The Scholemaster Part 10

shalbe heard, or his writing be red, of soch one, as is, either of my two dearest frendes, _M. Haddon_ at home, or _Iohn Sturmius_ in Germanie, that _Nimium_ in 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 l.u.s.tie, as some men being neuer so old and spent by yeares, will still be full of youthfull conditions as was Syr _F. 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 of _Epitome_, and do, as certaine wise men do, that be ouer fat and fles.h.i.+e: 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: If _Osorius_ would leaue of his l.u.s.tines in striuing against _S. Austen_, and his ouer rancke rayling against poore _Luther_, and the troth of G.o.ds doctrine, and giue his whole studie, not to write any thing of his owne for a while, but to translate _Demosthenes_, with so straite, fast, & temperate a style in latine, as he is in Greeke, he would bec.u.me so perfit & pure a writer, I beleue, as hath bene fewe or none sence _Ciceroes_ dayes: 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 G.o.d 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 pa.s.sed 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 the _Psal._ 80. // wood: or those brauling Bulles of Basan: or any lurking _Dormus_, blinde, not by nature, but by malice, & as may be gathered of their owne testimonie, giuen ouer to blindnes, for giuing ouer G.o.d & his word; or soch as be so l.u.s.tie runnegates, as first, runne from G.o.d & 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 to _Epitome_ agayne, some will iudge moch boldnes in me, thus to iudge of _Osorius_ style: but wise men do know, that meane lookers on, may trewelie say, for a well made Picture: This face had bene more c.u.mlie, 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 of _Osorius_, because _Tullie_ himselfe had the same fulnes in him: and therefore went to _Rodes_ to cut it away: and saith himselfe, _recepi me domum prope mutatus, nam quasi referuerat iam oratio_. Which was brought to pa.s.se I beleue, not onelie by the teaching of _Molo Appollonius_ but also by a good way of _Epitome_, in binding him selfe to translate _meros Atticos Oratores_, and so to bring his style, from all lowse grosnesse, to soch firme fastnes in latin, as is in _Demosthenes_ in Greeke. And this to be most trew, may easelie be gathered, not onelie of _L. Cra.s.sus_ talke in 1. _de Or._ but speciallie of _Ciceroes_ owne deede in translating _Demosthenes_ and _aeschines_ orations peri steph. to that verie ende and purpose.

And although a man growndlie learned all readie, may take moch proffet him selfe in vsing, by _Epitome_, to draw other mens

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workes for his owne memorie sake, into shorter rowme, as _Conterus_ hath done verie well the whole _Metamorphosis_ of _Ouid_, & _Dauid Cythraeus_ a great deale better, the ix. Muses of _Hero- dotus_, and _Melanchthon_ in 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, _Epitome_ is most necessarie of all in a mans owne writing, as we learne of that n.o.ble Poet _Virgill_, who, if _Donatus_ say trewe, in writing that perfite worke of the _Georgickes_, vsed dailie, when he had written 40. or 50.

verses, not to cease cutting, paring, and pollis.h.i.+ng 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 of _Epitome_, 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, l.u.s.tie, 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 of _Epitome_) 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 Amba.s.sadors 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 Winchester _Steph_: _Gardiner_ had a quicke head, and a readie tong, and yet was not the best writer in England.

_Cicero_ in _Brutus_ doth wiselie note the same in _Serg: Galbo_, and _Q. Hortentius_, who were both, hote, l.u.s.tie, and plaine speakers, but colde, lowse, and rough writers: And _Tullie_ telleth 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_, sayth _Cicero_, _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, pa.s.se 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 c.u.m behinde in writing whatsoeuer they take in hand. The methode of _Epitome_ is most necessarie for soch kinde of men. And thus much concerning the vse or misuse of all kinde of _Epitomes_ in matters of learning.

[dingbat omitted] _Imitatio._

_Imitation_, is a facultie to expresse liuelie and perfitelie that example: which ye go about to folow. And of it selfe, it is large and wide: for all the workes of nature, in a maner be examples for arte to folow.

