COMPLIMENTARY AND INTRODUCTORY. 79 



sion of showing how grateful my mind is towards you. And 

 this has happened, although later than I could have wished ; 

 but now that a happy opportunity has offered itself, permit me 

 not lightly to felicitate yourself and me. Myself on account 

 of my reverend lord archbishop and patron's expectation of 

 and petition for health from your aid only, as the one 

 ^Esculapius able to assist, and therefore, on account of the 

 mutual, and by me, much desired enjoyment of intercourse 

 between us to which I can now look forward. You, how- 

 ever, I felicitate, because this affair, I hope, will be of no 

 little use to you, and will bring you a great increase of 

 praise, the love of which (when glory follows virtue) is innate 

 in generous minds as a spur always to greater deeds. Where- 

 fore I am far from thinking that this matter will be un- 

 welcome to you, I believe rather that it will meet your best 

 desires. For of things to be desired, as Cicero testifies in 

 his second on Invention, there are three kinds." [Here the 

 writer again gets into deep water.] * * * 



" These three, admirable man, you may possess altogether 

 in the present case without trouble, and with the greatest 

 pleasure. For through this there will be a celebration of 

 your virtue and wisdom even at the uttermost parts of the 

 earth ; through this there will be no mean addition to your 

 household means ; through this you will acquire the friend- 

 ship of good men, and rise into incredible esteem. By which 

 considerations it is fair to suppose that you will be moved 

 especially as we all seek the useful and grasp at it nor can 

 we possibly do otherwise, as is observed in Cicero's Offices. 

 For who is he who shuns what is useful, or who would not 

 prefer diligently to pursue it, most particularly when it is 

 joined with dignities and honour ? 



" But to what all this tends, now hear. The brother of 



