had in writing, and by the pleasure he tooke all his life time therein.

"How simple yet so ever this little volume of mine be, if thou wilte bestowe thy travell to seeke forth the grounde and the depth therof, thou shalt soone espie and quickly perceyve how in every poynte and clause therof is hidden, besides the myrthe, some deeper sense and purpose. But unto the carelesse reader it is (as it were) a peece of unleavened dough, wherefore for such I thinke it better to have their browes knitte harde with the kercher of Morpheus, and so to lay them doune to sleepe, than legere et non intelligere, nempe negligere est. And as I have been briefe in all things heretofore, so will I be likewise herein; and as I have brought you into my rude Garden, so (turnyng the key) here will I leave you to choose what flowers shall like you beste. My penne is stubbed, my paper spente, my inke wasted, my wittes gravelled, and (to be shorte) tyme calleth me away; wherefore, standing to your curtesies, and hoping of your good acceptaunce hereof, wishyng to you as to my selfe, in haste I bidde you farewell."

T.P.

ART. II. A Report and Discourse, written by Roger Ascham, of the affaires and state of Germany, and the Emperour Charles his court; duryng certaine yeares while the sayd Roger was there. At London: Printed by John Daye, dwelling over Aldersgate. Cum grat. & privileg. Regia Majest, 4to. pp. 60.

In September 1550, the noted penman of this report, accompanied Sir Richard Morysine to Germany,

when

when he went as ambassador from the court of England to Charles the Fifth. There Ascham continued three years; and, during that time, left nothing unattended to, which might serve to perfect his knowledge of men as well as books. In Oct. 1552 he was requested by his particular friend, Mr. John Astely,* Master of the Jewel Office, to draw up an account of the political events which took place during his stay in Germany, and this account is described by Dr. Campbell to be "one of the most delicate pieces of history that ever was penned in our language, evincing its author to have been a man as capable of shining in the cabinet as in the closet." As a brief historical document, faithfully deduced from personal observation, it is certainly of considerable value: yet perhaps the most interesting extract to general readers, will be Ascham's prefatory statement of the qualifications essential to an historian. It is addressed to his friend John Astely.

"When you and I read Livye together (if you do remember) after some reasonyng we concluded both what was in our opinion to be looked for at his hand, that would well and advisedly write an history. First point was, to write nothyng false: next, to be bold to say any truth: wherby is avoyded two great faultesflattery and hatred. For which two pointes, Cæsar is read to his great prayse; and Jovius the Italian to hys just reproch. Then to marke diligently the causes, counsels, acts, and issues, in all great attemptes: and in causes, what is just or unjust; in counsels, what is purposed wisely or rashly; in actes, what is done couragiously or fayntly; and of every issue, to note some + Biog. Brit. I. 284.

For whom see Gent. Mag. Vol. LXVII. Bundevile partly addressed his "Port of Rest," 1561, to John Asteley, as a true lover of wisdom.

generall

generall lesson of wisedome and warines, for lyke matters in time to come, wherin Polibius in Grecke, and Phillip Comines in French, have done the duties of wyse and worthy writers. Diligence also must be used in kepyng truly the order of tyme, and describyng lyvely, both the site of places and nature of persons, not onely for the outward shape of the body, but also for the inward disposition of the mynde, as Thucidides doth in many places very trimly; and Homer every where, and that alwayes most excellently, which observation is chiefly to be marked in hym. And our Chaucer doth the same, very praise worthely: marke hym well, and conferre hym with any other that writeth in our ty me in their proudest toung, whosoever lyst. The stile must be alwayes playne and open; yet some time higher and lower, as matters do ryse and fall. For if proper and naturall wordes, in well joyned sentences, do lyvely expresse the matter, be it troublesome, quyet, angry, or pleasant, a man shal thincke not to be readyng, but present, in doyng of the same. And herein Livie of all other in any toung, by myne opinion, carieth away the prayse."

T. P.

ART. III. The Scholemaster, or'plaine and perfite way of teachyng children to understand, write, and speake the Latin tong; but specially purposed for the private brynging vp of youth in Jentlemen and noblemen's houses, and commodious also for all such as have forgot the Latine tonge, and would by themselves without a scholemaster, in short tyme

and

and with small paines, recover a sufficient habilitie to understand, write, and speake Latin. By Roger Ascham. An. 1570. At London: Printed by John Daye, &c. pp. 135. 4to.

*

Dr. Campbell has dated this title 1571, and says, that the colophon tells us, it was printed in 1573." In the copy now before me, both title and colophon bear the date of 1570. Ascham died on the 30th of December, 1558, and the present publication was inscribed by Margaret, his widow, to Sir Wm. Cecil, principal Secretary of State, and Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. The book had its accidental origin from a conversation at a dinner-party in the apartments of Secretary Cecil at Windsor, during the time of the plague in 1563. Several scholars having run away from Eton college, in consequence of the master's severity, † it occasioned a warm debate on the best method of educating youth, in which Ascham took so prominent a part, that he was instigated by Sir Richard Sackvile to draw up his sentiments on the subject for the benefit of his grandson. So ably did the royal tutor execute his task, that the Schoolmaster has been characterized as "a book that will be always useful, and everlastingly esteemed on account of the good sense, judicious observations, excellent characters of ancient authors, and many pleasant and profitable passages of English history, which are plentifully sprinkled therein." As this excellent scho

Biog. Brit. J. 285, note F.

Which master is said to have been Nicholas Udal. See Hawkins's History of Music.

lastic treatise has been reprinted, and has also been largely extracted from, in Seward's Anecdotes, a single passage only shall be cited, which serves to shew the fashionable reading of the beau monde in Ascham's day. He is inveighing against that travelled object of disgust, an Englishman Italianated.

"In our forefathers' tyme, when Papistrie, as a standyng poole, covered and overflowed all England, fewe bookes were read in our tong, savyng certaine bookes of Chevalrie, as they said, for pastime, and pleasure; which, as some say, were made in monasteries by idle monkes or wanton chanons, as one for example, Morte Arthure: the whole pleasure of which booke standeth in two speciall poyntes: in open mansslaughter and bold bawdrye. In which booke, those be counted the noblest knightes that do kill most men without any quarell, and commit fowlest advoulteres by sutlest shiftes; as Sir Launcelote, with the wife of King Arthure, his master; Syr Tristram, with the wife of Kynge Marke his uncle; Syr Lamerocke, with the wife of King Lote, that was his own aunte. This is good stuffe for wise men to laughe at, or honest men to take pleasure at: yet I know when God's Bible was banished the court, and Morte Arthure received into the Prince's chamber. And yet ten Morte Arthures do not the tenth part so much harme as one of these bookes made in Italie and translated in England. Suffer these bookes to be read, and they shall soone displace all bookes of godly learnyng. [Hence,] they have in more reverence the triumphes of Petrarche than the Genesis of Moses; they make more account of Tullie's Offices, than S. Paule's Epistles; of a tale in Bocace than a storie of the Bible."

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T. P.

ART.