Quid igitur faciam? non eam? ne nunc quidem cum accersor ultrò? an potius ita me comparem, non perpeti meretricum con- tumelias? exclusit: reuocat, redeam? non, si me obsecret.PAR- MENO a little after.Here, quæ res in se neque consilium neque modum habet vllum, eam consilio regere non potes. In Amore hæc omnia insunt vitia, iniuriæ, suspiciones, inimicitiæ, induciæ, bellum, pax rursum. Incerta hæc si tu postules ratione certa facere, nihilo plus agas, quem si des operam, vt cum ratione insanias.
¶ Horatius, lib. Ser. 2. Saty. 3.
Nec nunc cum me vocet vltro,Accedam? an potius mediter finire dolores?Exclusit: reuocat, redeam? non si obsecret. EcceSeruus non Paulo sapientior: ô Here, quæ resNec modum habet, neque consilium, ratione modóqueTractari non vult. In amore, hæc sunt mala, bellum,Pax rursum: hæc si quis tempestatis propè rituMobilia, et cæca fluitantia sorte, laboretReddere certa, sibi nihilò plus explicet, ac siInsanire paret certa ratione, modòque.
This exercise may bring moch profite to ripe heads, and stayd iudgementes: bicause, in traueling in it, the mynde must nedes be verie attentiue, and busilie occupide, in turning and tossing it selfe many wayes: and conferryng with great pleasure, the varietie of worthie wittes and iudgementes togither: But this harme may sone cum therby, and namelie to yong Scholers, lesse, in seeking other wordes, and new forme of sentences, they chance vpon the worse: for the which onelie cause,Cicerothinketh this exercise not to be fit for yong men.
the ready way to the Latin tong.259
Epitome.
This is a way of studie, belonging, rather to matter, than towordes: to memorie, than to vtterance: to those that belearned alreadie, and hath small place at all amonges yongscholers in Grammer scholes. It may proffet priuately somelearned men, but it hath hurt generallie learning it selfe, verymoch. For by it haue we lost wholeTrogus, the best part ofT. Liuius, the goodlie Dictionarie ofPompeius festus, a greatdeale of the Ciuill lawe, and other many notable bookes, for thewhich cause, I do the more mislike this exercise, both in oldand yong.Epitome, is good priuatelie for himselfe that doth worke it,but ill commonlie for all other that vse other mens labor therein:a silie poore kinde of studie, not vnlike to the doing of thosepoore folke, which neyther till, nor sowe, nor reape themselues,but gleane by stelth, vpon other mens growndes. Soch, haueemptie barnes, for deare yeares.Grammer scholes haue feweEpitomesto hurt them, exceptEpitheta Textoris, and such beggarlie gatheringes, asHorman,whittington, and other like vulgares for making of latines: yeaI do wishe, that all rules for yong scholers, were shorter thanthey be. For without doute,Grammaticait selfe, is sooner andsurer learned by examples of good authors, than by the nakedrewles ofGrammarians.Epitomehurteth more, in the vni-uersities and studie of Philosophie: but most of all, in diuinitieit selfe.In deede bookes of common places be verie necessarie, toinduce a man, into an orderlie generall knowledge, how toreferre orderlie all that he readeth,ad certa rerum Capita, andnot wander in studie. And to that end didP. Lombardusthemaster of sentences andPh. Melancthonin our daies, write twonotable bookes of common places.But to dwell inEpitomesand bookes of common places, andnot to binde himselfe dailie by orderlie studie, to reade with alldiligence, principallie the holyest scripture and withall, the bestDoctors, and so to learne to make trewe difference betwixt, theauthoritie of the one, and the Counsell of the other, maketh somany seeming, and sonburnt ministers as we haue, whose
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learning is gotten in a sommer heat, and washed away, witha Christmas snow againe: who neuerthelesse, are lesse to beblamed, than those blind bussardes, who in late yeares, ofwilfull maliciousnes, would neyther learne themselues, norcould teach others, any thing at all.Paraphrasishath done lesse hurt to learning, thanEpitome:for noParaphrasis, though there be many, shall neuer takeawayDauidsPsalter.Erasmus Paraphrasisbeing neuer sogood, shall neuer banishe the new Testament. And in another schole, theParaphrasisofBrocardus, orSambucus, shalneuer takeAristotlesRhetoricke, norHorace de Arte Poetica, outof learned mens handes.But, as concerning a scholeEpitome, he that wold haue anexample of it, let him readLucianperi kallous which is theverieEpitomeofIsocratesorationde laudibus Helenæ,wherebyhe may learne, at the least, this wise lesson, that a man oughtto beware, to be ouer bold, in altering an excellent mansworke.Neuertheles, some kinde ofEpitomemay be vsed, by menof skilful iudgement, to the great proffet also of others. As ifa wise man would takeHallesCronicle, where moch goodmatter is quite marde with Indenture Englishe, and first change,strange and inkhorne tearmes into proper, and commonlie vsedwordes: next, specially to wede out that, that is superfluousand idle, not onelie where wordes be vainlie heaped one vponan other, but also where many sentences, of one meaning, beclowted vp together as thoughM. Hallhad bene, not writingthe storie of England, but varying a sentence in Hitchingschole: surelie a wise learned man, by this way ofEpitome, incutting away wordes and sentences, and diminishing nothing atall of the matter, shold leaue to mens vse, a storie, halfe asmoch as it was in quantitie, but twise as good as it was, bothfor pleasure and also commoditie.An other kinde ofEpitomemay be vsed likewise very well,to moch proffet. Som man either by lustines of nature, orbrought by ill teaching, to a wrong iudgement, is ouer full ofwords, sentences, & matter, & yet all his words be proper, apt& well chosen: all his sentences be rownd and trimlie framed:his whole matter grownded vpon good reason, & stuffed withfull arguments, for his intent & purpose. Yet when his talke
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shalbe heard, or his writing be red, of soch one, as is, either of my two dearest frendes,M. Haddonat home, orIohn Sturmiusin Germanie, thatNimiumin him, which fooles and vnlearned will most commend, shall eyther of thies two, bite his lippe, or shake his heade at it. This fulnes as it is not to be misliked in a yong man, so in farder aige, in greater skill, and weightier affaires, it is to be temperated, or else discretion and iudgement shall seeme to be wanting in him. But if his stile be still ouer rancke and lustie, as some men being neuer so old and spent by yeares, will still be full of youthfull conditions as was SyrF. Bryan, and euer- more wold haue bene: soch a rancke and full writer, must vse, if he will do wiselie the exercise of a verie good kinde ofEpitome, and do, as certaine wise men do, that be ouer fat and fleshie: who leauing their owne full and plentifull table, go to soiorne abrode from home for a while, at the temperate diet of some sober man: and so by litle and litle, cut away the grosnesse that is in them. As for an example: IfOsoriuswould leaue of his lustines in striuing againstS. Austen, and his ouer rancke rayling against pooreLuther, and the troth of Gods doctrine, and giue his whole studie, not to write any thing of his owne for a while, but to translateDemosthenes, with so straite, fast, & temperate a style in latine, as he is in Greeke, he would becume so perfit & pure a writer, I beleue, as hath bene fewe or none senceCiceroesdayes: And so, by doing himself and all learned moch good, do others lesse harme, & Christes doctrine lesse iniury, than he doth: & with all, wyn vnto himselfe many worthy frends, who agreing with him gladly, in y^e loue & liking of excellent learning, are sorie to see so worthie a witte, so rare eloquence, wholie spent and consumed, in striuing with God and good men. Emonges the rest, no man doth lament him more than I, not onelie for the excellent learning that I see in him, but also bicause there hath passed priuatelie betwixt him and me, sure tokens of moch good will, and frendlie opinion, the one toward the other. And surelie the distance betwixt London and Lysbon, should not stoppe, any kinde of frendlie dewtie, that I could, eyther shew to him, or do to his, if the greatest matter of all did not in certeyne pointes, separate our myndes. And yet for my parte, both toward him, and diuerse others
