The Scholemaster Part 12

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 G.o.ds 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 of _S. Iohnes_: who now by grace is growne to soch greatnesse, as, in the temperate and quiet shade of his wisdome, next the prouidence of G.o.d, and goodnes of one, in theis our daies, _Religio_ for sinceritie, _literae_ for 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

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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 the _Latin_ or _Greke_ tong, but also in our own English language. But yet, bicause the prouid- ence of G.o.d hath left vnto vs in no other tong, saue onelie in the _Greke_ and _Latin_ tong, 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, Syr _Iohn Cheke_.

The trew difference of Authors is best knowne, _per diuersa genera dicendi_, that euerie one vsed. And therfore here I will deuide _genus dicendi_, not into these three, _Tenue, mediocre, & grande_, but as the matter of euerie Author requireth, as

{_Poetic.u.m._ {_Historic.u.m._ _in Genus_{_Philosophic.u.m._ {_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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{_Comic.u.m._ {_Tragic.u.m._ _Poetic.u.m, in_ {_Epic.u.m._ {_Melic.u.m._

And here, who soeuer hath bene diligent to read aduisedlie ouer, _Terence, Seneca, Virgil, Horace_, or els _Aristophanes, Sophocles, Homer_, and _Pindar_, 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 and _decorum_ in euerie one, to the trew vse of perfite Imitation.

Whan _M. Watson_ in S. Iohns College at Cambrige wrote his excellent Tragedie of _Absalon, M. Cheke_, he and I, for that part of trew Imitation, had many pleasant talkes togither, in com- paring the preceptes of _Aristotle_ and _Horace de Arte Poetica_, with the examples of _Euripides, Sophocles_, and _Seneca_. Few men, in writyng of Tragedies in our dayes, haue shot at this marke. Some in _England_, moe in _France, Germanie_, and _Italie_, also haue written Tragedies in our tyme: of the which, not one I am sure is able to abyde the trew touch of _Aristotles_ preceptes, and _Euripides_ examples, saue only two, that euer I saw, _M. Watsons Absalon_, and _Georgius Buckana.n.u.s 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 the _Protasis_ with _Trochaeijs Octonarijs_: which kinde of verse, as it is but seldome and rare in Tragedies, so is it neuer vsed, saue onelie in _Epitasi_: whan the Tragedie is hiest and hotest, and full of greatest troubles.

I remember ful well what _M. Watson_ merelie sayd vnto me of his blindnesse and boldnes in that behalfe although otherwise, there pa.s.sed much frends.h.i.+p betwene them. _M. Watson_ had 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 his _Absalon_ to go abroad, and that onelie, bicause, in _locis paribus, Anapestus_ is twise or thrise vsed in stede of _Iambus_. A smal faulte, and such one, as perchance would neuer be marked, no neither in _Italie_ nor _France_. This I write, not so much, to note the first, or praise the last, as to leaue in

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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._ _Historic.u.m in_ {_Commentarios._ {_Iustam Historiam._

For what proprietie in wordes, simplicitie in sentences, plainnesse and light, is c.u.melie for these kindes, _Caesar_ and _Liuie_, for the two last, are perfite examples of Imitation: And for the two first, the old paternes be lost, and as for some that be present and of late tyme, they be fitter to be read once for some pleasure, than oft to be perused, for any good Imitation of them.

_Philosophic.u.m in_ {_Sermonem_, as _officia Cic. et Eth. Arist._ {_Contentionem._

As, the Dialoges of _Plato, Xenophon_, and _Cicero_: of which kinde of learnyng, and right Imitation therof, _Carolus Sigonius_ hath written of late, both learnedlie and eloquentlie: but best of all my frende _Ioan. Sturmius_ in hys Commentaries vpon _Gorgias Platonis_, which booke I haue in writyng, and is not yet set out in Print.

{_Humile._ _Oratorium in_ {_Mediocre._ {_Sublime._

Examples of these three, in the _Greke_ tong, be plentifull & perfite, as _Lycias, Isocrates_, and _Demosthenes_: and // _Lisias._ all three, in onelie _Demosthenes_, in diuerse orations // _Isocrates._ as _contra Olimpiodorum, in leptinem, & pro Ctesi-_ // _Demost._ _phonte_. And trew it is, that _Hermogines_ writeth of _Demosthenes_, that all formes of Eloquence be perfite in him.

