the advancement of learning-第16部分

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offences；　but　for　the　further　disclosing　of　nature。　Neither　ought　a　man　to　make　scruple　of　entering　into　these　things　for　inquisition　of　truth；　as　your　majesty　hath　showed　in　your　own　example；　who　with　the　two　clear　eyes　of　religion　and　natural　philosophy　have　looked　deeply　and　wisely　into　these　shadows；　and　yet　proved　yourself　to　be　of　the　nature　of　the　sun；　which　passeth　through　pollutions　and　itself　remains　as　pure　as　before。　＇＇　But　this　I　hold　fit；　that　these　narrations；　which　have　mixture　with　superstition；　be　sorted　by　themselves；　and　not　be　mingled　with　the　narrations　which　are　merely　and　sincerely　natural。　＇＇　But　as　for　the　narrations　touching　the　prodigies　and　miracles　of　religions；　they　are　either　not　true；　or　not　natural；　and　therefore　impertinent　for　the　story　of　nature。

5。　For　history　of　nature　wrought　or　mechanical；　I　find　some　collections　made　of　agriculture；　and　likewise　of　manual　arts；　but　commonly　with　a　rejection　of　experiments　familiar　and　vulgar。　＇＇　For　it　is　esteemed　a　kind　of　dishonour　unto　learning　to　descend　to　inquiry　or　meditation　upon　matters　mechanical；　except　they　be　such　as　may　be　thought　secrets；　rarities；　and　special　subtilities；　which　humour　of　vain　and　supercilious　arrogancy　is　justly　derided　in　Plato；　where　he　brings　in　Hippias；　a　vaunting　sophist；　disputing　with　Socrates；　a　true　and　unfeigned　inquisitor　of　truth；　where　the　subject　being　touching　beauty；　Socrates；　after　his　wandering　manner　of　inductions；　put　first　an　example　of　a　fair　virgin；　and　then　of　a　fair　horse；　and　then　of　a　fair　pot　well　glazed；　whereat　Hippias　was　offended；　and　said；　MORE　THAN　FOR　COURTESY'S　SAKE；　HE　DID　THINK　MUCH　TO　DISPUTE　WITH　ANY　THAT　DID　ALLEGE　SUCH　BASE　AND　SORDID　SUBSTANCES：　whereunto　Socrates　answered；　YOU　HAVE　REASON；　AND　IT　BECOMES　YOU　WELL；　BEING　A　MAN　SO　TRIM　IN　YOUR　VESTMENTS；　ETC。；　and　so　goeth　on　in　an　irony。　＇＇　But　the　truth　is；　they　be　not　the　highest　instances　that　give　the　securest　information；　as　may　be　well　expressed　in　the　tale　so　common　of　the　philosopher；　＇29＇　that　while　he　gazed　upwards　to　the　stars　fell　into　the　water；　for　if　he　had　looked　down　he　might　have　seen　the　stars　in　the　water；　but　looking　aloft　he　could　not　see　the　water　in　the　stars。　So　it　cometh　often　to　pass；　that　mean　and　small　things　discover　great；　better　than　great　can　discover　the　small：　and　therefore　Aristotle　noteth　well；　THAT　THE　NATURE　OF　EVERYTHING　IS　BEST　SEEN　IN　ITS　SMALLEST　PORTIONS。　And　for　that　cause　he　inquireth　the　nature　of　a　commonwealth；　first　in　a　family；　and　the　simple　conjugations　of　man　and　wife；　parent　and　child；　master　and　servant；　which　are　in　every　cottage。　Even　so　likewise　the　nature　of　this　great　city　of　the　world；　and　the　policy　thereof；　must　be　first　sought　in　mean　concordances　and　small　portions。　So　we　see　how　that　secret　of　nature；　of　the　turning　of　iron　touched　with　the　loadstone　towards　the　north；　was　found　out　in　needles　of　iron；　not　in　bars　of　iron。