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here at home, for like cause of excellent learning, great wisdome, and gentle humanitie, which I haue seene in them, and felt at their handes my selfe, where the matter of indifference is mere conscience in a quiet minde inwardlie, and not contentious malice with spitefull rayling openlie, I can be content to followe this rewle, in misliking some one thing, not to hate for anie thing els. But as for all the bloodie beastes, as that fat Boore of thePsal.80. // wood: or those brauling Bulles of Basan: or any lurkingDormus, blinde, not by nature, but by malice, & as may be gathered of their owne testimonie, giuen ouer to blindnes, for giuing ouer God & his word; or soch as be so lustie runnegates, as first, runne from God & his trew doctrine, than, from their Lordes, Masters, & all dewtie, next, from them selues & out of their wittes, lastly from their Prince, contrey, & all dew allegeance, whether they ought rather to be pitied of good men, for their miserie, or contemned of wise men, for their malicious folie, let good and wise men deter- mine. And to returne toEpitomeagayne, some will iudge moch boldnes in me, thus to iudge ofOsoriusstyle: but wise men do know, that meane lookers on, may trewelie say, for a well made Picture: This face had bene more cumlie, if that hie redde in the cheeke, were somwhat more pure sanguin than it is: and yet the stander by, can not amend it himselfe by any way. And this is not written to the dispraise but to the great commendation ofOsorius, becauseTulliehimselfe had the same fulnes in him: and therefore went toRodesto cut it away: and saith himselfe,recepi me domum prope mutatus, nam quasi referuerat iam oratio. Which was brought to passe I beleue, not onelie by the teaching ofMolo Appolloniusbut also by a good way ofEpitome, in binding him selfe to translatemeros Atticos Oratores, and so to bring his style, from all lowse grosnesse, to soch firme fastnes in latin, as is inDemosthenesin Greeke. And this to be most trew, may easelie be gathered, not onelie ofL. Crassustalke in 1.de Or.but speciallie ofCiceroesowne deede in translatingDemosthenesandæschinesorations peri steph. to that verie ende and purpose. And although a man growndlie learned all readie, may take moch proffet him selfe in vsing, byEpitome, to draw other mens
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workes for his owne memorie sake, into shorter rowme, asConterushath done verie well the wholeMetamorphosisofOuid, &Dauid Cythræusa great deale better, the ix. Muses ofHero- dotus, andMelanchthonin myne opinion, far best of all, the whole storie of Time, not onelie to his own vse, but to other mens proffet and hys great prayse, yet,Epitomeis most necessarie of all in a mans owne writing, as we learne of that noble PoetVirgill, who, ifDonatussay trewe, in writing that perfite worke of theGeorgickes, vsed dailie, when he had written 40. or 50. verses, not to cease cutting, paring, and pollishing of them, till he had brought them to the nomber of x. or xij. And this exercise, is not more nedefullie done in a great worke, than wiselie done, in your common dailie writing, either of letter, or other thing else, that is to say, to peruse diligentlie, and see and spie wiselie, what is alwaies more than nedeth: For, twenty to one, offend more, in writing to moch, than to litle: euen as twentie to one, fall into sicknesse, rather by ouer moch fulnes, than by anie lacke or emptinesse. And therefore is he alwaies the best English Physition, that best can geue a purgation, that is, by way ofEpitome, to cut all ouer much away. And surelie mens bodies, be not more full of ill humors, than commonlie mens myndes (if they be yong, lustie, proude, like and loue them selues well, as most men do) be full of fansies, opinions, errors, and faultes, not onelie in inward inuention, but also in all their vtterance, either by pen or taulke. And of all other men, euen those that haue y^e inuentiuest heades, for all purposes, and roundest tonges in all matters and places (except they learne and vse this good lesson ofEpitome) commit commonlie greater faultes, than dull, staying silent men do. For, quicke inuentors, and faire readie speakers, being boldned with their present habilitie to say more, and perchance better to, at the soden for that present, than any other can do, vse lesse helpe of diligence and studie than they ought to do: and so haue in them commonlie, lesse learning, and weaker iudgement, for all deepe considerations, than some duller heades, and slower tonges haue. And therefore, readie speakers, generallie be not the best, playnest, and wisest writers, nor yet the deepest iudgers in weightie affaires, bicause they do not tarry to weye and iudge all thinges, as they should: but hauing their heades ouer full of
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matter, be like pennes ouer full of incke, which will soner blotte, than make any faire letter at all. Tyme was, whan I had experience of two Ambassadors in one place, the one of a hote head to inuent, and of a hastie hand to write, the other, colde and stayd in both: but what difference of their doinges was made by wise men, is not vnknowne to some persons. The Bishop of WinchesterSteph:Gardinerhad a quicke head, and a readie tong, and yet was not the best writer in England.CiceroinBrutusdoth wiselie note the same inSerg: Galbo, andQ. Hortentius, who were both, hote, lustie, and plaine speakers, but colde, lowse, and rough writers: AndTullietelleth the cause why, saying, whan they spake, their tong was naturally caried with full tyde & wynde of their witte: whan they wrote their head was solitarie, dull, and caulme, and so their style was blonte, and their writing colde:Quod vitium, saythCicero,peringeniosis hominibus neque satis doctis plerumque accidit. And therfore all quick inuentors, & readie faire speakers, must be carefull, that, to their goodnes of nature, they adde also in any wise, studie, labor, leasure, learning, and iudgement, and than they shall in deede, passe all other, as I know some do, in whome all those qualities are fullie planted, or else if they giue ouer moch to their witte, and ouer litle to their labor and learning, they will sonest ouer reach in taulke, and fardest cum behinde in writing whatsoeuer they take in hand. The methode ofEpitomeis most necessarie for soch kinde of men. And thus much concerning the vse or misuse of all kinde ofEpitomesin matters of learning.
[dingbat omitted]Imitatio.
