The Deliberatiue is so named, of the large comprehension it hath of sundry causes and matters, being not almost tied to any particular occasion or purpose: His distinctions are Hortatorie, and Dehortatorie: Swasorie and Disswasorie, not much vnlike together in their orders and properties: the natures of the first being to exhort, counsell, aduise, or perswade to anie thing, of the other, to withdraw, disswade or reduce to another meaning. Conciliatorie, which serueth in acquiring of friendship of acquaintance. Reconciliatorie, in reconcilement of kinred, friends, or other persons. Petitorie, in suing for, or crauing of anie thing. Commendatorie, in preferring the seruices, persons or good qualities, of anie one. Consolatorie, in comforting at times of troubles, sorrowe, or mishaps. Monitorie, in forewarning, admonishing, or counselling from mischiefs. Reprehensorie, in reprehending or correcting of errours and behauiours. Amatorie, in matters of louing.
The Iudiciall is so called, in that it comprehendeth matters lawfull, vnlawfull, or questionable to be handled: The distinctions thereof are, Accusatorie, containing matter of accusation. Excusatorie, which is occupied in excusing. Expostulatorie, in reasoning of causes. Purgatorie, in clearing or auoydance of thinges charged. Defensorie, in defence of the action. Exprobatorie, in reproching or obtruding of benefites vpon cause of vnthankfulnes. Deprecatorie, in praying of pardon of a thing committed, and Inuectiue, inueighing agaynst ill natures, qualities, occasions or persons.
Now the distinctions of these heades being thus laide open by particular titles, we will see how neere in writing they concurre or fall in, each with others. True is it, (as shall be séene in some examples hereafter following) that touching the first head beeing Demonstratiue, it sometimes falleth out in causes of aduertisement, or relation of thinges made, that the title Descriptorie is manie times meerlie in it selfe handled, without entring into anie other particular addition or occasion, but in the other titles of Laudatorie and Vituperatorie, not so. For how can I either praise or discommend anie thing, without falling into a Description of those persons, things or qualities, which I disallow or commend. Againe, for the Deliberatiue kinde in Hortatorie, Dehortatorie, Swasorie and Disswasorie, Commendatorie, Monitorie or Reprehensorie, how can I exhort, counsell, aduise, withdraw, commend, admonish or reprehende, if therein I set not forth what is woorthie or vnfit, what to be praysed, estéemed, disallowed, or eschued: which can not bee, without of necessitie I fall into the partes Descriptorie, Laudatorie and Vituperatorie. Likewise in matters Consolatorie, Conciliatorie & Reconciliatorie, howe I maie comfort seeke friends, or reconcile, if the partes Hortatorie and Swasorie, be absent. So also for the iudiciall, if either I accuse, excuse, expostulate, defende, reproach, intreate, or inueigh, it must be done with the laying out of vices, and aduauncement of vertues, in manifesting what is good, and setting forth what is euill, neither of which, can be without matter Descriptorie, Laudatorie, and Vituperatorie. By all which it appeareth, that (howbeit these seuerall titles stand thus diuided) yet are the matters of the same diuerslie wrapped togither, and the precepts seruing to the one, must of necessitie by a like conueyance be drawne into an obseruation with the other: notwithstanding for ease of the learner, and to the end he may with more readines find out what best fitteth and beseemeth the cause hee hath in handling, they bee thus drawne forth as you see into so many particular distinctions.
