that sweete and Godlie Verse, I will recite the very wordes of
_Homere_ and also turne them into rude English metre.
chalepon de t oryssein
andrasi ge thnetoisi, theoi de te panta dynantai.
In English thus.
_No mortall man, with sweat of browe, or toile of minde,
But onely God, who can do all, that herbe doth finde._
_Plato_ also, that diuine Philosopher, hath many Godly
medicines agaynst the poyson of vayne pleasure, in many
places, but specially in his Epistles to _Dionisius_ the tyrant of
Plat. ad // _Sicilie_: yet agaynst those, that will nedes becum
Dio. // beastes, with seruyng of _Circes_, the Prophet
_Psal._ 32 // _Dauid_, crieth most loude, _Nolite fieri sicut equus et
mulus_: and by and by giueth the right medi-
cine, the trewe herbe _Moly, In camo & freno maxillas
eorum constringe_, that is to say, let Gods grace be the bitte,
let Gods feare be the bridle, to stay them from runnyng head-
long into vice, and to turne them into the right way agayne.
_Psal._ 33. // _Dauid_ in the second Psalme after, giueth the
same medicine, but in these plainer wordes,
_Diuerte à malo, & fac bonum_. But I am affraide, that ouer
many of our trauelers into _Italie_, do not exchewe the way to
_Circes_ Court: but go, and ryde, and runne, and flie thether,
they make great hast to cum to her: they make great sute to
serue her: yea, I could point out some with my finger, that
neuer had gone out of England, but onelie to serue _Circes_, in
_Italie_. Vanitie and vice, and any licence to ill liuyng in
England was counted stale and rude vnto them. And so, beyng
Mules and Horses before they went, returned verie Swyne and
Asses home agayne: yet euerie where verie Foxes with suttle
A trewe // and busie heades; and where they may, verie
Picture of // wolues, with cruell malicious hartes. A mer-
a knight of // uelous monster, which, for filthines of liuyng, for
Circes // dulnes to learning him selfe, for wilinesse in
Court. // dealing with others, for malice in hurting without
cause, should carie at once in one bodie, the belie of a Swyne,
the head of an Asse, the brayne of a Foxe, the wombe of
a wolfe. If you thinke, we iudge amisse, and write to sore
_the brynging vp of youth._ 229
against you, heare, what the _Italian_ sayth of the English man,
what the master reporteth of the scholer: who // The Ita-
vttereth playnlie, what is taught by him, and what // lians iudge-
learned by you, saying, _Englese Italianato, e vn_ // ment of
_diabolo incarnato_, that is to say, you remaine men // Englishmen
in shape and facion, but becum deuils in life // brought vp
and condition. This is not, the opinion of one, // in Italie.
for some priuate spite, but the iudgement of all, in a common
Prouerbe, which riseth, of that learnyng, and those maners,
which you gather in _Italie_: a good Scholehouse // The Ita-
of wholesome doctrine: and worthy Masters of // lian diffa-
commendable Scholers, where the Master had // meth him
rather diffame hym selfe for hys teachyng, than // selfe, to
not shame his Scholer for his learning. A good // shame the
nature of the maister, and faire conditions of the // Englishe
scholers. And now chose you, you _Italian_ English men, // man.
whether you will be angrie with vs, for calling you monsters,
or with the _Italianes_, for callyng you deuils, or else with your
owne selues, that take so much paines, and go so farre, to make
your selues both. If some yet do not well vnder- // An Eng-
stand, what is an English man Italianated, I will // lish man
plainlie tell him. He, that by liuing, & traueling // Italiana-
in _Italie_, bringeth home into England out of _Italie_, // ted.
the Religion, the learning, the policie, the experience, the maners
of _Italie_. That is to say, for Religion, // | {1 Religion.}
Papistrie or worse: for learnyng, lesse // | {2 Learn- }
commonly than they caried out with // | { ing. }
them: for pollicie, a factious hart, a // | {3 Pollicie. }
discoursing head, a mynde to medle in // |The{ }gotten in
all mens matters: for experience, // | {4 Experi- }_Italie_.
plentie of new mischieues neuer // | { ence. }
knowne in England before: for maners, // | {5 Maners. }
varietie of vanities, and chaunge of // |
filthy lyuing. These be the inchantementes of _Circes_, brought
out of _Italie_, to marre mens maners in England: much, by
example of ill life, but more by preceptes of fonde // _Italian_
bookes, of late translated out of _Italian_ into // bokes trans-
English, sold in euery shop in London, com- // lated into
mended by honest titles the soner to corrupt // English.
honest maners: dedicated ouer boldlie to vertuous and honor-