games of rowing running whorlebatting shooting and skirmishing on horsebacke at the graue of Anchises his father like to Achilles games of riding whorlebatting running sword playing hurling the stone shooting and casting the darte at the Tombe of Patroclus his deare friend the harnesse of Aeneas made by Vulcan like to the harnesse of Achilles made by him also And in diuers places but not euery where he doth imitate Homers descriptions similitudes phrases and words as Manutius and other learned men haue both noted and quoted Now when the Scholler hath been a while exercised in this kinde of imitation sometime in prose sometime in verse let him assay otherwhiles without an example of imitation what he can do alone by his owne skill alreadie gotten by the precepts and the two former sorts of practise After a three yeeres exercise in this degree of studie he may aâ—tend to the fourth degree of Arithmetike and Geometrie And according to the same manner easely passe through these Artes in halfe a yeere and so before the full age of sixteene yeeres be made fit to wade without a schoolemaister through deeper mysteries of learning to set forth the glorie of God and to benefite his Countrie And thus the maisters duetie of orderly teaching by precepts and by practise of them not only in vnfolding other mens workes but also in making somewhat of a mans owne and that either by imitation of examples or without imitation wee haue breefly declared His duetie of gouerning is to prescribe a good order both for manners and learning and to cause the same to bee kept These good orders therefore spoken of in the fathers duetie aswell concerning godlinesse as of daylie praying of resorting to the Church of reuerent attentiuenes there of learning the doctrine of Christian religion as also concerning Christian honestie that is of obedience to parents and gouernours reuerence to superiours courteous manners towards all men ciuill behauiour in all words and deedes the maister shall efâ—soone repeate vnto his schollers sowing in their tender mindes the seedes of Christian holinesse Further he shall appoynt vnto them the time of comming to schoole and going thence how and wherein they shall spend euery houre there when they shall repeate precepts of Arte when they shall meditate and learne their lesson and renter an account thereof to their maister when they shall exercise themselues in translating writing of theames verses and such like studies These and all other good orders that may further vertue learning the Maister shall plainly declare straitly enioine vnto his Schollers causing them with all carefulnes to obserue the same by encouraging the good and reforming the bad for considering that the hope of honour and the feare of punishment are elementa virtutis wisely did Solon place the preseruation of the common wealth and consequently of the Schoole in prâ—mio poena The good then he shall encourage first with words praising them for their well doing declaring what great commoditie ensueth thereof and exhorting them to go forward This praise of it selfe alone is such a bait to drawe men to vertue that the Apostles Peter and Paule toke it generally for all rewards of well doing and Simonides saith that for the desire of glorie men will take any paine Then he shall encourage them with rewards for a good Schoolemaister is like a good Captaine Inuitat pratijs animos praemia ponit as sometimes to giue trifles and gay things to such as shewe any token of forwardnes diligence and wittines and to such as are victors in vertue according to Horaces saying Pueris dant crustula blandi Doctores elementa velint vt discere prima sometime to reward their painefull studie with libertie to recreate theÌ„selues by rest honest disport and walking abroade for otherwise as a bowe alwayes bent at length will lose his strength so the mind alwaies occupied in studie will waxe dull and not be able to endure Wherefore Quod caret alterna requie durabile non est Haec reparat vires fessaque membra iuuat Lo héere such praises such rewards are propounded vnto thée if thou be a good Schollar consider them well Tantáne tam patiens nullo certamine Dona sines Shall they not encourage thée Shall they not make thee willing and diligent at leastwise though thou be so retchles that thou carest not for these rewards yet blush at that which followeth Nemo est tam agrestis quem si non ipsa honestas contumelia tamen dedecus magnopere moueat Let the vnthriftie then and those that do amisse be reformed and corrected by admonition rebuking and punishing acording to y e qualitie of the fault for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First therefore let him be admonished then rebuked herein the cause shall be throughly sifted paciently heard by