of omnipotence creating and annihilating things in an instant; and things divorced in nature are married in fancy, as in a lawful place. It is also most restless: whilst the senses are bound and reason in a manner asleep, fancy like a sentinel walks the round, ever working, never wearied. The chief diseases of the fancy are, either that they are too wild and high-soaring, or else too low and grovelling, or else too desultory and overvoluable. Of the first,

1. If thy fancy be but a little too rank, age itself will correct it. To lift too high is no fault in a young horse, because with travelling he will mend it for his own ease. Thus lofty fancies in young men will come down of themselves, and in process of time the overplus will shrink to be but even measure. But if this will not do it ob

serve these rules.

2. Take part always with thy judgment against thy fancy in any thing wherein they shall dissent. If thou suspectest thy conceits too luxuriant, herein account thy suspicion a legal conviction, and damn whatsoever thou doubtest of. "Warily Tully, bene monent, qui vetant quicquam facere, de quo dubitas, æquum sit an iniquum."

3. Take the advice of a faithful friend, and submit thy inventions to his censure. When thou

pennest an oration, let him have the power of "index expurgatorius," to expunge what he pleaseth; and do not thou, like a fond mother, cry if the child of thy brain be corrected for playing the wanton. Mark the arguments and reasons of his alterations, why that phrase least proper, this passage more cautious and advised, and after a while thou shalt perform the place in thine own person, and not go out of thyself for a censurer. If thy fancy be too low and humble,

4. Let thy judgment be king but not tyrant over it, to condemn harmless, yea, commendable conceits. Some for fear their orations should giggle will not let them smile. Give it also liberty to rove, for it will not be extravagant. There is no danger that weak folks if they walk abroad will straggle far, as wanting strength.

5. Acquaint thyself with reading poets, for there fancy is in her throne; and in time the sparks of the author's wit will catch hold on the reader, and inflame him with love, liking, and desire of imitation. I confess there is more required to teach one to write than to see a copy : however there is a secret force of fascination in reading poems to raise and provoke fancy. If thy fancy be over voluble, then

6. Whip this vagrant home to the first object

wherein it should be selected. Indeed nimbleness is the perfection of this faculty, but levity the bane of it. Great is the difference betwixt a swift horse and a skittish, that will stand on no ground. Such is the ubiquitary fancy, which will keep long residence on no one subject, but is so courteous to strangers that it ever welcomes that conceit most which comes last; and new species supplant the old ones, before seriously considered. If this be the fault of the fancy, I say whip it home to the first object, wherein it should be settled. This do as often as occasion requires, and by degrees the fugitive servant will learn to abide by his work without running away.

Acquaint thyself by degrees with hard and knotty studies, as school-divinity, which will clog thy overnimble fancy. True, at the first it will be as welcome to thee as a prison, and their very solutions will seem knots unto thee. But take not too much at once, lest thy brain turn edge. Taste it first as a potion for physic, and by degrees thou shalt drink it as beer for thirst: practice will make it pleasant. Mathematics are also good for this purpose: if beginning to try a conclusion, thou must make an end, lest thou loseth thy pains that are past, and must procced seriously and exactly. I meddle not with those

Y

Bedlam-fancies, all whose conceits are antique but leave them for the physician to purge with hellebore.*

* Upon the art of obtaining mastery over the mind which is of such importance in the conduct of the understanding, there are various observations in Lord Bacon's works, as follows:

Let the mind be daily employed upon some subjects from which it is averse.

Bear ever toward the contrary of that whereunto you are by nature inclined, that you may bring the mind straight from its warp. Like as when we row against the stream, or when we make a crooked wand straight, by bending it the contrary way.

INSTANTLY STUDY WHEN THE DISPOSITION TO STUDY APPEARS.

As in the improvement of the understanding, the mind ought always to be employed on some subject from which it is averse, that it may obtain the mastery over itself: so two seasons are chiefly to be observed, the one when the mind is best disposed to a business, the other when it is worst, that by the one, we may be well forward on our way: by the latter we may by a strenuous contention work out the knots and stondes of the mind, and make it pliant for other occasions.

ENGAGE IN STUDIES OPPOSITE TO THE FAVOURITE PURSUIT. Histories make men wise; poetry, witty; the mathematics, subtle: natural philosophy, deep; moral, grave; logic, and rhetoric, able to contend. "Abeunt studia in mores."

To clothe low-creeping matter with high-flown language is not fine fancy, but flat foolery. It

Nay, there is no stond or impediment in the wit, but may be wrought out by fit studies. Like as diseases of the body may have appropriated exercises; bowling is good for the stone and reins; shooting for the lungs and breast; gentle walking for the stomach; riding for the head and the like. So if a man's wit be wandering, let him study mathematics; for in demonstrations, if his wit be called away, never so little, he must begin again. If his wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences, let him study the schoolmen; for they are "Cymini sectores." If he be not apt to beat over matters, and to call up one thing to prove and illustrate another, let him study the lawyers' cases; so every defect of the mind may have a special receipt.

STUDY BY TIME.

In studies whatsoever a man commandeth upon himself. let him set hours for it; but whatsoever is agreeable to his nature, let him take no care for any set hours, for his thoughts will fly to it of themselves.

Dr. Johnson said, "if a man never has an eager desire for instruction he should prescribe a task for himself: if he has a science to learn he must regularly and resolutely advance."

FORM THE HABIT OF FIXEDNESS.

Burke always read a book, as if he were never to see it again. Newton used to say, that if there were any difference between him and other men, it consisted in his fixing his eye steadily on the object which he had in view, and