The enimie of idlenesse teaching the maner and stile how to endite, compose and write all sorts of epistles and letters: as well by answer, as otherwise. Deuided into foure bokes, no lesse plesaunt than profitable. Set forth in English by William Fulwood marchant, &c. The contentes hereof appere in the table at the latter ende of the booke.

Hirmolaus Barbarus writeth vnto George Merule.

PLato in that his diuine institution of lawes, amongst other soueraigne things, maketh mention, that it is nede∣full in the common weale to prescribe & giue order, that it be not permitted vnto any man to shew either pryuatly or pub∣likly any thing that he hath composed, except it be first perused and approued by the iudges thereunto assigned. Would to God (O discrete Merula) at this daye we had the same law. Certainly so ma∣ny people should not then write, and so few should not apply them selues to good Letters: for now through the abundance of many noughty bookes, we are greatly endomaged: & leuing the approued and knowne authors, we folow the base and blynde wryters and (that which is to be lamented) we iudge of studies according

to the good or euil authors one with ano∣ther, without indifferencie or correction. From this spring and fountaine is risen this mortall and monstrous persuasion, that Philosophers & Consules can not be both alyke and eloquēt, for the which sentēce (bicause in many places we haue argued to the contrary, as well in spea∣king & disputing as by writing) I dout not but of many I haue incurred hatred and office, or (according to thy common prouerbe) haue angred the waspes. But ••ith we haue the othe of this Knight∣hoode, it were a capitall cryme to quite so honorable a charge. And certainly I ordeyne and appoynt (nowe that I haue power & authoritie not to chyde or make a noyse, but by writing or interpreting to proue my cause before wise and lerned persons, euen so as the thing it self shal wytnesse) that there is altogether no matter which this florishing and redie kynde of saying and speakyng, doeth not recey••e, and hath not his natu∣rall hystory, yea and contayneth not

his very particular and sensible reasōs. For this is of Pliny the second (without all controuersie) constituted and made: but the same is that whereof euery one vniuersally maketh question and debate in such sort maner and forme, as I think verily I my selfe haue first touched it, in Themistio That which I haue proposed, I pray thée Merula, as effectually as I can deuise, that thou woldest say for me euen as for thy selfe, and that thou wol∣dest be not onely my defender, but my helper iudge and corrector. For certainly it can not be denied, but that in Philoso∣phie there are sundry places, the which to vtter and expresse, it is néedefull and necessary sometimes to faine, & renewe. And this doeth Marcus Tullius, and all the other auncient and greate Philoso∣phers graunt & allow: the which is now by maner of prelocution and reuerence graūted vnto vs: & as he sayth we may name and place new wordes, where we sée the Latin to be corrupted or altered, as in the names of money and coyne or such lyke. And herein would I haue thée

to be an egall Censor or Iudge, if per∣aduēture thou findest in these bookes any thing either altogether fayned to the sē∣blance of certayne voyces, or by licence, that I say not rudely or hardly transla∣ted, or by abuse to boldly transposed, or else by a certayne imitation somwhat to cōfirmable. Howbeit I think thou shalt not finde many which might offend thée, or be troublesome: tenne at the most or thereabouts, thou shalt find in the whole worke that I sende thee here withall, the which a man may say are not takē right∣ly from the Latin, and yet is there some of them that we haue receyued and ta∣ken euen from the Latin eares, some we haue newly made, for the other I take no disdayne of the vsage of learned and wise men: howbeit I will not seeme to affirme my self to be wholly vnreproua∣ble, least peraduenture some doe obiect & say, if thou excuse thy selfe that thou art not barbarous, what is it then that thou sayst? And thus I wholly submit my cause to the indifferent iudge, voyde of parcialitie. Farewel. From Ʋenice. 1480