But to our purpose, all languages, both learned and mother tonges, be gotten, and gotten onelie by _Imitation_. For as ye vse to heare, so ye learne to speake: if ye heare no other, ye speake not your selfe: and whome ye onelie heare, of them ye onelie learne.

And therefore, if ye would speake as the best and wisest do,

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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 G.o.d 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 c.u.mmeth 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 G.o.ds 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 G.o.ds wisdome hath wrought, that of _Academici_ and _Peripatetici_, 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, as _Plato_ and _Aristotle_ in Greeke, _Tullie_ in 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 G.o.ds holie Bible, without the which, the 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 3. _de Rep._ but it doth not moch belong at this time to our purpose.

The second kind of _Imitation_, 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_, or _Cicero_: _Sal.u.s.t_ or _Caesar_, and so forth in Greeke and Latin.

The third kinde of _Imitation_, 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 shall trewelie discerne, whether ye folow rightlie or no.

This _Imitatio_, is _dissimilis materiei similis tractatio_: and also, _similis materiei dissimilis tractatio_, as _Virgill_ folowed _Homer_: but the Argument to the one was _Vlysses_, to the other _aeneas_.

_Tullie_ persecuted _Antonie_ with the same wepons of eloquence, that _Demosthenes_ vsed before against _Philippe_.

_Horace_ foloweth _Pindar_, but either of them his owne Argument and Person: as the one, _Hiero_ king of _Sicilie_, the other _Augustus_ the 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 right _Imitation_ we lacke, and that is _Menander_, whom our _Terence_, (as the matter required) in like argument, in the same Persons, with equall eloquence, foote by foote did folow.

Som peeces remaine, like broken Iewelles, whereby men may rightlie esteme, and iustlie lament, the losse of the whole.

_Erasmus_, the ornament of learning, in our tyme, doth wish that som man of learning and diligence, would take the like paines in _Demosthenes_ 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. _Erasmus_ wishe is good, but surelie, it is not good enough: for _Macrobius_ gatherings for the _aeneidos_ out of _Homer_, and _Eoba.n.u.s Hessus_ more diligent gatherings for the _Bucolikes_ out of _Theocritus_, as they be not fullie taken out of the whole heape, as they should be, but euen as though they had not sought for them of purpose, but fownd them scatered here and there by chance in their way, euen so, onelie to point out, and nakedlie to ioyne togither their sentences, with no farder declaring the maner and way, how the one doth folow the other, were but a colde helpe, to the encrease of learning.

But if a man would take this paine also, whan he hath layd two places, of _Homer_ and _Virgill_, or of _Demosthenes_ and _Tullie_ togither, to teach plainlie withall, after this sort.

1. _Tullie_ reteyneth thus moch of the matter, thies sentences, 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 circ.u.mstance of the authors present purpose. In thies fewe rude English wordes, are wrapt vp all the necessarie tooles and instrumentes, wherewith trewe _Imita- tion_ is 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, Syr _Iohn 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 G.o.d, 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 quant.i.tie of land.

This foresaide order and doctrine of _Imitation_, 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, as _Plato_ and _Tullie_, 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 l.u.s.telie 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 of others: and that the olde worthie Authors did neuer busie their heades and wittes, in folowyng so preciselie, either the matter what other men wrote, or els the maner how other men wrote.

They will say, it were a plaine slauerie, & inurie to, to shakkle and tye a good witte, and hinder the course of a mans good nature with such bondes of seruitude, in folowyng other.

Except soch men thinke them selues wiser then _Cicero_ for teaching of eloquence, they must be content to turne a new leafe.