Imitation, is a facultie to expresse liuelie and perfitelie thatexample: which ye go about to folow. And of it selfe, it islarge and wide: for all the workes of nature, in a maner beexamples for arte to folow.But to our purpose, all languages, both learned and mothertonges, be gotten, and gotten onelie byImitation. For as yevse to heare, so ye learne to speake: if ye heare no other, yespeake not your selfe: and whome ye onelie heare, of them yeonelie learne.And therefore, if ye would speake as the best and wisest do,
the ready way to the Latin tong.265
ye must be conuersant, where the best and wisest are: but if yow be borne or brought vp in a rude contrie, ye shall not chose but speake rudelie: the rudest man of all knoweth this to be trewe. Yet neuerthelesse, the rudenes of common and mother tonges, is no bar for wise speaking. For in the rudest contrie, and most barbarous mother language, many be found can speake verie wiselie: 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, wisdome and eloquence, good matter and good vtterance, neuer or seldom a sonder. For all soch Authors, as be fullest of good matter and right iudgement in doctrine, be likewise alwayes, most proper in wordes, most apte in sentence, most plaine and pure in vttering the same. And contrariwise, in those two tonges, all writers, either in Religion, or any sect of Philosophie, who so euer be founde fonde in iudgement of matter, be commonlie found as rude in vttering their mynde. For Stoickes, Anabaptistes, and Friers: with Epicures, Libertines and Monkes, being most 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 wise, therefore that say, what care I for a mans wordes and vtterance, if his matter and reasons be good. Soch men, say so, not so moch of ignorance, as eyther of some singular pride in themselues, or some speciall malice or other, or for some priuate & perciall matter, either in Religion or other kinde of learning. For good and choice meates, be no more requisite for helthie bodies, than proper and apte wordes be for good matters, and also plaine and sensible vtterance for the best and depest reasons: in which two pointes standeth perfite eloquence, one of the fairest and rarest 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 so make a deuorse betwixt the tong and the hart. For marke all aiges: looke vpon the whole course of both the Greeke and Latin tonge, and ye shall surelie finde, that, whan apte and good wordes began to be neglected, and properties of those two tonges to be confounded, than also began, ill deedes to spring: strange maners to oppresse good orders, newe and fond opinions to striue with olde and trewe doctrine, first in Philosophie: and after in Religion: right
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iudgement of all thinges to be peruerted, and so vertue with learning is contemned, and studie left of: of ill thoughtes cummeth peruerse iudgement: of ill deedes springeth lewde taulke. Which fower misorders, as they mar mans life, so destroy they good learning withall. But behold the goodnesse of Gods prouidence for learning: all olde authors and sectes of Philosophy, which were fondest in opinion, and rudest in vtterance, as Stoickes and Epicures, first contemned of wise men, and after forgotten of all men, be so consumed by tymes, as they be now, not onelie out of vse, but also out of memorie of man: which thing, I surelie thinke, will shortlie chance, to the whole doctrine and all the bookes of phantasticall Anabaptistes and Friers, and of the beastlie Libertines and Monkes. Againe behold on the other side, how Gods wisdome hath wrought, that ofAcademiciandPeripatetici, those that were wisest in iudgement of matters, and purest in vttering their myndes, the first and chiefest, that wrote most and best, in either tong, asPlatoandAristotlein Greeke,Tulliein Latin, be so either wholie, or sufficiently left vnto vs, as I neuer knew yet scholer, that gaue himselfe to like, and loue, and folow chieflie those three Authors but he proued, both learned, wise, and also an honest man, if he ioyned with all the trewe doctrine of Gods holie Bible, without the which, the other three, be but fine edge tooles in a fole or mad mans hand. But to returne toImitationagayne: There be three kindes of it in matters of learning. The whole doctrine of Comedies and Tragedies, is a perfiteimitation, or faire liuelie painted picture of the life of euerie degree of man. Of thisImitationwritethPlatoat large in 3.de Rep.but it doth not moch belong at this time to our purpose. The second kind ofImitation, is to folow for learning of tonges and sciences, the best authors. Here riseth, emonges proude and enuious wittes, a great controuersie, whether, one or many are to be folowed: and if one, who is that one:Seneca, orCicero:SalustorCæsar, and so forth in Greeke and Latin. The third kinde ofImitation, belongeth to the second: as when you be determined, whether ye will folow one or mo, to know perfitlie, and which way to folow that one: in what
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place: by what meane and order: by what tooles and instru-mentes ye shall do it, by what skill and iudgement, ye shalltrewelie discerne, whether ye folow rightlie or no.ThisImitatio, isdissimilis materiei similis tractatio: and also,similis materiei dissimilis tractatio, asVirgillfolowedHomer: butthe Argument to the one wasVlysses, to the otheræneas.TulliepersecutedAntoniewith the same wepons of eloquence,thatDemosthenesvsed before againstPhilippe.HoracefolowethPindar, but either of them his owneArgument and Person: as the one,Hieroking ofSicilie, theotherAugustusthe Emperor: and yet both for like respectes,that is, for their coragious stoutnes in warre, and iust gouern-ment in peace.One of the best examples, for rightImitationwe lacke, andthat isMenander, whom ourTerence, (as the matter required) inlike argument, in the same Persons, with equall eloquence, footeby foote did folow.Som peeces remaine, like broken Iewelles, whereby menmay rightlie esteme, and iustlie lament, the losse of thewhole.Erasmus, the ornament of learning, in our tyme, doth wishthat som man of learning and diligence, would take the likepaines inDemosthenesandTullie, thatMacrobiushath done inHomerandVirgill, that is, to write out and ioyne together,where the one doth imitate the other.Erasmuswishe is good,but surelie, it is not good enough: forMacrobiusgatherings fortheæneidosout ofHomer, andEobanus Hessusmore diligentgatherings for theBucolikesout ofTheocritus, as they be notfullie taken out of the whole heape, as they should be, but euenas though they had not sought for them of purpose, but fowndthem scatered here and there by chance in their way, euen so,onelie to point out, and nakedlie to ioyne togither theirsentences, with no farder declaring the maner and way, howthe one doth folow the other, were but a colde helpe, to theencrease of learning.But if a man would take this paine also, whan he hath laydtwo places, ofHomerandVirgill, or ofDemosthenesandTullietogither, to teach plainlie withall, after this sort.1.Tulliereteyneth thus moch of the matter, thiessentences, thies wordes:
