that of Aristotle true, nullum magnum ingenium
sine mixtura dementiae, they have a worm as well
as others; you shall find a fantastical strain, a fustian,
a bombast, a vainglorious humour, an affected style,
&c., like a prominent thread in an uneven woven cloth,
run parallel throughout their works. And they
that teach wisdom, patience, meekness, are the veriest
dizzards, harebrains, and most discontent. [715]"In
the multitude of wisdom is grief, and he that increaseth
wisdom, increaseth sorrow.” I need not quote
mine author; they that laugh and contemn others, condemn
the world of folly, deserve to be mocked, are as giddy-headed,
and lie as open as any other. [716]Democritus, that
common flouter of folly, was ridiculous himself, barking
Menippus, scoffing Lucian, satirical Lucilius, Petronius,
Varro, Persius, &c., may be censured with the rest,
Loripedem rectus derideat, Aethiopem albus.
Bale, Erasmus, Hospinian, Vives, Kemnisius, explode
as a vast ocean of obs and sols, school divinity.
[717]A labyrinth of intricable questions, unprofitable
contentions, incredibilem delirationem, one
calls it. If school divinity be so censured,
subtilis [718]Scotus lima veritatis, Occam irrefragabilis,
cujus ingenium vetera omnia ingenia subvertit,
&c. Baconthrope, Dr. Resolutus, and Corculum
Theolgiae, Thomas himself, Doctor [719]Seraphicus,
cui dictavit Angelus, &c. What shall become
of humanity? Ars stulta, what can she plead?
what can her followers say for themselves? Much
learning, [720] cere-diminuit-brum, hath cracked
their sconce, and taken such root, that tribus Anticyris
caput insanabile, hellebore itself can do no good,
nor that renowned [721]lantern of Epictetus, by which
if any man studied, he should be as wise as he was.
But all will not serve; rhetoricians, in ostentationem
loquacitatis multa agitant, out of their volubility
of tongue, will talk much to no purpose, orators can
persuade other men what they will, quo volunt,
unde volunt, move, pacify, &c., but cannot settle
their own brains, what saith Tully? Malo indisertam
prudentiam, quam loquacem, stultitiam; and as
[722]Seneca seconds him, a wise man’s oration
should not be polite or solicitous. [723]Fabius esteems
no better of most of them, either in speech, action,
gesture, than as men beside themselves, insanos
declamatores; so doth Gregory, Non mihi sapit
qui sermone, sed qui factis sapit. Make the best
of him, a good orator is a turncoat, an evil man,
bonus orator pessimus vir, his tongue is set
to sale, he is a mere voice, as [724]he said of a
nightingale, dat sine mente sonum, an hyperbolical
liar, a flatterer, a parasite, and as [725] Ammianus
Marcellinus will, a corrupting cozener, one that doth
more mischief by his fair speeches, than he that bribes
by money; for a man may with more facility avoid him
that circumvents by money, than him that deceives
with glozing terms; which made [726]Socrates so much