is the Prophet Esay the sonne of Amos right such a one as the Poet hath described These foure he thought sufficient to name bicause they haue most writings extant and are withall excéeding eloquent as might easilie be prooued by particulars if I were to write a Commentarie or a whole discourse thereof 24. The Greeke Homer his Illias and Odyssea containing 48. bookes is the most ancient Gréeke Auctor we haue his inuentions are wonderfull his vaine naturall his verses smoothe and full of Art and the more they are considered the greater grace they haue There is also in them a hidden sense and the very welspring of all humane knowledge as may appéere by that infinite péeces of his poesies are cited in the bookes of ancient late Philosophers Geographers Historiographers and Orators as Plutarch and others witnes The next to Homer is Plato not in time but in worthines he is called the diuine Philosopher bicause he is so maruellous pure so high loftie in al his discourses the true scholler of him that professing himselfe to know but one thing namely that he knew nothing declared that he knew all things that might be learned in the worlde as touching the worlde For concerning the knowledge of saluation Plato and his maister both were ignorant and sith all other knowledge is nothing in comparison of that the more are we bound to God that haue it he said most truly that he knew nothing The third is Herodotus who writeth in th' Ionick Dialect that is a kinde of Gréeke differing a little in phrases and pronuntiation from the common-spoken as some farre scituate shires do from the Court or mother Citie of their Countrie in diuers points it agréeth with the French Plutarch dealeth somewhat too roughly with this woorthy Historiographer in whose defence I will oppose the authoritie of a learned man of our time who in a certaine Preface of his saith of Herodotus Narrationes eius sunt disertae indicationes expressae speciosae explicationes accuratae euidentes collectiones certa atque plenae in his rerum gestarum hominum temporum fides accurata compertorum relatio dubiorum coniectura sagax fabulosorum verecunda commemoratio mira vbique simplicitas eximius quidam candor Sée the great praises and perfections of a graue Historiographer The fourth is Demosthenes the prince of Gréeke Orators the very rule and square of all that endeuour to speake eloquently a man that leadeth other mens mindes as he list excellent in all his discourses which are extant the most of them and read to the great vse and profit of those that know how to applie them 25. Then he of Anthonie and Catiline great foe That is Cicero surnamed the father of Eloquence he is the first and chiefe of those that grace and maintaine the Latine toong He was extremely hated of Marke Anthonie and Catiline both whom he hath also bitterly pursued and touched to the quicke as his Catilinarie and Philippick Orations declare the often printing of his works and learned mens continuall reading of them and borrowing thence the best graces of their writings do prooue his learning eloquence and plentie of spéech to be such as the Poet héere describeth The second is Caesar the most valiant of eloquent men and most eloquent of valiant men as may well appéere by his life in Plutarch and his Commentaries de bello Gallico by which worke he hath wrung the pen out of learned mens hands and in a maner discouraged them al from writing Histories bicause they sée such perfection therein as they are not able to come néere The third is the Historiographer Salust we haue of his works besides diuers Orations two Histories remaining Coniuratio Catilinae bellum Iugurthinum short they are but full of sentence and sinewes witnessing the ancient force and vigor of the Roman toong The Reader may hereto adde the commendations of these thrée authors as they are in many learned bookes of late writers here and there scattered As for those that thinke Cicero bableth without learning and that Caesar the Dictatour and first Emperour wrote not these Commentaries that beare his name and that Salust writeth a hard and forced stile bicause their accusations are false and they so farre out of the way I thinke them woorthie none other answere than our Poets few verses here Of the fourth which is the Poet Virgil too much cannot be spoken his bookes of Georgickes and Aeneidos being such maruellous works and so farre excéeding all other bookes of humanitie I speake not onely for the excellence of his verse but sure in the depth of his inuentions his iudgement his decence his modestie his grauitie and his state how much he doth outstrip and go beyond al others may be séene not onely in euery booke of his but euen in euery verse wherein is contained a thousand thousand secrets and as it were the abridgement of all kind of Arts and knowledge besides his proper tearmes his Epythites alway fit his metaphors and figures sow'n and sprinkled in their right places and his spéech quite throughout eloquent and pure without any bodging or dawberie whatsoeuer The