252 The second booke teachyng
natura, which is written Dorice, and turne it into soch Greeke, as Plato vseth in other workes. The booke, is but two leaues: and the labor wold be, but two weekes: but surelie the proffet, for easie vnderstanding, and trewe writing the Greeke tonge, wold conteruaile wyth the toile, that som men taketh, in otherwise coldlie reading that tonge, two yeares. And yet, for the latin tonge, and for the exercise of Para- phrasis, in those places of latin, that can not be bettered, if some yong man, excellent of witte, corragious in will, lustie of nature, and desirous to contend euen with the best latin, to better it, if he can, surelie I commend his forwardnesse, and for his better instruction therein, I will set before him, as notable an example of Paraphrasis, as is in Record of learning. Cicero him selfe, doth contend, in two sondrie places, to expresse one matter, with diuerse wordes: and that is Paraphrasis, saith Quintillian. The matter I suppose is taken out of Panætius: and therefore being translated out of Greeke at diuers times, is vttered for his purpose, with diuers wordes and formes: which kinde of exercise, for perfite learned men, is verie profitable.
2. De Finib.
a. Homo enim Rationem habet à natura menti datam quæ, & causas rerum et consecutiones videt, & similitudines, transfert, & disiuncta coniungit, & cum præsentibus futura copulat, omnemque complectitur vitæ consequentis statum. b. Eademque ratio facit hominem hominum appetentem, cumque his, natura, & sermone in vsu congruentem: vt profectus à caritate domesticorum ac suorum, currat longius, & se implicet, primò Ciuium, deinde omnium mortalium societati: vtque non sibi soli se natum meminerit, sed patriæ, sed suis, vt exigua pars ipsi relinquatur. c. Et quoniam eadem natura cupiditatem ingenuit homini veri inueniendi, quod facillimè apparet, cum vacui curis, etiam quid in cœlo fiat, scire auemus, &c.
1. Officiorum.
a. Homo autem, qui rationis est particeps, per quam conse- quentia cernit, & causas rerum videt, earumque progressus, et quasi antecessiones non ignorat, similitudines, comparat, rebusque præsentibus adiungit, atque annectit futuras, facile totius vitæ cursum videt, ad
the ready way to the Latin tong. 253
eamque degendam præparat res necessarias. b. Eademque natura vi rationis hominem conciliat homini, & ad Orationis, & ad vitæ societatem: ingeneratque imprimis præcipuum quendam amorem in eos, qui procreati sunt, impellitque vt hominum cœtus & celebrari inter se, & sibi obediri velit, ob easque causas studeat parare ea, quæ suppeditent ad cultum & ad victum, nec sibi soli, sed coniugi, liberis, cæterisque quos charos habeat, tuerique debeat. c. Quæ cura exsuscitat etiam animos, & maiores ad rem gerendam facit: impri- misque hominis est propria veri inquisitio atque inuestigatio: ita cum sumus necessarijs negocijs curisque vacui, tum auemus aliquid videre, audire, addiscere, cognitionemque rerum mirabilium. &c.
The conference of these two places, conteinyng so excellent
a peece of learning, as this is, expressed by so worthy a witte,
as Tullies was, must needes bring great pleasure and proffit to
him, that maketh trew counte, of learning and honestie. But
if we had the Greke Author, the first Patterne of all, and therby
to see, how Tullies witte did worke at diuerse tymes, how, out
of one excellent Image, might be framed two other, one in face
and fauor, but somwhat differing in forme, figure, and color,
surelie, such a peece of workemanship compared with the
Paterne it selfe, would better please the ease of honest, wise,
and learned myndes, than two of the fairest Venusses, that euer
Apelles made.
And thus moch, for all kinde of Paraphrasis, fitte or vnfit,
for Scholers or other, as I am led to thinke, not onelie, by mine
owne experience, but chiefly by the authoritie & iudgement of
those, whom I my selfe would gladliest folow, and do counsell
all myne to do the same: not contendyng with any other, that
will otherwise either thinke or do.
Metaphrasis.