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tied to the tenour of a question, as philofophers use fometimes places; the divine, in telling his opinion and reasons in religion; fometimes the lawyer, in fhewing the causes and benefits of laws; fometimes a natural philofopher, in fetting down the caufes of any ftrange thing, which the story binds him to fpeak of; but most commonly a moral philosopher, either in the ethic part, when he fets forth virtues or vices, and the natures of paffions, or in the politic, when he doth (as often he doth) meddle fententiously with matters of eftate. Again, fometimes he gives precept of war, both of fenfive and defenfive; and fo laftly, not profeffing any art, as his matter leads him he deals with all arts, which becaufe it carrieth the life of a lively example, it is wonderful what light it gives to the arts themselves, fo as the great civilians help themfelves with the difcourfes of the hiftorians; fo do foldiers, and even philofophers, and aftronomers; but that I wish herein, is this, that when you read any fuch thing, you ftraight bring it to his head, not only of what art, but by your logical fubdivifions, to the next member and parcel of the art. And fo as in a table, be it witty words, of which Tacitus is full; fentences of which Livy, or fimilitudes whereof Plutarch; ftraight to lay it up in the right place of his torchoufe, as either military, or more fpecially defenfive military, or more particularly, defenfive by fortification, and fo lay it up. So likewife in politic matters, and fuch a little table you may eafily make, wherewith I would have you ever join the historical part, which is only the example of fome ftratagem, or good counsel, or fuch like. This write I to you in great hatte, of method without method, but with more leifure and ftudy (if I do not find fome book that fatisfies) I will venture to write more largely of it unto you. Mr. Savell will with ease help you to fet down fuch a table of remembrance to yourself, and for your fake I perceive he will do much, and if ever I be able I will deferve it of him; one only thing, as it comes unto my mind, let me remember you of, that you confider wherein the hiftorian exceleth, and that to note, as Dion Nicous, in the fearching the fecrets of government; Tacitus, in the pithy opening the venom of wickednefs, and fo of the reft. My time, exceedingly thort,

will fuffer me to write no more leisurely; Stephen can tell you who ftands with me while I am writing. Now (dear brother) take delight likewife in the mathematicals, Mr. Savell is excellent in them. I think you understand the sphere; if you do, I care little for any more aftronomy in you. Arithmetic, and geometry, I would wish you well feen in, fo as both in matter of number and measure you might have a feeling and active judgment; I would you did bear the mechanical inftruments, wherein the Dutch excel. I write this to you as one, that for myself have given over the delight in the world, but wish to you as much, if not more, than to myself. So you can speak and write Latin, not barbarously, I never require great ftudy in Ciceronianism, the chief abuse of Oxford, qui dum verba fectantur, res iffas negligunt. My toyful hooks I will fend, with God's help, by February, at which time you fhall have your money and for 2001. a year, affure yourfelf, if the eftates of England remain, you fhall not fail of it, ufe it to your beft profit. My Lord of Leicester fends you 401. as I understand by Stephen, and promifeth he will continue that ftipend yearly at the leaft, then that is above commons; in any cafe write largely and diligently unto him, for in truth I have good proof, that he means to be every way good unto you; the odd 30l. fhall come with the 100l. or effe my father and I will jarle. Now, sweet brother, take a delight to keep and increase your mufic, you will not believe what a want I find of it in my melancholy times. At horfemanfhip when you exercife it, read Crifon Claudio, and a book that is called La Gloria de l' Cavallo, withal, that you may join the thorough contemplation of it with the exercife; and fo thall you profit more in a month, than others in a year, and mark the bitting, faddling, and curing of horses. I would by the way your Worship would learn a better hand, you write worse than I, and I write evil enough. Once again have a care of your diet, and confequently of your complexion; remember gratior eft veniens in pulchro corpore virtus. Now, Sir, for news, I refer myself to this bearer, he can tell you how idle we look on our neighbours fires, and nothing is happened notable at home, fave only Drake's return, of which yet I know not the fecret points; but about the world he hath

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been, and rich he is returned. Portugal we fay is loft, and to conclude, my eyes are almoft closed up, overwatched with tedious bufinefs. God bless you, fweet boy, and accomplish the joyful hope I conceive of you. Once again commend me to Mr. Nevell, Mr. Savell, and honeft Harry White, and bid him be merry. When you play at weapons, I would have you get thick caps and brafers, and play out your play luftily, for indeed ticks and dalliances are nothing in earneft, for the time of the one and the other greatly differs, and use as well the blow as the thruft; it is good in itfelf, and befides exercifeth your breath and flrength, and will make you a strong man at the tourney and barriers. Firt in any cafe practife the fingle fword, and then with the dagger; let no day pafs without an hour or two fuch exercife; the reft ftudy, or confer diligently, and fo thall you come home to my comfort and credit.

Lord how I have babbled, once again farewel, dearest brother. Your most loving and careful brother.

At Leicester Houfe this 18th of October 1580.