learned Caesar Scaliger among many others hath plainly and at large declared in his Art of Poetrie the excellencie of this Authour 26. Th' Italian For ornament of the Italian a language risen of the Roman or Latine he nameth thrée Poets and one Orator slipping diuers writers of historie Secretaries that haue left diuers excellent works Orations and Epistles among vs. The reason is I thinke bicause these foure containe in them all the graces of the others He nameth also the Tuscan toong bicause of all the diuers Dialects of Italie the Luquish Milanish Geneuish and Venetian none are so pure and fine as the Florentine or Tuscan Iohn Boccace hath written long time agoe but a very fine and pure stile as his Decameron his Fiametta the Philocope The Laberinth and his other bookes witnes that with the world are in so great request Frauncis Petrarch hath written since and inuented goodly words and partly by his owne pregnant wit partly by imitation of all the best Auctors hath enriched the toong with many graces he hath ventured also far and made Sonets Chapters and Cantoes wonderfull curious Then Ludouico Ariosto of Ferara hath set foorth a legend of Loue entituled Orlando furioso in verses swéete and méete famous throughout all Italie he is full of affections in his discourse and as delightfull as is possible by reason of the varietie of that fabulous matter he writeth of which he shadoweth so cunningly that the reader is therewith often affected and mooued as if it were a true storie or at least not altogither false Torquato Tasso is last of the foure in time of writing but in account as the Poet saith the first and chiefe he was the sonne of Bernardo Tasso that eloquent man whose excellent Epistles are in print This his sonne hath written in twenty
that men are onely the right and proper speakers yet if they be not taught it and thereto fashioned but are brought vp among beasts in stead of a right framed spéech they shall make but a sound and crie confused like vnto beasts In a word I take this discourse of Herodotus touching the two infants and their Bec to be but a tale made vpon pleasure and a very heard-say and there against I oppose the antiquitie of the Hebrue toong Yet if I were bound to beléeue Herodotus I would say the Phrygians Bec was drawen from the Hebrues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lechem The disciples of Goropius will confesse that the Phrygians are come from the successours of Noe so can it not séeme strange vnto them that I say the Phrygians retaining some tokens of their grandfathers language haue like infinite others lengthened and shortened the most part of the words some whereof yet remaine whole to witnes the antiquitie and principalitie of the Hebrue toong After this the Poet answereth those that build vpon the vnframed noise of beasts the chirping and chattering of birdes and the babling of Parrets to prooue the birth of spéech with vs and cast a cloud ouer that perfection he graunted onely to the first language and so he saith that man onely endued with reason is the onely creature on earth capable of distinct ordered important and proper spéech and further speaketh many seuerall toongs whereof he bringeth in for example the learned Scaliger Hence it ensueth that a man cannot learne to speake if he be brought vp among beasts that haue no reason whereby to deserue the name of a spéech or to vse the same aright or if he be brought vp with such as are dombe of whom he can learne nothing but signes confused sounds he will neuer speake treatably nor vnderstande any thing except another do speake first vnto him and make him vnderstande the spéech with often repeating As appéereth not onely in yoong children but in the oldest men also who learne as long as they liue the words and names of those very things which they haue oftentimes séene before It followeth then that all the discourse of the Phrygians Bec is a deuised tale therefore vnwoorthy for them to buyld vpon that go about to prooue the Phrygian toong or theirs that would draw their pedegrée from the Phrygians to be the first language of the world Another man may finde in his owne toong a many like words and drawe thence as good conclusions as Goropius doth But a strange thing it is that the heathen authors haue said nothing nor made any mention in their bookes of the beginnings and occasions of diuersitie of toongs especially that the Grecians and other such learned people that haue professed the knowledge of all things knew not the beginning of their owne language Moses onely hath set vs downe this notable historie opened vnto the Heathen the spring of their toongs And this further is to be woondered at in the historie of Babel that the Hebrue toong alone as being the first of the world hath remained among that people that were the Church of God where the Messias was borne and from whence arose the preaching of the Gospell touching the appearance of the promised Sauiour which Gospell hath sithence by the gift of toongs and ministerie of the Apostles