ON THE NATURAL DESIRE FOR KNOWLEDGE 119invention and composition; 51 these amenities are rarely sought, however,and stu<strong>di</strong>es are attended to with weak means and little order and withfewer aids. Hence it is no wonder if <strong>of</strong> the few who study only a tiny fewarrive at a noble degree <strong>of</strong> knowledge.And I believe that primarily everything proceeds from the end forwhich one stu<strong>di</strong>es which, for the most part, is not knowledge at all, butgain, honors, favors and comforts, which, as they cannot be obtained withthe advance <strong>of</strong> stu<strong>di</strong>es to the true attainment <strong>of</strong> the sciences, men pursueas best they can with the warping <strong>of</strong> the sciences, addressing their stu<strong>di</strong>esin such a manner that they manage to achieve some part <strong>of</strong> them; so thatat the same time they abuse reason and study as well as sciential terms. 52And this is why the majority <strong>of</strong> scholars follow those pr<strong>of</strong>essions which aremore suitable to this, that is law and me<strong>di</strong>cine, the latter for the public andprivate practice and the collection <strong>of</strong> the daily stipend 53 house by house,the former for governments and <strong>of</strong>fices and ministries at the service <strong>of</strong>princes and retainers and procurations, to harvest no lesser fruits.The most abandoned and derelict are the same ones 54 that are best ableto satisfy the native desire, those that give us the most cognition and bringus more perfection and ornament, I say the great philosophy, mathematicsand the philological and poetical eru<strong>di</strong>tions; there are few who, even justhearing them named, do not refuse them and imme<strong>di</strong>ately condemn them,saying that they are not breadwinning activities, thus revealing what theirobjectives are, a truly ancient defect, about which we have in Ovid:Saepe pater <strong>di</strong>xit: stu<strong>di</strong>um quid inutile tentas?Maeonides nullas ipse reliquit opes. 55Those then who content themselves with doing the least philosophicalstu<strong>di</strong>es or courses for the most part truly course to arrive either at me<strong>di</strong>-51 This is a synthetic description <strong>of</strong> the principal intention behind the encyclope<strong>di</strong>cor pansophical form in Renaissance and Baroque culture: synopsis aims precisely,accor<strong>di</strong>ng to its own etymology, at producing an effect <strong>of</strong> comprehension and hierarchicalgrasp with respect to the articulations <strong>of</strong> the real world.52 They abuse the terms proper to science.53 In ad<strong>di</strong>tion to their regular practice, that is, account must be taken <strong>of</strong> incomesfrom single me<strong>di</strong>cal interventions or house calls.54 <strong>Sciences</strong>.55 ‘Often my father said to me: why do you give yourself to useless study? Homerhimself left no riches’, Trist., IV, X, vv. 21-22.
120DEL NATURAL DESIDERIO DI SAPERElogia et a pena in questi si trattengono quanto il necessario passaggio lisforza, 56 che pur vien da loro affrettato al possibile.Restaranno pochissimi quelli che vogliano attendere a queste scienzee stu<strong>di</strong> per pr<strong>of</strong>essarle, ma però con fine <strong>di</strong>ssimile dall’altri, proponendosio <strong>di</strong> conseguirne publica cathedra con stipen<strong>di</strong>o o luogho <strong>di</strong> trattenimentoappresso a qualche principe; onde, mirando non al saper, ma alliguadagni e commo<strong>di</strong> sopradetti, non è meraviglia se a quello non arrivano,et in tali ancora poco vien adempito il <strong>desiderio</strong> <strong>natural</strong>e.Se pretendono o possedono publica lettura, 57 procurano acquistarnome grande et authorità per conseguirla e mantenerla sempre con nuoviargomenti, e la lor mira è più nel parer che nell’essere, et haver fama <strong>di</strong>dottrina che <strong>di</strong> <strong>sapere</strong>, e perché questo le ha da venire dal giu<strong>di</strong>zio <strong>di</strong> chinon sa, e particolarmente dalla frequenza et applauso dell’au<strong>di</strong>tori, l’uno el’altro si procacciano col dar gusto a questi e portar fuori solo dogmi famosie sonori, non si curando se le opinioni siano vere, ma ben sì che sianoplausibili, magistrali, authorizzate dalli pareri più communi della settaregnante. <strong>Il</strong> dar poi so<strong>di</strong>sfattione alli scolari suol affettarsi tanto per havernel’aura <strong>di</strong> benevolenza che, 58 deposta ogni magistrale autorità, si concorracon essi a giochi, burle, trattenimenti vani, anzi, con allegri banchettie burlevole conversazioni si ricevono e <strong>di</strong> superiore si <strong>di</strong>venga sinoinferiore a quelli col andar sino a riceverli a casa e condurli alla lettione epoi ricondurli e simili complimenti e mo<strong>di</strong> più <strong>di</strong> corte che <strong>di</strong> stu<strong>di</strong>o etanto alieni dall’acquisto della sapienza quanto ciascuno puol considerare.<strong>Il</strong> luogo poi appresso a’ principi è tutta cortigianaria; si procura la gratiadel padrone e <strong>di</strong> tutta la corte et insieme il nome <strong>di</strong> saper assai conarti 59 continue, et è periculosissimo invece dell’honorato grado <strong>di</strong> filos<strong>of</strong>ocader nel luogho vilissimo <strong>di</strong> parasito, buffone o almeno adulatore, comeben ci si rappresenta in Aristippo. 60 Si procura l’ammiratione <strong>di</strong> chi or<strong>di</strong>-56 Quanto richiede il curriculum stu<strong>di</strong>orum.57 Se ambiscono o già possiedono una cattedra.58 Costruisci: “Per avere fama <strong>di</strong> benevolenza si è soliti desiderare così tanto <strong>di</strong> daresod<strong>di</strong>sfazione agli studenti, da”, etc.59 Qui vale quasi astuzie.60 Quale ci si raffigura in Aristippo. Cfr. Diogene Laerzio, Vite dei filos<strong>of</strong>i, II, 65 ss.
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