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- x 59
Cesar [only begun], . 159-160. Cicero [probably not written].
Criticism of recent English verse, . . . i44' 1 50
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. f rom 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. i 9
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
v erie 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
pointe S C of 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 F J^°i otle
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.
Oed h Col ^X ^ [y^P <*'] X* ^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, t q v 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.
V 1
• 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 i en tieness 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 s P eak y n «-
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 °J d "^ 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. 3 i
fome plaine Oration of Tullie y 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- i en tienes 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 coun f e }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^mels 5 ' 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. j iar( 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^kynde 11 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. c hofe 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^^S 1 '
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 kn JJ]Jj
to haue here declared the moft fpeciall CoE, **? 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, a e° odwitte -
and hable to tell others, how by certein fure fignes, a
3 8 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 nvn g e 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
4 o 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, y e e r n ^^ t se *
but wife ryders, in their office, can and will to ryde, by
44 Thefirft booke teaehyng
i?STthan do both: which is the on ehe 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, learn y n «-
aptefl for fone and furefl dying : new frefh flefh, for
good and durable felting. And this fimilitude is not
ill. "V
in children.
Witte,
4 6 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
4 8 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 : X en. 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
5 o 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 brou s htv P-
it. In deede from feuen, to fen en ten e t 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 Jo n g n r eat Come
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 ^ dg K eth f wo T to1
, 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 \*°^ hjl atter '
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 M ore 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 * k atn 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. i n 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. hj s 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 i nn0 cencyin
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 chil d e 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*
5 8 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 we n 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- i n g 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. ^ f France <} f . w hi cn 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
if e F,Sc le a h nT e 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 ex P eri -
... . r li t i 1 ence ma y
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^f 1 *
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,
6 4 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 Chofm S Olimi
eth both warre whereby ftuneth the glory of learning,
and peace. w hich 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
Courtfie 6 " 6 f ° r cunu i e: 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, P romlse -
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 ^ i n Arte
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
bettS P thaa ill, than xx. preceptes written in bookes :
preceptes. an( j f Q pfa^ nQ ^ [ n Qne Qr t w0> 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 y on ? 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 j ohn
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 tnou g n y e De y e greateft of all, take hede,
Court, by their, what ye do, take hede how ye liue. For
OTmarre, 'af* aS y 0U S^ 3 * 0neS ^ t0 ^°» ^° ^ mean 6
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 y our example and maner of liuinge. And
Religion. f or 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.
7 o 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- E P ist - 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, fo rgetfulnes of all good thinge s learned
before : the fecond, dulnes to receyue either causes why
learnyng or honeflie" euer after : the third, £ e J£'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 g o, andryde, and run ne, 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,
''""*!
7 8 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 f a y tn 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- y ou gather in Italic : a good Scholehoufe
fameth them of wholefome doctrine, and worthy Mailers
the Engilhe 116 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 ea felie allure the m ynde 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- «P ounded -
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 fuis y
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
8 4 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. s 9
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 E pist. 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-
9 o 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 S re2it experience, excellence learned him
praeceptori suo, felfe, a liberall Patrone of learned men, and
£i£ at 5 n ^ nium the pureR writer, in myne opinion, of all his
l6oc»o] numum. a g e , 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, d ot n 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 dayly f
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.
9 8 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
io 4 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.
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pr} ere, yepov, KoiXrjcriv lyw irapb. vqvari Ki^ctw,
r) vvv 8r)6vvovr\ rj voreoov avrts tovTa,
firj vv tol ov xpaia-fMr] arKr\irrpov^ koi (rre/xfia Btolo.
rr)v 8' lya> ov Xva-oy, rrplv iiiv Kal yrjpas UTreicriv,
fjfA€Tepu) Ivt o*K<p, eVApyet, ttjXoOi irdrprjs,
torov €iroixofi€vr)v, kolI €fxbv Aeyos avTioaxrav
a'AA' Id i, fXTj lC ipeOtfc' craarrepos cos K€ verjai.
cos 4fc/>aT'* ZSSeurev 8' 6 ycpcov, Kat iireldero p.vO(p'
/3f) 8' a'Kewv wapa, Oiva iro\v<$>\oiarfioio OaXdo-arjs,
TroWa 8' €7T€it' aVav€v#€ Ktcov r)pd9' 6 yepatos
\A7roAAlOVl avOLKTL, TOV ijVKOflOS, T€K€ A^TOV
k\v6i /acv, dpyvporog, os Xpixnyv d/zc/u/Je/fyKas,
KtAAav re {aOtrjv, TcveSotd re ?c/>t a'vaWcts,
oynvflev* It 7tot€ Tot yapUvT 1 iirl vqov Ipefra,
rj €i 8rj iror(\roi Kara, irtova firjpV cKrja
Tavptov 978' aty tov, toSc /aoi Kprjrjvov leAScop*
Tto~€tay Aavaot 6/ao 8aKpva o-otcrt fteX&rarw.
gocx&Ut in 3 dfc i?*?/ faith thus.
