ROGER ASCHAM
The Scholemaster
Written between 1563-8. Posthumously published
FIRST EDITION, 1570 ; COLLATED WITH THE SECOND EDITION, 1572
EDITED BY
EDWARD ARBER
F.S.A. ETC. LATE EXAMINER IN ENGLISH
LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE! ~
TO THE UNIVjRSITY OF \
Vb\ .7. j
LONDON \J? CONSTABLE -AND CO LTD 1932
CONTENTS
Z
- PAG»
Introduction, ...... 3
Ascham's Method of teaching Latin, . . .9
Bibliography, . . . , . .12
THE SCHOLEMASTER, . . 13
Preface [Margaret Ascham's dedication to Sir W. Cecil], 15 A Prseface to the Reader [by R. Ascham], . .17
The First Book for the Youth, . 25
1. Ascham's Method of teaching Latin, First and Second Stages :
see analysis at pp. 9-11, ...... 25-30
2. " Why, in mine opinion, Love is fitter than Fear, Gentleness better
than Beating, to bring up a child rightly in learning," . . 31
3. The difference between Quick Wits and Hard Wits, . . 32-35
4. The ill choosing of scholars to go to the Universities, . . 35-38
5. Plato's seven plain notes to choose a good wit in a child for learning, 38-43
6. Obj. Some men laugh at us, when we thus wish and reason that
young children should be rather allured to learning by gentle- ness and love, than compelled to learning by beating and fear, 49 Ans. Tlie judgment of Socrates, No learning ought to be learned
-with bondage, ....... 43
f. Obj. Some will say, children of nature love pastime and mislike learning : because, in their kind, the one is easy and pleasant, the other hard and wearisome, ..... 44
A ns. An opinion not so true as some men ween. If ever the nature of man be given at any time more than other, to receive good- ness : it is in innocency^of yong years : before experience of evil has taken root in him, . . . . . .4;
B. Besides cruelty in Schoolmasters in beating away the Love of
Learning from children ; there is a clean contrary fault, . 46
From Seven to Seventeen yong gentlemen be carefully enough brought up : but from Seventeen to Seven and Twenty (the most dangerous time of all a man's life and most slippery to stay well in) they have commonly the reins of all license in their own hand, and specially such as do live in the Court, .... 49-71
9. The Italianated Englishmen, ..... 71-86
The Second Book,. . . 87
xo. Ascham's Method of teaching Latin, Third and Fourth Stages :
see analysis at pp. 9-11, ...... 87-90
11. The six ways appointed by the learned men for the learning of
tongues and increase of eloquence, .... 92-132
Translation of Languages , 92-96
Paraphrase, . . 96-104 Epitome, . . 110-116
Metaphrase, . .104-110 Imitation, . . 116-138
Declamation [not included in this work, possibly not written by
Ascham, at his death].
12. The true difference of authors, .... 138-141
13. A survey of the Latin tongue in its purity, scarce one hundred
years, ....... 141-160
Plautus and Terence, The Correspondents of Cicero, 142-144, 150-1 Varro, . 152-154. Sallust (The criticism of Sir J. Cheeke), i54-x59 Cesar [only begun], . 159-160. Cicero [probably not written]. Criticism of recent English verse, . . . i44'150
Classical feet v. Rhyme. Dactyles are seldom found in English. .... Hexameters do rather trot and hobble than run smoothly.
Yet I am sure, our English tongue will receive Iambics as naturally as Greek and Latin, • • «S^4WI
EUINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN
•f To the honorable Sir William
Cecill Knight, principall Secretaire to the Queries moll excellent Maieflie.
Ondry and reafonable be the caufes why learned men haue vfed to offer and dedicate fuch workes as they put abrode, to fo?ne fuch perfonage as they thinke fittefl, either in refpecl of abilitie of defenfe, orfkill for iuge tnent, or priuate regard of kindeneffe and dutie. Euery one ofthofe confederations, Syr, moue me of right to offer this my late hufbands M. Afchams worke vnto you. For well remembryng how much all good learnyng oweth vnto you for defenfe therof, as the Vniuerfitie of Cam- brige, of which my faid late hufband was a member, haue in chofing you their worthy Chaunceller acknow- ledged, and how happily you haue fpent your time in fuch fludies and caried the vfe therof to the right ende, to the goodferuice of the Quenes Maieflie and your contrey to all our benefites, thyrdly how much my fayd hufband was many wayes bound vnto you, and how gladly and comfortably he vfed in hys lyfe to recognife and report your goodneffe toward hym, leauyng with me then hys poore widow and a great fort of orphanes a good comfort in the hope of your good continuance, which I haue truly found to me and myne, and therfore do duely and day ly pray for you and yours: I could not
i6
Preface.
finde any man for whofe name this booke was more agre
able for hope [of] protection, more mete for fubmifsion to
iudgement, nor more due for refpecl of worthy neffe of your
part and thankefulneffe of my hufbandes and myne.
Good I trust it fhall do, as I am put in great hope by
many very well learned that can well iudge therof
Mete therefore I compt it that fuch good as my hufband
was able to doe and leaue to the common weale, it Jhould
be receiued vnder your name, and that the world Jhould
owe thanke therof to you, to whom my hufband the
authour of it was for good receyued of you, mofl dutiefully
bounden. And fo befechyng you, to take on you the de-
fenfe of this booke, to auaunce the good that may come oj
it by your allowance and furtherance to publike vfe and
benefite, and to accept the thankefull recognition of me and
my poor e children, truflyng of the continuance of your
good memorieofM. Afcham and his, anddayly
tommendyng the prof per ous estate of you
and yours to God whom you ferue
and whoes you are, I reft
to trouble you.
Your humble Margaret Afcham.
2t? A Prceface to the
Reader.
Hen the great plage was at Lon- don, the yeare 1563. the Quenes Maieftie Queene Elizabeth, lay at herCaflle of Windfore : Where, vpon the 10. day of December, it fortuned, that in Sir William Cicells chamber, hir Highneffe Principall Secretarie, there dined togither thefe perfon- ages, M. Secretarie him felfe, Syr William Peter, Syr y. Mafon, D. Wotton, Syr Richard Sackuille Treafurei of the Exchecker, Syr Walter Mildmaye Chauncellor of the Exchecker, M. Haddon Matter of Requeftes, M.John Astley Matter of the I e well houfe, M. Bernard Hampton, M. Nicafius, and J?. Of which number, the mod part were of hir Maiefties moft honourable priuie Counfell, and the reaft feruing hir in verie good place. I was glad than, and do reioice yet to remember, that my chance was fo happie, to be there that day, in the companie of fo manie wife and good men togither, as hardly than could haue beene pi[c]ked out againe, out of all England befide.
M. Secretarie hath this accuttomed maner, though his head be neuer fo full of moft weightie affaires of the Realme, yet, at diner time he doth feeme to lay them alwaies afide : and findeth euer fitte occafion to taulke pleafantlie of other matters, but moft gladlie of fome matter of learning : wherein, he will curteflie heare the minde of the meaneft at his Table.
Not long after our fitting doune, I haue ftrange h
18 A Prceface to the Reader.
newes brought me, fayth M. Secretarie, this morning, m. Secreta- tnat diuerfe Scholers of Eaton, be runne *** awaie from the Schole, for feare of beat-
ing. Whereupon, M. Secretarie tooke occafion, to wilhe, that fome more difcretion were in many Scholemafters, in vfmg correction, than commonlit there is. Who many times, punifhe rather, the weake- nes of nature, than the fault of the Scholer. Whereby, many Scholers, that might elfe proue well, be driuen to hate learning, before they knowe, what teaming meaneth: and fo, are made willing to forfake their booke, and be glad to be put to any other kinde of liuing.
m. Peter. M. Peter, as one fomewhat feuere of
nature, faid plainlie, that the Rodde onelie, was the fworde, that mud keepe, the Schole in obedience, and m. Wotton. the Scholer in good order. M. Wotton, a man milde of nature, with foft voice, and fewe wordes, inclined to M. Secretaries iudgement, and faid, in mine Ludusii- opinion, the Scholehoufe mould be in
terarum. deede, as it is called by name, the houfe of
playe and pleafure, and not of feare and bondage: Plato de an(^ as I do remember, fo faith Socrates w
Rep. 7 one place of Plato. And therefore, if a
Rodde carie the feare of a Sworde, it is no maraell, if thofe that be fearefull of nature, chofe rather to for- fake the Plaie, than to Hand alwaies within the feare of a Sworde in a fonde mans handling. M. m. Mason. Mafon, after his maner, was verie merie with both parties, pleafantlie playing, both, with the (hrewde touches of many courfte boyes, and with the Quail difcretion of many leude Scholemafters. M. m. h addon. Haddon was fullie of M. Peters opinion, and faid, that the befl Scholemafter of our time, was the greateft beater, and named the Perfon. Though, The Author of quoth I, it was his good fortune, to fend this booke. from his Schole, vnto the Vniuerfitie, one of the befl Scholers in deede of all our time, yet wife men do thinke, that that came fo to paffe, rather, by
i
A Prceface to the Reader. i9
the great towardnes of the Scholer, than by the great beating of the Mailer : and whether this be true or no, you your felfe are beft witnes. I faid fomewhat farder in the matter, how, and whie, yong children, were foner allured by loue, than driuen by beating, to atteyne good learning : wherein I was the bolder to fay my minde, bicaufe M. Secretarie curteflie prouoked me thereunto : or elfe, in fuch a companie, and namelie in his praefence, my wonte is, to be more willing, to vfe mine eares, than to occupie my tonge.
Syr Walter Mildmaye, M. Astley, and the reft, faid verie litle : onelie Syr Rich. Sackuill, faid nothing at all. After dinner I went vp to read with the Queenes Maieftie. We red than togitikj in the Greke tongpe as I well remember, that nolle Oration Demost of Demosthenes againft ALf chines, for his irept ira- falfe dealing in his Ambaffage to king pa>*pe<rP> Philip of Macedonie. Syr Rich. Sackuile came fone after : and finding me in hir Maie- &*£-.. (lies priuie chamber, he tooke me by communication the hand, and carying me to a windoe, J^J*^1" faid, M. Afcham, I would not for a good booke. deale of monie, haue bene, this daie, abfent from diner. Where, though I faid nothing, yet I gaue as good eare, and do confider as well the taulke, that paffed, as any one did there. M. Secretarie faid very wifely, and mofl truely, that many yong wittes be driuen to hate learninge, before they know what learninge is. I can be good witnes to this my felfe : For a fond Scholemafler, before I was fullie fourtene yeare olde, draue me fo, with feare of beating, from all loue of learninge, as nowe, when I know, what difference it is, to haue learninge, and to haue litle, 01 none at all, I feele it my greateft greife, and finde it my greateft hurte, that euer came to me, that it was ray fo ill chance, to light vpon fo lewde a Scholemafler. But feing it is but in vain, to lament thinges pafte, and alfo wifdome to looke to thinges to cum, furely, God wijlinge, if God lend me life, I will make this my mif-
20
A Prceface to the Reader.
hap, fome occafion of good hap, to litle Robert Sach uile my fonnes fonne. For whofe bringinge vp, I would gladlie, if it fo pleafe you, vfe fpeciallie your good aduice. I heare faie, you haue a fonne, moch of his age : we wil deale thus togither. Point you out a Scholemafter, who by your order, ihall teache my fonne and yours, and for all the reft, I will prouide, yea though they three do coft me a couple of hundred poundes by yeare : and befide, you (hall finde me as fail a Frend to you and yours, as perchance any you haue. Which promife, the worthie Ientleman furelie kept with me, vntill his dying daye.
The cheife We ^^ than fartner tau^e togither, of
pointeSCof bringing vp of children : of the nature, of this booke. quicke, and hard wittes : of the right choice of a good witte: of Feare, and loue in teachinge children. We paffed from children and came to yonge men, namely, Ientlemen : we taulked of their to moch libertie, to Hue as they luft : of their letting loufe to fone, to ouermoch experience of ill, contrarie to the good order of many good olde common welthes of the Perfians and Grekes : of witte gathered, and good fortune gotten, by fome, onely by experience, without learning. And laftlie, he required of me verie earneft- lie, to fhewe, what I thought of the common goinge of Engliftie men into Italic But, fayth he, bicaufe this place, and this tyme, will not fuffer fo long taulke, as thefe good matters require, therefore I pray you, at my requeft, and at your leyfure, put in fome order of writing, the cheife pointes of this our taulke, concern- ing, the right order of teachinge, and honeftie of liuing, for the good bringing vp of children and yong men. And furelie, befide contentinge me, you Ihall both pleafe and profit verie many others. I made fome excufe by lacke of habilitie, and weakenes of bodie : well, fayth he, I am not now to learne, what you can do. Our deare frende, good M. Goodricke, whofe iudgement I could well beleue, did once for all, fatilfye me fullie therein. Againe, I heard you
A Prceface to the Reader.
21
fay, not long agoe, that you may thanke Syr John Chcke, for all the learninge you haue : And I know verie well my felfe, that you did teach the Quene. And therefore feing God did fo bleffe you, to make you the Scholer of the befl Mailer, and alfo the Schole- mafler of the bell Scholer, that euer were in our tyme, furelie, you mould pleafe God, benefite your countrie, and honell your owne name, if you would take the paines, to impart to others, what you learned of foch a Mailer, and how ye taught fuch a fcholer. And, in vttering the flufFe ye receiued of the one, in declaring the order ye tooke with the other, ye (hall neuer lacke, neither matter, nor maner, what to write, nor how to write in this kinde of Argument.
I beginning fome farther excufe, fodeinlie was called to cum to the Queene. The night following, I flept litle, my head was fo full of this our former taulke, and I fo mindefull, fomewhat to fatiffie the honell re- queft of fo deare a frend. I thought to prepare fome litle treatife for a New yeares gift that Chriflmas. But, as it chanceth to bufie builders, fo, in building thys my poore Scholehoufe (the rather bicaufe the forme of it is fomewhat new, and differing from others) the worke rofe dailie higher and wider, than I thought it would at the beginnings
And though it appeare now, and be in verie deede, but a fmall cotage, poore for the fluffe, and rude for the workemanftrip, yet in going forward, I found the fite fo good, as I was lothe to giue it ouer, but the making fo cofllie, outreaching my habilitie, as many tymes I wifhed, that fome one of thofe three, my deare frendes, with full purffes, Syr Tho. Smithe, M. Haddon, or M. Watfon, had had the doing of it. (Smith. Yet, neuertheleffe, I my felfe, fpending M'\J%^; gladlie that litle, that I gatte at home by Syr /. cheke. good Syr Iohn Cheke, and that that I bor- /• sturminus rowed abroad of my frend Sturmius, befide FJ^°iotle fomewhat that was left me in Reueriion c&*». by my olde Mailers, Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero,
22
A Prceface to the Reader.
T haue at laft patched it vp, as I could, and as fee. If the matter be meane, and meanly handled, pray you beare, both with me, and it : for neuer worke went vp in worfe wether, with mo lettes and ftoppes, than this poore Scholehoufe of mine. Weftminfler Hall can beare fome witneffe, befide moch weakenes of bodie, but more trouble of minde, by fome foch fores, as greue me to toche them my felfe, and there- fore I purpofe not to open them to others. And, in middes of outward iniuries, and inward cares, to en- Syri?. creafe them withall, good Syr Rich. Sack-
sackuiii. utfe dieth, that worthie Ientleman : That earneft fauorer and furtherer of Gods true Religion : That faithfull Seruitor to his Prince and[Countrie : A louer of learning, and all learned men : Wife in all doinges : Curteffe to all perfons : (hewing fpite to none : doing good to many : and as I well found, to me fo fad a frend, as I neuer loft the like before. Whan he was gone, my hart was dead. There was not one, that woare a blacke gowne for him, who caried a heuier hart for him, than I. Whan he was gone, I cafl this booke awaie : I could not looke vpon it, but with weping eyes, in remembring him, who was the onelie fetter on, to do it, and would haue bene, not onelie a glad commender of it, but alfo a fure and certaine comfort, to me and mine, for it. Almoft two yeares togither, this booke lay fcattered, and neglected, and had bene quite giuen ouer of me, if the goodneffe of one had not giuen me fome life and fpirite againe. God, the mouer of goodneffe, profper alwaies him and his, as he hath many times comforted me and mine, and, I truft to God, mail comfort more and more. Of whom, mofl iufllie I may faie, and verie oft, and al- waies gladlie, I am wont to fay, that fweete verfe of Sophocles, fpoken by Oedipus to worthie Thefeus.
OedhCol ^X0^ [y^P <*'] X*0 ^a-crc, kovk aAAov ftporiov.
Thys hope hath helped me to end this booke : which, if he allowe, I mail thinke my labours well imployed,
A Prczface to the Reader. 23
and (hall not moch aefleme the mifliking of any others. And I truft, he mall thinke the better of it, bicaufe he fhall finde the befl part thereof, to cum out of his Schole, whom he, of all men loued and liked befl.
Yet fome men, frendly enough of nature, but of fmall iudgement in learninge, do thinke, I take to moch paines, and fpend to moch time, in fettinge forth thefe childrens affaires. But thofe PJato in initio good men were neuer brought vp in So- Theagis.^ crates Schole, who faith plainlie, that no ^tro™ man goeth about a more godlie purpofe, deiortyov than he that is mindfull of the good bring- fodpuiros &v ing vp, both of hys owne, and other mens povXetaatro, children. Lai?*™"
Therfore, I trufl, good and wife men, tqv ainod, will thinke well of this my doing. And of ko.1 tQv other, that thinke otherwife, I will thinke oUeUav. my felfe, they are but men, to be pardoned for theii follie, and pitied for their ignoraunce.
In writing this booke, I haue had earnefl refpecte to three fpeciall pointes, trothe of Religion, honeflie in liuing, right order in learning. In which three waies, I praie God, my poore children may diligently waulke : for whofe fake, as nature would, and reafon required, and necemtie alfo fomewhat compelled, I was the willinger to take thefe paines.
For, feing at my death, I am not like to leaue them any great flore of liuing, therefore in my life time, 1 thought good to bequeath vnto them, in this litle booke, as in my Will and Teftament, the right waie to good learning : which if they followe, with the feare of God, they fhall verie well cum to fumciencie of liuinge.
I wifte alfo, with all my hart, that yong M. Rob. Sackuille, may take that fructe of this labor, that his worthie Grauntfather purpofed he fhould haue done : And if any other do take, either proffet, or pleafure hereby, they haue caufe to thanke M. Robert Sackuilie, for whom fpeciallie this my Scholemafler was prouided.
24 A Prczface to the Reader.
And one thing I would haue the Reader confider in readinge this booke, that bicaufe, no Scholemafter hath charge of any childe, before he enter into hys Schole, therefore I leauing all former care, of their good bringing vp, to wife and good Parentes, as a matter not belonging to the Scholemafter, I do appoynt thys my Scholemafter, than, and there to begin, where his office and charge beginneth. Which charge lafteth not long, but vntill the Scholer be made hable to go to the Vniuerfitie, to procede in Logike, Rhetoricke, and other kindes of learning.
Yet if my Scholemafter, for loue he beareth to hys
Scholer, mail teach hym fomewhat for hys furtherance,
and better iudgement in learning, that may feme -
him feuen yeare after in the Vniuerfitie, he
doth hys Scholer no more wrong, nor de-
ferueth no worfe name thereby, than he
doth in London, who fellinge filke
or cloth vnto his frend, doth
giue him better meafure,
than either hys pro-
mife or bargaine
was.
Farewell in Christ.
V1
• v
-^^R?-~
The firjl booke for the youth.
Fter the childe hath learned per- fitlie the eight partes of fpeach, let him then learne the right ioyning togither of fubftantiues with adiec- tiues, the nowne with the verbe, the relatiue with the antecedent. And in learninge farther hys Syn- taxis, by mine aduice, he lhall not vfe the common order in common fcholes, for making of latines : wherby, the childe commonlie learneth, firfl, an euill choice of wordes, (and right etc. de choice of wordes, faith Ctzfar, is the cia.or. foundation of eloquence) than, a wrong placing of wordes: and lafllie, an ill framing of the fentence, with a peruerfe iudgement, both of wordes and fen- tences. Thefe faultes, taking once roote in yougthe, be neuer, or hardlie, pluckt away in age. MakingofLat. Moreouer, there is no one thing, that hath tines marreth more, either dulled the wittes, or taken Children- awaye the will of children from learning, then the care they haue, to fatiffie their maflers, in making of latines.
For, the fcholer, is commonlie beat for the making, when the mafler were more worthie to be beat for the mending, or rather, marring of the fame : The mailer many times, being as ignorant as the childe, what to faie properlie and fitlie to the matter.
Two fcholemaflers haue fet forth in print, either of them a booke, of foch kinde of latines, mmtan Horman and Whittington. whittington.
A childe fhall learne of the better of them, that, which an other daie, if he be wife, and cum to iudge- ment, he mufl be faine to vnlearne againe.
26 The fir ft booke teachyng
There is a waie, touched in the firfl booke of i De Or. Cicero De Oratore, which, wifelie brought
into fcholes, truely taught, and conflantly vfed, would not onely take wholly away this butcherlie feare in making of latines, but would alfo, with eafe and plea- fure, and in fhort time, as I know by good experience, worke a true choice and placing of wordes, a right ordering of fentences, an eafie vnderflandyng of the tonge, a readines to fpeake, a facultie to write, a true iudgement, both of his owne, and other mens doinges, what tonge fo euer he doth vfe.
The waie is this. After the three Concordances learned, as I touched before, let the mailer read vnto hym the Epiftles of Cicero, gathered togither and chofen out by Sturmius, for the capacitie of children.
Firfl, let him teach thechilde, cherefullie and plainlie, The order of tne caufe, and matter of the letter : then, let teaching. him conflrue it into Englifhe, fo oft, as the
childe may eafilie carie awaie the vnderflanding of it : Lafllie, parfe it ouer perfitlie. This done thus, let the childe, by and by, both conflrue and parfe it ouer againe: fo, that it may appeare, that the childe douteth in nothing, that his mafler taught him be- fore. After this, the childe mufl take a paper booke, and fitting in fome place, where no man fhall prompe him, by him felf, let him tranflate into Englifhe his Two paper former leffon. Then fhewing it to his bokes. mafler, let the mafler take from him his
latin booke, and paufmg an houre, at the leafl, than let the childe tranflate his owne Englifhe into latin againe, in an other paper booke. When the childe bringeth it, turned into latin, the mafler mufl compare it with Tullies booke, and laie them both togither : and where the childe doth well, either in chofing, or true Children leame placing of Tullies wordes, let the mafler by prayse praife him, and faie here ye do well. For I affiire you, there is no fuch whetflone, to fharpen a good witte and encourage a will to learninge, as is praife.
But if the childe miffe, either in forgetting a worde,
the brynging vp of youth. 27
or in chaunging a good with a worfe, or mifordering the fentence, I would not haue the matter, either froune, or chide with him, if the childe haue done his diligence, and vfed no trewandfhip therein. For I know by good experience, that a childe mall take more profit of two fautes, ientlie warned of, then ientieness in of foure thinges, rightly hitt. For than, teaching. *he mafler (hall haue good occafion to faie vnto him. N. Tullie would haue vfed fuch a worde, not this : Tullie would haue placed this word here, not there : would haue vfed this cafe, this number, this perfon, this degree, this gender : he would haue vfed this moode, this tens, this fimple, rather than this com- pound : this aduerbe here, not there : he would haue ended the fentence with this verbe, not with that nowne or participle, etc.
In thefe fewe lines, I haue wrapped vp, the moft tedious part of Grammer: and alfo the ground of almofl all the Rewles, that are fo bufilie taught by the Mafler, and fo hardlie learned by the Scholer, in all common Scholes : which after this fort, the mafler fhall teach without all error, and the fcholer fhall learne without great paine : the mafler being led by fo fure a guide, and the fcholer being brought into fo plaine and eafie a waie. And therefore, we do not contemne Rewles, but we gladlie teach Rewles : and teach them, more plainlie, fenfiblie, and orderlie, than they be commonlie taught in common Scholes. For whan the Mafler fhall compare Tullies booke with his [the] Scholers tranflation, let the Mafler, at~the firfl, lead and teach his Scholer, to ioyne the Rewles of his Grammer booke, with the examples of his prefent leffon, vntill the Scholer, by him felfe, be hable to fetch out of his Grammer, euerie Rewle, for euerie Example : So, as the Grammer booke be euer in the Scholers hand, and alfo vfed of him, as a Dictionarie, for euerie prefent vfe. This is a liuely and perfite waie of teaching of Rewles : where the common waie, vfed in common Scholes, to read the Grammer alone
28 Thefirjl booke teachyng
by it felfe, is tedious for the Matter, hard for the Scholer, colde and vncumfortable for them bothe.
Let your Scholer be neuer afraide, to afke you any dou[b]t, but vfe difcretlie the befl allurements ye can, to encorage him to the fame : left, his ouermoch hear- inge of you, driue him to feeke fome miforderlie fliifte : as, to feeke to be helped by fome other booke, or to be prompted by fome other Scholer, and fo goe aboute to beg[u]ile you moch, and him felfe more.
With this waie, of good vnderftanding the ma[t]ter, plaine conflruinge, diligent parfinge, dailie tranflat- inge, cherefull admonifhinge, and heedefull amendinge of faultes : neuer leauinge behinde iufte praife for well doinge, I would haue the Scholer brought vp withall, till he had red, and tranflated ouer ye firfl booke of Epiftles chofen out by Sturmius, with a good peece of a Comedie of Terence alfo.
All this while, by mine aduife, the childe (hall vfe to fpeake no latine : For, as Cicero faith in like matter, Latm speak- ™&* l^e wordes, loquendo, male loqui yng. difcunt. And, that excellent learned man,
g. Budaus. q Bufiau^ -m his Greeke Commentaries, fore complaineth, that whan he began to learne the latin tonge, vfe of fpeaking latin at the table, and elfe- where, vnaduifedlie, did bring him to foch an euill choice of wordes, to foch a crooked framing of fen- tences, that no one thing did hurt or hinder him more, all the daies of his life afterward, both for redineffe in fpeaking, and alfo good iudgement in writinge.
In very deede, if children were brought vp, in foch a houfe, or foch a Schole, where the latin tonge were properlie and perfitlie fpoken, as Tib. and Ca. Gracci were brought vp, in their mother Cornelias houfe, (urelie, than the dailie vfe of fpeaking, were the befl and readiefl waie, to learne the latin tong. But now, v/ commonlie, in the befl Scholes in England, for wordes, right choice is fmallie regarded, true proprietrie whollie neglected, confufion is brought in, barbarioufneffe is bred up fo in yong wittes, as afterward they be, not onelie marde for fpeaking, but alfo corrupted in iudge-
the brynging vp of youth, 29
ment: as with moch adoe, or neuer at all, they be brought to right frame againe.
Yet all men couet to haue their children fpeake latin : and fo do I verie earneftlie too. We bothe, haue one purpofe : we agree in defire, we wifti one end : but we differ fomewhat in order and waie, that leadeth rightlie to that end. Other would haue them fpeake at all aduentures : and, fo they be fpeakinge, to fpeake, the Mailer careth not, the Scholer knoweth not, what. This is, to feeme, and not to bee : except it be, to be bolde without fhame, ralhe without (kill, full of wordes without witte. I wifli to haue them fpeake fo, as it may well appeare, that the braine doth gouerne the tonge> and that reafon leadeth forth the taulke. So- crates doctrine is true in Plato, and well piato. marked, and truely by Horace in Arte Horat. Poetica, that, where fo euer knowledge doth accom- panie the witte, there beft vtterance doth alwaies awaite vpon the tonge : For, good vnderftanding mufl firft be bred in the childe, which, being nurifhed Much wrft with (kill, and vfe of writing (as I will teach breedethVeafy more largelie hereafter) is the onelie waie sPeakyn«- to bring him to iudgement and readinelfe in fpeakinge: and that in farre fliorter time (if he followe conflantlie the trade of this lit[t]le leffon) then he mall do, by common teachinge of the common fcholes in England.
But, to go forward, as you perceiue, your fcholer to goe better and better on awaie, firfl, with vnderftand- ing his leffon more quicklie, with parting more readelie, with tranflating more fpedelie and perfitlie then he was wonte, after, giue him longer leffons to tranflate : and withall, begin to teach him, both in nownes, and verbes, what is Proprium, and what is Tranflatum, what Synonymum, what Di- d^fam? uerfum, which be Contraria, and which be °Jd"^e mod notable Phrafes in all his lecture.
As:
n ^ ■ I Rex Sepultus est
rroprium. { .Jfx
r { magnified
teachyng.
30
Thefirft booke teachyng
i Cum Mo principe, < fepulta est et gloria ( et Salus Re\i\publica.
lYanflatum.
Synonyma.
Diuerfa.
Contraria.
Phrafes.
( Enfcs, Gladius. \ Laudare, prcedicare.
I Diligere, Amare. < Calere, Exardefcere \ Inimicus, Hostis.
i
Acerbum et lucluofum
bellum* Dulcis et lata Pax.
{Dare verba, abjicere obedientiam.
Your fcholer then, mufl haue the third paper booke : The thyrd m tne which, after he hath done his double paper boke. tranflation, let him write, after this fort foure of thefe forenamed fixe, diligentlie marked out of euerie leffon.
Quatuor.
Propria, Tranflata. Synonyma. Diuerfa. Contraria. \ Phrafes.
Or elfe, three, or two, if there be no moe : and there be none of thefe at all in fome lecture, yet not omitte the order, but write thefe.
T Diuerfa nulla.
\ Contraria nulla, etc.
This diligent tranflating, ioyned with this heedefull marking, in the foreiaid Epiftles, and afterwarde in
•
the brynging vp of youth. 3i
fome plaine Oration of Tulliey as, pro lege Manil: pro Archia Poeta, or in thofe three ad. C. Cczf: ftiall worke foch a right choife of wordes, fo flreight a framing of fentences, foch a true iudgement, both to write fkil- fullie, and fpeake wittlelie, as wife men ftiall both praife, and maruell at
If your fcholer do miffe fometimes, in marking rightlie thefe forefaid fixe thinges, chide not haflelie : for that (hall, both dull his witte, and dif- ientienes in corage his diligence : but monifh him gen- teaching, telie : which mail make him, both willing to amende, and glad to go forward in loue and hope of learning.
I haue now wifhed, twife or thrife, this gentle nature, to be in a Scholemafter : And, that I haue done fo, neither by chance, nor without fome reafon, I will now declare at large, why, in mine opinion, Loue. loue is fitter then feare, ientienes better Feare. then beating, to bring vp a childe rightlie in learninge.
With the common vfe of teaching and beating in com- mon fcholes of England, I will not greatlie Common contend : which if I did, it were but a fmall Scholes- grammaticall controuerfie, neither belonging to herefie nor treafon, nor greatly touching God nor the Prince : although in very deede, in the end, the good or ill bringing vp of children, doth as much feme to the good or ill feruice, of God, our Prince, and our whole countrie, as any one thing doth befide.
I do gladlie agree with all good Scholemaflers in thefe pointes : to haue children brought to good per- fitnes in learning : to all honeflie in maners : to haue all fau[l]tes rightlie amended : to haueeuerie vice feue- relie corrected : but for the order and waie that lead- eth rightlie to thefe pointes, we fomewhat differ. For commonlie, many fcholemafters, fome, as sharpe I haue feen, moe, as I haue heard tell, Schoiemasters, be of fo crooked a nature, as, when they meete with a hard witted fcholer, they rather breake him, than bowe him, rather marre him, then mend him. For whan the fcholemafler is angrie with fome other
32 Thefirft booke teachyng
matter, then will he foneft faul to beate his fcholer and though he him felfe mould be punifhed for his folie, yet mufl he beate fome fcholer for his pleafure : though there be no caufe for him to do fo, nor yet fault in the fcholer to deferue fo. Thefe ye will fay, be fond fcholemaflers, and fewe they be, that be found to be foch. They be fond in deede, but furelie ouer- many foch be found euerie where. But this will I Nature fey, that euen the wifeft of your great
punished. beaters, do as oft punifhe nature, as they do correcte faultes. Yea, many times, the better na- ture, is forer punifhed : For, if one, by quicknes ot witte, take his leffon readelie, an other, by hardnes of witte, taketh it not fo fpeedelie : the firfl is alwaies commended, the other is commonlie punifhed : whan a wife fcholemafler, fhould rather difcretelie confider the right difpofition of both their natures, and not fo moch wey what either of them is able to do now, Quickewittes as what either of them is likelie to do foriearnyng. hereafter. For this I know, not onelie by reading of bookes in my fludie, but alfo by experience of life, abrode in the world, that thofe, which be commonlie the wifeft, the befl learned, and befl men alfo, when they be olde, were neuer com- monlie the quickefl of witte, when they were yonge. The caufes why, amongefl other, which be many, that moue me thus to thinke, be thefe fewe, which I will recken. Quicke wittes commonlie, be apte to take, vnapte to keepe : foone hote and defirous of this and that : as colde and fone wery of the fame againe : more quicke to enter fpedelie, than hable to pearfe farre: euen like ouer fharpe tooles, whofe edges be verie foone turned. Soch wittes delite them felues in eafie and pleafant fludies, and neuer paffe farre for- ward in hie and hard fciences. And therefore the quick- efl wittes commonlie may proue the befl Poetes, but not the wifeft Orators : readie of tonge to fpeak bold- Qmcke wittes, He, not deepe of iudgement, either for good fOTmaners and counfe}i or ^q writing. Alfo, for maners
the brynging vp of youth. 33
and life, quicke wittes commonlie, be, in defire, newfangle[d], in purpofe, vnconflant, light to promife any thing, readie to forget euery thing : both bene- fite and iniurie : and therby neither fad to frend, nor fearefull to foe : inquifitiue of euery trifle, not fecret in greatefl affaires : bolde, with any perfon : bufie, in euery matter : fo[o] thing, foch as be prefent : nipping any that is abfent : of nature alfo, alwaies, flattering theii betters, enuying their equals, defpifmg their inferiors : and, by quicknes of witte, verie quicke and readie, to like none fo well as them felues.
