Of the partes, place and Office
of a Secretorie.
Onsidering howe many woorthie and excellent men, not onely in our present age, but in manie yeares before vs haue liued, none of all which (though questionlesse furnished with verie great abilitie) haue to my certaine knowledge, euer written ought in our English tongue, touching this title: It maie seeme questionable, how I the most disfurnished of manie others, and subiect thereby to the insight and correction of all others, durst take vppon mee to discourse thereupon, weighing with my selfe the subiect I take in hand, to be of speciall qualitie, and to none so much fitting as to those that bee greatest learned, best aduised, discreetest gouerned, and worthiest ruled, to treate vpon. Nor doe my selfe by such presumption of mine, déem the same to be of lesse moment then it is. Howbeit, as one tied by a former promise, in that my first edition of this present Methode of Epistles, haue nowe taken vpon me (as you see) to write thereupon.
Truth is, that as I am none of those that maie vaunt my selfe of any furniture sufficient to so speciall an end & purpose, yet haue I not bin in some time of the yeares I haue spent, altogither excluded from any fauour or tast therof at all. Neither haue I whollie spent the seasons I haue caried, so vainely, but that at one time or other I haue (not without some considerate aduerting) eyed the demeanours, issues, and dispositions of sundrie humors, by insight whereinto, and some proofe made of that which my selfe haue practised in place of seruice, I am bold in this onelie discourse, to aduenture the performance of that I haue promised.
In the discouerie whereof, my minde is not, nor shall be to prescribe vnto any one, but to deliuer what in mine owne opinion, I haue coniectured to be meetest in such a person. Wel regarding the number of those who enabled by farre better skill, or guided by experience, and their owne proper vertue, can both search and wade further therein, then my poore abilitie may anie waies looke into. For which my purpose is, and shall be in this present discourse, onlie to set forth vnto such, whose vnripened yeers, or want of decernment, haue not yet made them apt vnto so speciall a beeing, and qualitie: what in my plaine conceit, vnto the place and office of such a one, meete and fit to be a Secretorie, maie be thought most consonant and worthie.
To the accomplishment whereof, as the best and méetest induction to such a matter, it shall not bee to slender purpose, to speake first of the name thereof, and to sift out by what meane the partie seruing in such a place, had the originall title to be called a Secretorie. You shall then vnderstande, that as me séemeth, by speciall reason and iudgement, this name Secretorie, importing therein as it doth action of great consequence, doth beare in it matter of more circumstance, then by euerie one is considered, and by howe much the more honourable the place of attendance is, where such a one doth serue, by so much the more beseemeth the partie called vnto such seruice, be a man choice and of worthie estimate, habilitie and iudgement. So then am I not of opinion of the multitude, who holde that the praiseable endeuour or abilitie of well writing or ordering the pen, is the matter that maketh the Secretorie, (albeit the vse heereof is not the least part of manie other things incident to the same office) but that carying with it selfe a purpose of much weightier effect, the person therunto named was as a deriuatiue from that which containeth the chiefest title of credite, and place of greatest assurance that may be reposed, in respect of the affinitie they both haue of trust and fidelitie, each with the other, by great conceyte and discretion, tearmed to bee a Secretorie.
And albeit there happily maie be opinions some waies contrarying vnto this my present deliuerie, touching the originall of this title: yet standing directly assured that they all being laid togithers, must of necessitie conclude on the verie Secrecie, trust and regarde, speciallie imposed on him who beareth the same title: I will boldlie for this cause define, that in respect of such Secrecie, trust and assuraunce required at the handes of him who serueth in such place, the name was first giuen to be called a Secretorie, and that by the etymologie of the verie word it selfe, sounding in true coniecture, quasicustos, or conseruator secreti sibi commissi, a keeper or conseruer of the secret vnto him committed.
By this reason, we do call the most secrete place in the house, appropriate vnto our owne priuate studies, and wherein wee repose and deliberate by deepe consideration of all our waightiest affaires, a Closet, in true intendment and meaning, a place where our dealings of importance are shut vp, a roome proper and peculiar to our selues. And whereas into each other place of the house, it is ordinarie for euery néere attendant about vs to haue accesse: in this place we doe solitarie and alone shut vp our selues, of this we keepe the key our selues, and the vse thereof alone doe onelie appropriate vnto our selues.
And if we should run but into the nature of things secret, and consider by the name, what to such a matter is required, we shall find that of it owne selfe it chalengeth so much, wherby with three things most speciallie it is saide to be fortified, viz. with couertnes, that it be closelie kept from the eyes, eares or vnderstanding of others: Safetie, that securelie it be retained, and laid vp, both with choice respect and tendering: Assurance, that by no mistake, negligence, or defect of the partie hauing charge of such a secrete, it may turne to a preiudice.