<&pd(r(j) yap dvev /xirpov,
ov yap eipu ttoi^tikos.
fj\0€V 6 "Kpvorjs rfjs re Ovyarpbs Avrpa <f>ep(ov Kal ikc't^i
rcoV 'A^aiwi/, /jaAtara Sc tuv /?ao-tAttov : Kat etfx €TO >
^ccivots p,€v tovs t9eovs 8ovvat lAdvras t??v TpotW, avrovs
8e o-totfrjvat, tt)v 8k Ovyarepa ot avYa? Avcrat, 8e£a/Aei/ovs
twrotva, /cat tov 0eov atSecrfleWas. Totavra 8c etTrdvTOS
avVov, ot yucv aAAot Za-ifiovro Kal o-vvrjvovv, 6 8c 'Aya-
p,ep,v(i)v lyyptatvcv, cVreAAd/ievos vvv tc aVteVat, /cat av0ts
p.17 cA&ti/, fir) avVa? to t€ o-k^7tt/oov, Kai ra tov 0€ov
(TT^fx/xaTa ovk C7rapK€o-oi. irptv Sc Avc^i/at avVov 0vyaT€pa,
ev'Apyet €^»y yrjpdareiv fxerd ov. arrtevat 8^ IkcAcvc, Kat /x^
Ipe^t'^ctv, Tva o-ws otKaSe t\9or 6 8k Trpear/3vTr)<i aKovaas
ISeto-^ Te Kat aVryet crty^, aVox^pr/cras 8' €K tov <rrpa-
T07T€8oV 7ToA/(.Cl TO) 'AtToA-AwVI C^X €T0 5 T( * S T€ C7Ta)VVp,iaS
tov ^eov aVaKaAwv Kat V7roLLiLLvrj(rK0)V Kat aVatTtui/, et ti
7rft)7TOT€ iy €V VaWV 0LK080fM7J(T€(riV 7] (V UptOV GvCTiaS K€X a '
pwLiivov 8(j)prjcrairo. <uv 877 \dptv KarrvyiTO Ttcrat tov^
'A^atovs Ta a 8aKpva Tots tKetvov fiiXearw.
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.
1. otiros p\v 7ravdpi<TTOS, os civt<£ ravra vorja-jf,
(ftpacro-dfievos ra k' €TT€tra kcu es t«Aos ftcriv a/x€iV<o
2. ccr#Aos 8' av kolk€ivo<s, os tv cittovtc irLOrjTau
3. 09 8e Ke fLrjr' avros voerj, fJLrjr' &\Xov aKovtav
iv dviiij) pdWrjTai, 6 8' avT* qxprjios avrjp.
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.
1. <&r\p! fyooyc irpeo-fieveLV rroXv,
^vvai tov avSpa irdvr' €7ncrrrjfxr)s 7rXi(ov :
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.
Me/xvqa-de tov 'Honooov, os <f>r)(ri, cfyucrrov pikv avai tov
trap' eavrov to, SeovTa gvvoptSvra. 2. 'Ea^Aov 8c KaKei-
vov, tov to??, 7ra/)' mpv \mo8tiy6dcriv €7ro/*evov. 3. tov
8k 7rpos ov8€T€pov kiriTrjScLov ayjpeiov tTvai 7rpos a7ravTa.
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. n 3
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. u 7
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
122
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. n 5
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
t2 6 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. 12 j
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
i 2 8 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. a n 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™"^ an d 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. i 3l
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 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 £ r g££ 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
i 3 2 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
i 3 4 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
i 3 6 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, i 37
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
i 3 8 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
r4 o 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,
i 4 2 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. i 43
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
i 4 4 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. i 45
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,
I4 6 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 Grece y 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, |^ e Earleof
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
i 4 8 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 ** e p- «*
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
r5 o 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. i S i
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. i 53
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 i n Acad
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 na d 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. j me Quer long^ did once gi ue 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. i 55
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
i 5 6 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. we ll 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 5 8 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<zjar x
!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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at the University Press, Edinburgh
1HMMNG SECT. JAN 2 1902
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Ascham, Roger
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