Moreouer commonlie, men, very quicke of witte, be alfo, verie light of conditions : and thereby, very readie of difpofition, to be caried ouer quicklie, by any light cumpanie, to any riot and vnthriftines when they be yonge : and therfore feldome, either honefl of life, or riche in liuing, when they be olde. For, quicke in witte, and light in maners, be, either feldome troubled, or verie fone we[e]ry, in carving a verie heuie purfe. Quicke wittes alfo be, in mofl part of all their doinges, ouer quicke, haflie, rafhe, headie, and brainficke. Thefe two laft wordes, Headie, and Brajnficke, bfc fitte and proper wordes, rifmg naturallie of the matter, and tearmed aptlie by the condition, of ouer moch quickenes of witte. In yougthe alfo they be, readie fcoffers, priuie mockers, and euer ouer light and mer[r]y. In aige, fone teftie, very wafpifhe, and alwaies ouer miferable : and yet fewe of them cum to any great aige, by reafon of their mifordered life when they were yong : but a greate deale fewer of them cum to fhewe any great countenance, or beare any great authoritie abrode in the world, but either liue obfcurelie, men know not how, or dye obfcurelie, men marke not whan. They be like trees, that fhewe forth, faire bloffoms and broad leaues in fpring time, but bring out fmall and not long lafting fruite in harueft time : and that onelie foch, as fall, and rotte, before they be ripe, and fo, neuer, or feldome, cum to any good at all. For this ye fhall finde mofl true by experience, that amongefl a c
34 The fir ft booke teachyng
number of quicke wittes in youthe, fewe be found, in the end, either verie fortunate for them felues, or verie profitable to feme the common wealth, but decay and vanifti, men know not which way : except a very fewe, to whom peraduenture blood and happie paren- tage, may perchance purchace a long Handing vpon the ftage. The which felicitie, becaufe it commeth by others procuring, not by their owne deferuinge, and ftand by other mens feete, and not by their own, what owtward brag fo euer is borne by them, is in deed, of it felfe, and in wife mens eyes, of no great eftimation.
Some wittes, moderate enough by nature, be many Som sciences tymes marde by ouer moch fludie and vfe ^dm^mels5' of fome fciences, namelie, Muficke, Arith- manors. metick, and Geometric Thies fciences,
as they fharpen mens wittes ouer moch, fo they change mens maners ouer fore, if they be not moderatlie mingled, and wifelie applied to fom good vfe of life. Mathematicaii Marke all Mathematicall heades, which be heades. onely and wholy bent to thofe fciences,
how folitarie they be themfelues, how vnfit to Hue with others, and how vnapte to ferue in the world. This is not onelie knowen now by common experience, but vttered long before by wife mens Iudgement and fen- GaUn. tence. Galene faith, moch Mufick mar-
piato. reth mens maners : and Plato hath a not-
able place of the fame thing in his bookes de Rep. well marked alfo, and excellentlie tranflated by Tullie himfelf. Of this matter, I wrote once more at large, xx. yeare a go, in my booke of fhoting : now I thought but to touch it, to proue, that ouer moch quicknes of witte, either giuen by nature, or fharpened by fludie, doth not commonlie bring forth, eyther greatefl learn- ing, befl maners, or happiefl life in the end.
Contrariewife, a witte in youth, that is not ouer Hard wits in dulle, heauie, knottie and lumpifhe, but learning. jiar(j> rough, and though fomwhat flaffifhe,
as Tullie wifheth otium, quietum, non languidum : and negotwm cum labore, non cum periculo, fuch a witte I
.
the brynging vp of youth. 35
fay, if it be, at the firft well handled by the mother, and rightlie fmo[o]thed and wrought as it mould, not ouer[t]whartlie, and againd the wood, by the fchole- mafler, both for learning, and hole courfe of liuing, proueth alwaies the beft. In woode and Hone, not the foftefl, but hardeft, be alwaies apteft, for portra- ture, both faired for pleafure, and mod durable for promt Hard wittes be hard to receiue, but fure to keepe : painefull without werineffe, hedefull without vvauering, conftant without newfanglenes : bearing heauie thinges, thoughe not lightlie, yet willinglie; entring hard thinges, though not eafelie, yet depelie ; and fo cum to that perfitnes of learning in the ende, that quicke wittes, feeme in hope, but do not in deede, or elfe verie feldome, euer attaine vnto. Hard wits Alfo, for maners and life, hard wittes com- in maners monlie, ar[e] hardlie caried, either to defire *" y e* euerie new thing, or elfe to maruell at euery flrange thinge : and therefore they be carefull and diligent in their own matters, not curious and bufey in other mens affaires : and fo, they becum wife them felues, and alfo ar[e] counted honefl by others. They be graue, fledfaft, filent of tong, fecret of hart. Not haftie in making, but conflant in ke[e]ping any promife. Not rafhe in vttering, but war[y]e in confidering euery matter : and therby, not quicke in fpeaking, but deepe of iudge- ment, whether they write, or giue counfell in all waightie affaires. And theis be the men, that becum in the end, both mofl happie for themfelues, and al- waife beft eflemed abrode in the world.
I haue bene longer in defcribing, the nature, the good or ill fucceffe, of the quicke and hard witte, than perchance fom will thinke, this place and The best wittes matter doth require. But my purpofe was karayng°to hereby, plainlie to vtter, what iniurie is other liuyng. offered to all learninge, and to the common welthe alfo, nrft, by the fond father in chofing, but chieflie by the lewd fcholemafler in beating and driuing away the beft natures from learning. A childe that is dill, filent,
36 Thefirft booke teachyng
conftant, and fomwhat hard of witte, is either neuei chofen by the father to be made a fcholer, or elfe, when he commeth to the fchole, he is finally regarded, little looked vnto, he lacketh teaching, he lacketh co- raging, he lacketh all thinges, onelie he neuer lacketh beating, nor any word, that may moue him to hate learninge, nor any deed that may driue him from learning, to any other kinde of liuing.
And when this fadde natured, and hard witted Hard wits child, is bette from his booke, and becum- eier^kynde11 meth a(ter eyther fludent of the common of lyfe. lawe, or page in the Court, or feruingman,
or bound prentice to a merchant, or to fom handie- crafte, he proueth in the ende, wifer, happier and many tymes honefter too, than many of theis quick wittes do, by their learninge.
Learning is, both hindred and iniured to[o], by the ill choice of them, that fend yong fcholers to the vniuer- fities. Of whom muft nedes cum all oure Diuines, Lawyers, and Phyficions.
Thies yong fcholers be chofen commonlie, as yong The ill choice apples be chofen by children, in a faire of wittes for garden about S. fames tyde : a childe will eamyng. chofe a fweeting, becaufe it is prefentlie faire and pleafant, and refufe a Runnet, becaufe it is than grene, hard, and fowre, whan the one, if it be eaten, doth breed, both wormes and ill humors : the other if it fland his tyme, be ordered and kepte as it mould, is holfom of it felf, and helpeth to the good digeflion of other meates : Sweeting es, will receyue wormes, rotte, and dye on the tree, and neuer or feldom cum to the gathering for good and lading ilore.
For verie greafe of hearte I will not applie the fimi- litude: but hereby, is plainlie feen, how learning is robbed of hir befl wittes, firfl by the greate beating, and after by the ill chofing of fcholers, to go to the vniuerfities. Whereof cummeth partelie, that lewde and fpitefull prouerbe, founding to the greate hurte of
the brynging vp of youth. 37
learning, and fhame of learned men, that, the greateft Clerkes be not the wifefl men.
And though I, in all this difcourfe, feem plainlie to prefer, hard and roughe wittes, before quicke and light wittes, both for learnyng and maners, yet am I not ignorant that fom quicknes of witte, is a finguler gifte of God, and fo moll rare emonges men, and namelie fuch a witte, as is quicke without lightnes, fharpe with- out brittlenes, defirous of good thinges without new- fanglenes, diligent in painfull thinges without werifom* nes, and conftant in good will to do all thinges well, as I know was in Syr John Cheke, and is in fom, that yet Hue, in whome all theis faire qualities of witte ar[e] fullie mette togither.
But it is notable and trewe, that Socrates faith in Plato to his frende Crito. That, that piato. in number of men is feweft, which far ex- Critone- cede, either in good or ill, in wifdom or folie, but the meane betwixt both, be the greateft num- Verie good or ber : which he proueth trewe in diuerfe i^^S1' other thinges : as in greyhoundes, emonges number, which fewe are found, exceding greate, or exceding litle, exceding fwift, or exceding Howe : And ther- fore, I fpeaking of quick and hard wittes, I ment, the common number of quicke and hard wittes, emonges the which, for the moft parte, the hard witte, proueth manie times, the better learned, wifer and honefter man : and therfore, do I the more lament, that foch wittes commonlie be either kepte from learn- ing, by fond fathers, or be[a]t[e] from learning by lewde fcholemafters.
And fpeaking thus moche of the wittes of children for learning, the opportunitie of the place, Horsemen be and goodnes of the matter might require ™£ jj knJJ]Jj to haue here declared the moft fpeciall CoE,0**?00* notes of a good witte for learning in a Schoiemasters childe, after the maner and cuftume of a knowledge of good horfman, who is fkilfull, to know, ae°odwitte- and hable to tell others, how by certein fure fignes, a
38 The fir ft booke teachyng
man may choife a colte, that is like to proue an othei day, excellent for the faddle. And it is pit[t]ie, that commonlie, more care is had, yea and that emonges a good Rider verie wife men, to finde out rather a cun-
edST^od nvnge man for their horfe> than a cunnyng Schoiemaster. man for their children. They fay nay in worde, but they do fo in dede. For, to the one, they will gladlie giue a ftipend of 200. Crounes by [the] yeare, and loth to offer to the other, 200. fhillinges. God, that fitteth in heauen laugheth their choice to fkorne, and Horse well rewardeth their liberalise as it mould : for broken, chii- he fuffereth them, to haue, tame and well dream taught. ordered horfe> but wilde and ^0^^^
Children : and therfore in the ende they finde more plea- fure in their horfe, than comforte in their children.
But concerning the trewe notes of the beft wittes for learning in a childe, I will reporte, not myne own opinion, but the very iudgement of him, that was counted the beft teacher and wifefl man that learning Plato in 7 maketh mention of, anckthat is Socrates in de Rep. P/ato, who expreffeth orderlie thies feuen
plaine notes to choife a good witte in a child for
learninge.
Trewe notes of a good witte.
1 Ev<£v^s.
2 Mv^/AWV.
4 <&l\6tTOVO<S.
6 ZrjTr)TiKos.
7 ^tAcTTOUVOS.
a. I
And bicaufe I write Englim, and to Englim emen, will plainlie declare in Englifhe both, what thies wordes of Plato meane, and how aptlie they be linked, and how orderlie they fol[l]ow one an other.
1. Ev(£vijs. witte. Is he, that is apte by goodnes of witte,
will. and appliable by readines of will, to learn-
ing, hauing all other qualities of the minde and partes
the brynging vp of youth. 39
of the bodie, that mull an other day feme learning, not tro[u]bled, mangled, and halfed, but founde, whole, full, and hable to do their office : as, a tong, The tong. not flamering, or ouer hardlie drawing forth wordes, but plaine, and redie to deliuer the meaning of the minde : a voice, not fofte, weake, piping, The voice, womannifhe, but audible, flronge, and manlike : a countenance, not werifhe and crabbed, but Face, faire and cumlie : a perfonage, not wretched and deformed, but taule and goodlie: for Stature, furelie a cumlie countenance, with a goodlie flature, geueth credit to learning, and authoritie Leamyng to the perfon : otherwife commonlie, either » cumlie"11 open contempte, or priuie diffauour doth personage, hurte, or hinder, both perfon and learning. And, euen as a faire ftone requireth to be fette in the fineft gold, with the beft workmanfhyp, or elfe it lefeth moch of the Grace and price, euen fo, excellencye in learning, and namely Diuinitie, ioyned with a cumlie perfonage, is a meruelous Iewell in the world. And how can a cumlie bodie be better employed, than to feme the fairefl exercife of Goddes greatefl gifte, and that is learning. But commonlie, the fairefl bodies, ar[e] be- llowed on the foulefl purpofes. I would it were not fo : and with examples herein I will not medle : yet I wifhe, that thofe mold, both mynde it, and medle with it, which haue mofl occafion to looke to it, as good and wife fathers mold do, and greatefl authoritie to amend it, as good and wife magiftrates ought to do : And yet I will not let, openlie to lament the vnfortun- ate cafe of learning herein.
For, if a father haue foure fonnes, three faire anc* well formed both mynde and bodie, the fourth, wretched, lame, and deformed, his crLtures choice fhalbe, to put the worfl to learning, £°™e™nlie set as one good enoughe to becum a fcholer. I haue fpent the mofl parte of my life in the Vniuer- fitie, and therfore I can beare good witnes that many fathers commonlie do thus : wherof, I haue hard
4o The fir ft booke teachyng
many wife, learned, and as good men as euei I knew, make great, and oft complainte : a good horfeman will choife no foch colte, neither for his own, nor yet for his matters fadle. And thus moch of the firft note.
2. MvqfMtoV.
Memorie. Good of memorie, a fpeciall parte of the
firft note €v<f>vrjs, and a mere benefite of nature : yet it is fo neceffarie for learning: as Plato maketh it a feparate and perfite note of it felfe, and that fo princi- pall a note, as without it, all other giftes of nature do Aui. Gel fmall feruice to learning, Afranius, that
olde Latine Poete maketh Memorie the mother of learning and wifedome, faying thus.
Vfus megenuit, Mater peperit memoria, and though it be the mere gifte of nature, yet is memorie well preferued by vfe, and moch encreafed by order, as our Three sure fcholer mutt learne an other day in the p£dme^a Vniuerfitie : but in a childe, a good me- morie. morie is well known, by three properties :
that is, if it be, quicke in receyuing, fure in keping, and redie in deliuering forthe againe.
3 <J?i\ona6rj<i.
Giuen to loue learning : for though a child haue all the giftes of nature at wifhe, and perfection of memorie at will, yet if he haue not a fpeciall loue to learning, he mail neuer attaine to moch learning. And therfore Ifocrates, one of the noblett fcholemafters, that is in memorie of learning, who taught Kinges and Princes, as Halicarftaffceus writeth, and out of whofe fchole, as Tullie faith, came forth, mo noble Capitanes, mo wife Councelors, than did out of Epeius horfe at Troie. This //berates, I fay, did caufe to be written, at the entrie of his fchole, in golden letters, this golden fentence, €av 77s (fnXofMaOrjs, €<rrj 7ro\vfxa6rj<s which excellence faid in Greeks, is thus rudelie in Englifhe, if thou loueft learning, thou fhalt attayne to mocb learning.
the brynging vp of youth. 41
4 4>iAo7rovos.
Is he, that hath a luft to labor, and a will to take paines. For, if a childe haue all the benefites of nature, with perfection of memorie, loue, like, and praife learning neuer fo moch, yet if he be not of him felfe painfull, he mail neuer attayne vnto it. And yet where loue is prefent, labor is feldom abfent, and namelie in ftudie of learning, and matters of the mynde : and ther- fored id Ifocrates rightlie iudge, that if hisfcholer were <t>i\ofj.a6r}s he cared for no more. Arifiotle, variing from Ifocrates in priuate affaires of life, but agreing with Ifocrates in common iudgement of learning, for loue and labor in learning, is of the fame opinion, vttered in thefe wordes, in his Rhetorike ad Theodeclen. Li- 2 Rhet ^ bertiekindlethloue: Loue refufeth no labor: Theod. and labor obteyneth what fo euer it feeketh. And yet neuertheleffe, Goodnes of nature may do little good : Perfection of memorie, may feme to fmall vfe : All loue may be employed in vayne : Any labor may be fone graualed, if a man trull alwaies to his own fmguler witte, and will not be glad fomtyme to heare, take ad- uife, and learne of an other : And therfore doth Socrates very notablie adde the fifte note.
5 <&l\7]KOOS.
He, that is glad to heare and learne of an other. For otherwife, he mail fticke with great troble, where he might go eafelie forwarde : and alfo catche hardlie a verie litle by his owne toyle, whan he might gather quicklie a good deale, by an others mans teaching. But now there be fome, that haue great loue to learn- ing, good lull to labor, be willing to learne of others, yet, either of a fonde fhamefaflnes, or elfe of a proud folie, they dare not, or will not, go to learne of an nother : And therfore doth Socrates wifelie adde the fixte note of a good witte in a childe for learning, and that is.
I
42 Thefirft booke teachyng
6 Z^T^TIKOS.
He, that is naturallie bold to afke any queftion, defirous to fearche out any dou[b]te, not afhamed to learne of the meaneft, not affraide to go to the greateft, vntill he be perfitelie taught, and fullie fatiffiede. The feuenth and lafl poynte is.
7 ^tAcVaivos.
He, that loueth to be praifed for well doing, at his father, or mailers hand. A childe of this nature, will earneftlie loue learnyng, gladlie labor for learning, willinglie learne of other, boldlie afke any dou[b]te. And thus, by Socrates iudgement, a good father, and a wife fcholemafler, (hold chofe a childe to make a fcholer of, that hath by nature, the forefayd perfite qualities, and cumlie furniture, both of mynde and bodie, hath
Imemorie, quicke to receyue, fure to keape, and readie to deliuer : hath loue to learning : hath lull to labor : hath defire to learne of others : hath boldnes to afke any queftion : hath mynde holie bent, to wynne praife by well doing.
The two firfle poyntes be fpeciall benefites of nature : which neuertheleffe, be well pfeferued, and moch en- creafed by good order. But as for the fiue lafle, loue, labor, gladnes to learne of others, boldnes to afke dou[b]tes, and will to wynne praife, be wonne and main- tened by the onelie wifedome and difcretion of the fcholemafler. Which fiue poyntes, whether a fchole- mafler (hall work fo[o]ner in a childe, by fearefull beating, or curtefe handling, you that be wife, iudge.
Yet fome men, wife in deede, but in this matter, more by feueritie of nature, than any wifdome at all, do laugh at vs, when we thus wifhe and reafon, that yong children fhould rather be allured to learning by ientilnes and loue, than compelled to learning, by beating and feare : They fay, our reafons feme onelie to breede forth talke, and paffe a waie tyme, but we neuer faw good fcholemafler do fo, nor neuer red of wife man that thought fo.
the brynging vp of youth. 43
Yes forfothe : as wife as they be, either in other mens opinion, or in their owne conceite, I will bring the con- trarie iudgement of him, who, they them fellies ihall con- feffe, was as wife as they are, or elfe they may be iuftlie thought to haue fmall witte at all : and that is Socrates, whofe iudgement in Plato is plainlie this in thefe Plat0 in _ wordes : which, bicaufe they be verie notable, <*e Rep. I will recite them in his owne tonge, ovSev fxdOrjjxa fiera SovActas XPV fJ-o-vOdveiv: 01 fxtv yhp tov cwfiaTos ttovol /3l<£ TTOVOVfievoi yeTpov ovSev to a-tofxa a7repvd£ovTai ; ^frv\y 8e, /Jtatov ovSkv l/x/zovov fidOy/ia: in Englilhe thus, No learning ought to.be learned with bondage : For, bodelie labors, wrought by compulfion, hurt not the bodie : but any learning learned by compulfion, tarieth not long in the mynde : And why ? For what foeuer the mynde doth learne vnwillinglie with feare, the fame it doth quicklie forget without care. And left proude wittes, that loue not to be contraryed, but haue luft to wrangle or trifle away troth, will fay, that Socrates meaneth not this of childrens teaching, but of fom other higher learn- yng, heare, what Socrates in the fame place doth more plainlie fay : p) toivw ftiy ; w apiare, tovs 7rcu6as h tols jJbaOrjfiao-LV, dX.Xa ttcli^ovtols t/3€</>€, that is to lay, and therfore, my deare frend, bring not vp your child- ren in learning by compulfion and feare, but by play- ing and pleafure. And you, that do read Plato, as ye (hold, do well perceiue, that thefe be no The,^ Queflions afked by Socrates, as doutes, but readyngof they be Sentences, firft affirmed by Socrates, Plato' as mere trothes, and after, giuen forth by Socrates, as right Rules, moll neceffarie to be marked, and fitte to befolowed of all them, that would haue children taughte, as they mould. And in this counfell, iudgement, and authoritie of Socrates I will repofe my felfe, vntill I meete with a man of the contrarie mynde, whom I may iuftlie take to be wifer, than I thinke Socrates was. Fonde fcholemafters, neither can vnderftand, Yong ientie- nor mil folow this good counfell of Socrates, yeern^^tse* but wife ryders, in their office, can and will to ryde, by
44 Thefirft booke teaehyng
i?STthan do both: which is the onehe caufe, that to le^e, by commonly, the yong ientlemen of England, IchoTr go fo vnwillinglie to fchole, and run fo fail masters. to the flable : For in verie deede fond fchole- mafters, by feare, do beate into them, the hatred of learning, and wife riders, by ientle allurementes, do breed vp in them, the loue of riding. They finde feare, and bondage in fcholes, They feele libertie and free- dome in ftables : which caufeth them, vtterlie to ab- hor[r]e the one, and mod gladlie to haunt the other. And I do not write this, that in exhorting to the one, I would diffuade yong ientlemen from the other : yea I am forie, with all my harte, that they be giuen no Ryding. more to riding, then they be : For, of all
outward qualities, to ride faire, is mofl cumelie for him felfe, mofl neceffarie for his contrey, and the greater he is in blood, the greater is his praife, the more he doth exce[e]de all other therein. It was one of the three ex- cellent praifes, amongefl the noble ientlemen the old Perfians, Alwaife to fay troth, to ride faire, and mote well : and fo it was engrauen vpon Darius tumbe^as strabo. 15. Strabo beareth witneffe.
Darius the king, lieth buried here,
Who in riding andjhoting had neuer peare.
But, to our purpofe, yong men, by any meanes, lee- fing the loue of learning, whan by tyme they cum to their owne rule, they carie commonlie, from the fchole with them, a perpetuall hatred of their mailer, and a continuall contempt of learning. If ten Ientlemen be afked, why they forget fo fone in Court, that which they were learning fo long in fchole, eight of them, or let me be blamed, will laie the fault on their ill hand- ling, by their fcholemaflers.
Cufpinian doth report, that, that noble Emperor
Maximilian, would lament verie oft, his miffortune
herein.
Pastime. Yet,*fome will fay, -that children of na-
Learnyng. ture, loue paftime, and miflike learning ;
the brynging vp of youth, 45
bicaufe, in their kinde, the one is eafie and pleafant, the other hard and werifon : which is an opinion not fo trewe, as fome men weene : For, the matter lieth not fo much in the difpofition of them that be yong, as in the order and maner of bringing vp, by them that be old, nor yet in the difference of learnyng and paflime. For, beate a child, if he daunce not well, and cherifh him, though he leame not well, ye mall haue him, vn- willing to go to daunce, and glad to go to his booke. Knocke him alwaies, when he draweth his ftiaft ill, and fauo[u]r him againe, though he fau[l]t at his booke, ye (hall haue hym verie loth to be in the field, and verie willing to be in the fchole. Yea, I faie more, and not of my felfe, but by the iudgement of thofe, from whom few wifemen will gladlie diffent, that if euer the nature of man be giuen at any tyme, more than other, to re- ceiue goodnes, it is, in innocencie of yong yeares, before, that experience of euill, haue taken roote in hym. For, the pure cleane witte of a fweete yong babe, is like the newefl wax, moft hable to receiue the* befl and fayrefl printing : and like a new bright filuer difhe neuer occupied, to receiue and kepe cleane, anie good thyng that is put into it.
And thus, will in children, wifelie wrought withall, maie eafelie be won to be verie well willing to learne. And witte in children, by nature, namelie memorie, the onely keie and keper of all learning, is readiefl to receiue, and furefl to kepe anie maner of thing, that is learned inyougth: This, lewde and learned, by common experience, know to be moft trewe. For we remember nothyng fo well when we be olde, as thofe things which we learned when we were yong : And this is not flraunge, but common in all natures workes. Euery man fees, (as I fayd be- Yong yeares fore) new wax is befl for printyng : new aptest for claie, fittefl for working : new fhorne wo[o]ll, learnyn«- aptefl for fone and furefl dying : new frefh flefh, for good and durable felting. And this fimilitude is not
ill. "V
in children. Witte,
46 The fir ft booke teachyng
rude, nor borowed of the larder houfe, but out of his fcholehoufe, of whom, the wifefl of England, neede not be afhamed to learne. Yong Graftes grow not onelie foned, but alfo faired, and bring alwayes forth the befl and fweeted frute : yong whelpes learne eafelie to carie : yong Popingeis learne quicklie to fpeake : And fo, to be fhort, if in all other thinges, though they lacke reafon, fens, and life, the fimilitude of youth is fitted to all goodneffe, furelie nature, in mankinde, is mod beneficiall and effectuall in this behalfe.
Therfore, if to the goodnes of nature, be ioyned the wifedome of the teacher, in leading yong wittes into a right and plaine waie of learnyng, furelie, children, kept vp in Gods feare, and gouerned by his grace, maie mod eafelie be brought well to feme God, and contrey both by vertue and wifedome.
But if will, and witte, by farder age, be once allured from innocencie, delited in vaine fightes, fil[l]ed with foull taulke, crooked with wilfulneffe, hardned with dubburneffe, and let loufe to difobedience, furelie it is hard with ientlenefle, but vnpoflible with feuere crueltie, to call them backe to good frame againe. For, where the one, perchance maie bend it, the other mall furelie breake it : and fo in dead of fome hope, leaue an allured defperation, and fhameleffe contempt of all Xen. i. Cyn goodneffe, the farded pointe in all mifchief, Pad- as Xenophon doth mod trewlie and mod
wittelie marke.
Therfore, to loue or to hate, to like or contemne, to plie this waie or that waie to good or to bad, ye mail haue as ye vfe a child in his youth.
And one example, whether loue or feare doth worke more in a child, for vertue and learning, I will gladlie report : which maie be h[e]ard with fome pleafure, and folowed with more profit. Before I went into Ger- manie, I came to Brodegate in Le[i]cederlhire, to take Lady lane my leaue otthat noble Ladie fane Grey, to Grey. whom I was exceding moch Jeholdinge.
Hir parentes, the Duke and Duches, with all the
the bringyng vp of youth, 47
houftiold, Gentlemen and Gentlewomen, were hunt- inge in the Parke : I founde her, in her Chamber, readinge Phcedon Platonis in Greeke, and that with as moch delite, as fom ientlemen wold read a merie tale in Bocafe. After falutation, and dewtie done, with fom other taulke, I afked hir, whie fhe wold leefe foch paflime in the Parke ? fmiling (he anfwered me : I wifle, all their fporte in the Parke is but a fhadoe to that pleafure, that I find in Plato : Alas good folke, they neuer felt, what trewe pleafure ment. And howe came you Madame, quoth I, to this deepe knowledge of pleafure, and what did chieflie allure you vnto it : feinge, not many women, but verie fewe men haue atteined thereunto. I will tell you, quoth fhe, and tell you a troth, which perchance ye will meruell at. One of the greatefl benefites, that euer God gaue me, is, that he fent me fo ftiarpe and feuere Parentes, and fo ientle a fcholemafler. For when I am in prefence either of father or mother, whether I fpeake, kepe filence, fit, (land, or go, eate, drinke, be merie, or fad, be fowyng, plaiyng, dauncing, or doing anie thing els, I muft do it, as it were, in foch weight, mefure, and number, euen fo perfitelie, as God made the world, or elfe I am fo fharplie taunted, fo cruellie threatened, yea prefentlie fome tymes, with pinches, nippes, and bobbes, and other waies, which I will not name, for the honor I beare them, fo without meafure mifordered, that I thinke my felfe in hell, till tyme cum, that I muft go to M. Elmer, who teacheth me fo ientlie, fo pleafantlie, with foch faire allurementes to learning, that I thinke all the tyme nothing, whiles I am with him. And when I am called from him, I fall on weeping, becaufe, what foeuer I do els, but learning, is ful of grief, trouble, feare, and whole mifliking vnto me : And thus my booke, hath bene fo moch my pleafure, and bringeth dayly to me more pleafure and more, that in refpect of it, all other pleafures, in very deede, be but trifles and troubles vnto me. I re- member this talke gladly, both bicaufe it is fo wortliy
48 Thefirjl booke teachyng
of memorie, and bicaufe alfo, it was the lafl talke that euer I had, and the lafl tyme, that euer I faw that noble and worthie Ladie.
I could be ouer long, both in fhewinge iufl caufes, and in recitinge trewe examples, why learning mold be taught, rather by loue than feare. He that wold fee a perfite difcourfe of it, let him read that learned sturmitis, treatefe, which my frende loan. Sturmius de inst. Princ. wrote de inftitutione Principis, to the Duke of Cleues.
Qui ardt ^e godlie counfels of Salomon and
virga:, odit Iefus . the fonne of Sirach, for fharpe kepinge fihum. ^ an(^ bridleinge of youth, are ment rather,
for fatherlie correction, then mafterlie beating, rather for maners, than for learninge : for other places, than for fcholes. For God forbid, but all euill touches, wantonnes, lyinge, pickinge, flouthe, will, flubburn- nefTe, and difobedience, mold be with fharpe chaftife- ment, daily cut away.
This difcipline was well knowen, and diligentlie vfed, among the Grecians, and old Romanes, as doth appeare in Ariftophanes, Ifocrates, and Plato, and alfo in the Comedies of Plautus-. where we fee that children were vnder the rule of three perfones: Pi-cecep- i. Schoiemaster. tore, P&dagogo, Parente : the fcholemafter
2. Gouemour. taught him learnyng withall ientlenes : the
3. Father. Gouemour corrected his maners, with moch fharpeneffe: The father, held the flerne of his whole obedience : And fo, he that vfed to teache, did not commonlie vfe to beate, but remitted that ouer to an other mans charge. But what fhall we faie, when now in our dayes, the fcholemafter is vfed, both for Prceceptor in learnyng, and Pcedagogus in maners. Surelie, I wold he fhold not confound their offices, but difcretelie vfe the dewtie of both fo, that neither ill touches fhold be left vnpunifhed, nor ientle[ne]ffe in teaching anie wife omitted. And he fhall well do both, if wifelie he do appointe diuerfitie of tyme, and feparate place, for either purpofe : vfing
the brynging vp of youth. 49
alwaife foch difcrete moderation, as the Theschok- fcholehoufe mould be counted a fanctuarie house* againft feare : and verie well learning, a common perdon for ill doing, if the fault, of it felfe be not ouer heinous.
And thus the children, kept vp in Gods feare, and preferued by his grace, finding paine in ill doing, and pleafure in well (ludiyng, (hold eafelie be brought to honeftie of life, and perfitenes of learning, the onelie marke, that good and wife fathers do wtihe and labour, that their children, mold moll bufelie, and carefullie (hot at. *^
There is an other difcommoditie, befides crueltie in fcholemaflers in beating away the loue Youth of of learning from children, which hindreth ?ngla£d learning and vertue, and good bringing vp wkilVmSch of youth, and namelie yong ientlemen, libertie- verie moch in England. This fault is cleane contrary to the firfl. I wifhed before, to haue loue of learning bred vp in children : I wiflie as moch now, to haue i yong men brought vp in good order of liuing, and in fome more feuere discipline, then commonlie they be. We haue lacke in England of foch good order, as the old noble Perfians fo carefullie vfed : Xen. 7 Cyri whofe children, to the age of xxi. yeare, Ped- were brought vp in learnyng, and exercifes of labor, and that in foch place, where they (hould, neither fee that was vncumlie, nor heare that was vnhonefl. Yea, a yong ientlemen was neuer free, to go where he would, and do what he lifle him felf, but vnder the kepe, and by the counfell, of fome graue gouernour, vntill he was, either maryed, or cal[le]d to beare fome office in the common wealth.
And fee the great obedience, that was vfed in old tyme to fathers and gouernours. No fonne, were he neuer fo old of yeares, neuer fo great of birth, though he were a kynges fonne, might not mary, [might marry] but by his father and mothers alfo content. Cyrus the great, after he had conquered Babylon^ and fubdewed
5o The fir ft booke teachyng
Riche king Crcefus with whole Afia minor, cummyng tryumphantlie home, his vncle Cyaxeris offered him his daughter to wife. Cyrus thanked his vncle, and praifed the maide, but for manage he anfwered him with thies wife and fweete wordes, as they be vttered Xen. 8. Cyri by Xenophon, d> Kva^dprj, to re ykvo% Ped- «rcuva) KatT^V7rat8a /cat rd 6a>pa' ftovkofiai
Se, e<j>r), <rvv tq rov irarpbs yvufir) koli ry rrjs /xryrpos ravra <rot <rvvaiv«rai, &c, that is to fay : Vncle Cyaxeris, I commend the ftocke, I like the maide, and I allow well the dowrie, but (fayth he) by the counfell and confent of my father and mother, I will determine farther of thies matters.
Strong Sam/on alfo in Scripture faw a maide that liked him, but he fpake not to hir, but went home to his father, and his mother, and defired both father and mother to make the manage for him. Doth this modeflie, doth this obedience, that was in great kyng Cyrus, and Route Sam/on, remaine in our yongmen at this daie ? no furelie : For we Hue not longer after them by tyme, than we liue farre different from them by good order. Our tyme is fo fane from that old difcipline and obedience, as now, not onelie yong ientlemen, but euen verie girles dare without all feare, though not without open fhame, where they lift, and how they lift, marie them felues in fpite of father, mother, God, good order, and all. The caufe of this euill is, that youth is leaft looked vnto, when they (land [in] moft neede of good kepe and regard. It auail- eth not, to fee them well taught in yong yeares, and after whan they cum to luft and youthfull dayes, to giue them licence to liue as they luft them felues. For, if ye fuffer the eye of a yong Ientleman, once to be entangled with vaine fightes, and the eare to be conupted with fond or filthie taulke, the mynde fhall quicklie fall feick, and fone vomet and caft vp, all the holefome doctrine, that he receiued in childhoode, though he were neuer fo well brought vp before. And being ons [once] inglutted with vanitie, he will ftreight
the brynging vp of youth. SI
way loth all learning, and all good counfell to the fame. And the parentes for all their great cod and charge, reape onelie in the end, the fru[i]te of grief and care.
This eiiill, is not common to poore men, ~
_ , ... ', , * . . ' Great mens
as God will haue it, but proper to nche sonnes worst and great mens children, as they deferue broushtvP- it. In deede from feuen, to fen en ten et yong ientle- men commonlie be carefullie enough brought vp : But from feuentene to feuen and twentie (the mod danger- ous tyme of all a mans life, and mod flipperie to flay well in) they haue commonlie the reigne of all licens in their owne hand, and fpeciallie foch as wise men fond do liue in the Court. And that which is fathers, mod to be merueled at, commonlie, the wifed and alfo bed men, be found the fonded fathers in this behalfe. And if fom good father wold feick fome remedie herein, yet the mother (if the houfe hold of our Lady) had rather, yea, and will to, haue her fonne cunnyng and bold, in making him to lyue trimlic when he is yong, than by learning and trauell, to be able to ferue his Prince and his contrie, both wifelie in peace, and doutelie in warre, whan he is old.
