Letter 3 A Gallant familiar Letter, containing an Ansvvere Answere to that of M. Immerito, vvith with sundry proper examples, and some Precepts of our Englishe reformed Versifying. To my very friend M. Immerito.

SIgnor Signor Immerito, to passe ouer over youre needelesse complaint, wyth the residue of your preamble (for of yͤ the Earthquake I presuppose you haue have ere this recey-ued recey-ved my goodly discourse) and withall to let my late Englishe laſe Englishe Hexametres goe as lightlye as they came: I cannot choose, but thanke and honour the good Aungell, Aungell (whether it were Gabriell or some other) other), that put so good a motion into the heads of those two excellent Gentlemen M. Sidney, and M. Dyer, the two very Diamondes of hir Maiesties Majesties Courte for many speciall and rare qualities: as to helpe forwarde our new famous en-terprise for the Exchanging of Barbarous and Balductum Rymes with Artificial Uerses Verses : the one being in manner of pure and fine Goulde, the other but counterfet, and base yl-fauoured yl-favoured Copper. I doubt not but their liuelie livelie example, and Practise, wil preuaile prevaile a thousand times more in short space, than the dead Aduertizement Advertizement , and persuasion of M. Ascham to the same Effecte: whose Scholemaister notwithstanding I reuerence reverence in respect of so learned a Motiue Motive . I would glad-ly be acquainted with M. Drants Prosodye, and I beseeche you, commende me to good M. Sidneys iudgement judgement , and gentle 32 Presi- M. Immeritos Obseruations Observations . I hope your nexte Letters, which I daily exspect, wil bring me in farther familiaritie & and acquaintance with al three. Mine owne Rules and Precepts of Arte, I beleeue beleeve wil fal out not greatly repugnant, though peraduenture peradventure somewhat different: and yet am I not so reso-lute, but I can be content to reserue reserve the Coppying out and publishing therof, vntil until I haue have a little better consulted with my pillowe, and taken some farther aduize advize of Madame Spe-rienza. In the meane, take this for a general Caueat Caveat , and say I haue have reuealed revealed one great mysterie vnto unto you: I am of Opinion, there is no one more regular and iustifiable justifiable direction, eyther for the assured, and infallible Certaintie of our En-glish Artificiall Prosodye particularly, or generally to bring our Language into Arte, and to frame a Grammer or Rhe-torike thereof: than first of all vniuersally universally to agree vpon upon one and the same Ortographie, in all pointes conformable and proportionate to our Common Natural Prosodye: whether Sir Thomas Smithes in that respect be the most perfit, as surely it must needes be very good: or else some other of profoun-der Learning, & and longer Experience, than Sir Thomas was, shewing by necessarie demonstration, wherin he is defectiue defective , wil vndertake undertake shortely to supplie his wantes, and make him more absolute. My selfe dare not hope to hoppe after him, til I see something or other, too, or fro, publickely and auten-tically established, as it were by a generall Counsel, or acte of Parliament: and then peraduenture peradventure , standing vppon uppon fir-mer grounde, for Companie sake, I may aduenture adventure to do as other do. Interim, credit me, I dare geue geve owte no date geue geve no Preceptes, nor set downe any Certaine General Arte: and yet see my bolde-nesse, I am not greatly squaimishe of my Particular Exam-ples, whereas he that can but reasonably skil of the one, wil giue give easily a shreude gesse at the other: considering that the one fetcheth his original and offspring from the other. In which respecte, to say troth, we Beginners haue have the start, and aduauntage advauntage of our Followers, who are to frame and con-forme both their Examples, and Precepts, according to that 33 Nowe E. President which they haue have of vs us : as no doubt Homer or some other in Greeke, and Ennius, or I know not who else in Latine, did preiudice prejudice , and ouerrule overrule those, that followed them, as well for the quantities of syllables, as number of feete, and the like: their onely Examples going for current pay-ment, and standing in steade of Lawes, and Rules with the posteritie. In so much that it seemed a sufficient warrant (as still it doth in our Common Grammer schooles) to make τῑ τῖ in τιμὴ, and ū, ʊ̃, in Vnus Unus long, because the one hath τῑμὴ δ’ ἐκ δίος ἐστὶ, τίμὴ δ’ἐκ δίος ἐϛὶ, and the other, Vnus Unus homo nobis, and so consequent-ly in the rest. But to let this by-disputation passe, which is already so throughly discoursed and canuassed canvassed of the best Philosophers, and namely Aristotle, that poynt vs us , as it were with the forefinger, to the very fountaines and head springes of Artes, and Artificiall preceptes; preceptes, in the Analiti-ques, and Metaphysikes: most excellently set downe in these foure Golden Termes, the famoussest Termes to speake of in all Logique and Philosophie, ἐμπειρία, ἱστορια, ἄισθησις, ἐπαγωγὴ: ἰϛορια, ἄισ[θη]σις ἐπαγωγὴ: shall I nowe by the way sende you a Ianuarie Januarie gift in Aprill:: and as it were shewe you a Christmas Gam-bowlde after Easter? Were the manner so very fine, as the matter is very good, I durst presume of an other kinde of Plaudite and Gramercie, than now I will: but being as it is, I beseeche you, set parcialitie aside, and tell me your mai-sterships fancie.

