35. A man's nature runs either to herbs or weeds; therefore let him seasonably water the one, and destroy the other.

36. If a man look sharply and attentively, he fhall fee fortune; for though fhe be blind, fhe is not invisible.

37. The best part of beauty is that which a picture cannot express.

38. If you will work on any man, you must either know his nature and fashions, and fo lead him; or his ends, and fo perfuade him; or his weaknesses and disadvantages, and fo awe him; or thofe that have interest in him, and so govern him.

39. Fame is like a river that beareth up things light and fhallow, and drowns things weighty and solid.

40. Seneca faith well, that anger is like rain, which breaks itself upon that it falls.

41. Excufations, ceffions, modesty itself well governed, are but arts of oftentation.

42. High treafon is not written in ice; that when the body relenteth [=melteth] the impreffion fhould go

away.

43. The best governments are always fubject to be like the faireft crystals, wherein every icicle or grain is seen, which in a fouler ftone is never perceived.

44. Hollow church papifts are like the roots of nettles, which themselves fting not; but yet they bear all the ftinging leaves. (Remains.)

SPAIN'S DEGRADATION OF THE POPE.

The Church of Rome, that pretended apoftolic fee, is become but a donative cell of the King of Spain. The Vicar of Chrift is become the King of Spain's chaplain. He parteth the coming in of the new Pope, for the treasure of the old. He was wont to exclude but fome two or three cardinals, and to leave the election of the reft; but now he doth include, and present directly fome small number, all incapable and incompatible with the conclave, put in only for colour, except one or two. The States of Italy, they be like little quillets of freehold, being intermixed in the midft

S

of a great honour or lordship. (4 (A Difcourfe in Praise of Elizabeth.)

SUPERNATURAL KNOWLEDGE.

If any man shall think by view and inquiry into these sensible and material things to attain that light, whereby he may reveal unto himself the nature or will of God, then indeed is he spoiled by vain philosophy: for the contemplation of God's creatures and works produceth (having regard to the works and creatures themselves) knowledge; but having regard to God, no perfect knowledge, but wonder, which is broken knowledge. And therefore it was moft aptly faid by one of Plato's school,

That the sense of man carrieth a resemblance with the fun, which, as we fee, openeth and revealeth all the terreftrial globe; but then, again, it obfcureth and concealeth the stars and celeftial globe: so doth the sense discover natural things, but it darkeneth and fhutteth up divine.' And hence it is true, that it hath proceeded that divers

great learned men have been heretical, whilst they have fought to fly up to the fecrets of the Deity by the waxen wings of the fenfes and as for the conceit, that too much knowledge should incline a man to atheism, and that the ignorance of fecond caufes fhould make a more devout dependence upon God, who is the First Cause: First, it is good to ask the question which Job afked of his friends Will you lie for God, as one man will do for another, to gratify Him For certain it is that God worketh nothing in Nature but by second causes; and if they would have it otherwife believed, it is mere imposture, as it were in favour towards God; and nothing else but to offer to the Author of Truth the unclean facrifice of a lie. But farther, it is an affured truth, and a conclufion of experience, that a little or fuperficial knowledge of philosophy may incline the mind of man to atheism, but a farther proceeding therein doth bring the mind back again to religion; for in the entrance of philofophy, when the fecond caufes, which are next unto the fenfes, do offer themselves to the mind of man, if it dwell and stay there,

it may induce fome oblivion of the highest cause: but when a man passeth on farther, and feeth the dependence of causes and the works of Providence ; then, according to the allegory of the poets, he will eafily believe that the highest link of Nature's chain must needs be tied to the foot of Jupiter's chair. To conclude therefore: let no man, upon a weak conceit of sobriety, or an ill-applied moderation, think or maintain, that a man can search too far, or be too well ftudied in the book of God's Word, or in the book of God's works ; divinity or philosophy; but rather let men endeavour an endless progress, or proficience in both; only let men beware that they apply both to charity, and not to fwelling [=boafting]; to ufe, and not to oftentation; and, again, that they do not unwifely mingle, or confound these learnings together. (Advancement of Learning.)