The best booke that euer _Tullie_ wrote, by all mens iudge- ment, and by his owne testimonie to, in writyng wherof, he employed most care, studie, learnyng and iudgement, is his book _de Orat. ad Q. F._ Now let vs see, what he did for the matter, and also for the maner of writing therof. For the whole booke consisteth in these two pointes onelie: In good matter, and good handling of the matter. And first, for the matter, it is whole _Aristotles_, what so euer _Antonie_ in the second, and _Cra.s.sus_ in the third doth teach. Trust not me, but beleue _Tullie_ him selfe, who writeth so, first, in that goodlie long Epistle _ad P. Lentulum_, and after in diuerse places _ad Attic.u.m_. And in the verie booke it selfe, Tullie will not haue it hidden, but both _Catulus_ and _Cra.s.sus_ do oft and pleasantly lay that stelth to _Antonius_ charge. Now, for the handling of the matter, was _Tullie_ so precise and curious rather to follow an other mans Paterne, than to inuent some newe shape him selfe, namelie in that booke, wherin he purposed, to leaue to posteritie, the glorie of his witte? yea forsoth, that he did.

And this is not my gessing and gathering, nor onelie performed by _Tullie_ in verie deed, but vttered also by _Tullie_ in plaine wordes: to teach other men thereby, what they should do, in taking like matter in hand.

And that which is specially to be marked, _Tullie_ doth vtter plainlie his conceit and purpose therein, by the mouth of the wisest man in all that companie: for sayth _Scaeuola_ him selfe, _Cur non imitamur, Cra.s.se, Socratem illum, qui est in Phaedro Platonis &c._ And furder to vnderstand, that _Tullie_ did not _obiter_ and b.i.+.c.hance, but purposelie and mindfullie bend him selfe to a precise and curious Imitation of _Plato_, concernyng the shape

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and forme of those bookes, marke I pray you, how curious _Tullie_ is to vtter his purpose and doyng therein, writing thus to _Atticus_.

_Quod in his Oratorijs libris, quos tantopere laudas, personam desideras Scaeuolae, non eam temere dimoui: Sed feci idem, quod in politeia Deus ille noster Plato, c.u.m in Piraeeum Socrates venisset ad Cephalum locupletem & festiuum Senem, quoad primus ille sermo haberetur, adest in disputando senex: Deinde, c.u.m ipse quoque commodissime locutus esset, ad rem diuinam dicit se velle discedere, neque postea reuert.i.tur. Credo Platonem vix puta.s.se satis consonum fore, si hominem id aetatis in tam longo sermone diutius retinuisset: Multo ego satius hoc mihi cauendum putaui in Scaeuola, qui & aetate et valetudine erat ea qua meministi, & his honoribus, vt vix satis decorum videretur eum plures dies esse in Cra.s.si Tusculano. Et erat primi libri sermo non alienus a Scaeuolae studijs: reliqui libri technologian habent, vt scis. Huic ioculatoriae disputationi senem illum vt noras, interesse sane nolui._ If _Cicero_ had not opened him selfe, 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 sworne that _Tullie_ had neuer mynded any soch thing, but that of a precise curiositie, we fayne and forge and father soch thinges of _Tullie_, as he neuer ment in deed. I write this, not for nought: for I haue heard some both well learned, and otherwayes verie wise, that by their l.u.s.tie misliking of soch diligence, haue drawen back the forwardnes of verie good wittes.

But euen as such men them selues, do sometymes stumble vpon doyng well by chance and benefite of good witte, so would I haue our scholer alwayes able to do well by order of learnyng and right skill of iudgement.

Concernyng Imitation, many learned men haue written, with moch diuersitie for the matter, and therfore with great contrarietie and some stomacke amongest them selues. I haue read as many as I could get diligentlie, and what I thinke of euerie one of them, I will freelie say my mynde.

With which freedome I trust good men will beare, bicause it shall tend to neither spitefull nor harmefull controuersie.

In _Tullie_, it is well touched, shortlie taught, not fullie _Cicero._ // declared by _Ant. in_ 2. _de Orat_: and afterward in _Orat. ad Brutum_, for the liking and misliking