The fault is in your felues, ye noble Meane mens men[s] fonnes, and therefore ye deferue the JongnreatCome greater blame, that commonlie, the meaner authoritie. mens children, cum to be, the wifed councellours, and greated doers, in the weightie affaires of this Realme. And why ? for God will haue it fo, of his prouidence : bicaufe ye will haue it no otherwife, by your negli- gence.
And God is a good God, and wifed in all his doinges, that will place vertue, and difplace vice, Nobiiitie with- in thofe kingdomes, where he doth go- out wisedome. uerne. For he knoweth, that Nobiiitie, without ver- tue and wifedome, is bloud in deede, but bloud trewe- lie, without bones and fmewes : and lo of it felfe, without the other, verie weeke to beare the burden of weightie affaires.
/Wisedome.
Nobffitewith<
I out wlsedome.
52 The fir ft booke teachyng
The greateft fhippe in deede coramonlie carieth the greateft burden, but yet alwayes with the greatefl ieoperdie, not onelie for the perfons and goodes com- Nobiiitie with mitted vnto it, but euen for the fhyppe it wisedome. felfe, except it be gouerned, with the greater wifdome.
But Nobilitie, gouerned by learning and wifedome, is in deede, moft like a faire fhippe, hauyng tide and winde at will, vnder the reule of a (kilfull mailer : whan contrarie wife, a fhippe, carried, yea with the hieft *■ tide and greatefl winde, lacking a fk;lfull mailer, mofl commonlie, doth either, fmck it felfe vpon fandes, or breake it felfe vpon rockes. And euen fo, how manie vaine kasure ^aue Dene> either drowned in vaine pleasure, or ouerwhelmed by flout wHfulneire, the hiflories of England be able to affourde ouer many examples vnto vs. Therfore, ye great and noble mens children, if ye will haue rightfullie that praife, and enioie furelie that place, which your fathers haue, and elders had, and left vnto you, ye mufl kepe it, as they gat it, and that is, by the onelie waie, of vertue, wifedome and worthinefte.
For wifedom, and vertue, there be manie faire examples in this Court, for yong Ientlemen to fo[lJlow. But they be, like faire markes in the feild, out of a mans reach, to far of, to fhote at well. The befl and worthiefl men, in deede, be fomtimes feen, but feldom taulked withall : A yong Ientleman, may fomtime knele to their perfon, fmallie vfe their companie, for their better inflruction. •
But yong Ientlemen are faine commonlie to do in the Court, as yong Archers do in the feild : that is to take foch markes, as be nie them, although they be in companie neuer fo foule to fhote at. I meene, they marreth youth. De driuen to kepe companie with the worfle : and what force ill companie hath, to corrupt good wittes, the wifefl men know befl.
and stoute wilfulnes, two greatest enemies to Nobilitie.
the brynging vft of youth. 53
And not ill companie onelie, but the ill opinion alfo of the moll part, doth moch harme, and The Court namelie of thofe, which mold be wife in ^dgKethfwoTto1
, i • - , -it/-/. the best natures
the trewe decyphnng, of the good difpofi- b youth, tion of nature, of cumlineffe in Courtlie maners, and all right doinges of men.
But error and phantafie, do commonlie occupie, the place of troth and iudgement For, if a yong ientleman, be demeure and flill of nature, they fay, he is fimple and lacketh witte : if he be bafhefull, and will foone blufhe, they call him a babifhe and ill brought vp thyng, when Xenophon doth precifelie xen in\. note in Cyrus, that his bafhfulnes in youth, Cyr- Pad- was ye verie trewe figne of his vertue and floutnes after : If he be innocent and ignorant of ill, they fay, he is rude, and hath no grace, fo vngraci- The Grace ouflie do fom graceleffe men, mifufe the h Courte. faire and godlie word grace.
But if ye would know, what grace they meene, go, and looke, and learne emonges them, and ye mall fee that it is : Firfl, to blufh at nothing. And blufliy yng in youth, fayth Ariftotle is nothyng els, but fearej to do ill : which feare beyng once luflely fraid away from youth, then foloweth, to dare do any Grace of Courte. mifchief, to contemne ftoutly any goodneffe, to be bufie in euery matter, to be fkilfull in euery thyng, to acknowledge no ignorance at all. To do thus in Court, is counted of fome, the chief and greatefl grace of all : and termed by the name of a vertue, called Corage and boldneffe, whan Craffus in Oc. 3. <u Or. Cicero teacheth the cleane contrarie, and that mod wittelie, faying thus: Audere, cum bonis Boidnes, yea in etiam rebus coniunclum, per feipfum est \*°^ hjlatter' magnopere fugiendum. Which is to fay, to praised, be bold, yea in a good matter, is for it felf, greatlie to be exchewed.
Moreouer, where the fwing goeth, there to follow, fawne, flatter, laugh and lie luftelie at other More Grace of mens liking. To face, Hand formefl, fhoue Courte. backe : and to the meaner man, or vnknowne in the
54 The fir ft booke teachyng
Court, to feeme fomwhat folume, coye, big, and dan- gerous of looke, taulk, and anfwere : To thinke well of him felfe, to be luflie in contemning of others, to haue fome trim grace in a priuie mock. And in greater prefens, to beare a braue looke : to be warlike, though he neuer looked enimie in the face in warre : yet fom warlike figne mull be vfed, either a flouinglie bulking, or an ouerftaring frounced hed, as though out of euerie heeres toppe, mould fuddenlie Hart out a good big othe, when nede requireth. Yet praifed be God, Eng- m n f warre ^anc* katn at tms tmie> manie worthie Capi- bestof ' taines and good fouldiours, which be in conditions. deede, fo honefl of behauiour, fo cumlie of conditions, fo milde of maners, as they may be examples of good order, to a good fort of others, which neuer came in warre. But to retorne, where I left : In place alfo, to be able to raife taulke, and make difcourfe of euerie rifhe : to haue a verie good will, to heare him felfe fpeake : To be feene in Palm- Paimistrie. ellrie, wherby to conueie to chaft eares, fom fond or filthie taulke :
And, if fom Smithfeild Ruffian take vp, fom flrange going : fom new mowing with the mouth : fom wrinch- yng with the moulder, fom braue prouerbe : fom frefh new othe, that is not Hale, but will rin [run] round in the mouth : fom new difguifed garment, or defperate hat, fond in facion, or gaurifh in colour, what foeuer it coll, how fmall foeuer his liuing be, by what fhift foeuer it be gotten, gotten mull it be, and vfed with the firfl, or els the grace of it, is Hale and gone : fom part of this graceleffe grace, was difcribed by me, in a little rude verfe long ago.
To laughe, to lie, to flatter, to face : Foure waies in Court to win men grace. If thou be thrall to none of theise, Away good Peek goos, hens John Cheefe : Marke well my word, and tnarke their dede, And thinke this verfe part of thy Creed.
Would to God, this taulke were not trewe, and that
fCouncell.
mi
^Company.
the brynging vp of youth. 55
fom mens doinges were not thus • I write not to hurteany but to promt fom : to accufe none, but to monifh focn who, allured by ill counfell, and folowing ill example, contrarie to their good bringyng vp, and againfl their owne good nature, yeld ouermoch to thies folies and faultes : I know many feruing men, of good order, and well ftaide : And againe, I heare faie, there be fom feruing men do but ill feruice to their Seminge men. yong mailers. Yea, rede Terence and Terentius. Plaut\us\ aduifedlie ouer, and ye fhall finde Piautus. in thofe two wife writers, almoft in euerie commedie, no vnthriftie yong man, that is not brought Serui corrupte. there vnto, by the fotle inticement of fom i« iuuenum. lewd feruant. And euen now in our dayes Getce and JDaui, Gnatos and manie bold bawdie Phormios to, be preafmg in, to pratle on euerie flage, ,, . . „ to medle in euerie matter, whan honed pauci Parmenos fhall not be hard, but beare Parmenones- fmall fwing with their mailers. Their companie, their taulke, their ouer great experience in mif- chief, doth eafelie corrupt the bed natures, and befl brought vp wittes.
But I meruell the leffe, that thies miforders be emonges fom in the Court, for commonlie Misorders in in the contrie alfo euerie where, innocencie the countrey. is gone : Bafhfulneffe is banifhed : moch prefumption in yougthe : fmall authoritie in aige : Reuerence is neglecled : dewties be confounded : and to be fhorte, difobedience doth ouerflowe the bankes of good order, almofte in euerie place, almofle in euerie degree of man.
Meane men haue eies to fee, and caufe to lament, and occafion to complaine of thies miferies : but othei haue authoritie to remedie them, and will do fo to, whan God fhall think time fitte. For, all thies mif- orders, be Goddes iufle plages, by his fufferance, brought iuftelie vpon vs, for our fmnes, which be infinite in nomber, and horrible in deede, but namelie, for the
56 Thefirjl booke teachyng
greate abhominable fin of vnkindneffe : but what vn Contempt of kindneffe ? euen fiich vnkindneffe as was Gods trewe in the Iewes, in contemninge Goddes voice, Religion. in farinking from his woorde, in wifhing
backe againe for &gypt, in committing aduoultrie and hordom, not with the women, but with the doc- trine of Babylon, did bring all the plages, deflructions, and Captiuities, that fell fo ofte and horriblie, vpon IfraelL
We haue caufe alfo in England to beware of vnkind- neffe, who haue had, in fo fewe yeares, the Candel of Goddes worde, fo oft lightned, fo oft put out, and yet will Poctrina venture by our vnthankfulneffe in doctrine Mores. and finfull life, to leefe againe, lighte,
Candle, Candleflicke and all.
God kepe vs in his feare, God grafte in vs the trewe knowledge of his woorde, with a forward will to folowe it, and fo to bring forth the fweete fruites of it, and then fhall he preferue vs by his Grace, from all maner of terrible dayes.
The remedie of this, doth not fland onelie, in mak- Pubiica Leges, ing good common lawes for the hole Realme, but alfo, (and perchance cheiflie) in obferuing Domestica priuate discipline euerie man carefullie in discipiina. hjs own houfe : and namelie, if fpeciall regard be had to yougth : and that, not fo much, in Cognitio boni. teaching them what is good, as in keping them from that, that is ill.
Therefore, if wife fathers, be not as well ware in ignoratio weeding from their Children ill thinges, *** and ill companie, as they were before, in
graftinge in them learninge, and prouiding for them good fcholemafters, what frute, they (hall reape of all their code and care, common experience doth tell.
Here is the place, in yougthe is the time whan fom Some ignor- ignorance is as neceffarie, as moch know- ance, as good ledge : and not in matters of our dewtie
as knowledge. to wardeS God> as fom w[lM ^fa^ ^Uing-
lje againft their owne knowledge, perniciouflie againfle
the bringyng vp of youth. 57
their owne confcience, haue of late openlie taught In deede S. Chryfoftome, that noble and ckrUost. d* eloquent Doctor, in a fermon contra fatum, Fato> and the curious ferchinge of natiuities, doth wifelie faie, that ignorance therein, is better than knowledge : But to wring this fentence, to wrefle thereby out of mens handes, the knowledge of Goddes doctrine, is without all reafon, againft common fence, contrarie to the iudgement alfo of them, which be the difcretefl men, and befl learned, on their own fide. I know, lu- lianus Apojlata did fo, but I neuer hard or iuiia.Apostat, red, that any auncyent father of the primitiue chircb either thought or wrote fo.
But this ignorance in yougthe, which I inn0cencyin fpake on, or rather this fimplicitie, or mod y°utb- trewlie, this innocencie, is that, which the noble Perfians, as wife Xenophon doth teftifie, were fo carefull, to breede vp their yougth in. But Chriftian fathers commonlie do not fo. And I will tell you a tale, as moch to be mifliked, as the Perfians example is to be folowed.
This lafl fomer, I was in a Ientlemans houfe : where a yong childe, fomewhat pafl fower yeare A childe m olde, cold in no wife frame his tonge, to brought vp. faie, a litle fhorte grace : and yet he could roundlie rap out, fo manie vgle othes, and thofe of the neweft facion, as fom good man of fourefcore yeare olde hath neuer hard named before : and that which was moil deteflable of all, his father and mother niParentes. wold laughe at it. I moche doubte, what comforte, an other daie, this childe fball bring vnto them. This Childe vfing moche the companie of feruinge men, and geuing good eare to their taulke, did eafelie learne, which he (hall hardlie forget, all [the] daies of his life hereafter : So likewife, in the Courte, if a yong Ientleman will ventur[e] him felf into the companie of Ruffians, it is ouer greate a ieopardie, left, their facions, maners, thoughtes, taulke, and deedes, will verie fone, be euer like. The confounding of companies, breedeth con*
58 Thefirjl booke teachyng
m companie. fufion of good maners both in the Courte, and euerie where elfe.
And it maie be a great wonder, but a greater fhame, to vs Chriftian men, to vnderfland, what a heithen isocrates. writer, Ifocrates, doth leaue in memorie of writing, concerning the care, that the noble Citie of Athens had, to bring vp their yougthe, in honeft com- panie, and vertuous discipline, whofe taulke in Greke, is, to this effect, in Englifhe.
" The Citie, was not more carefull, to fee their Chil- fn Orat " dren we^ taughte, than to fee their yong
Anopag. " men wen gouerned : which they brought
" to paffe, not fo much by common la we, as by priuate " difcipline. For, they had more regard, that their " yougthe, by good order mold not offend, than how, "by lawe, they might be punifhed: And if offenfe " were committed, there was, neither waie to hide it, " neither hope of pardon for it. Good natures, were " not fo moche openlie praifed as they were fecretlie " marked, and watchfullie regarded, left they mould " leafe the goodnes they had. Therefore in fcholes of " finging and dauncing, and other honeft exercifes, " gouernours were appointed, more diligent to ouerfee " their good maners, than their mafters were, to teach " them anie learning. It was fom fhame to a yong " man, to be feene in the open market : and if for " bufineffe, he paffed throughe it, he did it, with a " meruelous modeftie, ?nd bafhefull facion. To eate, " or drinke in a Tauerne, was not onelie a fhame, but " alfo punifhable, in a yong man. To contrarie, or to " ftand in termes with an old man, was more heinous, "than in fom place, to rebuke and fcolde with his " owne father : with manie other mo good orders, and faire difciplines, which I referre to their reading, that haue lufl to looke vpon the defcription of fuch & worthie common welthe.
Goodsede, And to know, what worthie frute, did
worthie frute. fpring of foch worthie feade, I will tell yow the moil meruell of all, and yet foch a trothe, as no
the brynging vp of youth. 59
man mail denie it, except fuch as be ignorant in knowledge of the befl flories.
Athens, by this discipline and good ordering of yougthe, did breede vp, within the circu[i]te Athene*. of that one Citie, within the compas of one hondred yeare, within the memorie of one mans life, fo manie notable Capitaines in wane, for worthineffe, wifdome and learning, as be fcarfe matchable no Roma, not in the ftate of Rome, in the compas of thofe feauen hondred yeares, whan it florifhed mofle.
And bicaufe, I will not onelie faie it, but alfo proue it, the names of them be thefe. Miltiades, The noble Themijlocles, Xantippus, Pericles, Cymon, Capitaines of Alcybiades, Thrafybulus, Conon, Iphicrates, t en$* Xenophon, Timotheus, Theopompus, Demetrius, and di- uers other mo : of which euerie one, maie iuftelie be fpoken that worthie praife, which was geuen to Scipio Africanus, who, Cicero douteth, whether he were, more noble Capitaine in warre, or more eloquent and wife councelor in peace. And if ye beleue not me, read diligentlie, ^Emilius Probus in Latin, and sEmii. Probus. Plutarche in Greke, which two, had no Piutarckus. caufe either to flatter or lie vpon anie of thofe which I haue recited.
And befide nobilitie in warre, for excellent and matchles maflers in all maner of laarninge, The learned oi in that one Citie, in memorie of one aige, Athene»- were mo learned men, and that in a maner altogether, than all tyme doth remember, than all place doth arTourde, than all other tonges do conteine. And I do not meene of thofe Authors, which, by iniurie of tyme, by negligence of men, by crueltie of fier and fworde, be loft, but euen of thofe, which by Goddes grace, are left yet vnto us : of which I thank God, euen my poor ftudie lacketh not one. As, in Philo- fophie, Plato, Arijlotle, Xenophon, Euclide, and Theo- phrajl-. In eloquens and Ciuill lawe, Demoflhenes, Aifchines, Lycurgus, Dinarchus, Demades, Ifocrates, Ifceus, Lyfias, Antifthenes, Andocides : In hiftories, He
60 The fir ft booke teachyng
rodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon : and which we lacke, to our great loffe, Theopompus and Eph\orus\ : In Poetrie, ALfchylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Ariflophanes, and fome- what of Menander, Demqjlhcnes fifter[s] fonne.
Now, let Italian, and Latin it felf, Spanifhe, French, Leamyn^ Douch, and Englifhe bring forth their lern- chiefly con- ing and recite their Authors, Cicero onelie
teined in the , , , . . _
Greke, and in excepted, and in one or two moe in Latin, no other tong. ^gy be all patched cloutes and ragges, in comparifon of faire wouen broade cloathes. And trewelie, if there be any good in them, it is either lerned, borowed, or ftolne, from fome one of thofe worthie wittes of Athens.
The remembrance of foch a common welthe, vfing foch difcipline and order for yoagthe, and thereby bringing forth to their praife, and leauing to vs for our example, fuch Capitaines for warre, foch Councel- ors for peace, and matcheles mailers, for all kinde of learninge, is pleafant for me to recite, and not irkfum, I truft, for other to heare, except it be foch, as make neither counte of vertue nor learninge.
And whether, there be anie foch or no, I can not Contemners of well tell : yet I heare faie, fome yong Ien- leamyng. tlemen of oures, count it their fhame to be
counted learned : and perchance, they count it their (hame, to be counted honeft alfo, for I heare faie, they medle as litle with the one, as with the other. A mer- uelous cafe, that Ientlemen (hold fo be afhamed of good learning, and neuer a whit afhamed of ill maners : ientlemen of foch do laie for them, that the Ientlemen France. ^ 0f France <}0 f0 . whicn is a lie, as God will haue it. Langceus, and Bellceus that be dead, and the noble Vidam of Chartes, that is aliue, and infinite mo in France, which I heare tell of, proue this to be moft falfe. And though fom, in France, which will nedes be Ientlemen, whether men will or no, and haue more ientlefhipe in their hat, than in their hed, be at deedlie feude, with both learning and honeflie, yet I beleue, if that noble Prince, king Francis the firft. were
the brynging vp of youth, 61
aliue, they (hold haue, neither place in his Franciscus Courte, nor penfion in his wanes, if he had Nobiiis. Fran- knowledg of them. This opinion is not corum Rex- French, but plaine Turckifhe : from whens, fom French fetche moe faultes, than this : which, I praie God, kepe out of England, and fend alfo thofe of oures better mindes, which bend them felues againfte verjue and learninge, to the contempte of God, dtihonor of their contrie, to the hurt of manie others, and at length, to the greatefl harme, and vtter deftruction of them- felues.
Some other, hailing better nature, but leffe witte, (for ill commonlie, haue ouer moch witte) do not vt- terlie difpraife learning, but they faie, that E rf without learning, common experience, without"06 knowledge of all facions, and haunting all lean,yi* companies, (hall worke in yougthe, both wifdome, and habilitie, to execute anie weightie affaire. Surelie long experience doth proffet moch, but mode, and almod onelie to him (if we meene honed affaires) that is dili- gentlie before indructed with preceptes of well doinge. For good precepts of learning, be the eyes of the minde, to looke wifelie before a man, which waie to go right, and which not.
Learning teacheth more in one yeare Leamyng. than experience in twentie : And learning Experience, teacheth fafelie, when experience maketh mo miferable then wife. He hafardeth fore, that waxeth wife by experience. An vnhappie Mader he is, that is made cunning by manie (hippe wrakes : A miferable mer- chant, that is neither riche or wife, but after fom bank- routes. It is codlie wifdom, that is bought by exper- ience. We know by experience it felfe, that it is a meruelous paine, to finde oute but a fnort waie, by long wandering. And furelie, he that wold proue wife by experience, he maie be wittie in deede, but euen like a fwift runner, that runneth fad out of his waie, and vpon the night, he knoweth not whither. And verilic they be fewed of number, that be happie or
62 Thefirjl booke teachyng
wife by vnlearned experience. And looke well vpon the former life of thofe fewe, whether your example be old or yonge, who without learning haue gathered, b} long experience, a litle wifdom, and fom happines : and whan you do confider, what mifcheife they haue committed, what dangers they haue efcaped (and yet xx. for one, do perifhe in the aduenture) than thinke well with your felfe, whether ye wold, that your owne fon, mould cum to wifdom and happines, by the waie of foch experience or no.
Syr Roger ^ *s a notable tale, that old Syr Roger
chamioe. Chamloe, fometime cheife Iuflice, wold tell
of him felfe. When he was Auncient in Inne of Courte, certaine yong Ientlemen were brought before him, to be corrected for certaine miforders : And one of the luflieft faide: Syr, we be yong ientlemen, and wife men before vs, haue proued all facions, and yet thofe haue done full well : this they faid, becaufe it was well knowen, that Syr Roger had bene a good feloe in his yougth. But he aunfweYed them verie wifelie. In deede faith he, in yougthe, I was, as you ar[e] now: and I had twelue feloes like vnto my felf, but not one of them came to a good ende. And therfore, folow not my example in yougth, but folow my councell in aige, if euer ye thinke to cum to this place, or to thies yeares, that I am cum vnto, leffe ye meete either with pouer- tie or Tiburn in the way.
Experience. Thus, experience of all facions in
yougthe, beinge, in profe, alwaife daungerous, in iffhue, feldom lucklie, is a waie, in deede, to ouermoch know- ledge, yet vfed commonlie of foch men, which be either caried by fom curious affection of mynde, or driuen by fom hard neceffitie of life, to hafard the triall of ouer manie perilous aduentures.
Erasmus. Erafmus the honour of learning of all
oure time, faide wifelie that experience is the common Experience, fcholehoufe of foles, and ill men : Men, of ifeF,ScleahnTe witte and honeflie, be otherwife inflructed.
ot r oles, ana '
in men. For there be, that kepe them out of fier,
the brynging vp of youth. ^
and yet was neuer burned : That beware of water, and yet was neuer nie drowninge : That hate harlottes, and was neuer at the flewes : That abhorre falfhode, and neuer brake promis themfelues.
But will ye fee, a fit Similitude of this aduentured experience. A Father, that doth let loufe his fon, to all experiences, is moll like a fond Hunter, that letteth flippe a whelpe to the hole herde. Twentie to one, he (hall fall vpon a rafcall, and let go the faire game. Men that hunt fo, be either ignorant perfones, preuie flealers, or night walkers.
Learning therefore, ye wife fathers, and good bring- ing vp, and not blinde and dangerous experience, is the next and readiefl waie, that mufl leede your Chil- dren, firfl, to wifdom, and than to worthineffe, if euer ye purpofe they (hall cum there.
And to faie all in fhorte, though I lacke How exPeri- ... . r li t i 1 ence may
Authontie to giue counfell, yet 1 lacke not proffet.
good will to wiffhe, that the yougthe in England, fpeciallie Ientlemen, and namelie nobilitie, mold be by good bringing vp, fo grounded in iudgement of learninge, fo founded in loue of honeflie, as, whan they fho[u]ld be called forthe to the execution of great affaires, in feruice of their Prince and co[u]ntrie, they might be hable, to vfe and to order, all experiences, were they good were they bad, and that, according to the fquare, rule, and line, of wifdom, learning, and vertue.
And, I do not meene, by all this my Diiigente taulke, that yong Ientlemen, mould al- {'^S^f1* waies be poring on a booke, and by vfing with pleasant good fludies, (hold leafe honefl pleafure, ntnSSfm a and haunt no good paflime, I meene no- ientieman. thing leffe : For it is well knowne, that I both like and loue, and haue alwaies, and do yet flill vfe, all exer- cifes and paflime s, that be fitte for my nature and habilitie. And befide naturall difpofition, in iudge- ment, alfo, I was neuer, either Stoick in doctrine, or Anabaptif in Religion to miflik' a merie, pleafant,
64 Thefirft booke teachyng
and plaifull nature, if no outrage be committed, againft lawe, me[a]fure, and good order.
Therefore, I wo[u]ld wifhe, that, befide fome good time, fitlie appointed, and conftantlie kepte, to encreafe by readinge, the knowledge of the tonges and learning, yong ientlemen (hold vfe, and delite in all Courtelie Learn exercifes, and Ientlemanlike paflimes.
ioy^eTirith And good caufe whie : For the felf fame pastimes. noble Citie of Athenes, iufllie commended
of me before, did wifelie and vpon great confideration, appoint, the Mufes, Apollo, and Pallas, to be patrones Musa. of learninge to their yougthe. For the
Mufes, befides learning, were alfo Ladies of dauncinge, Apoiio. mirthe and miniflrelfie : Apollo, was god of
mooting, and Author of cunning playing vpon Inftru- Paiias. mentes : Pallas alfo was Laidie miflres in
warres. Wherbie was nothing elfe ment, but that learninge (hold be alwaife mingled, with honefl mirthe, and cumlie exercifes : and that warre alfo (hold be gouerned by learning, and moderated by wifdom, as did well appeare in thofe Capitaines of Athenes named by me before, and alfo in Scipio and Ccefar the two Diamondes of Rome.
And Pallas, was no more feared, in weering &gida,
Learning rewl- *** J"5 ™* P*"^ *°r ChofmS Olimi
eth both warre whereby ftuneth the glory of learning, and peace. which thus, was Gouernour and Miflres, in the noble Citie of Athenes, both of warre and peace.
Therefore, to ride cumlie : to run faire at the tilte or ring : to plaie at all weapones : to (hote faire in bow, or furelie in gon : to vaut luflely : to runne : to The pastimes leape : to wreflle : to fwimme : To daunce Courtfie6"6 f°r cunuie: to.fing, and playe of inftrumentes ientlemen. cunnyngly : to Hawke : to hunte : to playe at tennes, and all paflimes generally, which be ioyned with labor, vfed in open place, and on the day light, conteining either fome fitte exercife for warre, or fome pleafant paflime for peace, be not onelie cumlie and decent, but alfo verie neceuarie, for a Courtlie Ientle- man to vfe.
the brynging vp of youth. 65
But, of all kinde of paflimes, fitte for a Ientleman, I will, godwilling, in fitter place, more at large, declare fullie, in my booke of the Cockpitte : which The Cokpitte. I do write, to fatiffie fom, I trull, with fom reafon, that be more curious, in marking other mens do- inges, than carefull in mendyng their owne faultes. And fom alfo will nedes bufie them felues in meruel- ing, and adding thereunto vnfrendlie taulke, why I, a man of good yeares, and of no ill place, I thanke God and my Prince, do make choife to fpend foch tyme in Aj%^ writyng of trifles, as the fchole of fhoting, the Cock- G pitte, and this booke of the firfl Principles of Grammer, rather, than to take fome weightie matter in hand, either of Religion, or Ciuill difcipline.
Wife men I know, will well allow of my choife herein : and as for fuch, who haue not witte of them felues, but mull learne of others, to iudge right of mens doynges, let them read that wife Poet a booke of Horace in his Arte Poetica, who willeth J^£tl£be^J wifemen to beware, of hie and loftie Titles, ouer ^-eat a ° For, great fhippes, require cofllie tackling, Promlse- and alfo afterward dangerous gouernment : Small boates, be neither verie chargeable in makyng, nor verie oft in great ieoperdie: and yet they cary many tymes, as good and cofllie ware, as greater veffels do. A meane Argument, may eafelie beare, the light The right burden of a fmall faute, and haue alwaife S^A^St at hand, a ready excufe for ill handling : to write vpon. And, fome praife it is, if it fo chaunce, to be better in deede, than a man dare venture to feeme. A hye title, doth charge a man, with the heauie burden, of to great a promife : and therefore fayth Horace verie wittelie, that, that Poete was a verie foole, Hor^ inArte that began hys booke, with a goodlie verfe Poet- in deede, but ouer proude a promife.
Fortunam Priami cantabo et nobile bellum. And after, as wifelie.
Quantb reclius hie, qui nil molitur inefte €tc.
66 The firjl booke teachyng
Homers wisdom Meening Homer, who, within the compafle Ar^ment°f ** of a fmal Argument, of one harlot, and of one good wife, did vtter fo much learning in all kinde of fciences, as, by the iudgement of Quintil- ian, he deferueth fo hie a praife, that no man yet defer- ued to fit in the fecond degree beneth him. And thus moch out of my way, concerning my purpofe in fpend- ing penne, and paper, and tyme, vpon trifles, and namelie to aunfwere fome, that haue neither witte nor learning, to do any thyng them felues, neither will nor honeflie, to fay well of other.
To ioyne learnyng with cumlie exercifes, Conto The Cortegian, Baldefcer Castiglione in his booke, Cor- biSfor? tegiane, doth trimlie teache : which booke, ientieman. aduifedlie read, and diligentlie folowed, but one yeare at home in England, would do a yong ientieman more good, I wiffe, then three yeares tra- uell abrode fpent in Italic And I meruell this booke, is no more read in the Court, than it is, feyng it is fo well tranflated into Englifti by a worthie Ientieman Syr The. Syr Th. Hobbie, who was many wayes well
Hobbu. furnimed with learnyng, and very expert in
knowledge of diuers tonges.
And befide good preceptes in bookes, in all kinde of tonges, this Court alfo neuer lacked many faire ex- amples, for yong ientlemen to folow : And furelie, one Exam les example, is more valiable, both to good and bettSPthaa ill, than xx. preceptes written in bookes :
preceptes. an(j fQ pfa^ nQ^ [n Qne Qr tw0> fat diuerfe
places, doth plainlie teach.
King Ed. 6. If kyng Edward had liued a litle longer,
his onely example had breed foch a rafe of worthie
learned ientlemen, as this Realme neuer yet did af-
fourde.
And, in the fecond degree, two noble Primerofes of The yon? Duke Nobilitie, the yong Duke of Suffolke, and of Suffolke. Lord H. Matreuers, were foch two examples l. h. Mar- to the Court for learnyng, as our tyme may traturt- rather wifhe than looke for agayne.
the brynging vp of youth. 67
At Cambrige alfo, in S. Iohns Colledge, in my tyme, I do know, that, not fo much the good ftatutes, as two Ientlemen, of worthie memorie Syr Syr john Iohn Cheke, and Doclour Readman, by Cheke. their onely example of excellency in learnyng, of god- nes in Huyng, of diligence in ftudying, of counceU in exhorting, of [by] good order in all thyng, d. Readman. did breed vp, fo many learned men, in that one College of S. Iohns, at one time, as I beleue, the whole Vni- uerfitie of Louaine, in many yeares, was neuer able to affourd.
Prefent examples of this prefent tyme, I lift not to the touch : yet there is one example, for all Queen* Ientlemen of this Court to fol[l]ow, that ^i^^th. may well fatiffie them, or nothing will feme them, nor no example moue them, to goodnes and learning.
It is your fhame, (I fpeake to you all, you yong Ientlemen of England) that one mayd[e] mould go be- yond you all, in excellencie of learnyng, and knowledge of diuers tonges. Pointe forth fix of the beft giuen Ientlemen of this Court, and all they together, mew not fo much good will, fpend not fo much tyme, beftow not fo many houres, dayly, orderly, and con- flantly, for the increafe of learning and knowledge, as doth the Queenes Maieftie her felfe. Yea I beleue, that befide her perfit readines, in Latin, Italian, French, and Spanijh, me readeth here now at Windfore more Greeke euery day, than fome Prebendarie of this Chirch doth read Latin in a whole weeke. And that which is moft praife worthie of all, within the walles of her priuie chamber, me hath obteyned that excellencie of learnyng, to vnderftand, fpeake, and write, both wittely with head, and faire with hand, as fcarce one or two rare wittes in both the Vniuerfities haue in many yeares reached vnto. Amongeft all the benentes yat God hath bleffed me with all, next the knowledge of Chriftes true Re- ligion, I counte this the greateft, that it pleafed God to call me, to be one poore minifler in fettyng for
68 Thefirjl booke teachyng
nrard thefe excellent giftes of learnyng in this moll excellent Prince. Whofe onely example, if the reft of our nobilitie would folow, than might Eng- rn Examples land be, for learnyng and wifedome in force.TheSgood nobilitie, a fpectacle to all the world examples. befide. But fee the mifhap of men : The beft examples haue neuer fuch forfe to moue to any goodnes, as the bad, vaine, light and fond, haue to all ilnes.
And one example, though out of the compas of learning, yet not out of the order of good maners, was notable in this Courte, not fullie xxiiij. yeares a go, when all the actes of Parlament, many good Procla- mations, diuerfe ftrait commaundementes, fore punifh- ment openlie, fpeciall regarde priuatelie, cold not do fo moch to take away one miforder, as the example of one big one of this Courte did, Hill to kepe vp the fame : The memorie whereof, doth yet remaine, in a common prouerbe of Birching lane.
Take hede therfore, ye great ones in ye Court, yea Great men i tnougn ye De ye greateft of all, take hede, Court, by their, what ye do, take hede how ye liue. For
OTmarre, 'af* aS y0U S^3* 0neS ^ t0 ^°» ^° ^ mean6
other mens men loue to do. You be in deed, makers or marrers, of all mens maners within the Realme. For though God hath placed yow, to be cheife in making of lawes, to beare greatefl authoritie, to commaund all others : yet God doth order, that all your lawes, all your authoritie, all your commaunde- mentes, do not halfe fo moch with meane men, as doth Example fa your example and maner of liuinge. And Religion. for example euen in the greateft matter,
if yow your felues do feme God gladlie and orderlie for confcience fake, not coldlie, and fomtyme for maner fake, you carie all the Courte with yow, and the whole Realme befide, earneftlie and orderlie to do the fame. If yow do otherwife, yow be the onelie authors, of all miforders in Religion, not onelie to the Courte, but to all England befide. Infinite fhall be
the brynging vp of youth. 69
made cold in Religion by your example, that neuer were hurt by reading of bookes.
