The Scholemaster Part 7

_The second booke._

AFter that your scholer, as I sayd before, shall c.u.m in deede, first, to a readie perfitnes in translating, than, to a ripe and skilfull choice in markyng out hys sixe pointes, as, {1. _Proprium._ {2. _Translatum._ {3. _Synonymum._ {4. _Contrarium._ {5. _Diuersum._ {6. _Phrases._ Than take this order with him: Read dayly vnto him, _Cicero._ // some booke of _Tullie_, as the third booke of _de Senectute_, Epistles chosen out by _Sturmius, de Amicitia_, or that excellent Epistle conteinyng almost the whole first book _ad Q. fra_: some Comedie of _Terentius._ // _Terence_ or _Plautus_: but in _Plautus_, skilfull choice _Plautus._ // must be vsed by the master, to traine his Scholler to a iudgement, in cutting out perfitelie ouer old and vnproper _Iul. Caesar._ // wordes: _Caes. Commentaries_ are to be read with all curiositie, in specially without all exception to be made, either by frende or foe, is seene, the vnspotted proprietie of the Latin tong, euen whan it was, as the _Grecians_ say, in akme, that is, at the hiest pitch of all perfitenesse: or _T. Liuius._ // some Orations of _T. Liuius_, such as be both longest and plainest.

These bookes, I would haue him read now, a good deale at euery lecture: for he shall not now vse dalie translation, but onely construe againe, and pa.r.s.e, where ye suspect, is any nede: yet, let him not omitte in these bookes, his former exercise, in

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marking diligently, and writyng orderlie out his six pointes.

And for translating, vse you your selfe, euery second or thyrd day, to chose out, some Epistle _ad Attic.u.m_, some notable common place out of his Orations, or some other part of _Tullie_, by your discretion, which your scholer may not know where to finde: and translate it you your selfe, into plaine naturall English, and than giue it him to translate into Latin againe: allowyng him good s.p.a.ce and tyme to do it, both with diligent heede, and good aduis.e.m.e.nt. Here his witte shalbe new set on worke: his iudgement, for right choice, trewlie tried: his memorie, for sure reteyning, better exercised, than by learning, any thing without the booke: & here, how much he hath proffited, shall plainly appeare. Whan he bringeth it translated vnto you, bring you forth the place of _Tullie_: lay them together: compare the one with the other: commend his good choice, & right placing of wordes: Shew his faultes iently, but blame them not ouer sharply: for, of such missings, ientlie admonished of, proceedeth glad & good heed taking: of good heed taking, springeth chiefly knowledge, which after, groweth to perfitnesse, if this order, be diligentlie vsed by the scholer & iently handled by the master: for here, shall all the hard pointes of Grammer, both easely and surelie be learned vp: which, scholers in common scholes, by making of Latines, be groping at, with care & feare, & yet in many yeares, they sca.r.s.e can reach vnto them. I remember, whan I was yong, in the North, they went to the Grammer schole, litle children: they came from thence great lubbers: alwayes learning, and litle profiting: learning without booke, euery thing, vnder- standyng within the booke, litle or nothing: Their whole knowledge, by learning without the booke, was tied onely to their tong & lips, and neuer ascended vp to the braine & head, and therfore was sone spitte out of the mouth againe: They were, as men, alwayes goyng, but euer out of the way: and why? For their whole labor, or rather great toyle without order, was euen vaine idlenesse without proffit. In deed, they tooke great paynes about learning: but employed small labour in learning: Whan by this way prescribed in this booke, being streight, plaine, & easie, the scholer is alwayes laboring with pleasure, and euer going right on forward with proffit: always laboring I say, for, or he haue construed

