< Page:Halliwell Collection of Letters.djvu
This page has been validated.

2

LETTERS ON SCIENTIFIC SUBJECTS.

honours favour to speake playnelye as I thinke, I suppose that here aliquid latet quod non apparet. For as this sute, for dyvers consyderations, at the first dyd not greatly like me, yet perceavinge his ernestnesse therein, for the safegarde of his kinsmans life and gratifying his frendes, I, no lesse willing therin to do hym pleasure, also was well contented to assent to his request, and to stande to his appoyntment; not suspecting his frendeshippe, but rather commending his wysdome, so to doo for his frende as therwith not to forget hym selfe, quia nihil sapit qui sibi non sapit. But if at that tyme I might so boldelye have presumed uppon your honours favour, as by your ernestnesse in my behalfe I nowe perceave I might have doune, I wolde have moved your Honour of an honester sute (for a lease to be had at the Queenes hands) whereof I made hym privie, and was longe sense so mynded to have donne, but that he deterred me frome the same, alleaging certen commissionars to have the doinges therof, and that therfore no suche thing might be had at her Majesties handes: albeit, I have sythens harde of dyvers that have obteyned the like. Notwithstonding (as in my former letters I wrotte to your honour) my meaning is so to move your honour hereof, as neyther to be an importunate suter, or otherwise to thinke the same to be folowed then shall seeme good unto your honour, unto whose will I submitte myselfe in all thinges; only putting your honour in remembruance of the commodious place and tyme that I nowe enjoye for that purpose: for the contynuance wherof, I was a suter unto your Honour for your letters unto the gentleman (my frende) in whose house I yet remayne, who also being one that favoureth learninge and my greate frende, and no lesse gladde to further so good a purpose, is well willing the rather to my use to departe frome a piece of his commoditie, in suche sorte as appeareth by the byll herein inclosed. Whereof further to advertyse your honour, if you shall so thinke it convenient, he will himselfe repayre unto your honour to give you perfecte informacion of alle thinges as touching the same. And wheras the MĘł of Savoye tolde me that your honour sumwhat doubted that the booke coulde not be translated into the Englisshe toonge, I assure your honour that this I dare saye without arrogancie, that to translate the variable historie of Plinie into our toonge, I wolde be ashamed to borowe so muche of the Latine as he dothe of the Greke; althowgh the Latine toonge be accompted ryche, and the Englysshe indigent and barbarous, as it hathe byn in tyme past muche more then it nowe is, before it was enriched and amplyfied by sundry bookes in maner of all

This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.