is rare

subtilest philosophers. The contemplative atheist a Diagoras, a Bion,° à Lucian° perhaps, and some others and yet they seem to be more than they are, for that all that impugn a received 5 religion, or superstition, are, by the adverse part, branded with the name of atheists. But the great atheists, indeed, are hypocrites, which are ever handling holy things, but without feeling; so as they must needs be cauterized in the end.

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The causes of atheism are: divisions in religion, if they be many, for any one main division addeth zeal to both sides, but many divisions introduce atheism. Another is scandal of priests," when it is come to that which St. Bernard° saith, "Non est° 15 jam dicere, ut populus, sic sacerdos: quia nec sic populus, ut sacerdos." A third is custom of profane scoffing in holy matters, which doth by little and little deface the reverence of religion. And, lastly, learned times, specially with peace and prosperity; 20 for troubles and adversities do more bow men's minds to religion.°

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They that deny a God destroy man's nobility; for certainly man is of kin to the beasts by his body, and if he be not of kin to God by his spirit, he is a 25 base and ignoble creature. It destroys likewise magnanimity, and the raising of human nature. For take an example of a dog, and mark what a generosity and courage he will put on when he finds himself maintained by a man,° who to him is instead 30 of a God, or melior natura°; which courage is mani

festly such as that creature, without that confidence of a better nature than his own, could never attain. So man, when he resteth and assureth himself upon divine protection and favour, gathereth a force and faith which human nature in itself could not obtain. 5 Therefore as atheism is in all respects hateful, so in this, that it depriveth human nature of the means to exalt itself above human frailty. As it is in particular persons, so it is in nations. Never was there such a state for magnanimity as Rome; of this state 10 hear what Cicero saith: "Quam volumus licet, patres conscripti, nos amemus, tamen nec numero Hispanos, nec robore Gallos, nec calliditate Pœnos, nec artibus Græcos nec denique hoc ipso hujus gentis et terræ domestico nativoque sensu Italos ipsos et 15 Latinos; sed pietate, ac religione, atque hac una sapientia, quod deorum immortalium numine omnia regi gubernarique perspeximus, omnes gentes nationesque superavimus.

XVII. OF SUPERSTITION

Ir were better to have no opinion of God at all 20 than such an opinion as is unworthy of him; for the one is unbelief, the other is contumely. And certainly superstition is the reproach of the Deity. Plutarch saith well to that purpose: "Surely," saith he, "I had rather a great deal men should say 25 there was no such man at all as Plutarch, than that

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they should say that there was one Plutarch that would eat his children as soon as they were born," as the poets speak of Saturn. And as the contumely is greater towards God, so the danger is greater 5 towards men. Atheism leaves a man to sense, to philosophy, to natural piety, to laws, to reputation; all which may be guides to an outward moral virtue, though religion were not. But superstition dismounts all these, and erecteth an absolute monarchy in the 10 minds of men. Therefore atheism did never perturb states, for it makes men wary of themselves, as looking no further. And we see the times inclined to atheism (as the time of Augustus Cæsar°) were civil times. But superstition hath been the con15 fusion of many states, and bringeth in a new primum mobile that ravisheth all the spheres of government.

The master of superstition is the people, and in all superstition wise men follow fools, and arguments are fitted to practise in a reversed order. It was 20 gravely said by some of the prelates in the Council of Trent, where the doctrine of the schoolmen bore great sway, that the schoolmen were like astronomers, which did feign eccentrics and epicycles, and such engines of orbs,° to save the phenomena, though 25 they knew there were no such things;" and, in like manner, that the schoolmen had framed a number of subtile and intricate axioms and theorems to save the practice of the Church.

The causes of superstition are: pleasing and sen30 sual rites and ceremonies; excess of outward and

pharisaical holiness; over-great reverence of traditions, which cannot but load the Church; the stratagems of prelates for their own ambition and lucre; the favouring too much of good intentions, which openeth the gate to conceits and novelties; the taking 5 an aim at divine matters by human, which cannot but breed mixture of imaginations; and, lastly, barbarous times, especially joined with calamities and disasters.

Superstition without a veil is a deformed thing; 10 for as it addeth deformity to an ape to be so like a man, so the similitude of superstition to religion makes it the more deformed. And as wholesome meat corrupteth to little worms, so good forms and orders corrupt into a number of petty observances.

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There is a superstition in avoiding superstition,° when men think to do best if they go furthest from the superstition formerly received. Therefore care would be had that, as it fareth in ill purgings, the good be not taken away with the bad; which com- 20 monly is done when the people is the reformer.°

XVIII. OF TRAVEL

TRAVEL, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience. He that travelleth into a country before he hath some entrance into the language, goeth to school, and not to travel. 25 That young men travel under some tutor or grave

Meetings

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servant, I allow° well; so that he be such a one that hath the language and hath been in the country before, whereby he may be able to tell them what things are worthy to be seen in the country where 5 they go, what acquaintances they are to seek, what exercises or discipline the place yieldeth. For else young men shall go hooded, and look abroad little.

It is a strange thing that in sea voyages, where there is nothing to be seen but sky and sea, men 10 should make diaries; but in land travel, wherein so much is to be observed, for the most part they omit it; as if chance were fitter to be registered than observation. Let diaries therefore be brought in use.

The things to be seen and observed are: the 15 courts of princes, specially when they give audience to ambassadors; the courts of justice, while they sit and hear causes; and so of consistories ecclesiastic; the churches and monasteries, with the monuments which are therein extant; the walls and fortifications 20 of cities and towns, and so the havens and harbours; antiquities and ruins; libraries, colleges, disputations,° and lectures, where any are; shipping and navies; houses and gardens of state and pleasure near great cities; armouries, arsenals, magazines, exchanges burses, warehouses; exercises of horsemanship, fencing, training of soldiers, and the like; comedies, such whereunto the better sort of persons do resort; treasuries of jewels and robes, cabinets and rarities; and, to conclude, whatsoever is memorable in the 30 places where they go: after all which the tutors or