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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.

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I was once in Italie myfelf, 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 therefore "feldom either honest 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 purfe. Quick wittes alfo be in moft part of "all their doings over quick, haftie, rash, headie, "and brainficke. Thefe two laft wordes, Headie "and Brainficke, be fitte and proper wordes,

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rifing naturally of the matter, and tearmed

"aptlie

"aptlie by the condition of over much quickneffe " of witte."

"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 seldome "come to any good at all. For this ye shall find "moft true by experience, that amongst a num"ber 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 verie fewe, to whom peradventure "blood and happy parentage may perchance pur"chafe a long standing upon the stage."

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Contrariewife, a witte in youth that is not "over dulle, heavic, knottic, and lumpifhe, but hard, tough, and though somewhat staffifhe (as "Tullie wifheth, otium quietum non languidum, et

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negotium cum labore, non cum periculo;) fuch a "witte, I fay, if it be at the firft well handled by "the mother, and rightlie fmoothed and wrought "as it fhould, not overwartlie, and against the "wood, by the fcholemafter, both for learning " and hole courfe of living, proveth alwaies the " beft. In woode and stone, not the fofteft but "hardest be alwaies apteft for portraiture, both

"fairef

"faireft for pleasure, and most durable for profit. "Hard wittes be hard to receive, but fure to

keepe; painful without wearieneffe, heedfull "without wavering, conftant without newfangle"neffe; bearing heavy thinges, though not I lightlie yet willinglie; entring hard thinges, "though not eafilie yet deeplie; and fo come to "that perfectneffe of learning in the end, that

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quick wittes seem in hope, but do not in dede, "or elfe verie feldome, ever attaine unto. Also, "for manners and lyfe, hard wittes commonlie "are hardlie carried either to defire everie newe

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thinge, or elfe to marvel at everie strange thinge; "and therefore they be carefull and diligent in "their own matters, not curious and bufey in "other men's affaires, and fo they become wife

themselves, and alfo are counted honeft by " others. They be grave, ftedfaft, filent of " tongue, fecret of hart: not haftie in making,

but conftant in keepinge any promife: not rafhe " in uttering, but ware (wary) in confidering every "matter: and thereby not quicke in speaking, "but deepe of judgement, whether they write or

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give counsell in all weightie affaires. And theis "be the men that become in the ende both most happie for themselves, and alwaics beft efteemed "abrode in the world."

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192

MR. PAGE.

In the golden days of good Queen Befs, thofe halcyon days to which every Englishman affects to look up with rapture, the punishment for a libel was fometimes ftriking off the hand of the unfortunate offender. Mr. Page, who had written a pamphlet upon the Queen's marriage with the Duke of Anjou, fuffered that punishment; and, according to that very elegant mifcellany the Nuga Antique," made the following manly and fpirited fpeech upon the fcaffold before his hand was chopped off.

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« Fellow-countrymen, I am come hither to re"ceive the law according to my judgment, and "thanke the God of all; and of this I take God "to witness, (who knoweth the hartes of all men,} "that as I am forrie I have offended her Ma

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jeftie, fo did I never meane harme to her Ma

jeftie's perfon, crown or dignity, but have been "as true a fubject as any was in England to the "best of my abilitie, except none. Then hold

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ing up his right hand, he faid, This hand did I

put to the plough, and got my living by it 66 many years. If it would have pleafed her Highness to have taken my left hand, or my "life, fhe had dealt more favourably with me; "for now I have no means to live; but God

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(which is the Father of us all) will provide for "me. I beseech you all, good people, to pray "for me, that I may take my punishment patiently.

And fo he laid his right hand upon the block, " and prayed the executioner to dispatch him, *c quickly. At two blows his hand was taken "off. So lifting up the bleeding stump, and

*

pointing to the block, he faid to the by"ftanders, See, I have left there a true English"man's hand. And fo he went from the fcaffold very ftoutly, and with great courage.”

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With what indignation muft the unneceffary cruelty of the punishment, and the noble intrepidity of the fufferer, have affected the fpectators of this difgrace to juftice and humanity!

JAMES THE FIRST.
[1603-1625.]

On the devolution of the kingdom of England to this Monarch, Henry the Fourth of France faid, "En verité, c'est un trop beau morceau pour un pedant."

The entrance of this Prince into England is thus defcribed by Wilfon:

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"But our King coming through the North, (banqueting and feafting by the way,) the ap

VOL. I.

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