equitie iudged and last of all soundly reproued that the conscience of the offender may be touched for the fault if this will not serue for Non satis vna tenet ceratas anchor a puppes aâ— also punishment sometime with the rod which according to Salomons saying driueth away foolishnes that is tied to the childs hart and maketh him wise and learned sometime punishment by restraining that libertie of recreation which otherwise should haue bin graunted and sometime by seruice of drudgerie as may be the swéeping of the Schoole c. Generally of all these corrections none may be differred when it is fit time nor executed before due time Temporibus medicina valet data teÌ„pora prosunt Et data non apto tempore vina nocent But if the Maister at any time for some iust cause do omit the deserued correction he shall threaten a greater and perfourme it also when the next fault shall require y e same Et semper lentuÌ„ pensabit acerbo These are the meanes to allure Schollars to vertue and to driue them from vice which as Plutarch counselleth must be vsed by turne sometime the one and sometime the other after the fashion of a louing nursse who when she hath made her child weepe for his fault giueth him the teat to still him againe which resembleth also the discretion of the cunning Physician that tempereth his bitter medicines with sweete and pleasant drinke But if any be so incorrigible that neither the sweete rewards of vertue can leade him nor the bitter correction of vice draw him to amend let him be cut off from the Schoole Ne pars syncera traâ—atur for he that dwelleth with a Creple will learne to halt and doubtlesse many haue perished with this poison Now we see all the parts properties of this most noble and profitable discipline as it were portraied out before our face which to some peraduenture may yet séeme too hard for that it is so manifold the parts so diuers respect so diuers persons But what then should this make vs shrinke at the matter what
these followed Elias and Eliseus Prophets Iehoiada the Préest and his Sonne Zacharias a Prophet Elias was subiect to such worldly affections as we are yet by the spirit of God he so subdued them that he triumphed ouer them in a glorious Chariot ascending like Enoch to heauen aliue but knowing thereof before he went from place to place with his successor Eliseus and visited the Schooles of Gilgal Bethel Iericho and another place beyond Iordan of the which place there are fiftie Schollers mentioned And concerning Eliseus there is mention made of an hundred Schollers that were vnder him in Gilgal and of the poore diet wherewith they were susteined Further how studious he himselfe was we may perceiue in that the Sunamit built a chamber and furnished it with necessaries of purpose for the Prophet that he might lodge and studie there when he trauailed that way so that he did not intermit his studie no not in his iourney Iehoiada besides other Schollers taught also verie diligently Ioash the King euen from his infancie and holp him to his kingdome Which King notwithstanding after the death of Iehoiada fell to Idolatrie so diuelishly that for the defense thereof he murthered Zacharias the Prophet being the sonne of his great friend and godly Schoolemasster Iehoiada Which I note by the way partly that parents may see how good Schoolemaisters haue now and then lewde and vnthriftie Schollers and partly that Schoolemaisters meditating aforehand with what vnthankefulnes yea with what malitious crueltie their diligence and good will shall be sometime requited may the more strongly arme themselues with patience to indure it From the dayes of this Zacharias vnto Malachi we haue sixteene Prophets verie famous for their paines in teaching all sorts of people both yong and old by their liuely voyce whilest they liued and also by their writing continually sithence their death of whome nine to wit Ionas Osee Esaias Obadias Amos Micheas Naum Ioel and Habacuck were before the Babylonicall captiuitie foure Ieremias Zophanias Ezechiel and Daniel in and about the captiuitie This captiuitie lasted seauentie yeeres in the which as vpon the ouerthrowe of the estates both ecclestasticall and ciuill of necessitie followed the ruine of the Schooles and Colledges so doubtlesse the Schooles were repaired againe together with the repairing of the policie and Priesthood In which renewed estate God stirred vp the three other Prophets Haggeus Zacharias the latter and Malachi to occupie the Doctors chaire in y e congregation and also in the Schooles To these adde Ezra beth a Priest and an excellent Doctor of the Lawe that obteined great fauour for his nation of Artaxerxes the King and by whose industrie the old Testament was worthely augmented and preserued in writing for all nations in his