OF WHAT FORCE CIRCUNSTANCE IS IN MATTERS OF ACTION, AND HOW WARILY AUTHORITIES BE TO BE VSED, WHERE THE CONTEMPLATIUE REASON RECEIUES THE CHECK OF THE ACTIUE CIRCUNSTANCE, IF THEY BE NOT WELL APPLYED. OF THE ALLEADGING OF AUTHORS.
Some well meaning man, when he will perswade his countrie to this or that thing, either by penne or speache, if he find any good writers authoritie, which fauoureth his opinion, he presumeth streight waie therby both his owne perswasion to be sufficiently armed, and his countries execution to be strongly warranted. Which his assuraunce is sometime chekt by wisdome, sometime by experience: By wisdome, which forseeth, that the circunstance of the countrie will not admit that, which he would perswade: by experience, which giuing way at the first to some probability, is in the end borne back by vnfitting circunstance. So that in those cases, where authorities perswade, and circunstances controwle, such as vse writers for their credit, must feare circunstance for her chek. Bycause the misse in circunstance makes the authour no authour, where his reason is altered, and the alledger no alledger, where discretion wanteth. Seeing therefore my selfe deale with these two pointes of authoritie and circunstance, both to confirme mine owne opinion the surer, and to confute the contrarie sounder, where difference in opinion shall offer to assaile me, I thought it good in the verie entrie to say somwhat of both, considering their agreement doth promise successe, and their disagreement doth threaten defeat.
I do see many very toward wittes, of reasonable good reading, and of excellent good vtterance, both forreine abroad, and freindes at home marueilously ouershoot themselues by ouerruling the circunstance, and ouerstraining authoritie. For vpon some affiaunce in their owne wittes, that they see all circunstances, and some small assurance, that the authours which they reade, do soothe all that they say: they will push out in publike certaine resolute opinions, before either their wittes be settled, or their reading ripe: which is then to be thought wisely ripe, when after the benefit of many yeares, after much reading of the most and best writers, after sound digesting of that which they haue red, and applying it all to some certaine ende: time hath fined their iudgement, and by precise obseruing and comparing, both what others haue said, and what themselues haue seene, hath made them maister the circunstance. Which mastering of the circunstance, is the only rule, that wisemen liue by, the only meane, that wisedome is come by, the only ods between folie and witte. The marking wherof is of so great a force, as by it eche countrie discouereth the travellour, when he seeketh to enforce his forreine conclusions, and clingeth to that countryman, which hath bettered her still, by biding still at home. It discrieth the young student, which is rauished with the obiect, eare he can discern it, and honoreth the wise learned, whose vnderstanding is so staied, as he may be a leader. The consideration of circunstance is so strong in all attemptes, where man is the subiect, as it maketh of all nothing, and of nothing all. The skill to iudge of it is so lingring, and so late, bycause man is the gatherer, and so long eare he learne it, as it seemes to be reserued, till he be almost spent. It is not enough to rule the world, to alleadge authorities, but to raunge authorities, which be not aboue the world, by the rule of the world, is the wisemans line.