trivial; though short, not obscure; as formerly we have made use of some of those which concern our history.

Whilst in health, his body was no less active in exercise, than his mind quick in apprehension. To give one instance of both together. One day, being shooting at butts, a manful and healthful pastime wherein he very much delighted, he hit the very mark. The Duke of Northumberland being present, and, as I take it, betting on his side, "well shot, my liege," quoth he. "But you shot nearer the mark," returned the king, 66 when you shot off my good uncle Somerset's head.' And it is generally conceived that grief for his death caused King Edward's consumption, who succeeded not to any consumptive inclination, as hereditary from his extraction, from a father but little past, and a mother just in the strength of their age.

We will conclude this king's most pious life, with that his most devout prayer on his death bed, which God heard and graciously answered, for the good of the Church of England :

"Lord God, deliver me out of this miserable and wretched life, and take me among thy chosen. Howbeit, not my will, but thy will be done. Lord, I commit my spirit to thee. O Lord, thou knowest how happy it were for me to be with thee; yet, for thy chosens sake send me life and health, that I may truly serve thee. O my Lord God, bless thy people and save thine inheritance. Oh Lord God, save thy chosen people of England. Oh my Lord God, defend this realm from Papistry, and maintain thy true religion, that I and my people may praise thy holy name, for Jesus Christ's sake."

One of the last sermons King Edward heard, was preached before him by Hugh Latimer, at what time their party began to spread and increase, who opposed the Liturgy, witness this passage in his sermon: "I have heard say, when that the good Queen that is gone, had ordained in her house daily prayer, both before noon and after noon; the Admiral getteth him out of the way, like a mole digging in the earth. He shall be Lot's wife to me as long as I live. He was, I

heard say, a covetous man, a covetous man indeed : I would there were no more in England. He was, I heard say, an ambitious man: I would there were no more in England. He was, I heard say, a seditious man, a contemner of Common Prayer: I would there were no more in England. Well! he is gone, I would he had left none behind him."

THE HOLY STATE.

BOOK II. CHAP. VII.-The General Artist.

I know the general cavil against general learning is this, that aliquis in omnibus est nullus in singulis. He that sips of many arts, drinks of none. However we must know, that all learning, which is but one grand science, hath so homogeneal a body, that the parts thereof do, with a mutual service, relate to and communicate strength and lustre each to other. Our artist knowing language to be the key of learning, thus begins:

His tongue, being but one by nature, he gets cloven by art and industry. Before the confusion of Babel, all the world was one continent in language; since divided into several tongues, as several islands. Grammar is the ship by benefit whereof we pass from one to another, in the learned languages generally spoken in no country. His mother tongue was like the dull music of a monochord, which by study he turns into the harmony of several instruments.

He first gaineth skill in the Latin and Greek tongues. On the credit of the former alone, he may trade in discourse over all Christendom: but the Greek, though not so generally spoken, is known with no less profit, and more pleasure. The joints of her compounded words are so naturally oiled, that they run nimbly on the tongue; which makes them, though long, never tedious, because significant. Besides, it is full and stately in sound; only it pities our artist to see the vowels therein racked in pronouncing them,

hanging oftentimes one way by their native force, and haled another by their accents, which countermand them.

Hence he proceeds to the Hebrew, the mother tongue of the world. More pains than quickness of wit is required to get it, and with daily exercise he continues it. Apostacy herein is usual to fall totally from the language by a little neglect. As for the Arabic, and other oriental languages, he rather makes sallies and incursions into them, than any solemn sitting before them.

Then he applies his study to logic and ethics. The latter makes a man's soul mannerly and wise; but as for logic, that is the armory of reason, furnished with all offensive and defensive weapons. There are syllogisms, long swords; enthymems, short daggers; dilemmas, two-edged swords that cut on both sides; sorites, chain-shot. And for the defensive, distinctions, which are shields; retortions, which are targets with a pike in the midst of them, both to defend and oppose. From hence he raiseth his studies to the knowledge of physics, the great hall of nature, and metaphysics, the closet thereof; and is careful not to wade therein so far, till by subtle distinguishing of notions he confounds himself.