A Nevv New yeeres Gift to my old friend Maister George Bilchaunger: In commendation of three most precious Accidentes, Vertue, Fame, and Wealth: and finally of the fourth, A good Tongue. VErtue Vertue sendeth a man to Renowne, Fame lendeth Aboundaunce, Fame with Aboundaunce maketh a man thrise blessed and happie. So the Rewarde of Famous Vertue makes many wealthy, And the Regard of Wealthie Vertue makes many blessed: O blessed Vertue, blessed Fame, blessed Aboundaunce, O that I had you three, with the losse of thirtie Comencementes. 34 ded Nowe farewell Mistresse, whom lately I loued loved aboue above all, These be my three bony lasses, bonny la[ſſ]es, these be my three bony Ladyes, bonny Ladyes, Not the like Trinitie againe, saue save onely the Trinitie aboue above all: Worship and Honour, first to the one, and then to the other. A thousand thousaud good leaues leaves be for euer ever graunted Agrippa Agrippa. For squibbing and declayming against many fruitlesse Artes, and Craftes, deuisde devisde by the Diuls Divls and Sprites, for a torment, And for a plague to the world: as both Pandora, Prometheus, And that cursed good bad Tree, can testifie at all times. Meere Gewegawes and Bables, in comparison of these. Toyes to mock Apes, and Woodcockes, in comparison of these. Iugling Jugling castes, and knicknackes, in comparison of these. Yet behinde there is one thing, worth a prayer at all tymes, A good Tongue, in a mans Head, A good Tongue in a woomans. And what so precious matter, and foode for a good Tongue, As blessed Vertue, blessed Fame, blessed Aboundaunce? Aboundaunce. L’ L’ Enuoy Envoy . Maruell Marvell not, that what I meane to send these Verses at Euensong Evensong : On Neweyeeres Euen Even , and Oldyeeres End, as a Memento: Trust me, I know not a ritcher Iewell Jewell , newish or oldish, Than blessed Vertue, blessed Fame, blessed Abundaunce, O blessed Vertue, blessed Fame, blessed Aboundaunce, O that you had these three, with the losse of Fortie Valetes,

He that wisheth, you may liue live to see a hundreth Good Newe yeares, euery every one happier, and merrier, than other.

Now to requite your Blindfolded pretie God, God (wherin by the way I woulde gladly learne, why, Thĕ, Thē, in the first, Yĕ in the first, and thirde, Hĕ, and My, in the last, being shorte, Mē, alone should be made longe longer in the very same) Imagin same), imagin me to come into a goodly Kentishe Garden of your old Lords, or some other Noble man, and spying a florishing Bay Tree there, to demaunde ex tempore, as followeth: Thinke vppon uppon Petrarches Arbor vittoriosa, triomfâle, tiromfâle, Onor d’Imperadori, e di Poete: and perhappes it will aduaunce advaunce the wynges of your Imagi-nation a degree higher: at the least if any thing can be ad-ded 35 Speculum E.ij. to the loftinesse of his conceite, whõ whom gentle Mistresse Ro-salinde, once reported to haue have all the Intelligences at com-maundement, and an other time, Christened her her, Segnior Pegaso.

Encomium Lauri. What WAat might I call this Tree? A Laurell? O bonny Laurell: Needes to thy bowes will I bow this knee, and vayle my bonetto: Who, but thou, the renowne of Prince, and Princely Poeta? Poeta: Th’one for Crowne, for Garland th’other thanketh Apollo. Thrice happy Daphne: that turned was to the Bay Tree, Whom such seruauntes servauntes serue serve , as challenge seruice service of all men. Who chiefe Lorde, and King of Kings, but th’Emperour only? And Poet of right stampe, oueraweth overaweth ouerawith overawith th’Emperour himselfe. Who, but knowes Aretyne? Aretyne, was he not halfe Prince to the Princes? Princes. And many a one there liues lives , as nobly minded at all poyntes. Now Farewell Bay Tree, very Queene, and Goddesse of all trees, Ritchest perle to the Crowne, and fayrest Floure to the Garland. Faine wod I craue crave , might I so presume, some farther aquaintaunce, O that I might? but I may not: woe to my destinie therefore. Trust me, not one more loyall seruaunt servaunt longes to thy Persnage, Perſonage, But what sayes Daphne? Non omni dormio, worse lucke: Yet Farewell, Farewell, the Reward of those, that I honour: Glory to Garden: Glory to Muses: Glory to Vertue. Partim Ioui Iovi , & et Palladi, Partim Apollini & et Musis.

But seeing I must needes bewray my store, and set open my shoppe wyndowes, nowe I pray thee, and coniure conjure thee by all thy amorous Regardes, and Exorcismes of Loue Love , call a Parliament of thy Sensible, & and Intelligible powers together, & and tell me, in Tom Trothes earnest, what Il fecondo, & e famoso Poeta, Messer Immerito, sayth to this bolde Satyricall Satyriall Libell lately deuised devised at the instaunce of a certayne worshipfull Hartefordshyre Gentleman, of myne olde acquayntaunce: in Gratiam quorundam Illustrium Anglofrancitalorum, hic & et vbique ubique apud nos volitantium. Agedùm verò, nosti homines, tan-quam tuam ipsius cutem.

