dise, than a court upon earth. And though I had never poetical head to make any verse in any tongue; yet either love, or sorrow, or both, did wring out of me then certain careful thoughts of my good will towards him, which in my mourning for him fell more by chance, than either by skill or use, into this kind of misorderly metre."

For the verses, however, we must refer our readers to the original work; while we proceed to the discussion upon which the author next enters, respecting the "six ways appointed by the best learned men, for the learning of tongues and increase of eloquence." These he enumerates as being,-1. Translation; 2. Paraphrase; 3. Metaphrasis; 4. Epitome; 5. Imitation; and 6. Declamation. "All these," he says, "be used, and commended; but in order, and for respects, as person, ability, place, and time, shall require. The five last be fitter for the master than the scholar; for men than for children; for the Universities rather than for grammar schools. Yet nevertheless, which is fittest in mine opinion for our school, and which is either wholly to be refused, or partly to be used for our purpose, I will by good authority, and some reason I trust, particularly of every one, and largely enough of them all, declare orderly unto you."

I. "Translation," says Ascham, "is easy in the beginning for the scholar, and bringeth also much learning and great judgment to the master. It is most common and most commendable of all other exercises for youth: most common; for all your constructions in grammar schools be nothing else but translations. But because they be not double translations, as I do require, they bring forth but simple and single commodity; and be

cause also they lack the daily use of writing which is the only thing that breedeth deep root, both in the wit for good understanding, and in the memory for sure keeping of all that is learned."

Having then examined at considerable length the opinions of Cicero, Quintilian, and others of the ancients upon the subject, he thus concludes :—

"And by these authorities and reasons am I moved to think this way of double translating, either only, or chiefly, to be fittest for the speedy and perfect attaining of any tongue. And for speedy attaining, I durst venture a good wager, if a scholar in whom is aptness, love, diligence, and constancy, would but translate after this sort one little book in Tully (as de Senectute, with two Epistles, the first ad Q. Fratrem, the other ad Lentulum, the last save one in the First Book,) that scholar, I say, should come to a better knowledge in the Latin tongue than the most part do that spend four or five years in tossing all the rules of grammar in common schools. Indeed, this one Book with these two Epistles, is not sufficient to afford all Latin words (which is not necessary for a young scholar to know,) but it is able to furnish him fully, for all points of grammar, with the right placing, ordering, and use of words, in all kind of matter. And why not? For it is read, that Dion Prusæus,* that wise philosopher and excellent orator of all his time, did come to the great learning and utterance that was in him, by reading and following only two books, Phædon Platonis, and Demosthenes' most notable Oration Περὶ Παραπρεσβείας.

"And a better and nearer example herein may be

That is, Chrysostom, whose name was Dion, and who was a native of Prusa in Bithynia.

our most noble Queen Elizabeth, who never took yet Greek nor Latin grammar in her hand, after the first declining of a noun and a verb; but only by this double translating of Demosthenes and Isocrates daily, without missing, every forenoon, and likewise some part of Tully every afternoon, for the space of a year or two, hath attained to such a perfect understanding in both the tongues, and to such a ready utterance of the Latin, and that with a judgment, as they be few in number in both the Universities, or elsewhere in England, that be in both tongues comparable with her Majesty."

II. Paraphrasis is defined as being "not only to express at large with more words, but to shine and contend to translate the best Latin authors into other Latin words, as many, or thereabout." This method Ascham decidedly condemns as a school exercise, on the same grounds on which it is disapproved of by Cicero and the younger Pliny, the latter of whom in one of his Epistles calls it audax contentio, an audacious contention.

"It

is a bold comparison, indeed," says our author, "to think to say better than that is best. Such turning of the best into worse, is much like the turning of good wine, out of a fair sweet flagon of silver, into a foul musty bottle of leather; or to turn pure gold and silver into foul brass and copper."

A kind of paraphrase, he goes on to remark, which he would better allow, is to turn a rude and barbarous into a proper and eloquent style; but this, he adds, is an exercise not fit for a scholar, but for a perfect master. He quotes as an example, Sebastian Castalio's translation of Thomas à Kempis's book de Imitando Christo.

In reference again to the solicitude of many modern

writers about variety of expression, he observes: "The old and best authors that ever wrote were content, if occasion required to speak twice of one matter, not to change the words, but pnrus, that is, word for word, to express it again. For they thought that a matter, well expressed with fit words and apt composition, was not to be altered; but liking it well themselves, they thought it would also be well allowed of others."

It requires, he contends, greater learning and deeper judgment than are to be hoped for at any schoolmaster's hand rightly to distinguish all the nice and delicate points of style, and to undertake the correction of such faults as tumidity, poverty, luxuriance of diction, without running the risk of misleading where he attempts to instruct. Even the greatest scholars have frequently wanted this critical faculty. Thus," some loving Melancthon well, as he was well worthy; but yet not considering well, nor wisely, how he of nature, and all his life and study by judgment, was wholly spent in genere disciplinabili, that is, in teaching, reading, and expounding plainly and aptly school matters; and, therefore, employed thereunto a fit, sensible, and calm kind of speaking and writing;-some, I say, with very well liking, but not with very well weighing Melancthon's doings, do frame themselves a style cold, lean, and weak, though the matter be never so warm and earnest; not much unlike unto one, that had a pleasure in a rough, rainy, winter-day, to clothe himself with nothing else but a demi-buckram cassock, plain without plaits, and single without lining, which will neither bear off wind nor weather, nor yet keep out the sun in any hot day.

"Some suppose, and that by good reason, that Me

lancthon himself came to this low kind of writing by using over much paraphrasis in reading. For studying thereby to make everything straight and easy, in smoothing and planing all things too much, never leaveth, while the sense itself be left both loose and leasy. And some of those paraphrases of Melancthon be set out in print, as Pro Archia Poëta,' and 'M. Marcello.' But a scholar, by mine opinion, is better occupied in playing or sleeping than by spending time, not only vainly, but also harmfully, in such a kind of exercise.

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Therefore," he concludes, "in place of Latins for young scholars, and of paraphrasis for the masters, I would have double translation specially used. For in double translating a perfect piece of Tully or Cæsar, neither the scholar in learning, nor the master in teaching, can err. A true touchstone, a sure mete-wand lieth before both their eyes. For all right congruity, propriety of words, order in sentences, the right imitation to invent good matter, to dispose it in good order, to confirm it with good reason, to express any purpose fitly and orderly, is learned thus both easily and perfectly. Yea, to miss sometime in this kind of translation bringeth more profit than to hit right either in paraphrasis or making of Latins. For though ye say well in a Latin making, or in a paraphrasis, yet you being but in doubt, and uncertain whether ye say well or no, ye gather and lay up in memory no sure fruit of learning thereby; but if ye fault in translation, ye are easily taught how perfectly to amend it, and so well warned how after to eschew all such faults again.

"Paraphrasis, therefore, by mine opinion, is not meet for grammar schools, nor yet very fit for young men in the University, until study and time have bred in them perfect learning and steadfast judgment."