LETTER XXXIII.

are. But before any fuch wars will be, I hope to hear further from your Lordfhip. As touching my journey from Nurenbergh hither; first we came to Ingolftadt, then to Augsbourg, Munchen, and Regeufbourg; laftly hither. After Chriftmas we think to go towards Vienna, and there to remain till it be your Lordship's, or my brother's will, I fhould go farther; and in the mean time fee fo much of Hungary as I may; and Cracow, if the King of Poland come thither. And fo being forced by the hafte of the meflenger to make an end, I take my leave; most humbly befeeching your Lordship of your daily bleffing. From Prague, the 1t of November 1580. Your Lordship's most humble and obedient fon during life.

LETTER XXXIV.

with

Sir Philip Sidney to Queen Elizabeth, anno 1580, perfuading her not to marry the Duke of Anjou.

Moft feared and beloved, moft sweet

and gracious Sovereign,

TO feek out excufes of this my boldnefs, and to arm the acknowledging

Robert, first Earl of Leicefter, to his father, of a fault with reafons for it, might bet

Sir Henry Sidney.

My duty most humbly remembered to your Lordship: THOUGH I have no great matter to write to you of, yet having the opportunity by a gentleman, the bearer hereof, I thought it my part not to let him go into England without writing to your Lordship. Yesterday I came hither, where I mean to flay a good part of this winter, and if I may, will learn to ride. My brother, in his last letter, put it to my choice, whether I would go next year into France or into Italy; I have chofen Italy, becaufe it is not fo far from hence, and afterwards into France; and fo will do, if your Lordship fhall think it good, and will give me leave. My brother likewife, in his letter to Harry White, wrote that if there were any good wars I fhould go to them, but as yet I have heard of none; but befides that the fetting out will not ftand me in a little, if I go any thing like to them; what for horfe and armour, and my charges before I can come where they

ter fhew I knew I did amifs, than any way diminish the attempt, especially in your judgment; who being able to dif cern lively into the nature of the thing done, it were folly to hope, by laying on better colours, to make it more acceptable. Therefore carrying no other olive branch of interceffion, than the laying of myfelf at your feet, nor no other in finuation, either for attention or pardon, but the true vowed facrifice of unfeigned love; I will in fimple and direct terms (as hoping they fhall only come to your merciful eyes) fet down the overflowing of my mind in this most important mate ter, importing, as I think, the continuance of your fafety; and, as I know, the joys of my life. And becaufe my words (I confefs fhallow, but coming from the deep well-fpring of most loyal affection) have delivered to your most gracious ear, what is the general fum of my travailing thoughts therein; I will now but only declare, what be the reafons that make me think that the marriage with Monfieur will be unprofitable unto you; then will I anfiver the objection of thofe fears,

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you; which, if it be faid, it did not prevail, that is true indeed; for if they had prevailed, it were too late now to deliberate. But, at this prefent, they want nothing fo much as a head, who, in effect, needs not but to receive their inftructions; fince they may do mifchief only with his countenance. Let the Singiniam in Henry the Fourth's time, Perkin Warbeck in your grandfather's; but of all the most lively and proper, is that of Lewis the French King's fon in Henry the Third's time; who having at all no fhew of title, yet did he caufe the nobility, and more, to fwear direct fealty and vaffalage; and they delivered the ftrongeft holds unto him. I fay, let thefe be fufficient to prove, that occafion gives minds and fcope to ftranger things than ever would have been imagined. If then the affectionate fide have their affections weakened, and the difcontented have a gap to utter their difcontent; I think it will feem an ill preparative for the patient (I mean your eftate) to a great ficknefs.

Now the agent party, which is Monfieur whether he be not apt to work on the difadvantage of your eftate, he is to be judged by his will and power; his will to be as full of light ambition as is poffible; befides the French difpofition, and his own education; his inconftant temper against his brother; his thruiting himfelf into the Low Country matters; his fometimes fecking the King of Spain's daughter; fometimes your Majefty; are evident teftimonies of his being carried away with every wind of hope; taught to love greatnefs any way gotten; and having for the motioners and minifters of the mind, only fuch young men, as have fhewed they think evil contentment a ground of any rebellion, who have feen no commonwealth but in faction; and divers of which have defiled their hands in odious murders: with fuch fancies and favourites, what is to be hoped for? or that he will contain himfelf within the limits of your conditions; fince, in truth, it were ftrange that he that cannot be contented to be the fecond perfon in France, and heir apparent, fhould be content to come to be a fecond perfon, where he fhould pretend no way to fovereignty. His power, I imagine, is not to be defpifed, fince he is come into a country, where the way of evil doing will be prefented unto him; where there

needs nothing but a head to draw toge ther all the ill-affected members: him. felf a prince of great revenues, of the most popular nation in the world, full of foldiery, and fuch as are used to serve without pay, fo as they may have fhew of fpoil; and, without question, shall have his brother ready to help him, as well for old revenge, as to divert him from troubling France, and to deliver his own country from evil humours. Neither is King Philip's marriage here any example; fince then it was between two of one religion, fo that only he in England flood only upon her strength, and had abroad King Henry of France ready to impeach any enterprise he should make for his greatnefs that way. And yet what events time would have brought forth of that marriage, your moft blefted reign hath made vain all fuch confiderations. But things holding in prefent ftate, I think I may eafily conclude, that your country as well by long peace, and fruits of peace, as by the poifon of divifion, wherewith the faithful fhall by this means be wounded, and the contrary enabled, made fit to receive hurt; and Monfieur being every way likely to ufe the occafions to hurt, there can almos happen no worldly thing of more immi nent danger to your eftate royal. And as to your perfon, in the fcale of your happiness, what good there may com by it, to balance with the lofs of fo ho nourable a conftancy; truly, yet I per ceive not.

