more　than　his　lackey；　or　a　fishwife　of　the　Petit　Pont；　and　yet　these　will
  give　you　a　bellyful　of　talk；　if　you　will　hear　them；　and　peradventure
  shall　trip　as　little　in　their　language　as　the　best　masters　of　art　in
  France。　　He　knows　no　rhetoric；　nor　how　in　a　preface　to　bribe　the
  benevolence　of　the　courteous　reader；　neither　does　he　care　to　know　it。
  Indeed　all　this　fine　decoration　of　painting　is　easily　effaced　by　the
  lustre　of　a　simple　and　blunt　truth；　these　fine　flourishes　serve　only　to
  amuse　the　vulgar；　of　themselves　incapable　of　more　solid　and　nutritive
  diet；　as　Aper　very　evidently　demonstrates　in　Tacitus。〃　　The　ambassadors
  of　Samos；　prepared　with　a　long　and　elegant　oration；　came　to　Cleomenes；
  king　of　Sparta；　to　incite　him　to　a　war　against　the　tyrant　Polycrates；
  who；　after　he　had　heard　their　harangue　with　great　gravity　and　patience；
  gave　them　this　answer：　〃As　to　the　exordium；　I　remember　it　not；　nor
  consequently　the　middle　of　your　speech；　and　for　what　concerns　your
  conclusion；　I　will　not　do　what　you　desire：〃　＇Plutarch；　Apothegms　of　the
  Lacedaemonians。＇　a　very　pretty　answer　this；　methinks；　and　a　pack　of
  learned　orators　most　sweetly　gravelled。　　And　what　did　the　other　man　say？
  The　Athenians　were　to　choose　one　of　two　architects　for　a　very　great
  building　they　had　designed；　of　these；　the　first；　a　pert　affected　fellow；
  offered　his　service　in　a　long　premeditated　discourse　upon　the　subject　of
  the　work　in　hand；　and　by　his　oratory　inclined　the　voices　of　the　people　in
  his　favour；　but　the　other　in　three　words：　〃O　Athenians；　what　this　man
  says；　I　will　do。〃　＇Plutarch；　Instructions　to　Statesmen；　c。　4。＇
  When　Cicero　was　in　the　height　and　heat　of　an　eloquent　harangue；　many　were
  struck　with　admiration；　but　Cato　only　laughed；　saying；　〃We　have　a
  pleasant　（mirth…making）　consul。〃　　Let　it　go　before；　or　come　after；　a　good
  sentence　or　a　thing　well　said；　is　always　in　season；　if　it　neither　suit
  well　with　what　went　before；　nor　has　much　coherence　with　what　follows
  after；　it　is　good　in　itself。　　I　am　none　of　those　who　think　that　good
  rhyme　makes　a　good　poem。　　Let　him　make　short　long；　and　long　short　if　he
  will；　'tis　no　great　matter；　if　there　be　invention；　and　that　the　wit　and
  judgment　have　well　performed　their　offices；　I　will　say；　here's　a　good
  poet；　but　an　ill　rhymer。
  〃Emunctae　naris；　durus　componere　versus。〃
  ＇〃Of　delicate　humour；　but　of　rugged　versification。〃
  Horace；　Sat；　iv。　8。＇
  Let　a　man；　says　Horace；　divest　his　work　of　all　method　and　measure；
  〃Tempora　certa　modosque；　et；　quod　prius　ordine　verbum　est；
  Posterius　facias；　praeponens　ultima　primis
  Invenias　etiam　disjecti　membra　poetae。〃
  ＇〃Take　away　certain　rhythms　and　measures；　and　make　the　word　which
  was　first　in　order　come　later；　putting　that　which　should　be　last
  first；　you　will　still　find　the　scattered　remains　of　the　poet。〃
  Horace；　Sat。；　i。　4；　58。＇
  he　will　never　the　more　lose　himself　for　that；　the　very　pieces　will　be
  fine　by　themselves。　　Menander's　answer　had　this　meaning；　who　being