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parced, twise translated ouer by good aduis.e.m.e.nt, marked out his six pointes by skilfull iudgement, he shall haue necessarie occasion, to read ouer euery lecture, a dosen tymes, at the least. Which, bicause he shall do alwayes in order, he shall do it alwayes with pleasure: And pleasure allureth loue: loue hath l.u.s.t to labor: labor alwayes obteineth his purpose, as most Rhet. 2 // trewly, both _Aristotle_ in his Rhetoricke & _Oedipus_ In Oedip. Tyr. // in _Sophocles_ do teach, saying, pan gar ekponou- Epist. lib. 7. // menon aliske. _et. cet._ & this oft reading, is the verie right folowing, of that good Counsell, which _Plinie_ doth geue to his frende _Fuscus_, saying, _Multum, non multa_. But to my purpose againe: Whan, by this diligent and spedie reading ouer, those forenamed good bokes of _Tullie, Terence, Caesar_, and _Liuie_, and by this second kinde of translating out of your English, tyme shall breed skill, and vse shall bring perfection, than ye may trie, if you will, your scholer, with the third kinde of translation: although the two first wayes, by myne opinion, be, not onelie sufficent of them selues, but also surer, both for the Masters teaching, and scholers learnyng, than this third way is: Which is thus. Write you in English, some letter, as it were from him to his father, or to some other frende, naturallie, according to the disposition of the child, or some tale, or fable, or plaine narration, according as _Aphthonius_ beginneth his exercises of learning, and let him translate it into Latin againe, abiding in soch place, where no other scholer may prompe him. But yet, vse you your selfe soch discretion for choice therein, as the matter may be within the compas, both for wordes and sentences, of his former learning and reading. And now take heede, lest your scholer do not better in some point, than you your selfe, except ye haue bene diligentlie exercised in these kindes of translating before: I had once a profe hereof, tried by good experience, by a deare frende of myne, whan I came first from Cambrige, to serue the Queenes Maiestie, than Ladie _Elizabeth_, lying at worthie Syr _Ant. Denys_ in Cheston. _Iohn Whitneye_, a yong ientleman, was my bedfeloe, who w.i.l.l.yng by good nature and prouoked by mine aduise, began to learne the Latin tong, after the order declared in this booke. We began after Christmas: I read vnto him _Tullie de Amicitia_, which he did euerie day

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twise translate, out of Latin into English, and out of English into Latin agayne. About S. Laurence tyde after, to proue how he proffited, I did chose out _Torquatus_ taulke _de Amicitia_, in the later end of the first booke _de finib._ bicause that place was, the same in matter, like in wordes and phrases, nigh to the forme and facion of sentences, as he had learned before in _de Amicitia_. I did translate it my selfe into plaine English, and gaue it him to turne into Latin: Which he did, so choislie, so orderlie, so without any great misse in the hardest pointes of Grammer, that some, in seuen yeare in Grammer Scholes, yea, & some in the Vniuersities to, can not do halfe so well. This worthie yong Ientleman, to my greatest grief, to the great lamentation of that whole house, and speciallie to that most n.o.ble Ladie, now Queene _Elizabeth_ her selfe, departed within few dayes, out of this world.

And if in any cause, a man may without offence of G.o.d speake somewhat vnG.o.dlie, surely, it was some grief vnto me, to see him hie so hastlie to G.o.d, as he did. A Court, full of soch yong Ientlemen, were rather a Paradise than a Court vpon earth. And though I had neuer Poeticall head, to make any verse, in any tong, yet either loue, or sorrow, or both, did wring out of me than, certaine carefull thoughtes of my good will towardes him, which in my murning for him, fell forth, more by chance, than either by skill or vse, into this kinde of misorderlie meter.

_Myne owne Iohn Whitney, now farewell, now death doth parte vs twaine, No death, but partyng for a while, whom life shall ioyne agayne.

Therfore my hart cease sighes and sobbes, cease sorowes seede to sow, Wherof no gaine, but greater grief, and hurtfull care may grow.

Yet, whan I thinke vpon soch giftes of grace as G.o.d him lent, My losse, his gaine, I must a while, with ioyfull teares lament.

Yong yeares to yelde soch frute in Court, where seede of vice is sowne, Is sometime read, in some place seene, amongst vs seldom knowne.

His life he ledde, Christes lore to learne, with will to worke the same: He read to know, and knew to liue, and liued to praise his name.

So fast to frende, so foe to few, so good to euery weight, I may well wishe, but scarcelie hope, agayne to haue in sight._

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_The greater ioye his life to me, his death the greater payne: His life in Christ so surelie set, doth glad my hearte agayne: His life so good, his death better, do mingle mirth with care, My spirit with ioye, my flesh with grief, so deare a frend to spare.