36 they Speculum Tuscanismi. Since Galateo came in, and Tuscanismo Tuſcaniſme gan vsurpe usurpe , Vanitie aboue above all: Villanie next her, Statelynes Empresse. No man, but Minion, Stowte Stowte, Lowte, Plaine Plaine, swayne, quoth a Lording: No wordes but valorous, no workes but woomanish onely. For like life Magnificoes, not a beck but glorious in shew, In deede most friuolous frivolous , not a looke but Tuscanish alwayes. His cringing side necke, Eyes glauncing, Fisnamie smirking, With forefinger kisse, and braue brave embrace to the footewarde. Largebellyed Largebelled Kodpeasd Dublet, vnkodpeased unkodpeased halfe hose, Straite to the dock, like a shirte, and close to the britch, like a diueling diveling . A little Apish Hatte, cowchd cowched fast to the pate, like an Oyster, French Camarick Ruffes, deepe with a witnesse, starchd [ſt]arched to the purpose. Euery Every one A per se A, his termes, and braueries braveries in Print, Delicate in speach, queynte in araye: conceited in all poyntes: In Courtly guyses, guyles, a passing singular odde man, For Gallantes a braue brave Myrrour, a Primerose of Honour, A Diamond for nonce, a fellowe perelesse in England. Not the like Discourser for Tongue, and head to be found out: Not the like resolute Man, for great and serious affayres, Not the like Lynx, to spie out secretes, and priuities privities of States. Eyed, like to Argus, Earde, like to Midas, Nosd, like to Naso, Wingd, like to Mercury, fittst of a Thousand for to be employde, This, na nay more than this doth practise of Italy in one yeare. None doe I name, but some doe I know, that a peece of a tweluemonth twelvemonth : Hath so perfited outly, and inly, both body, both soule, That none for sense, and senses, halfe matchable with them. A Vulturs smelling, Apes tasting, sight of an Eagle, A spiders touching, Hartes hearing, might of a Lyon. Compoundes of wisedome, witte, prowes, bountie, behauiour behaviour , All gallant gallaut Vertues, all qualities of body and soule: O thrice tenne hundreth thousand times blessed and happy, Blessed and happy Trauaile Travaile , Trauailer Travailer most blessed and happy. Penatibus Hetruscis laribusque nostris Inquilinis:

Tell me in good sooth, doth it not too euidently evidently appeare, that this English Poet wanted but a good patterne before his eyes, as it might be some delicate, and choyce elegant Poesie of good M. Sidneys, or M. Dyers, ( Dyers ( ower ouer uery very Castor, & and Pollux for such and many greater matters) matters), when this trimme geere was in hatching: Much much like some Gentlewooman, I coulde name in England, who by all Phisick and Physiognomie too, might as well haue have brought forth all goodly faire children, as 37 Whilst E iij. they haue have now some ylfauored and deformed, had they at the tyme of their Conception, had in sight, the amiable and gal-lant beautifull Pictures of Adonis, Cupido, Ganymedes, or the like, which no doubt would haue have wrought such deepe im-pression in their fantasies, and imaginations, as their chil-dren, and perhappes their Childrens children too, myght haue have thanked them for, as long as they shall haue have Tongues in their heades.

But myne owne leysure fayleth me: and to say troth, I am lately become a maruellous marvellous great straunger at myne olde Mistresse Poetries, being newly entertayned, and dayly employed in our Emperour Iustinians Justinians seruice service ( sauing saving that I haue have alreadie addressed a certaine pleasurable, and Morall Politique Naturall mixte deuise devise , to his most Honourable Lordshippe, in the same kynde, wherevnto whereunto my next Letter, if you please mee well, may perchaunce make you priuie:) privie:) priuie): privie): marrie nowe, if it lyke you in the meane while, for varie-tie sake, to see howe I taske a young Brother of myne myne, (whom of playne Iohn John , our Italian Maister hath Cristened his Piccolo Giouannibattista Giovannibattista ), Picciolo Giouannibattista Giovannibattista ,) Lo here (and God will) a peece of an hollydayes of An hollydayes of hollydayes exercise. In the morning I gaue gave him this Theame out of Ouid Ovid , to translate, and varie after his best fashion.

Dum fueris fœlix multos numerabis Amicos, Tempora si fuerint nubila, solus eris. Aspicis, vt ut veniant ad candida tecta columbæ? Accipiat nullas sordida Turris Aues Aves ?

His translation, or rather Paraphrase before dinner, was first this: 1. Whilst your Bearnes are fatte, whilst Cofers stuffd with aboundaunce, Freendes will abound: If bearne waxe bare, then adieu sir a Goddes name. See ye the Dooues Dooves ? they breede, and feede in gorgeous Houses: Scarce one Dooue Doove doth loue love to remaine in ruinous Houses,

And then forsooth this: to make proofe of his facultie in Pentameters too, affecting a certaine Rithmus withall.

