The Grammar School, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
How to make Epistles, imitating Tully, short, pithie, sweete Latine and familiar; and to indite Letters to our friends in English accordingly.
Spoud.
I Am very glad I asked you this question: I rest fully satisfied in it, as also in al this matter of making and composing Latine, for the euidence of the meanes; and doe thanke you heartily for directing me so particularly.
Now let vsus come, I pray you, to the other seuerall exercises of Schollars, which are to bee practiced in Schooles continually, for the morefull attayning of the knowledge of the Latine tongue.
And first for the making of Epistles,Of making Epistles. in such sort as was mentioned before; that is imitating Tully, short, pithy, full of variety of good matter, sweet Latin and familiar; and for inditing of like Letters in English:
I hauehave found this exercise of making Epistles, no lesse difficult then the former toyle of making Latine.Difficulty of making Epistles, purely and pithily. For although I hauehave taken great paines: yet after long practice, I hauehave hardly beene able to bring them to a shew of that which you speake of, I meane so to imitate and resemble Tully; but that they will frame them of long sentences, matters vnfit for an Epistle, flash and to little purpose; but very childish, and more like vntounto a Theame or an Oration, then to an Epistle. Thus I see it to be also amongst the chiefe of the Schollars, of sundry of those who are much accounted of, and wherin the schollars seeme to doe the best.
As for inditing Letters in English,Inditing English Letters little exercised in Schooles. I hauehave not exercised my schollars in them at all; neyther hauehave I knowne them to be vsed in Schooles: although they cannot but bee exceeding necessary for schollars; being of perpetuall vse in all our whole life, and of very great commendation, when they are so performed. Therefore I still craue your helping hand to direct me, how to bring my schollars to the attayning that faculty.
Phil.
Let me first heare what way you hauehave taken in these, like as you shewed me in the former kinds; and then I shall relate vntounto you how this may bee done, so shortly as I can.
Spoud.
I hauehave done this:The ordinary meanes of directing Schollars to make Epistles I hauehave read them some of Tullies Epistles, and also some part of Macropedius or Hegendorphinus de conscribendis Epistolis. I hauehave directed them that they are to follow the rules set downe in the seuerall kindes of Epistles there mentioned, and made the examples plaine vntounto them.
Moreouer, I hauehave vsed oft to put them in minde of this, that an Epistle is nothing but a Letter sent to a friend, to certifie him of some matter, or to signifie our mind plainly and fully vntounto him. And therefore looke how wee would write in English, so to doe in Latin. These and the like are the helpes which I hauehave vsed: and I take them to bee the most that are done in ordinary Schooles.
Phil.
I like well of your reading of Tullies Epistles, which indeed is the very foundation of all: but for Macropedius and Hegendorphinus, although their paines were great; yet I cannot see, but that they will rather require an auncient learned Master to vnderstand, and make vse of them, then a younger schollar, who is to be taught how to speake.Hard for children who hauehave no reading, to inuent variety of matter of themselues. Also for telling a childe that he must inuent variety of matter of his owne head, to write to his friend; this is a taske ouer hard to ordinary wits. For what can a childe hauehave in his vnderstanding, to be able to conceiue or write of, which hee hath not read or someway knowne before? according to that Maxime: Nihil est in intellectu quod non prius fuerat in sensu.
Therefore omitting these, wherein I my selfe hauehave also found a great deale of toyle, with small fruit; I will set you downe plainely the very direct way, so neere as yet I hauehave beene able to learne; and whereby I am out of doubt, that that same faculty may be easily gotten, of writing such Epistles; fully expressing Tully, as was said, and of inditing Letters like vntounto them, which are our vsuall Epistles, as the Latine were of the Romanes.