time also was Nehemias a noble Courtier of great learning and holynes and a passing good member in furthering the seruice of God and the welfare of his Countrey And thus the race of the Prophets is come to an ende which thing brought an end also to the goodliest beawtie of this Hebrewe Schoole For the Priests and Leuites neyther in this point nor in doing their duetie otherwise were so diligent but that they are reprehended by the Prophets many times for their slack and corrupt behauiour Neither were the Schollers euer called the children of the Priests but the children of the Prophets because the Prophets were their best maisters and yet in those dayes God sent some other good maisters that were Priests and learned men as Ioachim the Priest who as Philo saith wrote the histories of Iudith and Hester and the seauentie learned Doctors whome Eleazar the Priest sent to Ptolome Philadelphus King of Egypt to translate the Hebrewe Bible into the Greeke tongue by which meanes the word of God came into the Kings Librarie at Alexandria and so was set open to the Gentiles also With these may Iesus the some of Syrach be sorted and his grandfather likewise men of great reading and learning as their doctrine in the booke called Ecclesiasticus doth witnesse All this while the Judges and Captaines by whom the Iewes were gouerned after their captiuitie were of the stock of Dauid in which order Ianna Hyrcanus was the last In whose dayes the itch of ambition and couetousnesse had so infected the Priesthood that whereas it should go by succession to the posteritie of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron now it was who might buy it for money of the Kings of Syria which then held them in miserable subiection Iason was the first that attempted this way to get the Priesthood who to shoulder out his brother Onias gaue for it to Antiochus King of Syria three hundred and sixtie talents and a rent of eightie talents moreouer he gaue an hundred and fiftie talents for libertie to erect a Colledge wherein he might exercise the schollers after the prophane fashion of the Gentiles Thus the ciuill pollicie being sore defaced and the Priesthood wholly corrupted the Schooles likewise degenerated from their ancient integritie bringing forth not the true children of the Prophets but the bastards of very wicked and heathenish Sophisters Hereof it came to passe that within fortie yeeres there sprang vp the sects of the Pharisies of the Essenes and of the Saduces which corrupted the sinceritie of Gods word and broched very detestable and wicked opinions Notwithstanding they had their Sinagogues and Colledges abroad in diuers cities and townes but chiefly in Ierusalem And of the Pharisies was one Gamaliel a Doctor of great estimation at whose feete and in whose discipline was nourished vp the Apostle Saint Paule afterwards a singular instrument in the Church of God But to redresse the foresayd corruption was sent the holy man of God Iohn Baptist replenisht with the spirit of Elias who taught publikely both the congregation and also many Schollers that continually attended vpon him Let vs acknowledge therefore this man to be a visiter and a reformer of the Colledges and also the last Doctor in this Schoole of the Hebrewes So now for the dignitie of Schooling in this first Schoole we haue verie worthie examples of teachers first the Patriarks that taught their housholds then the Prophets and Priests that taught not only their housholds priuatly but also the congregation of the people and companies of Schollers publikly and for amplifying the honor and estimation of these offices it pleased God that sometimes Kings and Princes should partly serue the turne therein But héere some will obiect that all this teaching was for Diuinitie and therefore necessarie but for a few now séeing that most men neither will nor may make their children Diuines Were none then trained vp in learning but such as were Prophets or Priests none but ecclesiasticall persons yes no doubt Kings Judges Captaines and all Magistrates haue néede of the same education Yea though all men can not be learned Doctors yet learning is necessarie for all sorts and all
