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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 _æneas_. _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 _æneidos_ out of _Homer_, and _Eobanus 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 circumstance 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 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 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 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 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 _Crassus_ 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 Atticum_. And in the verie booke it selfe, Tullie will not haue it hidden, but both _Catulus_ and _Crassus_ 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 _Scæuola_ him selfe, _Cur non imitamur, Crasse, Socratem illum, qui est in Phædro Platonis &c._ And furder to vnderstand, that _Tullie_ did not _obiter_ and bichance, 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 Scæuolæ, non eam temerè dimoui: Sed feci idem, quod in politeia Deus ille noster Plato, cum in Piræeum Socrates venisset ad Cephalum locupletem & festiuum Senem, quoad primus ille sermo haberetur, adest in disputando senex: Deinde, cum ipse quoque commodissimè locutus esset, ad rem diuinam dicit se velle discedere, neque postea reuertitur. Credo Platonem vix putasse satis consonum fore, si hominem id ætatis in tam longo sermone diutius retinuisset: Multo ego satius hoc mihi cauendum putaui in Scæuola, qui & ætate et valetudine erat ea qua meministi, & his honoribus, vt vix satis decorum videretur eum plures dies esse in Crassi Tusculano. Et erat primi libri sermo non alienus à Scæuolæ studijs: reliqui libri technologian habent, vt scis. Huic ioculatoriæ disputationi senem illum vt noras, interesse sanè 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 lustie 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

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of _Isocrates_: and the contrarie iudgement of _Tullie_ against _Caluus, Brutus_, and _Calidius, de genere dicendi Attico & Asiatico_. _Dionis. Halic._ peri mimeseos. I feare is lost: which Author, next _Aristotle, Plato_, and _Tullie_, 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. _Quintilian_ writeth of it, shortly and coldlie for the matter, yet hotelie and spitefullie enough, agaynst the // _Quintil._ Imitation of _Tullie_. _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 and _Longolius_ onelie 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. _Budæus_ in 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 of _Tullie_. // _Ph. Me-_ _Phil. Melancthon_, learnedlie and trewlie. // _lanch._ _Camerarius_ largely 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, as _Cortesius_ to // _Cortesius._ _Politian_, and that verie well: _Bembus ad Picum_ // _P. Bembus._ a great deale better, but _Ioan. 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: but _Sturmius_ onelie 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 although _Sturmius_ herein 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, neither for lacke of skill, nor by negligence, but of purpose, contented with one or two examples bicause he was mynded in those two bookes, to write of it both shortlie, and also had to touch other matters. _Barthol. Riccius Ferrariensis_ also hath written learnedlie, diligentlie and verie largelie of this matter euen as hee did before verie well _de Apparatu linguæ Lat._ He writeth the better in myne opinion, bicause his whole doctrine, iudgement, and order, semeth to be borowed out of _Io. Stur._ bookes. He addeth also examples, the best kinde of teaching: wherein he doth well, but not well enough: in deede, he committeth no faulte, but yet, deserueth small praise. He is content with the meane, and followeth not the best: as a man, that would feede vpon Acornes, whan he may eate, as good cheape, the finest wheat bread. He teacheth for example, where and how, two or three late _Italian_ Poetes do follow _Virgil_: and how _Virgil_ him selfe in the storie of _Dido_, doth wholie Imitate _Catullus_ in the like matter of _Ariadna_: Wherein I like better his diligence and order of teaching, than his iudgement in choice of examples for _Imitation_. But, if he had done thus: if he had declared where and how, how oft and how many wayes _Virgil_ doth folow _Homer_, as for example the comming of _Vlysses_ to _Alcynous_ and _Calypso_, with the comming of _æneas_ to _Cartage_ and _Dido_: Like- wise the games running, wrestling, and shoting, that _Achilles_ maketh in _Homer_, with the selfe same games, that _æneas_ maketh in _Virgil_: The harnesse of _Achilles_, with the harnesse of _æneas_, and the maner of making of them both by _Vulcane_: The notable combate betwixt _Achilles_ and _Hector_, with as notable a combate betwixt _æneas_ and _Turnus_. The going downe to hell of _Vlysses_ in _Homer_, with the going downe to hell of _Æneas_ in _Virgil_: 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 of _Homer_, as euer did Painter in London follow the picture of any faire personage. And when thies places had bene gathered together by this way of diligence than to haue conferred them together by this order of teaching as, diligently to marke what is kept and vsed in either author, in wordes, in sentences, in matter: what is added: what is left