39 newe 2. Whilst your Ritches abound, your friends will play the Placeboes, If your wealth doe decay, friend, like a feend, will away, Dooues Dooves light, and delight in goodly fairetyled houses: If your House be but olde, Dooue Doove to remoue remove be ye bolde.

And the last and largest of all, this:

3. If so be goods encrease, then dayly encreaseth a goods friend. If so be goods decrease, then straite decreaseth a goods friend. Then God night goods friend, who seldome prooueth prooveth a good friend, Giue Give me the goods, and giue give me the good friend, take ye the goods friend. Douehouse Dovehouse , and Louehouse Lovehouse , in writing differ a letter: In deede scarcely so much, so resembleth an other an other. Tyle me the Doouehouse Doovehouse trimly, and gallant, where the like storehouse? Fyle me the Doouehouse Doovehouse : leaue leave it vnhansome unhansome , where the like poorehouse? Looke to the Louehouse Lovehouse : where the resort is, there is a gaye showe: Gynne port, and mony fayle, fayle: straight sports, ſports and Companie faileth.

Beleeue Beleeve me, I am not to be charged with aboue above one, or two of the Uerses Verses : and a foure or fiue five wordes in the rest. His afternoones Theame was borrowed out of him, whõ whom one in your Coate, they say, is as much beholding vnto unto , as any Pla-net, or Starre in Heauen Heaven is vnto unto the Sunne: and is quoted as your self best remember, in the Glose of your October.

Giunto Alessandro ala famosa tomba Del fero Achille, sospirando disse, O fortunato, che si chiara tromba Trouasti Trovasti .

Within an houre, or there aboutes, he brought me these foure lustie Hexameters, altered since not past in a worde, or two.

Noble Alexander, when he came to the tombe of Achilles, Sighing spake with a bigge voyce: O thrice blessed Achilles, That such a Trump, so great, so loude, so glorious hast found, As the renowned, and surpassing ſurprizing surprizing Archpoet Homer.

Uppon the viewe whereof, Ah my Syrrha, quoth I here is a gallant exercise for you in deede: we haue have had a little prettie triall of your Latin, you Latin, and Italian Translation: Let me see now I pray, what you can doo in your owne Tongue: And with that, reaching a certaine famous Booke, called the 38 But newe Shephardes Calender: I turned to Willyes, and Tho-malins Emblemes, in Marche: and bad him make them ey-ther better, or worse in English verse. I gaue gave him an other howres respite: but before I looked for him, he suddainely rushed vpon upon me, and gaue gave me his deuise devise , thus formally set downe in a faire peece of Paper.

1.Thomalins Embleme. Of Honny, and of Gaule in Loue Love there is store, The Honny is much, but the Gaule is more. 2.Willyes Embleme. To be wize, and eke to Loue Love , Is graunted scarce to God aboue above . 3.Both combined in one. Loue Love is a thing more fell, and full than full of Gaule, than of Honny, And to be wize, and Loue Love , is a worke for a God, or a Goddes peere.

With a small voluntarie Supplement of his owne, on the other side, in commendation of hir most gratious, and thrice excellent Maiestie Majestie : Not the like Virgin againe, in Asia, or Afric, or Europe, For Royall Vertues, for Maiestie Majestie , Bountie, Behauiour Behaviour . Raptim, vti uti vides. In both not passing a worde, or two, corrected by mee. Something more I haue have of his, partly that very day begun, and partly continued since: but yet not so perfitly finished, that I dare committe the viewe, and examination thereof, to Messer Immeritoes Censure, whom after those same two incomparable and myraculous Gemini, Omni exceptione ma-iores, I recount, and chaulk vppe uppe in the Catalogue of our very principall Englishe Aristarchi. Howbeit, I am nigh halfe perswaded, that in tyme (siquidem vltima ultima primis re-spondeant) for length, bredth, and depth, it will not come far behinde your Epithalamion Thamesis: the rather, hauing having so fayre a president, and patterne before his Eyes, as I war-rant him, and he presumeth to haue have of that: both Master Collinshead, and Master Hollinshead Holliſhead Hollishead too, being togither therein. 40 with But euer ever , & and euer ever , me thinkes your great Catoes, Ecquid erit pretij pretii , and our little Catoes, Res age quæ prosunt, make suche a buzzing, & and ringing in my head, that I haue have little ioy joy to ani-mate, & and encourage either you, or him to goe forward, vnlesse unlesse ye might make account of some certaine ordinarie wages, or at the leastwise at at the lea[ſt]wise leastwise haue have your meate, and drinke for your dayes workes. As for my selfe, howsoeuer howsoever I haue have toyed, and trifled heretofore, I am nowe taught, and I trust I shall shortly learne, learne (no remedie, I must of meere necessi-tie giue give you ouer over in the playne fielde) fielde), to employ my tra-uayle, tra-vayle, and tyme wholly, or chiefely on those studies and practizes, that carrie as they saye, meate in their mouth, hauing having euermore evermore their eye vppon uppon the Title De pane lucrando, and their hand vpon upon their halfpenny. For, I pray now, what saith M. Cuddie, alias you know who, in the tenth Æglogue of the foresaid famous new Calender?