And in meaner matters, if three or foure great ones in Courte, will nedes outrage in apparell, Example in in huge hofe, in monfl[e]rous hattes, in app^11 gaurifhe colers, let the Prince Proclame, make Lawes, order, punifhe, commaunde euerie gate in London dailie to be watched, let all good men befide do euerie where what they can, furelie the miforder of apparell in mean men abrode, (hall neuer be amended, except the greatefl in Courte will order and mend them felues firft. I know, fom greate and good ones in Courte, were authors, that honed Citizens in London, fhoulde watche at euerie gate, to take mifordered perfones in apparell. I know, that honefl Londoners did fo: And I fawe, which I fawe than, and reporte now with fome greife, that fom Courtlie men were offended with thefe good men of London. And that, which greued me mod of all, I fawe the verie fame tyme, for all theis good orders, commaunded from the Courte and exe- cuted in London, I fawe I fay, cum out Masters>Vshcrs> of London, euen vnto the prefence of the and Schoiers of Prince, a great rable of meane and light fense' perfons, in apparell, for matter, againfl lawe, for mak- ing, againfl order, for facion, namelie hofe, fo without all order, as he thought himfelfe mod braue, that durd do mod in breaking order and was mod monderous in miforder. And for all the great commaundementes, that came out of the Courte, yet this bold miforder, was winked at, and borne withall, in the Courte. I thought, it was not well, that fom great ones of the Court, durd declare themfelues offended, with good men of London, for doinge their dewtie, and the good ones of the Courte, would not fhew themfelues offended, with the ill men of London, for breaking good order. I fownde thereby a fayinge of Socrates to be mod trewe that ill men be more hadie, than good men be forwarde, to profecute their purpofes, euen as Chrid himfelfe faith, of the Children of light and darknes.
7o The fir ft booke teachyng
Befide apparell, in all other thinges to, not fo moch, good lawes andflrait commaundementes as the example and maner of tilling of great men, doth carie all meane men euerie where, to like, and loue, and do, as they do. For if but two or three noble men in the Court, Example in wold but beginne to fhoote, all yong shootyng. Ientlemen, the whole Court, all London, the whole Realme, would flraight waie exercife mooting.
What praife (hold they wynne to themfelues, what commoditie mold they bring to their contrey, that would thus deferue to be pointed at : Beholde, there goeth, the author of good order, the guide of good men. I cold fay more, and yet not ouermoch. But perchance, fom will fay, I haue flepte to farre, out of my fchole, into the common welthe, from teaching a
. yong fcholer, to monifhe greate and noble
format men, men : yet I trufl good and wife men will but for great thinke and iudge of me, that my minde
mens children. _ °, ~ '
was, not fo moch, to be bufie and bold with them, that be great now, as to giue trewe aduife to them, that may be great hereafter. Who, if they do, as I wifhe them to do, how great fo euer they be now, by blood and other mens meanes, they fhall be- cum a greate deale greater hereafter, by learninge, vertue, and their owne defertes : which is trewe praife, right worthines, and verie Nobilitie in deede. Yet, if fom will needes preffe me, that I am to bold with great men, and flray to farre from my matter, I will anfwere Ad Philip. them with S. Paul, ftue per contentionem, flue quocunque modo, modb Chrijlus proedicetnr, etc. euen fo, whether in place, or out of place, with my matter, or befide my matter, if I can hereby either prouoke the good, or flaye the ill, I fhall thinke my writing herein well imployed.
But, to cum downe, from greate men, and hier matters, to my title children, and poore fchoolehoufe again e, I will, God wilting, go forwarde orderlie, as I purpofed, to inftructe Children and yong men, both for learninge and maners.
Hitherto, T haue fhewed, what harme, ouermoch
the brynging vp of youth. 7I
feare bringeth to children : and what hurte, ill com- panie, and ouermoch libertie breedeth in yougthe : meening thereby, that from feauen yeare olde, to feauentene, loue is the bed allurement to learninge : from feauentene to feauen and twentie, that wife men fhold carefullie fee the fleppes of yougthe furelie flaide by good order, in that moft flipperie tyme : and fpeci- allie in the Courte, a place mod dangerous for yougthe to Hue in, without great grace, good regarde, and dili- gent looking to.
Syr Richard Sackuile, that worthy Ientleman of worthy memorie, as I fayd in the begynnynge, in the Queenes priuie Chamber at Windefore, Traueiibg after he had talked with me, for the right int° italic choice of a good witte in a child for learnyng, and of the trewe difference betwixt quicke and hard wittes, of alluring yong children by ientlenes to loue learnyng, and of the fpeciall care that was to be had, to keepe yong men from licencious liuyng, he was mofl earned with me, to haue me fay my mynde alfo, what I thought, concernyng the fanfie that many yong Ientlemen of England haue to trauell abroad^and natnely t6 lead a long lyfe in Italic. His reqtreft,- both for his authoritie, and good will toward me, was a fufficient commaunde- ment vnto me, to fatiffie his pleafure, with vtteryng plainlie my opinion in that matter. Syr quoth I, I take goyng thither, and liuing there, for a yonge ientle- man, that doth not goe vnder the ke[e]pe and garde of fuch a man, as both, by wifedome can, and authoritie dare rewle him, to be meruelous dangerous. And whie I faid fo than, I will declare at large now : which I faid than priuatelie, and write now openlie, not bi- caufe I do contemne, either the knowledge of flrange and diuerfe tonges, and nameMie the Italian The Italian tonge, which next the Greeke and Latin ton&- tonge, I like and loue aboue all other : or elfe bicaufe I do defpife, the learning that is gotten, or the experi- ence that is gathered in flrange contries : or for any priuate malice that beare to Italie : which Italia.
72 Thefirjl booke teachyng
Roma. contrie, and in it, namelie Rome, I haue
alwayes fpeciallie honored : bicaufe, tyme was, whan Italie and Rome, haue bene, to the greate good of vs that now hue, the befl breeders and bringers vp, of the worthiefl men, not onelie for wife fpeakinge, but alfo for well doing, in all Ciuill affaires, that euer was in the worlde. But now, that tyme is gone, and though the place remayne, yet the olde and prefent maners, do differ as farre, as blacke and white, as vertue and vice. Vertue once made that contrie? Miflres ouer all the worlde. Vice now maketh that contrie llaue to them, that before, were glad to feme it. All man feeth it : They themfelues confeffe it, namelie foch, as be befl and wifefl amongefl them. For fmne, by lufl and vanitie, hath and doth breed vp euery where, common contempt of Gods word, priuate contention In many tamilies, open factions" in euery J Citie : and fo, makyng them felues bonde, to vanitie and vice at home, they are content to beare the yoke of feruyng ftraungers abroad. Italie now, is not that Italie, that it was wont to be : and therfore now, not fo fitte a place, as fome do counte it, for yong men to fetch either wifedome or honeflie from thence. For furelie, they will make other but bad Scholers, that be fo ill Maflers to them felues. Yet, if a ientleman will nedes traueliinto Italie, he mail do well, to looke on the life, of the wifefl traueller, that euer traueled thether, fet out by the wifefl writer, that euer fpake with tong, Gods doctrine onelie excepted : and that is Vlyffes in viysses. Homere. Vlyffes, and his trauell, I wifhe
Honure. our trauelers to looke vpon, not fo much
to feare them, with the great daungers, that he many tymes fuffered, as to inflruct them, with his excellent wifedome, which he alwayes and euerywhere vfed. Yea euen thofe, that be learned and wittie trauelers, when they be difpofed to prayfe traueling, as a great commendacion, and the befl Scripture they haue for it, they gladlie recite the third verfe of Homere, in his firfl booke of Odyjfea, conteinyng a great prayfe of
the brynging vp of youth. 73
Vlyffes, for the witte he gathered, and wife- <55v», a. dome he vfed in trauelling.
Which verfe, bicaufe, in mine opinion, it was not made at the firft, more naturallie in Greke by Homere, nor after turned more aptelie into Latin by Horace, than it was a good while ago, in Cambrige, tranf- lated into Englilh, both plainlie for the fenfe, and roundlie for the verfe, by one of the beft Scholers, that euer S. Iohns Colledge bred, M. Wat/on, myne old frend, fomtime Bifhop of Lincoln e, therefore, for their fake, that haue lufl to fee, how our Englilh tong, in avoidyng barbarous ryming, may as well receiue, right quantitie of fillables, and trewe order of verfmyng (of which matter more at large hereafter) as either Greke or Latin, if a cunning man haue it in [the] handling, I will fet forth that one verfe in all three tonges, for an Example to good wittes, that mall delite in like learned exercife.
foment*.
TroXXiSv 8' dvOpuiTiov ZStv aoTea kcu voov eyvu>.
Doratht*. Qui mores hominum multorum vidit et vrbes.
JE. »at*ott. All trauellers do gladly report great prayfe of Vlyffes, • For that he knew many mens maners, and f aw many Cities.
And yet is not Vlyffes commended, fo much, nor fo oft, in Homere, bicaufe he was 7ro\vTpo7Tos, that is, Ikilfull in many mens manners and facions, as bi- caufe he was 7ro\v/xr)TL<s, that is, wife in allpurpofes,andwar[y]ein all places : which wifedome and warenes will not feme neither a tra- PaUas from ueler, except Pallas be alwayes at his heauen. elbow, that is Gods fpeciall grace from heauen, to kepe him in Gods feare, in all his doynges, in all his ieorneye.
(icokuTpoiros Vlyss )
\ iroX6/n]Tt$
|
Alcynous. |
66.2. |
|
Cyclops. |
65. i. |
|
Calypso. |
65. e. |
|
Sirenes. \ |
|
|
,65. p.. |
|
|
Scylla. Caribdis' |
\ |
|
Circes. |
65. k. |
74 The fir ft booke teachyng
For, he (hall not alwayes in his abfence out of Eng- land, light vpon the ientle Alcynous, and walke in his faire gardens full of all harmeleffe pleafures : but he fhall fome- tymes, fall, either into the handes of fome cruell Cyclops, or into the lappe of fome wanton and dalying Dame Calypfo : and fo fuffer the danger of many a deadlie Denne, not fo full of perils, to diftroy the body, as, full of vayne pleafures, to poyfon the mynde. Some Siren (hall fing him a fong, fweete in tune, but fownding in the ende, to his vtter de- (Iruction. If Scylla drowne him not, Caryhdis may fortune fwalow hym. Some Circes (hall make him, of a plaine Englifh man, a right Italian. And at length to hell, or to fome hellim place,* is he likelie to go : from whence is hard returning, although one Vlyffes, and that by 65. X. Pallas ayde, and good counfell of Tirefias
once efcaped that horrible Den of deadly darkenes.
Therfore, if wife men will nedes fend their fonnes into Italie, let them do it wifelie, vnder the kepe and garde of him, who, by his wifedome and honeftie, by his example and authoritie, may be hable to kepe them fafe and found, in the feare of God, in Chrifles trewe Re- ligion, in good order and honeftie of liuyng : except they will haue them run headling [headlong], into ouermany ieoperdies, as Vlyffes had done many tymes, if Pallas had not alwayes gouerned him : if he had not vfed, to 65. fi. (lop his eares with waxe : to bind him felfe
65. k. to the mad of his (hyp: to feede dayly, vpon
Moiy Herba. that fwete herbe Moly with the bla[c]ke roote and white floore, giuen vnto hym by Mercurie, to auoide all inchantmentes of Circes. Wherby, thC Diuine Poete Homer ment couertlie (as wife and Godly n m do iudge) that loue of honeftie, and hatred of ill, which Dauid Psai. 33. more plainly doth call the feare of God :
the onely remedie agaynft all inchantementes of fmne. I know diuerfe noble perfonages, and many worthie
the brynging vp of youth, 75
lentlemen of England, whom all the Siren fonges of Italie, could neuer vntwyne from the mafle of Gods word : nor no inchantment of vanitie, ouerturne them, from the feare of God, and loue of honeflie.
But I know as many, or mo, and fome, fometyme my deare frendes, for whofe fake I hate going into that countrey the more, who, partyng out of England fer- uent in the loue of Chrifles doctrine, and well furnilhed with the feare of God, returned out of Italie worfe transformed, than euer were any in Circes Court. I know diuerfe, that went Out of England, men of inno- cent life, men of excellent learnyng, who returned out of Italie, not onely with worfe manners, but alfo with leffe learnyng : neither fo willing to Hue orderly, nor yet fo hable to fpeake learnedlie, as they were at home, before they went abroad. And why ? Plato, yat wife writer, and worthy traueler him felfe, telleth the caufe why. He went into Sicilia, sl countrey, no nigher Italy by fite of place, than Italie that is now, is like Sicilia that was then, in all corrupt maners and licencioufnes of life. Plato found in Sicilia, euery Citie full of vanitie, full of factions, euen as Italie is now. And as Homer e, like a learned Poete, doth feyne, that Circes, by pleafant inchantmentes, did turne men into beaft.es, fome into Swine, fom in Affes, fome into Foxes, fome into Wolues etc. euen fo, Plato, like a wife Philofopher, doth PlatadDionys plainelie declare, that pleafure, by licenti- EPist- 3- ous vanitie, that iweet and perilous poyfon of all youth, doth ingender in all thofe that yeld vp themfelues to her, foure notorious properties.
1. X.rjOr)v
2. Svo-paOtav The fruits ot
3. d<j)pO<TVvr}V vayne pleasure.
4. vfipiv.
The firfl, forgetfulnes of all good thinges learned before : the fecond, dulnes to receyue either causes why learnyng or honeflie" euer after : the third, £eJ£'e?ie2!! a mynde embracing lightlie the worfe learned and opinion, and baren of difcretion to make ™rsemancred
76 The fir ft booke teachyng
trewe difference betwixt good and ill, betwixt troth, and vanitie, the fourth, a proude difdainfulnes of other Homer and good men, in all honefl matters. Homere
Plato loyned ° , _r ' . , . . .
and expounded, and Flato, haue both one me^nyng, looke both to one end. For, if a man inglutte himfelf with a Swyne. vanitie, or waiter in frlthines like a Swyne, all learnyng, all goodnes, is fone forgotten: Than, AnAsse. quicklie fhall he becum a dull Affe, to
vnderftand either learnyng or honeflie : and yet fhall a Foxe. he be as futle as a Foxe, in breedyng of
mifchief, in bringyng in miforder, with a bufie head, a difcourfmg tong, and a factious harte, in euery priuate affaire, in all matters of flate, with this pretie propertie, d,<ppo<rtvr), alwayes glad to commend the worfe partie, Quid, et vnde. and euer ready to defend the falfer opinion. And why ? For, where will is giuen from goodnes to vanitie, the mynde is fone caryed from right iudge- ment to any fond opinion, in Religion, in Philofophie, or any other kynde of learning. The fourth fruite of vfipis. vaine pleafure, by Homer and Platos
iudgement, is pride in them felues, contempt of others, the very badge of all thofe that feme in Circes Court. The true meenyng of both Homer and Plato, is plainlie declared in one fhort fentence of the holy Prophet of Hieremas God Hieremie, crying out of the vaine and 4. Cap. vicious life of the Ifraelites. This people
(fayth he) be fooles and dulhedes to all goodnes, but fotle, cunning and bolde, in any mifchiefe. etc.
The true medecine againfl the inchantmentes of Circes, the vanitie of licencious pleafure, the intice- mentes of all fmne, is, in Homere, the herbe Moly, with the blacke roote, and white flooer, fower at the Hesiodus de firfl, but fweete in the end : which, Hefiodus vxto*-*- termeth the fludy of vertue, hard and irkfome in the beginnyng, but in the end, eafie and pleafant. And that, which is mofl to be marueled at, the diuine Poete Homerusdiui- Homere fayth plainlie that this medicine nus Poeta. againfl fmne and vanitie is not found out by man, but giuen and taught by God. And forfome [ones] fake, that will haue delite to read that fweete and Godlie
the brynging vp of youth. 77
Verfe, I will recite the very wordes of Homere and alfo turne them into rude Englifh metre.
YaA.€7rov Se t' opvcrcreLV dvSpdo-i ye QvqTolcrL, Oeol 84 irdvTa SvvavTi.
In Engliih thus. No mortall man, withfweat of browe, or toile of minde, But onely God, who can do all, that herbe dothfinde.
Plato alfo, that diuine Philofopher, hath many Godly medicines agaynfl the poyfon of vayne pleafure, in many places, but fpecially in his Epiftles to Dionifius the tyrant of Sicilie : yet agaynfl thofe, Plat ad. Dio. that will nedes becum beafl.es, with feruyng of Circes, the Prophet Dauid, crieth mofl loude, Nolite fieri ficut eques et mulus : and by and by Psai 32. giueth the right medicine, the trewe herbe Moly, In camo et freno maxillas eorum conflringe, that is to fay, let Gods grace be the bitte, let Gods feare be the bridle, to flay them from runnyng headlong into vice, and to turne them into the right way agayne. Dauid in the fecond Pfalme after, giueth the fame medi- Psai. 33. cine, but in thefe plainer wordes, Diuerte a malo etfac bonum. But I am affraide, that ouer many of our trauelers into Italie, do not exchewe the way to Circes Court : but go, andryde, and runne, and flie thether, they make gfeatTiafl to curfTto fier : they make great fute to feme her : yea, I could point out fome with my finger, that neuer had gone out of England, but onelie to feme Circes, in Italic Vanitie and vice, and any licence to ill liuyng in England was counted flale and rude vnto them. And fo, beyng Mules and Horfes before they went, returned verie Swyne and Affes home agayne: yet euerie where verie Foxes with as futtle and bufie heades ; and where they may, verie Woolues, with cmell malicious hartes. A maruelous . . „. monfter, which, for nlthines of liuyng, for tureofaknight dulnes to learning him felfe, for wilineffe ofCirc" Court- in dealing with others, for malice in hurting without caufe, fhould carie at once in one bodie, the belie of a Swyne, the head of an Affe, the brayne of a Foxe,
''""*!
78 Thefirjl booke teachyng
the wombe of a wolfe. If you thinke, we iudge amiffe, and write to fore againft you, heare, what the Italian The Italians faytn of the Englilh Man, what the mailer judgement of reporteth of the fcholer: who vttereth broughtvpto playnlie, what is taught by him, and what italic learned by you, faying, Englefe Italianato
c vn diabolo incarnato, that is to fay, you remaine men in lhape and facion, but becum deuils in life and condi- tion. This is not, the opinion of one, for fome priuate fpite, but the iudgement of all, in a common Prouerbe, which rifeth, of that learnyng, and thofe maners, which The Italian dif- you gather in Italic : a good Scholehoufe fameth them of wholefome doctrine, and worthy Mailers the Engilhe116 of commendable Scholers, where the Maf- man- ter had rather diffame hym felfe for hys
teachyng, than not lhame his Scholer for his learnyng. A good nature of the mailler, and faire conditions of the fcholers. And now chofe you, you Italian Eng- lifhe men, whether you will be angrie with vs, for call- ing you monllers, or with the Italiancs, for callyng you deuils, or elfe with your owne felues, that take fo much paines, and go fo farre, to make your felues both. If fome yet do not well vnderlland, what is an Englifh man Italianated, I will plainlie tell him. He, that by liuing, and traueling in Italic, bringeth home into England out of Italic, the Re- ligion, the learning, the policie, the ex- perience, the maners of Italic That is to fay, for Re- ligion, Papiftrieorworfe: forlearn- yngteffe commonly than they caried out with them: for pollicie, a Factious hart, adifcourfmg head, a mynde to medle in all mens matters : for ex- perience, plentieof new mifchieues neuer knowne in England before : for maners, varietie of vanities, filthy lyuing. Thefe be the in- O>r£f,'*~brought out of Italic, to maners in England; much, by ex- life, but more by preceptes of fonde
'An English man Italianated.
The-
i. Religion.^
2. Learn-
ing.
3. Pollicie.
4. Experi- ence.
gotten
in Italie.
V5« Maners.
and chaunge of chantementes of marre ample
mens of ill
the brynging vp of youth. 79
bookes, of late tranflated out of Italian ££fjf" ^PH" into Englifh, fold in euery mop in Lon- English* m ° don, commended by honefl titles the fo[o]ner to corrupt honefl maners : dedicated ouer boldlie to vertuous and honourable" perfonages, the eafielier to beg[u]ile fimple and innocent wittes. It is pitie, that thofe, ~.
which haue authoritie and charge, to allow and -*^* diffalow bookes to be printed, be no more circumfpect herein, than they are. Ten Sermons at Paules Crofle. do not fo moch good for mouyng men to trewe doc- trine, as one of thofe bookes do harme, with inticing men to ill liuing. Yea, I say farder, thofe bookes, tend not fo moch to corrupt honefl liuing, as they do, — 1 to fubuert trewe Religion. Mo Papiftes be made, by / your mer[r]y bookes of Italie, than by your earned bookes of Louain. And bicaufe our great Phificians, do winke— ** at the matter, and make no counte of this fore, I, though not admitted one of their felowfhyp, yet hauyng bene many yeares a prentice to Gods trewe Religion, and trufl to continewe a poore iorney man therein all dayes of my life, for the dewtie I owe, and loue I beare, both to trewe doctrine, and honefl liuing, though I haue no authoritie to amend the fore my felfe, yet I will declare my good will, to difcouer the fore to others.
S. Paul faith, that fectes and ill opinions, Ad Gal. 5. be the workes of the flefh, and frutes of fmne, this is fpoken, no more trewlie for the doctrine, than fenfiblie for the reafon. And why? For, ill doinges, breed ill thinkinges. And of corrupted maners, fpryng per- uerted iudgementes. And how? there be in man two fpeciall thinges : Mans will, mans mynde. Where will inclineth to goodnes, the
mynde is bent to troth: Where will is caried from goodnes to vanitie, the mynde is fone drawne from troth to falfe opinion. And fo, the readied way to entangle the mynde with falfe doctrine, is firft to in- tice the will to wanton liuyng. Therfore, when the bufie and open Papifles abroad, could not, by their contentious bookes, turne men in England fad enough,
Voluntas^ fBonum.
>Respicit-< Mens ) \Verum.
80 The fir ft booke teachyng
from troth and right iudgement in doctrine, than the ^_. futle and fecrete Papiftes at home, procured •^ bawdie bookes to be tranflated out of the" Italian tonge, whereby ouer many yong willes and wittes allured to wantonnes, do now boldly contemne all feuere bookes that founde to honeftie and godlines. In our forefathers tyme, whan Papiflrie, as a ftandyng poole, couered and ouerflowed all England, fewe bookes were read in our tong, fauyng certaine bookes Cheualrie, as they fayd, for paftime and pleafure, which, as fome fay, were made in Monafteries, by idle Monkes, or wanton Chanons : as one for example, Morte Ar- Morte Arthur, thure : the whole pleafure of which booke ftandeth in two fpeciall poyntes, in open mans flaughter, and bold bawdrye : In which booke thofe be counted the noblefl Knightes, that do kill mofl men without any quarrell, and commit fowlefl aduoulter[i]es by futleft fhiftes : as Sir Launcelote, with the wife of king Arthure his mafler : Syr Triftram with the wife of king Markt his vncle : Syr Lamerocke with the wife of king Lotc,
that was his own aunte. This is good
fluffe, for wife men to laughe at, or honeft men to take pleafure at. Yet I know, when Gods Bible was banifhed the Court, and Morte Arthure re- ceiued into the Princes chamber. What toyes, the dayly readyng of fuch a booke, may worke in the will of a yong ientleman, or a yong mayde, that liueth welthelie and idlelie, wife men can iudge, and honefl men do pitie. And yet ten Morte Arthures do not the tenth part fo much harme, as one of thefe bookes,
made in Italic, and tranflated in England.
They open, not fond and common wayes to vice, but fuch fubtle, cunnyng, new, and diuerfe fhiftes, to cary yong willes to vanitie, and yong wittes to mifchief, to teach old bawdes new fchole poyntes, as the fimple head of* an Englimman is not hable to inuent, nor neuer was hard of in England before, yea when Papiflrie ouerflowed all. Suffer thefe bookes to be read, and they fhall foone difplace all bookes of godly learnyng. For they, carving the will to vanitie
the brynging vp of youth, 81
and marryng good maners, fhall eafily corrupt the mynde with ill opinions, and -^l
falfe iudgement in doctrine : firfl, to thinke nothyng of God hym felfe, one fpeciall pointe that is to be learned in Italie, and Italian bookes. And that which is moft to be lamented, and -®*
therfore more nedefull to be looked to, there be moe of thefe vngratious bookes fet out in Printe within thefe fewe monethes, than haue bene fene in England many fcore yearefs] before. And bicaufe our Englifh men made Italians can not hurt, but certaine perfons, and in certaine places, therfore thefe Italian bookes are made Englifh, to bryng mifchief enough openly and boldly, to all Hates great and meane, yong and old, euery where.
And thus yow fee, how will intifed to wantonnes, doth eafelie allure the mynde to falfe opinions : and how corrupt maners in liuinge, breede falfe iudgement in doctrine : how fmne and Sefhlines, bring forth fectes and herefies : And therefore fuffer not vaine bookes to breede vanitie in mens willes, if yow would haue Goddes troth e take roote in mens myndes.
That Italian, that firfl inuented the Italian Prouerbe againfl our Englifhe men Italianated, ment no more their vanitie in liuing, than their lewd opinion in Reli- gion. For, in calling them Deuiles^ he The Italian carieth them cleane from God : and yet prouerbe he carieth them no farder, than they wil- «Pounded- linglie go themfelues, that is, where they may freely fay their mindes, to the open contempte of God and all godlines, both in liuing and doctrine.
And how ? I will expreffe how, not by a Fable of Homcre, nor by the Philofophie of Plato, but by a plaine troth of Goddes word, fenfiblie vttered by Dauid thus. Thies men, abhominabiles fafti in studijs fuisy thinke verily, and finge gladlie the verfe before, Dixit infipiens in Cordejuo, non eft Deus : that is Psa. 14. to fay, they geuing themfelues vp to vanitie, fhakinge of the motions of Grace, driuing from them the feare of God, and running headlong into all finne, firfl, lufleUe contemne God, than fcomeiullie mocke his
F
82 Thefirft booke teachyng
worde, and alfo fpitefullie hate and hurte all well willers
r-thereof. Than they haue in more reuerence, the
j triumphes of Petrarche : than the Genefis of Mofes :
UEhey make more account of Tullies offices, than S.
Paules epiftles : of a tale in Bocace, than a florie of the
Bible. Than they counte as Fables, the holie mifleries
of Chriftian Religion. They make Chrift and his Gof-
pell, onelie ferue Ciuill pollicie : Than neyther Religion
cummeth amiffe to them : In tyme they be Promoters
of both openlie : in place againe mockers of both pri-
uilie, as I wrote oncein a rude ryme.
Now new , now olde, now doth, now neither ; To ferue the worldes courfe, they care not with whether. For where they dare, in cumpanie where they like, they boldlie laughe to fcorne both proteflant and Pap- ift. They care for no fcripture : They make no counte of generall councels : they contemne the confent of the Chirch : They paffe for no Doctores : They mocke the Pope : They raile on Luther : They allow neyther fide : They like none, but onelie themfelues : The marke they mote at, the ende they looke for, the heauen they defire, is onelie, their owne prefent plea- fure, and priuate proffit : whereby, they plain lie declare, of whofe fchole, of what Religion they be: that is, Epicures in liuing, and d'#eoi in doctrine : this laft worde is no more vnknowne now to plaine Englifhe men, than the Perfon was vnknown fomtyme in Eng- land, vntill fom[e] Englifhe man tooke peines to fetch that deuelifh opinion out of Italic Thies men, thus The Italian Italianated abroad, can not abide our Chirche in Godlie Italian Chirch at home : they be
London. ^ Qf ^ p^f^ they be nQt of that fe_
lowfhyp : they like not yat preacher : they heare not his fermons : Excepte fometymes for companie, they cum thither, to heare the Italian tongue naturally fpoken, not to hear Gods doctrine trewly preached.
And yet, thies men, in matters of Diuinitie, openlie pretend a great knowledge, and haue priuately to them felues, a verie compendious vnderflanding of all, which neuertheles they will vtter when and where they lifte :
the brynging vp of youth, 83
And that is this : All the mifleries of Mofes, the whole lawe and Cerimonies, the Pfalmes and Prophetes, Chrift and his Gofpell, GOD and the Deuill, Heauen and Hell, Faith, Confcience, Sinne, Death, and all they fhortlie wrap vp, they quickly expounde with this one halfe verfe of Horace.
Crcdat Iudaus Afipella.
Yet though in Italie they may freely be of no Reli- gion, as they are in Englande in verie deede to, neuer- theleffe returning home into England they muft countenance the profeffion of the one or the other, howfoeuer inwardlie, they laugh to fcorne both. And though, for their priuate matters they can follow, fawne, and flatter noble Perfonages, contrarie to them in all refpectes, yet commonlie they allie them- Papistrieand felues with the worft Papiftes, to whom ^"{j^jj three they be wedded, and do well agree togither opinions. in three proper opinions : In open contempte of Goddes worde : in a fecret fecuritie of linne : and in \ I a bloodie defire to haue all taken away, by fword and \ burning, that be not of their faction. They that do J reaii,wrth-i^dirTerent iudgement, Pyghis and Pigius. t ' MachiaiieL^ywo indifferent Patriarches of Machiaueius. thiesTwtTKeligions, do know full well what I fay trewe.
Ye fee, what manners and doctrine, our Englifhe men fetch out of Italie : For finding no other there, they can bring no other hither. And therefore, manie godlie and excellent learned Englifhe men, Wise &nd hon_ not manie yeares ago, did make a better est traueiers. choice, whan open crueltie draue them out of this contrie, to place themfelues there, where Chrifles doc- trine, the feare of God, punifhment of fmne, GermanU. and difcipline of honeflie, were had in fpeciall regarde.
I was once in Italie my felfe : but I thanke Venice. God, my abode there, was but ix. day es : And yet I fawe in that lit[t]le tyme,in one Citie,more libertie to fmne, than euer I h[e]ard tell of in our noble Citie of London. London in ix. yeare. I fawe, it was there, as free to fmne, not onelie without all punifhment, but alfo without any maris marking, as it is free in the Citie of London, to
84 Thefirjl boofte teachyng
chofe, without all blame, whether a man lull to weare Shoo or Pantocle. And good caufe why : For being vnlike in troth of Religion, they mull nedes be vnlike in honellie of liuing. For blelTed be Chrifl, in our Citie SeruiceofGod of London, commonlie the commande- in England. mentes of God, be more diligentlie taught, and the feruice of God more reuerentlie vfed, and that daylie in many priuate mens houfes, than they be in SeruiceofGod Italie once a weeke in their common in italic Chirches . where, malking Ceremonies, to
delite the eye, and vaine foundes, to pleafe the eare, do quite thruft out of the Chirches, all feruice of God The Lord Maior in fpirit and troth. Yea, the Lord Maior of I - of London. London, being but a Ciuill officer, is com- monlie for his tyme, more diligent, in punilhing fmne, the bent enemie againll God and good order, than all The inquisitors the bloodie Inquifitors in Italie be in fea- in italie uen yeare. For, their care and charge is,
not to punifh fmne, not to amend manners, not to purge doctrine, but onelie to watch and ouerfee that Chrilles trewe Religion fet no fure footing, where the Pope hath any Iurildiction. I learned, when I was at An vngodiie Venice, that there it is counted good pol- poiiicie. licie, when there be foure or flue brethren
of one familie, one, onelie to marie : and all the rell, to waulter, with as litle lhame, in open lecherie, as Swyne do here in the common myre. Yea, there be as fayre houfes of Religion, as great prouifion, as diligent officers, to kepe vp this miforder, as Bridewell is, and all the Mailers there, to kepe downe miforder. And therefore, if the Pope himfelfe, do not onelie graunt pardons to furder thies wicked purpofes abrode in Italie, but alfo (although this prefent Pope, in the be- ginning, made fom lhewe of mifliking thereof) affigne both meede and merite to the maintenance of llewes and brothelhoufes at home in feme, than let wife men" thinke Italie a fafe place for holfom doctrine, and godlie manners, and a fitte fchole for yong ientlemen of England to be brought vp in.
Our Italians bring home with them other faultes
the brynging vp of youth. 85
from Italie, though not fo great as this of Religion, yet a great deale greater, than many good men well beare. For commonlie they cum home, common contempt contemners of mariage and readie per- of m^ge- fuaders of all other to the fame : not becaufe they loue virginitie, nor yet becaufe they hate prettie yong virgines, but, being free in Italie, to go whither fo euer luft will cary them, they do not like, that lawe and honeftie mould be foch a barre to their like libertie at home in England. And yet they be, the greatefl makers of Uoue/the daylie daliers, with fuch pleafant wordes, wmt**ftTch fmilyng and fecret countenances, with fuch fignes, tokens, wagers, purpofed to be loft, before they were purpofed to be made, with bargaines of wearing colours, floures, and herbes, to breede oc- cafion of ofter meeting of him and her, and bolder talking of this and that, etc. And although I haue feene fome, innocent of ill, and ftayde in all honeftie, that haue vfed thefe thinges without all harme, without all fufpicion of harme, yet thefe knackes were brought firft into England by them, that learned them before in Italie in Circes Court : and how Courtlie curteffes fo euer they be counted now, yet, if the meaning and maners of fome that do vfe them, were fomewhat amended, it were no great hurt, neither to them felues, nor to others.
An other propertie of this our Englifh Italians is, to be meruelous fmgular in all their matters : Singular in knowledge, ignorant of nothyng : So fingular in wife- dome (in their owne opinion) as fcarfe they counte the bell Counfellor the Prince hath, comparable with them : Common difcourfers of all matters : bufie fearchers of mod fecret affaires : open flatterers of great men : priuie miflikers of good men : Faire fpeakers, with fmiling countenances, and much curleme openlie to all men. Ready ba[c]kbiters, fore nippers, and fpitefull reporters priuilie of "gootT men. And beyng brought vp in litttie, irc-fome "free- Citie, as all Cities be there : where a man may freelie difcourfe againft what he will, againft whom he luft : againft any Prince, agaynft any gouernement, yea againft God him
86 The brynging vp of youth.
felfe, and his whole Religion : where he mufl be, either Glielphe or Gibiline, either French or Spanijh : and al- wayes compelled to be of fome partie, of fome faction, he lhall neuer be compelled to be of any Religion : And if he medle not ouer much with Chrifles true Re- ligion, he (hall haue free libertie to embrace all Reli- gions, and becum, if he luft at once, without any let or punifhment, Iewifh, Turkifh, Papifh, and Deuillifh.
A yong Ientleman, thus bred vp in this goodly fchole, to learne the next and readie way to finne, to haue a bufie head, a factious hart, a talkatiue tonge, fed with dif- courfmg of factions : led to contemne God and his Reli- gion, fhall cum home into England, but verie ill taught, either to be an honeft man him felf, a quiet fubiect to his Prince, or willyng to feme God, vnder the obedience of trewe doctrine, or with in the order of honeft liuing.
