What Is Chiefelie to Be Respected in Framing of an Epistle. Chap. 2
F Orasmuch as by the necessarie vse of Letters before laid downe, a commendable maner of writing and framing the same hath bene already remembred: It shall not bee amisse, that in this Chapter we now endeuour to answere the purpose therein pretended. For the manifestation whereof, I haue thought good to drawe vnto your consideration certaine principall points, which thereunto are speciallie to be required: first, Aptnes of words and sentences, respecting that they be neate and choiselie picked, and orderly handled: next, Breuity of speach, according in matter and circumstance fitlie to be framed: lastly, Comlines in deliuerance, concerning the person and cause, whereupon the direction is grounded.
The first, being Aptnesse of wordes and sentences, consisteth in choice and good tearmes, in skilful and proper application of them according to their true meanings, in wel sorting and fitting them, to their seuerall purposes. Choise and good tearmes, are in words vsual, and plain for the matter in deliuerie, not improper nor new coined, nor too olde, as hauing not of long time before bene vsed. Skilfull application is, when in their setting down they haue either their true & proper signification for deliuery, or else by a more delicate or pleasant inuenton may be caried conceitedly. Well sorting & fitting them, resteth in the matter in handling, that therein be a concordance with their applications, whereof may ensue a due construction, and no disorderlie mistaking.
The next, being Breuity of speach, is not as some vndiscreetlie haue imagined, that which consisteth in fewnes of lines, & shortnes of roome in shew of a side of paper, but breuitie of matter, wherein scope sufficient remaining for the necessary demonstration and deliuerie of any needfull occasion, men are barred from friuolous circumstances, and inioined therin to abhorre all maner of tediousnes: For which cause some haue beene of opinion, that continuance of matter ought not to be vsed in an Epistle, for that it thereby looseth the shew of an Epistle, and taketh vpon it the habit of an Oration: Yet of such sort are in this method sundry Epistles, the titles wherof are, Hortatorie, Dehortatorie, Laudatorie, Vituperatorie, Suasorie, Petitorie, Monitorie, Accusatorie, Excusatorie, Consolatorie, Inuectiue and such like, whose speciall vses do of necessitie admit such scope as in euerie ordinarie Epistle is not found, and though they beare in them many Oratorie parts, yet lose they not at all for that, neither name nor habit of an Epistle. The tolleration and ordinarie vse of which, both examples of many learned, and common custome hath warranted. And therfore, when to be briefe it is herein inioyned, it is alwayes thereby to be intended, that a man with onelie necessarie speeches may bee permitted to deliuer his meaning, neither is it without the limits of breuitie, when aptlie and at full the same shall be in this sort reported.
And for the better declaration, howe farre the conceit hereof may be induced only in writing of Letters, I will first limit what may be accounted necessarie therein, and afterwards endeuour to lay downe, howe contrarie thereunto, men (aswell in the vse, as in neglecting thereof) haue heretofore erred. Necessarie speeches, I do account whatsoeuer is set downe, for the plaine and open deliuerie of euerie occasion, to the intent the minde of the writer, and what he pursueth may aptly and in good and ready sort be conceiued. The repugnancie hereof is when either with too much curtalling our arguments, in conceit to auoyde tediousnes, or with too manie or ouer often repetitions, neuer thinking to haue spokē sufficiently, either to induce remembrance, or put forward our meaning, we abbreuiate or amplifie our Epistles. And when some others also, of a conceit more curious than necessarie, striuing to excell in varietie of sentences, and copie of words, coyned all of one sute, thinke therfore in paining themselues to write more than needeth, to be counted more eloquent. These falling out to bee imperfections, as each of them are in truth to bee blamed, so where the defect remaineth, are they (for well writing) with studie to be amended.
The third and last nowe being Comelinesse in deliuerance touching the person and cause, séemeth to bee tied vnto two seuerall respects: that is, to the reputation of the partie to whome wee write, his condition, age, honour, and disposition, and to the fitnes of the matter whereof we take vpon vs to write: for as it is most decent that in the matter we make choice of, we giue vnto euerie cause his proper and orderly effect: so is it euery way as conuenient to afford a like Decorum of those to whome our letters are directed.