In _Ciceroes_ Orations, _Medium & sublime_ be most // _Cicero._ excellentlie handled, but _Humile_ in his Orations, is seldome sene: yet neuerthelesse in other bookes, as in some part of his offices, & specially _in Part.i.tionibus_, he is comparable _in hoc humili & disciplinabili genere_, euen with the best that euer

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wrote in _Greke_. But of _Cicero_ more fullie in fitter place. And thus, the trew difference of stiles, in euerie Author, and euerie kinde of learnyng may easelie be knowne by this diuision.

{_Poetic.u.m._ {_Historic.u.m._ _in Genus_ {_Philosophic.u.m._ {_Oratorium._

Which I thought in this place to touch onelie, not to prosecute at large, bicause, G.o.d w.i.l.l.yng, in the _Latin_ tong, I will fullie handle it, in my booke _de Imitatione_.

Now, to touch more particularlie, which of those Authors, that be now most commonlie in mens handes, will sone affourd you some peece of Eloquence, and what maner a peece of eloquence, and what is to be liked and folowed, and what to be misliked and eschewed in them: and how some agayne will furnish you fully withall, rightly, and wisely considered, som- what I will write as I haue heard Syr _Ihon Cheke_ many tymes say.

The Latin tong, concerning any part of purenesse of it, from the spring, to the decay of the same, did not endure moch longer, than is the life of a well aged man, sca.r.s.e one hundred yeares from the tyme of the last _Scipio Africa.n.u.s_ and _Laelius_, to the Empire of _Augustus_. And it is notable, that _Velleius Pater- culus_ writeth of _Tullie_, how that the perfection of eloquence did so 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 soch as _Tullie_ might haue seene, and such as might haue seene _Tullie_. And good cause why: for no perfec- tion is durable. Encrease hath a time, & decay likewise, but all perfit ripenesse remaineth but a moment: as is plainly seen in fruits, plummes and cherries: but more sensibly in flowers, as Roses & such like, and yet as trewlie in all greater matters.

For what naturallie, can go no hier, must naturallie yeld & stoup againe.

Of this short tyme of any purenesse of the Latin tong, for the first fortie yeare of it, and all the tyme before, we haue no peece of learning left, saue _Plautus_ and _Terence_, with a litle rude vnperfit pamflet of the elder _Cato_. And as for _Plautus_, except the scholemaster be able to make wise and ware choice,

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first in proprietie of wordes, than in framing of Phrases and sentences, and chieflie in choice of honestie of matter, your scholer were better to play, then learne all that is in him. But surelie, if iudgement for the tong, and direction for the maners, be wisely ioyned with the diligent reading of _Plautus_, than trewlie _Plautus_, for that purenesse of the Latin tong in Rome, whan Rome did most florish in wel doing, and so thereby, in well speaking also, is soch a plentifull storehouse, for common eloquence, in meane matters, and all priuate mens affaires, as the Latin tong, for that respect, hath not the like agayne.

Whan I remember the worthy tyme of Rome, wherein _Plautus_ did liue, I must nedes honor the talke of that tyme, which we see _Plautus_ doth vse.

_Terence_ is also a storehouse of the same tong, for an other tyme, following soone after, & although he be not so full & plentiful as _Plautus_ is, for mult.i.tude of matters, & diuersitie of wordes, yet his wordes, be chosen so purelie, placed so orderly, and all his stuffe so neetlie packed vp, and wittely compa.s.sed in euerie place, as, by all wise mens iudgement, he is counted the cunninger workeman, and to haue his shop, for the rowme that is in it, more finely appointed, and trimlier ordered, than _Plautus_ is.

Three thinges chiefly, both in _Plautus_ and _Terence_, are to be specially considered. The matter, the vtterance, the words, the meter. The matter in both, is altogether within the compa.s.se of the meanest mens maners, and doth not stretch to any thing of any great weight at all, but standeth chiefly in vtteryng the thoughtes and conditions of hard fathers, foolish mothers, vnthrifty yong men, craftie seruantes, sotle bawdes, and wilie harlots, and so, is moch spent, in finding out fine fetches, and packing vp pelting matters, soch as in London commonlie c.u.m to the hearing of the Masters of Bridewell.

Here is base stuffe for that scholer, that should bec.u.m hereafter, either a good minister in Religion, or a Ciuill Ientleman in seruice of his Prince and contrie: except the preacher do know soch matters to confute them, whan ignorance surelie in all soch 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 worst part of the picture, as if one were skilfull in painting

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the bodie of a naked person, from the nauell downward, but nothing else.