  reproved　by　a　friend；　the　time　drawing　on　at　which　he　had　promised　a
  comedy；　that　he　had　not　yet　fallen　in　hand　with　it；　〃It　is　made；　and
  ready；〃　said　he；　〃all　but　the　verses。〃　＇Plutarch；　Whether　the　Athenians
  more　excelled　in　Arms　or　in　Letters。＇　Having　contrived　the　subject；　and
  disposed　the　scenes　in　his　fancy；　he　took　little　care　for　the　rest。
  Since　Ronsard　and　Du　Bellay　have　given　reputation　to　our　French　poesy；
  every　little　dabbler；　for　aught　I　see；　swells　his　words　as　high；　and
  makes　his　cadences　very　near　as　harmonious　as　they：
  〃Plus　sonat；　quam　valet。〃
  ＇〃More　sound　than　sense〃Seneca；　Ep。；　40。＇
  For　the　vulgar；　there　were　never　so　many　poetasters　as　now；　but　though
  they　find　it　no　hard　matter　to　imitate　their　rhyme；　they　yet　fall
  infinitely　short　of　imitating　the　rich　descriptions　of　the　one；　and　the
  delicate　invention　of　the　other　of　these　masters。
  But　what　will　become　of　our　young　gentleman；　if　he　be　attacked　with　the
  sophistic　subtlety　of　some　syllogism？　　〃A　Westfalia　ham　makes　a　man
  drink；　drink　quenches　thirst：　ergo　a　Westfalia　ham　quenches　thirst。〃
  Why；　let　him　laugh　at　it；　it　will　be　more　discretion　to　do　so；　than　to　go
  about　to　answer　it；　or　let　him　borrow　this　pleasant　evasion　from
  Aristippus：　　〃Why　should　I　trouble　myself　to　untie　that；　which　bound　as
  it　is；　gives　me　so　much　trouble？〃　＇Diogenes　Laertius；　ii。　70。＇
  One　offering　at　this　dialectic　juggling　against　Cleanthes；　Chrysippus
  took　him　short；　saying；　〃Reserve　these　baubles　to　play　with　children；
  and　do　not　by　such　fooleries　divert　the　serious　thoughts　of　a　man　of
  years。〃　　If　these　ridiculous　subtleties；
  〃Contorta　et　aculeata　sophismata；〃
  as　Cicero　calls　them；　are　designed　to　possess　him　with　an　untruth；　they
  are　dangerous；　but　if　they　signify　no　more　than　only　to　make　him　laugh；
  I　do　not　see　why　a　man　need　to　be　fortified　against　them。　　There　are　some
  so　ridiculous；　as　to　go　a　mile　out　of　their　way　to　hook　in　a　fine　word：
  〃Aut　qui　non　verba　rebus　aptant；　sed　res　extrinsecus
  arcessunt；　quibus　verba　conveniant。〃
  ＇〃Who　do　not　fit　words　to　the　subject；　but　seek　out　for　things
  quite　from　the　purpose　to　fit　the　words。〃Quintilian；　viii。　3。＇
  And　as　another　says；
  〃Qui；　alicujus　verbi　decore　placentis；　vocentur　ad　id；
  quod　non　proposuerant　scribere。〃
  ＇〃Who　by　their　fondness　of　some　fine　sounding　word；　are　tempted　to
  something　they　had　no　intention　to　treat　of。〃Seneca；　Ep。；　59。＇
  I　for　my　part　rather　bring　in　a　fine　sentence　by　head　and　shoulders　to
  fit　my　purpose；　than　divert　my　designs　to　hunt　after　a　sentence。　　On　the
  contrary；　words　are　to　serve；　and　to　follow　a　man's　purpose；　and　let
  Gascon　come　in　play　where　French　will　not　do。　　I　would　have　things　so
  excelling；　and　so　wholly　possessing　the　imagination　of　him　that　hears；
  that　he　should　have　something　else　to　do；　than　to　think　of　words。　　The
  way　of　speaking　that　I　love；　is　natural　and　plain；　the　same　in　writing　as
  in　speaking；　and　a　sinewy　and　muscular　way　of　expressing　a　man's　self；