Piers, I haue have piped erst so long with payne, That all myne Oten reedes been rent, and wore, And my poore Muse hath spent hir spared store, Yet little good hath got, and much lesse gayne. Such pleasaunce makes the Grashopper so poore, And ligge so layde, when winter doth her strayne. The Dapper Ditties, that I woont deuize devize , To feede youthes fancie, and the flocking fry, Delighten much: what I the bett for thy? They han the pleasure, I a sclender prize. I beate the bushe, the birdes to them doe flye, What good thereof to Cuddy can arise?

But Master Collin Cloute is not euery every body, and albeit his olde Companions, Master Cuddy, & and Master Hobbinoll be as little beholding to their Mistresse Poetrie, as euer ever you wist: yet he peraduenture peradventure , by the meanes of hir speciall fa-uour, fa-vour, and some personall priuiledge priviledge , may happely liue live by dy-ing Pellicanes, and purchase great landes, and Lordshippes, 41 I F. with the money, which his Calendar and Dreames haue have , and will affourde him. Extra iocum, I like your Dreames pas-singly well: and the rather, bicause they sauour savour of that singu-lar extraordinarie veine and inuention invention , whiche I euer ever fan-cied moste, and in a manner admired onelye, onelye in Lucian, Pe-trarche, Aretine, Pasquill, and all the most delicate, and fine conceited Grecians & and Italians: (for the Romanes to speake of, are but verye Ciphars in this kinde:) whose chiefest en-deuour, en-devour, and drifte was, to haue have nothing vulgare, but in some respecte or other, and especially in liuely lively Hyperbolicall Am-plifications, rare, queint, and odde in euery every pointe, and as a man woulde saye, a degree or two at the leaste, aboue above the reache, and compasse of a common Schollers capacitie. In whiche respecte notwithstanding, as well for the singulari-tie of the manner, as the Diuinitie Divinitie of the matter, I hearde once a Diuine Divine , preferre Saint Iohns Johns Reuelation Revelation before al the veriest Mætaphysicall Visions, & and iollyest jollyest conceited Dreames or Extasies, that euer ever were deuised devised by one or other, howe ad-mirable, or superexcellẽt superexcellent soeuer soever they seemed otherwise to the worlde. And truely I am so confirmed in this opinion, that when I bethinke me of the verie notablest, and moste won-derful Propheticall, or Poeticall Uision Vision , that euer ever I read, or hearde, me seemeth the proportion is so vnequall unequall , that there hardly appeareth anye semblaunce of Comparison: no more in a manner (specially for Poets) than doth betweene the in-comprehensible Wisedome of God, and the sensible Wit of Man. But what needeth this digression betweene you and me? I dare saye you wyll holde your selfe reasonably wel sa-tisfied, if youre Dreames be but as well esteemed of in Eng-lande, as Petrarches Visions be in Italy: whiche I assure you, is the very worst I wish you. But, see, how I haue have the Arte Memoratiue Memorative at commaundement. In good faith I had once againe nigh forgotten your Faerie Queene: howbeit by good chaunce, I haue have nowe sent hir home at the laste, neither in better nor worse case, than I founde hir. And must you of necessitie haue have my Iudgement Judgement of hir in deede? To be plaine, 50 To I am voyde of al iudgement judgement , if your Nine Comœdies, wher-vnto wher-unto in imitation of Herodotus, you giue give the names of the Nine Muses, Muses (and in one mans fansie not vnworthily) vnworthily), unworthily) unworthily), come not neerer Ariostoes Comœdies, eyther for the finenesse of plausible Elocution, or the rarenesse of Poetical Inuention Invention , than that Eluish Elvish Queene doth to his Orlando Furioso, which notwithstanding, you wil needes seeme to emulate, and hope to ouergo overgo , as you flatly professed your self in one of your last Letters. Besides that you know, it hath bene the vsual usual pra-ctise of the most exquisite and odde wittes in all nations, and specially in Italie, rather to shewe, and aduaunce advaunce themselues themselves that way, than any other: as namely, those three notorious dyscoursing heads, Bibiena, Machiauel Machiavel , and Aretine did, did (to let Bembo and Ariosto passe) passe), with the great admiration, and wonderment of the whole countrey: being in deede reputed matchable in all points, both for conceyt of Witte, and elo-quent decyphering of matters, either with Aristophanes and Menander in Greek, or with Plautus and Terence in Latin, or with any other, in any other tong. But I wil not stand greatly with you in your owne matters. If so be the Faerye Queene be fairer in your eie thã than the Nine Muses, and Hob-goblin runne away with the Garland from Apollo: Marke what I saye, and yet I will not say that I thought, but there an End for this once, and fare you well, till God or some good Aungell putte you in a better minde.

And yet, bicause you charge me somewhat suspitiouslye with an olde promise, to deliuer deliver you of that iealousie jealousie , I am so farre from hyding mine owne matters from you, that loe, I muste needes be reuealing revealing my friendes secreates, now an ho-nest Countrey Gentleman, sometimes a Scholler: At whose request, I bestowed this pawlting bongrely bnngrely Rime vpon upon him, to present his Maistresse withall. The parties shall bee namelesse: sauing saving , that the Gentlewomans true, or counter-faite Christen name, must necessarily be bewrayed.