For word and speach, _Plautus_ is more plentifull, and _Terence_ more pure and proper: And for one respect, _Terence_ is to be embraced aboue all that euer wrote in hys kinde of argument: Bicause it is well known, by good recorde of learning, and that by _Ciceroes_ owne witnes that some Comedies bearyng _Terence_ name, were written by worthy _Scipio_, and wise _Laelius_, and namely _Heauton_: and _Adelphi_. And therefore as oft as I reade those Comedies, so oft doth sound in myne eare, the pure fine talke of Rome, which was vsed by the floure of the worthiest n.o.bilitie that euer Rome bred. Let the wisest man, and best learned that liueth, read aduisedlie ouer, the first scene of _Heauton_, and the first scene of _Adelphi_, and let him consideratlie iudge, whether it is the talke of a seruile stranger borne, or rather euen that milde eloquent wise speach, which _Cicero_ in _Brutus_ doth so liuely expresse in _Laelius_. And yet neuerthelesse, in all this good proprietie of wordes, and purenesse of phrases which be in _Terence_, ye must not follow him alwayes in placing of them, bicause for the meter sake, some wordes in him, somtyme, be driuen awrie, which require a straighter placing in plaine prose, if ye will forme, as I would ye should do, your speach and writing, to that excellent perfitnesse, which was onely in _Tullie_, or onelie in _Tullies_ tyme.

The meter and verse of _Plautus_ and _Terence_ be verie meane, _Meter in_ // and not to be followed: which is not their reproch, _Plautus &_ // but the fault of the tyme, wherein they wrote, whan _Terence._ // no kinde of Poetrie, in the Latin tong, was brought to perfection, as doth well appeare in the fragmentes of _Ennius, Caecilius_, and others, and euidentlie in _Plautus_ & _Terence_, if thies in Latin be compared with right skil, with _Homer_, _Euripides, Aristophanes_, and other in Greeke of like sort. _Cicero_ him selfe doth complaine of this vnperfitnes, but more plainly _Quintilian_, saying, _in Comdia maxime claudicamus, et vix leuem consequimur vmbram_: and most earnestly of all _Horace in Arte Poetica_, which he doth namely _propter carmen Iambic.u.m_, and referreth all good studentes herein to the Imitation of the Greeke tong, saying.

_Exemplaria Graeca nocturna versate manu, versate diurna._

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This matter maketh me gladly remember, my sweete tyme spent at Cambrige, and the pleasant talke which I had oft with _M. Cheke_, and _M. Watson_, of this fault, not onely in the olde Latin Poets, but also in our new English Rymers at this day.

They wished as _Virgil_ and _Horace_ were not wedded to follow the faultes of former fathers (a shrewd mariage in greater matters) but by right _Imitation_ of the perfit Grecians, had brought Poetrie to perfitnesse also in the Latin tong, that we Englishmen likewise would acknowledge and vnderstand right- fully our rude beggerly ryming, brought first into Italie by _Gothes_ and _Hunnes_, whan all good verses and all good learning to, were destroyd by them: and after caryed into France and Germanie: and at last, receyued into England by men of excellent wit in deede, but of small learning, and lesse iudge- ment in that behalfe.

But now, when men know the difference, and haue the examples, both of the best, and of the worst, surelie, to follow rather the _Gothes_ in Ryming, than the Greekes in trew versifiyng, were euen to eate ackornes with swyne, when we may freely eate wheate bread emonges men. In deede, _Chauser, Th.

Norton_, of Bristow, my L. of Surrey, _M. Wiat, Th. Phaer_, and other Ientlemen, in translating _Ouide, Palingenius_, and _Seneca_, haue gonne as farre to their great praise, as the copie they followed could cary them, but, if soch good wittes, and forward diligence, had bene directed to follow the best examples, and not haue bene caryed by tyme and custome, to content themselues with that barbarous and rude Ryming, emonges their other worthy praises, which they haue iustly deserued, this had not bene the least, to be counted emonges men of learning and skill, more like vnto the Grecians, than vnto the Gothians, in handling of their verse.

In deed, our English tong, hauing in vse chiefly, wordes of one syllable which commonly be long, doth not well receiue the nature of _Carmen Heroic.u.m_, bicause _dactylus_, the aptest foote for that verse, conteining one long & two short, is seldom there- fore found in English: and doth also rather stumble than stand vpon _Monosyllabis. Quintilian_ in hys learned Chapiter // hand.gif _de Compositione_, geueth this lesson _de Monosyllabis_, before me: and in the same place doth iustlie inuey against all Ryming, that if there be any, who be angrie with me, for

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misliking of Ryming, may be angry for company to, with _Quintilian_ also, for the same thing: And yet _Quintilian_ had not so iust cause to mislike of it than, as men haue at this day.

