in their own; which haply would be greater, were learning left free to every ones sense, and not confined to patterns and old forms, harder many times to be imitated, or made use of, than new ones found; which being our own, would appear more natural and adapted to the present understandings, in many things strangers to the usances of the ancients: whereas the second serves as an universal chain, by which the generality are led to approve or dislike the words, actions, and gestures of others: Whose judgements, as I have long since not much valued, so have I a little wondred at age, to finde it so tetchy, when younger in years lay any claim to knowledge: Since the goodness of the eye, and advantage of place, and not a long poring, discovers the prospect; more of London being surveyable in a minute from Pauls steeple, than can be seen in an age out of Cheapside: there remaining nothing in this world prescription hath a weaker title to than wisdome, the legitimate daughter experience brings forth to an able and

active understanding. For though all things are found to own, in process of time, a publick vicissitude, yet for the most part it is too slow and cunningly carried, to be discerned at any distance (especially in relation to the present) which way it turns. The ignorant traveller may see by the diall, the time is in a declension; but, without entring the church or court, shall be never the wiser as to the knowledge of the true and proper causer of the motion. For myself, I confess I am more highly bound to letters, than any acquired advantage or natural endowment self-partiality or others indulgence hath hitherto been able to estate me in. Now, if some, owners of such parts as I am conscious of the want of, did prosecute the like study, having a purse and will to purchase a sight of the intelligence, negotiations, conferences, and transactions of all those that have resided in embassy with our princes, they might no question be able to compose a more exact chronicle than this nation ever saw of her own: and

for elegancy, it would, like honey, drop out of the same leaves he gathered his information from; epistles being the quintessence of the writers judgment, as they are undoubtedly the elixir of his rhetorick. And he that desires a more exemplary manifestation of this infallible (though for ought I ever observed, seldome practised) truth, may finde it in that learned Italian's History of the Council of Trent; a piece that challenges all the veneration our partial modern readers do or can offer at the shrines of antiquity; a folly sure not so conversant in the world before printing, otherwise the most part of new books from time to time had still been buried in their swadlingclouts, for want of transcription, which few or none would now foul their fingers ends about, as not esteeming it worth the labour, out of sloth or contempt: So far, as the stationers meer zeal to gain, rather than any propensity to the advancement of learning, did for a while keep Bacon, Rawleigh, and divers incomparable spirits more, from

perishing at the bottome of oblivion; good books (anciently written in the bark of trees, and now) running, in their progress, so exactly the fate of acorns, that if their chance be to withstand the swinish contamination of their own age, and trampling into the dirt of contempt, they do not seldome afterwards become the gods of the nations, and have temples dedicated to their worship; as their authors in this participate with other good men, who attain not to a state of glory till after this life.