Lecture then declare the argument and scope of the Author afterward english it either word for word or phrase for phrase as the propertie of both languages will permit Last of all teach or cause another to teach the diuers sorts of the words their properties and syntaxes of speach And about three or foure houres after the Schollar shall be diligently in euery point examined and tryed how he can referre the examples of his Lecture to the rules of Art This exercise of the artificiall expounding of other mens works I neede not to set foorth by examples for that it is common and manifest as is also the last exercise of making somewhat without imitation only imitation therefore remaineth to be declared by examples For the which in this place the Maister shall propound a like sentence in English which the Schollar shall expresse by like phrase in Latin As if the Schollar haue learned and rendered this short Lecture Pater bonus diligit filium probum A good father loueth an honest sonne the Maister may propound the like sentence with diuersitie first of Nombers then of Genders thirdly of Persons fourthly of Tenses fifthly of the forme of the Uerbe and lastly of the words For the variation of nombers he may vse this English Good fathers loue honest sonnes which peraduenture may be hard for a beginner to make in Latin all at once but liue fit quod bene fortur onuâ— Wherefore as in reading he learned letter by letter syllable by syllable so héere let him learne word by word phrase by phrase vntill he haue all the partes which are equall to the whole as may be expressed in this manner of talke betwéene the Maister and the Schollar Ma a father Sch pater M. fathers S. patres M. a good father S. pater bonus M. good fathers S. patres boni M. a good father loueth S. pater bonus diligit M. good fathers loue S. patres boni diligunt M. a good father loueth a sonne S. pater bonus diligit filium M. good fathers loue sonnes S. patres boni diligunt filios M. a good father loueth an honest sonne S. pater bonus diligit filium probum M. good fathers loue honest sonnes S. patres boni diligunt filios probos thus the teacher as a painefull nursse omnia minima mansa infantibus pucris in os inserit cheweth it all to small peeces and thrusteth it into the childs mouth wherein peraduenture he may spend more words and repeate more often not only the English but sometime the Latin also of all that went before Secondly followeth the variation of Genders as a good mother loueth an honest daughter Mater bona diligit filiam probam And againe good mothers loue honest daughters matres bonae diligunt filias probas Thirdly of Persons thou louest an honest child in diligis filium probum Fourthly of Tenses he hath loued an honest child ille dilexit filium probum Fifthly of the forme of a Uerbe an honest child is loued of a good father filius probus a patre bono diligitur Sixtly of the words a skilfull Maister teacheth a diligent Schollar praeceptor peritus docet discipulum sedulum Besides this euery one of the foure former sorts of varieties may receiue also all the three other varieties and the fift againe is capable of all the varieties going before and the sixth likewise of all the rest so that many wayes may the imitation of this one sentence be fashioned and expressed Now after that the Schollar hath bin a fewe dayes enured to this imitation he shall three or foure times euery wéeke meditate alone to make the like in writing also This kind of exercise will both leade him to vnderstand the congruitie and syntaxes of speach and also make him expert in forming of Nounes and Uerbes And so hauing ended his yeare let him march forward into the third fourme the which besides the harder Dialogs shall reade also Tullyes Epistles collected by Sturmius learning them in such manner as is shewed afore and noting moreouer the principall phrases in a note booke And heere the exercise of writing Latin by imitation shall be a translating of the same speach into another like sentence but altered with many varieties at oâ—ce and chiefely with the last varietie of the words as if the schollar haue this first Epistle of the first booke for his lesson Marcus Tullius Cicero Terentiae Vxori salutem SI vales bene est ego vales Nos quotidie tabellarios vestros expectamus qui si venerint fortasse erimus certiores quid nobis facierdum sit faciemsque te statim certiorem Valetudinem tuam cura diligenter Vale. Calendis Septembris When he hath learned this lesson let him haue an Epistle in English of the like sentence which he shall expresse in Latin with Ciceroes phrase To make the sentence like the matter must be followed with like reasons Cicero writeth to his wife let vs imagin the Father to write to his Sonnes he writeth of her messengers of certaintie what to do of care for her health let the father write of their letters of certaintie what to looke for of care for their learning in this wise Peter Cole to Iohn and Charles his sonnes sendeth greeting IF ye be in good health it is well I my selfe am in good health Oftentimes I finde lack of your letters the which being brought verely I shall be more certayne what I am to looke for and will certifie you thereof foorthwith Apply your Studye diligently Farewell The Ides of December The Schollar may easily by imitating his Author translate it after this fashion Petrus Colus Ioanni Carolo