[Sidenote: The fourth meane for readers.]
4. For _readers_ of yeares, of sufficiencie, of continuance, methinke I durst enter into some combat that it were beyonde all crie profitable, and necessarie, to haue whom to follow, and of whom to learne how to direct our studies, for _yeares_ auncient fathers: for _sufficiencie_ most able to enstruct: for _continuance_ cunning to discerne persons, and circumstaunces: for _aduise_ skillfull to rule rash heades, which runne on to fast, being armed with some priuate opinion of their owne petie learning. What was _Plato_ to the _Academikes_? _Aristotle_ to the _Peripatetikes_? _Xeno_ to the _Stoiks_? _Epicure_ to the _Epicurians_? _Aristippus_ to the _Anicerian_ and _Cyrenaike_? and other such fathers to the famulies of their professions, but _readers_? It is a meruell to thinke on, how longe those fellowes continued in their profession as _Diogenes Laertius_ doth note. It should seeme that _Plato_ taught aboue fiftie yeares, reckening the time that he left _Speusippus_ his deputie during his trauell into _Ægypt_ and that way: whereby both himselfe proued an excellent maister, and his hearers proued most excellent scholers. They that haue bene acquainted with cunning _readers_ any where will subscribe to this I know.
Priuate studie tied to one booke led by one braine: not alway the best (as what counsellour is commonly worse to ones selfe, then himselfe?) so proceeding as the first impression leads, be it what it can be, cannot compare for iudiciall learning with the benefit of hearing one, nay of repeating to one vpon interrogatories after reading, to trie his iudgement, his keeping, and remembrance: which one hath red, and digested all the best bookes, or at the least all the best bookes in that kinde, whereof he maketh profession: which hath a iudgement settled and resolute by the helpe of all those good braines: which hath dealte with thousandes of the pregnantest wittes, whom experience hath taught stay, whom the common weale by sufferance commendes as sufficient. He that is not acquainted with such an excellent reader or teacher (for both the names import one thing) and that with repetition, but pleaseth himselfe with his owne priuate studie, as he taketh more paines vndoutedly, so getteth he lesse gaine I dare assure him, hauing in one lecture the benefit of his _readers_ vniuersall studie, and that so fitted to his hand, as he may streight way vse it, without further thinking on: wheras when he hath beaten his owne braines priuatly about a litle, for want of time to digest, being to forward to put foorth, he vttereth that which he must either amend vpon better aduice, or quite reuoke when he findes he is ouer shot. Wherfore such _readers_, or rather such _nurses_ to studie must needes be maintained with great allowance, to make their heauen there, where ye meane to vse them. Whose seruice, for the benefit that comes from them will saue their whole hier in very bookes, which the student shall not so much neede, when his _reader_ is his librarie: neither must they be soules, as we tearme them, though of great reading, neither is it enough to haue read much, but they must be of great gouernment withall, which are to bring vp such a frie of gouerners. And therefore that great sufficiencie doth still call for great recompence to be tyed to a stake for it all ones life time.