He is skilful in rhetoric, which gives a speech colour, as logic doth favour, and both together beauty. Though some condemn rhetoric as the mother of lies, speaking more than the truth in hyperboles, less in her meiosis, otherwise in her metaphors, contrary in her ironies; yet is there excellent use of all these, when disposed of with judgment. Nor is he a stranger to poetry, which is music in words; nor to music, which is poetry in sound both excellent sauce, but they have lived and died poor that made them their meat.

Mathematics he moderately studieth to his great contentment; using it as ballast for his soul, yet to fix it, not to stall it; nor suffers he it to be so unmannerly as to justle out other arts. As for judicial astrology, which hath the least judgment in it, this vagrant hath been whipped out of all learned corporations. If our

artist lodgeth her in the out-rooms of his soul for a night or two, it is rather to hear than believe her relations.

Hence he makes his progress into the study of history. Nestor, who lived three ages, was accounted the wisest man in the world. But the historian may make himself wise, by living as many ages as have past since the beginning of the world. His books enable him to maintain discourse, who besides the stock of his own experience, may spend on the common purse of his reading. This directs him in his life, so that he makes the shipwreck of others sea-marks to himself; yea, accidents, which others start from for their strangeness, he welcomes as his wonted acquaintance, having found precedents for them formerly. Without history a man's soul be purblind, seeing only the things which almost touch his eyes.

He is well seen in chronology, without which history is but a heap of tales. If by the laws of the land he is counted a natural, who hath not wit enough to tell twenty, or to tell his age; he shall not pass with me for wise in learning, who cannot tell the age of the world, and count hundreds of years: I mean not so critically, as to solve all doubts arising thence; but that he may be able to give some tolerable account thereof. He is also acquainted with cosmography, treating of the world in whole joints; with chorography, shredding it into countries; and with topography, mincing it into particular places.

Thus taking these sciences in their general latitude, he hath finished the round circle or golden ring of the arts; only he keeps a place for the diamond to be set in, I mean for that predominant profession of law, physic, divinity, or state policy, which he intends for his principal calling hereafter.

CHAP. XVIII.-The good Yeoman.

Is a gentleman in ore, whom the next age may see refined; and is the wax capable of a gentle impression,

when the prince shall stamp it.

Wise Solon, who

accounted Tellus, the Athenian, the most happy man for living privately on his own lands, would surely have pronounced the English yeomanry a fortunate condition, living in the temperate zone, betwixt greatness and want, an estate of people almost peculiar to England. France and Italy are like a die, which hath no points between six and ace, nobility and peasantry. Their walls, though high, must needs be hollow, wanting filling stones. Indeed, Germany hath her boors, like our yeomen, but by a tyrannical appropriation of nobility to some few ancient families, their yeomen are excluded from ever rising higher to clarify their bloods. In England the temple of honour is bolted against none who have passed through the temple of virtue: nor is a capacity to be genteel denied to our yeoman who thus behaves himself.

He wears russet clothes, but makes golden payment, having tin in his buttons, and silver in his pocket. If he chance to appear in clothes above his rank, it is to grace some great man with his service, and then he blusheth at his own bravery. Otherwise he is the surest land-mark, whence foreigners may take aim of the ancient English customs; the gentry more floating after foreign fashions.

In his house he is bountiful both to strangers and to poor people. Some hold, when hospitality died in England, she gave her last groan amongst the yeomen of Kent. And still, at our yeoman's table you shall have as many joints as dishes: no meat disguised with strange sauces; no straggling joint of a sheep in the midst of a pasture of grass, beset with sallads on every side; but solid substantial food; no servitors, more nimble with their hands than the guests with their teeth, take away meat before stomachs are taken away. Here you have that which in itself is good, made better by the store of it, and best by the welcome to it.

He hath a great stroke in making a knight of the shire. Good reason, for he makes a whole line in the subsidy book, where whatsoever he is rated he pays without any regret, not caring how much his

H

purse is