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out: what ordered otherwise, either _præponendo, interponendo_, or _postponendo_: And what is altered for any respect, in word, phrase, sentence, figure, reason, argument, or by any way of circumstance: If _Riccius_ had done this, he had not onely bene well liked, for his diligence in teaching, but also iustlie com- mended for his right iudgement in right choice of examples for the best _Imitation_. _Riccius_ also for _Imitation_ of prose declareth where and how _Longolius_ doth folow _Tullie_, but as for _Longolius_, I would not haue him the patern of our _Imitation_. In deede: in _Longolius_ shoppe, be proper and faire shewing colers, but as for shape, figure, and naturall cumlines, by the iudgement of best iudging artificers, he is rather allowed as one to be borne withall, than especially commended, as one chieflie to be folowed. If _Riccius_ had taken for his examples, where _Tullie_ him selfe foloweth either _Plato_ or _Demosthenes_, he had shot than at the right marke. But to excuse _Riccius_, somwhat, though I can not fullie defend him, it may be sayd, his purpose was, to teach onelie the Latin tong, when thys way that I do wish, to ioyne _Virgil_ with _Homer_, to read _Tullie_ with _Demosthenes_ and _Plato_, requireth a cunning and perfite Master in both the tonges. It is my wish in deede, and that by good reason: For who so euer will write well of any matter, must labor to expresse that, that is 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, for him that is not also well seene in the Greeke tong. _Tullie_ him selfe, most excellent of nature, most diligent in labor, brought vp from his cradle, in that place, and in that tyme, where and whan the Latin tong most florished naturallie in euery mans mouth, yet was not his owne tong able it selfe to make him so cunning in his owne tong, as he was in deede: but the knowledge and _Imitation_ of 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 than _Tullie_ was, in choice of the way, that leadeth rightlie to the same: thinke not thy witte better than _Tullies_ was, as though that may serue thee that was not sufficient 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 made _de 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 Authors _Greke_ _Erasmus_ // and _Latin_, 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 his _Chiliades, Apophthegmata_ and _Similia_. Likewise, if a good student would bend him selfe to read diligently ouer Tullie, and with him also at // {_Plato._ the same tyme, as diligently _Plato_, & _Xenophon_, // {_Xenophon._ with his bookes of Philosophie, _Isocrates_, & // Cicero. {_Isocrates._ _Demosthenes_ with his orations, & _Aristotle_ with // {_Demosth._ his Rhetorickes: which fiue of all other, be // {_Aristotles._ those, whom _Tullie_ best loued, & specially followed: & would marke diligently in _Tullie_ where he doth _exprimere_ or _effingere_ (which be the verie propre wordes of Imitation) either, _Copiam Platonis_ or _venustatem Xenophontis, suauitatem Isocratis_, or _vim 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 worthie _M. Cheke_ many tymes say: I would haue a good student passe and iorney through all Authors both _Greke_ and _Latin_: but he that will dwell in these few bookes onelie: first, in Gods holie Bible, and than ioyne with it, _Tullie_ in _Latin, Plato, Aristotle: Xenophon: Isocrates_: and _Demosthenes_ in _Greke_: must nedes proue an excel- lent man. Some men alreadie in our dayes, haue put to their helping handes, to this worke of Imitation. As _Peri-_ // _Perionius._ _onius, Henr. Stephanus in dictionario Ciceroniano_, // _H. Steph._ and _P. Victorius_ most praiseworthelie of all, in // _P. Victor-_ that his learned worke conteyning xxv. bookes _de_ // _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, with _Macrobius, Hessus_, and other, be no

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