I know, none will be offended with this my generall writing, but onelie fuch, as finde them felues giltie priuatelie therin : who fhall haue a good leaue to be offended with me, vntill they begin to amende them felues. I touch not them that be good : and I fay to litle of them that be nought. And fo, though not enough for their deferuing, yet fufficientlie for this time, and more els when, if occafion fo require.
And thus farre haue I wandred from my firfl pur- pofe of teaching a child, yet not altogether out of the way, bicaufe this whole taulke hath tended to the onelie aduancement of trothe in Religion, an honeftie of liuing : and hath bene wholie within the compaffe of learning and good maners, the fpeciall pointes be- longing in the right bringing vp of youth.
But to my matter, as I began, plainlie and fimplie with my yong Scholer, fo will I not leaue him, God willing, vntill I haue brought him a perfite Scholer out of the Schole, and placed him in the Vniuerfitie, to be- cum a fitte ftudent, for Logicke and Rhetoricke: and fo after to Phificke, Law, or Diuinitie, as aptnes of nature, aduife of frendes, and Gods difpofition fhall lead him.
The ende of thefirjl booke.
^2 The fecond booke.
Than take this him, fome booke
Fter that your fcholer, as I fayd before, (hall cum in deede, firft, to a readie perfitnes in tranflating, than, to a ripe and (kilfull choice in markyng out hys fixe pointes, as
i. Proprium.
2. Tranflatum.
3. Synonynum.
4. Contrarium.
5. Diuerfum.
6. Phrafes. order with him : Read dayly vnto of Tullie, as the third Cicero.
booke of Epiftles chofen out by Sturmius, de Amicitia, de Seneclute, or that excellent Epiftle conteinyng almofl the whole firfl booke ad Q. fra : fome Comedie of Terence or Plautus : but in Plautus> fkilfull Terentius. choice rnufl be vfed by the mafler, to traine Plant™. his Scholler to a iudgement, in cutting out perfitelie ouer old and vnproper wordes : Ccef. iui. Casar. Commentaries are to be read with allcuriofitie,in fpecially without all exception to be made either byfrendeorfoe,is feene, the vnfpotted proprietie of the Latin tong, euen whan it was, as the Grecians fay, in a*///)), that is, at me hieft pitch of all perfiteneffe : or fome Orations of T. Liuius, fuch as be both longefl and T.Liuius. plainefl.
Thefe bookes, I would haue him read now, a good deale at euery lecture : for he fhall not now vfe da[i]lie tranflation, but onely conflrue again e, and parfe, where
88 The fecond booke teachyng
ye fufpect is any nede : yet, let him not omitte in thefe bookes, his former exercife, in marking diligently, and writyng orderlie out his fix pointes. And for tranflat- ing, vfe you your felfe, euery fecond or thyrd day, to chofe out, fome Epiflle ad Atticum, fome notable com- mon place out of his Orations, or fome other part of Tullie, by your discretion, which your fcholer may not know where to finde : and tranflate it you your felfe, into plaine naturall Englifh, and than giue it him to tranflate into Latin againe : allowyng him good fpace and tyme to do it, both with diligent heede, and good aduifement. Here his witte flialbe new fet on worke : his iudgement, for right choice, trewlie tried : his memorie, for fure reteyning, better exercifed, than by learning, any thing without the booke : and here, how much he hath profited, (hall plainly appeare. Whan he bringeth it tranflated vnto you, bring you forth the place of Tullie : lay them together : compare the one with the other: commend his good choice, and right placing of wordes : Shew his faultes iently, but blame them not ouer fharply : for, of fuch millings, ientlie admoniflied of, proceedeth glad and good heed taking : of good heed taking, fpringeth chiefly know- ledge, which after, groweth to perfitnefle, if this order, be diligentlie vfed by the fcholer and iently handled by the matter : for here, fhall all the hard pointes of Grammer, both eafely and furelie be learned vp : which, fcholers in common fcholes, by making of Latines, be groping at, with care and feare, and yet in many yeares, they fcarce can reach vnto them. I re- member, whan I was yong, in the North, they went to the Grammer fchole, litle children : they came from thence great lubbers : alwayes learning, and litle pro- fiting : learning without booke, euery thing, vnder- ftandyng with in the booke, little or nothing Their whole knowledge, by learning without the booke, was tied onely to their tong and lips, and neuer afcended vp to the braine and head, and therfore was fone fpitte out of the mouth againe : They were, as men,
the ready way to the Latin tong. s9
alwayes goyng, but euer out of the way : and why ? For their whole labor, or rather great toyle without order, was euen vaine idleneffe without proffit. In deed, they tooke great paynes about learning : but employed finall labour in learning : Whan by this way prefcribed in this booke, being ftreight, plaine, and eafie, the fcholer is alwayes laboring with pleafure, and euer going right on forward with promt : Alwayes laboring I fay, for, or he haue conflrued, parced, twife tranflated ouer by good aduifement, marked out his fix pointes by (kilfull iudgement, he mall haue neceffarie occafion, to read ouer euery lecture, a dofen tymes, at the lead. Which, bicaufe he (hall do alwayes in order, he mail do it alwayes with pleafure : And pleafure allureth loue : loue hath luft to labor : labour alwayes obtein- eth his purpofe, as mod trewly, both Arijiotle in his Rhetoricke and Oedipus in Sophocles do teach, faying, 7rav ykp eKirovovfievov aXia-Ke. et cet. Rhet a and this oft reading, is the verie right inOedip. Tyi. folowing, of that good Counfell, which Epist. lib. 7. Plinie doth geue to his frende Fufcus, faying, Multum, non multa. But to my purpofe againe :
Whan, by this diligent and fpedie reading ouer, thofe forenamed good bokes of Tullie, Terence, Ccefar and Liuie, and by this fecond kinde of tranilating out of your Englilh, tyme fhall breed (kill, and vfe (hall bring perfection, than ye may trie, if you will, your fcholer, with the third kinde of tranllation : although the two firfl wayes, by myne opinion, be, not onelie fufficent of them felues, but alfo furer, both for the Maflers teaching, and fcholers learnyng, than this third way is : Which is thus. Write you in Englifh, fome letter, as it were from him to his father, or to feme other frende, naturallie, according to the difpofition of the child, or fome tale, or fable, or plaine narration, according as Aphthonius beginneth his exercifes of learning, and let him tranflate it into Latin againe, abiding in foch place, where no other fcholer may prompe him. But yet, vfe you your felfe foch difcre-
9o Thefecond booke teachyng
tion for choice therein, as the matter may be within the compas, both for wordes and fentences, of his former learning and reading. And now take heede, left your fcholer do not better in fome point, than you your felfe, except ye haue bene diligentlie exercifed in thefe kindes of tranflating before :
I had once a profe hereof, tried by good experience, by a deare frende of myne, whan I came firft from Cambrige, to feme the Queenes Maieftie, than Ladie Elizabeth, lying at worthie Sir Ant. De?iys in Chefton. John Whitneye, a yong ientleman, was my bedfeloe, who willyng by good nature and prouoked by mine aduife, began to learne the Latin tong, after the order declared in this booke. We began after Chriftmas : I read vnto him Tullie de Amicitia, which he did euerie day twife tranflate, out of Latin into Englifh, and out of Englifh into Latin agayne. About S. Laurence tyde after, to proue how he proffited, I did chofe out Torquatus taulke de Amicitia, in the lat[t]er end of the firft booke definib. becaufe that place was, the fame in matter, like in wordes and phrafes, nigh to the forme and facion of fentences, as he had learned before in de Amicitia. I did tranflate it my felfe into plaine Englifh, and gaue it him to turne into Latin : Which he did, fo choiflie, fo orderlie, fo without any great miffe in the hardeft pointes of Grammer, that fome, in feuen yeare in Grammer fcholes, yea, and fome in the Vniuerfities to, can not do halfe fo well. This worthie yong Ientleman, to my greateft grief, to the great lamentation of that whole houfe, and fpeciallie to that moft noble Ladie, now Queene Elizabeth her felfe, departed within few dayes, out of this world.
And if in any caufe a man may without offence of God fpeake fomewhat vngodlie, furely, it was fome grief vnto me, to fee him hie fo hafllie to God, as he did. A Court, full of foch yong Ientlemen, were rather a Paradife than a Court vpon earth. And though I had neuer Poeticall head, to make any verfe, in any tong, yet either loue, or for{r]ow, or both, did wring out of me than, certaine carefull thoughtes of
the ready way to the Latin tong. 91
my good will towardes him, whichinmym[o]urning for him, fell forth, more by chance, than either by (kill or vfe, into this kinde of miforderlie meter.
Myne owne John Whitney, now farewell, now death doth
parte vs twaine, No death, but partyng for a while, whom life Jhall
ioyne agayne. Therfore my hart ceafe fighes andfobbes, ceafe for[r]owes
feede tofow, Wherof no gaine, but greater grief, and hurtfull cart
may grow. [lent,
Yet, whan I thinke vponfoch giftes of grace as God him My loffe, his gaine, I mufl a while, with ioyfull teares
lament. Yongyeares to yeldefoch frute in Court, where feede of
vice is f owne. [knowne.
Is fometime read, in fome place feene, among ft vs feldom His life he ledde, Chrifles lore to learne, with \w\ill to
worke the fame. He read to know, and k?iew to Hue, and liued to praife
his name. So fafl to frende, fo foe to few, fo good to euery wight, 1 may well wifhe, but fear celie hope, agayne to haue in fight The greater ioye his life to me, his death the greater pay ne: His life in Chrifi fo furelie fet, doth glad my hearte
agayne: [care,
His life fo good, his death better, do mingle mirth with My fpirit with ioye, my flefh with grief fo deare a
frend to f pare. Thus God the good, while they be good, doth take, and
leaues vs ill, That weflwuld mend our finfull life, in life to taryflill. Thus, we well left, be better reft, in heauen to take his place, That by like life, and death, at lafil, we may obteine like grace. Myne owne John Whiteney agayne fairewell, a while
thus parte in iwaine, Whom payne doth part in earth, in heauen great ioyi
/hall ioyne agayne.
92 The fecond booke teachyng
In this place, or I procede farder, I will now declare, by whofe authoritie I am led, and by what reafon I am moued, to thinke, that this way of d[o]uble tranflation out of one tong into an other, in either onelie, or at leafl chiefly, to be exercifed, fpeciallie of youth, for the ready and fure obteining of any tong.
There be fix wayes appointed by the bed learned men, for the learning of tonges, and encreace of eloquence, as
i. Tranflatio linguarum.
2. Paraphrafis.
3. Metaphrafis.
4. Epitome.
5. Imitatio. 1 6. Dedamatio.
All theis be vfed, and commended, but in order, and for refpectes : as perfon, habilitie, place, and tyme (hall require. The fiue lad, be fitter, for the Matter, than the fcholer : for men, than for children : for the vniuerfities, rather than for Grammer fcholes: yet neuertheleffe, which is, fittefl in mine opinion, for our fchole, and which is, either wholie to be refufed, or partlie to be vfed for our purpofe, I will, by good authoritie, and fome reafon, I trufl perticularlie of euerie one, and largelie enough of them all, declare orderlie vnto you.
IT Tranflatio Linguarum. Tranflation, is eafie in the beginning for the fcholer, and bringeth all[fo]moch learning and great iudgement to the Matter. It is moft common, and mod com- mendable of all other exercifes for youth : moll com- mon, for all your conflructions in Grammer fcholes, be nothing els but tranflations : but becaufe they be not double tranflations, as I do require, they bring forth but fimple and fmgle commoditie, and bicaufe alfo they lacke the daily vfe of writing, which is the onely thing that breedeth deepe roote, both in ye witte, for good vnderftanding, and in ye memorie, for fure keep-
the ready way to the Latin tong. 93
bg of all that is learned. Moft commendable alfo, and that by ye iudgement of all authors, which intreate of theis exercifes. Tullie in the perfon of «. de. Or. Z. Craffus, whom he maketh his example of eloquence and trewe iudgement in learning, doth, not onely praife fpecially, and chofe this way of tranflation for a yong man, but doth alfo difcommend and refufe his owne former wont, in exercifing Paraphrafin et Metaphrafin. Paraphrafis is, to take fome eloquent Oration, or fome notable common place in Latin, and expreffe it with other wordes : Metaphrafis is, to take fome notable place out of a good Poete, and turn the fame fens into meter; or into other wordes in Profe. CrqJ/us, or rather Tullie, doth miflike both thefe wayes, bicaufe the Author, either Orator or Poete, had chofen out before, the fitter! wordes and apteft compofition for that matter, and fo he, in feeking other, was driuen to vfe the worfe.
Quintilian alfo preferreth tranflation before all other exercifes: yet hauing a lull, to diffent, from Quint x. Tullie (as he doth in very many places, if a man read his Rhetoricke ouer aduifedlie, and that rather of an enuious minde, than of any iuft caufe) doth greatlie commend Paraphrafis, crofling fpitefullie Tullies iudge- ment in refufing the fame : and fo do Ramus and Talceus euen at this day in France to. But fuch fingu- laritie, in diffenting from the bell mens iudgementes, in liking onelie their owne opinions, is moch mifliked of all them, that ioyne with learning, difcretion, and wifedome. For he, that can neither like Arijlotle in Logicke and Philofophie, nor Tullie in Rhetoricke and Eloquence, will, from thefe fteppes, likelie enough pre- fume, by like pride, to mount hier, to the mifliking of greater matters : that is either in Religion, to haue a diffentious head, or in the common wealth, to haue a factious hart : as I knew one a fludent in Cambrige, who, for a fmgularitie, began firft to diffent, in the fcholes, from Arijlotle, and fone after became a peruerfe Arian, againfl Chrill and all true Religion : and
94 The fecond booke teachyng
ftudied diligentlie Origene, Bafileus, and S. Hierome, onelie to gleane out of their workes, the pernicious herefies of Celfus, Eunomius, and Heluidius, whereby the Church of Chrifl, was fo poyfoned withall.
But to leaue thefe hye pointes of diuinitie, furelie, in this quiet and harmeles controuerfie, for the liking, or mifliking of Paraphrafis for a yong fcholer, euen as far, as Tullie goeth beyond Quintilian, Ramus and Talceus, in perfite Eloquence, euen fo moch, by myne opinion, cum they behinde Tullie, for trew iudgement in teaching the fame.
* piinius Se- * Plinius Secundus, a wife Senator, of dedfto'uStiiiano Sre2it experience, excellence learned him praeceptori suo, felfe, a liberall Patrone of learned men, and £i£at5n^nium the pureR writer, in myne opinion, of all his l6oc»o] numum. age, I except not Suetonius, his two fchole- mafters Quintilian and Tacitus, nor yet his moft ex- Epist. lib. 7, cellent learned Vncle, the Elder Piinius, Epist. 9, dotn expreffe in an Epiftle to his frende
Fufcus, many good wayes for order in ftudie : but he beginneth with tranflation, and preferreth it to all the reft : and becaufe his wordes be notable, I will recite them.
Vtile in primis, vt multi prczcipiunt, ex,Grceco in Lati- num, et ex Latino vertere in Grcecum: Quo genere exercitationis, proprietas splendorque verborum, ap ta struclura fententiarum, figurarum copia et ex- plicandi vis colligitur. Prceterea, imitatione optitno- rum, facultas fimilia inueniendi paratur : et quae, legentem, fefelliffent, tranfferentem fugere non pof- funt. Intelligentia ex hoc, et iudicium acquiritur.
Ye perceiue, how Plinie teacheth, that by his exer- cife of double tranflating, is learned, eafely, fenfiblie, by litle and litle, not onelie all the hard congruities of Grammer, the choice of apteft wordes, the right fram- ing of wordes and fentences, cumlines of figures and formes, fitte for euerie matter, and proper for euerie tong, but that which is greater alfo, in marking daylyf
the ready way to the Latin tong. 9S
and folowing diligentlie thus, the fleppes of the befl Aut[h]ors, like inuention of Argumentes, like order in difpofition, like vtterance in Elocution, is eafelie ga- thered vp : whereby your fcholer fhall be brought not onelie to like eloquence, but alfo, to all trewe vnder- flanding and right iudgement, both for writing and fpeaking. And where Dionyf. Halicarnaffaus hath written two excellent bookes, the one, de delettu opti- morum vcrborum, the which, I feare, is loft, the other, of the right framing of wordes and fentences, which doth remaine yet in Greeke, to the great proffet of all them, that trewlie fludie for eloquence, yet this waie of double tranflating, fhall bring the whole proffet of both thefe bookes to a diligent fcholer, and that eafelie and pleafantlie, both for fitte choice of wordes, and apt compofition of fentences. And by theis authorities and reafons am I moued to thinke, this waie of double tranflating, either onelie or chieflie, to be fittefl, for the fpedy and perfit atteyning of any tong. And for fpedy atteyning, I durfl venture a good wager, if a fcholer, in whom is aptnes, loue, diligence, and conflancie, would but tranflate, after this forte, one litle booke in Tullie, as defenettute, with two Epiflles, the firfl ad Q. fra : the other ad Lentulum, the lafl faue one, in the firfl booke, that fcholer, I fay, fhould cum to a better knowledge in the Latin tong, than the mofl part do, that fpend foui or fiue yeares, in tofiing all the rules of Grammer in common fcholes. In deede this one booke with thefe two Epiflles, is not fufiicient to affourde all Latin wordes (which is not neceffarie for a yong fcholer to know) but it is able to furnifhe him fully, for all pointes of Grammer, with the right placing, ordering, and vfe of wordes in all kinde of matter. And why not ? for it is read, that Dion. Pruffaus, that wife Philofopher, and excellent orator of all his tyme, did cum to the great learning and vtterance that was in him, by reading and folowing onelie two bookes, Phcedon Platonis, and Demoflhenes mofl notable oration 7T€pl 7ra/3a7r/Decr/?£tas. And a better, and nerer example
96 The fecond booke teachyng
herein, may be, our mofl noble Queene Elizabeth, who neuer toke yet, Greeke nor Latin Grammer in her hand, after the firft declining of a nowne and a verbe, but onely by this double tranflating of Demqfthenes and Ifocrates dailie without miffing euerie forenone, for the fpace of a yeare or two, hath atteyned to foch a perfite vnderftanding in both the tonges, and to foch a readie vtterance of the latin, and that wyth foch a iudgement, as they be fewe in nomber in both the vniuerfities, or els where in England, that be, in both tonges, com- parable with her Maieflie. And to conclude in a fliort rowme, the commodities of double tranflation, furelie the mynde by dailie marking, firft, the caufe and matter : than, the wordes and phrafes : next, the order and compofition: after, the reafon and argu- mentes : than the formes and figures of both the tonges: laftelie, the meafure and compas of euerie fentence, muft nedes, by litle and litle drawe vnto it the like ihape of eloquence, as the author doth vfe, which is re[a]d.
And thus much for double tranflation.
Paraphrafis.
Lib-«- Paraphrafis, the fecond point, is not
onelie to exprefie at large with moe wordes, but to ftriue and contend (as Quintilian faith) to tranflate the beft latin authors, into other latin wordes, as many or thereaboutes.
This waie of exercife was vfed firft by C. Crabo, and taken vp for a while, by L. Craffus, but fone after, vpon dewe profe thereof, reiected iuftlie by Craffus and Cicero : yet allowed and made fterling agayne by M. Quintilian : neuertheleffe, ihortlie after, by better affaye, difalowed of his owne fcholer Plinius Secundus, who termeth it rightlie thus Audax contentio. It is a bold comparison in deede, to thinke to fay better, than that is beft. Soch turning of the beft into worfe, is much like the turning of good wine, out of a faire
the ready way to the Latin tong. 97
fweete flagon of filuer, into a foule muftie bottell of ledder : or, to turne pure gold and filuer, into foule brafle and copper.
Soch kinde of Paraphrafis, in turning, chopping, and changing, the bell to worfe, either in the mynte or fcholes, (though M. Brokke and Quintilian both fay the contrary) is moch mifliked of the bed and wifeft men. I can better allow an other kinde of Paraphrafis, to turne rude and barbarus, into proper and eloquent : which neuertheleffe is an exercife, not fitte for a fcholer, but for a perfite mailer, who in plentie hath good choife, in copie hath right iudgement, and grounded (kill, as did appeare to be in Sebaftian Cqftalio> in tranflating Kemppes booke de Imitando Christo.
But to folow Quintilianus aduife to Paraphrafis, were euen to take paine, to feeke the worfe and fowler way, whan the plaine and fairer is occupied before your eyes.
The olde and bed authors that euer wrote, were content if occafion required to fpeake twife of one matter, not to change the wordes, but p^rws, that is, worde for worde to expreffe it againe. For they thought, that a matter, well expreffed with fitte wordes and apt compofition, was not to be altered, but liking it well their felues, they thought it would alfo be well allowed of others.
A fcholemafler (foch one as I require) knoweth that I fay trewe.
He readeth in Homer, almoft in euerie Home™. booke, and fpeciallie in Secundo et nono Iliados, not onelie fom verfes, but whole leaues, not to / a.
be altered with new, but to be vttered with fl]X j the old felfe fame wordes.
He knoweth, that Xenophon, writing Xenophon. twife of Agefilaus, once in his life, againe in the his- toric of the Greekes, in one matter, kepeth alwayes the felfe fame wordes. He doth the like, fpeaking of So- crates, both in the beginning of his Apologie and in the lafl ende of cwro/mjfioi'ev/xaTtov.
98 The fecond booke teachyng
Demosthenes. Demq/ihenes alfo in 4. Philippiea, doth borow his owne wordes vttered before in his oration de Cherfonefo. He doth the like, and that more at large, in his orations, againfl Andration and Timocrates. Cicero. In latin alfo, Cicero in fom places, and
virgMus. Virgil in mo, do repeate one matter, with
the felfe fame wordes. Thies excellent authors, did thus, not for lacke of wordes, but by iudgement and (kill : whatfoeuer, other, more curious, and leffe fkil- full, do thinke, write, and do.
Paraphrafis neuertheleffe hath good place in learning, but not, but myne opinion, for any fcholer, but is onelie to be left to a perfite Matter, eyther to expound openlie a good author withall, or to compare priuatelie, for his owne exercife, how fome notable place of an excellent author, may be vttered with other fitte wordes : But if ye alter alfo, the compofition, forme, and order than that is not Paraphrafis, but Tmitatio, as I will fullie declare in fitter place.
The fcholer mall winne nothing by Paraphrafis, but onelie, if we may beleue Tullie, to choofe worfe wordes, to place them out of order, to feare ouermoch the iudgement of the matter, to miflike ouermoch the hardnes of learning, and by vfe, to gather vp faultes, which hardlie will be left of againe.
The matter in teaching it, mall rather encreafe hys owne labo[u]r, than his fcholers proffet : for when the fcholer mail bring vnto his matter a peece of Tullie or Ccefar turned into other latin, then mutt the matter cum to Quintilians goodlie leffon de Emenda- Hone, which, (as he faith) is the moil profitable part of teaching, but not in myne opinion, and namelie for youthe in Grammer fcholes. For the matter nowe taketh double paynes : firft, to marke what is amine : againe, to inuent what may be fayd better. And here perchance, a verie good matter may eafelie both de- ceiue himfelfe, and lead his fchol[l]er[s] into error.
It requireth greater learning, and deeper iudge- ment, tlian is to be hoped for at any fcholematters
the ready way to the Latin tong. 99
hand : that is, to be able alwaies learnedlie and per- ( Mutare quod ineptum eft: Tranfmutare quod peruerfum eft: Replere quod deefl; Detrahere quod obest: I Expungere quod inane eft.
And that, which requireth more (kill, and deaper
confideracion. r D
Fremere tumentia :
Extollere humilia:
Astringere luxuriantia: t Componere diffoluta. The mailer may here onelie Humble, and perchance faull in teaching, to the marring and mayning of the Scholer in learning, whan it is a matter, of moch readyng, of great learning, and tried iudgement, to make trewe difference betwixt.
Sublime, et Tumidum:
Grande, et immodicum :
Decorum, et ineptum:
Perfeclum, et nimium. Some men of our time, counted perfite Maiflers of eloquence, in their owne opinion the befl, in other mens iudgements very good, as Omphalius euerie where, Sadoletus in many places, yea alfo my frende Oforius, namelie in his Epiftle to the Queene and in his whole booke de lusticia, haue fo ouer reached them felues, in making trew difference in the poyntes afore rehearfed, as though they had bene brought vp in fome fchole in Afia, to learne to decline rather then in Athens with Plato, Ariftotle, and Demofthenes, (from whence lullie fetched his eloquence) to vnderfland, what in euerie matter, to be fpoken or written on, is, in verie deede, Nimium, Satis, Parum, that is for to fay, to all considerations, Decorum, which, as it is the hardeft point, in all learning, fo is it the fairefl and onelie marke, that fcholers, in all their fludie, muft alwayes lhote at, if they purpofe an other day to be,
ioo The fecond booke teachyng
either founde in Religion, or wife and difcrete in any vocation of the common wealth.
Agayne, in the lowed degree, it is no low point of learning and iudgement for a Scholemafter, to make trewe difference betwixt
Humile et deprefsum :
Lene et remtffum:
Siccum etaridum:
Exile et macrum: ^InaffeElatiim et negleclum. In thefe poyntes, fome, louing Melancthon well, as he was well worthie, but yet not confidering well nor wifelie, how he of nature, and all his life and fludie by iudgement was wholly fpent mgenere Difciplinabili, that is, in teaching, reading, and expounding plainlie and aptlieichole matters, and therefore imployed thereunto a fitte, fenfible, and caulme kinde of fpeaking and writing, fome I fay, with very well liuyng [likyng?], but not with verie well weying Melantthones doinges, do frame them felues a flyle, cold, leane, and weake, though the mat- ter be neuer fo warme and earnefl, not moch vnlike vnto one, that had a pleafure, in a roughe, raynie, winter day, to clothe him felfe with nothing els, but a demie bukram cafTok, plaine without pl[a]ites,and fingle without lyning : which will neither beare of winde nor wether, nor yet kepe out the funne, in any hote day.
Some fuppofe, and that by good reafon, SSing that Melanahon him felfe came to this low hath hurt Me- kinde of writing, by vfing ouer moch Para- SwS.stile phrafis in reading: For ftudying therbie to make euerie thing flreight and eafie, io fmothing and playning all things to much, neuer leauetb, whiles the fence it felfe be left, both lowfe and lafie. And fome of thofe Paraphrafis of Melanclhon be fet out in Printe, as, Pro Archia Poeta, et Marco Marcello . But a fcholer, by myne opinion, is better occupied in playing or fleping, than in fpendyng time, not onelie vainlie but alfo harmefullie, in foch a kinde of exercife. If a Mailer woulde haue a perfite example to folow.
the ready way to the Latin tong. IOX
how, in Genere fublimi, to auoide Nimium, or in Medi- ocri, to atteyne Satis, or in Hutnili, to exchew Parum, let him read diligently for the firft, Secundam Cicero. Philippicam, for the meane, De Natura Deorum, and for the loweft, Partitiones. Or, if in an other tong, ye looke for like example, in like perfection, for all thofe three degrees, read Pro Ctefiphonte, Ad Demosthenes. Leptinem, et Contra Olympiodorum, and, what witte, Arte, and diligence is hable to aflfourde, ye (hall plainely fee.
For our tyme, the odde man to performe all three perfitlie, whatfoeuer he doth, and to know the way to do them (kilfullie, whan fo euer he lift, is, in my poore opinion, Johannes Sturmius. loan. stur.
He alfo councelleth all fcholers to beware of Para- phrafis, except it be, from worfe to better, from rude and barbarous, to proper and pure latin, and yet no man to exercife that neyther, except foch one, as is alreadie furnifhed with plentie of learning, and grounded with ftedfafl iudgement before.
All theis faultes, that thus manie wife men do finde with the exercife of Paraphrafis, in turning the beft latin, into other, as good as they can, that is, ye may be fure,into a great deale worfe, than it was, both in right choice for proprietie, and trewe placing, for good order is committed alfo commonlie in all common fcholes, by the fcholemafters, in tolling and trobling yong wittes (as I fayd in the beginning) with that boocherlie feare in making of Latins.
Therefore, in place of Latines for yong fcholers, and Paraphrafis for the mafters, I wold haue double tranflation fpecially vfed. For, in double tranflating a perfite peece of Tidlie or Ccefar, neyther the fcholer in learning, nor ye Mailer in teaching can erre. A true tochftone, a fure metwand lieth before both their eyes. For, all right congruitie : proprietie of wordes : order in fentences : the right imitation, to inuent good matter, to difpofe it in good order, to confirme it with good reafon, to expreffe any purpofe fitlie and orderlie,
ioa The fecond booke teachyng
is learned thus, both eafelie and perfitlie: Yea, to miffe fomtyme in this kinde of tranflation, brmgeth more proffet, than to hit right, either in Paraphrafi or making of Latins. For though ye fay well, in a latin making, or in a Paraphrafis, yet you being but in do[u]bte, and vncertayne whether ye faie well or no, ye gather and lay vp in memorie, no fure frute of learning thereby: But if ye fault in tranflation, ye ar[e] eafelie taught, how perfitlie to amende it, and fo well warned, how after to exchew, all foch faultes againe.
Paraphrafis therefore, by myne opinion, is not meete for Grammer fcholes : nor yet verie fitte for yong men in the vniuerfitie, vntill ftudie and tyme, haue bred in them, perfite learning, and ftedfafl iudgement.
There is a kinde of Paraphrafis, which may be vfed, without all hurt, to moch proffet : but it ferueth onely the Greke and not the latin, nor no other tong, as to alter linguam Ionicam aut Doricam into meram Atti- cam\ A notable example there is left vnto vs by a notable learned man Diony : Halicarn : who, in his booke, Trepl cruvTa£eos, doth tranflate the goodlie florie of Candaulus and Gyges in i Herodoti, out of Ionica lingua, into Atticam. Read the place, and ye fhall take, both pleafure and proffet, in conference of it. A man, that is exercifed in reading, Thucydides, Xeno- phon, Plato, and Demojlhenes, in vfing to turne, like places of Herodotus, after like forte, mold fhortlie cum to fuch a knowledge, in vnderflanding, fpeaking, and writing the Greeke tong, as fewe or none hath yet atteyned in England. The like exercife out of Dorica lingua may be alfo vfed, if a man take that litle booke of Plato, Timceus Locrus, de Animo et natura, which is written Dorice, and turne it into foch Greeke, as Plato vfeth in other workes. The booke, is but two leaues : and the labor wold be, but two weekes : but fureliethe proffet, for eafie vnderflanding, and trewe writing the Greeke tonge, wold conteruaile wyth the toile, that fom men taketh, in otherwifecoldlie reading that tonge, two yeares.
And yet, for the latin tonge, and for the exercife of
the ready way to the Latin tong. 103
Paraphrafis, in thofe places of latin, that can not be bettered, if fome yong man, excellent of witte, couragious in will, luflie of nature, and defirous to contend euen with the bed latin, to better it, if he can, furelie I commend his forwardneffe, and for his better inflruction therein, I will fet before him, as notable an example of Paraphrafis, as is in Record of learning. Cicero him felfe, doth contend, in two fondrie places, to expreffe one matter, with diuerfe wordes : and that is Para- phrafis, faith Quintillian. The matter I fuppofe, is taken out of Pancetius : and therefore being tranflated out of Greeke at diuers times, is vttered for his pur- pofe, with diuers wordes and formes : which kind of exercife, for perfite learned men, is verie profitable.
2. De Finib.
a. Homo enim Rationem habet d natura menti datatn qua, et caafas rerum et confecutiones videt, et fimilitudines, tranffert, et difiuncla coniungit, et cum prcefentibus futura copulat, omnemque compleclitur vita confequentis filatum. b. Eademque ratio facit hominem hominum appetendum, cumquehis, natura, etfermone in vfu congruente?n: vt pro- feclus d caritate domejlicorum acfuorum, currat longius, et fe implied, primo Ciuium, deinde omnium mortalium focietati: vtque nonfibifolife natum meminerit,fed patria, fedfuis, vt exiguapars ipfi relinquatur. c. Et quoniam eadem natura cupiditatem ingenuit homini veri inueni- endi, quod facillime apparet, cum vacui curis, etiam quid in cozlofiat, fcire avemus, etc.
1. Omciorum. a Homo autem, qui rationis est particeps, per quam confequentia cernit, et caufas rerum videt, earumque pro- grefsus, et quqfi antecefsiones non ignorat, fimilitudines, comparat, rebufque prcefentibus adiungit, atque anneclit futuras, facile totius vita curfum videt, ad eamque de- gendam prceparat res necefsarias. b. Eademque natura vi rationis hominem conciliat homini, et ad Orationis et ad vita focietatem : ingeneratque imprimis prcecipuum
io4 The fecond booke teachyng
quenda.n amor em in eos, qui procreati funt, impellitquevt hominumcostuset celebrari inter fe, etfibi obediti [afeobiri] velit, ob eafque caufas studeatparire ea, qua fuppediteni ad cultum et ad viclum, nee fibi foli, fed eoniugi, liberis, cceterifque quos charos habeat, tuerique debeat. t. Qua cura exfufcitat etiam animos, et maiores ad rem gerendam facit: imprimifque hominis est propria veri inquifitio atque inuejligatio : ita cum fumus neceffarijs negocijs curifque vacui, turn auemus aliquid videre, audire, addif- -ere, cognitionemque rerum mirabilium, etc.
The conference of thefe two places, conteinyng fo excellent a peece of learning, as this is, expreffed by fo worthy a witte, as Tullies was, mull needes bring great pleafure and promt to him, that maketh trew counte, of learning and honeflie. But if we had the Greke Author, the firft Patterne of all, and therby to fee, how Tullies witte did worke at diuerfe tymes, how, out of one excellent Image, might be framed two other, one in face and fauor, but fomwhat differing in forme, figure, and color, furelie, fuch a peece of worke- manfhip compared with the Paterae it felfe, would better pleafe the eafe of honeft, wife, and learned myndes, than two of the fairefl Venuffes, that euer Apelles made.
And thus moch, for all kinde of Paraphrafis, fitte or vnfit, for Scholers or other, as I am led to thinke, not onelie, by mine owne experience, but chiefly by the authoritie and iudgement of thofe, whom I my felfe would gladliefl folow, and do counfell all myne to do the fame : not contendyng with any other, that will otherwife either thinke or do.
Metaphrafis.
