Examen de ingenios, or, The tryal of wits discovering the great difference of wits among men, and what sort of learning suits best with each genius / published originally in Spanish by Doctor Juan Huartes ; and made English from the most correct edition by Mr. Bellamy.

To the RIGHT HONOURABLE CHARLES MONTAGƲE, Chancellor of His MAJESTY's Exchequer, One of the Lords of the Treasury, and a Member of His MAJESTY's Most Honourable Privy Council.

TO whom can the Tryal of Wits more properly belong, than to him that is every way qualified for one of the Tryers, if such, as it is to be wish'd, were appointed by the State? And who has a better Right to judge of the several Differences of Wit in Others, than

he who has first assembled and united them All in Himself?

The Difference of Studies seems not greater, than the Di∣versity of Talents in Men that are framed for them: The Ge∣nius of a Logician lies not the same way with that of a good Grammarian, insomuch that Dul∣hard, Ludovicus Vives's Master, used to say, as his Scholar himself has told us, that the worst Gram∣marian would make the best Lo∣gician: Nor are the Talents of a Linguist the same with those of a Mathematician, as appeared in a Tryal of Skill between an Eminent Linguist, and a Mathe∣matician of no less Name, of our Own, Bryan Walton, Bishop of

Chester, and Mr. Oughtred upon a mutual Agreement between them, that each should teach the other his Skill. The Success of which was no other than this, that tho' the Bishop proceeded a great way in making Mr. Ough∣tred a good Oriental Linguist, yet so far was the other in Re∣turn from making the Bishop a tolerable Mathematician, that he could never get hm to take out so plain a Lesson as that in Euclide of ab Aequalibus, si dempseris Aequa∣lia, manent Aequalia. And I find a late * 1.1 Italian Author taking no∣tice of such Studies as will not well associate and match toge∣ther, particularly instances in these, A Poetical Physician, a Phi∣losophical

Historian, a Mathema∣tical Civilian, all which are, as he terms them, no less than Monsters in a Learn'd Academy. Nor is the Disproportion between se∣veral Arts greater or more visible, than even the Disparity between several Parts of the same Art, of which, to say no more, this may suffice for Instance, which hath been observ'd by Painters, of Men of their own Profession, that the greatest Masters in Co∣louring, have rarely or ever pro∣ved good Designers, and so on the contrary: Whether it be easier for Colours to meet and mingle, than to unite good Co∣louring and Design in the same Picture; or whether it be that

Painters in this inherit the Fate of their own Colours, and that different Parts of their Employ∣ment will no more unite than dis∣agreeing and unsociable Colours, I leave to others to enquire. This only I take leave to say, that nothing is more ordinary than for that as well as other Profes∣sions to abound with Pedants, and Men of narrow Spirits, whose Heads are filled with Images all of one Colour, whereas but few alas! (Sir) besides Your self, appear of so Universal and Com∣municative a Genius and Capa∣city as the Light, which is alike Friendly and Impartial in the Visits it makes, and the Colours it receives, disdaining not to des∣cend

equally to every Eye, and to communicate indifferently with all Colours.

More I might add, but that You possess another and a greater Quality of Light, which is the fairest Thing in the World, and yet it self knows nothing of it, as Your Excellences are only unknown to Your Self, at the same time as they Shine so Vi∣sible to all the World of Your Admirers, and in particular to

The Meanest of Your Servants, EDW. BELLAMY.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Bartolus.