by veynes of brymstone and sulphure and so is kendely made hote in that cours and spryngeth vp in dyuerse places of the cyte. And so there ben hote bathes that washeth of tetres, soores and skabbes.--Treuisa. Though men myght by crafte make hoote bathes for to dure longe ynough this acordeth well to reason and phylosophye and treateth of hoote welles and bathes that ben in dyuerse londes, though the water of this bathe be more troubly, and heuyer of sauour and of smelle than other hote bathes ben that I haue seen at Akon in Almayne and at Egges in Sauoye, whiche ben as fayre and clere as ony colde welle streme. I haue ben bathed therin and assayed them.” Higgins, in his account of the learning of Bladud, has closely copied Bale, whose character was then generally known through the medium of Grafton’s chronicle. Perhaps to form the measure on a general model this life was re-written, being first composed in quatrains. It stands thus in the first edition. _Bladud recyteth haw he practyzing by curious artes to flye, fell and brake his necke. The yeare before Christe 844._ Shall I rehearse, likewyse my name? And eke a place amongst them fill, Which at their endes to mischiefe came? Sith Morpheus bids me so, I will. And that because I see thee minde, To write my storie fate and fall, Such curious heads it reade and finde: May flee to flye, and shunne my thrall. If daunger teach them liue take heede: If leesers harme, make lookers wyse: If warines do safetie breede, Or wracke make saylers shelues dispise Then may my hurt giue sample sure: My losse of life may lokers learne: My warning may beware procure, To such as daunger scarce discerne. I am that Bladud Britaine king. Rudhudebras his eldest sonne, Did learning first to England bring: And other wonders more were done. Now giue me eare, and after wryte: Marke well my life, example take: Eschue the euill that I recite, And of my death a myrour make. In youth I gaue my minde to lore, For I in learning tooke repaste: No earthly pleasure likte me more, I went to Athens at the last. A towne in Greece, whose fame went foorth Through all the world hir name was spred: I counted knowledge so much woorth, Hir only loue to Greece me led. There first of all the artes of seuen, Wherein before I had small skill: I Grammer gate declares the steuen, By rule to speake, and wryte at will. Next after that in Rhetorike fine, Which teacheth how he talke to fyle: I gate some knowledge in short time, And coulde perswade within a whyle. I thirdly learned Logicke well, An arte that teacheth to dispute: To aunswere wisely or refell, Distinguishe, proue, disproue, confute. Then after that, of number, I The skilfull arte likewyse attainde: Wherin of Mathematickes lie, Full many pointes I after gainde.