differ as much from an unlearned, as a man from a beast.
Humane Learning delivers the minde from wildenesse and barbarism.
Scilicet ingenuas didicisse fideliter Artes.
Emollit mores, nec sinit esse feros.
Ovid. de Pont.
Artibus ingennis, quarum tibi maxima cura est,
Pectora mollescunt, asperitas que fugit.
Ovid. ad Gracinum.
Nemo adeo ferus est qui non mitescere possit;
Si modo culturae patientem accommodet aurem.
Horat.
But the accent had need be put upon fideliter (as Sir Francis Bacon well observes) for a superficial knowledge doth rather work a contrary effect. Ego benè literatos viros eo benigniores candidioresque semper expertus sim, quo magis & ingenio & eruditione polleront. Pier. Valer. Hieroglyph. lib. 23. cap. 4. He instanceth there in Pontanus, Antonius Sabellicus, Pomponius Latus, and shews how candid and courteous they were to all, and concludes, Jacobi Sadoleti nomen aetate nostra in modestiae abiit appellationem. How much more effectual is divine learning? Esa. 11.9.
Secondly, It mitigates the fear of death and adversity. If a mans minde be seasoned with the contemplation of mortality, and the corruptible nature of things, he will be ready to concurre with Epictetus, who going forth one day, saw a woman weeping for her pitcher of earth; and going forth the next day, he saw another weeping for her sonne, said, Heri vidi fragilem frangi, hodiè vidi mortalem mori.
Thirdly, The pleasure and delight of Knowledge and Learning far surpasseth all other pleasure and delight; Therefore the Egyptians, Caldeans, Grecians, Romans, have so highly prized humane wisdome, that they were willing to undergo any labour or cost for the purchasing of it.
Dr Halls 4th Decad of Epist. Epist. 3.To finde wit in Poetry, in Philosophy profoundnesse, in Mathematicks acutenesse, in History wonder of events, in Oratory sweet eloquence, in Divinity supernatural light and holy devotion, as so many rich medals in their proper mines, whom would it not ravish with delight?
Virtus ergo est, quae claros, utiles & verè magnos facit. Atqui virtus quid aliud esse potest, quam fuga vitiorum? Et quid fuga vitiorum, quàm Dominae parêre rationi, pravos que animi motus tranquilla moderatione lenire? At hoc quotusquisque est, qui sine disciplinis, si neque literis assequatur? Cur. Cal. Sec. Orat. in Nicol. Invithatum. Antiquum fuit institutum eos honore numismatum decorare, qui vel doctrina▪ vel imperio caeteris antecellerent. Quar… Mitylenaei Sapphus imaginem numis impressere, Homerum Chii, auctore Strabone, Pier. Vat. Hieroglyph. l. 32. c. 8. Apud Graecos, literarum Professores statuis, donati reperiuntur, ut Demosthenes, Pythagoras, statua inaurata, vel ut alii volunt, lingua aurea. Nostra aetate primus Carolus quartus Imperator arma largitus est hominibus literatis, quique aliis in rebus egregiam novassent operam: vere enim Orator, Honos alit artes, omnesque incenduntur ad studia gloria Franst, lib. 2. De armis. Eoque libri puto ipsi monumenta vocantur quod ad memoriam magis posteritatis judicaturae: quara ad ineptam praefentis temporis gratiolam spectare debent. Poli…. Praefar. ad Miscel.Fourthly, It doth perpetuate and immortalize ones memory.
Excellent to this purpose is that of Seneca, Nomen Attici perire Ciceronis Epistolae non sinunt: Nihil illi profuisset gener Agrippa, & Tiberius progener, & Drusus Caesar pronepos; inter tam magna nomina taceretur, nisi Cicero illum apernisset. Seneca Epist. 21.
Homers verses continued five and twenty Centuries of years and above, without the losse of a syllable or letter.
Vox audita perit, litera scripta manet.
The use of a good Book reacheth farre and lasteth long. Many more are instructed by Books then can be by speech, and every good thing is better by how much it more communicates it self. By Books we have conference with learned men deceased, and by these they instruct us as much as they did those with whom they lived together.
Fifthly, As the ignorance of the people, and the Authority of the Roman Sea increased together,Melch. Adam. in vit. Germ. Theol. & Gentilet. Exam. Concil. Trid. l. 1. Hoc nostro saeculo, ab anno M. D. ut literarum lumen majus accepit incrementa, ita & magis imminuta & labefactata est: Pontifici… autoritas. Maxima pars Germaniae, Regnum Anglicanum, Scoticum, Danicum, & bona pars Galliae, Helvetiae, Poloniae, jam ejus Imperii jugum excusserunt, multaeque aliae Christianae regiones ad idem faciendum paratae sunt. Gentiles. Exam. Conc. Trid. l. 1. so by the restoring of Arts and Learning, both ignorance, and the Authority of the Pope of Rome decreased. What did Reuchline, Erasmus, Pagnine, Arias Montanus, and others (though in other things Popish) suffer, for no other reason, but because they did labour to propagate the knowledge of the Tongues. So sad was the face of those times, Vt in authoribus latinis Graecè nosse suspectum fuerit: Ebraicè autem propè hareticum. Espenc. ad 2 Tim. 3.
Who doth not loath the memory of the Gothes and Vandals for the barbarism they brought along with them? See Antoine Du Verdiers Preface to his Bibliotheque. Et certè ex historiarum lectione constat, paulò post B. Augustini tempora bonas liceras linguarum peritiam (necessaria Theologiae instrumenta) paulatim intercidere coepisse, Hunnorum, Gothorum, Vandalorum, aliarumque barbararum gentium (quae in fines Imperii Romani irruperant) vastationibus, Bibliothecarum incendiis, quas igne penitus abolere gens literarum Christianaeque religioni inimica enitebatur. Gentilleti Apol. Pro Christianis Gallis Relig. Evang. cap. 19. Vide plura ibid. Et Sixtini Amam. Paraenesin de excitandis SS. Linguarum studiis.Therefore the names of such are precious who were means of restoring learning and knowledge, as in Italy, Hermolaus Barbarus, Picus Mirandula, Politian, Baptista Mantanus; in Germany, Renchline, Erasmus, Beatus Rhenanus, Ludovicus Vives; in France, Budaeus; in England, Linacer; in Spain, Antonius Nebriffensis.
The ancient Greek and Roman Princes were learned, and by it their Noblemen were advanced to great honour.
Alexander the Great acknowledged himself as much beholding to his Master Aristotle, as to his Father Philip, for the one gave him his being, the other his wellbeing.