iudgement of all thinges to be peruerted, and so vertue with
learning is contemned, and studie left of: of ill thoughtes
cummeth peruerse iudgement: of ill deedes springeth lewde
taulke. Which fower misorders, as they mar mans life, so
destroy they good learning withall.
But behold the goodnesse of Gods prouidence for learning:
all olde authors and sectes of Philosophy, which were fondest in
opinion, and rudest in vtterance, as Stoickes and Epicures, first
contemned of wise men, and after forgotten of all men, be so
consumed by tymes, as they be now, not onelie out of vse, but
also out of memorie of man: which thing, I surelie thinke,
will shortlie chance, to the whole doctrine and all the bookes of
phantasticall Anabaptistes and Friers, and of the beastlie
Libertines and Monkes.
Againe behold on the other side, how Gods wisdome hath
wrought, that of _Academici_ and _Peripatetici_, those that were
wisest in iudgement of matters, and purest in vttering their
myndes, the first and chiefest, that wrote most and best, in
either tong, as _Plato_ and _Aristotle_ in Greeke, _Tullie_ in Latin, be
so either wholie, or sufficiently left vnto vs, as I neuer knew
yet scholer, that gaue himselfe to like, and loue, and folow
chieflie those three Authors but he proued, both learned, wise,
and also an honest man, if he ioyned with all the trewe doctrine
of Gods holie Bible, without the which, the other three, be but
fine edge tooles in a fole or mad mans hand.
But to returne to _Imitation_ agayne: There be three kindes
of it in matters of learning.
The whole doctrine of Comedies and Tragedies, is a
perfite _imitation_, or faire liuelie painted picture of the life of
euerie degree of man. Of this _Imitation_ writeth _Plato_ at
large in 3. _de Rep._ but it doth not moch belong at this time to
our purpose.
The second kind of _Imitation_, is to folow for learning of
tonges and sciences, the best authors. Here riseth, emonges
proude and enuious wittes, a great controuersie, whether, one
or many are to be folowed: and if one, who is that one: _Seneca_,
or _Cicero_: _Salust_ or _Cæsar_, and so forth in Greeke and Latin.
The third kinde of _Imitation_, belongeth to the second: as
when you be determined, whether ye will folow one or mo, to
know perfitlie, and which way to folow that one: in what
_the ready way to the Latin tong._ 267
place: by what meane and order: by what tooles and instru-
mentes ye shall do it, by what skill and iudgement, ye shall
trewelie discerne, whether ye folow rightlie or no.
This _Imitatio_, is _dissimilis materiei similis tractatio_: and also,
_similis materiei dissimilis tractatio_, as _Virgill_ folowed _Homer_: but
the Argument to the one was _Vlysses_, to the other _æneas_.
_Tullie_ persecuted _Antonie_ with the same wepons of eloquence,
that _Demosthenes_ vsed before against _Philippe_.
_Horace_ foloweth _Pindar_, but either of them his owne
Argument and Person: as the one, _Hiero_ king of _Sicilie_, the
other _Augustus_ the Emperor: and yet both for like respectes,
that is, for their coragious stoutnes in warre, and iust gouern-
ment in peace.
One of the best examples, for right _Imitation_ we lacke, and
that is _Menander_, whom our _Terence_, (as the matter required) in
like argument, in the same Persons, with equall eloquence, foote
by foote did folow.
Som peeces remaine, like broken Iewelles, whereby men
may rightlie esteme, and iustlie lament, the losse of the
whole.
_Erasmus_, the ornament of learning, in our tyme, doth wish
that som man of learning and diligence, would take the like
paines in _Demosthenes_ and _Tullie_, that _Macrobius_ hath done in
_Homer_ and _Virgill_, that is, to write out and ioyne together,
where the one doth imitate the other. _Erasmus_ wishe is good,
but surelie, it is not good enough: for _Macrobius_ gatherings for
the _æneidos_ out of _Homer_, and _Eobanus Hessus_ more diligent
gatherings for the _Bucolikes_ out of _Theocritus_, as they be not
fullie taken out of the whole heape, as they should be, but euen
as though they had not sought for them of purpose, but fownd
them scatered here and there by chance in their way, euen so,
onelie to point out, and nakedlie to ioyne togither their
sentences, with no farder declaring the maner and way, how
the one doth folow the other, were but a colde helpe, to the
encrease of learning.
But if a man would take this paine also, whan he hath layd
two places, of _Homer_ and _Virgill_, or of _Demosthenes_ and
_Tullie_
togither, to teach plainlie withall, after this sort.
1. _Tullie_ reteyneth thus moch of the matter, thies
sentences, thies wordes: