M. Hardinge. The .9. Diuision.
Here perhaps M. Iuel, or some other for him replieth, and saieth, that the people of Asia common∣ly biside their owne proper language, spake the Greeke tongue also, and allegeth for the same purpose S. Hierome,* 1.1 who saithe, Galatas, excepto sermone Graeco, quo omnis Oriens loquitur, pro∣priam linguam eādem habere, quam Treuiros. That the Galathians byside the Greeke language, whiche al the Orient or the East speaketh, haue their owne peculiar tongue, the very same that they of Treuers haue. Lo, saithe this replier, S. Hierome affirmeth, al the Orient to speake the Greeke tongue. Ergo, the seruice in Greeke to them was not straunge, and vnknowen.
To this I answeare, S. Hierome meaneth that some of al Countries of the Orient or Easte, spake Greeke, as the Learned menne, Gentle menne, Merchauntes, al of liberal education, and suche other, as had cause to trauaile those Countries. To be shorte, it was without doubte very common, as beinge their onely learned tongue for al sciences, and the tongue that might beste serue to trauaile withal from Countrie to Countrie, within the East, right so as the Latine tongue serueth to the like intentes, for al Nations of the Weaste. And he meaneth not that al, and singular personnes, of what degree, and condition so euer they were, al vplandishe people, Tillers of the grounde, Heardmen, and VVomen, spake Greeke. For if it had beene so, then had they not had peculiar, and proper tongues. For it is not for their simple heades (for the moste parte) to beare away two languages. In that S. Hierome calleth the Galathians tongue Propriam linguam, a proper, and a peculiar tongue to that Nation, he doth vs to vnderstande, the same to perteine to al in particular, that is, to euery one of that Prouince, and the Greeke to al in general, in respecte of other Nations there, so as not of necessitie, it be vnderstanded of euery one.