51 Nowe F.ij. ¶To my good Mistresse Anne: the very lyfe of my lyfe, and onely beloued beloved Mystresse. GEntle Gentle Mistresse Anne, I am plaine by nature: I was neuer never so farre in loue love with any creature. Happy were your seruant servant , if hee coulde bee so Anned, And you not vnhappy unhappy , if you shoulde be so manned. I loue love not to gloze, where I loue love indeede, Nowe God, and good Saint Anne, Anne. sende me good speede. Suche goodly Vertues, suche amiable Grace, But I must not fall a praysing: I wante Time, and Place. Oh, that I had mine olde Wittes at commaundement: I knowe, what I coulde say without controlement: But let this suffice: thy desertes are suche: That no one in this worlde can loue love thee too muche. My selfe moste vnworthy unworthy of any suche fœlicitie, But by imputation of thy gratious Curtesie. I leaue leave to loue love the Muses, since I loued loved thee, Alas, what are they, when I thee see? Adieu, adieu pleasures, and profits all: My Hart, and my Soule, but at one bodyes call. Woulde God, I might saye to hir: My hart-roote is thine: And, And (ô Pleasure of Pleasures) Pleasures), Thy sweete hartroote hart-roote mine. Nowe I beseeche thee by whatsoeuer whatsoever thou louest lovest beste, Let it be, as I haue have saide, and, Soule, take thy reste. By the faith of true Loue Love , and by my truest Truely, Thou shalt neuer never putte forth thy Loue Love to greater Vsurie Usurie . And for other odde necessaries, take no care, Your seruaunts servaunts Dæmonium shall ridde you of that feare. I serue serve but two Saints, Saint Penny, and Saint Anne, Commende this I muste, commaunde that I canne. Nowe, shall I be plaine? I praye thee euen even most hartily, Requite Loue Love , with Loue Love : and farewell most hartily. Postscripte. I But but once loued loved before, and shee forsooth was a Susanne: But the Heart of a Susanne, not worth the Haire of an Anne: A Sus to Anne, if you can any Latine, or Pewter: Shee Flesh, hir Mother hir,Mother Fish, hir Father a verye Newter. I woulde once, and might after, haue have spedde a Gods name: But, if she coye it once, she is none of my Dame. 44 neuer never Nowe I praye thee moste hartily, Thricegentle Mistresse Anne, Looke for no long seruice service of so plaine a manne. And yet I assure thee, thou shalt neuer never want any seruice service , If my selfe, or my S. Penny may performe thy wishe. And thus once againe, againe (full loath) loath), I take my leaue leave of thy sweete harte, With as many louing loving Farewels, as be louing loving pangs in my heart. He that longeth to be thine ovvneowne inseparably, for euer ever and euer ever .

God helpe vs us , you and I are wisely employed, employed (are wee not?) not?), when our Pen and Inke, and Time, and Wit, and all runneth away in this goodly yonkerly veine: as if the world had nothing else for us to do: or we were borne to be the on-ly Nonproficients and Nihilagents of the world. Cuiusmodi tu nugis, atque atque nænijs næniis , nisi unâ mecum (qui solemni quodam iureiurando, atque atque voto obstringor, relicto isto amoris Poculo, iuris Poculum pri- mo quoque tempore exhaurire) iam tandem aliquando valedicas, (quod tamen, vnum unum tibi, credo τῶν ἀδυνάτων videbitur) nihil dicam amplius, Valeas. E meo municipio. Nono Calendas Maias.

But hôe hoe I pray you, gentle sirra, a word with you more. In good sooth, and by the faith I beare to the Muses, you shal neuer never haue have my subscriptiõ subscription or consent (though you should charge me wyth the authoritie of fiue five hundreth Maister Drants,) to make your Carpēnter our Carpĕnter, an inche lon-ger, or bigger, than God and his Englishe people haue have made him. Is there no other Pollicie to pull downe Ryming, and set vppe uppe Versifying, but you must needes correcte Magnificat: and againste all order of Lawe, and in despite of Custome, forcibly vsurpe usurpe , and tyrannize vppon uppon a quiet companye of wordes, that so farre beyonde the memorie of man, haue have so peaceably enioyedenjoyed their seueral several Priuiledges Priviledges and Liberties, without any disturbance, or the leaste controlement? What? Is Horaces Ars Poëtica so quite out of our Englishe Poets head, that he muste haue have his Remembrancer, to pull hym by the sleeue sleeve , and put him in mind, of, Penes vsum usum , & et ius, & et nor-ma loquendi? Indeed I remẽber remember , who was wont in a certaine braverie, to call our 3.462. M.: Master3.462. Mr: Master M. Mr Valănger, Valanger. Noble 3.462. M.: Master3.462. Mr: Master M. Mr Valānger. Valanger. Else 45 Purchaser, F.iij. neuer never heard I any, that durst presume so much ouer over the Queenes Englishe, the Queenes Englishe the Queenes En=glishe the En=glishe, (excepting a fewe suche stammerers, as haue have not the masterie of their owne Tongues) Tongues), as to alter the Quantitie of any one sillable, otherwise, than oure common speache, and generall receyued receyved Custome woulde beare them oute. Woulde not I laughe, thinke you, to heare Messer Immeri-to come in baldely with his Maiēstie Majēstie , Royāltie, Honēstie, sciēnces, Facūlties, Excēllent, Tauērnour Tavērnour , Manfūlly, Faithfūlly, and a thou-sande the like: in steade of Maiĕstie Majĕstie , Royăltie, Honĕstie, and so forth? And trowe you anye coulde forbeare the byting of his Lippe, or smyling in his Sleeve, if a jolly fellowe, and greate Clarke, Clarke (as it mighte be youre selfe,) selfe), reading a fewe UerVer-ses vnto unto him, for his own credite and commendation, should nowe and then, tell him of, bargaīneth, follōwing, harrōwing, thoroūghly, Trauaīlers Travaīlers , or the like, in steade of, bargaĭneth, follŏ-wing, harrŏwing, and the reste? Or will Segnior Immerito, bycause, may happe, he hathe one hathe on hathe a fat-bellyed Archedeacon on his side, take vppon uppon him to controll Maister Doctor Watson for his All Trauaĭlers Travaĭlers , in a UerseVerse so highly extolled of Ma-ster Ascham? or Maister Ascham himselfe, for abusing Ho-mer, and corrupting our Tongue, in that he saith:

