vpon _Aristotles Ethickes_ so excellentlie in _Italian_, as neuer did yet any one in myne opinion either in _Greke_ or _Latin_, amongest other thynges doth most earnestlie inuey agaynst the rude ryming of verses in that tong: And whan soeuer he expresseth _Aristotles_ preceptes, with any example, out of _Homer_ or _Euripides_, he translateth them, not after the Rymes of _Petrarke_, but into soch kinde of perfite verse, with like feete and quantitie of sillables, as he found them before in the _Greke_ tonge: ex- hortyng earnestlie all the _Italian_ nation, to leaue of their rude barbariousnesse in ryming, and folow diligently the excellent _Greke_ and _Latin_ examples, in trew versifiyng. And you, that be able to vnderstand no more, then ye finde in the _Italian_ tong: and neuer went farder than the schole of _Petrarke_ and _Ariostus_ abroad, or els of _Chaucer_ at home though you haue pleasure to wander blindlie still in your foule wrong way, enuie not others, that seeke, as wise men haue done before them, the fairest and rightest way: or els, beside the iust reproch of malice, wisemen shall trewlie iudge, that you do so, as I haue sayd and say yet agayne vnto you, bicause, either, for idlenes ye will not, or for ignorance ye can not, cum by no better your selfe. And therfore euen as _Virgill_ and _Horace_ deserue most worthie prayse, that they spying the vnperfitnes in _Ennius_ and _Plautus_, by trew Imitation of _Homer_ and _Euripides_, brought Poetrie to the same perfitnes in _Latin_, as it was in _Greke_, euen so those, that by the same way would benefite their tong and contrey, deserue rather thankes than disprayse in that behalfe. And I rejoyce, that euen poore England preuented _Italie_, first in spying out, than in seekyng to amend this fault in learnyng. And here, for my pleasure I purpose a litle, by the way, to play and sporte with my Master _Tully_: from whom commonlie I am neuer wont to dissent. He him selfe, for this point of learnyng, in his verses doth halt a litle by his leaue. He could not denie it, if he were aliue, nor those defend hym now that Tullies // loue him best. This fault I lay to his charge: saying a- // bicause once it pleased him, though somwhat gainst Eng- // merelie, yet oueruncurteslie, to rayle vpon poore land. // England, obiecting both, extreme beggerie, and _the ready way to the Latin tong._ 293