The reputation of each partie, is measured according to his dignitie or worthinesse, whereby hee beareth reckoning and place before vs. The condition, by the age or maner of liuing, wherein resteth either grauitie or youthfulnesse. The humour by the disposition, as whether desirous to be reuerenced, fawned on, or with plaine termes vsed. By this reason, the methode or stile of our letters falleth out diuerslie to be considered: in one sort we frame them to olde men, in an other sort to young men, one way to sad and graue persons, another to light and yong fellowes: one platforme to Courtiers, another to Philosophers. To great and notable personages, with a dutie speciall, appropriate to their calling: To our betters, alwayes with submission: To our inferiours, benignly and fauourably: To our friends, louinglie: To our enemies sharplie and nippinglie. Thus farre as touching the person, and now for the cause.
In this point it séemeth that the matter of euerie writing should still be measureed according to the writers apparance, credit or worthines, that the validity thereof should be answerable to the one or the others greatnes, or goodnesse: that the intendment be sound, lawfull, and to no euill purposes: that it containe not base, filthie, or scurrile matter, vnbeséeming a direction so worthie. Then that euerie thing to bee written of should bee deliuered according to his proper qualitie: Termes more officious than beséeming, are vnfitting: not sufficientlie to consider of each reputation, were ouer homelie. A matter of grauitie is to bee deliuered with waight: a matter of sorrowe should be reported with griefe: a matter of pastime, to be discoursed with pleasure: a matter of folly, intermingled with laughter. Now contrariwise, to a person sorrowfull to write of iests, to talke learnedly to a clowne, to salute an olde man with childish fantasies: in cases of waight, to aduance trifles: were altogither as improper as peeuish, and more absurd than fitteth to be tollerated in anie skilfull vsage.
Words improper and impugning the sense.
Errors commō to the learned, as well as to the vnlearned.
And because I haue taken vpon me some distinguishments of writing, wherein I speciallie stand vpon choise and meete termes and spéeches, with proper applications: I thinke it not amisse to set down vnto you some shew of the contrarie inurements, wherby you may with the greater discretion conceiue the error thereof, the which I haue sometimes noted in other mens writings; And first, of vnséemly applications: as for example: one that sometimes intended not a litle of his owne inuention, tooke vpon him to write a loue letter to a woman of verie meane reckoning, in which, after he had drawne (God Cupid by the name of the blinded boy) by those parts of fauor that neuer were in her, and shewed himselfe much passionat for the loue he ought to her, he concludeth the meatter in this sort. Thus crauing your lawfull beneuolence, in not mee reiecting, your answere comfortable and not intollerable, &c. The woman not accustomed to such hote intertainment, and rather bluntlie before time pursued, then daintilie intreated, beganne here vpon (forsooth) to waxe coy, and to intende great matter of her self, and vaunting her fauour at a higher rate then he belike séemed afterwarde willing to become a purchaser of, remained as she was, and himselfe at his more profitable studies. The conclusion of his letter was verie improper, insomuch as requiring liking by the name of Beneuolence, hee both misprised his owne demand, and séemed to induce a word more sounding to a charitable reliefe, or curteous contribution of money, then to anie such purpose as he meant it. Besides, your answere comfortable, and not intollerable. If these had passed in a iest, it had béene more conuenient, but vsed bona fide, it was too bad, especiallie respecting the partie what she was, from whome one would haue supposed that such a one as himself, could neuer haue receiued (but by too much tolleration) any discontentment at all. This errour we see is not onelie common to the vnlearned, for as well this one, who in his profession (as I was informed by him that shewed me the letter) was well reputed of, but also some of the forwarder sort, onlie by affectation of words, which they haue vsed, haue béene misliked, and yet learned ynough. Among which a Doctor of Physicke long since, intending to be verie eloquent in words, and such as euery Carter should not conceiue of, began an Epistle to a booke by him published in this sort: wherein secondly appeareth this errour of old improper or new coyned termes, and this was the forme.
A ridiculous maner of writing.
