BVT I am heauie and dull witted.

This griefe is something troublesome, but it may be muche diminished, yf thou applie thy selfe diligently therevnto.

But I am of a slow and dul witte.

What, thyn∣kest thou that thou art able to helpe this griefe with repynyng Page  292and mournyng? this matter is to be remedied farre otherwyse. Thou must abstayne from too muche sleepe, from letcherie, from meate, from wine, from vayne fables and tales, from takyng oc∣casion of excuses, and yeeldyng too muche vnto sluggyshnesse, which thorowe thy faulte is nowe growen into nature. But thou oughtest rather to watche, to muse, to sigh, to blowe, to stryue, to contend, to ryse, to styrre vp the strength of the mind, to aduaunce thy courage, to put away heauinesse, to abandone stouth, to ab∣stayne from pleasures, and earnestly to applye thy booke. There is nothyng so heauie, but that earnest applying wyll lyfte it vp, nothyng so harde, but it wyll make it softe, nothyng so dull, but it wyll make it sharpe, nothyng so slowe, but it wyll pricke it forwarde, to be short, there is nothyng so deepely hydden nor so secretely layde vp, but it wyll fetche it foorth, nor so deadlye a sleepe, but that it wyll make it.

I am slowe of witte.

Suche as say that quicknesse of witte is a commendation, I am sure wyll affirme that slowenesse of vn∣derstandyng is an infamie. Yet had I rather haue a slowe witte and a modest, then one that is hastie and furious: for as in the one there is no hope of great glorie, or of abundance of ryches, so in the other there is daunger of greeuous errours, and feare of shamefull reproche: For it is a great deale more tollera∣ble for a man to become inglorious, then infamous.

I am slowe of witte.

That whiche men wont to com∣plaine of in rydyng of dull Horses, prouide thou for thy selfe, to witte, spurres and reignes, and herein thou shalt take no occasion of excuse, but rather thou hast matter ministred vnto thee of la∣bour. There are some that thynke a thyng shoulde be left of, yf it wyll not come to passe by and by: but doo thou stay, be earnest, and doo thy endeuour. Difficultie doth prouoke a couragious mind, and labour nourisheth it: therein doth it contende cheefely, & esteemeth of that thyng most, wherein it findeth most resistance. Thou readest how Socrates was made wyse by studie, and De∣mosthenes eloquent by industrie, & the lyke hath chaunced vnto many: there are not many that attaine to a notable name: report of thinges done, commonly is lesse then the desart.

I am dul of wit.

Therefore thou hast no hope left thee Page  [unnumbered]of profityng, but hast founde the neede of diligence. It is so muche the more glorious to be aduaunced by learnyng, then by nature, by howe muche it is better to doo good of sette pur∣pose, then by chaunce.

I am altogether dull and weake witted.

If thou canst not studie for learnyng, yet applie vertue. There is none but haue wytt enough to at∣tayne vnto her, wherein there is no sharpnesse of vnderstandyng required, but onely a good wyll: To the gaynyng whereof, some haue supposed that learnyng profiteth nothyng, yea, some holde opinion that it hyndereth not a lytle. And therfore certayne, forsakyng theyr studies, haue withdrawen them selues into Wyl∣dernesses, and their ignoraunce in learnyng, hath stande them in the steede of excellent knowledge, of whose sentence, it is harde to geue iudgement. But of this whereof we are assured, accept this my last counsayle: Let no man deceyue thee, neyther the woonderyng of the common people, nor the voyces of fooles mooue thee: for it is a hygher matter and of more safetie to be ennobled by vertue, then by learnyng. And therefore experience teacheth, that the one of these is alwayes to be wyshed, and the other most tymes to be feared. But when the lyght of learnyng is added vnto the vertue of the minde, that truely is an absolute and perfect thyng, yf there be any perfection at all to be accounted of in this worlde.