ouerspread al the parts of the world Thus Moses handling the beginning of toongs prooueth his historie to haue long fore-gone all others and therewithall engraueth vpon the gates and wals of the citie and Tower of Babel a godly warning to all men to flie and auoide Atheisme and all vain-glorious follie which buildeth Towers against heauen and rebelleth against God who suffereth the wicked to aduaunce and hoyse vp themselues the space of some fewe monthes or yéeres to the end he may giue them a fearfull ouerthrow at length What woulde the presumption of man haue done saith Saint Augustine when algate the top of this Tower had raught vnto the cloudes It is humilitie that lifteth vp the hart on high to the Lorde not against the Lord shée it is that leadeth vs the true right and sure way to heauen These fewe words I thought good to adde vnto the rest bicause the proud aspiring mind of man can not be sufficiently discouered nor to much cried out on Wheras these builders busily forecast in their minde and laboured to make themselues renowmed among their posteritie thought men of some woorth let vs remember that the true praise consisteth not in works of goodly outward shew but in such as are good indéede and approoued of God So let vs returne to the text of the Poet who hauing touched in a worde the beginning of toongs and refuted some contrarie obiections sheweth now which of all the toongs that haue béene are or shall be in the world ought to be accounted the chiefe and most auncient and whereof a man may truly say it is the most excellent of all other Now when I duly way how 12 th' Ebrue toong doth shew The Hebrue toong most ancient And readily expresse in words a very few Most combersome conceits and through each secret plight Of reasons laberynth affoords the Reader light Much better than the Greeke with hir Synonymons The first reason Hit lofty Metaphors hir bould Epithetons Hir compounding of words hir tenses and hir cases And of so great request a thousand other graces When I consider well how that the schoole Rabine The second reason Findes in the letter-row of that language diuine All we beleeue with hart all that with eie we see And that within the law all Arts comprised be Be it that with much ado one curiously assaies The letters of each word to turne a hundred waies For in Arithmetike as cyphers changing roome Doth either much enhaunse or much abate the somme So th' Anagramme straight knits or else vndoth the grace Of words whose letters take right enterchange of place Or beit to put togither thou rightly do deuise The numbers mysticall that from the letters rise Of some one Hebrue word and vnder that one name Another findest hid in number like the same Or that some word is know'n by some one element Or by some onely word a parfit speech is ment As in an Embleme short th' Egyptian silence Was mystically woont to presse a long sentnce When I consider well that from th' East-Indian sand Vnto the flaming mount that borders Ireland the third reason From cold Tartarian seas to schorched Tambuts shore Thou Sunne no people see'st so voide of gentle lore No men so ignorant of Gods most holy law But they retaine as yet some words of Hebrue Saw And but their letters do though out of order set Come neere the holy names of Moses Alphabet The fourth reason When with my selfe I way the sacred counterpawn Of Gods old Testament was in those letters draw'n That VRIM that the DREAME and
as it were thorow christall gates for then be dreames and visions cléerest and best distinguished whereas before our meate be fully digested our braine ouerloden with vapors receiueth but troublesome impressions waued so to and fro and so enterlaced one with another that in the twinkling of an eie it frameth a thousand shapes that presently vanisheth away and are no more remembred Now the Poet saith he was guided as he thought into a place most delightfull which he describeth in few verses and it is verie fit for the matter following 22. Iust in the middle point First he describeth the dwelling of Eloquence to wit on a great Rocke wrought and fashioned in manner of a footestall or base for an Image to stande on to shew how stedfast and certaine a thing this excellent gift of God is Secondly the resemblance or Image of Eloquence he calleth a Colosse that is of stature surpassing all others which betokeneth thus much that eloquent and faire spoken men go many degrées beyonde others whom they vse at their pleasure and draw whither they list as the examples of Pericles and Cicero declare and many proofes thereof are founde in the holie Scripture He maketh this Image of Brasse which implieth the faire glosse the swéete sounde and strong force of Eloquence he placeth in the left hand a fire-brand to signifie that learned true and faire vttrance maketh men sée touch as it were the right nature of things in the right hand an Ewer bicause the spéech of the wise dampeth and putteth out the flame of passions I might note hereof many examples but I leaue them for the diligent Reader