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2. This and that he leaueth out, which he doth wittelie to this end and purpose. 3. This he addeth here. 4. This he diminisheth there. 5. This he ordereth thus, with placing that here, not there. 6. This he altereth and changeth, either, in propertie of wordes, in forme of sentence, in substance of the matter, or in one, or other conuenient circumstance of the authors present purpose. In thies fewe rude English wordes, are wrapt vp all the necessarie tooles and instrumentes, wherewith treweImita- tionis rightlie wrought withall in any tonge. Which tooles, I openlie confesse, be not of myne owne forging, but partlie left vnto me by the cunningest Master, and one of the worthiest Ientlemen that euer England bred, SyrIohn Cheke: partelie borowed by me out of the shoppe of the dearest 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 Children: which tooles, if it please God, that an other day, they may be able to vse rightlie, as I do wish and daylie pray, they may do, I shal be more glad, than if I were able to leaue them a great quantitie of land. This foresaide order and doctrine ofImitation, would bring forth more learning, and breed vp trewer iudgement, than any other exercise that can be vsed, but not for yong beginners, bicause they shall not be able to consider dulie therof. And trewelie, it may be a shame to good studentes who hauing so faire examples to follow, asPlatoandTullie, do not vse so wise wayes in folowing them for the obteyning of wisdome and learning, as rude ignorant Artificers do, for gayning a small commoditie. For surelie the meanest painter vseth more witte, better arte, greater diligence, in hys shoppe, in folowing the Picture of any meane mans face, than commonlie the best studentes do, euen in the vniuersitie, for the atteining of learning it selfe. Some ignorant, vnlearned, and idle student: or some busie looker vpon this litle poore booke, that hath neither will to do good him selfe, nor skill to iudge right of others, but can lustelie contemne, by pride and ignorance, all painfull diligence and right order in study, will perchance say, that I am to precise, to
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curious, in marking and piteling thus about the imitation ofothers: and that the olde worthie Authors did neuer busie theirheades and wittes, in folowyng so preciselie, either the matterwhat other men wrote, or els the maner how other men wrote.They will say, it were a plaine slauerie, & inurie to, to shakkleand tye a good witte, and hinder the course of a mans goodnature with such bondes of seruitude, in folowyng other.Except soch men thinke them selues wiser thenCiceroforteaching of eloquence, they must be content to turne a newleafe.The best booke that euerTulliewrote, by all mens iudge-ment, and by his owne testimonie to, in writyng wherof, heemployed most care, studie, learnyng and iudgement, is hisbookde Orat. ad Q. F.Now let vs see, what he did for thematter, and also for the maner of writing therof. For thewhole booke consisteth in these two pointes onelie: In goodmatter, and good handling of the matter. And first, for thematter, it is wholeAristotles, what so euerAntoniein thesecond, andCrassusin the third doth teach. Trust not me,but beleueTulliehim selfe, who writeth so, first, in that goodlielong Epistlead P. Lentulum, and after in diuerse placesadAtticum. And in the verie booke it selfe, Tullie will not haueit hidden, but bothCatulusandCrassusdo oft and pleasantly laythat stelth toAntoniuscharge. Now, for the handling of thematter, wasTullieso precise and curious rather to follow another mans Paterne, than to inuent some newe shape him selfe,namelie in that booke, wherin he purposed, to leaue toposteritie, the glorie of his witte? yea forsoth, that he did.And this is not my gessing and gathering, nor onelie performedbyTulliein verie deed, but vttered also byTulliein plainewordes: to teach other men thereby, what they should do, intaking like matter in hand.And that which is specially to be marked,Tulliedoth vtterplainlie his conceit and purpose therein, by the mouth ofthe wisest man in all that companie: for saythScæuolahimselfe,Cur non imitamur, Crasse, Socratem illum, qui est in PhædroPlatonis &c.And furder to vnderstand, thatTulliedid notobiterandbichance, but purposelie and mindfullie bend him selfe toa precise and curious Imitation ofPlato, concernyng the shape
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and forme of those bookes, marke I pray you, how curiousTullieis to vtter his purpose and doyng therein, writing thus toAtticus.Quod in his Oratorijs libris, quos tantopere laudas, personamdesideras Scæuolæ, non eam temerè dimoui: Sed feci idem, quod inpoliteia Deus ille noster Plato, cum in Piræeum Socrates venisset adCephalum locupletem & festiuum Senem, quoad primus ille sermohaberetur, adest in disputando senex: Deinde, cum ipse quoquecommodissimè locutus esset, ad rem diuinam dicit se velle discedere,neque postea reuertitur. Credo Platonem vix putasse satis consonumfore, si hominem id ætatis in tam longo sermone diutius retinuisset:Multo ego satius hoc mihi cauendum putaui in Scæuola, qui & ætateet valetudine erat ea qua meministi, & his honoribus, vt vix satisdecorum videretur eum plures dies esse in Crassi Tusculano. Et eratprimi libri sermo non alienus à Scæuolæ studijs: reliqui libritechnologian habent, vt scis. Huic ioculatoriæ disputationi senemillum vt noras, interesse sanè nolui.IfCicerohad not opened him selfe, and declared hys ownethought and doynges herein, men that be idle, and ignorant, andenuious of other mens diligence and well doinges, would hauesworne thatTulliehad neuer mynded any soch thing, but thatof a precise curiositie, we fayne and forge and father sochthinges ofTullie, as he neuer ment in deed. I write this, notfor nought: for I haue heard some both well learned, andotherwayes verie wise, that by their lustie misliking of sochdiligence, haue drawen back the forwardnes of verie good wittes.But euen as such men them selues, do sometymes stumble vpondoyng well by chance and benefite of good witte, so wouldI haue our scholer alwayes able to do well by order of learnyngand right skill of iudgement.Concernyng Imitation, many learned men haue written,with moch diuersitie for the matter, and therfore with greatcontrarietie and some stomacke amongest them selues. Ihaue read as many as I could get diligentlie, and what Ithinke of euerie one of them, I will freelie say my mynde.With which freedome I trust good men will beare, bicauseit shall tend to neither spitefull nor harmefull controuersie.InTullie, it is well touched, shortlie taught, not fullieCicero.// declared byAnt. in2.de Orat: and afterwardinOrat. ad Brutum, for the liking and misliking
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ofIsocrates: and the contrarie iudgement ofTullieagainstCaluus, Brutus, andCalidius, de genere dicendi Attico & Asiatico.Dionis. Halic.peri mimeseos. I feare is lost: which Author, nextAristotle, Plato, andTullie, of all //Dio. Hali-other, that write of eloquence, by the iudgement //car.of them that be best learned, deserueth the next prayse and place.Quintilianwriteth of it, shortly and coldlie for the matter, yet hotelie and spitefullie enough, agaynst the //Quintil.Imitation ofTullie.Erasmus, beyng more occupied in spying other mens faultes, than declaryng his own aduise, is mistaken of //Erasmus.many, to the great hurt of studie, for his authoritie sake. For he writeth rightlie, rightlie vnderstanded: he andLongoliusonelie differing in this, that the one seemeth to giue ouermoch, the other ouer litle, to him, whom they both, best loued, and chiefly allowed of all other.Budæusin his Commentaries roughlie and obscurelie, after his kinde of writyng: and for the matter, //Budæus.caryed somwhat out of the way in ouermuch misliking the Imitation ofTullie. //Ph. Me-Phil. Melancthon, learnedlie and trewlie. //lanch.Camerariuslargely with a learned iudgement, //Ioa. Cam-but somewhat confusedly, and with ouer rough //mer.a stile.Sambucus, largely, with a right iudgement but somewhat a crooked stile. //Sambucus.Other haue written also, asCortesiusto //Cortesius.Politian, and that verie well:Bembus ad Picum//P. Bembus.a great deale better, butIoan. Sturmius de//Ioan. Stur-Nobilitate literata, & de Amissa dicendi ratione, //mius.farre best of all, in myne opinion, that euer tooke this matter in hand. For all the rest, declare chiefly this point, whether one, or many, or all, are to be followed: butSturmiusonelie hath most learnedlie declared, who is to be followed, what is to be followed, and the best point of all, by what way & order, trew Imitation is rightlie to be exercised. And althoughSturmiusherein doth farre passe all other, yet hath he not so fullie and perfitelie done it, as I do wishe he had, and as I know he could. For though he hath done it perfitelie for precept, yet hath he