And although _Carmen Exametrum_ doth rather trotte and hoble, than runne smothly in our English tong, yet I am sure, our English tong will receiue _carmen Iambic.u.m_ as naturallie, as either _Greke_ or _Latin_. But for ignorance, men can not like, & for idlenes, men will not labor, to c.u.m to any perfitenes at all.

For, as the worthie Poetes in _Athens_ and _Rome_, were more carefull to satisfie the iudgement of one learned, than rashe in pleasing the humor of a rude mult.i.tude, euen so if men in England now, had the like reuerend regard to learning skill and iudgement, and durst not presume to write, except they came with the like learnyng, and also did vse like diligence, in searchyng out, not onelie iust measure in euerie meter, as euerie ignorant person may easely do, but also trew quant.i.tie in euery foote and sillable, as onelie the learned shalbe able to do, and as the _Grekes_ and _Romanes_ were wont to do, surelie than rash ignorant heads, which now can easely recken vp fourten sillables, and easelie stumble on euery Ryme, either durst not, for lacke of such learnyng: or els would not, in auoyding such labor, be hand.gif // so busie, as euerie where they be: and shoppes in London should not be so full of lewd and rude rymes, as commonlie they are. But now, the ripest of tong, be readiest to write: And many dayly in setting out bookes and balettes make great shew of blossomes and buddes, in whom is neither, roote of learning, nor frute of wisedome at all. Some that make _Chaucer_ in English and _Petrarch_ in _Italian_, their G.o.ds in verses, and yet be not able to make trew difference, what is a fault, and what is a iust prayse, in those two worthie wittes, will moch mislike this my writyng. But such men be euen like followers of _Chaucer_ and _Petrarke_, as one here in England did folow Syr _Tho. More_: who, being most vnlike vnto him, in wit and learnyng, neuertheles in wearing his gowne awrye vpon the one shoulder, as Syr _Tho. More_ was wont to do, would nedes be counted lyke vnto him.

This mislikyng of Ryming, beginneth not now of any newfangle singularitie, but hath bene long misliked of many, and that of men, of greatest learnyng, and deepest iudgement.

And soch, that defend it, do so, either for lacke of knowledge

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what is best, or els of verie enuie, that any should performe that in learnyng, whereunto they, as I sayd before, either for ignorance, can not, or for idlenes will not, labor to attaine vnto.

And you that prayse this Ryming, bicause ye neither haue reason, why to like it, nor can shew learning to defend it, yet I will helpe you, with the authoritie of the oldest and learnedst tyme. In _Grece_, whan Poetrie was euen at the hiest pitch of per- fitnes, one _Simmias Rhodius_ of a certaine singularitie wrote a booke in ryming _Greke_ verses, naming it oon, conteyning the fable, how _Iupiter_ in likenes of a swan, gat that egge vpon _Leda_, whereof came _Castor, Pollux_ and faire _Elena_. This booke was so liked, that it had few to read it, but none to folow it: But was presentlie contemned: and sone after, both Author and booke, so forgotten by men, and consumed by tyme, as sca.r.s.e the name of either is kept in memorie of learnyng: And the like folie was neuer folowed of any, many hondred yeares after vntill y^e _Hunnes_ and _Gothians_, and other barbarous nations, of ignorance and rude singularitie, did reuiue the same folie agayne.

The n.o.ble Lord _Th._ Earle of Surrey, first of all English men, in translating the fourth booke of _Virgill_: // The Earle of and _Gonsaluo Periz_ that excellent learned man, // Surrey.

and Secretarie to kyng _Philip_ of _Spaine_, in // _Gonsaluo_ translating the _Vlisses of Homer_ out of _Greke_ into // _Periz._ _Spanish_, haue both, by good iudgement, auoyded the fault of Ryming, yet neither of them hath fullie hite perfite and trew versifiyng. In deede, they obserue iust number, and euen feete: but here is the fault, that their feete: be feete without ioyntes, that is to say, not distinct by trew quant.i.tie of sillables: And so, soch feete, be but numme feete: and be, euen as vnfitte for a verse to turne and runne roundly withall, as feete of bra.s.se or wood be vnweeldie to go well withall. And as a foote of wood, is a plaine shew of a manifest maime, euen so feete, in our English versifiing, without quant.i.tie and ioyntes, be sure signes, that the verse is either, borne deformed, vnnaturall and lame, and so verie vnseemlie to looke vpon, except to men that be gogle eyed them selues.

The spying of this fault now is not the curiositie of English eyes, but euen the good iudgement also of the best // _Senese_ that write in these dayes in _Italie_: and namelie of // _Felice_ that worthie _Senese Felice Figliucci_, who, writyng // _Figliucci._