to search meaning here to offer him but Annotations which I feare already are growen too long The little chaines that come foorth from the Images golden toong draw such a number of hearers by the eares hart signifie the great power of a wel framed spéech the truth wherof appéereth chiefely in preaching the word in counsels of graue common wealths-men and orations of good Magistrates and valiant Captaines In this maner did the ancient Frenchmen paint set out their Hercules surnamed Ognius whereupon Alciat hath made a pretie Embleme it is the 180. expounded at large by Cl. Minos The summe of al is that Eloquence is to be preferred before force Our Poet aimeth at that description Further concerning the Bore the Tygre and the Beare lying tame at the féete of this Image it signifieth that a pleasant and learned spéech appeaseth all angrie cruell and sauage men and euen the maddest and most brutish people in the worlde it maketh the woods and hils to daunce and leape that is to saie it mooueth bendeth instructeth very block-heads and such as are most hard of vnderstanding this may be the meaning of those fained tales of Amphion Orpheus Arion and other like Lastly this Image is enuironed with a double ranke of pillers well and strongly grounded and vnder-pinned that beare vp in due proportion the nine languages following each by hir owne chiefe authors maintainers For euery pillar was wrought in fashion of a man framed to the countenance of one of their best writers in a long gowne or stole And that is the meaning of the French a la Cariatide After the Carian right as Vitruuius writeth at large in this first Chapter of his first booke of Architecture This I note bicause the French Commentar lets it passe and it troubled my selfe to vnderstand it at the first 23. Among the blessed wits For chiefe props of the Hebrue toong which he placeth in the fore front of Eloquence as in euery regard it was méete whether we consider the swéete grauitie the naturall impliance the shortnes hautines liuelyhood of it or the sinceritie holines light and heauenly maiestie he nameth first Moses bicause he is the most ancient of those whose writings in this toong are extant As for the booke of the Prophesie of Henoch it was lost a long time ago He describeth this holy Law-writer after an excellent manner as was requisite in a discourse of Eloquence His face shineth like a blasing Starre alluding to that in the Scripture that Moses comming downe from the mount where he had talked with God his face so shined that none was able to behold his countenance insomuch as he was faine to weare a vaile ouer it the rest is verie easie to be vnderstood especially of such as haue neuer so lightlie turned ouer the Historie Now for the bookes of Moses they were written many hundred yéeres before the Gréekes were knowne who were not heard of in the world but a little before the raigne of Saul and had but few works in writing or none at all till after the time of Salomon as their owne Histories witnes whosoeuer will take paines to turne them ouer Naie further all their knowledge came from the Egyptians Phenicians and others who had learned somewhat by conuersing with the Hebrues And to come againe to Moses he hath béene in maruellous account with infinite Heathen writers If any haue lightly regarded or found fault with him it was either bicause they vnderstood him not at all or maliced him excéedingly which a man may easily finde in their writings The second author of the Hebrue he counteth Dauid whose Psalmes he speaketh much of in few lines but little it is in comparison of their excellencie wherof many ancient and late writers haue spoken notable things I will not heape them vp here assuring my selfe that all true Christians will grant me that the Booke of Dauids Psalmes is as Saint Basill saith the Storehouse and treasurie of all good learning for all men to come at and will confesse with Saint Ierome and S. Chrysostome that nothing better becommeth a man be he Peasant or Craftes-man great or small than to sing vnto the Lord the praises and thankesgiuing in these excellent songs contained the very liuely and true Anatomies of a beléeuing soule O how cursed and abominable before God and his Church are those wicked ones that haue forbidden Christians the vnderstanding and vse of them and banished them out of Christendom that haue suffred allowed maintained commanded and commended vnto the people these shamefull and wanton Poesies these bookes of vanitie error leasings which with their authors deserue the fire and not the quiet and peaceable persons that call vpon Iesus Christ and beléeue stedfastly the life euerlasting The soule that feareth God will not take this my digression ill nor thinke it néedlesse As for the vngodly let them spit at it if they will I regarde them not The thirde authour and ornament of the Hebrue is reckoned Salomon in his Prouerbes the booke of the Preacher and the Song of Songs bookes more besprinckled with golden words and notable sentences than his crowne was with pretious stones and pearles embossed Happie is the man that taketh delight to marke and daily thinke vpon so profitable and necessarie instructions The fourth