I will not fhew fo much ma lice, as to object the univerfal doubt, th race's unfaithfulness; neither will I la to his charge the ague-like manner o proceedings, fometimes hot and fome times cold, in the time of purfuit; whic always rightly is moft fervent: and will temper my fpeeches from any othe unteverend difgracings of him in part cular (though they might be never true); this only will I fay, that if he come hither, he muft live here in far le reputation than his mind will well broo having no other royalty to countenan himself with; or else you muft deliv him the keys of your kingdom, and li at his difcretion; or, laftly, he muft feparate himfelf, with more difhonou and further difuniting of heart, than ev before. Often have I heard you, w proteftation, fay, no private pleafur nor felf-affection, could lead you to

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but if it be both unprofitable for your kingdom, and unpleasant to you, certainly it were a dear purchase of repentance; nothing can it add unto you, but the blifs of children, which, I confess, were a moft unfpeakable comfort; but vet no more appertaining unto him, than to any other, to whom the height of all good haps were allotted to be your taband; and therefore I may affuredly firm, that what good foever can follow marriage, is no more his than any body; but the evils and dangers are pecurly annexed to his perfon and conditon. For, as for the enriching of your tuntry with treasure, which either he bath not, or hath otherwise bestowed it; the ftaying of your fervants minds th new expectations and liberality, which is more dangerous than fruitful; the eafing of your Majefty of cares; sch is as much as to fay, as the eafing f you to be Queen and Sovereign: I ink every one perceives this way to be of hurt, or void of help. Now refteth confider, what be the motives of this en change, as I have heard you in nci fweet words deliver; fear of ftandlone, in refpect of foreign dealings; d in them, from whom you fhould have et, doubt of contempt. Truly, hading alone, with good forefight of povernment, both in peace and warlike tedence, is the honourableft thing that to be to a well-established monarchy; tade buildings being ever moft ftrongly ble, which lean to none other, but ain from their own foundation. So yet in the particulars of your eftate prefent, I will not altogether deny that e Maffiniffa were fit to countermine e enterprife of mighty Carthage: but this general truth can be applied to Meieur, in truth I perceive not. The , that have given beft rules, where et leagues are made, have faid, that not be between fuch as either vehedefire of a third thing, or as vehefear, doth knit their minds togee. Defire is counted the weaker bad, but yet that bound fo many Princes the Holy Land. It united that invinchie King Henry V. and that good Duke. Bargundy; the one defiring to win the crown of France from the Dauphin, the other defiring to revenge his father's mander upon the Dauphin; which both traded to one. That coupled Lewis

XII. and Ferdinando of Spain to the conqueft of Naples. Of fear, there are innumerable examples: Monfieur's defires, and yours, how they fhall meet in. public matters, I think no oracle can tell ; for as the geometricians fay, that parallels, because they maintain divers lines, can never join: fo truly, two, having in the beginning contrary principles, to bring forth one doctrine, muft be fome miracle. He of the Romish religion ; and if he be a man, must needs have that manlike property, to defire that all men be of his mind: you the erector and. defender of the contrary, and the only fun that dazzleth their eyes: he French, and defiring to make France great: your Majefty English, and defiring nothing lefs than that France fhould not grow great: he, both by own fancy and his youthful governors, embracing all ambitious hopes; having Alexander's image in his head, but, perhaps, evil painted; your Majefty with excellent virtue, taught what you should hope, and by no lefs wisdom, what you may hope; with a council renowned over all Christendom for their well-tempered minds, having fet the utmoft of their ambition in your favour, and the study of their fouls in your fafety.

Fear hath as little fhew of outward appearance, as reason, to match you to gether; for in this estate he is in, whom fhould he fear? his brother? alas! his brother is afraid fince the King of Navarre. is to ftep into his place. Neither can his brother be the fafer by his fall, but he may be the greater by his brother's; whereto, whether you will be an acceffary, you are to determine. The King of Spain certainly cannot make war upon him, but it must be upon all the crown of France, which is no likelihood he will do: well may Monfieur (as he hath done) feek to enlarge the bounds of France upon this ftate; which likewise, whether it be safe for you to be a countenance to, any other way, may be seen: fo that if neither defire nor fear be fuch in him, as are to bind any public fastnefs, it may be faid, that the only fortrefs of this your marriage, is of his private affection; a thing too incident to the perfon laying it up in fuch knots.

The other objection, of contempt in the fubjects: I affure your Majefty, if I had heard it proceed out of your mouth, e which

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