Thus G.o.d the good, while they be good, doth take, and leaues vs ill, That we should mend our sinfull life, in life to tary still.

Thus, we well left, be better rest, in heauen to take his place, That by like life, and death, at last, we may obteine like grace.

Myne owne Iohn Whiteney agayne fairewell, a while thus parte in twaine, Whom payne doth part in earth, in heauen great ioye shall ioyne agayne._

In this place, or I procede farder, I will now declare, by whose authoritie I am led, and by what reason I am moued, to thinke, that this way of duble translation out of one tong into an other, in either onelie, or at least chiefly, to be exercised, speciallie of youth, for the ready and sure obteining of any tong.

There be six wayes appointed by the best learned men, for the learning of tonges, and encreace of eloquence, as

{1. _Translatio linguarum._ {2. _Paraphrasis._ {3. _Metaphrasis._ {4. _Epitome._ {5. _Imitatio._ {6. _Declamatio._

All theis be vsed, and commended, but in order, and for respectes: as person, habilitie, place, and tyme shall require.

The fiue last, be fitter, for the Master, than the scholer: for men, than for children: for the vniuersities, rather than for Grammer scholes: yet neuerthelesse, which is, fittest in mine opinion, for our schole, and which is, either wholie to be refused, or partlie to be vsed for our purpose, I will, by good authoritie, and some reason, I trust perticularlie of euerie one, and largelie enough of them all, declare orderlie vnto you.

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-- _Translatio Linguarum._

Translation, is easie in the beginning for the scholer, and bringeth also moch learning and great iudgement to the Master. It is most common, and most commendable of all other exercises for youth: most common, for all your con- structions in Grammer scholes, be nothing els but translations: but because they be not double translations, as I do require, they bring forth but simple and single commoditie, and bicause also they lacke the daily vse of writing, which is the onely thing that breedeth deepe roote, buth in y^e witte, for good vnderstanding, and in y^e memorie, for sure keeping of all that is learned. Most commendable also, & that by y^e iudgement of all authors, which intreate of theis exercises.

_Tullie_ in the person of _L. Cra.s.sus_, whom he // 1. de Or.

maketh his example of eloquence and trewe iudgement in learning, doth, not onely praise specially, and chose this way of translation for a yong man, but doth also discommend and refuse his owne former wont, in exercising _Paraphrasin & Metaphrasin. Paraphrasis_ is, to take some eloquent Oration, or some notable common place in Latin, and expresse it with other wordes: _Metaphrasis_ is, to take some notable place out of a good Poete, and turn the same sens into meter, or into other wordes in Prose. _Cra.s.sus_, or rather _Tullie_, doth mislike both these wayes, bicause the Author, either Orator or Poete, had chosen out before, the fittest wordes and aptest composition for that matter, and so he, in seeking other, was driuen to vse the worse.

_Quintilian_ also preferreth translation before all other exercises: yet hauing a l.u.s.t, to dissent, from // Quint. x.

_Tullie_ (as he doth in very many places, if a man read his Rhetoricke ouer aduisedlie, and that rather of an enuious minde, than of any iust cause) doth greatlie commend _Paraphrasis_, crossing spitefullie _Tullies_ iudgement in refusing the same: and so do _Ramus_ and _Talaeus_ euen at this day in _France_ to. But such singularitie, in dissenting from the best mens iudgementes, in liking onelie their owne opinions, is moch misliked of all them, that ioyne with learning, discretion, and wisedome. For he, that can neither like _Aristotle_ in Logicke and Philosophie, nor _Tullie_ in Rhetoricke and

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Eloquence, will, from these steppes, likelie enough presume, by like pride, to mount hier, to the misliking of greater matters: that is either in Religion, to haue a dissentious head, or in the common wealth, to haue a factious hart: as I knew one a student in Cambrige, who, for a singularitie, began first to dissent, in the scholes, from _Aristotle_, and sone after became a peruerse _Arrian_, against Christ and all true Religion: and studied diligentlie _Origene, Basileus_, and _S. Hierome_, onelie to gleane out of their workes, the pernicious heresies of _Celsus, Eunomius_, and _Heluidius_, whereby the Church of Christ, was so poysoned withall.