Touching nowe our Familiar Letters, they also are to bee drawne vnder their seuerall titles, as Narratorie, and Nunciatorie, somewhat falling into the demonstratiue kind before remembred, wherein we expresse and declare to those farre from vs, the matters or newes presentlie in hand amongst vs: Gratulatorie, wherein wee reioyce each with others of the good happes of fortune betiding vs. Remuneratorie, being a gratefull relation of cortesies, benefites or good turnes receiued. Iocatorie, wherewith by a pleasant and swéete kinde of deliuerie of some pretie conceit or iest, the minde is recreated. Obiurgatorie, in which wee rebuke the ill demeanours of our children, seruants, kindred, or acquaintance. Mandatorie, whereby wee commit expreslie our affaires to such as we haue authoritie, either to commaunde or intreate to be dispatched. To these and the others before mentioned are manie Epistles Responsorie, the titles whereof cannot be certaine, but examples and occasions plentifull: all which I referre to their peculiar places each one, as they are suted forth to be in their kindes deliuered. And now will we passe vnto the other hereafter to bee obserued in deliuerie of Examples, accordant vnto the seuerall titles of all these forenamed Epistles, and first of Epistles Descriptorie.
Of Epistles meerely Descriptory and the parts
thereof. Chap. 8.
Orsomuch as in Descriptions, are (as I saide before) onelie declared and set foorth at large, the maner, order, state, gouernment, proportion goodnesse or value of anie thing: the Epistles consisting solie thereof, be commonlie without addition at all, either of praise or mislike, or anie other intendment, in respect whereof they might in anie one iote varie from that title of Descriptorie. Parts in Epistle Descriptory. The force hereof besides the Exordium, comprehendeth chieflie a narration, throughout, in which is contained (by laying out the seuerall parts thereof) a perfect and plain demonstration or description of any thing: In these sortes of Epistles, the excellency of the writer, and painter concurreth in one, who the more that each of them studieth by perfection,Comparison of the writer and painter. to touch al things to the quick, by so much the more neerer doe they both aspire to that exquisit kind of cunning, that in each of these differences, is absolutely to be required. The curious painterPainter. in drawing a perfect peece of Lantskip, presenteth many things vnto the eie, the conceit whereof is maruellous: for with great admiration we do there séeme to behold, the most pleasant and goodlie vallies: Woods hie and decked with statelie trées (some tops whereof the wind seemeth to wreath and turne at one side) then goodly riuers, hie waies and walkes, large situate & high climing hils and mountains, far prospects of Cities, steeples, and Towers, ships sayling on seas, and waues blown vp aloft, the element cleere, faire and temperate, with some shining beames shadowing and spreading ouer all these, wherein seemeth the delight so rare, and climate so perfect, as verie desire prouoketh a man to gaze of it, as a thing in present life, and most certaine viewe. And do I praie you, our excellent writers degenerate at all from anie part of these? Doeth not the learned Cosmographer in acquainting vs with the vnknowne delights,Writer. scituation, plenty and riches of Countries which we neuer sawe, nor happilie maie euer approch vnto, rauish vs oftentimes, andPtolemy and other writers, de situ orbis. bring in contempt the pleasures of our owne soyle: and manie times a huge woonder, of the vnheard secrets neuer before reported of, the incredible operations of diuers thinges, and state so high and magnificent, such as the verie description and liuelie deliuery whereof, maketh vs beleeue that our eies do almost witnes the same, and that our verie sences are partakers of euerie delicacie in them contained. But omitting the wight hereof, consisting in these worlds of such strange accompt, with that fine inuention doeth Virgil Virgil in his Aenidos. manie times in his Aeneidos, and with howe much varietie describe vnto vs the tides of the morning? Howe greatlie in his first booke doth he amuse the reader, with the lamentable shipwracke, and euen then (as it were) appearing surges, and intollerable turmoils vpon the sea happening to Aeneas? What darknesse, what tempestes, what rising and deepest fall of waues againe, what winds, what mingling of heauen and earth together doth hee there relate? Then after, his arriuall on shore and presenting to Queene Dido, howe is the destruction of Troy in the person of Aeneas to her described? In the fourth booke likewise, what an excellent description maketh he of Fame? How he sheweth the banquet by the Queene to Aeneas made, and how liuelie is the state and magnificence thereof deliuered? Innumerable of these, both from him and the Transformed shapes of OuidOuidii Metamorphoseos. coulde I here recorde, the excellencie of each being such, as by the forceable vtterance thereof bréedeth as great delight as astonishment vnto the curious searcher of the same. And in as much as I haue vndertaken to conduct the learner by example,Example. howe to behaue himselfe in some sort herein, we will proceed with our Epistles Descriptory, the first wherof following, maie seeme to bee sent from a traueller to a friend of his in England, the mater whereof ensueth.