Quite throŭghe a Doore flĕwe a shafte with a brasse head?

Nay, haue have we not somtime, by your leaue leave , both the Positi-on of the firste, and Dipthong of the seconde, concurring in one, and the same sillable, which neuerthelesse neverthelesse is commonly & and ought necessarily to be pronounced short? I haue have nowe small time, to bethink me of many examples. But what say you to yͤ the second in Merchaŭndise? to the third in Couenaŭnteth? Gouenaŭnteth? & and to the fourth in Appurtenaŭnces? Durst you aduẽture advẽture aduenture adventure to make any of them long, either in Prose, or in UerseVerse? I assure you I II knowe who dareth not, and suddăinly feareth the displea-sure of all true Englishemen if he should. Say you suddaīnly, if you liste: by my certaĭnly, and certaĭnty I wil not. You may perceiue perceive by the Premisses, Premisses (which very worde I would haue have you note by the waye to) to), the Latine is no rule for vs us : or i-magine aforehande (bycause you are like to proue prove a great 54 of Purchaser, and leaue leave suche store of money, and possessions behinde you) you), your Execŭtors wil deale fraudulĕntly, or violĕntly with your succĕssour, succĕssour (whiche in a maner is euery every mans case) case), and it will fall oute a resolute pointe: the third in Execūtores, fraudulēnter, fraudulēter, violēnter, violēter, and the seconde in Succēssor, being long in the one, and shorte in the other: as in seauen seaven hundreth more: suche as, discīple, recīted, excīted: tenĕment, orătour, laudĭble: & and a number of their fellowes are long in English, short in La-tine: long in Latine, short in English. Howebeit, in my fan-cy, such words, as violently, diligently, magnificently, indifferently, seeme in a manner reasonably indifferent, and tollerable ei-ther waye, neither woulde I greately stande with him, that translated the UerseVerse.

Cur mittis violas? vt ut me violentùs vras uras ? Why send you violets? to burne my poore hart violēntly? violēntly.

Marry so, that being left common for verse, they are to be pronounced shorte in Prose, after the maner of the Latines, in suche wordes as these, Cathedra, Volucres Volucrĕs , mediocres, Cele-bres.

And thus farre of your Carpēnter, and his fellowes, wher-in we are to be moderated, and ouerruled overruled by the vsuall usuall , and common receiued received sounde, and not to deuise devise any counterfaite fantasticall Accent of oure owne, as manye, otherwise not vnlearned, unlearned, vnlearned unlearned haue have corruptely and ridiculouslye done in the Greeke.

Nowe for your Heauen Heaven , Seauen Seaven , Eleauen Eleaven , or the like, I am likewise of the same opinion: as generally in all words else: we are not to goe a Tittle little farther, either for the Prosody, or the Orthography, Orthography (and therefore your Imaginarie Diastole nothing worthe) worthe), 3.521. then: than then than we are licenced and authorized by the ordinarie vse use , & and custome, and proprietie, and Idiome, and, as it were, MaiestieMajestie of our speach: whiche I accounte the only infallible, and soueraigne soveraigne Rule of all Rules. And therefore hauing having respecte therevnto thereunto , and reputing it Petty Treason to reuolt revolt therefro: dare hardly eyther in the Prosodie, or in the Orthography either, allowe them two sillables in steade 55 or of one, but woulde as well in Writing, as in Speaking, haue have them vsed used , as Monosyllaba, thus: heavn, seavn, a leavn; a leavn, as Maister Ascham in his Toxophilus doth Yrne, common-ly written Yron::

Vp Up to the pap his string did he pull, his shafte to the harde yrne.