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not done it perfitelie enough for example: which he did, neitherfor lacke of skill, nor by negligence, but of purpose, contentedwith one or two examples bicause he was mynded in those twobookes, to write of it both shortlie, and also had to touch othermatters.Barthol. Riccius Ferrariensisalso hath written learnedlie,diligentlie and verie largelie of this matter euen as hee did beforeverie wellde Apparatu linguæ Lat.He writeth the better inmyne opinion, bicause his whole doctrine, iudgement, andorder, semeth to be borowed out ofIo. Stur.bookes. Headdeth also examples, the best kinde of teaching: wherein hedoth well, but not well enough: in deede, he committeth nofaulte, but yet, deserueth small praise. He is content with themeane, and followeth not the best: as a man, that would feedevpon Acornes, whan he may eate, as good cheape, the finestwheat bread. He teacheth for example, where and how, twoor three lateItalianPoetes do followVirgil: and howVirgilhim selfe in the storie ofDido, doth wholie ImitateCatullusinthe like matter ofAriadna: Wherein I like better his diligenceand order of teaching, than his iudgement in choice of examplesforImitation. But, if he had done thus: if he had declaredwhere and how, how oft and how many wayesVirgildoth folowHomer, as for example the comming ofVlyssestoAlcynousandCalypso, with the comming ofæneastoCartageandDido: Like-wise the games running, wrestling, and shoting, thatAchillesmaketh inHomer, with the selfe same games, thatæneasmaketh inVirgil: The harnesse ofAchilles, with the harnesseofæneas, and the maner of making of them both byVulcane:The notable combate betwixtAchillesandHector, with asnotable a combate betwixtæneasandTurnus. The goingdowne to hell ofVlyssesinHomer, with the going downe to hellofÆneasinVirgil: and other places infinite mo, as similitudes,narrations, messages, discriptions of persones, places, battels,tempestes, shipwrackes, and common places for diuerse purposes,which be as precisely taken out ofHomer, as euer did Painter inLondon follow the picture of any faire personage. And whenthies places had bene gathered together by this way of diligencethan to haue conferred them together by this order of teachingas, diligently to marke what is kept and vsed in either author,in wordes, in sentences, in matter: what is added: what is left
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out: what ordered otherwise, eitherpræponendo, interponendo, orpostponendo: And what is altered for any respect, in word,phrase, sentence, figure, reason, argument, or by any way ofcircumstance: IfRicciushad done this, he had not onely benewell liked, for his diligence in teaching, but also iustlie com-mended for his right iudgement in right choice of examples forthe bestImitation.Ricciusalso forImitationof prose declareth where and howLongoliusdoth folowTullie, but as forLongolius, I would nothaue him the patern of ourImitation. In deede: inLongoliusshoppe, be proper and faire shewing colers, but as for shape,figure, and naturall cumlines, by the iudgement of best iudgingartificers, he is rather allowed as one to be borne withall, thanespecially commended, as one chieflie to be folowed.IfRicciushad taken for his examples, whereTulliehim selfefoloweth eitherPlatoorDemosthenes, he had shot than at theright marke. But to excuseRiccius, somwhat, though I cannot fullie defend him, it may be sayd, his purpose was, to teachonelie the Latin tong, when thys way that I do wish, to ioyneVirgilwithHomer, to readTulliewithDemosthenesandPlato,requireth a cunning and perfite Master in both the tonges. Itis my wish in deede, and that by good reason: For who so euerwill write well of any matter, must labor to expresse that, thatis perfite, and not to stay and content himselfe with the meane:yea, I say farder, though it be not vnposible, yet it is verie rare,and meruelous hard, to proue excellent in the Latin tong, forhim that is not also well seene in the Greeke tong.Tulliehimselfe, most excellent of nature, most diligent in labor, broughtvp from his cradle, in that place, and in that tyme, where andwhan the Latin tong most florished naturallie in euery mansmouth, yet was not his owne tong able it selfe to make him socunning in his owne tong, as he was in deede: but theknowledge andImitationof the Greeke tong withall.This he confesseth himselfe: this he vttereth in many places,as those can tell best, that vse to read him most.Therefore thou, that shotest at perfection in the Latin tong,thinke not thy selfe wiser thanTulliewas, in choice of the way,that leadeth rightlie to the same: thinke not thy witte betterthanTullieswas, as though that may serue thee that was notsufficient for him. For euen as a hauke flieth not hie with one
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wing: euen so 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 passe all other, in myne opinion, that euer I saw in any pitte in England, though they had two winges. Yet neuerthelesse, to flie well with one wing, to runne fast with one leg, be rather, rare Maistreis moch to be merueled at, than sure examples safelie to be folowed. A Bushop that now liueth, a good man, whose iudgement in Religion I better like, than his opinion in per- fitnes in other learning, said once vnto me: we haue no nede now of the Greeke tong, when all thinges be translated into Latin. But the good man vnderstood not, that euen the best translation, is, for mere necessitie, but an euill imped wing to flie withall, or a heuie stompe leg of wood to go withall: soch, the hier they flie, the sooner they falter and faill: the faster they runne, the ofter they stumble, and sorer they fall. Soch as will nedes so flie, may flie at a Pye, and catch a Dawe: And soch runners, as commonlie, they shoue and sholder to stand formost, yet in the end they cum behind others & deserue but the hopshakles, if the Masters of the game be right iudgers. Therefore in perusing thus, so many diuerse bookes for Optima //Imitation, it came into my head that a verie pro- ratio Imi- // fitable booke might be madede Imitatione, after tationis. // an other sort, than euer yet was attempted of that matter, conteyning a certaine fewe fitte preceptes, vnto the which should be gathered and applied plentie of examples, out of the choisest authors of both the tonges. This worke would stand, rather in good diligence, for the gathering, and right iudgement for the apte applying of those examples: than any great learning or vtterance at all. The doing thereof, would be more pleasant, than painfull, & would bring also moch proffet to all that should read it, and great praise to him would take it in hand, with iust desert of thankes.Erasmus, giuyng him selfe to read ouer all AuthorsGrekeErasmus// andLatin, seemeth to haue prescribed to him order in his // selfe this order of readyng: that is, to note out studie. // by the way, three speciall pointes: All Adagies,