This kinde of exercife is all one with Paraphrafis, (aue it is out of verfe, either into profe, or into fome other kinde of meter : or els, out of profe into verfe, Plato in which was Socrates exercife and paflime
Phadone. (as Plato reporteth) when he was in prifon.
the ready way to the Latin tong. 105
to tranflate sEfopes Fabules into verfe. Quintilian doth greatlie praife alfo this exercife : but bicaufe Tullit doth difalow it in young men, by myne opinion, it were not well to vfe it [in] Grammer Scholes, euen for the felfe fame caufes, that be recited againft Para- phrafis. And therfore, for the vfe or mifufe of it, the fame is to be thought, that is fpoken of Paraphrafis before. This was SulpiHus exercife : and he gathering vp thereby, a Poeticall kinde of talke, is iufllie named of Cicero, grandis et Tragicus Orator : which I think is fpoken, not for his praife, but for other mens warn- ing, to exchew the like faulte. Yet neuertheles, if our Scholemafter for his owne inftruction, is defirous, to fee a perfite example hereof, I will recite one, which I thinke, no man is fo bold, will fay, that he can amend it: and that is Chrifes the Prieftes Oration to the Grekes, in the beginnyng of Homers Mas, Hom. %. n turned excellence into profe by Socrates Pia. 3. Rep. him felfe, and that aduifedlie and purpofelie for other to folow : and therfore he calleth this exercife, in the fame place, /xt/x^o-is, that is, Imitatio, which is moft trew : but, in this booke, for teachyng fake, I will name it Metaphrafis, reteinyng the word, that all teachers, in this cafe, do vfe.
foment* I. IAtaS.
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l06 Thefecond booke teachyng
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gocx&Ut in 3 dfc i?*?/ faith thus.
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the ready way to the Latin tong. 107
To compare Homer and Plato together, two wonders of nature and arte for witte and eloquence, is moll pleafant and profitable, for a man of ripe iudgement Platos turning of Homer in this place, doth not ride a loft in Poeticall termes, but goeth low and foft on foote, as profe and Pedestris oratio mould do. If Sulpitius had had Platos confideration, in right vfmg this exer- cife, he had not deferued the name of Tragicus Orator, who mould rather haue ftudied to expreffe vim Demos- thenes, than furorem Pocetce, how good fo euer he was, whom he did follow.
And therfore would I haue our Scholemafter wey well together Homer and Plato, and marke diligentlie thefe foure pointes, what is kept; what is added ; what is left out : what is changed, either, in choife of wordes, or forme of fentences ; which foure pointes, be the right tooles, to handle like a workeman, this kinde of worke : as our Scholer mall better vnderfland, when he hath be[e]ne a good while in the Vniuerfitie : to which tyme and place, I chiefly remitte this kind of exercife.
And bicaufe I euer thought examples to be the bed kinde of teaching, I will recite a golden fentence out of that Poete, which is next vnto Homer, not onelie in tyme, but alfo in worthines : which hath beene a paterne for many worthie wittes to follow, by this kind of Metaphrafis, but I will content my felfe, with foure workemen, two in Greke, and two in Latin, foch, as in both the tonges, wifer and worthier, can not be looked for. Surelie, no ftone fet in gold by mofl cunning worke- men, is in deed, if right counte be made, more worthie the looking on, than this golden fentence, diuerflie wrought upon, by foch foure excellent Matters.
Segtotm*. 2.
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io8 The fecond booke teachyng
% Thus rudelie turned into bafe Englifti.
i. That man in wifedome paffeth all, to know the bejl who hath a head:
2. And meet lie wife eeke counted fhall, who yeildes him f elf e to wife mens read.
3. Who hath no witte, nor none will heart, amongefl allfooles the belles may beare.
$opljocle$ in Antigone.
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2. Et 8' ovv (<f>i\et ydp tovto fArj Tavry peiretv), Kal Ttov Aeyovrtov ev /caA-ov to //,av#avctv.
Marke the wifedome of Sophocles, in leauyng out the laft fentence, becaufe it was not cumlie for the fonne to vfe it to his father.
T p. Jtoilettg in his Exhortation to youth.
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T |!t. <&xc. Pro. A. Cluentio. 1. Sapientifsimum effe dicunt eum, cui, quod opus fit, ipfi veniat in mentem: 2. Proxime accedcre ilium, qui alter ius bene inuentis obtemperet. 3. Influlticia contra eft: minus enim ftultus eft is, cui nihil in mentem venit, quam ille, qui, quod ftulte alteri venit in mentem com- probat.
Cicero doth not plainlie exprefle the lafl fentence, but doth inuent it fitlie for his purpofe, to taunt the folie and fimplicitie in his aduerfarie Aclius, not weying ing wifelie, the fubtle doynges of Chryfogonus and Stalenus.
T %x\. Jtttittj* in Orat. Minutij. Lib. 22.
I. Scepe ego audiui milites; eum primum effe virum, qui ipfe confulat, quid in rem fit'. 2. Secundum eum, qui
the ready way to the Latin tong. J09
bene monenti obediat: 3. Qui, nee ipfe confulere, nee alieri par ere fci[a]t, eum extremieffe ingenij. Now, which of all thefe foure, Sophocles, S. Bafil, Cicero, or Liuie, hath exprefled Hefiodus bed, the iudgement is as hard, as the workemanfhip of euerie one is mofl excellent in deede. An other example out of the Latin tong alfo I will recite, for the worthines of the workeman therof, and that is Horace, who hath fo turned the begynning of Terence Eunuchus, as doth worke in me, a pleafant admiration, as oft fo euer, as I compare thofe two places togither. And though euerie Mailer, and euerie good Scholer to, do know the places, both in Terence and Horace, yet I will fet them heare, in one place togither, that with more plea- fure, they may be compared together.
\ SEerentitt* in Eunucho.
Quid igitur faciam ? non earn? ne nunc quidem cum ac- ceffor vltrdl anpotius it a me comparem, non perpeti mere- tricum contumelias ? exclufit: reuocat, redeaml non,fi me obfecrei. parm en o a little after. Here, quos res in se neque confilium neque modum habet vllum, earn conftlio regere non potes. In Amore hcec omnia infunt vitia, in- iurioz,fufpiciones,inimicitice, inducioe, bellum,pax rurfum. Incerta hcecfi tu poflules ratione certa facer e, nihilo plus agas, quamfi des operam, vt cum ratione infanias.
IF Soratux*, lib. Ser. 2. Saty. 3. Nee nunc cum me vocet vitro, Accedam ? anpotius mediter finire dolores? Exclufit: reuocat, redeam? non ft obfecret. Ecce Seruus non Paulo fapientior : b Here, quoz res Nee modum habet, neque confilium, ratione modbque Tractari non vult. In amore, hozefunt mala, bellum, Pax rurfum: hcec ft quis tempeflatis prope ritu Mobilia, et cceca fluitantia forte, labor et Redder e certa, ftbi nihilb plus explicet, acfi Infanire paret certa natione, modbque. This exercife may bring moch profite to ripe heada,
no
The fecond booke teachyng
and flayd iudgementes : bicaufe in traueling in it, the mynde mufl nedes be verie attentiue, and bufilie occupied, in turning and toffmg it felfe many wayes : and conferryng with great pleafure, the varietie of worthie wittes and iudgementes togither: But this harme may fone cum therby, and namelie to yong Scholers, leffe, in feeking other wordes, and new forme of fentences, they chance vpon the worfe: for the which onelie caufe, Cicero thinketh this exercife not to be fit for yong men.
Epitome,
This is a way of fludie, belonging, rather to matter, than to wordes: to memorie, than to vtterance: to thofe that be learned alreadie, and hath fmall place at all amonges yong fcholers in Grammer fcholes. It may profifet priuately fome learned men, but it hath hurt generallie learning it felfe, very moch. For by it haue we loft whole Trogus, the beft part of T. Liuius, the goodlie Dictionarie of Pompeius fe/ius, a great deale of the Ciuill lawe, and other many notable bookes, for the which caufe, I do the more millike this exercife, both in old and yong.
Epitome, is good priuatelie for himfelfe that doth worke it, but ill commonlie for all other that vfe other mens labor therein : a filie poore kinde of fludie, not vnlike to the doing of thofe poore folke, which neyther till, nor fowe, nor reape themfelues, but gleane by flelth, vpon other mens growndes. Soch haue emptie barnes, for deare yeares.
Grammar scholes haue fewe Epitomes to hurt them, except Epitheta Textoris, and fuch beggarlie gatheringes, SLsHbrman, Whittington, and other like vulgares for mak- ing of latines : yea I do wiftie, that all rules for yong fcholers, were fhorter than they be. For without doute, Grammatica it felfe, is fooner and furer learned by ex- amples of good authors, than by the naked rewles of Gram- marians. Epitome hurteth more, in the vniuerfities and fludie of Philofophie : but mofl of all, in diuinitie it felfe.
the ready way to the Latin tong m
In deede bookes of common places be verie necef- farie, to induce a man, into an orderlie generall know- ledge, how to referre orderlie all that he readeth, ad certi rerum Capita, and not wander in fludie. And to that end did P. Lombardus the matter of fentences and Ph. Melandhon in our daies, write two notable bookes of common places.
But to dwell in Epitomes and bookes of common places, and not to binde himfelfe dailie by orderlie ftudie, to reade with all diligence, principallie the holyeft fcripture and withall, the bell Doctors, and fo to learne to make trewe difference betwixt, the autho- ritie of the one, and the Counfell of the other, maketh fo many feeming, and fonburnt minifters as we haue, whofe learning is gotten in a fommer heat, and warned away, with a Chriftmas fnow againe: who neuerthe- leffe, are leffe to be blamed, than thofe blind buffardes, who in late yeares,of wilfull malicioufnes, would neyther learne themfelues, nor could teach others, any thing at all.
Paraphrafis hath done leffe hurt to learning, than Epitome-, for no Paraphrafis, though there be many, (hall neuer take away Dauids Pfalter. Erafmus Para- phrafis being neuer fo good, mall neuer banifhe the New Teftament. And in an other fchole, the Para- phrafis of Brocardus, or Sambucus, fhal neuer take Arijlotles Rhetoricke, nor Horace de Arte Poetica, out of learned mens handes.
But, as concerning a fchole Epitome, he that wo[u]ld haue an example of it, let him read Lucian irepl KaXXovs which is the verie Epitome of Ifocrates oration de laudibus Helena, whereby he may learne, at the leaft, this wife leffon, that a man ought to beware, to be ouer bold, in altering an excellent mans worke.
Neuertheles, fome kinde of Epitome may be vfed, by men of fkilful iudgement, to the great proffet alfo of others. As if a wife man would take Halles C[hJronicle, where moch good matter is quite marde with Inden- ture Ergliflie, and firft change, ftxange and inkhorne
j 1 2 The fecond booke teachyng
tearmes into proper, and commonlie vfed wordes: next, fpecially to wede out that, that is fuperfluous and idle, not onelie where wordes be vainlie heaped one vpon an other, but alfo where many fentences, of one meaning, be fo clowted vp together as though M. Halt had bene, not writing the florie of England, but vary- ing a fentence in Hitching fchole: furelie a wif{ learned man, by this way of Epitome, in cutting away wordes and fentences, and diminiihing nothing at all of the matter, mold leaue to mens vfe, a florie, halfe as moch as it was in quantitie, but twife as good as it was, both for pleafure and alfo commoditie.
An other kinde of Epitome may be vfed likewife very well, to moch proffet. Som man either by luflines of nature, or brought by ill teaching, to a wrong iudge- ment, is ouer full of words, [and] fentences, and matter, and yet all his words be proper, apt and well chofen : all his fentences be rownd and trimlie framed : his whole matter grownded vpon good reafon, and (luffed with full arguments, for this intent and purpofe. Yet when his talke fhalbe heard, or his writing be re[a]d, of foch one, as is, either of my two dearefl friend es, M. Haddon at home, or John Sturmius in Germanie, that Nimium in him, which fooles and vnlearned will mod commend, (hall eyther of thies two, bite his lippe, or make his heade at it.
This mines as it is not to be mifliked in a yong man, fo in farder aige, in greater (kill, and weightier affaires, it is to be temperated, or elfe difcretion and iudgement (hall feeme to be wanting in him. But if his (lile be (lill ouer rancke and luflie, as fome men being neuer fo old and fpent by yeares, will (lill be full of youthfull conditions as was Syr F. Bryan, and euermore wold haue bene, foch a rancke and full writer, mud vfe, if he will do wifelie the exercife of a verie good kinde of Epitome, and do, as certaine wife men do, that be ouer fat and flefliie : who leauing their owne full and plentifull table, go to foiorne abrode from home for a while, at the temperate diet of fome fober man, and fo by litle and
the ready way to the Latin tong. n3
title, cut away the grofnefle that is in them. As for an example : If Oforius would leaue of his luflines in firming againft S. Aujlcn, and his ouer rancke rayling againfl poore Luther^ and the troth of Gods doctrine, and giue his whole ftudie, not to write any thing of his owne for a while, but to tranflate Demq/ihenes, with fo flraite, fad, and temperate a flyle in latine, as he is in Greeke, he would becume fo perfit and pure a writer, I beleue, as hath be[e]ne fewe or none fence Ciceroes dayes : And fo, by doing himfelf and all learned moch good, do others leffe harme, and Chrifles doctrine leffe iniury, than he doth : and with all, wyn vnto him- felfe many worthy frends, who agreing with him gladly, in ye loue and liking of excellent learning, are forie to fee fo worthie a witte, fo rare eloquence, wholie fpent and confumed, in firming with God and good men.
Emonges the refl, no man doth lament him more than I, not onelie for the excellent learning that I fee in him, but alfo bicaufe there hath paffed priuatelie betwixt him and me, fure tokens of moch good will, and frendlie opinion, the one toward the other. And furelie the diflance betwixt London and Lyfbon, fhould not floppe, any kinde of frendlie dewtie, that I could, eyther fhew to him, or do to his, if the greatefl matter of all did not in certeyne pointes, feparate our myndes.
And yet for my parte, both toward him, and diuerfe others here at home, for like caufe of excellent learning, great wifdome, and gentle humanitie, which I haue feene in them, and felt at their handes my felfe, where the matter of difference is mere confcience in a quiet minde inwardlie, and not contentious malice with fpitefull rayling openlie, I can be content to followe this rewle, in mifliking fome one thing, not to hate for anie thing els.
But as for all the bloodie beafles, as that Psai 8<x fat Boore of the wood : or thofe brauling Bulles of Bafan: or any lurking Dorm[o]us, blinde, not by nature, but by malice, and as may be gathered of their owne teflimonie, giuen ouer to blindnes, for giuing ouer God
H4
The fecond booke teachyng
and his word; or foch as be fo luflie runnegates, as firfl, runne from God and his trew doctrine, than, from their Lordes, Mafters, and all dewtie, next, from them felues and out of their wittes, laftly from their Prince, contrey, and all dew allegeance, whether they ought rather to be pitied of good men, for their miferie, or contemned of wife men, for their malicious folie, let good and wife men determine.
And to returne to Epitome agayne, fome will iudge moch boldnes in me, thus to iudge of Oforius flyle : but wife men do know, that meane lookers on, may trewelie fay, for a well made Picture : This face had bene more cumlie, if that hie redde in the cheeke, were fomwhat more pure fanguin than it is : and yet the flander by, can not amend it himfelfe by any way.
And this is not written to the difpraife but to the great commendation of Oforius, becaufe Tullie him- felfe had the fame fulnes in him: and therefore went to Rodes to cut it away : and faith himfelfe, recepi me domum prope mutatus, nam quafi referuerat iam oratio. Which was brought to paffe I beleue, not onelie by the teaching of Molo Appollomius but alfo by a good way of Epitome, in binding him felfe to tranflate meros Atticos Oratores, and fo to bring his flyle, from all lowfe grofneffe, to foch firme faflnes in latin, as is in Demof- thenes in Greeke. And this to be moft trew, may eafelie be gathered, not onelie of L. Craffus talke in I. de Or. but fpeciallie of Ciceroes owne deede in tranflating Demofthenes and sEf chines orations irepl or€<£. to that verie ende and purpofe.
And although a man growndlie learned all readie, may take moch proffet him felfe in vfing, by Epitome, to draw other mens workes for his owne memorie fake, into fhorter rowme, as Contents hath done verie well the whole Metamorphofis of Ouid, and Dauid Cythraus a great deale better, the. ix. Mufes of Herodotus, and Melancthon in myne opinion, far befl of all, the whole florie of Time, not onelie to his own vfe, but to other mens proffet and hys great prayfe, yet, Epitome is moft
the ready way to the Latin tong. ri5
neceffarie of all in a mans owne writing, as we learn? of that noble Poet Virgin, who, if Donatus fay trewe, in writing that perfite worke of the Georgickes, vfed dailie, when he had written 40. or 50. verfes, not to ceafe cutting, paring, and pollifhing of them, till he had brought them to the nomber of x. or xij.
And this exercife, is not more nedefullie done in a great worke, than wifelie done, in your common dailie writing, either of letter, or other thing elfe, that is to fay, to perufe diligentlie, and fee and fpie wifelie, what is alwaies more then nedeth : For, twenty to one, offend more, in writing to moch, than to litle : euen as twentie to one, fall into fickneffe, rather by ouer mochfulnes, than by anie lacke or emptineffe. And therefore is he alwaies the beft Englifh Phyfition, that bell can geue a purgation, that is, by way of Epitome, to cut all ouer much away. And furelie mens bodies, be not more full of ill humors, than commonlie mens myndes (if they be yong, luflie, proude, like and loue them felues well, as mofl men do) be full of fan[ta]fies, opinions, errors, and faultes, not onelie in inward inuention, but alfo in all their vtterance, either by pen or taulke.
And of all other men, euen thofe that haue ye inuen- tiueft heades, for all purpofes, and rounded tonges in all matters and places (except they learne and vfe this good leffon of Epitome) commit commonlie greater faultes, than dull, flaying filent men do. For, quicke inuentors, and faire readie fpeakers, being boldned with their prefent habilitie to fay more, and perchance better to, at the foden for that prefent, than any other can do, vfe leffe helpe of diligence and fludie than they ought to do: and fo haue in them commonlie, leffe learning, and weaker iudgement, for all deepe confide' rations, than fome duller heades, and flower tonges haue.
And therefore, readie fpeakers, generallie be not the befl, playnefl, and wifefl writers, nor yet the deepefl iudgers in weightie affaires, bicaufe they do not tarry to weye and iudge all thinges, as they fhould : but hauing
1 16 The fecond booke teacnyng
their heades ouer full of matter, be like pennes oue* full of incke, which will foner blotte, than make any faire letter at all. Tyme was, whan I had experience of two Ambaffadors in one place, the one of a hote head to inuent, and of a haflie hand to write, the other, colde and flayd in both : but what difference of their doinges was made by wife men, is notvnknowne to fome perfons. The Bifhop of Winchefler Steph. Gardiner had a quicke head, and a readie tong, and yet was not the bell writer in England. Cicero in Brutus doth wifelie note the fame in Serg: Galbo, and Q. Hortentius, who were both, hote, luflie, and plaine fpeakers, but colde, lowfe, and rough writers : And Tullie telleth the caufe why, faying, whan they fpake, their tong was naturally caried with full tyde and wynde of their witte: whan they wrote their head was folitarie, dull, and caulme, and fo their ftyle was blonte, and their writing colde : Quod vitium, fayth Cicero, peringeniofis homini- bus nequefatis doclis plerumque accidit.
And therfore all quick inuentors, and readie faire fpeakers, mufl be carefull, that, to their goodnes of nature, they adde alfo in any wife, ftudie, labor, leafure, learning, and iudgement, and than they (hall in deede, paffe all other, as I know fome do, in whome all thofe qualities are fullie planted, or elfe if they giue ouer moch to their witte, and ouer litle to their labor and learning, they will foneft ouer reach in taulke, and fardefl cum behinde in writing whatfoeuer they take in hand. The methode of Epitome is mod neceffarie for foch kinde of men. And thus much concerning the vfe or mifufe of all kinde of Epitome in matters of learning.
•Jfc Imitatio.
Imitation, is a facultie to expreffe liuelie and per- fitelie that example : which ye go about to fol[l]ow. And of it felfe, it is large and wide : for all the workes of nature, in a maner be examples for arte to folow.
But to oui purpofe, all languages, both learned and
the ready way to the Latin tong. u7
mother tonges, be gotten, and gotten onelie by Imita- tion. For as ye vfe to heare, fo ye learne to fpeake : if ye heare no other, ye fpeake not your felfe : and whome ye onelie heare, of them ye onelie learne.
And therefore, if ye would fpeake as the befl and wifefl do, ye muft be conuerfant, where the befl and wifeft are : but if yow be borne or brought vp in a rude co[u]ntrie, ye mail not chofe but fpeake rudelie : the rudeft man of all knoweth this to be trewe.
Yet neuertheleffe, the rudenes of common and mother tonges, is no bar for wife fpeaking. For in the rudeft contrie, and mofl barbarous mother lan- guage, many be found [yat] can fpeake verie wifelie : but in the Greeke and latin tong, the two onelie learned tonges, which be kept, not in common taulke, but in priuate bookes, we finde alwayes, wifdome and elo- quence, good matter and good vtterance, neuer or feldom a fonder. For all foch Authors, as be fullefl of good matter and right iudgement in doctrine, be likewife alwayes, mofl proper in wordes, mofl apte in fentence, mofl plaine and pure in vttering the fame.
And contrariwife, in thofe two tonges, all writers, either in Religion, or any feet of Philofophie, who fo euer be founde fonde in iudgement of matter, be com- monlie found as rude in vttering their mynde. For Stoickes, Anabaptifles, and Friers : with Epicures, Libertines and Monkes, being mofl like in learning and life, are no fonder and pernicious in their opinions, than they be rude and barbarous in their writinges. They be not wife, therefore that fay, what care I for a mans wordes and vtterance, if his matter and reafons be good. Soch men, fay fo, not fo moch of ignorance, as eyther of fome fmgular pride in chemfelues, or fome fpeciall malice or other, or for fome priuate and parciall matter, either in Religion or other kinde of learning. For good and choice meates, be no more requifite for helthie bodies, than proper and apte wordes be foi good matters, and alfo plaine and fenfible vtterance for the befl and de[e]pefl reafons : in which two pointes
1 18 The fecond booke teachyng
flandeth perfite eloquence, one of the fairefl and rareft giftes that God doth geue to man.
Ye know not, what hurt ye do to learning, that care not for wordes, but for matter, and fo make a deuorfe betwixt the tong and the hart. For marke all aiges : looke vpon the whole courfe of both the Greeke and Latin tonge, and ye (hall furelie finde, that, whan apte and good wordes began to be neglected, and properties of thofe two tonges to be confounded, than alfo began, ill deedes to fpring : flrange maners to oppreffe good orders, newe and fond opinions to flriue with olde and trewe doctrine, firfl in Philofophie : and after in Re- ligion : right iudgement of all thinges to be peruerted, and fo vertue with learning is contemned, and fludie left of : of ill thoughtes cummeth peruerfe iudgement : of ill deedes fpringeth lewde taulke. Which fower mis- orders, as they mar mans life, fo deflroy they good learning withal!
But behold the goodneffe of Gods prouidence for learning : all olde authors and fectes of Philofophy, which were fondefl in opinion, and rudeft in vtterance, as Stoickes and Epicures, firfl contemned of wife men, and after forgotten of all men, be fo confumed by tymes, as they be now, not onelie out of vfe, but alfo out of memorie of man : which thing, I furelie thinke, will fhortlie chance, to the whole doctrine and all the bookes of phantaflicall Anabaptifles and Friers, and of the beafllie Libertines and Monkes.
Againe behold on the other fide, how Gods wifdome hath wrought, that of Academici and Peripateiici, thofe that were wifeft in iudgement of matters, and pureft in vttering their myndes, the firfl and chiefefl, that wrote mofl and befl, in either tong, as Plato and Ariftotle in Greeke, Tullie in Latin, be fo either wholie, or fufn- ciently left vnto vs, as I neuer knew yet fcholer, that gaue himfelfe to like, and loue, and folowe chieflie thofe three Authors but he proued, both learned, wife, and alfo an honefl man, if he ioyned with all the trewe doctrine of Gods holie Bible, without the which, the
the ready way to the Latin tong. II9
other three, be but fine edge tooles in a fole or mad mans hand.
But to returne to Imitation agayne : There be three kindes of it in matters of learning.
The whole doctrine of Comedies and Tragedies, is a perfite imitation, or faire liuelie painted picture of the life of euerie degree of man. Of this Imitation writeth Plato at large in j. de Rep. but it doth not moch belong jit this time to our purpofe.
The fecond kind of Imitation, is to folow for learn- ing of tonges and fciences, the befl authors. Here rifeth, emonges proude and enuious wittes, a great controuerfie, whether, one or many are to be folowed : and if one, who is that one : Seneca, or Cicero : Salujl or Ccefar, and fo forth in Greeke and Latin.
The third kinde of Imitation, belongeth to the fecond : as when you be determined, whether ye will folow one or mo, to know perfitlie, and which way to folow that one : in what place : by what meane and order : by what tooles and inftrumentes ye fhall do it, by what (kill and iudgement, ye fhall trewelie difcerne, whether ye folow rightlie or no.
This Imitatio, is difsimilis materei fimilis traclatio : and alfo, fimilis materei difsimilis traclatio, as Virgill folowed Ho77ier : but the Argument to the one was Vlyffes, to the other ^Eneas. Tullie perfecuted Anionic with the fame wepons of eloquence, that Demojlhenes vfed before againft Philippe.
Horace foloweth Pindar, but either of them his owne Argument and Perfon : as the one, Hiero king of Sicilie, the other Augujlus the Emperor : and yet both for like refpectes, that is, for their coragious floutnes in warre, and iufl gouemment in peace.
One of the bell examples, for right Imitation we lacke, and that is Menander, whom our Terence, (as the matter required) in like argument, in the fame Perfons, with equall eloquence, foote by foote 4id folow.
Som peeces remaine, like broken Iewelles, whereby
1 2 o Thefecond booke teachyng
men may rightlie efteme, and iufllie lament, the lofle of the whole.
Erafmus, the ornament of learning, in our tyme, doth wifh that fom man of learning and diligence, would take the like paines in Demojlhenes and Tullie, that Macrobius hath done in Homer and Virgill, that is, to write out and ioyne together, where the one doth imitate the other. Erafmus wifhe is good, but furelie, it is not good enough : for Macrobius gatherings for the sEneodos out of Homer, and Eobanus Heffus more diligent gatherings for the Bucolikes out of Theocritus, as they be not fullie taken out of the whole heape, as they mould be, but euen as though they had not fought for them of purpofe, but fownd them fcatered here and there by chance in their way, euen fo, onelie to point out, and nakedlie to ioyne togither their fentences, with no farder declaring the maner and way, how the one doth folow the other, were but a colde helpe, to the encreafe of learning.
But if a man would take his paine alfo, whan he hath layd two places, of Homer and Virgill, or of Demojlhenes and Tullie togither, to teach plainlie withall, after this fort
i. Tullie reteyneth thus moch of the matter, thies fentences, thies wordes :
2. This and that he leaueth out, which he doth wittelie to this end and purpofe.
3. This he addeth here.
4. This he diminifheth there.
5. This he ordereth thus, with placing that here, not there.
6. This he altereth, and changeth, either, in proper- tie of wordes, in forme of fentence, in fubftance of the matter, or in one, or other conuenient circumflance of the authors prefent purpofe. In thies fewe rude Eng- lifh wordes, are wrapt vp all the neceffarie tooles and inftrumentes, where with trewe Imitation is rightlie wrought withall in any tonge. Which tooles, I openlie confene, be not of myne owne forging, but partlie left
121
the ready way to the Latin tong.
vnto me by the cunni[n]gefl Matter, and one of the worthiefl Ientlemen that euer England bred, Syr John Cheke\ partelie borowed by me out of the fhoppe of the deareft frende I haue out of England, Io. St And therefore I am the bolder to borow of him, and here to leaue them to other, and namelie to my Chil- dren : which tooles, if it pleafe God, that an other day, they may be able to vfe rightlie, as I do wifh and daylie pray, they may do, I fhal be more glad, than if I were able to leaue them a great quantitie of land.
This forefaide order and doctrine of Imitation, would bring forth more learning, and breed vp trewer iudge- ment, than any other exercife that can be vfed, but not for yong beginners, bicaufe they mall not be able to confider dulie therof. And trewelie, it may be a fhame to good fludentes who hauing fo faire examples to follow, as Plato and Tullie, do not vfe fo wife wayes in folowing them for the obteyning of wifdome and learning, as rude ignorant Artificers do, for gayning a fmall commoditie. For furelie the meaneft painter vfeth more witte, better arte, greater diligence, in hys fhoppe, in folowing the Picture of any meane mans face, than commonlie the befl fludentes do, euen in the vniuerfitie, for the atteining of learning it felfe.
Some ignorant, vnlearned, and idle ftudent: orfome bufie looker vpon this litle poore booke, that hath neither will to do good him felfe, nor fkill to iudge right of others, but can luflelie contemne, by pride and igno- rance, all painfull diligence and right order in fludy, will perchance fay, that I am to precife, to curious, in marking and piteling [pidling] thus about the imitation of others : and that the olde worthie Authors did neuer bufie their heades and wittes, in folowyng fo precifelie, either the matter what other men wrote, or els the maner how other men wrote. They will fay, it were a plaine flauerie, and iniurie to, to fhakkle and tye a good witte, and hinder the courfe of a mans good nature with fuch bondes of feruitude, in folowyng other.
Except foch men thinke them felues wifer then
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The fecond booke teachyng
Cicero for teaching of eloquence, they mufl be content to turne a new leafe.
The bell booke that euer Tullie wrote, by all mens Judgement, and by his owne teflimonie to, in wrytyng wherof, he employed moft care, fludie, learnyng and iudgement, is his booke de Orat. ad Q F. Now let vs fee, what he did for the matter, and alfo for the maner of writing therof. For the whole booke con- fifteth in thefe two pointes onelie: In good matter, and good handling of the matter- And firft, for the matter, it is whole Arijlotles, what fo euer Antonie in the fecond, and Craffus in the third doth teach. Truft not me, but beleue Tullie him felfe, who writeth fo, firft, in that goodlie long Epiftle ad P. Lentulum, and after in diuerfe places ad Atticum. And in the verie booke it felfe, Tullie will not haue it hidden, but both Catulus and Craffus do oft and pleafantly lay that ftelth to Antonius charge. Now, for the handling of the matter, was Tullie fo precife and curious rather to follow an other mans Paterne, than to inuent fome newe fhape him felfe, namelie in that booke, wherein he pur- pofed, to leaue to pofteritie, the glorie of his witte? yea forfoth, that he did. And this is not my gefling and gathering, nor onelie performed by Tullie in verie deed, but vttered alfo by Tullie in plaine wordes : to teach other men thereby, what they mould do, in tak- ing like matter in hand.
And that which is efpecially to be marked, Tullie doth vtter plainlie his conceit and purpofe therein, by the mouth of the wifefl man in all that companie : for fayth Scceuola him felfe, Cur non imitamur, Craffe, Socratem ilium, qui est in Phcedro Platonis etc.
And furder to vnderftand, that Tullie did not obitef and bichance, but purpofelie and mindfullie bend him felfe to a precife and curious Imitation of Plato, con- cernyng the fhape and forme of thofe bookes, marke I pray you, how curious Tullie is to vtter his purpofe and doyng therein, writing thus to Alticus.
Quod in his Oratory's lidris, quos tantopere laudas,
the ready way to the Latin tong. I23
pcrfonatn defideras Scceuola, non earn temere dimoui: Sed feciidem, quod in iroXerdy. Deus ille nojler Plato, cum in Pirceeum Socrates venifset ad Cep/mlum locuple- tem et fejliuum Senem, quoad primus ille fermo habere- tur, adest in difputando fenex : Deinde, cum ipfe quoque commodifsime locutus effet, ad rem diuinam dicit fe velle difcedere, neque pojlea reuertitur. Credo Plato?iem vix putaffe fatis confonum fore, ft hominem id cetatis in tarn longo fermone diutius retinuifet: Multo ego j alius hoc mihi cauendum putaui in Scceuola, qui et cetate et vale- tudine erat ea qua meminifli, et his honoribus, vt vix fatis decorum videretur eum plures dies effe in Crafsi Tufculano. Et erat primi libri fermo non alienus a Scceuolce fludijs: reliqui libri rexvoXoa-iqiv habent, vt fcis. Huic ioculatorice difputationi fmem ilium vt noras, intereffe fane nolui.
If Cicero had not opened him felfe, and declared hys owne thought and doynges herein, men that be idle, and ignorant, and enuious of other mens diligence and well doinges, would haue fworne that Tullie had neuer mynded any foch thing, but that of a precife curiofitie, we fayne and forge and father foch thinges of Tullie, as he neuer ment in deed. I write this, not for nought: for I haue heard fome both well learned, and otherwayes verie wife, that by their luftie mifliking of foch diligence, haue drawen back the forwardnes of verie good wittes. But euen as fuch men them felues, do fometymes flumble vpon doyng well by chance and benefite of good witte, fo would I haue our fcholer alwayes able to do well by order of learnyng and right fkill of iudgement.
Concernyng Imitation, many learned men haue written, with moch diuerfitie for the matter, and ther- fore with great contrarietie and fome ftomacke amongefl them felues. I haue read as many as I could get diligentlie, and what I thinke of euerie one of them, I will freelie fay my mynde. With which freedome I trull good men will beaie, bicaufe it ihall tend to neither fpitefull nor harmefull controuerfie.
1 24 Thefecond booke teachyng
Cicero. In Tullie, it is well touched, fhortlie
taught, not fullie declared by Ant. in 2. de Orat-. and afterward in Orat. ad Brutum, for the liking and mif- liking of Ifocrates: and the contrarie iudgement of Tullie agaynft Caluus, Brutus, and Calidius, de genert dicendi Attico et Afiatico.
DioHaiicar. Dionif. Halic. TTcpl fiifj.rj(r€(iis. I feare is loll: which Author next Ari/iotle, Plato, and Tullie, of all other, that write of eloquence, by the iudge- ment of them that be bed learned, deferueth the next prayfe and place.
QuintiL Quintilian writeth of it, fhortly and cold-
lie for the matter, yet hotelie and fpitefullie enough, agaynft the Imitation of Tullie.