An example of a latter Descriptory, wherein is particu-
larly described an ancient City, by laying down the
seuerall parts thereof.
MY good Vncle, the remembrance of your charge giuen me, & my promise Exordium Or a charge giuen, and promise made. to you made at my departure out of England, bindeth me (at my nowe being in quiet, and with good leasure setled in Germany) that I should returne vnto you againe, my accustomed and dutifull regard, in sort as I haue euer endeuoured my selfe to do vnto you.Narratio. It may then please you, that remaining with my L. the Duke but a fewe daies at Geneua, wee hasted thence to a Citie, called Noremberge, being imperiall, scituate in the high partes of Germany, where sithence wee haue almost continually remained. And albeit I could somewhat write vnto you of our passages through diuers places of the Country, yet insomuch as there is no part thereof so memorable as this citie wherein we now remaine, the description thereof at this present may solie content you. The Citie therefore, as it seemeth is most ancient, and as many doe suppose and affirme, at that time when the Country was first in subiection to the Empire of Rome, was builded by Nero the Emperour, and of him taketh his name, as Noremberghe, in signification Neros berghe, and so much the rather doth it appeare, by sundry auncient monumentes therein yet remaining. The Citie (besides that it is situate in a most delicate and pleasant soyle,Scituation. wooded and watered most plentifully on euerie side, with goodlie Trees, faire and delicate Riuers and springes,) is both of great strength in the walles of the same, and plentifully builded with high and statelie Towers on euerie part. The edificies of the Citie are rare,Buildings. and of most sumptuous and statelie appearaunce, insomuch that there is no one house in any rowe that exceedeth another in height, but all of them builded leuell, by a verie Geometricall proportion. The insides are not more polished with riches and ornamentes of great beauty, then the outsides with brauerie, the verie frontsDeckings. of all which, aswell of rich as poore, are most curiously embossed in a hard kinde of substance (such I thinke as is our plaster of Paris) with artificiall and liuely pictures, conteining histories of diuers memorable, and strange effectes, and that with such wonderfull excellency, as any waies may bee conceiued. The cost hereof is continually maintayned, repaired, enlarged, and preserued, by a generall contribution of the most worthy and honourable of the Citie. Besides, the colours so fresh, so braue, and delicate laide in oyle, for defence against weather, wherewith they are beautified and set forth, are verie straunge. The streetesStreets. are wide, faire, and excellentlie well paued. The stone they vse for the most part is marble, white, gray, and blacke, whereof is great plentie, besides other kindes, which verie wonderfully they cut and square in diuers small proportions artificiallie pointed and shaped. The houses are not high, but backwarde builte, and inwardelie large. This Citie retaineth yet the auncient gouernement of the Romanes, for at this instant they haue theirGouernment Consuls, Tribunes, Senators, Pretors, Quæstors, Aediles and other interchangeable offices, as sometimes had Rome, beeing in her greatest prosperitie. The attire also alike to their dignities of all sortes of honourable personages, accustomed to their callinges. Plaine are their habitesHabit of the people. for the most part, and nothing sumptuous, retaining still one, and the selfe same ancient fashion. The constitution of their bodies as wel men as women, are faire, cleare, and of sounde complexion. Frugall in diet and expence, and nothing prodigall. My L. the Duke is here of great sway, and entertained with honorable accompt. ConclusoThus much haue I thought good to aduertise you in discharge of my debt and your desire, attending by the returne of this messenger the newes of your good health. To whom & al other our friends, in sound and good affection I eftsoones do recommend me. At Noremberghe this of, &c.