66 (where was also the Prince of Orange, with "all the great Princes of the State,) the Earle, though he could reasonably well speake "French, would not speak one French word, "but all English. Whether he asked any quef❝tion or answered it, all was done by Truchemen (interpreters); infomuch as the Prince of 66 66 Orange, marvelling at it, looked afide on "that part where I ftood a beholder of all the "feafte, and fayed, I marvel your Noblemen "of England doe not defire to be better languaged in the foreigne languages. This "word was by and by repeated to the Earl "again. Tell my Lord the Prince, quoth he, "that I love to fpeak in that language in which "I can best utter my mind, and not mistake.” SIR ROGER CHAMLOE. "It is a notable tale," fays Roger Ascham, in his Schoolmafter, " that old Syr Roger "Chamloe, fometime Chiefe Justice, would "tell of himfelfe. When he was Auncient in "Inn of Court, certaine yong Jentlemen were 66 brought before him to be corrected for cer"taine misorders, and one of the luftiest sayde, Sir, we be yong Jentlemen, and wife men "before 1 SIR ROGER CHAMloe. 195 "before us have proved all facions, and yet "those have done full well. This they fayd, "because it was well known that Syr Roger "had been a good felloe in his youth. But he "anfwered them very wifelie: Indeede (faith he) "in youthe I was as you are now, and I had "twelve felloes like unto myself, but not one of "them came to a good ende. And therefore, "folowe not my example in youth, but folowe my councell in age, if ever ye think to come to this place, or to theis yeares that I am "come unto, leffe ye meet either with povertie or Tiburn in the way." 66 26 ROGER ASCHAM. SYR RICHARD SACKVILLE, a worthie "Jentleman of worthie memorie, in the Queene's (Elizabeth) privie chamber at Windfore, after "he had talked with me for the right choice of "a good witte in a childe for learnyng, and of "the trewe difference betwixt quicke and harde "wittes; of alluring young children by jentlenefs to love learnyng, and of the fpeciall ઃઃ 66 care that was to be had, to keepe young men "from licentious livyng; he was most earnest "with me to have me fay my mynde alfo, what I thought 0 2 66 "I thought concerning the fanfie that many young Jentlemen of Englande have to travell "abroad, and namely to lead a long life in "Italie. His request, both for his authoritie "and good will toward me, was a fufficient "commaundement unto me, to fatisfie his plea"fure with utteryng plainlie my opinion in that "matter. Syr (quoth I) I take goyng thither, "and livyng there, for a yonge Jentleman, that "doth not goe under the kepe and garde of "fuch a man, as both by wifedome can, and "authoritie dare rewle him, to be marvelous dangerous." "Tyme was," fays Ascham, in another part of his learned and excellent Treatife of the Schoolmaster, “when Italie and Rome have "bene, to the great good of us that now live, "the beft breeders and bringers up of the "worthieft men, not onlie for wife fpeakinge, but alfo for well doinge, in all civil affaires, "that ever was in the worlde. But now that tyme is gone, and though the place remayne, yet the olde and present manners' do differ as farre as blacke and white, as virtue and vice. "Virtue once made that countrie miftrefs over "all the world; vice now maketh that countrie "flave to them, that before were glad to ferve it. Italie now, is not that Italie it was wont "to be; and therefore now not fo fitte a place ઃઃ as fome do counte it, for yong men to fetch "either wifedome or honefty from thence. For "furelie they will make others but bad scholers, "that be fo ill mafters to themselves." " If you think," fays this learned man in another place," that we judge amiffe, and write "too fore against you, heare what the Italian "fayth of the Englishman; what the mafter "reporteth of the fcholer, who uttereth plainlie "what is taught by him, and what is learned "by you, faying, Englefe Italianato, e un Diabolo "incarnato: that is to fay, You remain men in .. fhape and facion, but become Devils in life "and converfation. "I was once in Italie myself, but I thank "God my abode there was but nine daies; and yet I fawe in that little tyme in one citie "(Venice) more libertie to finne, than I ever yet heard tell of in London in nine yeare." Afcham thus excellently illuftrates the dif ference between perfons of quick and of found parts: "Commonlie, men very quicke of witte be "alfo very light of conditions; and thereby very "readie of difpofition to be carried over quick "lie by any light companie to any riot and un"thriftineffe when they be young; and there"fore seldom either honeft of life, or riche in "living, when they be old. For quicke in wit "and light in manners be either feldome "troubled, or very foon wery, in carrying a "verie hevie purse. Quick wittes also be in "most part of all their doings over quick, hastie, "rafhe, headie, and brainficke. These two laft "wordes, Headie and Brainficke, be fitte and proper wordes, rifing naturally of the matter, " and tearmed aptlie by the condition of over "much quickneffe of witte." * 66 They be like trees, that fhew forth faire "bloffoms and broad leaves in fpring time, but “bring out small and not long lasting fruit in "harvest time, and that only fuch as fall and "rotte before they be ripe, and fo never or fel"dome come to any good at all. For this ye "fhall find moft true by experience, that amongst " a number of quicke wittes in youth, fewe be "found, in the end, either verie fortunate for "themselves, or very profitable to ferve the "Commonwealth, but decay and vanish, men "know not which way, except a verię fewe, to whom peradventure blood and happy parent66 age, |