  short　and　pithy；　not　so　elegant　and　artificial　as　prompt　and　vehement；
  〃Haec　demum　sapiet　dictio；　qux　feriet；〃
  ＇〃That　has　most　weight　and　wisdom　which　pierces　the　ear。〃　（〃That
  utterance　indeed　will　have　a　taste　which　shall　strike　the　ear。〃）
  Epitaph　on　Lucan；　in　Fabricius；　Biblioth。　　Lat。；　ii。　10。＇
  rather　hard　than　wearisome；　free　from　affectation；　irregular；
  incontinuous；　and　bold；　where　every　piece　makes　up　an　entire　body；　not
  like　a　pedant；　a　preacher；　or　a　pleader；　but　rather　a　soldier…like　style；
  as　Suetonius　calls　that　of　Julius　Caesar；　and　yet　I　see　no　reason　why　he
  should　call　it　so。　　I　have　ever　been　ready　to　imitate　the　negligent　garb；
  which　is　yet　observable　amongst　the　young　men　of　our　time；　to　wear　my
  cloak　on　one　shoulder；　my　cap　on　one　side；　a　stocking　in　disorder；　which
  seems　to　express　a　kind　of　haughty　disdain　of　these　exotic　ornaments；　and
  a　contempt　of　the　artificial；　but　I　find　this　negligence　of　much　better
  use　in　the　form　of　speaking。　　All　affectation；　particularly　in　the　French
  gaiety　and　freedom；　is　ungraceful　in　a　courtier；　and　in　a　monarchy　every
  gentleman　ought　to　be　fashioned　according　to　the　court　model；　for　which
  reason；　an　easy　and　natural　negligence　does　well。　　I　no　more　like　a　web
  where　the　knots　and　seams　are　to　be　seen；　than　a　fine　figure；　so
  delicate；　that　a　man　may　tell　all　the　bones　and　veins：
  〃Quae　veritati　operam　dat　oratio；　incomposita　sit　et　simplex。〃
  ＇〃Let　the　language　that　is　dedicated　to　truth　be　plain　and
  unaffected。Seneca；　Ep。　40。＇
  〃Quis　accurat　loquitur；　nisi　qui　vult　putide　loqui？〃
  ＇〃For　who　studies　to　speak　accurately；　that　does　not　at　the　same
  time　wish　to　perplex　his　auditory？〃Idem；　Ep。；　75。＇
  That　eloquence　prejudices　the　subject　it　would　advance；　that　wholly
  attracts　us　to　itself。　　And　as　in　our　outward　habit；　'tis　a　ridiculous
  effeminacy　to　distinguish　ourselves　by　a　particular　and　unusual　garb　or
  fashion；　so　in　language；　to　study　new　phrases；　and　to　affect　words　that
  are　not　of　current　use；　proceeds　from　a　puerile　and　scholastic　ambition。
  May　I　be　bound　to　speak　no　other　language　than　what　is　spoken　in　the
  market…places　of　Paris！　　Aristophanes　the　grammarian　was　quite　out；　when
  he　reprehended　Epicurus　for　his　plain　way　of　delivering　himself；　and　the
  design　of　his　oratory；　which　was　only　perspicuity　of　speech。
  The　imitation　of　words；　by　its　own　facility；　immediately　disperses　itself
  through　a　whole　people；　but　the　imitation　of　inventing　and　fitly　applying
  those　words　is　of　a　slower　progress。　　The　generality　of　readers；　for
  having　found　a　like　robe；　very　mistakingly　imagine　they　have　the　same
  body　and　inside　too；　whereas　force　and　sinews　are　never　to　be　borrowed；
  the　gloss；　and　outward　ornament；　that　is；　words　and　elocution；　may。　　Most
  of　those　I　converse　with；　speak　the　same　language　I　here　write；　but
  whether　they　think　the　same　thoughts　I　cannot　say。　　The　Athenians；　says
  Plato；　study　fulness　and　elegancy　of　speaking；　the　Lacedaemonians　affect
  brevity；　and