The way may be this:
1 When your young schollars hauehave gone through Sententiae pueriles, Helpes for making Epistles.Confab. Cato, or the like; and can begin to make Latine in some such good sort as was shewed; let them then reade Tullies Epistles, gathered by Sturmius;1 Reading Tullies Epistles▪ as being of the choysest of his Epistles, and most fitte for children. This one booke rightly vsed, may sufficiently furnish for making Epistles, so farre as shall be needfull for the Grammar Schooles. It would be read by them twice in the weeke at least, vntill they had gone through a good part thereof; vnlesse they be able to reade it of themselues ex tempore, or by the helpe of the translation.
2 As they reade eueryevery Epistle,☞ or before they are to imitate any one,2 Making thē very perfect in eueryevery Epistle. make them as perfect in it as you can, and as time will permit: not onelyonly in construing, parsing, reading out of the Grammaticall translation into the Latine; but also to be able to giuegive eueryevery phrase, both Latine to English, and English to Latine.
Also cause them to make you a report what the summe of the Epistle is; and this if you will, both in English and Latine also, as was said of the Fables.
3 Cause them for their exercise to make another Epistle in imitation of Tullies Epistle,☞ vsing al the phrases and matter of that Epistle;3 To cause them to make another Epistle in imitation thereof. onelyonly applying and turning it to some friend, as if they had the very same occasion then presently: and also changing numbers, tenses persons, places, times: yet so▪ as thereby to make all the matter and phrases, each way most familiar to them▪ and fully their owne.
And first let them doe this in a good English stile, as was said; I meane in making an English Letter first: setting it after the manner,To do this first in English, then in Latine. as they did their English Translation; of that page of their booke towards the left hand, or on the first columne, the Latine on the other ouer against it, sentence for sentence.
Herein they are only to differ from the Translations,To set the Epistles after the manner of the Translations. that they … doe not in these Letters sticke so much to wordes, to answere word for word both English and Latine; as to write purely and sweetly, as well in English as in Latine, and to expresse their mindes most fully in both, and in most familiar manner.
4 The next day to make another Epistle,☞ as being sent from their friend to whom they writ,4 Making answers to Epistles. in answere to that which they writ the former day: and in that to answere eueryevery sentence from point to point, in as short manner as the former Epistle was, stil reteyning the same phrases as much as they can.Examples of imitating Epistles. I will take for example the first Epistle of Sturmius. The more easie it is for the children, the better it is.
M. C. Terentiae salutem plurimam dicit.
SIvales, benè est: ego valeo. Nos quotidie tab…llarios vestros expectamus:Tullies Epistles to be imitated. qui si venerint, fortasse erimus certiores quid nobis fac…endum sit: faciemus que te statim certiorem, valetudinem tuam cura diligenter. Vale. Calendis Septembris.
The summe of the Letter is; That Tully writes to his wife Terentia:The manner of the report of the summe of the Letter. signifying vntounto her, that hee was in health: that he waited for the Letter-carriers daily: how by them he should know what to doe; and that he would then certifie her of al things. And so concludeth, wishing her to looke well to her health. The Letter bare date the Calends of September.
An English Letter in imitation of Tully.
IF you be in health, it is well: I am in health. I hauehave long looked for your*Letter carriers. Messengers. When they shall come, I shalbe more certaine what I am to do; and then I will forthwith certifie you of all things. See that you looke very carefully to your health.
The Answere.
I Reioyce greatly of your health. I am sory that you hauehave looked for the Carriers so long. They wil be with you very shortly, & then indeede you shalbe more certain what to do. Wee shall forthwith looke to heare of all your matters. I will in the mean time looke to my health, as you aduise. Farewell.
An Epistle in imitation of Tully.
EPISTOLA.
SIvales benè est: ego qu…dē valeo: diu tabellarios vestros expectaui. Cūvenerint certior ero quid mihi faciēdū sit. Tum autē te omnibus de rebus certiorē faciam. Tuam diligentissimè valetudinem fac vt cures.
Responsio.
TE valere maximè lator. Doleo quòd tabellarios tam diu expectasti. Statim vobiscum erunt, & tum re vera certior eris quid tibi agendum sit. Nos deindè vestra omnia audire sperabimus. Meam interim vt suade; curabo valetudinem. Vale.