filijs salutem Si valetis bene est ego valeo Ego saepe literas vestras desidero quae si allatae erunt profectò ero certior quid mihi expectandum sit faciamque vos statim certiores studia vestra colite diligenter Valete Idibus Decembris Now the Schollar by these meanes hauing gotten some footing in the Latin toong shall begin to practise without an example of imitation both in speaking and also in writing His exercise of speaking Latin shall be first in common and easie matters as of his lesson of orders in the Schoole of dinner and supper c. Afterwards in all matters heed being taken that he be reformed when he vseth barbarous words or trippeth in his speach his exercise of writing without imitation shall be a translating of the same sentence into another speach of latin into english and of english into latin For the turning of english into latin some would haue the Maister to translate into english the sentence out of some place of Tully vnknowne to the Schollar and then giue him the english to translate againe into latin which being done to shewe him Tullyes latin wherewith he shall conferre his owne and correct it this counsell is good and may be vsed when opportunitie and leisure will serue And this is the method and
exercise of teaching and learning fit for the third fourme which must be continued also in the other fourmes following but with some augmentation of length and hardnes of the same according to the abilitie of the learner Yea the same bookes of Dialogs and Epistles may serue for the fourth fourme also so that the hardest of both sorts be chosen Then to the fifth fourme shall be read Terences Comedies Tullyes treatises of friendship and of old age which are a more artificiall and harder kind of Dialogs wherevnto let Ouid de Tristibus or some such within a while be added for Poetrie Now for writing heere by imitation let vs take this example being the words of Laelius as Cicero bringeth him in speaking Haecigitur prima lex in amicitia sanciatur vt neque rogemus res turpes nec faciamus rogati Turpis enim excusatio est minimè accipienda cùm in cateris peccatis tum siquit contra rempub se amici eausa fecisse fateatur Etenim eo loco Fanni Scaeuola locati sumus vt nos longè prospicere oporteat futuros casus reipub deflexir enim iam aliquantum de spacio curriculoque consuetudo maiorum Tiberius Gracchus regnum occupare conatus est vel regnauit is quidem paucos menses Nunquid simile populus Romanus audierat aut viderat hunc etiam post mortem secuti amici propinqui quid in Publium Scipionem Nasicam effecerint sine lachrymis non queo dicere Nam Carbonem quoque quem modò posuimus propter recentem poenam Tib. Gracchi sustinuimus De C. Gracchi tribunatu quid expectem non libet augurari Laelius heere speaketh concerning friendship let vs speake concerning religion and prosecute our matter with the same arguments disposed after the same fashion that the same syntaxes may serue to expresse them This law in religion ought first to be established that thou intice no man to false doctrine nor embrace it when thou art inticed of other For the excuse is shamefull and in no wise to be allowed neither in other faults nor in this if we confesse that we haue vsed any doctrine agaynst the Church of God for mans authoritie sake For thou art placed deare brother in that place that thou oughtest to see long before the chaunces that may befall the Church of God For the custome of the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and godly men is alreadie farre declined from his trade and course The Bishop of Rome hath gone about to occupie the throne of Christ or rather he hath occupied it now many yeeres Did the people of God euer heare or see the like before Yea the Kings and Princes following his counsell what they haue done agaynst the professors of the trueth I cannot think without great griefe For the true Christians haue susteyned most bitter torments for the testifying of a good conscience And touching the issue of these present troubles I list not to diuine what is to bee looked for Which words a scholler of this fourme by imitation thus turned into Latine Hâ—c prima lex in religione sanciâ—tur vt neminem solicites ad falsam doctrinam nec amplectaris solicitatus Turpis enim excusatio est minimè accipienda cùm in caeteris peccatis tùm si contra ecclesiam dei humanae authoritatis causa nos vlla doctrina vsâ—s esse fateamur Etenim eo loco chare frater locatus es vt te longè prospicere oporteat futuros casus ecclesiae dei Deflexit enim iam multum de spacio curriculóqùe consuetudo Patriarcharum Prophetarum Apostolorum piorum hominum Pontifex Romanus Christi thronum occupare conatus est vel occupauit is quidem multos iam annos Num quid simile populus dei audierat aut viderat Eius etiam consilium