and alter-placing the letters of Hebrue words and that which the Gréekes others haue after their example inuented is nothing in comparison For there is scarce any word in the Hebrue but being inuerted as may easily be done and somtimes two thrée or fower waies as the number of the letters are offereth to our consideration another word either of like sense or contrarie or making relation to the first giueth thereto such light beautie and liuelihood that it is woonderfull to behold Againe oftentimes a Nowne or other word yea a letter importeth a whole sentence like vnto the Egyptians Hieroglyphikes inuented of them to the imitation of the Hebrue letters and words yet nothing in comparison of them This matter would require a whole volume to be written according to Art by the hand of some one that were wel seene in the toongs and I could name thrée paire yet liuing that are well able to do it In the meane season whosoeuer is desirous to search further herein let him read the Harmonie of the World written by Franciscus Georgius and Guido Faber the Heptap of Ioannes Picus Earle of Mirandula the Hieroglyphickes of I. Goropius from the beginning of the seuenth booke to the end of the sixtéenth thrée bookes of I. Reuclinus De arte Cabaiistica and other thrée bookes of his De Verbo mirabili the Cabala of Picus with the interpretations of Angelus Burgoneuensis thereupon Further much good matter to this purpose a man may finde in Thesauro linguae sanctae set out by S. Pagninus and after augmented by many other learned professors of this toong Sée further the Syriac Institut c. of Caninius the Mithridates of C. Gesnerus the Alphabet in 12. toongs of Postella and his booke De antiquitate linguae Hebraica there are many such Treatises set foorth by diuers learned men whereout and of the bookes aforenamed may be gathered infinite proofes of that which the Poet hath touched in this second reason The thirde is that there liues no nation vnder the cope of heauen but kéepeth still some words of Hebrue in their spéech First the Caldean Syrian Arabian Egyptian Persian Ethiopian and many other as the Gotthicke Troglodytick Punick are so deriued thence that they come as néere it as Italian to Latine some more some lesse Secondly the Gréeke Latine and those others that are farther off haue yet here and there some words that we must néedes grant are sprong from the same fountaine a man may set downe a many of them but it were too long here to coate the examples Thirdly the rootes of many words that are taken to be Gréeke or some other toong are founde to be Hebrue as Franciscus Iunius hath plainly shewed in his learned oration De linguae Hebraeae antiquitate praestantia The fourth reason is that the doctrine of the old Testament which is the doctrine of the first and most ancient people of the world was not written but in Hebrue No man denieth that the people that came of Sem the sonne of Noe is the most ancient among these remained the Church of God and the Hebrue toong God spake not but in the Hebrue toong by the high priest that wore the sacred Ephod and the breast-plate of iudgement whereon was set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vrim Thummim words signifying lights perfectiōs which some thinke was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or four-letered name Iehoua contained within the brest-plate others say it was the ranks of those twelue precious stones there enchased that on them had ingrauen the names of the twelue tribes of Israel as if it were a repetition of that which Moses saith in the 17.18.19 and 20. verses of the 28. chapter of Exodus where he speaketh of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vrim Thummim in the 30. verse others hold they were certaine names others are of diuers other opinions Some late writers thinke those words were ingrauen in the breast-plate This is a secret the search whereof whether one dispute of the words or what they meant or what 's become of them c. is very painfull and néedlesse for that now sithence the comming of Christ we ought to follow the truth it selfe and not stay vpon shadowes These words doubtles gaue to vnderstand that all light and perfection commeth of our Sauiour in whom all the fulnes of the Godhead bodily dwelleth in whom are hid all the treasures of vnderstanding and knowledge who is the light of his Church that is made vnto vs of God his father wisedome iustice redemption and holines In all iudgements demaunds oracles and reuelations that were made by Vrim and Thummim as may be gathered out of the 27. chapter of Numbers the first booke of Samuel the 13. and 30. chapters and other places where aduise and counsell was asked of God and answere was made by the mouth of the high priest there appéered a cléere light a sure truth and perfection all which in Christ is accomplished Now these demaunds answers