Demosthenes and Isocrates dailie without missing euerie forenone, and likewise som part of Tullie euery afternone, for the space of a yeare or two, hath atteyned to soch a perfite vnderstanding in both the tonges, and to soch a readie vtterance of the latin, and that wyth soch a iudgement, as they be fewe in nomber in both the vniuersities, or els where in England, that be, in both tonges, comparable with her Maiestie. And to conclude in a short rowme, the commodities of double translation, surelie the mynde by dailie marking, first, the cause and matter: than, the wordes and phrases: next, the order and composition: after the reason and argumentes: than the formes and figures of both the tonges: lastelie, the measure and compas of euerie sentence, must nedes, by litle and litle drawe vnto it the like shape of eloquence, as the author doth vse, which is red. And thus much for double translation.
Paraphrasis.
Paraphrasis, the second point, is not onelie to expresse at Lib. x. // large with moe wordes, but to striue and contend (as Quintilian saith) to translate the best latin authors, into other latin wordes, as many or thereaboutes. This waie of exercise was vsed first by C. Crabo, and taken vp for a while, by L. Crassus, but sone after, vpon dewe profe thereof, reiected iustlie by Crassus and Cicero: yet allowed and made sterling agayne by M. Quintilian: neuerthelesse, shortlie after, by better assaye, disalowed of his owne scholer Plinius Secundus, who termeth it rightlie thus Audax contentio. It is a bold comparison in deede, to thinke to say better, than that is best. Soch turning of the best into worse, is much like the turning of good wine, out of a faire sweete flagon of siluer, into a foule mustie bottell of ledder: or, to turne pure gold and siluer, into foule brasse and copper. Such kinde of Paraphrasis, in turning, chopping, and changing, the best to worse, either in the mynte or scholes, (though M. Brokke and Quintilian both say the contrary) is moch misliked of the best and wisest men. I can better allow an other kinde of Paraphrasis, to turne rude and barbarus, into proper and eloquent: which neuerthelesse is an exercise, not fitte for a scholer, but for a perfite master, who in plentie hath
the ready way to the Latin tong. 247
good choise, in copie hath right iudgement, and grounded skill,
as did appeare to be in Sebastian Castalio, in translating Kemppes
booke de Imitando Christo.
But to folow Quintilianus aduise for Paraphrasis, were euen
to take paine, to seeke the worse and fowler way, whan the
plaine and fairer is occupied before your eyes.
The olde and best authors that euer wrote, were content
if occasion required to speake twise of one matter, not to change
the wordes, but rhetos, that is, worde for worde to expresse it
againe. For they thought, that a matter, well expressed with
fitte wordes and apt composition, was not to be altered, but
liking it well their selues, they thought it would also be well
allowed of others.
A scholemaster (soch one as I require) knoweth that I say
trewe.
He readeth in Homer, almost in euerie booke, and speciallie
in Secundo et nono Iliados, not onelie som verses, // Homerus.
but whole leaues, not to be altered with new, // {2.
but to be vttered with the old selfe same wordes. // {IL. {
He knoweth, that Xenophon, writing twise of // {9.
Agesilaus, once in his life, againe in the historie // Xenophon.
of the Greekes, in one matter, kepeth alwayes the selfe same
wordes. He doth the like, speaking of Socrates, both in the
beginning of his Apologie and in the last ende of apomnemoneu-
maton.
Demosthenes also in 4. Philippica doth borow his owne
wordes vttered before in his oration de Chersoneso.
He doth the like, and that more at large, in his // Demost-
orations, against Androtion and Timocrates. // henes.
In latin also, Cicero in som places, and Virgil in mo, do
repeate one matter, with the selfe same wordes. // Cicero.
Thies excellent authors, did thus, not for lacke // Virgilius.
of wordes, but by iudgement and skill: whatso-
euer, other, more curious, and lesse skilfull, do thinke, write,
and do.
Paraphrasis neuerthelesse hath good place in learning, but
not, by myne opinion, for any scholer, but is onelie to be left
to a perfite Master, eyther to expound openlie a good author
withall, or to compare priuatelie, for his owne exercise, how
some notable place of an excellent author, may be vttered with
248 The second booke teachyng
other fitte wordes: But if ye alter also, the composition, forme, and order than that is not Paraphrasis, but Imitatio, as I will fullie declare in fitter place. The scholer shall winne nothing by Paraphrasis, but onelie, if we may beleue Tullie, to choose worse wordes, to place them out of order, to feare ouermoch the iudgement of the master, to mislike ouermuch the hardnes of learning, and by vse, to gather vp faultes, which hardlie will be left of againe. The master in teaching it, shall rather encrease hys owne labor, than his scholers proffet: for when the scholer shall bring vnto his master a peece of Tullie or Cæsar turned into other latin, then must the master cum to Quintilians goodlie lesson de Emendatione, which, (as he saith) is the most profitable part of teaching, but not in myne opinion, and namelie for youthe in Grammer scholes. For the master nowe taketh double paynes: first, to marke what is amisse: againe, to inuent what may be sayd better. And here perchance, a verie good master may easelie both deceiue himselfe, and lead his scholer into error. It requireth greater learning, and deeper iudgement, than is to be hoped for at any scholemasters hand: that is, to be able alwaies learnedlie and perfitelie
{Mutare quod ineptum est: {Transmutare quod peruersum est: {Replere quod deest; {Detrahere quod obest: {Expungere quod inane est.
And that, which requireth more skill, and deaper conside- racion
{Premere tumentia: {Extollere humilia: {Astringere luxuriantia: {Componere dissoluta.