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all similitudes, and all wittie sayinges of most notable person- ages: And so, by one labour, he left to posteritie, three notable bookes, & namelie two hisChiliades, ApophthegmataandSimilia. Likewise, if a good student would bend him selfe to read diligently ouer Tullie, and with him also at // {Plato.the same tyme, as diligentlyPlato, &Xenophon, // {Xenophon.with his bookes of Philosophie,Isocrates, & // Cicero. {Isocrates.Demostheneswith his orations, &Aristotlewith // {Demosth.his Rhetorickes: which fiue of all other, be // {Aristotles.those, whomTulliebest loued, & specially followed: & would marke diligently inTulliewhere he dothexprimereoreffingere(which be the verie propre wordes of Imitation) either,Copiam Platonisorvenustatem Xenophontis, suauitatem Isocratis, orvim Demosthenis, propriam & puram subtilitatem Aristotelis, and not onelie write out the places diligentlie, and lay them together orderlie, but also to conferre them with skilfull iudgement by those few rules, which I haue expressed now twise before: if that diligence were taken, if that order were vsed, 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 scarse credible to be beleued. These bookes, be not many, nor long, nor rude in speach, nor meane in matter, but next the Maiestie of Gods holie word, most worthie for a man, the louer of learning and honestie, to spend his life in. Yea, I haue heard worthieM. Chekemany tymes say: I would haue a good student passe and iorney through all Authors bothGrekeandLatin: but he that will dwell in these few bookes onelie: first, in Gods holie Bible, and than ioyne with it,TullieinLatin, Plato, Aristotle: Xenophon: Isocrates: andDemosthenesinGreke: must nedes proue an excel- lent man. Some men alreadie in our dayes, haue put to their helping handes, to this worke of Imitation. AsPeri-//Perionius.onius, Henr. Stephanus in dictionario Ciceroniano, //H. Steph.andP. Victoriusmost praiseworthelie of all, in //P. Victor-that his learned worke conteyning xxv. bookesde//ius.varia lectione: in which bookes be ioyned diligentlie together the best Authors of both the tonges where one doth seeme to imitate an other. But all these, withMacrobius, Hessus, and other, be no
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more but common porters, caryers, and bringers of matter andstuffe togither. They order nothing: They lay before you,what is done: they do not teach you, how it is done: Theybusie not them selues with forme of buildyng: They do notdeclare, this stuffe is thus framed byDemosthenes, and thus andthus byTullie, and so likewise inXenophon, PlatoandIsocratesandAristotle. For ioyningVirgilwithHomerI haue suf-ficientlie declared before.The like diligence I would wish to be taken inPindarandPindarus.//Horacean equall match for all respectes.Horatius.// In Tragedies, (the goodliest Argument of all,and for the vse, either of a learned preacher, or aCiuill Ientleman, more profitable thanHomer, Pindar, Virgill,andHorace: yea comparable in myne opinion, with the doctrineSophocles.// ofAristotle, Plato, andXenophon,) theGrecians,Euripides.//SophoclesandEuripidesfar ouer match ourSeneca,Seneca.// inLatin, namely in oikonomiaet Decoro, althoughSenacaeselocution and verse be verie commendable for his tyme.And for the matters ofHercules, Thebes, Hippolytus, andTroie,his Imitation is to be gathered into the same booke, and to betryed by the same touchstone, as is spoken before.In histories, and namelie inLiuie, the like diligence ofImitation, could bring excellent learning, and breede staydeiudgement, in taking any like matter in hand.OnelyLiuiewere a sufficient taske for one mans studie,Tit. Liuius.// to compare him, first with his fellow for all re-Dion. Hali-// spectes,Dion. Halicarnassæus: who both, liued incarn.// one tyme: tooke both one historie in hande towrite: deserued both like prayse of learnyng and eloquence.Polibius.// Than withPolybiusthat wise writer, whomLiuieprofesseth to follow: & if he would denie it, yetit is plaine, that the best part of the thyrdDecadeinLiuie, is inThucidides.// a maner translated out of the thyrd and rest ofPolibius: Lastlie withThucydides, to whose Imita-tionLiuieis curiouslie bent, as may well appeare by that one1Decad.// Oration of those ofCampania, asking aide of theLib.7. //Romanesagaynst theSamnites, which is wholietaken, Sentence, Reason, Argument, and order,Thucid.1. // out of the Oration ofCorcyra, asking like aide oftheAtheniensesagainst them ofCorinth. If some
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diligent student would take paynes to compare them togither, heshould easelie perceiue, that I do say trew. A booke, thuswholie filled with examples of Imitation, first out ofTullie,compared withPlato, Xenophon, Isocrates, DemosthenesandAristotle: than out ofVirgilandHorace, withHomerandPindar: next out ofSenecawithSophoclesandEuripides:Lastlieout ofLiuie, withThucydides, PolibiusandHalicarnassæus,gathered with good diligence, and compared with right order,as I haue expressed before, were an other maner of worke forall kinde of learning, & namely for eloquence, than be thosecold gatheringes ofMacrobius, Hessus, Perionius, Stephanus, andVictorius, which may be vsed, as I sayd before, in this case, asporters and caryers, deseruing like prayse, as soch men dowages; but onelySturmiusis he, out of whom, the trew surueyand whole workemanship is speciallie to be learned.I trust, this my writyng shall giue some good studentoccasion, to take some peece in hand of this worke of Imitation.And as I had rather haue any do it, than my // Opus deselfe, yet surelie my selfe rather than none at all. // recta imi-And by Gods grace, if God do lend me life, with // tandi ratione.health, free laysure and libertie, with good likyngand a merie heart, I will turne the best part of my studie andtyme, to toyle in one or other peece of this worke of Imitation.This diligence to gather examples, to giue light and vnder-standyng to good preceptes, is no new inuention, but speciallie vsedof the best Authors and oldest writers. ForAristotle//Aristoteles.him selfe, (asDiog. Laertiusdeclareth) when hehad written that goodlie booke of theTopickes, did gather outof stories and Orators, so many examples as filled xv. bookes,onelie to expresse the rules of hisTopickes. These were theCommentaries, thatAristotlethought fit for hys // Commen-Topickes: And therfore to speake as I thinke, I // tarij Græ-neuer saw yet any Commentarie vponAristotles// ci et Lati-Logicke, either inGrekeorLatin, that euer I // ni in Dia-lyked, bicause they be rather spent in declaryng // lect. Ari-scholepoynt rules, than in gathering fit examples // stotelis.for vse and vtterance, either by pen or talke. For preceptes inall Authors, and namelie inAristotle, without applying vntothem, the Imitation of examples, be hard, drie, and cold, andtherfore barrayn, vnfruitfull and vnpleasant. ButAristotle,
