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Show 0 f the AdUanr:ement OJ;Learn~ng, 11\'\klt{ay is no«mplification at al1,but a pofitiue and meafured truth: which is,that there hath nut beenc fince C.hrifis time any KingortemporallMonarch which hath ben Co learned in allliteratttre & erudition diuine & humane.Eor let a man ferioufly & dilige~ tly reuoluc: and peru!e the fuccefsion of the Em per ours of Rome, of which C£(4~ the DiCtator, who Hued fotne yeeres before Chrtft, and lvt'tlrctJs Alltoninus were the beftlearned: and Co defcend to the Emperours of Grecia, or of t~e Well:, and then to the lines of Frattnce, spaine, En;; land, Scotland and the reff, and he ihall find e. this iudgement is truly made. For it feemeth ~uch in a King,ifby the com. pendious extrattions of other mens wits and la~ bours, he can take hold of any fuperficiall Orna: ments and fkewes. of learning, or if he counte· nance and preferre learning and learned men: But to drinke indeed ofthe true Fountaines oflearning, nay, tP haue fuch afuuntaineoflearningin himfelf~ in a King, and in a King borne, is alnioft a ~iracle: 'And the m?re·, ~ecaufe there is. ~er in your Maiefiy a r.are Cof!ntnCl:Jon, afwell of dnune and fa<Zred literat~ re? as of prophane and humane; So as your Matelhe ftandetk inuefied of that triplicitie, which in great veneration, was afcribed to the ancient Her ... me.r;thep~wer~nd.forn1neof.a King; the knO\V· ·le~ge a~d dh~~~natton ~fa Prtefi; and the learning ~1)(1 vnnterfal~ue?~ a Philofo~her .. This propriety lnherent and.tndnuduall attrtb~re· tn your Maiefiie deferuetb.to:.bc expre[ed,not on ely in t11e fame and admiratio11 , . .... 4 'The ftrft :Book!, . , atlmiration of the prefenttime, nor in theHiflorie or tradition of the agesfucceeding; but alfo in fome f01ide worke, fixed n1emoriall, and immortall monutnent, bearing a. CharaCter or fignature, both of th~ po~er of a ktng, and the diffet:ence ~and perfe-dton ot fi1ch a king. · · ~ ;fherefore I did conclude with my felfe, that I could not tn~~e vnto your Maielty a bettett oblatiop, then of fome treatife tending tO that end, W here()f th~ futnme willconflfi ofd1ete two partes: J:he former concerning the excelle~cie ·of learning and knowledge, and the excellencie of the merit and tr..u~ glory, in the Augmentation ana P.ropagatioFI tt er~of:· flie latt,er, what the panticuler atfes and .. workes are, \vhich haue been imbr-aced and·-vnder ... taken for the aduancenH!nt oflearning: And againe 'Yhat de~eas and· vndervalewes I fin de in fucb part~ culer actes ~ to the end,that though l cannot pofi- · uuely or affirmatinelie aduife your Mctiefiie,or prop~ un vnt~ .you frarne.d I:articule~s; yet I may ex- , cue your prtncely-Cognattons to vi fit the excellenrtreaf. t tre of your owne mind 'a nd dt~nc:e to ext~act· · pa~~tc~l~rs for. t~is purpofe, agteea&le to your. mag-nantmtue and wtfedome. I N' the· entran~e to tbefurme1lfoi1tliefe. to cleere the w-ay~ &.as it were tO maKe t:iience, ·t~ haue the t~ue tefHmvnies concerning tlie ~dignitie of Learntn_ g to b~ b~tter htard,without die interruption of tacne ob1eC\tons; l thinke good· to deliueli it from · .A 4 the· |