were propounded rendred in the Hebrue toong long time before any other language was vsed in the world For so soone after their scattering at Babel they could not well be incorporated into a common-wealth and as for religion that was not kept but in the race of Sem as Moses plainly declareth all through the historie of Abrahā Concerning the Prophets their dreames visions God spake not they vnderstood not neither answered or taught they the Church but in the Hebrue that significant vnmingled holy chaste heauenly toong wheras others lispe and stammer out vncertaine sounds and are infinite waies defiled through the dishonest foolish erronious and vngodly discourses of their inuentours I except the bookes of the new Testament and all writings drawen from the cléere fountaines of holy Scripture besides the which there is nothing but vanitie filth wickednes and vngodlines in the world Moreouer the Lord himselfe setting downe his law to his people and writing it twise with his owne finger and speaking with his owne mouth to Moses and his other seruants in the Mount vsed the Hebrue toong So did the Angels and Prophets and Iesus Christ spake the Syriacke a toong so deriued of the Hebrue that they are very like as their Grammars declare The Apostles spake diuers toongs and wrote also according to the people and persons with whom they had to doe yet for all that in their bookes may be noted an infinite many of phrases borrowed of the Hebrue as the learned interpreters of the new Testament haue exactly shewed The fift and last reason set downe by the Poet is that the Hebrue words especially the proper names some are alledged for example and many other may be added are of great waight and importance for somtimes they lay open vnto vs the chiefe things that doe befall the person so named Nay further if a man would take the paines to change the order of letters he may finde in them many goodly mysteries
books or Cantoes of stately verse a poeme the best of all Italians entituled Gierusalemme liberata all the graces and riches of the Gréekes and Latines are there gathered togither and wrought into it after the best maner so graue so short so learned so comely so liuely so stately as if it were the worke of another Virgil. There are also Printed at Ferrara thrée volumes of his works containing other kindes of verse and all sorts of fine inuentions a Comedie a Tragedie diuers Dialogues and discourses in prose all are woorth reading and all make good the iudgement that our Poet hath giuen of the Authour 27. The language Arabike This language is comen of the Hebrue among other learned mens bookes that haue made this toong of account we haue the works of Aben Roïs that is the sonne of kings for Ben signifieth a sonne in Hebrue and the Arabians adde to the beginning this preposition A and somtime Al. This Aben Roïs is the same that we commonly call Auerroës the Commentar a very excellent Philosopher He hath commented vpon most of Aristotle and is translated into Latine printed at Venice the worke doth shew the déepe reach and subtill braine of the man Auicen was a great Philosopher and Physition as his writings also declare Gesner saith Auerroës was of Cordway and Auicen of Seuill and so I thinke but it appéereth by their works that they were both Arabians and professed the superstition of Mahomet As for Eldebag Iohannes Leo writeth of him in the fift booke of his description of Affrike This poet borne at Malaga in Grenade of great name thorough all the parts of Buggie and Thunes was very eloquent in the Arabian toong and wonderfull sharpe in railing on those that did him hurt he made the men of Tebesse féele it in a Satyre he wrote against them the effect whereof is this that Nature knowing the Tebessians should be men of little worth and very swine woulde make no good thing growe about their citie but nuts The last to wit Ibnu-farid the French Commentar knoweth not what he was and I can not learne 28. The Dutch For the Dutch or Almaine toong he setteth vs downe Mychaell Beuther who very well hath translated the Latine Commentaries of Sleidan the next is Luther borne at Islebe as learned and eloquent a man as any was among the Diuines and Preachers of Germanie as all will confesse that haue read his works in Dutch he Preached and read Diuinitie the space of many yéeres at Wytteberg in Saxony Then Gasper Peucer sonne in law to Phillip Melancthon an excellent Philosopher Mathematician and Phisition as his works declare And lastly Peter Beutrick Counseller to Duke Iohn Casimer and chiefe dealer for him with diuers Princes lately deceased I could name you many more but I content my selfe as the Poet hath done with these foure 29. Then Gueuare The bookes of Anthony de Gueuare du Boscan de Grenade de Gracylace haue béene for the most part translated into Latine Italian and French but they are far better in their Castilian which is the most pure Dialect of the Spanish toong and wherein the men of learning and good nourriture are woont ordinarily to write and speake And