severity of his he joined a certain merciful pity, which he did extend to those that had offended the penal laws, and were put to their fines by his justices. He did use his rigour only (as he said himself) to daunt, bring low, and abate the high minds and stout stomachs of the wealthy and wild people, nourished up in seditious factions and civil rebellions, rather than for the greedy desire of money; although such as were scourged with amerciaments cried out and said that it was rather for the respect of gain, than for any politick provision. Indeed, he left his coffers well stuffed, for he was no wasteful consumer of his riches by any inordinate

means.

Character of King Henry VII.

SIR P. SIDNEY. 1554-1586.

I.

TULLY taketh much pains, and many times not without poetical helps, to make us know the force love of our country hath in us. Let us but hear old Anchises, speaking in the midst of Troy's flames, or see Ulysses, in the fulness of all Calypso's delights, bewail his absence from barren and beggarly Ithaca. Anger, the stoics said, was a short madness; let but Sophocles bring you Ajax on a stage, killing or whipping sheep and oxen, thinking them the army of Greeks, with their chieftains Agamemnon and Menelaus; and tell me, if you have not a more familiar insight into anger, than finding in the schoolmen his genus and difference. See whether wisdom and temperance in Ulysses and Diomedes, valour in Achilles, friendship in Nisus and Euryalus, even to an ignorant man, carry not an apparent shining; and contrarily, the remorse of conscience in Edipus, the soonrepenting pride in Agamemnon, the self-devouring in his father Atreus, the violence of ambition in the two Theban brothers, the sour sweetness of revenge in Medea, and to fall

lower, the Terentian Gnatho, and our Chaucer's Pandar, so expressed, that we now use their names to signify their trades; and finally all virtues, vices, and passions so in their own natural states laid to the view, that we seem not to hear of them, but clearly to see through them.

Defence of Poesy.

II.

So that since the ever praiseworthy poesy is full of virtue, breeding delightfulness, and void of no gift that ought to be in the noble name of learning; since the blames laid against it are either false or feeble; since the cause why it is not esteemed in England, is the fault of poet-apes, not poets; since lastly our tongue is most fit to honour poesy, and to be honoured by poesy; I conjure you all that have had the evil luck to read this ink-wasting toy of mine, even in the name of the Nine Muses, no more to scorn the sacred mysteries of poesy; no more to laugh at the name of poets as though they were next inheritors to fools; no more to jest at the reverend title of a "rhymer:" but to believe, with Aristotle, that they were the ancient treasurers of the Grecians' divinity; to believe, with Bembus, that they were the first bringers in of all civility; to believe, with Scaliger, that no philosopher's precepts can sooner make you an honest man than the reading of Virgil; to believe, with Clauserus, the translator of Cornutus, that it pleased the heavenly deity, by Hesiod and Homer, under the veil of fables, to give us all knowledge, logic, rhetoric, philosophy natural and moral, and—quid non ?-to believe, with me, that there are many mysteries contained in poetry, which of purpose were written darkly, lest by profane wits it should be abused; to believe, with Landin, that they are so beloved of the gods, that whatsoever they write proceeds of a divine fury: lastly, to believe themselves, when they tell you they will make you immortal by their verses.

Ibid.

SIR T. NORTH. 1579.

I.

But he being yet of perfect memory, heard all what they had said, and thus he began to speak unto them. That he marvelled why they had so highly praised that in him which was common to many other captains, and wherein fortune dealt with them in equality alike, and all this while they had forgotten to speak of the best and most notable thing that was in him, which was, that no Athenian had ever worn black gown through his occasion. And sure so he was a noble and worthy person. For he did not only shew himself merciful and courteous, even in most weighty matters of government among so envious people and hateful enemies; but he had this judgment also to think that the most noble acts he did were these, that he never gave himself to hatred, envy, nor choler, to be revenged of his most mortal enemy, without mercy shewed towards him, though he had committed unto him such absolute power and sole government among them. And this made his surname to be Olympius (as to say, divine or celestial) which otherwise for him had been, too proud and arrogant a name, because he was of so good and gentle a nature, and for that in so great liberty he had kept clean hands and undefiled; even as we esteem the gods authors of all good, and causers of no evil, and so worthy to govern and rule the whole monarchy of the world. And not as poets say; which do confound our wits by their follies, and fond feignings, and are also contrary to themselves; considering that they call heaven (which containeth the gods) the everlasting seat which trembleth not, and is not driven nor moved with winds, neither is darkened with clouds, but is always bright and clear, and at all times shining equally with a pure bright light, as being the only habitation of the Eternal God, only happy and immortal: and afterwards they describe it themselves, full of dissensions, and enmities, of anger, and passions, which do nothing become wise and learned men. Translation of Plutarch (Pericles).

II.

But then Cleombrotus not having a word to say, sate still, and made him no answer. Whereupon his wife Chelonis, the daughter of Leonidas, who before was offended for the injury they did her father, and had left her husband Cleombrotus, that had usurped the kingdom from him, to serve her father in his adversity, and while he was in sanctuary took part with him also of his misery, and afterwards, when he went into the city of Tegea, wore blacks for sorrow, being offended with her husband. She contrarily then changing her anger with her husband's fortune and misery, became also an humble suitor with him, sitting down by him, and embracing him, having her two little sons on either side of them. All men wondering, and weeping for pity to see the goodness and natural love of this lady, who shewing her mourning apparel, hair of her head flaring about her eyes, bare-headed, she spake in this manner unto her father :— -0 father mine, this sorrowful garment and countenance is not for pity of Cleombrotus, but hath long remained with me, lamenting sore your former misery and exile. But now,

which of the two should I rather choose, either to continue a mourner in this pitiful state, seeing you again restored to your kingdom, having overcome your enemies, or else putting on my princely apparel, to see my husband slain, unto whom you married me a maid? who if he cannot move you to take compassion on him, and to obtain mercy, by the tears of his wife and children, he shall then abide more bitter pain of his evil counsel than that which you intend to make him suffer. For he shall see his wife die before him, whom he loveth more dearly than anything in the world. Also, with what face can I look upon other ladies, when I could never bring my father to pity by any intercession I could make for my husband, neither my husband entreat him for my father; and that my hap is to be born a daughter and wife, always most unfortunate, and despised of my own? And for my

husband, if he had any reason to do that he did, I then took it from him, by taking your part, and protesting against him; and, contrarily, yourself doth give him honest colour to excuse his fault, when he seeth in you the desire of the kingdom so great, that for the love thereof you think it lawful to kill your sons-in-law; and also not to regard the children he hath begotten, for her sake. Chelonis, pitifully complaining in this sort, putting her face upon Cleombrotus' head, cast her swollen and blubbering eyes upon the standers by. Wherefore Leonidas, after he had talked a little with his friends, he commanded Cleombrotus to get him hence, and to leave the city as an exile, and prayed his daughter for his sake to remain with him, and not to forsake her father, that did so dearly love her, as for her sake he had saved her husband's life. This, notwithstanding, she would not yield to his request, but rising up with her husband, gave him one of his sons, and herself took the other in her arms; and then making her prayer before the altar of the goddess, she went as a banished woman away with her husband. And truly the example of her virtue was so famous, that if Cleombrotus' mind had not been too much blinded with vain glory, he had cause to think his exile far more happy, to enjoy the love of so noble a wife as he had, than for the kingdom which he possessed without her.

Ibid. (Agis and Cleomenes.)

RICHARD HOOKER.

I.

1553-1600.

DANGEROUS it were for the feeble brain of man to wade far into the doings of the Most High; whom although to know be life, and joy to make mention of his name; yet our soundest knowledge is to know that we know him not as