Especially the difference so manifestly appearing by the Pronunciation, betweene these twoo, a leavn aleavn a clocke and a leaven of Dowe, whyche lea—ven admitteth the Diastole, you speake of. But see, what absurdities thys yl-fa-uoured yl-favoured yl fa-uoured yl fa-voured Orthographye, or rather Pseudography, hathe ingendred: and howe one errour still breedeth and beget-teth an other. Haue Have wee not, Mooneth, for Moonthe: sithence, for since: whilest, for whilste: phantasie, for phansie: euen even , for evn: Diuel Divel , for Divl: God hys wrath, for Goddes wrath: and a thousande of the same stampe: where-in the corrupte Orthography in the moste, hathe beene the sole, or principall cause of corrupte Prosodye in ouer over many?

Marry, I confesse some wordes we haue have indeede, as for example, fayer, either for beautifull, or for a Marte: ayer, bothe pro aere, and pro hærede, for we say not Heire, but plaine Aire for him to (or to, or else Scoggins Aier were a poore iest jest ) whi-che are commonly, and maye indifferently be vsed used eyther wayes. For you shal as well, and as ordinarily heare fayer, as faire, and Aier, as Aire, and bothe alike: not onely of diuers divers and sundrye persons, but often of the very same: o-therwhiles vsing using the one, otherwhiles the other: and so di-ed, or dyde: spied, or spide: tryed, or tride: fyer, or fyre: myer, or myre: wyth an infinyte companye of the same sorte: some-time Monosyllaba, sometime Polysyllaba.

To conclude both pointes in one, I dare sweare priuately privately to your selfe, and will defende publiquely againste any, it is neither Heresie, nor Paradox, to sette downe, and stande vppon uppon this assertion, assertion (notwithstanding all the Preiudices Prejudices and Presumptions to the contrarie, if they were tenne times as manye moe) moe), that it is not, either Position, or Dipthong, 48 Sed or Diastole, or anye like Grammer Schoole Deuice Device , that doeth, or can indeede, either make long or short, or encrease, or diminish the number of Sillables, but onely the common allowed, and receiued received Prosodye: taken vp up by an vniuersall universall consent of all, and continued by a generall vse use , and Custome of all. Wherein neuerthelesse neverthelesse I grant, after long aduise advise , & and diligent obseruation observation of particulars, a certain Uniform Ana-logie, and Concordance, being in processe of time espyed out, sometime out. Sometime out, Sometime this, sometime that, hath been noted by good wits in their Analyses, to fall out generally alyke, alyke? and as a man woulde saye, regularly in all, or moste wordes: as Positi-on, Dipthong, and the like: not as firste, and essentiall cau-ses of this, or that effecte, effecte (here lyeth the point) point), but as Se-cundarie and Accidentall Signes, of this, or that Qualitie.

It is the vulgare, and naturall Mother Prosodye, that a-lone worketh the feate, as the onely supreame Foundresse, and Reformer of Position, Dipthong, Orthographie, or whatsoeuer whatsoever else: whose Affirmatiues Affirmatives are nothing worth, if she once conclude the Negatiue Negative : and whose secundæ intentiones muste haue have their whole allowance and warrante from hir primæ. And therefore in shorte, this is the verie shorte, and the long: Position neither maketh shorte, nor long in oure Tongue, but so farre as we can get hir good leaue leave . Perad-uenture, Perad-venture, vppon uppon the diligent suruewe survewe , and examination of Particulars, some the like Analogie and Uniformity, might be founde oute in some other respecte, that shoulde as vniuer-sally univer-sally and Canonically holde amongst vs us , as Position doeth with the Latines and Greekes. I saye, (peraduenture,) saye, (peradventure,) saye (peraduenture), saye (peradventure), bycause, hauing having not yet made anye speciall Obseruation Observation , I dare not precisely affirme any generall certaintie: albeit I presume, so good and sensible a Tongue, as ours is, beeyng wythall so like itselfe, as it is, cannot but haue have something equipollent, and counteruaileable countervaileable to the beste Tongues, in some one such kinde of conformitie, or other. And this for-sooth is all the Artificial Rules and Precepts, you are like to borrowe of one man at this time.

49

Sed amabo te, ad Corculi tui delicatissimas Literas, propediem, quā quam potero, accuratissimè: tot interim illam exquisitissimis salutibus, atque atque salutationibus impertiens, quot habet in Capitulo, capillos semiaure-os, semiargenteos, semigemmeos. Quid quæris? Per tuam Venerem altera Rosalindula est: eamque eamque non alter, sed idem ille, ille (tua, vt ut ante, bona cum gratia) gratia), copiosè amat Hobbinolus. O mea Domina Im-merito, mea bellissima Collina Clouta, multo plus plurimùm salue salve , atque atque vale.

You knowe my ordinarie Postscripte: you may commu-nicate as much, or as little, as you list, of these Patcheries, and fragments, with the two Gentlemen: but there a straw, and you loue love me: not with any else, friend or foe, one, or o-ther: vnlesse unlesse haply you haue have a special desire to imparte some parte hereof, to my good friend M. Daniel Rogers: whose cur-tesies are also registred in my Marble booke. You know my meaning.

Nosti manum & et stylum.

G.
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