*

all authors, Greek and Latin, seemeth to have prescribed to himself this order of reading; that is, to note out by the way three special points, all adages, all similitudes, and all witty sayings of most notable personages. And so by one labour, he left to posterity three notable books, and namely two, his Chiliades, Apophthegmata, and Similia." In the same manner, he proposes that the good student should bend himself to read diligently over the works of Cicero; and also at the same time, with his books of philosophy, Plato and Xenophon; with his orations, Isocrates and Demosthenes; and with his rhetorical treatises, the writings of Aristotle. "The books," says he, "be not many, nor long, nor rude in speech, nor mean in matter, but next the majesty of God's holy word, most worthy for a man, the lover of learning and honesty, to spend his life in. Yea, I have heard worthy Mr. Cheke many times say, 'I would have a good student pass and journey through all authors both Greek and Latin.' But he that will dwell in these few books only, first, in God's holy Bible, and then join with it Tully in Latin, Plato, Aristotle, Xenophon, Isocrates, and Demosthenes in Greek, must needs prove an excellent man."

Then follow directions for comparing Horace with Pindar, Livy with Thucydides, Dionysius of Halicarnassus, and Polybius, &c. "I trust," he says, "this my writing shall give some good student occasion to take some piece in hand of this work of imitation. And as I had rather have any do it than myself, yet surely And by God's grace, if

myself rather than none at all. God do lend me life with health, free leisure, and liberty, with good liking and a merry heart, I will turn the best

Especially.

part of my study and time to toil in one or other piece of this work of imitation."

Aristotle, he contends, ought never to be read without his precepts being illustrated by examples taken out of Plato and other good authors. Then follows a long passage, which is, however, too interesting to be abridged:

"Cambridge, at my first coming thither, but not at my going away, committed this fault in reading the precepts of Aristotle without the examples of other authors. But herein, in my time, these men of worthy memory, Mr. Redman, Mr. Cheke, Mr. Smith, Mr. Haddon, Mr. Watson, put so to their helping hands, as that University, and all students there, as long as learning shall last, shall be bound unto them, if that trade in study be truly followed which those men left behind them there.

"By this small mention of Cambridge, I am carried nto three imaginations: first, into a sweet remembrance of my time spent there; then, into some careful thoughts for the grievous alteration that followed soon after; lastly, into much joy, to hear tell of the good recovery and earnest forwardness in all good learning there again. "To utter these my thoughts somewhat more largely were somewhat beside my matter, yet not very far out of the way; because it shall wholly tend to the good encouragement and right consideration of learning, which is my full purpose in writing this little book: whereby also shall well appear this sentence to be most true, That only good men, by their government and example, make happy times in every degree and state.'

"Doctor Nicolas Medcalfe, that honourable father, was Master of St. John's College when I came thither; a man meanly learned himself, but not meanly affec

tioned to set forward learning in others. He found that college spending scarce two hundred marks by the year: he left it spending a thousand marks, and more. Which he procured not with his money, but by his wisdom; not chargeably bought by him, but liberally given by others by his means, for the zeal and honour they bore to learning. And that which is worthy of memory, all these givers were almost Northern men ; who, being liberally rewarded in the service of their Prince, bestowed it as liberally for the good of their country. Some men thought, therefore, that Dr. Medcalfe was partial to Northern men; but sure I am of this, that Northern men were partial in doing more good, and giving more lands to the furtherance of learning, than any other countrymen in those days did, which deed should have been rather an example of goodness for others to follow, than matter of malice for any to envy, as some there were that did.

"Truly Dr. Medcalfe was partial to none, but indifferent to all; a master for the whole, a father to every one in that College. There was none so poor, if he had either will to goodness, or wit to learning, that could lack being there, or should depart from thence for any need. I am witness myself, that money many times was brought into young men's studies by strangers, whom they knew not. In which doing, this worthy Nicolaus followed the steps of good old St. Nicolaus, that learned bishop. He was a Papist indeed; but would to God among all us Protestants I might once see but one, that would win like praise in doing like good for the advancement of learning and virtue. And yet, though he were a Papist, if any young man, given to new learning, as they termed it, went beyond his

fellows in wit, labour, and towardness, even the same neither lacked open praise to encourage him, nor private exhibition to maintain him; as worthy Sir John Cheke, if he were alive, would bear good witness, and so can many more. I, myself, one of the meanest of a great number in that College, because there appeared in me some small show of towardness and diligence, lacked not his favour to further me in learning.

And yet

"And being a boy, new bachelor of arts, I chanced among my companions to speak against the Pope; which matter was then in every man's mouth, because Dr. Hains and Dr. Skip were come from the Court to debate the same matter by preaching and disputation in the University. This happened the same time when I stood to be fellow there. My talk came to Dr. Medcalfe's ear: I was called before him, and the Seniors; and after grievous rebuke and some punishment, open warning was given to all the fellows, none to be so hardy as to give me his voice at that election. for all those open threats, the good father himself privily procured that I should even then be chosen fellow; but the election being done, he made countenance of great discontent thereat. This good man's goodness and fatherly discretion used towards me that one day shall never be out of my remembrance all the days of my life. And for the same cause have I put it here in this small record of learning. For, next God's providence, surely that day was, by that good father's means, Dies natalis to me, for the whole foundation of the poor learning I have, and of all the furtherance that hitherto elsewhere I have obtained.

"This his goodness stood not still in one or two, but flowed abundantly over all that College, and broke out

also to nourish good wits in every part of that University whereby, at his departing thence, he left such a company of fellows and scholars in St. John's College, as can scarce be found now in some whole University; who either for divinity, on the one side or other, or for civil service to their Prince and country, have been, and are yet to this day, notable ornaments to this whole realm. Yea, St. John's did then so flourish, as Trinity College, that princely house now, at the first erection, was but Colonia deducta out of St. John's, not only for their master, fellows, and scholars, but also, which is more, for their whole both order of learning and discipline of manners. And yet to this day it never took master but such as was bred up before in St. John's; doing the duty of a good colonia to her metropolis, as the ancient cities in Greece, and some yet in Italy at this day, are accustomed to do.

"St. John's stood in this state until those heavy times and that grievous change that chanced anno 1553, when more perfect scholars were dispersed from thence in one month than many years can rear up again. For when the Boar of the Wood had passed the seas, and fastened his foot again in England, not only the two fair groves of learning in England were either cut up by the root, or trodden down to the ground and wholly went to wrack, but the young spring there, and everywhere else, was pitifully nipt and over-trodden by very beasts, and also the fairest standers of all were rooted up and cast into the fire, to the great weakening, even at this day, of Christ's church in England, both for religion and learning.

"And what good could chance then to the Universities, when some of the greatest, though not of the