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namelie in hisTopicksandElenches, should be, not onelie fruitfull, but also pleasant to, if examples out ofPlato, and other good Authors, were diligentlie gathered, and aptlie Precepta // applied vnto his most perfit preceptes there. in Aristot. // And it is notable, that my frendeSturmiuswriteth Exempla // herein, that there is no precept inAristotlesinPlatone.//Topickeswherof plentie of examples be not manifest inPlatosworkes. And I heare say, that an excellent learned man,TomitanusinItalie, hath expressed euerie fallacion inAristotle, with diuerse examples out ofPlato. Would to God, I might once see, some worthie student ofAristotleandPlatoin Cambrige, that would ioyne in one booke the preceptes of the one, with the examples of the other. For such a labor, were one speciall peece of that worke of Imitation, which I do wishe were gathered together in one Volume. Cambrige, at my first comming thither, but not at my going away, committed this fault in reading the preceptes ofAristotlewithout the examples of other Authors: But herein, in my time thies men of worthie memorie,M. Redman,M. Cheke, M. Smith, M. Haddon, M. Watson, put so to their helping handes, as that vniuersitie, and all studentes there, as long as learning shall last, shall be bounde vnto them, if that trade in studie be trewlie folowed, which those men left behinde them there. By this small mention of Cambridge, I am caryed into three imaginations: first, into a sweete remembrance of my tyme spent there: than, into som carefull thoughts, for the greuous alteration that folowed sone after: lastlie, into much ioy to heare tell, of the good recouerie and earnest forwardnes in all good learning there agayne. To vtter theis my thoughts somwhat more largelie, were somwhat beside my matter, yet not very farre out of the way, bycause it shall wholy tend to the good encoragement and right consideration of learning, which is my full purpose in writing this litle booke: whereby also shall well appeare this sentence to be most trewe, that onely good men, by their gouernment & example, make happie times, in euery degree and state. DoctorNico. Medcalfe, that honorable father, was MasterD. Nic.// ofS. IohnesColledge, when I came thether: AMedcalf.// man meanelie learned himselfe, but not meanely
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affectioned to set forward learning in others. He found that Colledge spending scarse two hundred markes by yeare: he left it spending a thousand markes and more. Which he procured, not with his mony, but by his wisdome; not chargeablie bought by him, but liberallie geuen by others by his meane, for the zeale & honor they bare to learning. And that which is worthy of memorie, all thies giuers were almost Northenmen: who being liberallie rewarded in the seruice of their Prince, bestowed it as liberallie for the good of their Contrie. Som men thought therefore, thatD. Medcalfewas parciall to Northrenmen, but sure I am of this, that North- renmen were parciall, in doing more good, and geuing more landes to y^e forderance of learning, than any other // The parci- contrie men, in those dayes, did: which deede // alitie of should haue bene, rather an example of goodnes, // Northren for other to folowe, than matter of malice, for any // men in to enuie, as some there were that did. Trewly, //S. IohnesD. Medcalfewas parciall to none: but indifferent // College. to all: a master for the whole, a father to euery one, in that Colledge. There was none so poore, if he had, either wil to goodnes, or wit to learning, that could lacke being there, or should depart from thence for any need. I am witnes my selfe, that mony many times was brought into yong mens studies by strangers whom they knew not. In which doing, this worthyNicolausfolowed the steppes of good oldeS. Nicolaus, that learned Bishop. He was a Papist in deede, but would to God, amonges all vs Protestants I might once see but one, that would winne like praise, in doing like good, for the aduauncement of learning and vertue. And yet, though he were a Papist, if any yong man, geuen to new learning (as they termed it) went beyond his fellowes, in witte, labor, and towardnes, euen the same, neyther lacked, open praise to encorage him, nor priuate exhibition to mainteyne hym, as worthy SyrI. Cheke, if he were aliue would beare good witnes and so can many mo. I my selfe one of the meanest of a great number, in that Colledge, because there appeared in me som small shew of towardnes and diligence, lacked not his fauor to forder me in learning. And being a boy, new Bacheler of arte, I chanced amonges my companions to speake against the Pope: which matter was
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than in euery mans mouth, bycauseD. HainesandD. Skippewere cum from the Court, to debate the same matter, by preaching and disputation in the vniuersitie. This hapned the same tyme, when I stoode to be felow there: my taulke came toD. Medcalfeseare: I was called before him and the Seniores: and after greuous rebuke, and some punishment, open warning was geuen to all the felowes, none to be so hardie to geue me his voice at that election. And yet for all those open threates, the good father himselfe priuilie procured, that I should euen than be chosen felow. But, the election being done, he made countinance of great discontentation thereat. This good mans goodnes, and fatherlie discretion, vsed towardes me that one day, shall neuer out of my remembrance all the dayes of my life. And for the same cause, haue I put it here, in this small record of learning. For next Gods prouidence, surely that day, was by that good fathers meanes,Dies natalis, to me, for the whole foundation of the poore learning I haue, and of all the furderance, that hetherto else where I haue obteyned. This his goodnes stood not still in one or two, but flowed aboundantlie ouer all that Colledge, and brake out also to norishe good wittes in euery part of that vniuersitie: whereby, at this departing thence, he left soch a companie of fellowes and scholers inS. IohnesColledge, as can scarse be found now in some whole vniuersitie: which, either for diuinitie, on the one side or other, or for Ciuill seruice to their Prince and contrie, haue bene, and are yet to this day, notable ornaments to this whole Realme: YeaS. Iohnesdid then so florish, as Trinitie college, that Princely house now, at the first erection, was butColonia deductaout ofS. Iohnes, not onelie for their Master, fellowes, and scholers, but also, which is more, for their whole, both order of learning, and discipline of maners: & yet to this day, it neuer tooke Master but such as was bred vp before inS. Iohnes: doing the dewtie of a goodColoniato herMetropolis, as the auncient Cities in Greice and some yet in Italie, at this day, are accustomed to do.S. Iohnesstoode in this state, vntill those heuie tymes, and that greuous change that chanced. An. 1553. whan mo perfite scholers were dispersed from thence in one moneth, than many Psal. 80. // yeares can reare vp againe. For, whanAper de Syluahad passed the seas, and fastned his foote
the ready way to the Latin tong.281
againe in England, not onely the two faire 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 spring there, and euerie where else, was pitifullie nipt and ouertroden by very beastes, and also the fairest standers of all, were rooted vp, and cast into the fire, to the great weakning euen at this day of Christes Chirch in England, both for Religion and learning. And what good could chance than to the vniuersities, whan som of the greatest, though not of the wisest nor best learned, nor best men neither of that side, did labor to perswade, that ignorance was better than knowledge, which they ment, not for the laitie onelie, but also for the greatest rable of their spiritu- altie, what other pretense openlie so euer they made: and therefore did som of them at Cambrige (whom I will not name openlie,) cause hedge priestes fette oute of the contrie, to be made fellowes in the vniuersitie: saying, in their talke priuilie, and declaring 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 shorne faire and roundlie, and could turne his Portesse and pie readilie: whiche I speake not to reproue any order either of apparell, or other dewtie, that may be well and indifferentlie vsed, but to note the miserie of that time, whan the benefites prouided for learning were so fowlie misused. And what was the frute of this seade? Verely, iudgement in doctrine was wholy altered: order in discipline very sore changed: the loue of good learning, began sodenly to wax cold: the knowledge of the tonges (in spite of some that therein had florished) was manifestly contemned: and so, y^e way of right studie purposely peruerted: the choice of good authors of mallice confownded. Olde sophistrie (I say not well) not olde, but that new rotten sophistrie began to beard and sholder logicke in her owne tong: yea, I know, that heades were cast together, and counsell deuised, thatDuns, with all the rable of barbarous questionistes, should haue dispossessed of their place and rowmes,Aristotle, Plato, Tullie, //Aristoteles.andDemosthenes, when goodM. Redman, and //Plato.those two worthy starres of that vniuersitie, //Cicero.M. Cheke, andM. Smith, with their scholers, had //Demost.brought to florishe as notable in Cambrige, as
