a lesse point of Grammer than these be, noted of me in _Salust_,
as, whether he should write, _ad Piræea, in Piræea_, or _in
Piræeum_, or _Piræeum sine præpositione:_ And in those heuie
tymes, he was so carefull to know this small point of Grammer,
that he addeth these wordes _Si hoc mihi zetema persolueris,
magna me molestia liberaris_. If _Tullie_, at that age, in that
authoritie, in that care for his contrey, in that ieoperdie for him
selfe, and extreme necessitie of hys dearest frendes, beyng also
the Prince of Eloquence hym selfe, was not ashamed to descend
to these low pointes of Grammer, in his owne naturall tong,
what should scholers do, yea what should any man do, if he do
thinke well doyng, better than ill doyng: And had rather be,
perfite than meane, sure than doutefull, to be what he should
be, in deed, not seeme what he is not, in opinion. He that
maketh perfitnes in the _Latin_ tong his marke, must cume to it
by choice & certaine knowledge, not stumble vpon it by chance
and doubtfull ignorance: And the right steppes to reach vnto it,
be these, linked thus orderlie together, aptnes of nature, loue of
learnyng, diligence in right order, constancie with pleasant
moderation, and alwayes to learne of them that be best, and so
shall you iudge as they that be wisest. And these be those
reules, which worthie Master _Cheke_ dyd impart vnto me con-
cernyng _Salust_, and the right iudgement of the _Latin_ tong.
¶ _Cæsar._
_Cæsar_ for that litle of him, that is left vnto vs, is like the
halfe face of a _Venus_, the other part of the head beyng hidden,
the bodie and the rest of the members vnbegon, yet so
excellentlie done by _Apelles_, as all men may stand still to mase
and muse vpon it, and no man step forth with any hope to
performe the like.
His seuen bookes _de bello Gallico_, and three _de bello Ciuili_, be
written, so wiselie for the matter, so eloquentlie for the tong,
that neither his greatest enemies could euer finde the least note
of parcialitie in him (a meruelous wisdome of a man, namely
writyng of his owne doynges) nor yet the best iudegers of the
_Latin_ tong, nor the most enuious lookers vpon other mens
writynges, can say any other, but all things be most perfitelie
done by him.
302 _The ready way to the Latin tong._
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