Erasmus. Erafmus, beyng more occupied in fpy-
ing other mens faultes, than declaryng his owne aduife, is miftaken of many, to the great hurt of ftudie, for his authoritie fake. For he writeth rightlie, rightlie vnder- ftanded : he and Longolius onelie differing in this, that the one feemeth to giue ouermoch, the other ouer litle, to him, whom they both, beft loued, and chiefly al- lowed of all other.
Budetus. BudcBUs in his Commentaries roughlie
and obfcurelie, after his kinde of writyng : and for the matter, caryed fomewhat out of the way in ouermuch milliking the Imitation of Tullie. ph. Meianch. Phil. Melanclhon, learnedlie and trewlie. ioa. Camer. Camerarius largely with a learned iudge-
ment, but fumewhat confufedly, and with ouer rough a ftile.
Sambucus. Sambucus, largely, with a right iudge-
ment but fomewhat a crooked ftile. Cortesius. Other haue written alfo, as Corteftus to
p. Bembus. Politian, and that verie well : Bembus ad loanSturmius. Picum a great deale better, but loan. Sturmius de Nobilitate literata, et de Amiffa dicendi ratione, farre beft of all, in myne opinion, that euer tooke this matter in hand. For all the reft, declare chiefly this point, whether one, or many, or all, are to
the ready way to the Latin tong. n5
be followed : but Sturmius onelie hath mod learnedlie declared, who is to be followed, what is to be fol- lowed, and the bed point of all, by what way and order, trew Imitation is rightlie to be exercifed. And although Sturmius herein doth farce pafle all other, yet hath he not fo fullie and perfitelie done it, as I do wifhe he had, and as I know he could. For though he hath done it perfitelie for precept, yet hath he not done it perfitelie enough for example : which he did, neither for lacke of drill, nor by negligence, but of purpofe, contented with one or two examples, bicaufe he was mynded in thofe two bookes, to write of it both fhortlie, and alfo had to touch other matters.
Bart hoi. Riccius Ferrarienfis alfo hath written learned- lie, diligentlie and verie largelie of this matter euen as hee did before verie well deApparatu lingua Lat. He writeth the better in myne opinion, bicaufe his whole doctrine, iudgement, and order, femeth to be bor- owed out of lo. Stur. bookes. He addeth alfo ex- amples, the bed kinde of teaching: wherein he doth well, but not well enough : in deede, he committeth no faulte, but yet, deferueth fmall praife. He is content with the meane, and followeth not the bed : as a man, that would feede vpon Acornes, whan he may eate, as good cheape, the fined wheat bread. He teacheth for example, where and how, two or three late Italian Poetes do follow Virgil: and how Virgil him felfe in the dorie of Dido, doth wholie Imitate Catullus in the like matter of Ariadna: Wherein I like better his diligence and order of teaching, than his iudgement in chosoe of examples for Imitation. But, if he had done thus : if he had declared where and how, how oft and how many wayes Virgil doth folow Homer, as for example the comming of Vlyffes to Alcynous and Calypfo, with the comming of Aineas to Cart[h]age and Dido : Likewife the games running, wredling, and fhoting, that Achilles maketh in Homer, with the felfe fame games, that Apneas maketh in Virgil: The Lunette of Achilles, with the harnefle of
t26 Thefecond booke teachyng
Apneas, and the' maner of making of them both by Vulcane: The notable combate betwixt Achilles and Heclor, with as notable a combate betwixt j&neas and Turmis. The going downe to hell of Vlyffes in Homer, with the going downe to hell of Apneas in Virgil: and other places infinite mo, as fimilitudes, narrations, meffages, difcriptions of perfons, places, battels, tempefles, fhipwrackes, and common places for diuerfe purpofes, which be as precifely taken out of Homer, as euer did Painter in London follow the picture of any faire perfonage. And when thies places had bene gathered together by this way of diligence than to haue conferred them together by this order of teaching, as, diligently to marke what is kept and vfed in either author, in wordes, in fentences, in matter: what is added: what is left out: what or- dered otherwife, either prceponendo, interponendo, or postponendo: And what is altered for any refpect, in word, phrafe, fentence, figure, reafon, argument, or by any way of circumftance : If Riccius had done this, he had not onely bene well liked, for his diligence in teaching, but alfo iufllie commended for his right iudgement in right choice of examples for the befl Imitation.
Riccius alfo for Imitation of profe declareth where and how Longolius doth folow Tullie, but as for Longo- lius, I would not haue him the patern of our Imitation. In deede: in Longolius fhoppe, be proper and faire (hewing colers, but as for fhape, figure, and naturall cumlines, by the iudgement of beft iudging artificers, he is rather allowed as one to be borne withall, than efpecially commended, as one chieflie to be folowed.
If Riccius had taken for his examples, where Tullit him felfe foloweth either Plato or Demofthenes, he had fhot than at the right marke. But to excufe Riccius, fomwhat, though I can not fullie defend him, it may be fayd, his purpofe was, to teach onelie the Latin tong, when thys way that I do wifh, to ioyne Virgil with Homer, to read Tullie with Demojlhenes and Plato,
the ready ik/ay to the Latin tong. 12j
requireth a cunning and perfite Matter in both the tonges. It is my wifh in deede, and that by good reafon : For who fo euer will write well of any matter, mud labor to expreffe that, that is perfite, and not to flay and content himfelfe with the meane : yea, I fay farder, though it not be vnpofible, yet it is verie rare, and maruelous hard, to proue excellent in the Latin tong, for him that is not alfo well feene in the Greeke tong. Tullie him felfe, mofl excellent of nature, moll diligent in labor, brought vp from his cradle, in that place, and in that tyme, where and whan the Latin tong mofl florifhed naturallie in euery mans mouth, yet was not his owne tong able it felfe to make him fo cunning in his owne tong, as he was in deede : but the knowledge and Imitation of the Greeke tong withall.
This he confeffeth himfelfe : this he vttereth in many places, as thofe can tell bell, that vfe to read him mofl.
Therefore thou, that fhotefl at perfection in the Latin tong, think not thy felfe wifer than Tullie was, in choice of the way, that leadeth rightlie tc the fame : thinke not thy witte better than Tullies was, as though that may feme thee that was not fufficient for him. For euen as a hauke flieth not hie with one wing : euen fo a man reacheth not to excellency with one tong.
I haue bene a looker on in the Cokpit of learning thies many yeares : And one Cock onelie haue I knowne, which with one wing, euen at this day, doth paffe all other, in myne opinion, that euer I faw in any pitte in England, though they had two winges. Yet neuer- theleffe, to flie well with one wing, to runne fafl with one leg, be rather, rare Maiflreis moch to be merueled at, than fure examples fafelie to be folowed. A Bufhop that now liueth, a good man, whofe iudgement in Religion I better like, than his opinion in perntnes in other learning, faid once vnto me : we haue no nede now of the Greeke tong, when all thinges be tranflated into Latin. But the good man vnderflood not, that euen the befl tranflation, is, for mere neceffitie, but an euill imped wing to flie withall, or a heuie flompe leg
i28 Thefecond booke teachyng
of wood to go withall: foch, the hier they flie, the fooner they falter and faill : the fafter they runne, the ofter they flumble, and forer they fall. Soch as will nedes fo flie, may flie at a Pye, and catch a Dawe : And foch runners, as commonlie, they (houe and (hol- der to (land formoft, yet in the end they cum behind others and deferue but the hopfhakles, if the Matters of the game be right iudgers.
Therefore in perufing thus, fo many diuerfe bookes Optima rario f°r Imitation, it came into my head that a imitarionis. verie profitable booke might be made de Imitatione, after an other fort, than euer yet was at- tempted of that matter, conteyning a certaine fewe fitte preceptes, vnto the which fhoulde be gathered and applied plentie of examples, out of the choifeft authors of both the tonges. This worke would (land rather in good diligence, for the gathering, and right iudgement for the apte applying of thofe examples: than any great learning or vtterance at all.
The doing thereof, would be more pleafant, than painfull, and would bring alfo moch proffet to all that lhould read it, and great praife to him would take it in hand, with iuft defert of thankes. Erasmus ori* Erafmus, giuyng him felfe to read ouer fchisstudie. an Authors Greke and Latin, feemeth to haue prefcribed to him felfe this order of readyng: that is, to note out by the way, three fpeciall pointes: All Adagies, all fimilitudes, and all wittie fayinges of mod notable perfonages: And fo, by one labour, he left to pofleritie, three notable bookes, and namelie two his Chiliades, Apophthegmata, and Similia. Like- wife, if a good (ludent would bend him felfe to read di- ligently ouer Tullie, and with him alfo at the fame tyme, / Plato. as diligently Plato, and Xenophon, witl* \ J?**!?* his bookes of Philofophie, Ifocrates, icero < p™"^ and Demojlhenes with his orations, and \AristotUs. Arijlotle with his Rhetorickes: which fiue of all other, be thofe, whom Tullie bed loued, and fpecially followed and would marke diligently in Tullie, where he doth exprimere or effinge?* (which be the verie
the ready way to the Latin tong. 1*9
proper wordes of Imitation) either, Copiam Platonis or venuftatem Xenophontis, fuauitatem Ifocratis, or vim Demosthenes, propriam etpuramfubtilitatem Ariftotelis, and not onelie write out the places diligentlie, and lay them together orderlie, but alfo to conferre them with fkilfull iudgement by thofe few rules, which I haue expreffed now twife before : if that diligence were taken, if that order were vfed, what perfite knowledge of both the tonges, what readie and pithie vtterance in all matters, what right and deepe iudgement in all kinde of learnyng would follow, is fcarfe credible to be beleued.
Thefe bookes, be not many, nor long, nor rude in fpeach, nor meane in matter, but next the Maieftie of Gods holie word, mofl worthie for a man, the louer of learning and honeftie, to fpend his life in. Yea, I haue heard worthie M. Cheke many tymes fay : I would haue a good fludent paffe and iorney through all Authors both Greke and Latin : but he that will dwell in thefe few bookes onelie : firft, in Gods holie Bible, and than ioyne with it, Tullie in Latin, Plato, Ariftotle: Xenophon: Ifocwtes: and Demofthenesm Greke: muft nedes proue an excellent man.
Some men alreadie in our dayes, haue put to their helping handes, to this worke of Imitation, perionus. As Perionius, Henr. Stephanus in dictionario h. steph. Ciceroniano, and P. Viclorius mofl praife- p. Victoria. worthelie of all, in that his learned worke conteyning xxv. bookes devaria leclione: in which bookes be ioyned diligentlie together the befl Authors of both the tonges where one doth feeme to imitate an other.
But all thefe, with Macrobius, Heffus, and other, be no more but common porters, caryers, and bringers of matter and fluffe togither. They order nothing : They laye before you, what is done : they do not teach you, how it is done : They bufie not them felues with forme of buildyng : They do not declare, this fluffe is thus framed by Demojlhenes, and thus and thus by Tullie, and fo likewife in Xenophon, Plato and Ifocrates and
1 3 o Thefecond boo tie teachyng
Arijlotle. For ioyning Virgil with Homer I haue fuffi- cientlie declared before.
Pindarut. The like diligence I would wifh to be
Horatims. taken in Pindar and Horace an equall match for all refpectes.
In Tragedies, (the goodlieft Argument of all, and for the vfe, either of a learned preacher, or a Ciuill Ientle- man, more profitable than Homer, Pindar, Virgil/, and Horace : yea comparable in myne opinion, with the doc- Sopjuxies. trine of Arijlotle, Plato, and Xenophon,) the Euripides. Grecians, Sophocles and Euripides far ouer Seneca. match our Seneca in Latin, namely in
oiKovofxty et Decoro, although Senacaes elocution and verfe be verie commendable for his tyme. And for the matters of Hercules, Thebes, Hippolytus, and Troie, his Imitation is to be gathered into the fame booke, and to be tryed by the fame touchflone, as is fpoken before.
In hiflories, and namelie in Liuie, the like diligence of Imitation, could bring excellent learning, and breede ftayde iudgement, in taking any like matter in hand. Tit. Liuius. Onely Liuie were a fufficient talke for
one mans fludie, to compare him, firfl with his fellow Dion. Haii- f°r a^ refpectes, Dion. Halicarnaffceus : who cam. both, liued in one tyme : toke both one
hiflorie in hande to write : deferued both like prayfe PoKbius. of learnynge and eloquence. Than with
Polybius that wife writer, whom Liuie profeffeth to follow : and if he would denie it, yet it is plaine, that the befl part of the thyrd Decade in Liuie, is in a maner tranflated out of the thyrd and reft of Polibius : Thuddides. Lafllie with Thucydides, to whofe Imita- tation Liuie is curiouflie bent, as may well appeare by i.Decad. tnat one Oration of thofe of Campania,
lu>. 7. afking aide of the Romanes agaynfl the
Samnites, which is wholie taken, Sentence, Reafon, Argument, and order, out of the Oration of Corcyra, Tkucid. ia afking like aide of the Athenienfes againft them of Corinth. If fome diligent fludent would take paynes to compare them togither, he mould eafelie
the ready way to the Latin tong. i3l
perceiue, that I do fay trew. A booke, thus wholie filled with examples of Imitation, firft out of Tullie, compared with Plato, Xenophon, Ifocrates, Detnojlhenes and Ariftotle : than out of Virgil and Horace, with Homer and Pindar : next out of Seneca with Sophocles and Euripides : Lafllie out of Liuie, with Thucydides, Polibius and Halicamaffceus, gathered with good dili gence, and compared with right order, as I haue expreffed before, were an other maner of worke for all kinde of learning, and namely for eloquence, than be thofe cold gatheringes of Macrobius, Heffus, Perionius, Stephanus, and Viclorius, which may be vfed, as I fayd before, in this cafe, as porters and caiyers, deferuing like prayfe, as foch men do wages ; but onely Sturmius is he, out of whom, the trew furuey and whole worke- manihip is fpeciallie to be learned.
I trait, this my writyng fhall giue fome good fludent occafion, to take fome peece in hand of this worke of Imitation. And as I had rather haue any 0 de do it, than my felfe, yet furelie my felfe recta imitandi rather than none at alL And by Gods ratione- grace, if God do lend me life, with health, free layfure and libertie, with good likyng and a merie heart, I will turne the befl part of my ftudie and tyme, to toyle in one or other peece of this worke of Imitation.
This diligence to gather examples, to giue light and vnderflandyng to good preceptes, is no new inuention, but fpeciallie vfed of the befl Authors and oldefl writers. For Ariftotle him felfe, (as Diog. ArhtoteUs. Laertius declareth) when he had written that goodlie booke of the Topickes, did gather out of flories and Orators, fo many examples as filled xv. bookes, onelie to expreffe the rules of his Topickes. Thefe were the Commentaries, that Ariftotle thought fit for Commentary hys Topickes : And therfore to fpeake as £rg££c£adni I thinke, I neuer law yet any Commen- Aristoteiis. tarie vpon Ariftotles Logicke, either in Greke or Latin, that euer I lyked, bicaufe they be rathei fpent in declaryng fcholepoynt rales, than in gather
i32 Thefecond booke teachyng
ing fit examples for vfe and vtterance, either by pen or talke. For preceptes in all Authors, and namelie in Arijlotle, without applying vnto them, the Imitation of examples, be hard, drie, and cold, and therfore barrayn, vnfruitfull and vnpleafant. But Arijlotle, namelie in his Topickes and Elenches, fhould be, not onelie fruitfull, but alfo pleafant to, if examples out of Plato, and other good Authors, were diligentlie gathered, and aptlie applied vnto his moft perfit pre- Preceptain ceptes there. And it is notable, that my ExenTia in frende Sturmius writeth herein, that there Phuaiie. m is no precept in Arijlotles Topickes, wherof plentie of examples be not manifefl in Platos workes. And I heare fay, that an excellent learned man, Tomi- tanus in Italie, hath expreffed euerie fallacion in Arijlotle, with diuerfe examples out of Plato. Would to God, I might once fee, fome worthie fludent of Arijlotle and Plato in Cambrige, that would ioyne in one booke the preceptes of the one, with the examples of the other. For fuch a labor, were one fpeciall peece of that worke of Imitation, which I do wifhe were gathered together in one Volume.
Cambrige, at my firfl comming thither, but not at my going away, committed this fault in reading the preceptes of Arijlotle without the examples of other Authors : But herein, in my time thies men of worthie memorie, M. Redman, M. Cheke, M. Smith, M. Had- don, M. Wat/on, put fo to their helping handes, as that vniuerfitie, and all fludents there, as long as learning mail lift, fhall be bounde vnto them, if that trade in fludie be trewlie folowed, which thofe men left behinde them there.
By this fmall mention of Cambridge, I am caryed into three imaginations: firfl, into a fweete remem- brance of my tyme fpent there : than, into fom carefull thoughts, for the greuous alteration that folowed fone after: lafllie, into much ioy to heare tell, of the good recouerie and earned forwardnes in all good learning there agayne.
the ready way to the Latin tong. I33
To vtter theis my thoughts fomwhat more largelie, were fomwhat befide my matter, yet not very farre out of the way, bycaufe it (hall wholy tend to the good encoragement and right confideration of learning, which is my full purpofe in writing this litle booke : whereby alfo fhall well appeare this fentence to be moft trewe, that onelie good men, by their gouernment and example, make happie times, in euery degree and flate.
Doctor Nico. Medcalfe, that honorable d.Nic. father, was Matter of S. Iohnes Colledge, Medcaij. when I came thether : A man meanelie learned him- felfe, but not meanely arTectioned to fet forward learn- ing in others. He found that Colledge fpending fcarfe two hundred markes by [the] yeare : he left it fpend- ing a thoufand markes and more. Which he procured, not with his mony, but by his wifdome; not charge- ablie bought by him, but liberallie geuen by others by his meane, for the zeale and honor they bare to learning. And that which is worthy of memorie, all thies giuers were almofl Northenmen: who being liberallie rewarded in the feruice of their Prince, bellowed it as liberallie for the good of their Contrie. Som men thought therefore, that D. Medcalfe was parciall to Northrenmen, but fure I am of this, that Northrenmen were parciall, in doing more good, and geuing more landes to ye forderance of The pardaiitie learning, than any other contrie men, ^^/Smts in thofe dayes, did: which deede mould colledge! haue beene, rather an example of goodnes, for other to folowe, than matter of malice, for any to enuie, as fome there were that did. Trewly, D. Med- calfe was parciall to none: but indifferent to all: a mafter for the whole, a father to euery one, in that Colledge. There was none fo poore, if he had, either wil in goodnes, or wit to learning, that could lacke being there, or fhould depart from thence, for any need. I am witnes my felfe, that mony many times was brought into yong mens fludies by flrangers whom
i34 Thefecond booke teachyng
they knew not In which doing, this worthy Nicolaui folowed the fteppes of good olde S. Nicolaus, that learned Bilhop. He was a Papift in deede, but would to God, amonges all vs Proteftants I might once fee but one, that would winne like praife, in doing like good, for the aduauncement of learning and vertue.. And yet, though he were a Papift, if any yong man, geuen to new learning (as they termed it) went beyond his fellowes, in witte, labor, and towardnes, euen the fame, neyther lacked, open praife to encorage him, nor priuate exhibition to mainteyne hym, as worthy Syr /. Cheke, if he were aliue would beare good witnes and fo can many mo. I my felfe one of the meanefl of a great number, in that Colledge, becaufe there appeared in me fom fmall fhew of towardnes and dili- gence, lacked not his fauor to forder me in learning.
And being a boy, newe Bacheler of arte, I chanced amonges my companions to fpeake againft the Pope : which matter was than in euery mans mouth, bycaufe D. Haines and D. Skippe were cum from the Court, to debate the fame matter, by preaching and difputation in the vniuerfitie. This hapned the fame tyme, when I ftoode to be felow there: my taulke came to D. Medcalfes eare: I was called before him and the Seniores : and after greuous rebuke, and fome punifh- ment, open warning was geuen to all the felowes, none to be fo hardie to geue me his voice at that election. And yet for all thofe open threates, the good father himfelfe priuilie procured, that I mould euen than be chofen felow. But, the election being done, he made countinance of great difcontentation thereat This good mans goodnes, and fatherlie difcretion, vfed towardes me that one day, mail neuer out of my re- membrance all the dayes of my life. And for the fame caufe, haue I put it here, in this fmall record of learning. For next Gods prouidence, furely that day, was by that good fathers meanes, Dies nata/is, to me, for the whole foundation of the poore learning I haue, and of all the furderance, that hetherto elfe where I haue obteyncd.
the ready way to the Latin tong. I35
This his goodnes flood not Hill in one or two, but flowed aboundantlie ouer all that Colledge, and brake out alfo to norifhe good wittes in euery part of that vniuerfitie: whereby, at this departing thence, he left foch a companie of fellowes and fcholers in S. Iohnes Colledge, as can fcarfe be found now in fome whole vniuerfitie : which, either for diuinitie, on the one fide or other, or for Ciuill feruice to their Prince and con- trie, haue bene, and are yet to this day, notable orna« ments to this whole Realme : Yea S. Iohnes did then fo florifh, as Trinitie college, that Princelie houfe now, at the firfl erection, was but Colonia deducla out of S. Iohnes,not onelie for their Mailer, fellowes, and fcholers, but alfo, which is more, for their whole, both order of learning, and difcipline of maners : and yet to this day, it neuer tooke Matter but fuch as was bred vp before in S. Iohnes : doing the dewtie of a good Colonia to her Metropolis, as the auncient Cities of Grece and fome yet in Italie, at this day, are accuflomed to do.
S. Iohnes floode in this flate, vntill thofe heuie tymes, and that greuous change that chanced. An. 1553. whan mo perfite fcholers were difperfed from thence in one moneth, than many yeares can reare vp againe. For, whan Aper de Sylua had Psai. 80. paffed the feas, and faflned his foote againe in England, not onely the two f aire groues of learning in England were eyther cut vp, by the roote, or troden downe to the ground and wholie went to wracke, but the yong fpring there, and euerie where elfe, was pitifullie nipt and Ouertroden by very beafles, and alfo the faireft (landers of all, were rooted vp, and call into the fire, to the great weakening euen at this day of Chrifles Chirch in England, both for Religion and learning.
And what good could chance than to the vni- uerfities, whan fom of the greatefl, though not of the wifefl nor bell learned, nor befl men neither of that fide, did labor to perfwade, that ignorance was better than knowledge, which they ment, nor for the laitie onelie, but alfo for the greatefl rable of their
i36 Thefecond booke teachyng
fpiritualitie, what other pretenfe openlie fo euer they made: and therefore did fom of them at Cambrige (whom I will not name openlie,) caufe hedge priefles fette oute of the contrie, to be made fellowes in the vniuerfitie: faying, in their talke priuilie, and declar- ing by their deedes openlie, that he was, felow good enough for their tyme, if he could were a gowne and a tipet cumlie, and haue hys crowne fhorne faire and roundlie, and could turne his Portreffe and pie readilie : whiche I fpeake not to reproue any order either of apparell, or other dewtie, that may be well and indif- ferentlie vfed, but to note the miferie of that time, whan the benefites prouided for learning were fo fowlie mifufed. And what was the frute of this feade? Verely, iudgement in doctrine was wholy altered: order in difcipline very fore changed : the loue of good learning, began fodenly to wax cold: the knowledge of the tonges (in fpite of fome that therein had florimed) was manifeflly contemned : and fo, ye way of right ftudie purpofely peruerted : the choice of good authors of mallice confownded. Olde fophiflrie (I fay not well) not olde, but that new rotten fophiflrie began to beard and fholder logicke in her owne tong: yea, I know, that heades were cafl together, and counfell deuifed, that Duns, with all the rable of barbarous queflionifles, mould haue difpofleffed of their place and rowmes, Arijlotle, Plato, Tullie, and Demojlhenes, when good M. Redman, and thofe two worthy ftarres of that vniuerfitie, M. Cheke, and M. Smith, with their fcholers, had brought to florifhe as notable in Cam- Aristoteies. brige, as euer they did in Grece and in Cicero Italie : and for the doctrine of thofe fowre,
Demost. the fowre pillers of learning, Cambrige
than geuing place to no vniuerfitie, neither in France, Spaine, Germanie, nor Italic Alfo in out- ward behauiour, than began fimplicitie in apparell, to be layd afide. Courtlie galantnes to be taken vp: frugalitie in diet was priuately mifliked : Towne going Shoting. to good cheare openly vfed : honeft paf
the ready way to the Latin tong, i37
times, ioyned with labor, left of in the fieldes : vnthrifty and idle games haunted corners, and occupied the nightes: contention in youth, nowhere for learning: factions in the elders euery where for trifles : All which miferies at length, by Gods prouidence, had their end 1 6. Nouemb. 1558. Since which tyme, the yong fpring hath fhot vp fo faire, as now there be in Cambrige againe, many goodly plantes (as did well appeare at the Queenes Maieflies late being there) which are like to grow to mightie great timber, to the honor of learning, and great good of their contrie, if they may fland their tyme, as the bell plantes there were wont to do : and if fom old dotterell trees, with Handing ouer nie them, and dropping vpon them, do not eithei hinder, or crooke their growing, wherein my feare is ye leffe, feing fo worthie a Iuflice of an Oyre hath the prefent ouerfight of that whole chace, who was him- felfe fomtym, in the fairefl fpring that euer was there of learning, one of the forwardeft yong plantes, in all that worthy College of S. Iohnes\ who now by grace is growne to foch greatnefle, as, in the temperate and quiet made of his wifdome, next the prouidence of God, and goodnes of one, in theis our daies, Religio for fmceritie, Uteres for order and aduauncement, Respub. for happie and quiet gouernment, haue to great rejoyfmg of all good men, fpeciallie repofed them felues.
Now to returne to that Queftion, whether one, a few, many or all, are to be followed, my aunfwere flialbe fhort : All, for him that is defirous to know all : yea, the worfl of all, as Queftioniftes, and all the bar- barous nation of fcholemen, helpe for one or other confideration : But in euerie feparate kinde of learn- ing and ftudie, by it felfe, ye muft follow, chofelie a few, and chieflie fome one, and that namelie in our fchole of eloquence, either for penne or talke. And as in portracture and paintyng wife men chofe not that workman, that can onelie make a faire hand, or a well facioned legge, but foch [a] one, as can furnifti vp fullie
i38 The fecond booke teachyng
all the fetures of the whole body, of a man, woman and child : and with all is able to, by good fkill, to giue to euerie one of thefe three, in their proper kinde, the right forme, the trew figure, the naturall color, that is fit and dew, to the dignitie of a man, to the bewtie of a woman, to the fweetnes of a yong babe: euen likewife, do we feeke foch one in our fchole to folow, who is able alwayes, in all matters, to teach plainlie> to delite pleafantlie, and to cary away by force of wife talke, all that (hall heare or reade him: and is fo excellent in deed, as witte is able, or wifhe can hope, to attaine vnto : And this not onelie to feme in the Latin or Greke tong, but alfo in our own Englifh language. But yet, bicaufe the prouidence of God hath left vnto vs in no other tong, faue onelie in the Greke and Latin tong, the trew preceptes, and perfite examples of eloquence, therefore mud we feeke in the Authors onelie of thofe two tonges, the trewe Paterne of Eloquence, if in any other mother tongue we looke to attaine, either to perfit vtterance of it our felues, 01 (kilfull iudgement of it in others.
And now to know, what Author doth medle onelie with fome one peece and member of eloquence, and who doth perfitelie make vp the whole bodie, I will declare, as I can call to remembrance the goodlie talke, that I haue had oftentymes, of the trew differ- ence of Authors, with that Ientleman of worthie memorie, my dearefl frend, and teacher of all the litle poore learning I haue, Syr John Cheke.
The trew difference of Authors is befl knowne, per diuerfa genera dicendi, that euerie one vfed. And there- fore here I will deuide genus dicendi, not into thefe three, Tenue, mediocre, et grande, but as the matter of euerie Author requireth, as
Poeticum.
. _ 1 Hijloricum.
tn Genus < _f„ ~ : '
Philofophtcum.
Oratorium,
Poeticum, in
the ready way to the Latin tong. I39
Thefe differre one from an other, in choice of wordes, in framyng of Sentences, in handling of Argumentes, and vfe of right forme, figure, and number, proper and fitte for euerie matter, and euerie one of thefe is diuerfe alfo in it felfe, as the firfl.
Comicum. Tragicum. Epicum. Melicum.
And here, who foeuer hath bene diligent to read aduifedlie ouer, Terence, Seneca, Virgil, Horace, or els Ariftophanus, Sophocles, Homer, and Pindar, and (hall diligently marke the difference they vfe, in proprietie of wordes, in forme of fentence, in handlyng of their matter, he lliall eafelie perceiue, what is fitte and decorum in euerie one, to the trew vfe of perfite Imitation. Whan M. Wat/on in S. Iohns College at Cambrige wrote his* excellent Tragedie of Abfalon, M. Cheke, he and I, for that part of trew Imitation, had many pleafant talkes togither, in comparing the pre- ceptes of Ariftotle and Horace de Arte Poetica, with the examples of Euripides, Sophocles, and Seneca. Few men, in writyng of Tragedies in our dayes, haue fhot at this marke. Some in England, moe in France, Ger- manic, and Italie, alfo haue written Tragedies in out tyme: of the which, not one I am fure is able to abyde the trew touch of Ariftotles preceptes, and Euripides examples, faue onely two, that euer I faw, M. Watfons Abfalon, and Georgius Buckananus lephthe. One man in Cambrige, well liked of many, but bell liked of him felfe, was many tymes bold and bufie, to bryng matters vpon ftages, which he called Tragedies. In one, wherby he looked to wynne his fpurres, and whereat many ignorant felowes fall clapped their handes, he began the Protqfis with Trochoeijs Oclonari/s: which kinde of verfe, as it is but feldome and rare in Trage- dies, fo is it neuer vfed, faue onelie in Epitaft-. whan the Tragedie is hiell and hoteil, and full of greateft
r4o Thefecond booke teachyng
troubles. I remember ful well what M. Watfon merelie fayd vnto me of his blindneffe and boldnes in that behalfe although otherwife, there paffed much frendfhip betwene them. M. Watfon had an other maner [of] care of perfection, with a feare and reuerenceof theiudgement of the befl learned : Who to this day would neuer fuffer, yet his Abfalon to go abroad, and that onelie, bicaufe, in locis paribus, Anapejlus is twife or thrife vfed in ftede of Iambus. A final faulte, and fuch [a] one, as perchance would neuer be marked, no neither in Italie nor France. This I write, not fo much, to note the firfl, or praife the laft, as to leaue in memorie of writing, for good example to pofleritie, what perfection, in any tyme, was, mod diligentlie fbught for in like maner, in all kinde of learnyng, in that mod worthie College of S. Iohns in Cambrige.
Diaria.
Annates.
Commentarios.
Iujlam Hiftoriam.
For what proprietie in wordes, fimplicitie in fentences, plainneffe and light, is cumelie for thefe kindes, Ccefar and Little, for the two laft, are perfite examples of Imitation : And for the two firfl, the old paternes be loft, and as for fome that be prefent and of late tyme, they be fitter to be read once for fome pleafure, than oft to be perfued, for any good Imitation of them.
( in Sermonem, as officia Philofophicum in I &c. et Eth. Arijl. \ Contentionem.
As, the Dialoges of Plato, XenopJwn, and Cicero-, of which kinde of learnyng, and right Imitation therof, Carolus Sigonius hath written of late, both learnedlie and eloquentlie : but befl of all my frende loan. Stur mius in hys Commentaries vpon Gorgias Platonls, which booke I haue in writyng, and is not yet fet out in Print.
Historicum in
the ready way to the Latin tong. I41
{Humile. Mediocre. Sublime. Examples of thefe three, in the Greke tong, be plenti- full and perfite, as Lycias, f /berates, and JDemofthenes-. and all three, in onelie Demoji/ienes, in diuerfe orations as contra Olimpiodorum, in Leptinem, etpro Ctefiphonte. And trew it is, that Hermogenes writeth of Demojlhenes, that all formes of Eloquence be perfite in him. In Ciceroes Orations, Medium et fublime be moll excellentlie hand- led, but Humile in his Orations is feldome fene. Yet neuertheleffe in other bookes, as in fome part of his offices, and fpecially in Partitionibus, he is comparable in hoc humili et difciplinabili genere, euen with the bell that euer wrote in Greke. But of Cicero more fullie in fitter place. And thus, the trew difference of fliles, in euerie Author, and euerie kinde of learnyng may eafelie be knowne by this diuifion.
Poeticum.
in Genus
Hiftoricum.
Philqfophicum.
Oratorium.
Which I thought in this place to touch onelie, not to profecute at large, bicaufe, God willyng, in the Latin tong, I will fullie handle it, in my booke de Imitatione.
Now, to touch more particulate, which of thofe Authors, that be now mofl commonlie in mens handes, will fone affourd you fome peece of Eloquence, and what maner a peece of eloquence, and what is to be liked and folowed, and what to be mifliked and efchewed in them : and how fome agayne will furnifh you fully withall, rightly, and wifely confidered, fom- what I will write as I haue heard Syr John Cheke many tymes fay.
The Latin tong, concerning any part of pureneffe of it, from the fpring, to the decay of the fame, did not endure moch longer, than is the life of a well aged man,
i42 Thefecond booke teachyng
fcarfe one hundred yeares from the tyme of the laft Scipio Africanus and Lmlius, to the Empire of Auguflus. And it is notable, that Vellius Paterculus writeth of Tullie, how that the perfection of eloquence did fo remayne onelie in him and in his time, as before him, were few, which might moch delight a man, or after him any, worthy admiration, but foch as Tullie might haue feene, and fuch as might haue feene Tullie. And good caufe why : for no perfection is durable. En- creafe hath a time, and decay likewife, but all perflt ripeneffe remaineth but a moment : as is plainly feen in fruits, plummes and cherries : but more fenfibly in flowers, as Rofes and fuch like, and yet as trewlie in all greater matters. For what naturallie, can go no iiier, muft naturallie yeld and ftoupe againe.
Of this fhort tyme of any pureneffe of the Latin tong, for the firfl fortie yeare of it, and all the tyme before, we haue no peece of learning left, faue Plautus and Terence, with a litle rude vnperfit pamflet of the elder Cato. And as for Plautus, except the fcholemafter be able to make wife and ware choice, firfl in proprietie of wordes, than in framing of Phrafes and fentences, and chieflie in choice of honeflie of matter, your fcholer were better to play, then learne all that is in him. But furelie, if iudgement for the tong, and direction for the maners, be wifely ioyned with the diligent reading of Plautus, than trewlie Plautus, for that pureneffe of the Latin tong in Rome, whan Rome did mofl florifh in wel doing, and fo thereby, in well fpeaking alfo, is foch a plentifull floreho[u]fe, for common eloquence, in meane matters, and all priuate mens affaires, as the Latin tong, for that refpect, hath not the like agayne. Whan I remember the worthy tyme of Rome, wherein Plautus did Hue, I muft nedes honor the talke of that tyme, which we fee Plautus doth vfe.