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euer they did in Grece and in Italie: and for the doctrine of those fowre, the fowre pillers of learning, Cambrige than geuing place to no vniuersitie, neither in France, Spaine, Germanie, nor Italie. Also in outward behauiour, than began simplicitie in apparell, to be layd aside: Courtlie galantnes to be taken vp: frugalitie in diet was priuately misliked: Towne going to good Shoting. // cheare openly vsed: honest pastimes, ioyned with labor, left of in the fieldes: vnthrifty and idle games, haunted corners, and occupied the nightes: contention in youth, no where for learning: factions in the elders euery where for trifles. All which miseries at length, by Gods prouidence, had their end 16.Nouemb.1558. Since which tyme, the yong spring hath shot vp so faire, as now there be in Cambrige againe, many goodly plantes (as did well appeare at the Queenes Maiesties 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 stand their tyme, as the best plantes there were wont to do: and if som old dotterell trees, with standing ouer nie them, and dropping vpon them, do not either hinder, or crooke their growing, wherein my feare is y^e lesse, seing so worthie a Iustice of an Oyre hath the present ouersight of that whole chace, who was himselfe somtym, in the fairest spring that euer was there of learning, one of the forwardest yong plantes, in all that worthy College ofS. Iohnes: who now by grace is growne to soch greatnesse, as, in the temperate and quiet shade of his wisdome, next the prouidence of God, and goodnes of one, in theis our daies,Religiofor sinceritie,literæfor order and aduauncement,Respub.for happie and quiet gouernment, haue to great rejoysing of all good men, speciallie reposed them selues. Now to returne to that Question, whether one, a few, many or all, are to be folowed, my aunswere shalbe short: All, for him that is desirous to know all: yea, the worst of all, as Questionistes, and all the barbarous nation of scholemen, helpe for one or other consideration: But in euerie separate kinde of learning and studie, by it selfe, ye must follow, choiselie a few, and chieflie some one, and that namelie in our schole of eloquence, either for penne or talke. And as in portraicture and paintyng wise men chose not that workman, that can onelie make a faire hand, or a well facioned legge but soch one, as can
the ready way to the Latin tong.283
furnish vp fullie, all the fetures of the whole body, of a man, woman and child: and with all is able to, by good skill, to giue to euerie one of these 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 sweetnes of a yong babe: euen likewise, do we seeke soch one in our schole to folow, who is able alwayes, in all matters, to teach plainlie, to delite pleasantlie, and to cary away by force of wise talke, all that shall heare or read him: and is so excellent in deed, as witte is able, or wishe can hope, to attaine vnto: And this not onelie to serue in theLatinorGreketong, but also in our own English language. But yet, bicause the prouid- ence of God hath left vnto vs in no other tong, saue onelie in theGrekeandLatintong, the trew preceptes, and perfite examples of eloquence, therefore must we seeke in the Authors onelie of those two tonges, the trewe Paterne of Eloquence, if in any other mother tongue we looke to attaine, either to perfit vtterance of it our selues, or skilfull iudgement of it in others. And now to know, what Author doth medle onelie with some 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 difference of Authors, with that Ientleman of worthie memorie, my dearest frend, and teacher of all the litle poore learning I haue, SyrIohn Cheke. The trew difference of Authors is best knowne,per diuersa genera dicendi, that euerie one vsed. And therfore here I will deuidegenus dicendi, not into these three,Tenuè, mediocrè, & grande, but as the matter of euerie Author requireth, as
{Poeticum.{Historicum.in Genus{Philosophicum.{Oratorium.
These differre one from an other, in choice of wordes, in framyng of Sentences, in handling of Argumentes, and vse of right forme, figure, and number, proper and fitte for euerie matter, and euerie one of these is diuerse also in it selfe, as the first.
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{Comicum.{Tragicum.Poeticum, in{Epicum.{Melicum.
And here, who soeuer hath bene diligent to read aduisedlie ouer,Terence, Seneca, Virgil, Horace, or elsAristophanes, Sophocles, Homer, andPindar, and shall diligently marke the difference they vse, in proprietie of wordes, in forme of sentence, in handlyng of their matter, he shall easelie perceiue, what is fitte anddecorumin euerie one, to the trew vse of perfite Imitation. WhanM. Watsonin S. Iohns College at Cambrige wrote his excellent Tragedie ofAbsalon, M. Cheke, he and I, for that part of trew Imitation, had many pleasant talkes togither, in com- paring the preceptes ofAristotleandHorace de Arte Poetica, with the examples ofEuripides, Sophocles, andSeneca. Few men, in writyng of Tragedies in our dayes, haue shot at this marke. Some inEngland, moe inFrance, Germanie, andItalie, also haue written Tragedies in our tyme: of the which, not one I am sure is able to abyde the trew touch ofAristotlespreceptes, andEuripidesexamples, saue only two, that euer I saw,M. Watsons Absalon, andGeorgius Buckananus Iephthe. One man in Cambrige, well liked of many, but best liked of him selfe, was many tymes bold and busie, to bryng matters vpon stages, which he called Tragedies. In one, wherby he looked to wynne his spurres, and whereat many ignorant felowes fast clapped their handes, he began theProtasiswithTrochæijs Octonarijs: which kinde of verse, as it is but seldome and rare in Tragedies, so is it neuer vsed, saue onelie inEpitasi: whan the Tragedie is hiest and hotest, and full of greatest troubles. I remember ful well whatM. Watsonmerelie sayd vnto me of his blindnesse and boldnes in that behalfe although otherwise, there passed much frendship betwene them.M. Watsonhad an other maner care of perfection, with a feare and reuerence of the iudgement of the best learned: Who to this day would neuer suffer, yet hisAbsalonto go abroad, and that onelie, bicause, inlocis paribus, Anapestusis twise or thrise vsed in stede ofIambus. A smal faulte, and such one, as perchance would neuer be marked, no neither inItalienorFrance. This I write, not so much, to note the first, or praise the last, as to leaue in
the ready way to the Latin tong.285
memorie of writing, for good example to posteritie, what perfection, in any tyme, was, most diligentlie sought for in like maner, in all kinde of learnyng, in that most worthie College of S. Iohns in Cambrige.
{Diaria.{Annales.Historicum in{Commentarios.{Iustam Historiam.