6。　But　if　my　judgment　be　of　any　weight；　the　use　of　history　mechanical　is　of　all　others　the　most　radical　and　fundamental　towards　natural　philosophy；　such　natural　philosophy　as　shall　not　vanish　in　the　fume　of　subtile；　sublime；　or　delectable　speculation；　but　such　as　shall　be　operative　to　the　endowment　and　benefit　of　man's　life：　for　it　will　not　only　minister　and　suggest　for　the　present　many　ingenious　practices　in　all　trades；　by　a　connection　and　transferring　of　the　observations　of　one　art　to　the　use　of　another；　when　the　experiences　of　several　mysteries　shall　fall　under　the　consideration　of　one　man's　mind；　but　further；　it　will　give　a　more　true　and　real　illumination　concerning　causes　and　axioms　than　is　hitherto　attained。　＇＇　For　like　as　a　man's　disposition　is　never　well　known　till　he　be　crossed；　nor　Proteus　ever　changed　shapes　till　he　was　straitened　and　held　fast；　so　the　passages　and　variations　of　nature　cannot　appear　so　fully　in　the　liberty　of　nature；　as　in　the　trials　and　vexations　of　art。

II。　1。　For　civil　history；　it　is　of　three　kinds；　not　unfitly　to　be　compared　with　the　three　kinds　of　pictures　or　images：　for　of　pictures　or　images；　we　see　some　are　unfinished；　some　are　perfect；　and　some　are　defaced。　So　of　histories　we　may　find　three　kinds；　memorials；　perfect　histories；　and　antiquities；　for　memorials　are　history　unfinished；　or　the　first　or　rough　draughts　of　history；　and　antiquities　are　history　defaced；　or　some　remnants　of　history　which　have　casually　escaped　the　shipwreck　of　time。

2。　Memorials；　or　preparatory　history；　are　of　two　sorts；　whereof　the　one　may　be　termed　commentaries；　and　the　other　registers。　Commentaries　are　they　which　set　down　a　continuance　of　the　naked　events　and　actions；　without　the　motives　or　designs；　the　counsels；　the　speeches；　the　pretexts；　the　occasions　and　other　passages　of　action：　for　this　is　the　true　nature　of　a　commentary；　though　Caesar；　in　modesty　mixed　with　greatness；　did　for　his　pleasure　apply　the　name　of　a　commentary　to　the　best　history　of　the　world。　Registers　are　collections　of　public　acts；　as　decrees　of　council；　judicial　proceedings；　declarations　and　letters　of　state；　orations　and　the　like；　without　a　perfect　continuance　or　contexture　of　the　thread　of　the　narration。

3。　Antiquities；　or　remnants　of　history；　are；　as　was　said；　TANQUAM　TABULA　NAUFRAGII；　when　industrious　persons　by　an　exact　and　scrupulous　diligence　and　observation；　out　of　monuments；　names；　words；　proverbs；　traditions；　private　records　and　evidences；　fragments　of　stories；　passages　of　books　that　concern　not　story；　and　the　like；　do　save　and　recover　somewhat　from　the　deluge　of　time。

4。　In　these　kinds　of　unperfect　histories　I　do　assign　no　deficience；　for　they　are　TANQUAM　IMPERFECTE　MISTA；　and　therefore　any　deficience　in　them　is　but　their　nature。　＇＇　As　for　the　corruptions　and　moths　of　history；　which　are　EPITOMES；　the　use　of　them　deserveth　to　be　banished；　as　all　men　of　sound　judgment　have　confessed；　as　those　that　have　fretted　and　corroded　the　sound　bodies　of　many　excellent　histories；　and　wrought　them　into　base　and　unprofitable　dregs。

5。　History；　which　may　be　called　just　and　perfect　history；　is　of　three　kinds；　according　to　the　object　which　it　propoundeth　or　pretendeth　to　represent：　for　it　either　representeth　a　time；　or　a　person；　or　an　actions。　The　first　we　call　chronicles；　the　second　lives；　and　the　third　narrations　or　relations。　＇＇　Of　these；　although　the　first　be　the　most　complete　and　absolute　kind　of　history；　and　hath　most　estimation　and　glory；　yet　the　second　excelleth　it　in　profit　and　use；　and　the　third　in　verity　and　sincerity。　For　history　of　times　representeth　the　magnitude　of　actions；　and　the　public　faces　and　deportments　of　persons；　and　passeth　over　in　silence　the　smaller　passages　and　motions　of　men　and　matters。　＇＇　But　such　being　the　workmanship　of　God；　as　He　doth　hang　the　greatest　weight　upon　the　smallest　wires；　MAXIMA　？MINIMIS　SUSPENDENS；　it　comes　therefore　to　pass；　that　such　histories　do　rather　set　forth　the　pomp　of　business　than　the　true　and　inward　resorts　thereof。　But　lives；　if　they　be　well　written；　propounding　to　themselves　a　person　to　represent　in　whom　actions　both　greater　and　smaller；　public　and　private；　have　a　commixture；　must　of　necessity　contain　a　more　true；　native；　and　lively　representation。　So　again　narrations　and　relations　of　actions；　as　the　war　of　Peloponnesus；　the　expedition　of　Cyrus　Minor；　the　conspiracy　of　Catiline；　cannot　but　be　more　purely　and　exactly　true　than　histories　of　times；　because　they　may　choose　an　argument　comprehensible　within　the　notice　and　instructions　of　the　writer：　whereas　he　that　undertaketh　the　story　of　a　time；　especially　of　any　length；　cannot　but　meet　with　many　blanks　and　spaces　which　he　must　be　forced　to　fill　up　out　of　his　own　wit　and　conjecture。