these foure the Poet hath chosen for the most eloquent writers in this toong yet nothing foredéeming diuers others that haue written well both in verse and prose as namely Osias whom but for his old Dialect he iudgeth as good an author as the other 30. The speech of English For ornament of the English toong he nameth sir Thomas Moore and sir Nicholas Bacon both Lord Chauncellors the first of them was very learned in the Arts and toongs the second excéeding well séene in the common lawes of England and both very eloquent in their mother language As for sir Philip Sidney he deserueth no lesse commendation than the Poet hath giuen him Chaucer deserueth the like commendation here that Osias did among the Spanish Auctors 31. But what new Sunne is this He maketh a digression in praise of the Quéene of England who the space of seuen and thirtie yéeres hath gouerned hir Realme in great prosperitie so as during the troubles and ouerthrowes of other kingdomes about hir hir selfe and hir people haue béene preserued from infinite dangers This famous Quéene hath also the toongs héere mentioned by the Poet very parfit and at this day by the singular grace of God she is accounted the pretious pearle of the North and very fortunate in all the wars she taketh in hand hir happie successe and victories are euery way so memorable that they deserue to be written in a large historie and reuerenced of all posteritie 32. But what are these of Fraunce Clement Marot worthie to be admired for his time in regard of the ignorance and barbarisme that raigned in Europe many yéeres before him hath led the Muses ouer the Alpes and araied them after the French fashion as witnesseth among other his works the translation of nine and fortie Psalmes of Dauid a worke that will continue in account as long as Yea and Nay are spoken euen to the worlds end Indéede he wanteth that Art and those fine deuises that some later writers haue but euen in this want these imperfections he hath done woonderous well sheweth in his naturall vaine that if he had sist he could haue béene excellent yea in some points and places he hath so done alreadie as the best of them all could haue done no better For translations we haue Iacques Amiot who hath turned into French the Ethiopian Historie of Heliodorus seuen bookes of Diodorus Siculus and all Plutarch wherein he hath laboured to very good purpose and with happie successe I would to God he had set his hand also to Thucidides Xenophon and Seneca his stile is pure and naturall not affected not forced right good and true French Blase Viginere hath also translated manie bookes as the Polonian historie a part of Liuie Caesar Chalcondylas Philostratus thrée Dialogs of Friendship and the Psalmes in frée verse all which I haue read ouer and againe yet doe I prefer Amiot before him Indéede I finde in Viginere a very ready stile and matter well chosen but the other I know not how me thinks hath a better carriage of himselfe The Seiour de Vaupriuas in his French Librarie saith of all the foster-children of the Muses that were bred in Fraunce Viginere hath so written that as well for learning as for eloquence of spéech he hath preuented all that shall come after him and as it were shut the gate against them Sée what a commendation héere is I leaue the Reader to iudge of our opinions Our Poet staieth in doubt but I haue béene bould to go further I trust without any great offence in this consisteth not the good or bad state of Fraunce Concerning Poets he nameth Peter Ronsard who hath made himselfe rich with Gréeke and Latine spoiles as his Treatises of Loue his diuers Poemes his Odes Elegies and Hymnes doe witnes wherein a man may reade all sort of verses and all kinde of matter sometimes in a lowe stile sometimes in a meane sometimes in a loftie stile For which cause the Poet calleth him Great Ronsard I will note héere a notable spéech of his after our Poets first Wéeke was come foorth in print being asked his opinion of the worke he answered alluding to the title Mounseiur du Bartas hath done more in one wéeke than I haue done in all my life time As for Philip de Mornay Lord of Plessie Marly his learned worke of the truth of Christian religion honoured thus by the true title and written in good French with liuely reasons there gathered togither mooueth and draweth to his purpose that is to acknowledge the truth all that read it with a hart desirous of peace and good The like may be said of his Discourse of life and death of his Treatise of the Church his Meditations and some Epistles and Demonstrations of his For all his writings are strengthened with arguments inductions and proofes inuincible and all in a stile with grauitie swéetnes mixed well knit and well sounding and easie enough to those that are neuer so little acquainted with it The Poet hauing so liuely represented his Vision endeth his discourse of Eloquence and hir most renowmed fauourers in euery language and so shutteth vp his sixt Booke Which is the second of the second day of his second Wéeke FINIS