secuti reges principes quid in professores veritatis effecerunt sine magno dolore non queo cogitare Nam veri Christiani acerbissimos cruciatus propter bonae conscientiae testificationem sustinuerunt De praesentium vero malorum exitu quid expectem non libet augurari Herewithall shall be vsed now and then the other translating without imitating an example as before But if the scholler shall be a Graecian let him learne the Greeke Grammar while he is yet in this fourme and proceede therein after the same order that he did in the Latine bestowing that way the fourth part of his time and like wise another fourth part in the Hebrewe if he will be an Hebrician And so I conclude the second degree of schooling with the ende both of this fifth fourme and the twelfth yeere of the schollers age Then shall followe the third degree for Logike and Rhetorike and the more perfect vnderstanding of the Grammar and knowledge of the tongues First the scholler shal learne the precepts concerning the diuers sorts of arguments in the first part of Logike for that without them Rhetorike cannot be well vnderstood then shall followe the tropes and figures in the first part of Rhetorike wherein he shall employ the sixth part of his studie and all the rest in learning and handling good authors as are Tullies Offices his Orations Caesars Commentaries Virgils Aeneis Ouids Metamorphosis and Horace In whom for his first exercise of vnfolding the Arte he shall obserue the examples of the hardest poynts in Grammar of the arguments in Logike of the tropes and figures in Rhetorike referring euery example to his proper rule as before Then he shall learne the two latter parts also both of Logike and Rhetorike And as of his Grammar rules he rehearsed sâ—me part euery day so let him now do the like in Logike afterwards in Rhetorike and then in Grammar agayne that he forget not the precepts of arte before continual vse haue ripened his vnderstanding in them And by this time he must obserue in authors all the vse â—f the Artes as not only the words and phrases not only the examples of the arguments but also the axiâ—me wherein euery argument is disposed the syllogisme whereby it is concluded the method of the whole treatise and the passages wherby the parts are ioyned together Agayne he shall obserue not only euery trope euery figure aswell of words as of sentences but also the Rhetoricall pronounciation and gesturâ— fit for euery word sentence and affection And so let him take in hand the exercise of all these three Artes at once in making somewhat of his owne first by imitation as when he hath considered the propertie of speach in the Grammaticall etymologie and syntaxis the â—â—â—enesse of speach in the Rhetoricall ornaments as comely tropes pleasant figures fit pronounciation and gesture the reason and pith of the matter in the Logicall wright of arguments in the certeyntie of the axiomes in the due fourme of syllogismes and in the easie and playne method then let him haue a like theamâ— to prosecute with the same artificiall instruments that he findeth in his author As admit that he hath
learned and noted all the arte of this short example in Cicero agaynst ambition In ambitionem Miserrima est omnino ambitio honorumque contentio de qua praeclarè est apud eundeÌ„ Platonem similiter facere eos qui inter se contenderent vter potius rempub administraret vt si nauta certarent quis eorum potissimùm gubernaret Idemque praecepit vt eos aduersarios existimemus qui arma contrà ferant non eos qui suo iudicio tueri remp velint Qualis fuit inter P. Africanum Q. Metellum sine acerbitate dissensio Now let the scholler haue a theame against some like vice as agaynst couetousnesse and prosecute it step by step like vnto this agaynst ambition In auaritiam Teterrima est omnino auaritia diuitiarumque cupiditas De qua praeclarè est apud Ciceronem similiter facere eos qui multis incommodis conflictarentur propter pecuniam adipiscendam vt si qui liberi homines certarent propter eum dominum qui eorum etiam mentes teneret obstrictas eásque nullo tempore respirare permitteret Idemque praecepit vt eos auaros existimemus qui ea qua habent tùm perpetua libidine augendi crucientur sunt pari amittendi metu non eos qui honesta ratione rem familiarem amplificent atque ad largiendum sint pro modo facultatum parati Qualis fuit in maioribus nostris sine auiditate frugalitas diligentia Here though in some place we haue swarued a little from our example as neede requireth yet for the most part wee haue expressed phrase for phrase trope for trope figure for figure argument for argument and so of therest But let vs adde a more copious example of the same exercise Magnanimi est rebus secundis non insolescere Atque etiam in rebus prosperis ad voluntatem nostram