Chapter 13

For what proprietie in wordes, simplicitie in sentences, plainnesse and light, is cumelie for these kindes, _Cæsar_ 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.

_Philosophicum 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 Partitionibus_, 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.

{_Poeticum._ {_Historicum._ _in Genus_ {_Philosophicum._ {_Oratorium._

Which I thought in this place to touch onelie, not to prosecute at large, bicause, God willyng, 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, scarse one hundred yeares from the tyme of the last _Scipio Africanus_ and _Lælius_, 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 multitude 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 compassed 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 compasse 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 cum to the hearing of the Masters of Bridewell. Here is base stuffe for that scholer, that should becum 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 _Lælius_, 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 nobilitie 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 _Lælius_. 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, Cæcilius_, 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 Comœdia maximè claudicamus, et vix leuem consequimur vmbram_: and most earnestly of all _Horace in Arte Poetica_, which he doth namely _propter carmen Iambicum_, and referreth all good studentes herein to the Imitation of the Greeke tong, saying. _Exemplaria Græca 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 Heroicum_, 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 Iambicum_ as naturallie, as either _Greke_ or _Latin_. But for ignorance, men can not like, & for idlenes, men will not labor, to cum 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 multitude, 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 quantitie 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 Gods 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 scarse 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 noble 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 quantitie 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 brasse 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 quantitie 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._

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vpon _Aristotles Ethickes_ so excellentlie in _Italian_, as neuer did yet any one in myne opinion either in _Greke_ or _Latin_, amongest other thynges doth most earnestlie inuey agaynst the rude ryming of verses in that tong: And whan soeuer he expresseth _Aristotles_ preceptes, with any example, out of _Homer_ or _Euripides_, he translateth them, not after the Rymes of _Petrarke_, but into soch kinde of perfite verse, with like feete and quantitie of sillables, as he found them before in the _Greke_ tonge: ex- hortyng earnestlie all the _Italian_ nation, to leaue of their rude barbariousnesse in ryming, and folow diligently the excellent _Greke_ and _Latin_ examples, in trew versifiyng. And you, that be able to vnderstand no more, then ye finde in the _Italian_ tong: and neuer went farder than the schole of _Petrarke_ and _Ariostus_ abroad, or els of _Chaucer_ at home though you haue pleasure to wander blindlie still in your foule wrong way, enuie not others, that seeke, as wise men haue done before them, the fairest and rightest way: or els, beside the iust reproch of malice, wisemen shall trewlie iudge, that you do so, as I haue sayd and say yet agayne vnto you, bicause, either, for idlenes ye will not, or for ignorance ye can not, cum by no better your selfe. And therfore euen as _Virgill_ and _Horace_ deserue most worthie prayse, that they spying the vnperfitnes in _Ennius_ and _Plautus_, by trew Imitation of _Homer_ and _Euripides_, brought Poetrie to the same perfitnes in _Latin_, as it was in _Greke_, euen so those, that by the same way would benefite their tong and contrey, deserue rather thankes than disprayse in that behalfe. And I rejoyce, that euen poore England preuented _Italie_, first in spying out, than in seekyng to amend this fault in learnyng. And here, for my pleasure I purpose a litle, by the way, to play and sporte with my Master _Tully_: from whom commonlie I am neuer wont to dissent. He him selfe, for this point of learnyng, in his verses doth halt a litle by his leaue. He could not denie it, if he were aliue, nor those defend hym now that Tullies // loue him best. This fault I lay to his charge: saying a- // bicause once it pleased him, though somwhat gainst Eng- // merelie, yet oueruncurteslie, to rayle vpon poore land. // England, obiecting both, extreme beggerie, and

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mere barbariousnes vnto it, writyng thus vnto his frend _Atticus_: There is not one scruple of siluer in that whole // Ad Att. Isle, or any one that knoweth either learnyng or // Lib. iv. Ep. letter. // 16. But now master _Cicero_, blessed be God, and his sonne Iesu Christ, whom you neuer knew, except it were as it pleased him to lighten you by some shadow, as couertlie in one place ye confesse saying: _Veritatis tantum vmbram consectamur_, // Offic. as your Master _Plato_ did before you: blessed be God, I say, that sixten hundred yeare after you were dead and gone, it may trewly be sayd, that for siluer, there is more cumlie plate, in one Citie of England, than is in foure of the proudest Cities in all _Italie_, and take _Rome_ for one of them. And for learnyng, beside the knowledge of all learned tongs and liberall sciences, euen your owne bookes _Cicero_, be as well read, and your excellent eloquence is as well liked and loued, and as trewlie folowed in England at this day, as it is now, or euer was, sence your owne tyme, in any place of _Italie_, either at _Arpinum_, where ye were borne, or els at _Rome_ where ye were brought vp. And a litle to brag with you _Cicero_, where you your selfe, by your leaue, halted in some point of learnyng in your owne tong, many in England at this day go streight vp, both in trewe skill, and right doing therein. This I write, not to reprehend _Tullie_, whom, aboue all other, I like and loue best, but to excuse _Terence_, because in his tyme, and a good while after, Poetrie was neuer perfited in _Latin_ vntill by trew _Imitation_ of the Grecians, it was at length brought to perfection: And also thereby to exhorte the goodlie wittes of England, which apte by nature, & willing by desire, geue them selues to Poetrie, that they, rightly vnderstanding the barbarous bringing in of Rymes, would labor, as _Virgil_ and _Horace_ did in Latin, to make perfit also this point of learning, in our English tong. And thus much for _Plautus_ and _Terence_, for matter, tong, and meter, what is to be followed, and what to be exchewed in them. After _Plautus_ and _Terence_, no writing remayneth vntill _Tullies_ tyme, except a fewe short fragmentes of _L. Crassus_ excellent wit, here and there recited of _Cicero_ for example sake, whereby the louers of learnyng may the more lament the losse of soch a worthie witte.

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