me to; for it falleth out fit for him to verifie the principall of all this Apologie, euen now made for himselfe; because thereby it will appeare that he hath not withdrawne himselfe from seruice of the state to live idle or wholly priuate to himselfe, but hath spent some time in doing that which may greatly benefit others and hath serued not a little to the bettering of his owne mind, and increasing of his knowledge, though he for modesty pretend much ignorance, and pleade want in wealth, much like some rich beggars, who either of custom, or for couetousnes, go to begge of others those things whereof they haue no want at home. With this answer of _M. Spensers_ it seemed that all the company were wel satisfied, for after some few speeches whereby they had shewed an extreme longing after his worke of the _Faerie Queene_, whereof some parcels had been by some of them seene, they all began to presse me to produce my translation mentioned by _M. Spenser_ that it might be perused among them; or else that I should (as near as I could) deliuer unto them the contents of the same, supposing that my memory would not much faile me in a thing so studied and advisedly set downe in writing as a translation must be.' Bryskett at length assents to Spenser's proposal, and proceeds to read his translation of Giraldi, which is in some sort criticised as he reads, Spenser proposing one or two questions 'arising principally,' as Todd says, 'from the discussion of the doctrines of Plato and Aristotle.' This invaluable picture of a scene in Spenser's Irish life shows manifestly in what high estimation his learning and genius were already held, and how, in spite of Harvey's sinister criticisms, he had resumed his great work. It tells us too that he found in Ireland a warmly appreciative friend, if indeed he had not known Bryskett before their going to Ireland. Bryskett too, perhaps, was acquainted with Sir Philip Sidney; for two of the elegies written on that famous knight's death and printed along with _Astrophel_ in the elegiac collection made by Spenser were probably of Bryskett's composition, viz., _The Mourning Muse of Thestylis_, where 'Liffey's tumbling stream' is mentioned, and the one entitled _A Pastoral Eclogue_, where Lycon offers to 'second' Colin's lament for Phillisides. What is said of the _Faerie Queene_ in the above quotation may be illustrated from the sonnet already quoted from, addressed to Lord Grey--one of the sonnets that in our modern editions are prefixed to the great poem. It speaks of the great poem as Rude rymes, the which a rustick Muse did weave In savadge soyle, far from Parnasso mount.