Terence is alfo a ftorehoufe of the fame tong, for an other tyme, following foone after, and although he be not fo full and plentiful as Plautus is, for multitude of matters, and diuerfitie of wordes, yet his wordes, be
the ready way to the Latin tong. i43
chofen fo purelie, placed fo orderly, and all his ftuffe fo neetlie packed yp, and wittely compaffed in euerie place, as, by all wife mens iudgement, he is counted the cunninger workeman, and to haue his (hop, for the rowme that is in it, more finely appointed, and trimliel ordered, than Plautus is.
Three thinges chiefly, both in Plautus and Terence, are to be fpecially confidered The matter, the vtter- ance, the words, the meter. The matter in both, is altogether within the compaffe of the meanefl mens maners, and doth not flretch to any thing of any great weight at all, but flandeth chiefly in vtteryng the thoughtes and conditions of hard fathers, foolifh mothers, vnthrifty yong men, craftie feruantes, fotle bawdes, and wilie harlots, and fo, is moch fpent, in finding out fine fetches, and packing vp pelting matters, foch as in London commonlie cum to the hearing of the Mailers of Bridewell. Here is bale fluffe for that fcholer, that ihould be cum hereafter, either a good minifler in Religion, or a Ciuill Ientleman in feruice of his Prince and contrie : except the preacher do know foch matters to confute them, whan ignorance furelie in all foch thinges were better for a Ciuill Ientleman, than knowledge. And thus, for matter, both Plautus and Terence, be like meane painters, that worke by halfes, and be cunning onelie, in making the worfl part of the picture, as if one were (kilfull in painting the bodie of a naked perfon, from the nauell downward, but nothing elfe.
For word and fpeach, Plautus is more plentifull, and lerence more pure and proper : And for one refpect, Terence is to be embraced aboue all that euer wrote in hys kinde of argument : Bicaufe it is well known, by good recorde of learning, and that by Ciceroes owne witnes that fome Comedies bearyng Terence name, were written by worthy Scipio, and wife Lcelius, and namely Heauton : and Adelphi. And therefore as oft as I reade thofe Comedies, fo oft doth found in myne eare, the pure fine talke of Rome, which was vfed by
i44 The fecond booke teachyng
the floure of the worthiefl nobilitie that euer Rome bred. Let the wifefl man, and befl learned that liueth, read aduifedlie ouer, the firft fcene of Heauton, and the firft fcene of Adelphi, and let him confideratlie iudge, whether it is the talke of a feruile flranger borne, or rather euen that milde eloquent wife fpeach, which Cicero in Brutus doth fo liuely expreffe in Lcelius. And yet neuertheleffe, in all this good proprietie of wordes, and pureneffe of phrafes which be in Terence, ye muft not follow him alwayes in placing of them, bicaufe for the meter fake, fome wordes in him, fomtyme, be driuen awrie, which require a flraighter placing in plaine profe, if ye will forme, as I would ye mould do, your fpeach and writing, to that excellent perfitneffe, which was onely in Tullie, or onelie in Tullies tyme.
The meter and verfe of Plautus and Terence be verie meane, and not to be followed : which is not their reproch, but the fault of the tyme, wherein they wrote, whan no kinde of Poetrie,in the Latin tong, was brought to perfection, as doth well appeare in the fragmentes of Ennius, Cerilius, and others, and euiden[t]lie in Plautus and Terence, if thies in Latin be compared with right fkil, with Homer > Euripides, Ari/lophanes, and other in Greeke of like fort. Cicero him felfe doth complaine of this vnperfitnes, but more plainly Quintilian, faying, in Comosdia maxime claudicamus, et vix leuem confe- qvimur vmbram : and mofl earneflly of all Horace in Arte Poetica, which he doth namely propter carmen Iambicum, and referreth all good (ludentes herein to the Imitation of the Greeke tong, faying.
Exemplaria Grceca noclurna verfate manu, verfate diurna.
This matter maketh me gladly remember, my fweete tyme fpent at Cambrige, and the pleafant talke which I had oft with M. Cheke, and M. Wat/on, of this fault, not onely in the olde Latin Poets, but alfo in our new Englifh Rymers at this day. They wifhed as Virgil and Horace were not wedded to follow the faultes of
the ready way to the Latin tong. i45
former fathers (a flirewd manage in greater matters) but by right Imitation of the perfit Grecians, had brought Poetrie to perfitnefle alfo in the Latin tong, that we Englifhmen likewife would acknowledge and vnderfland rightfully our rude beggerly ryming, brought firft into Italie by Gothes and Hunnes, whan all good verfes and all good learning to, were deflroyd by them : and after caryed into France and Germanie : and at laft receyued into England by men of excellent wit in deede, but of fmall learning, and lefle iudge- ment in that behalfe.
But now, when men know the difference, and haue the examples, both of the befl, and of the worft, furelie, to follow rather the Gothes in Ryming, than the Greekes in trew verfifiyng, were euen to eate ackornes with fwyne, when we may freely eate wheate bread emonges men. In deede, Chaufer, Th. Norton, of Briftow, my L. of Surrey, M. Wiat, Th* Phaer, and other Ientle- man, in tranflating Ouide, Palingenius and Seneca, haue gonne as farre to their great praife, as the copie they followed could cary them, but, if foch good wittes, and forward diligence, had bene directed to follow the befl examples, and not haue bene caryed by tyme and cuflome, to content themfelues with that barbarous and rude Ryming, emonges their other worthy praifes, which they haue iuflly deferued, this had not bene the leafl, to be counted emonges men of learning and (kill, more like vnto the Grecians, than vnto the Gothians, in handling of their verfe.
In deed, our Englifh tong, hauing in vfe chiefly, wordes of one fyllable which commonly be long, doth not well receiue the nature of Carmen Heroicum, bicaufe daclylus, the aptefl foote for that verfe, con- teining one long and two fhort, is feldom therefore found in Englifh : and doth alfo rather flumble than fland vpon Monafyllabis. Quintilian in hys learned Chapiter de Compofitione, geueth this leffon Jg^ de Monafyllabis, before me: and in the fame place doth iufllie inuey againfl all Ryming, if there be any,
I46 Thefecond booke teachyng
who be angrie with me, for mifliking of Ryming, may be angry for company to, with Quintilian alfo, for the fame thing : And yet Quintilian had not fo iufl caufe to miflike of it than, as men haue at this day.
And although Carmen Exametrum doth rather trotte and hoble, than runne fmothly in our Englifh tong, yet I am fure, our Englifh tong will receiue carmen Iambicum as naturallie, as either Greke or Latin. But for ignorance, men can not like, and for idlenes, men will not labor, to cum to any perfitnes at all. For, as the worthie Poetes in Athens and Rome, were more carefull to fatiffie the iudgement of one learned, than rafhe in pleafing the humor of a rude multitude, euen fo if men in England now, had the like reuerend regard to learning fkill and iudgement, and durfl not prefume to write, except they came with the like learnyng, and alfo did vfe like diligence, in fearehyng out, not onelie iufl meafure in euerie meter, as euerie ignorant perfon may eafely do, but alfo trew quantitie in euery foote and tillable, as onelie the learned fhalbe able to do, and as the Grekes and Romanes were wont to do, furelie than rafh ignorant heads, which now can eafely recken vp fourten fillabes, and eafelie flumble on euery Ryme, either durfl not, for lacke of fuch learnyng : or els would not, in auoyding fuch labor, be fo 6iT bufie, as euerie where they be : and fhoppes in London mould not be fo full of lewd and rude rymes, as commonlie they are. But now, the ripefl of tonge, be readiefl to write : And many dayly in fetting out bookes and bal[l]ettes make great fhew of bloffomes and buddes, in whom is neither, roote of learning, nor frute of wifedome at all. Some that make Chaucer in Englifh and Petrarch in Italian, their Gods in verfes, and yet be not able to make trew difference, what is a fault, and what is a iufl prayfe, in thofe two worthie wittes, will moch miflike this my writyng. But fuch men be euen like followers of Chaucer and Petrarke, as one here in England did folow Syr Tho. More\ who, being mofl vnlike vnto him, in wit and learnyng, ueuertheles in wearing his gowne awrye vpon the one
the ready way to the Latin tong. r47
(boulder, as Syr Tho. More was wont to do, would nedes be counted lyke vnto him.
This miflikyng of Ryming, beginneth not now of any newfangle fingularitie, but hath bene long mifliked of many, and that of men, of greateft learnyng, and deep- eft iudgement. And foch, that defend it, do fo, either for lacke of knowledge what is bell, or els of verie enuie, that any mould performe that in learnyng, whereunto they, as I fayd before, either for ignorance, can not, or for idlenes will not, labor to attaine vnto.
And you that prayfe this Ryming, bicaufe ye neither haue reafon, why to like it, nor can fhew learning to defend it, yet I will helpe you, with the authoritie of the oldeft and learnedft tyme. In Grecey whan Poetrie was euen as the hieft pitch of perfitnes, one Simmias Rhodius of a certaine fingularitie wrote a booke in ryming Greke verfes, naming it wov, conteyning the fable how Iupiter in likenes of a fwan, gat that egge vpon Leda, whereof came Caftor, Pollux and faire \H\elena. This booke was fo liked, that it had few to read it, but none to folow it : But was prefentlie con- temned : and fone after, both Author and booke, fo forgotten by men, and confumed by tyme, as fcarce the name of either is kept in memorie of learnyng: And the like folie was neuer folowed of any, many hondred yeares after vntill ye Hunnes and Gothians, and other barbarous nations, of ignorance and rude fingularitie, did reuiue the fame folie agayne.
The noble Lord Th. Earle of Surrey, |^eEarleof firft of all Englifh men, in tranflating the Q^aluo fourth booke of Virgill: and Gonfaluo Periz. Periz that excellent learned man, and Secretarie to kyng Philip of Spaine, in tranflating the Vliffes of Homer out of Greke into Spanifti, haue both, by good iudgement, auoyded the fault of Ryming, yet neither of them hath fullie hit[t]e perfite and trew verfifying. In deed, they obferue iuft number, and euen feete: but here is the fault, that their feete: be feete without ioyntes, that is to fay, not diflinct by trew quantitie of
i48 Thefecond booke teachyng
fillabes : And fo, foch feete, be but nurarae [benummed] feete : and be, euen as vnfitte for a verfe to turne and runne roundly withall, as feete of braffe or wood be vn- weeldie to go well withall. And as a foote of wood, is a plaine mew of a manifeft mairae, euen fo feete, in our Englifh verfinng, without quantitie and ioyntes, be fure fignes, that the verfe is either, borne deformed, vnnaturall and lame, and fo verie vnfeemlie to looke vpon, except to men that be gogle eyed them felues.
The fpying of this fault now is not the curiofitie of Englifh eyes, but euen the good iudgement alfo of the bell that write in thefe dayes in Italic, and namelie Seruse Ftike °f that worthie Senefe Felice Figlincci, who, Figiincci. writyng vpon Arijlotles Ethickes fo excel- lentlie in Italian, as neuer did yet any one in myne opinion either in Greke or Latin, amongefl other thynges doth mod earneftlie inuey agaynfl the rude ryming of verfes in that tong: And whan foeuer he exprelfed Arijlotles preceptes, with any example, out of Hornet or Euripides, he tranflateth them, not after the Rymes of Petrarke, but into foch kinde of perfite verfe, with like feete and quantitie of fillabes, as he found them before in the Greke tonge: exhortyng earneftlie all the Italian nation, to leaue of their rude barbariouf- neffe in ryming, and folow diligently the excellent Greke and Latin examples, in trew verfifiyng.
And you, that be able to vnderfland no more, then ye finde in the Italian tong : and neuer went farder than the fchole of Fetrarke and Ariojlus abroad, or els of Chaucer at home, though you haue pleafure to wander blindlie Hill in your foule wrong way, enuie not others, that feeke, as wife men haue done before them, the fairefl and rightefl way: or els, befide the iufl reproch of malice, wifemen (hall trewlie iudge, that you do fo, as I haue fayd and fay yet agayne vnto you, bicaufe, either, for idlenes ye will not, or for ignorance ye can not, cum by no better your felfe.
And therfore euen as Virgill and Horace deferue mod worthie Drayfe, that they fpying the vnperfitnes in
the ready way to the Latin tong. 149
Ennius and Plautus, by trew Imitation of Homer and Euripides, brought Poetrie to the fame perfitnes in Latin, as it was in Greke, euen fo thofe, that by the fame way would benefite their tong and contrey, deferue rather thankes than difprayfe in that behalfe.
And I reioyce, that euen poore England preuented Italie, firfl in fpying out, than in feekyng to amend this fault in learnyng.
And here, for my pleafure I purpofe a litle, by the way, to play and fporte with my Matter Tully \ from whom commonlie I am neuer wont to diffent. He him felfe, for this point of learnyng, in his verfes doth halt a litle by his leaue. He could not denie it, if he were aliue, nor thofe defend hym now that loue him befl. This fault I lay to his charge : bicaufe once it pleafed him, though fomwhat merelie, yet Tulli oueruncurtellie, to rayle vpon pOore Eng- again?tE^s land, obiecting both, extreme beggerie, and land* mere barbarioufnes vnto it, writyng thus vnto his frend Atticus'. There is not one fcruple of filuer AdAttLib. in that whole Ifle, or any one that knoweth ** ep- «* either learnyng or letter.
But now mailer Cicero, bleffedjbe God, and his fonne Iefus Chrift, whom you neuer knew, except it were as it pleafed him to lighten you by fome fhadow, as couertlie in one place ye confeffe faying: Veritatis tantum vmbram confectamur, as your Mailer offic. Plato did before you : bleffed be God, I fay, that fixten hundred yeare after you were dead and gone, it may trewly be fayd, that for filuer, there is more cumlie plate, in one Citie of England, than is in foure of the proudeft Cities in all Italic, and take Rome for one of them. And for learnyng, befide the knowledge of all learned tongs and liberall fciences, euen your owne bookes Cicero, be as well read, and your excellent eloquence is as well liked and loued, and as trewlie folowed in England at this day, as it is now, or euer was, fence your owne tyme, in any place oiltalie either dXArpinum, where ye were borne, or els at Rome where ye were
r5o Thefecond booke teachyng
brought vp. And a litle to brag with you Cicero, where you your felfe, by your leaue, halted in fome point of leamyng in your owne tong, many in England at this day go flreight vp, both in trewe (kill, and right doing therein.
This I write, not to reprehend Tullie, whom, aboue all other, I like and loue beft, but to excufe Terence, becaufe in his tyme, and a good while after, Poetrie was neuer perfited in Latin, vntill by trew Imitation of the Grecians, it was at length brought to perfection : And alfo thereby to exhorte the goodlie wittes of Eng- land, which apte by nature, and willing by defire, geue them felues to Poetrie, that they, rightly vnderflanding the barbarous bringing in of Rymes, would labor, as Virgil and Horace did in Latin, to make perfit alfo this point of learning, in our Englifh tong.
And thus much for Plautus and Terence, for matter, tong, and meter, what is to be followed, and what to be exchewed in them.
After Plautus and Terence, no writing remayneth vntill Tullies tyme, except a fewe fhort fragmentes of L. Crqffus excellent wit, here and there recited of Cicero for example fake, whereby the louers of learnyng may the more lament the loffe of foch a worthie witte.
And although the Latin tong did faire blome and blouome in L. Craffus, and M. Antonius, yet in Tullies tyme onely, and in Tullie himfelfe chieflie, was the Latin tong fullie ripe, and growne to the hiefl pitch of all perfection.
And yet in the fame tyme, it began to fade and ftoupe, Tullie him felfe, in Brutus de Claris Oratoribus, with weeping wordes doth witneffe.
And bicaufe, emong[e]fl them of that tyme, there was fome difference, good reafon is, that of them of that tyme, mould be made right choice alfo. And yet let the beft Ciceronian in Italie read Tullies familiar epift- les aduifedly ouer, and I beleue he mail finde fmall difference, for the Latin tong, either in propriety of wordes or framing of the ftile, betwixt Tullie, and thofe that write vnto him. As Ser. Sulpitius, A. Cecinna,
the ready way to the Latin tong. iSi
M. Ccelis, M. et D. Bruti, A. Pollia, L. Plancus, and diuerfe other : read the epiftles oiL.Plancus EpL Plancl x in x. Lib. and for an affay, that Epiflle lib- Epists. namely to the Co\n\jf. and whole Senate, the eight Epiflle in number, and what could be, eyther more eloquentlie, or more wifelie written, yea by Tullie himfelfe, a man may iuflly doubt. Thies men and Tullie, liued all in one tyme, were like in authoritie, not vnlike in learning and ftudie, which might be iufl caufes of this their equalitie in writing : And yet furely, they neyther were in deed, nor yet were counted in mens opinions, equall with Tullie in that facultie. And how is the difference hid in his Epiftles ? verelie, as the cunning of an expert Seaman, in a faire calme frefh Ryuer, doth litle differ from the doing of a meaner workman therein, euen fo, in the fhort cut of a priuate letter, where, matter is common, wordes eafie, and order not moch diuerfe, fmall (hew of difference can appeare. But where Tullie doth fet vp his faile of eloquence, in fome broad deep Argument, caried with full tyde and winde, of his witte and learnyng, all other may rather (land and looke after him, than hope to ouertake him, what courfe fo euer he hold, either in faire or foule. Foure men onely whan the Latin tong was full ripe, be left vnto vs, who in that tyme did florifh, and did leaue to pofteritie, the fruite of their witte and learning: Varro, Salujl, Ccefar, and Cicero. Whan I fay, thefe foure onely, I am not ignorant, that euen in the fame tyme, moll excellent Poetes, deferuing well of the Latin tong, as Lucretius, Catullus, Virgill, and Horace, did write : But, bicaufe, in this litle booke, I purpofe to teach a yong fcholer, to go, not to daunce: to fpeake, not to fmg, (whan Poetes in deed, namelie Epici and Lyrici, as thefe be, are fine dauncers, and trime fingers,) but Oratores and Historici, be thofe cumlie goers, and faire and wife fpeakers, of whom I wifhe my fcholer to wayte vpon firft, and after in good order, and dew tyme, to be brought forth, to the fmging and dauncing fchole: And for this confideration, do I name thefe foure, to be the onelie writers of that tyme.
152 Thefecond booke teachyng
IT Varro,
Varro. Varro, in his bookes de lingua Latina, et
Analogia as thefe be left mangled and patched vnto vs, doth not enter there in to any great depth of eloquence, but as one caried in a fmall low venell him felfe verie nie the common more, not much vnlike the fifher men of Rye, and Hering men of Yarmouth. Who deferue by common mens opinion, fmall commendacion, for any cunning fa[y]ling at all, yet neuertheles in thofe bookes of Varro good and neceffarie ftuffe, for that meane kinde of Argument, be verie well and learnedlie gathered togither.
De Rep. His bookes of Hufbandrie, are moch to
Rustica. be regarded, and diligentlie to be read, not
onelie for the proprietie, but alfo for the plentie of good wordes, in all contrey and hufbandmens affaires : which can not be had, by fo good authoritie, out of any other Author, either of fo good a tyme, or of fo great learnyng, as out of Varro. And yet bicaufe, he was fourfcore yeare old, whan he wrote thofe bookes, the forme of his ftyle there compared with Tallies writyng, is but euen the talke of a fpent old man : whofe wordes com- monlie fall out of his mouth, though verie wifelie, yet hardly and coldie, and more heauelie alfo, than fome eares can well beare, except onelie for age, and autho- rities fake. And perchance, in a rude contrey argu- ment, of purpofe and iudgement, he rather vfed, the fpeach of the contrey, than talke of the Citie.
And fo, for matter fake, his wordes fometyme, be fomewhat rude : and by the imitation of the elder Cato, old and out of vfe : And beyng depe flept in age, by negligence fome wordes do fo [e]fcape and fall from him in thofe bookes, as be not worth the taking vp, by him, that is carefull to fpeak or write trew Latin, as that Lib. 3. Cap. 1. fentence in him, Romani, in pace d rusticis alebantur, et in bello ab his tuebantur. A good fludent muft be therfore carefull and diligent, to read with
the ready way to the Latin tong. i53
iudgement ouer euen thofe Authors, which did write in the moll perfite tyme : and let him not be affrayd to trie them, both in proprietie of wordes, and forme of ftyle, by the touch Hone of Ccefar and Cicero, whofe puritie was neuer foiled, no not by the fentence of thofe, that loued them worft.
All louers of learnyng may fore lament The loue ' the loffe of thofe bookes of Varro, which he Warroes wrote in his yong and luflie y eares, with good bookes- leyfure, and great learnyng of all partes of Philofophie : of the goodlieft argumentes, perteyning both to the common wealth, and priuate life of man, as, de Ratione studij, et educandis liberis, which booke, is oft recited, and moch prayfed, in the fragmentes oi Nonius, euen for authoritie fake. He wrote moft diligentlie and largelie, alfo the whole hiflorie of the Hate oi Rome-, the myf- teries of their whole Religion : their lawes, cuflomes, and gouernement in peace : their maners, and whole difcipline in warre : And this is not my geffmg, as one in deed that neuer faw thofe bookes, but euen, the verie iudgement, and playne teflimonie of Tullie him felfe, who knew and read thofe bookes, in thefe wordes : Tu cetatem Patrice: Tu defer iptiones temporum: Tu faerorum, tu facer dotum lura: Tu domesticam, tu belli- cam difciplinam: Tu fedem Regionum, tocorum, tu omnium diuinarum humanarumque rerum inAcad nomina, genera, officia, caufas aperuifli. etc. Quest- But this great loffe of Varro, is a litle recompenfed by the happy comming of Dionyfius HalicarnafscBus to Rome in Auguflus dayes : who getting the pofTeflion of Varros librarie, out of that treafure houfe of learning, did leaue vnto vs fome frute of Varros witte and dili- gence, I meane, his goodlie bookes de Antiquitatibus Romanorum. Varro was fo eflemed for his excellent learnyng, as Tullie him felfe had a reuerence to his iudgement in all dou[b]tes of learnyng. And Antonius Triumuir, his enemie, and of a contrarie Cic ad Att faction, who had power to kill and bannifh whom he lifted, whan Varros name amongeft others was brought
1 54 Thefecond booke teachyng
in a fchedule vnto him, to be noted to death, he tooke his penne and wrote his warrant of fauegard with thefe mod goodlie wordes, Viuat Varro vir doclifsimus. In later tyme, no man knew better: nor liked and loued more Varro s learnyng, than did S. Augujline, as they do well vnderftand, that haue diligentlie read ouer his learned bookes de Ciuitate Dei: Where he hath this mofl notable fentence: Whan I fee, how much Varro wrote, I meruell much, that euer he had any leafure to read : and whan I perceiue how many thinges he read, I meruell more, that euer he had any leafure to write, etc.
And furelie, if Varros bookes had remained to pofteri- tie, as by Gods prouidence, the mofl part of Tullies did, than trewlie the Latin tong might haue made good comparifon with the Greke.
Saluste.
Saiust. Salu/i, is a wife and worthy writer : but
he requireth a learned Reader, and a right confiderer of him. My dearefl frend, and bell mailer that euer I Syr iohn nad or heard in learning, Syr /. Cheke> foch
Chekes iudge- a man, as if I mould Hue to fee England sell for readyng breed the like againe, I feare, I mould
otSaluste. jme Quer long^ did once giue me a
leffon for Salujl, which, as I mail neuer forget my felfe, fo is it worthy to be remembred of all thofe, that would cum to perfite iudgement of the Latin tong. He faid, that Salujl was not verie fitte for yong men, to learne out of him, the puritie of the Latin tong : becaufe, he was not the pureft in proprietie of wordes, nor choifefl in aptnes of phrafes, nor the befl in fram- ing of fentences : and therefore is his writing, fayd he neyther plaine for the matter, nor fenfible for mens vnderflanding. And what is the caufe thereof, Syr, quoth I. Verilie faid he, bicaufe in Salujl writing, is more Arte than nature, and more labor than Arte : and in his labor alfo, to moch toyle, as it were, with
the ready way to the Latin tong. i55
an vncontented care to write better than he could, a fault common to very many men. And therefore he doth not expreffe the matter liuely and naturally with common fpeach as ye fee Xenophon doth in Greeke, but it is caried and driuen forth artificiallie, after to learned a forte, as Thucydides, doth in his orations. And how cummeth it to paffe, fayd I, that Cafar and Ciceroes talke, is fo naturall and plaine, and Salujl writing fo artificiall and darke, whan all they three liued in one tyme ? I will freelie tell you my fanfie herein, faid he : furely, Ccefar and Cicero^ befide a lingular prerogatiue of naturall eloquence geuen vnto them by God, both two, by vfe of life, were daylie orators emonges the common people, and greatefl councellers in the Senate houfe : and therefore gaue themfelues to vfe foch fpeach as the meanefl mould well vnderftand, and the wifefl beft allow : folowing carefullie that good councell of Ari/lotle, loquendum vt multi, fapiendutn vt pauci. Salujl was no foch man, neyther for will to goodnes, nor (kill by learning : but ill geuen by nature, and made worfe by bringing vp, fpent the mofl part of his youth very miforderly in ryot and lechery. In the company of foch, who, neuer geuing theyr mynde to honefl doyng, could neuer inure their tong to wife fpeaking. But at [ye] lafl cum- myng to better yeares, and b[u]ying witte at the dearefl hand, that is, by long experience of the hurt and fhame that commeth of mifcheif, moued, by the councell of them that were wife, and caried by the example of foch as were good, firfl fell to honeftie of life, and after to the loue to fludie and learning : and fo became fo new a man, that Ccefar being dictator, made him Pretor in Numidia where he abfent from his contrie, and not inured with the common talke of Rome, but fhut vp in his fludie, and bent wholy to reading, did write the florie of the Romanes. And for the better accom- plilhing of the fame, he re[a]d Cato and Pifo in Latin for gathering of matter and troth : and Thucydides in Greeke for the order of his florie, and furnifhing of his
i56 The fecond booke teachyng
ftyle. Cato (as his tyme required) had more troth for the matter, than eloquence for the ftyle. And fo Salufl, by gathering troth out of Cato, fmelleth moch of the roughnes of his ftyle : euen as a man that eateth garlike for helth, mail cary away with him the fauor of it alfo, whether he will or not. And yet the vfe of old wordes is not the greateft caufe of Salufles [his] roughnes and darkneffe : There be in Salufl fome old wordes in Lib. 8. Cap. 3. deed as patrare bellum, duclare exercitum, De bmata. well noted by Quintilian, and verie much mifliked of him : and fupplicium for fupplicatio, a word fmellyng of an older ftore, than the other two fo mif- liked by Quint : And yet is that word alfo in Varro, fpeaking of Oxen thus, boues ad viclimas faciunt, atque ad Deorum fupplicia : and a few old wordes mo. Read Salujle and Tullie aduifedly together : and in wordes ye Ihall finde fmall difference : yea Saluft is more geuen to new wordes, than to olde, though fom olde writers fay the contrarie : as Claritudo for Gloria : exacle for perfect} : Facundia for eloquentia. Thies two lafl wordes exacte and facundia now in euery mans mouth, be neuer (as I do remember) vfed of Tullie, and therefore I thinke they be not good : For furely Tullie fpeaking euery where fo moch of the matter of eloquence, would not fo precifely haue abfteyned from the word Facundia, if it had bene good : that is proper for the tong, and common for mens vfe. I could be long, in reciting many foch like, both olde and new wordes in Salufl : but in very dede neyther oldnes nor newneffe ,™ , of wordes maketh the greateft difference
The cause why , . ^ . _ . rr> „9 , _ _ _
Saiust is not betwixt Salufl and Tullie, but nrft ftrange like Tuiiy. phrafes made of good Latin wordes, but framed after the Greeke tonge, which be neyther choifly borowed of them, nor properly vfed by him : than, a hard compofition and crooked framing of his wordes and fentences, as a man would fay, Englifh talke placed and framed outlandifh like. As for example nrft in phrafes, nimius et animus be two vfed wordes, yet homo nimius animi, is an vnufed phrafe.
the ready way to the Latin tong. I57
Vulgus, et amat, et fieri, be as common and well known wordes as may be in the Latin tong, yet id quod vulgb amat fieri, for folet fieri, is but a ftrange and grekyfh kind of writing. Ingens et vires be proper wordes, yet vir ingens virium is an vnproper kinde of fpeaking and fo be likewife,
/ ceger confilij.
< promptifsimus belli.
v territus anitni.
and many foch like phrafes in Salufi, borowed as I fayd not choifly out of Greeke, and vfed therefore vn- properlie in Latin. Againe, in whole fentences, where the matter is good, the wordes proper and plaine, yet the fenfe is hard and darke, and namely in his prefaces and oration[s], wherein he vfed moft labor, which fault is likewife in Thucydides in Greeke, of whom Salufi hath taken the greatefl part of his darkenefle. Foi Thucydides likewife wrote his florie, not at home in Gre[e]ce, but abrode in Italie, and therefore fmelleth of a certaine outlandifh kinde of talke, ftrange to them of Athens, and diuerfe from their writing, that liued in Athens and Gre[e]ce, and wrote the fame tyme that Thucydides did, as Lyfias, Xenophon, Plato, and Ifocrates, the pureft and playneft writers, that euel wrote in any tong, and bell examples for any man to follow whether he write, Latin, Italian, French, or Englifh. Thucydides alfo femeth in his writing, not fo much benefited by nature, as holpen by Arte, and caried forth by defire, ftudie, labor, toyle and ouer great curiofitie : who fpent xxvii. yeares in writing his eight bookes of his hiftory. Salufi likewife wrote out of his contrie, and followed the faultes of Dio Hal . Thuc. to moch : and boroweth of him fom car. ad q. Tub. kinde of writing, which the Latin tong can de Hj*»* not well beare, as Cafus nominatiuus in diuerfe places abfolute pofitus, as in that place of Iugurth, fpeaking de Leptitanis, itaqueab imperatore facile quae petebant adepti, mifscefunt eb cohortes Ligurum quatuor. This thing in
1 58 Thefecond booke teachyng
participles, vfed fo oft in Thucyd\ides\ and other Greeke authors to, may better be borne with all, but Salujl vfeth the fame more flrangelie and boldlie, as in thies wordes, Multis fibi qui/que imperium petentibus. I beleue, the bell Grammarien in England can fcarfe giue a good reule, why qui/que the nominatiue cafe, without any verbe, is fo thrufl vp amongefl fo many oblique cafes. Some man perchance will fmile, and laugh to fcorne this my writyng, and call it idle curi- ofitie, thus to bufie my felfe in pickling about thefe fmall pointes of Grammer, not fitte for my age, place and calling, to trifle in : I trufl that man, be he neuer fo great in authoritie, neuer fo wife and learned, either, by other mens iudgement, or his owne opinion, will yet thinke, that he is not greater in England, than Tullie was at Rome, not yet wifer, nor better learned than Tullie was him felfe, who, at the pitch of three fcore yeares, in the middes[t] of the broyle betwixt Ccefar and Pompeie, whan he knew not, whether to fend wife and children, which way to go, where to hide him felfe, yet, in an earnefl letter, amongefl his AdAttLib.7. earnefl councelles for thofe heuie tymes Epistoia. 3. concerning both the common flate of his contrey, and his owne priuate great affaires he was neither vnmyndfull nor afhamed to reafon at large, and learae gladlie of Atticus, a leffe point of Grammer than thefe be, noted of me in Salujl, as, whether he would write, ad Pirceea, in Pirceea, or in Piroseum, or Piroseum fine prcepofitione: And in thofe heuie tymes, he was fo carefull to know this fmall point of Grammer, that he addeth thefe wordes Si hoc mihi (rjrrjfia per- folueris, magna me moleflia liberaris. If Tullie, at that age, in that authoritie, in that care for his contrey, in that ieopardie for him felfe, and extreme neceffitie of hys dearefl frendes, beyng alfo the Prince of Eloquence hym felfe, was not afhamed to defcend to thefe low pointes of Grammer, in his owne naturall tong, what fhould fcholers do, yea what fhould any man do, if he do thinke well doyng, better than ill doyng: And
the ready way to the Latin tong, I59
had rather be, perfite than meane, fure than doubte- full, to be what he fhould be, in deed, not feeme what he is not, in opinion. He that maketh perfitnes in the Latin tong his marke, muft cume to it by choice and certaine knowledge, not Humble vpon it by chance and doubtfull ignorance. And the right fleppes to reach vnto it, be thefe, linked thus orderlie together, aptnes of nature, loue of learnyng, diligence in right order, conflancie with pleafant moderation, and al- wayes to learne of them that be beft, and fo (hall you iudge as they that be wifeft. And thefe be thofe reules, which worthie Matter Cheke dyd impart vnto me concernyng Salu/i} and the right iudgement of the Latin tong.
T Ccefar.
Ccefar for that litle of him, that is left vnto vs, is like the halfe face of a Venus, the other part of the head beyng hidden, the bodie and the reft of the members vnbegon, yet fo excellentlie done by Apelles, as all men may Hand ftill to mafe and mufe vpon it, and no man ftep forth with any hope to performe the like.
His feuen bookes de hello Gallico, and three de bello Ciuili be written, fo wifelie for the matter, fo eloquent- lie for the tong, that neither his greateft enemies could euer finde the leafl note of parcialitie in him (a mer- uelous wifdome of a man, namely writyng of his owne doynges) nor yet the beft iudgers of the Latin tong, nor the mod enuious lookers vpon other mens writ- ynges, can fay any other, but all things be moft perfitelie done by him.
Brutus, Caluus, and Calidius, who found fault with Tullies fumes in woordes and matter, and that rightlie, for Tullie did both, confefle it, and mend it, yet in Ccefar, they neither did, nor could finde the like, or any other fault
And therfore thus iuftlie I may conclude of C<zjarx
!6o The ready way to the Latin tong.
that where, in all other, the bell that euer wrote, in any tyme, or in any tong, in Greke and Latin, I except neither Plato, Demqfthenes, nor Tullie, fome fault is iufllie noted, in Ccefar onelie, could neuer yet fault be found.
Yet neuertheles, for all this perfite excellencie in
him, yet it is but in one member of eloquence,
and that but of one fide neither, whan we mull
looke for that example to fol[l]ow, which
hath a perfite head, a whole bodie,
forward and backward, armes
and legges and alL
finis:
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