so turned the begynning of _Terence Eunuchus_, as doth worke in
me, a pleasant admiration, as oft so euer, as I compare those
two places togither. And though euerie Master, and euerie
good Scholer to, do know the places, both in _Terence_ and
_Horace_, yet I will set them heare, in one place togither, that
with more pleasure, they may be compared together.
¶ Terentius in Eunucho.
_Quid igitur faciam? non eam? ne nunc quidem cum accersor
ultrò? an potius ita me comparem, non perpeti meretricum con-
tumelias? exclusit: reuocat, redeam? non, si me obsecret._ PAR-
MENO a little after. _Here, quæ res in se neque consilium neque modum
habet vllum, eam consilio regere non potes. In Amore hæc omnia
insunt vitia, iniuriæ, suspiciones, inimicitiæ, induciæ, bellum, pax
rursum. Incerta hæc si tu postules ratione certa facere, nihilo plus
agas, quem si des operam, vt cum ratione insanias._
¶ Horatius, lib. Ser. 2. Saty. 3.
_Nec nunc cum me vocet vltro,
Accedam? an potius mediter finire dolores?
Exclusit: reuocat, redeam? non si obsecret. Ecce
Seruus non Paulo sapientior: ô Here, quæ res
Nec modum habet, neque consilium, ratione modóque
Tractari non vult. In amore, hæc sunt mala, bellum,
Pax rursum: hæc si quis tempestatis propè ritu
Mobilia, et cæca fluitantia sorte, laboret
Reddere certa, sibi nihilò plus explicet, ac si
Insanire paret certa ratione, modòque._
This exercise may bring moch profite to ripe heads, and
stayd iudgementes: bicause, in traueling in it, the mynde must
nedes be verie attentiue, and busilie occupide, in turning and
tossing it selfe many wayes: and conferryng with great pleasure,
the varietie of worthie wittes and iudgementes togither: But
this harme may sone cum therby, and namelie to yong Scholers,
lesse, in seeking other wordes, and new forme of sentences, they
chance vpon the worse: for the which onelie cause, _Cicero_
thinketh this exercise not to be fit for yong men.
_the ready way to the Latin tong._ 259
_Epitome._
This is a way of studie, belonging, rather to matter, than to
wordes: to memorie, than to vtterance: to those that be
learned alreadie, and hath small place at all amonges yong
scholers in Grammer scholes. It may proffet priuately some
learned men, but it hath hurt generallie learning it selfe, very
moch. For by it haue we lost whole _Trogus_, the best part of
_T. Liuius_, the goodlie Dictionarie of _Pompeius festus_, a great
deale of the Ciuill lawe, and other many notable bookes, for the
which cause, I do the more mislike this exercise, both in old
and yong.
_Epitome_, is good priuatelie for himselfe that doth worke it,
but ill commonlie for all other that vse other mens labor therein:
a silie poore kinde of studie, not vnlike to the doing of those
poore folke, which neyther till, nor sowe, nor reape themselues,
but gleane by stelth, vpon other mens growndes. Soch, haue
emptie barnes, for deare yeares.
Grammer scholes haue fewe _Epitomes_ to hurt them, except
_Epitheta Textoris_, and such beggarlie gatheringes, as _Horman,
whittington_, and other like vulgares for making of latines: yea
I do wishe, that all rules for yong scholers, were shorter than
they be. For without doute, _Grammatica_ it selfe, is sooner and
surer learned by examples of good authors, than by the naked
rewles of _Grammarians_. _Epitome_ hurteth more, in the vni-
uersities and studie of Philosophie: but most of all, in diuinitie
it selfe.
In deede bookes of common places be verie necessarie, to
induce a man, into an orderlie generall knowledge, how to
referre orderlie all that he readeth, _ad certa rerum Capita_, and
not wander in studie. And to that end did _P. Lombardus_ the
master of sentences and _Ph. Melancthon_ in our daies, write two
notable bookes of common places.
But to dwell in _Epitomes_ and bookes of common places, and
not to binde himselfe dailie by orderlie studie, to reade with all
diligence, principallie the holyest scripture and withall, the best
Doctors, and so to learne to make trewe difference betwixt, the
authoritie of the one, and the Counsell of the other, maketh so
many seeming, and sonburnt ministers as we haue, whose