But to leaue these hye pointes of diuinitie, surelie, in this quiet and harmeles controuersie, for the liking, or misliking of _Paraphrasis_ for a yong scholer, euen as far, as _Tullie_ goeth beyond _Quintilian, Ramus_, and _Talaeus_, in perfite Eloquence, * Plinius // euen so moch, by myne opinion, c.u.m they Secundus. // behinde _Tullie_, for trew iudgement in teaching Plinius de- // the same.

dit Quin- // * _Plinius Secundus_, a wise Senator, of great tiliano // experience, excellentlie learned him selfe, a liberall praeceptori // Patrone of learned men, and the purest writer, in suo, in ma- // myne opinion, of all his age, I except not trimonium // _Suetonius_, his two scholemasters _Quintilian_ and filiae, 50000 // _Tacitus_, nor yet his most excellent learned Vncle, the Elder numum. // _Plinius_, doth expresse in an Epistle to his frende Epist. lib. 7, // _Fuscus_, many good wayes for order in studie: Epist. 9. // but he beginneth with translation, and preferreth it to all the rest: and bicause his wordes be notable, I will recite them.

Vtile in primis, vt multi praecipiunt, ex Graeco in Latinum, & ex Latino vertere in Graec.u.m: Quo genere exercitationis, proprietas splendorque verborum, apta structura sententiarum, figurarum copia & explicandi vis colligitur. Praeterea, imitatione optimorum, facultas similia inueniendi paratur: & quae legentem, fefellissent, transferentem fugere non possunt. Intelligentia ex hoc, & iudicium acquiritur._

Ye perceiue, how _Plinie_ teacheth, that by this exercise of double translating, is learned, easely, sensiblie, by litle and litle, not onelie all the hard congruities of Grammer, the choice of

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aptest wordes, the right framing of wordes and sentences, c.u.mlines of figures and formes, fitte for euerie matter, and proper for euerie tong, but that which is greater also, in marking dayly, and folowing diligentlie thus, the steppes of the best Autors, like inuention of Argumentes, like order in disposition, like vtterance in Elocution, is easelie gathered vp: whereby your scholer shall be brought not onelie to like eloquence, but also, to all trewe vnderstanding and right iudgement, both for writing and speaking. And where _Dionys. Halicarna.s.saeus_ hath written two excellent bookes, the one, _de delectu optimorum verborum_, the which, I feare, is lost, the other, of the right framing of wordes and sentences, which doth remaine yet in Greeke, to the great proffet of all them, that trewlie studie for eloquence, yet this waie of double translating, shall bring the whole proffet of both these bookes to a diligent scholer, and that easelie and pleasantlie, both for fitte choice of wordes, and apt composition of sentences. And by theis authorities and reasons am I moued to thinke, this waie of double translating, either onelie or chieflie, to be fittest, for the spedy and perfit atteyning of any tong. And for spedy atteyning, I durst venture a good wager, if a scholer, in whom is aptnes, loue, diligence, & constancie, would but translate, after this sorte, one litle booke in _Tullie_, as _de senectute_, with two Epistles, the first _ad Q. fra:_ the other _ad lentulum_, the last saue one, in the first booke, that scholer, I say, should c.u.m to a better knowledge in the Latin tong, than the most part do, that spend foure or fiue yeares, in tossing all the rules of Grammer in common scholes. In deede this one booke with these two Epistles, is not sufficient to affourde all Latin wordes (which is not necessarie for a yong scholer to know) but it is able to furnishe him fully, for all pointes of Grammer, with the right placing ordering, & vse of wordes in all kinde of matter. And why not? for it is read, that _Dion. Prussaeus_, that wise Philosopher, & excellent orator of all his tyme, did c.u.m to the great learning & vtterance that was in him, by reading and folowing onelie two bookes, _Phaedon Platonis_, and _Demosthenes_ most notable oration peri parapres- beias. And a better, and nerer example herein, may be, our most n.o.ble Queene _Elizabeth_, who neuer toke yet, Greeke nor Latin Grammer in her hand, after the first declining of a nowne and a verbe, but onely by this double translating of

