ting your doinges to mi iudgement, I thanke you: for taking this pain of your translation, you worthilie deseru great thankes of all sortes. I haue taken sum pain at your request cheflie in your preface, not in the reading of it for that was pleasaunt vnto me boath for the roundnes of your saienges and welspeakinges of the saam, but in changing certein wordes which might verie well be let aloan, but that I am verie curious in mi freendes matters, not to determijn, but to debaat what is best. Whearin, I seek not the bestnes haplie bi truth, but bi mijn own phansie, and shew of goodnes.

I am of this opinion that our own tung shold be written cleane and pure, vnmixt and vnmangeled with borowing of other tunges, wherein if we take Lot heed bi tijm, euer borowing and neuer payeng, she shall be fain to keep her house as bankrupt. For then doth our tung naturallie and praisablie vtter her meaning, when she bouroweth no conterfeitness of other tunges to attire her self withall, but vseth plainlie her own with such shift, as nature craft, experiens, and folowing of other excellent doth lead her vnto, and if she want at ani tijm (as being vnperfight she must) yet let her borow with suche bashfulnes, that it mai appeer, that if either the mould of our own tung could serue us to fascion a woord

of our own, or if the old denisoned wordes could content and ease this neede we would not boldly venture of vnknowen wordes. This I say not for reproof of you, who haue scarslie and necessarily vsed whear occasion serueth a strange word so, as it seemeth to grow out of the matter and not to be sought for: but for mijn own defens, who might be counted ouerstraight a deemer of thinges, if I gaue not thys accompt to you, mi freend and wijs, of mi marring this your handiwork. But I am called awai, I prai you pardon mi shortnes, the rest of mi saienges should be but praise and exhortacion in this your doinges, which at moar leisor I shold do better. From my house in Woodstreete the 16 of Iuly, 1557. Yours assured IOAN CHEEK.

These three instances may suffice to show the close connection between their study of the ancient Literature and their care over their native speech. Some of these Classical Students were the best Prose Writers of their time: just as the best Poets then, were those who drew their inspiration from Italy. The two literary influences prepared a way, by creating a favorable literary atmosphere, for our Master Writers in Elizabeth's reign, Spenser and Shakespeare; Bacon and Hooker.

6. Of these Classical Pioneers, Sir JOHN CHEKE was the chief. His influence on the English Literature of that and the next age has hardly been adequately recognized: partly because his principal work was Oral Teaching: and partly because only three or four of his thirty to forty known writings (many now lost) are in English. Sir Richard Sackville calls him 'the best Master . . . in our tyme,' at p. 21. Ascham quotes him ever and anon in this work as an authority from whom there was hardly any appeal, and in particular, relates at pp. 306-315, with a fresh memory, Cheke's criticism of Sallust, made to him about twenty-five years before. Cheke was a Teacher of Teachers. The influence of simply Oral Teachers rests chiefly in the hearts and minds of the Taught, and it shows itself most in their after Lives and Works. Cheke taught Edward VI.; Sir W. Cecil; W. Bill, 7th Master of St. Johns; R. Ascham; Sir T. Wilson; and many more celebrities of that time and their characters and careers reflect his teaching.

T, afterwards Sir T. WILSON, in his Epistle, dated 10 June 1570, to Sir W. Cecil [It would be an interesting list, if English books were grouped according to their dedicatees: as showing the influence of the Nobility and Gentry on

Literature], prefixed to his translation of the Olynthiacs of Demosthenes into English: thus ably conveys to us a conception of the surpassing abilities and character of Sir John Cheke.

"Great is the force of vertue (Right Honourable Counseller) to wynne loue and good will vniuersally, in whose minde soeuer it is perfitelye knowne, to haue once gotte a dwelling. I speake it for this ende, that being solitarie of late time from my other studies, and musinge on this world, in the middest of my bookes: I did then (as I haue oftentimes else done) deepelye thinke of Sir Iohn Cheeke Knyght, that rare learned man, and singular ornament of this lande. And as the remembrance of him was deare vnto me, for his manifolde great gifts and wonderfull vertues: so did I thinke of his most gentle nature and godly disposed minde, to helpe all those with his knowledge and vnderstanding, that any waye made meanes vnto him, and sought his fauour. And to say for my selfe amongest others, I founde him such a friende to me, for communicating the skill and giftes of hys minde, as I cannot but during my life speake reuerentlye of so worthie a man, and honor in my hart the heauenly remembrance of him. And thinking of that famous Vni

my being with him in Italie in

uersitie of Padua: I did cal to minde his care

that he had ouer all the Englishe men there, to go to their bokes: and how gladly he did reade to me and others, certaine Orations of Demosthenes in Greeke, the interpretation wherof, I and they had then from his mouth. And so remembring the rather this world by the very argument of those actions: I did then seeke out amongest my other. writings for the translation of them, and happily finding some, although not all: I was caried streightways (I trust by God's good motion) to make certaine of them to be acquainted so nigh as I coulde with our Englishe tongue, aswell for the aptnesse of the matter, and needefull knowledge now at this time to be had: as also for the right notable, and most excellent handling of the same. And here must I saye, confessing mine owne weakenesse and imperfection, that I neuer founde in my life any thing so harde for me to doe. . .

Maister Cheeke (whome I dare match with any one before named for his knowledge in the Greeke tongue,) hauing traueyled in Demosthenes as much as any one of them all, and famous for his learning throughout Europe: yet was he neuer so passing in his translations that no exception coulde be made against him. And then what shall I thinke of my selfe, after the naming of so manye excellent learned men, but