The English Secretary; or, Methode of Writing Epistles and Letters (1599): With, a Declaration of Such Tropes, Figures, and Schemes, as Either Usually or for Ornament Sake Are Therein Required — John Shaqi
The English Secretary; or, Methode of Writing Epistles and Letters (1599): With, a Declaration of Such Tropes, Figures, and Schemes, as Either Usually or for Ornament Sake Are Therein RequiredDay, Angel, active 1575-1595
General
The English Secretary; or, Methode of Writing Epistles and Letters (1599): With, a Declaration of Such Tropes, Figures, and Schemes, as Either Usually or for Ornament Sake Are Therein Required
Day, Angel, active 1575-1595
English language -- Rhetoric -- Early works to 1800; Letter writing -- Early works to 1800; Rhetoric -- Early works to 1800
too bad, especiallie respecting the partie what she was, from whome
one would haue supposed that such a one as himself, could neuer haue
receiued (but by too much tolleration) any discontentment at all. This
errour we see is not onelie common to the vnlearned, for as well this
one, who in his profession (as I was informed by him that shewed me the
letter) was well reputed of, but also some of the forwarder sort, onlie
by affectation of words, which they haue vsed, haue béene misliked,
and yet learned ynough. Among which a Doctor of Physicke long since,
intending to be verie eloquent in words, and such as euery Carter
should not conceiue of, began an Epistle to a booke by him published in
this sort: wherein secondly appeareth this errour of old improper or
new coyned termes, and this was the forme.=
[Sidenote: A ridiculous maner of writing.]
[Sidenote: Vrbanitie and exasperate vnproperlie placed.]
Egregious Doctours and Maisters of the eximious and Archane Science of
Physicke, of your Vrbanitie exasperate not your selues agaynst mee, for
making of this little volume of Physicke. Considering that my pretence
is for an vtilitie and a Common-wealth. And this not onelie, but also I
doe it for no detriment, but for a preferment of your laudable Science,
that euerie man should esteeme, repute, and regarde the excellent
facultie. And also you to bee extolled and highlie preferred, that
hath and dooth studie, practise and labour this saide Archane Science,
to the which none inartious persons, can nor shall attaine to the
knowledge: yet notwithstanding fooles and insipient persons, yea and
manie the which doth think themselues wise (the which in this facultie
be fooles indeed) will enterprise to smatter, &c. =Was there euer seene
from a learned man a more preposterous & confused kind of writing,
farced with so many and such odde coyned tearmes in so little vttering?
But surely, the man did it of a great conceite, for as appeareth by
the course of all his Epistle following, his wittes were so pestered
with an angrie mislike of the bad demeanor of some vnlearned vsers of
his science (as he thought with himselfe) that euerie botcher should
not be able to vent him, but hee should bee a man of some reach at
least that should finde him. Neuerthelesse howe wise so euer stood
his imaginations: this one thing doe I knowe, that diuerse to whome
I haue shewed the booke haue verie heartilie laughed in perusing the
parts of his writing. For these |egregious|, |eximious|, |vrbanitie|,
and |exasperate|, although the wordes be in some sort tollerable,
yet because anie of them are amongst vs verie rarelie vsed, and in
this writing two of them especially very vnproperly placed, the maner
thereof soundeth (in mine opinion) nothing pleasant. Insomuch as
|exasperate| is properly to set him in a farther rage, that is alreadie
furiously bent in a thing, and besides, by the action of another man
then himselfe who as it were of a resolute will and meaning, would goe
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