2. This and that he leaueth out, which he doth wittelie to
this end and purpose.
3. This he addeth here.
4. This he diminisheth there.
5. This he ordereth thus, with placing that here, not
there.
6. This he altereth and changeth, either, in propertie of
wordes, in forme of sentence, in substance of the matter, or in
one, or other conuenient circumstance of the authors present
purpose. In thies fewe rude English wordes, are wrapt vp all
the necessarie tooles and instrumentes, wherewith trewe _Imita-
tion_ is rightlie wrought withall in any tonge. Which tooles,
I openlie confesse, be not of myne owne forging, but partlie left
vnto me by the cunningest Master, and one of the worthiest
Ientlemen that euer England bred, Syr _Iohn Cheke_: partelie
borowed by me out of the shoppe of the dearest frende I haue
out of England, _Io. St._ And therefore I am the bolder to
borow of him, and here to leaue them to other, and namelie to
my Children: which tooles, if it please God, that an other day,
they may be able to vse rightlie, as I do wish and daylie pray,
they may do, I shal be more glad, than if I were able to leaue
them a great quantitie of land.
This foresaide order and doctrine of _Imitation_, would bring
forth more learning, and breed vp trewer iudgement, than any
other exercise that can be vsed, but not for yong beginners,
bicause they shall not be able to consider dulie therof. And
trewelie, it may be a shame to good studentes who hauing so
faire examples to follow, as _Plato_ and _Tullie_, do not vse so wise
wayes in folowing them for the obteyning of wisdome and
learning, as rude ignorant Artificers do, for gayning a small
commoditie. For surelie the meanest painter vseth more witte,
better arte, greater diligence, in hys shoppe, in folowing the
Picture of any meane mans face, than commonlie the best
studentes do, euen in the vniuersitie, for the atteining of
learning it selfe.
Some ignorant, vnlearned, and idle student: or some busie
looker vpon this litle poore booke, that hath neither will to do
good him selfe, nor skill to iudge right of others, but can lustelie
contemne, by pride and ignorance, all painfull diligence and
right order in study, will perchance say, that I am to precise, to
_the ready way to the Latin tong._ 269
curious, in marking and piteling thus about the imitation of
others: and that the olde worthie Authors did neuer busie their
heades and wittes, in folowyng so preciselie, either the matter
what other men wrote, or els the maner how other men wrote.
They will say, it were a plaine slauerie, & inurie to, to shakkle
and tye a good witte, and hinder the course of a mans good
nature with such bondes of seruitude, in folowyng other.
Except soch men thinke them selues wiser then _Cicero_ for
teaching of eloquence, they must be content to turne a new
leafe.
The best booke that euer _Tullie_ wrote, by all mens iudge-
ment, and by his owne testimonie to, in writyng wherof, he
employed most care, studie, learnyng and iudgement, is his
book _de Orat. ad Q. F._ Now let vs see, what he did for the
matter, and also for the maner of writing therof. For the
whole booke consisteth in these two pointes onelie: In good
matter, and good handling of the matter. And first, for the
matter, it is whole _Aristotles_, what so euer _Antonie_ in the
second, and _Crassus_ in the third doth teach. Trust not me,
but beleue _Tullie_ him selfe, who writeth so, first, in that goodlie
long Epistle _ad P. Lentulum_, and after in diuerse places _ad
Atticum_. And in the verie booke it selfe, Tullie will not haue
it hidden, but both _Catulus_ and _Crassus_ do oft and pleasantly lay
that stelth to _Antonius_ charge. Now, for the handling of the
matter, was _Tullie_ so precise and curious rather to follow an
other mans Paterne, than to inuent some newe shape him selfe,
namelie in that booke, wherin he purposed, to leaue to
posteritie, the glorie of his witte? yea forsoth, that he did.
And this is not my gessing and gathering, nor onelie performed
by _Tullie_ in verie deed, but vttered also by _Tullie_ in plaine
wordes: to teach other men thereby, what they should do, in
taking like matter in hand.
And that which is specially to be marked, _Tullie_ doth vtter
plainlie his conceit and purpose therein, by the mouth of
the wisest man in all that companie: for sayth _Scæuola_ him
selfe, _Cur non imitamur, Crasse, Socratem illum, qui est in Phædro
Platonis &c._
And furder to vnderstand, that _Tullie_ did not _obiter_ and
bichance, but purposelie and mindfullie bend him selfe to
a precise and curious Imitation of _Plato_, concernyng the shape