likewise do we seek such a one in our school to follow; who is able always in all matters to teach plainly, to delight pleasantly, and to carry away by force of wise talk, all that shall hear or read him; and is so excellent indeed, as wit is able, or wish can hope, to attain unto; and this not only to serve in the Latin or Greek tongue, but also in our own English language. But yet, because the providence of God hath left unto us in no other tongue, save only in the Greek and Latin tongue, the true precepts and perfect examples of eloquence; therefore must we seek in the authors only of those two tongues, the true pattern of eloquence, if in any other mother tongue we look to attain either to perfect utterance of it ourselves, or skilful judgement of it in others.

And now to know, what author doth meddle only with some one piece and member of eloquence, and who doth perfectly make up the whole body, I will declare, as I can call to remembrance the goodly talk that I have had oftentimes of the true difference of authors, with that gentleman of worthy memory, my dearest friend, and teacher of all the little poor learning I have, Sir John Cheke.

The true difference of authors is best known per diversa genera dicendi that every one used; and therefore here I will divide genus dicendi, not into these three, tenue, mediocre, et grande, but as the matter of every author requireth; as,

These differ one from another in choice of words, in framing of sentences, in handling of arguments, and use of right form, figure, and number, proper and fit for every matter: and every one of these is diverse also in itself; as, first,

And here, whosoever hath been diligent to read advisedly over Terence, Seneca, Virgil, Horace, or else Aristophanes, Sophocles, Homer, and Pindar; and shall diligently mark

the difference they use in propriety of words, in form of sentence, in handling of their matter; he shall easily perceive what is fit, and decorum in every one, to the true use of perfect Imitation.

When Mr. Watson, in St. John's college at Cambridge, wrote his excellent tragedy of Absalon; Mr. Cheke, he, and I, for that part of true Imitation, had many pleasant talks together, in comparing the precepts of Aristotle, and Horace de Arte Poetica, with the examples of Euripides, Sophocles, and Seneca. Few men, in writing of tragedies in our days, have shot at this mark. Some in England, more in France, Germany, and Italy also, have written tragedies in our time: of which not one, I am sure, is able to abide the true touch of Aristotle's precepts and Euripides's examples, save only two, that ever I saw, Mr. Watson's Absalon, and Georgius Buchananus's Jephthe.

*

One man in Cambridge, well liked of many, but best liked of himself, was many times bold and busy to bring matters upon stages, which he called tragedies. In one, whereby he looked to win his spurs, and whereat many ignorant fellows fast clapped their hands, he began the Protasis with trochæis octonariis: which kind of verse, as it is but seldom and rare in tragedies, so is it never used, save only in Epitasi; when the tragedy is highest and hottest, and full of greatest troubles. I remember full well, what Mr. Watson merrily said unto me of his blindness and boldness in that behalf; although otherwise there passed much friendship between them. Mr. Watson had another manner of care of perfection, with a fear and reverence of the judgement of the best learned; who, to this day, would never suffer yet his Absalon to go abroad, and that only, † because in locis pa

*Dividitur nova Comoedia in quatuor partes: Prologum, Protasin, Epitasin, Catastrophen."

What is here assigned, could never be the true reason of Mr. Watson's refusing to publish his tragedy, so accurately composed, as to be put in competition with Buchanan's Jephthe. For why did he not correct what he judged amiss? a thing so very easy for him to do. Though what if we say, there was no fault in this respect committed, nor any need of alteration? For, excepting the sixth place, the anapest has free liberty to stand where it pleases; and that for this reason, especially with the comedians, as Hephaestion has observed.

Ευρίσκεται δὲ παρὰ τοῖς Κωμικοῖς συνεχῶς ὁ Ἀνάπαιστος, τὸν γὰρ

ribus, Anapæstus is twice or thrice used instead of Iambus. A small fault, and such a one as perchance would never be marked, no, neither in Italy nor France. This I write, not so much to note the first or praise the last, as to leave in memory of writing for good example to posterity, what perfection in any time was most diligently sought for in like manner in all kind of learning, in that most worthy college of St. John's in Cambridge.

For what propriety in words, simplicity in sentences, plainness and light, is comely for these kinds, Cæsar and Livy, for the two last, are perfect examples of Imitation. And for the two first, the old patterns be lost: and as for some that be present, and of late time, 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 Ciceronis, et Ethica Aristotelis.

Contentionem: as the Dialogues of Plato, Xenophon, and Cicero.

Of which kind of learning and right Imitation thereof, Carolus Sigonius hath written of late both learnedly and eloquently; but best of all, my friend Joan. Sturmius, in his commentaries upon Gorgias Platonis; which book I have in writing, and is not yet set out in print.

βίον οὗτοι μιμούμενοι, θέλουσι δοκεῖν διαλελυμένως διαλέγεσθαι, καὶ μὴ ἐμμετρῶς. ὁ δὲ ̓Ανάπαιστος διαλελυμένην ποιεῖ τὴν φράσιν, διὰ τὸ τρί

σημον.

I suppose the true reason hereof was, either an unwillingness to appear in print, or a dissatisfaction with the times, he being one of the ejected bishops. But since I have not this excellent tragedy to oblige the reader, being long since destroyed, I fear; yet I shall, at the end of this book, present him with a Greek ode, on our Saviour's Passion, written by Mr. Masters, and no less perfect in it skind. This I do, both to preserve it from being lost, (for it is infinitely preferable to Mr. Cowley's Paraphrase,) and to show to what perfection we may arrive by a just imitation of the ancients, according to the rules laid down in this book.

Examples of these three in the Greek tongue be plentiful and perfect, as Lysias, Isocrates, and Demosthenes; and all three, in only Demosthenes in divers orations, as contra Olympiodorum, in Leptinem, and pro Ctesiphonte. And true it is, that Hermogenes writeth of Demosthenes, *" that all forms of eloquence be perfect in him." In Cicero's Orations, Medium et Sublime be most excellently handled; but Humile, in his Orations, is seldom seen yet, nevertheless, in other books, as in some part of his Offices, and specially in Partitionibus, he is comparable in hoc humili et disciplinabili genere, even with the best that ever wrote in Greek. But of Cicero more fully in fitter place. And thus the true difference of styles in every author, and every kind of learning, may easily be known by this division,

Which I thought in this place to touch only, not to prosecute at large; because, God willing, in the Latin tongue, I will fully handle it in my book de Imitatione.

Now to touch more particularly, which of those authors, that be now most commonly in men's hands, will soon afford you some piece of eloquence; and what manner a piece of eloquence; and what is to be liked and followed, and what to be misliked and eschewed in them; and how some again will furnish you fully withal, rightly and wisely considered, somewhat I will write, as I have heard Sir John Cheke many times say.

of it,

The Latin tongue, concerning any part of pureness from the spring to the decay of the same, did not endure much longer, than is the life of a well aged man; scarce one hundred years, from the time of the last Scipio Africanus and Lælius to the empire of Augustus. And it is notable, that

* See Hermogenes's first book de Formis Orationis, cap. 1. I have not the Greek by me, and the Latin is not worth citing.

Velleius Paterculus * writeth of Tully, "how that the perfection of eloquence did so remain only in him, and in his time, as before him were few which might much delight a man, or after him, any worthy admiration, but such as Tully might have seen, and such as might have seen Tully." And good cause why: for no perfection is durable. Increase hath a time, and decay likewise; but all perfect ripeness remaineth but a moment; as is plainly seen in fruits, plums, and cherries; but more sensibly in flowers, as roses, and such like; and yet as truly in all greater matters. For what naturally can go no higher, must naturally yield and stoop again.

Of this short time of pureness of the Latin tongue, for the first forty years of it, and all the time before, we have no piece of learning left, save Plautus and Terence, with a little rude imperfect pamphlet of the elder Cato. And as for Plautus, except the schoolmaster be able to make wise and wary choice; first, in propriety of words, then in framing of phrases and sentences, and chiefly in choice of honesty of matter; your scholar were better to play, than learn all that is in him. But surely, if judgement for the tongue, and direction for the manners, be wisely joined with the diligent reading of Plautus, then truly Plautus, for that pureness of the Latin tongue in Rome, when Rome did most flourish in well doing, and so thereby in well speaking also, is such a

"Historicos (ut Livium quoque priorum ætati adstruas) præter Catonem, et quosdam veteres et obscuros, minus LXXX annis circumdatum ævum tulit: ut nec poetarum in antiquius citeriusve processit ubertas. At oratio, ac vis forensis, perfectumque prosæ eloquentiæ decus, ut idem separetur Cato, (pace P. Crassi, Scipionisque et Lælii et Gracchorum, et Fannii, et Ser. Galbæ dixerim) ita universa sub principe operis sui erupit Tullio; ut delectari ante eum paucissimis, mirari verò neminem possis, nisi aut ab illo visum, aut qui illum viderit." Paterculus.

+"Alit æmulatio ingenia: et nunc invidia, nunc admiratio incitationem accendit. Mature quoque (so I think it should be read) quod summo studio petitum est, ascendit in summum: difficilisque in perfecto mora est; naturaliterque quod procedere non potest, recedit." Idem.

One would imagine Mr. Ascham had never seen Victorius's edition of Cato, de Re Rustica; since he here calls it a little rude imperfect pamphlet. And yet it was printed by Rob. Stephens, anno 1543.