法蘭西斯*培根
讀書致用，在於修身養性，在於旁徵博引，在於增益才幹。其修生養性，見之於獨處幽居之時；其旁徵博引，見之於高談闊論之際；其增益才幹，見之於處事決斷之中。博學之士雖能對瑣碎之事應對自如或者判斷得力，然縱觀全局、統籌策劃則非所學之士莫屬。讀書耗時過多屬於懶惰；文過飾非則有矯揉造作之嫌；處事判斷處處引經據典亦是學究故態。讀書使得天性趨於完美，經驗又使得讀書趨於完美。與生俱來的潛能亦如自然生長的植物，需要讀書去修剪移接。然讀書自身難免在方向把握上陷入過於泛泛籠統之境。此時惟有經驗能夠把舵引航。狡詐欺騙之徒視讀書不屑一顧，處事簡單之人心嚮往之，英明睿智之士則學以致用。讀書育人之處不在於其自身用途，而在於通過觀摩研讀方能習得的那份睿智，遠離書本，高於書本。讀書不可詰責作者，不可盡信書中所言，亦不可尋章摘句，須得推敲審度。有的書淺嘗輒止，有的書亦可吞食，有的書則須細細咀嚼、慢慢消化。換言之，有的書籍適合選段吟誦，有的書籍適合消遣娛樂，而極少書籍應當聚精會神、孜孜不倦地去通篇解讀。有些書籍也可以請人代讀並作摘錄，但僅限於題材較次之類，否則書經提煉猶如水經蒸餾，索然無味矣。
讀書使人充實，爭論使人機智，寫作使人嚴謹。因此，惰於動墨之人勢必記憶卓群；特立獨行之人須得天資聰穎；鮮執書籍之人必須欺世有術，方顯貌似知其所未知也。歷史使人明智，詩詞使人詼諧，數學使人敏銳，科學使人深邃，倫理使人端莊，邏輯修辭使人善辯。凡有所學，皆成性格。人之才能若有阻滯，適當書籍皆可使之順暢。亦如體內之疾皆有相宜運動使之痊癒。滾球利於睾腎，射擊利於胸肺，漫步利於脾胃，騎車利於頭腦，諸如此類。智力渙散者，可令其鑽研數學，做題需全神貫注，稍有走神皆需重來；不善辨異者，可令其攻讀哲學，是類之人皆屬吹毛求疵者也；不善舉證者，可令其習讀律師案卷。如此，凡頭腦有缺陷者，皆有所醫也。
Of Studies
STUDIES serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for delight is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgment and disposition of business. For expert men can execute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; but the general counsels, and the plots and marshalling of affairs, come best from those that are learned. To spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much for ornament, is affectation; to make judgment wholly by their rules, is the humor of a scholar. They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience: for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need proyning, 1 by study; and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience. Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them; for they teach not their own use; but that is a wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation. Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention. Some books also may be read by deputy, and extracts made of them by others; but that would be only in the less important arguments, and the meaner sort of books, else distilled books are like common distilled waters, flashy 2 things. Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. And therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great memory; if he confer little, he had need have a present wit: and if he read little, he had need have much cunning, to seem to know that he doth not. Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtile; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. Abeunt studia in mores [Studies pass into and influence manners]. Nay, there is no stond or impediment in the wit but may be wrought out by fit studies; like as diseases of the body may have appropriate exercises. Bowling is good for the stone and reins; 3 shooting for the lungs and breast; gentle walking for the stomach; riding for the head; and the like. So if a man’s wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics; for in demonstrations, if his wit be called away never so little, he must begin again. If his wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences, let him study the Schoolmen; for they are cymini sectores [splitters of hairs]. If he be not apt to beat over matters, and to call up one thing to prove and illustrate another, let him study the lawyers’ cases. So every defect of the mind may have a special receipt.
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