Vrbanitie and exasperate vnproperlie placed.
Egregious Doctours and Maisters of the eximious and Archane Science of Physicke, of your Vrbanitie exasperate not your selues agaynst mee, for making of this little volume of Physicke. Considering that my pretence is for an vtilitie and a Common-wealth. And this not onelie, but also I doe it for no detriment, but for a preferment of your laudable Science, that euerie man should esteeme, repute, and regarde the excellent facultie. And also you to bee extolled and highlie preferred, that hath and dooth studie, practise and labour this saide Archane Science, to the which none inartious persons, can nor shall attaine to the knowledge: yet notwithstanding fooles and insipient persons, yea and manie the which doth think themselues wise (the which in this facultie be fooles indeed) will enterprise to smatter, &c. Was there euer seene from a learned man a more preposterous & confused kind of writing, farced with so many and such odde coyned tearmes in so little vttering? But surely, the man did it of a great conceite, for as appeareth by the course of all his Epistle following, his wittes were so pestered with an angrie mislike of the bad demeanor of some vnlearned vsers of his science (as he thought with himselfe) that euerie botcher should not be able to vent him, but hee should bee a man of some reach at least that should finde him. Neuerthelesse howe wise so euer stood his imaginations: this one thing doe I knowe, that diuerse to whome I haue shewed the booke haue verie heartilie laughed in perusing the parts of his writing. For these egregious, eximious, vrbanitie, and exasperate, although the wordes be in some sort tollerable, yet because anie of them are amongst vs verie rarelie vsed, and in this writing two of them especially very vnproperly placed, the maner thereof soundeth (in mine opinion) nothing pleasant. Insomuch as exasperate is properly to set him in a farther rage, that is alreadie furiously bent in a thing, and besides, by the action of another man then himselfe who as it were of a resolute will and meaning, would goe about to procure it, so that it maie be well saide, hee did exasperate his furies the more, by inducing such a speach, or such an acte: but it cannot bee so properlie deliuered to saie, exasperate not your selfe for such a thing, especiallie when I am not therewith so much as in anie mislike alreadie, which no man canne at anie time bee, without he first knowe an occasion: your Vrbanitie likewise being deriued of the Latine worde Vrbanus, which is ciuile, courteous, gentle, modest, or well ruled, as men commonlie are in Cities and places of good gouernement, whereof that worde taketh his originall, the worde is not common amongst vs, nor so apt to the sense as if hee had saide, your curtesie, your modestie, and so it might run thus, Let not your curtesies be agreeued against me, or, Let it not be offensiue to your modesty, that for the benefite of a great manie, I haue published this volume of Physicke. The grounde was verie good, for his intendment was, that the cause belonged to a common wealth, wherein if anie particular commoditie seemed to be lessened, wise men and such as were more studious of their Countries good, then of their owne peculiar gaine, ought not to be offended. Then saith he: And this not only, but also I doe it for no detriment, &c. What confused deliuerance is this? How much more orderlie thus, which soundeth also more to his meaning. And this also respected, in that I doe it not for anie detriment vnto you, but for a preferment of your laudable science. Then his comming in with arcane science, inartious fooles and insipient persons, had it not beene lesse improper, if hee had saide profounde science, and vnskilfull or vnlearned, for inartious, and to haue contented himselfe with his fooles, without adding to the same insipient persons. Lastlie he proceedeth: And many the which dooth thinke themselues wise (the which in this facultie are fooles indeede) will enterprise, &c. Here is the which and the which, a phrase neuer with vs accustomed, nor with anie good writer in his time (which was not manie yeares since) the sence whereof might in this sort more plainelie bee deliuered. And many who in their owne opinion doe seeme verie wise (but therein are in truth verie fooles) will enterprise, &c. But of this ynough, for that I thinke it nowe high time to proceed to the rest, these two exemples being sufficient to admonish the learner, of the congruitie of his speaches and sentences, with good phrases that bee most agreeing to the meaning, and not improperlie, to be deliuered, whereby he shall auoid the like errour, and absurditie in conueiance hereby expressed, and already so much reprehended.