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THE SECOND BOOKE 237
seriously examine and judge of; deeming all other
apprentiships as subsequents and of supererogation in
regard of that Parum mihi placeant eae literas qum ad
virtutem doctoribus nihil profuerunt: 'That learning
pleaseth me but a little, which nothing profiteth the
teachers of it unto vertue.' Most of the arts have thus
beene contemned by knowledge it selfe, for they
thought it not amisse to exercise their mindes in
matters wherein was no profitable solidity. As for
the rest, some have judged Plato a dogmatist, others
a doubter; some a dogmatist in one thing, and some a
doubter in another. Socrates, the fore-man of his
Dialogues doth ever aske and propose his disputation ;
yet never concluding, nor ever satisfying, and saith he
hath no other science but that of opposing. Their
author, Homer, hath equally grounded the foundations
of all sects of philosophy, thereby to shew how indifferent
he was which way he went. Some say that
of Plato arose ten diverse sects. And as I thinke,.
never was instruction wavering and nothing avouching
if his be not. Socrates was wont to say that when
midwives begin once to put in practice the trade to
make other women bring forth children, themselves
become barren. That he, by the title of wise, which
the gods had conferred upon him, had also in his
man-like and mentall love shaken off the faculty of
begetting: Being well pleased to afford all helpe and
favor to such as were engenderers; to open their
nature, to suple their passages, to ease the issue of
their child-bearing, to judge thereof, to baptise the
same, to foster it, to strengthen it, to swathe it, and to
circumcise it, exercising and handling his instrument
at the perill and fortune of others. So is it with most
authors of this third kinde, as the ancients have well
noted by the writings of Anaxagoras, Democritus,
Parmenides, Xenophanes, and others. They have a
manner of writing doubtfull both in substance and
intent, rather enquiring than instructing: albeit here
and there they enterlace their stile with dogmaticall
cadences. And is not that as well seene in Seneca and