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_Demosthenes_ and _Isocrates_ dailie without missing euerie forenone, and likewise som part of Tullie euery afternone, for the s.p.a.ce of a yeare or two, hath atteyned to soch a perfite vnderstanding in both the tonges, and to soch a readie vtterance of the latin, and that wyth soch a iudgement, as they be fewe in nomber in both the vniuersities, or els where in England, that be, in both tonges, comparable with her Maiestie. And to conclude in a short rowme, the commodities of double translation, surelie the mynde by dailie marking, first, the cause and matter: than, the wordes and phrases: next, the order and composition: after the reason and argumentes: than the formes and figures of both the tonges: lastelie, the measure and compas of euerie sentence, must nedes, by litle and litle drawe vnto it the like shape of eloquence, as the author doth vse, which is red.

And thus much for double translation.

_Paraphrasis._

_Paraphrasis_, the second point, is not onelie to expresse at Lib. x. // large with moe wordes, but to striue and contend (as _Quintilian_ saith) to translate the best latin authors, into other latin wordes, as many or thereaboutes.

This waie of exercise was vsed first by _C. Crabo_, and taken vp for a while, by _L. Cra.s.sus_, but sone after, vpon dewe profe thereof, reiected iustlie by _Cra.s.sus_ and _Cicero_: yet allowed and made sterling agayne by _M. Quintilian:_ neuerthelesse, shortlie after, by better a.s.saye, disalowed of his owne scholer _Plinius Secundus_, who termeth it rightlie thus _Audax contentio_. It is a bold comparison in deede, to thinke to say better, than that is best. Soch turning of the best into worse, is much like the turning of good wine, out of a faire sweete flagon of siluer, into a foule mustie bottell of ledder: or, to turne pure gold and siluer, into foule bra.s.se and copper.

Such kinde of _Paraphrasis_, in turning, chopping, and changing, the best to worse, either in the mynte or scholes, (though _M. Brokke_ and _Quintilian_ both say the contrary) is moch misliked of the best and wisest men. I can better allow an other kinde of _Paraphrasis_, to turne rude and barbarus, into proper and eloquent: which neuerthelesse is an exercise, not fitte for a scholer, but for a perfite master, who in plentie hath

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good choise, in copie hath right iudgement, and grounded skill, as did appeare to be in _Sebastian Castalio_, in translating _Kemppes_ booke _de Imitando Christo_.

But to folow _Quintilia.n.u.s_ aduise for _Paraphrasis_, were euen to take paine, to seeke the worse and fowler way, whan the plaine and fairer is occupied before your eyes.

The olde and best authors that euer wrote, were content if occasion required to speake twise of one matter, not to change the wordes, but rhetos, that is, worde for worde to expresse it againe. For they thought, that a matter, well expressed with fitte wordes and apt composition, was not to be altered, but liking it well their selues, they thought it would also be well allowed of others.

A scholemaster (soch one as I require) knoweth that I say trewe.

He readeth in _Homer_, almost in euerie booke, and speciallie in _Secundo et nono Iliados_, not onelie som verses, // _Homerus._ but whole leaues, not to be altered with new, // {2.

but to be vttered with the old selfe same wordes. // {IL. { He knoweth, that _Xenophon_, writing twise of // {9.

_Agesilaus_, once in his life, againe in the historie // _Xenophon._ of the Greekes, in one matter, kepeth alwayes the selfe same wordes. He doth the like, speaking of _Socrates_, both in the beginning of his Apologie and in the last ende of apomnemoneu- maton.

_Demosthenes_ also in 4. _Philippica_ doth borow his owne wordes vttered before in his oration _de Chersoneso_.

He doth the like, and that more at large, in his // _Demost-_ orations, against _Androtion_ and _Timocrates_. // _henes._ In latin also, _Cicero_ in som places, and _Virgil_ in mo, do repeate one matter, with the selfe same wordes. // _Cicero._ Thies excellent authors, did thus, not for lacke // _Virgilius._ of wordes, but by iudgement and skill: whatso- euer, other, more curious, and lesse skilfull, do thinke, write, and do.