A Fit Conjucture 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 aliquo, 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,Eccles. …. 13. Quem admodum ratione homines à reliquis animantibus, it… & literis homines ipsi ab hominibus differunt. Qui igitur scribendo in commune bonum aliquid proferre potest, is quidem prae stat, 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 ar…ium quibus humana vita continetur. Scalig. Proleg. in Canon Chronol Isag. Eruditio, plebeiis argenti: nobilibus …uri … pr…acipibus ge…marum instar est. Gryn. Epist. l. 1. Epist. 14. Ut ager quamvis fertilis, sine cultura fructuosus esse non potest: sic sine doctrina animus. Cultu…a aute… … eruditio est, quae praepara… animos ad satu… accipiendos, eáque mandat …is, & (ut ita dicam) se…it, quae …d…t… fructus uberrimos ferant. Citra cultum erudicionis non potest homo revera esse, quod audit. Coelii Sec. Cur. …rat. … ingenuis artibus. as friendship, and a good Name.
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 ingenuis, quarum tibi maxima cura est,
Pectora molleseunt, asperitasque 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 pollerent. Pier. Valer. Hieroglyph. lib. 23. cap. 4. He instanceth there in P…ntanus, Antonius Sabellicus, P…mponius Laetus, and shews how candid and courteous they were to all, and concludes, Iacobi 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.
To finde wit in Poetry, in Philosophy profoundnesse, in Mathematicks acutenesse,Dr Halls 4th Decad of Epist. Epist. 3. 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?
Fourthly, It doth perpetuate and immortalize ones memory.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. Cael. Sec. Orat. in Nic…l. Invit…atu…. Antiquum fuit institutum eos honore numismatum decorate, qui vel doctrina, vel imperio caeteris antecellerent. Quare Mitylenaei Sapphus imaginem numis impressere, Homerum Chii, auctore Strabone, Pier. Val. 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 Frans…, lib. 2. De armis. Eoque libri puto ipsi monumenta vocantur quod ad memoriam magis posteritatis judica…urae: quam ad incptam praesentis temporis gratiolam spectare debent. Polit. Praefat. ad Miscel.
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 aperuisset. 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 SeaMelch. Adam. in vi… Germ. Theol. & Gentilet. Exam. Concil. Trid. l▪ 1. Hoc nostro saeculo, ab anno M. D. ut literatum lumen majus accepit incrementa, ita & magis imminuta & labefactata est: Pontificis autori…ss. 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. increased together, so by the restoring of Arts and Learning, both ignorance, and the Authority of the Pope of Rome decrèased. 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, Ut in authoribus latinis Graecè nosse suspectum fuerit: Ebraicè autem propè haereticum. Espenc. ad 2 Tim. 3.
Who doth not loath the memory of the Gothes and Vandals for the barbarismEt certè ex historiarum lectione constat, paulò post B. Augustini tempora bonas literas linguarum peritiam (necessaria Theologiae instrumenta) paulatim intercidere coepisse, Hunnorum, Gothorum, Vandalorum, aliarumque barbararum gentium (quae in fines Imperii Romani irruperant) vastationibus, Bibliothecarum incendiis, quas igné penitus abolere gen… literarum Christianaeque religioni inisnica enitebatur. Gentilleti Apol. Pro Christianis Gallis Relig. Evang. cap. 19. Vide plura ibid. Et Sixtini Amam. Paraenesin de excitandis S…. Linguarum studiis. they brought along with them? See Antoine Du V…rdiers Preface to his Bibliotheque. 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 Vi…es; in France, Budaeus; in England, Linacer; in Spain, Antonius Nebrissensis.
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.