.

"There be other things in nature, which being second as to their order,
for their dignity and value are first; and such to which the other
are but accommodations; of this sort are especially these: religion,
justice, courage, and wisdom.

"The education that answers to religion in our government is that of the
universities. Moses, the divine legislator, was not only skilful in
all the learning of the Egyptians, but took also into the fabric of his
commonwealth the learning of the Midianites in the advice of Jethro; and
his foundation of a university laid in the tabernacle, and finished in
the Temple, became that pinnacle from whence (according to many Jewish
and Christian authors) all the learning in the world has taken wing; as
the philosophy of the Stoics from the Pharisees; that of the Epicureans
from the Sadducees; and from the learning of the Jews, so often quoted
by our Saviour, and fulfilled in him, the Christian religion. Athens
was the most famous university in her days; and her senators, that is to
say, the Areopagites, were all philosophers. Lacedaemon, to speak truth,
though she could write and read, was not very bookish. But he that
disputes hence against universities, disputes by the same argument
against agriculture, manufacture, and merchandise; every one of these
having been equally forbid by Lycurgus, not for itself (for if he had
not been learned in all the learning of Crete, and well travelled in the
knowledge of other governments, he had never made his commonwealth),
but for the diversion which they must have given his citizens from their
arms, who, being but few, if they had minded anything else, must have
deserted the commonwealth. For Rome, she had ingenium par ingenio, was
as learned as great, and held our College of Augurs in much reverence.
Venice has taken her religion upon trust. Holland cannot attend it to
be very studious. Nor does Switzerland mind it much; yet are they all
addicted to their universities. We cut down trees to build houses; but
I would have somebody show me, by what reason or experience the cutting
down of a university should tend to the setting up of a commonwealth.
Of this I am sure, that the perfection of a commonwealth is not to be
attained without the knowledge of ancient prudence, nor the knowledge of
ancient prudence without learning, nor learning without schools of good
literature, and these are such as we call universities.

"Now though mere university learnin