were there, the incomparable Crichtoun had, in all these faculties above
written, and in any of the twelve languages wherein he was spoke to,
whether in verse or prose, held tack to all the disputants, who were
accounted the ablest scholars upon earth in each their own profession;
and publickly evidenced such an universality of knowledge, and accurate
promptness in resolving of doubts, distinguishing of obscurities,
expressing the members of a distinction in adequate terms of art,
explaining those compendious tearms with words of a more easie
apprehension to the prostrating of the sublimest mysteries to any vulgar
capacity, and with all excogitable variety of learning, (to his own
everlasting fame), entertained, after that kinde, the nimble witted
Parisians from nine o'clock in the morning till six at night; the Rector
now finding it high time to give some relaxation to these worthy
spirits, which, during such a long space, had been so intensively bent
upon the abstrusest speculations, rose up, and saluting the divine
Crichtoun, after he had made an elegant panegyrick, or encomiastick
speech of half an houre's continuance, tending to nothing else but the
extolling of him for the rare and most singular gifts wherewith God and
nature had endowed him, he descended from his chaire, and, attended by
three or four of the most especial professors, presented him with a
diamond ring and a purse ful of gold, wishing him to accept thereof, if
not, as a recompense proportional to his merit, yet as a badge of love,
and testimony of the universitie's favour towards him. At the tender of
which ceremony, there was so great a plaudite in the schoole, such a
humming and clapping of hands, that all the concavities of the colledges
there about did resound with the echo of the noise thereof.
"Notwithstanding the great honor thus purchased by him for his
literatory accomplishments, and that many excellent spirits, to obteine
the like, would be content to postpose all other employments to the
enjoyment of their studyes, he, nevertheless, the very next day, (to
refresh his braines, as he said, for the toile of the former day's
work), went to the Louvre in a buff-suit, more like a favourite of Mars
then [than] one of the Muses' minions; where, in presence of some
princes of the court, and great ladies, that came to behold his
gallantry, he carryed away the ring fifteen times on end, and broke as
many lances on the Saracen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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