6。　For　the　History　of　Times；　I　mean　of　Civil　History；　the　providence　of　God　hath　made　the　distribution：　for　it　hath　pleased　God　to　ordain　and　illustrate　two　exemplar　states　of　the　world　for　arms；　learning；　moral　virtue；　policy；　and　laws；　the　state　of　Graecia；　and　the　state　of　Rome；　the　histories　whereof　occupying　the　middle　part　of　time；　have　more　ancient　to　them；　histories　which　may　by　one　common　name　be　termed　the　antiquities　of　the　world：　and　after　them　histories　which　may　be　likewise　called　by　the　name　of　modern　history。

7。　Now　to　speak　of　the　deficiencies。　As　to　the　＇30＇　heathen　antiquities　of　the　world；　it　is　in　vain　to　note　them　for　deficient：　deficient　they　are　no　doubt；　consisting　most　of　fables　and　fragments；　but　the　deficience　cannot　be　holpen；　for　antiquity　is　like　fame；　CAPUT　INTER　NUBILA　CONDIT；　her　head　is　muffled　from　our　sight。　For　the　history　of　the　exemplar　states；　it　is　extant　in　good　perfection。　Not　but　I　could　wish　there　were　a　perfect　course　of　history　for　Graecia　from　Theseus　to　Philopoemen　（what　time　the　affairs　of　Graecia　were　drowned　and　extinguished　in　the　affairs　of　Rome）；　and　for　Rome　from　Romulus　to　Justinianus；　who　may　be　truly　said　to　be　ULTIMUS　ROMANORUM。　In　which　sequences　of　story　the　text　of　Thucydides　and　Xenophon　in　the　one；　and　the　texts　of　Livius；　Polybius；　Sallustius；　Caesar；　Appianus；　Tacitus；　Herodianus　in　the　other；　to　be　kept　entire　without　any　diminution　at　all；　and　only　to　be　supplied　and　continued。　But　this　is　a　matter　of　magnificence；　rather　to　be　commended　than　required：　and　we　speak　now　of　parts　of　learning　supplemental　and　not　of　supererogation。

8。　But　for　modern　histories；　whereof　there　are　some　few　very　worthy；　but　the　greater　part　beneath　mediocrity；　（leaving　the　care　of　foreign　stories　to　foreign　states；　because　I　will　not　be　CURIOSUS　IN　ALIENA　REPUBLICA；）　I　cannot　fail　to　represent　to　your　majesty　the　unworthiness　of　the　history　of　England　in　the　main　continuance　thereof；　and　the　partiality　and　obliquity　of　that　of　Scotland　in　the　latest　and　largest　author　that　I　have　seen：　　supposing　that　it　would　be　honour　for　your　Majesty；　and　a　work　very　memorable；　if　this　island　of　Great　Britain；　as　it　is　now　joined　in　monarchy　for　the　ages　to　come；　so　were　joined　in　one　history　for　the　times　passed；　after　the　manner　of　the　Sacred　History；　which　draweth　down　the　story　of　the　ten　tribes；　and　of　the　two　tribes；　as　twins；　together。　And　if　it　shall　seem　that　the　greatness　of　this　work　may　make　it　less　exactly　performed；　there　is　an　excellent　period　of　a　much　smaller　compass　of　time；　as　to　the　story　of　England；　that　is　to　say；　from　th