fluentibus superbiam fastidium arrogantiam magnopere fugiamus Nam vt aduersas res sic secundas immoderatè ferre leuitatis est praeclaráque est aequalitas in omni vita idem semper vultus eadémque frons vt de Socrate item de C. Laelio accepimus Philippum quidem Macedonum regem rebus gestis gloria superatum à filio facilitate verò humanitate video superiorem fuisse Itaque alter semper magnus alter saepe turpissimus fuit Vt rectè praecipere videantur qui monent vt quantò superiores simus tantò nos summissius geramus Panaetius quidem auditorem Africanum familiarem suum solitum ait dicere sicut equos propter crebras contentiones praeliorum ferocitate exultantes domitoribus tradere soleant vt his facilioribus possint vti sic homines secundis rebus effrenatos sibique praefidentes tanquam in gyrum rationis doctrinâ— duci oportere vt perspicerent rerum humanarum imbecillitatem varietatemque fortunae Atque etiam in secundissimis rebus maximè est vtendum consilio amicorum hisque maior etiam quà m antè tribuenda est authoritas ijsdemque temporibus cauendum est ne assentatoribus patefaciamus aures nec adulari nos sinamus in quo falli facile est Tales enim nos esse putamus vt iure laudemur ex quo nascuntur innumerabilia peccata cùm homines inflati opinionibus turpiter irridentur in maximis versantur erroribus sed haec quidem hactenus Frugi est bona non effundere In rerum copia diuitiarumque abundatia luxuriam effusionem inconsultamque largitionem magnopere fugiamus Nam vt tenaciter sordidè sic luxuriosè prodigè viuere turpe est Praeclaráque est mediocritas in omni vita temperatus semper victus cultúsque temperata item largitio vt de Lacedaemonijs item de priscis Romanis accepimus Cn. quidem Octauium opibus diuitijs superatum a filio parsimonia verò moderatione videmus superiorem fuisse itaque alter in suam domum consulatum primus intulit alter clarissimi viri filius in domum multiplicatam retulit ignominiam calamitatem vt rectè praecipere videantur qui monent vt quantò ampliores fortunas habeamus tantò maiorem diligentiam in illis administrandis adhibeamus Cleopen enim Aegypti regem insano sumptu eò redactum inopiae legimus vt etiam filiam ad meretricium quaestum exponeret venalem Quare sicut vitem luxuriantem quod inquit Cato multiplici lapsu errantem ferro amputans coercet ars agricolarum ne nimia fusa syluescat fiatque sterilis sic homines omnibus copijs circumfluentes multaque luxuria diffluentes tanquam ferro rationis doctrinâ— amputantis coerceri oportet vt ferâ—nt vitae fructus parcè continenter prudenter actae Atque etiam in amplissimis fortunis maxime est vtendum consilio sacrarum literaruâ— hisque plus etiam quà m aliâs temporis impertiendum Ijsdémque temporibus caueÌ„dum est ne appetitibus proprijs assensum praebeamus nec nostris desiderijs nimis indulgeamus in quo falli facile est Id enim rectuÌ„ esse putamus quicquid ad libidinem nostram fingimus Ex quo nascuntur innumerabilia peccata cùm homines prauis opinionibus caecati iurpiter se gerunt in maximis versantur erroribus Dixi. By the way the scholler must in imitation obserue foure things First that if the author whom he imitateth haue generall sentences sometime he may reteyue the very same as because there ensueth much mischiefe aswell of other errors as of hearkening vnto flatterers therefore that sentence Ex quo nascuntur .c. is common and may bee applyed to our cause Secondly that he may leaue out the imitation of some sentences or arguments As Tullie setteth forth the similitude by the authoritie of African and the relation of Panaetius whereas only the protasis or first part of our similitude is attributed but to Cato for want of a like similitude garnished with like authoritie Thirdly he may adde more than his author hath as here the example of Cleope is added to recompence that which wanteth in the similitude Fourthly he may in some part alter the method forme of syllogtimes axiomes arguments figures tropes phrases and words All which must bee done wisely and to good purpose according to the circumstances of the matter Moreouer touching matter and method this imitation may bee exercised in verse likewise but the forme of argumentation or syllogisines the words and phrases the verse will not suffer to be imitated saue only in some places As we see Virgil to haue imitated Homer in method to wit in beginning with the middest of the matter in reciting of things past by occasion and in concluding with a notable issue euen as Homer had disposed his Ilias then in generall matter namely in setting forth Aeneas like to Vlysses and sometime like Achilles in particular matter arguments as the comming of Aeneas to Carthage and Dido like to the comming of Vlysses to Alcinous and Calypso Aeneas going to hell like to Vlysses going to hell Aeneas