Antonius Schorus in the end of his booke, de ratione discendae linguae latinae, hath sundry examples. I will set downe one Epistle, imitated two wayes: the first keeping almost the wordes and forme of Tullies Epistle; the other imitating onelyonly the forme, but changing the wordes. Tullies Epistle is this:
Aulo Trebonio, qui in tua prouincia magna negotiaet ampla, & expedita habet, multos annos vtor valde f…miliariter.Tullies Epistle. Is cum antea semper & suo splendore & nostra caeterorum que , amicorum commendatione gratissimus in prouincia fuit, tum hoc tempore propter tuum in me amorem, nostram que necessitudinem, vehementer confidit, his meis literis, se apud te gratiosum fore. Quae ne spes eum fallat, vehementer te rogo: commendo que tibi eius omnia negotia, liberos, procuratores, familiam: inprimis que vt quae T. Ampius de eius re decreuerit, ea comprobes, omnibus que rebus eum ita tractes, vt intelligat nostram commendationem non vulgarem fuisse.
The first imitation, more following the words, is this.
Petro Fabro,The first example of imitation of the former Epistle. qui in vestra vrbe & magnanegotia, & multos amicos habet, multos annos vtor familiariter. Is cum antea semper & suo splendore, & nostra caeterorum que amicorum commendatione gratissimus in hac nostra Repub. fuit, tum hoc tempore propter tuum in me amorem nostram que necessitudinem vehementer confidit, his meis literis se apud te gratiosum fore. Quae nespes eum fallat, vehementer te rogo: commendo que tibi eius omnia negotia, amicos, cognatos, inprimi… que vt quae procuratori de eius rebus videbuntur, ea comprobes: omnibus que rebus eum ita tractes, vt intelligat nostram commendationem non vulgarem fuisse.
The second imitation, expressing the forme.
Petrus Faber,The second imitation. qui tibi notus est, & magnas res apud nos gessit, multos annos mihi valde familiaris fuit. Is cum semper & sua dignitate, & benefi…ijs multis erga me, meis omnibus gratissimus fuit: tum nunc ob tuum ergame animum, nostram que coniunctionem, non dubitat quin hac mea commendatione sit in maxima gratia apud te futurus. Quod vt fiat, summoperè te oro: committo que tuae fide… & curae omnes res eius, amicos, cognatos, parentes: praecipuè verò vt quae procurator de rebus eius agat ea consil…o tuo iuues: & ita honorificè eum accipias, vt sentiat has nostras literas apud te pondus habuisse.
Thus practicing and trayning vp your schollar by little and little; first for imitation, more neerely following the wordes; afterwards only the forme, and such phrases as shal seeme fittest: and euer first writing their English Letters, and then their Latine answering thereunto; you shall see that they will come to a liuely imitation of Tully; especially if you exercise them wel in Tully, in such sort as is prescribed.
Spoud.
Sir, this must needes bee a most sure and ready way. But in imitation what things am I to direct them to obserue?
Phil.
That they take only so much as is needfull,The rule in imitation. and fit for their purpose, leauing out all the rest; that they adde what is wanting, alter and apply fitly to the occasions, according to the circumstances of times, persons, places, and the like; that nothing may appeare stollen, but all wittily imitated. Be sure that they know perfectly the matter and the phrase, of that which they should imitate: and then nothing will be hard, in imitation of Epistles, Verses, or whatsoeuer.
Spoud.
What is then the summe of all, which you would hauehave principally exercised, for the speedy attayning this faculty?
Phil.
That your schollars hauehave daily a peece of an Epistle, or a whole Epistle appointed them, matter and phrase made every familiar vntounto them; then one day to make an Epistle in imitation, and that both English and Latine; the next day to make an answere in like manner: thus to proceede vntill they come to some good perfection. And so much may serue for Epistles.