VII. 20.] THE FIRST BOOK. 63 



Guise, of whom it was usually said, that he was the 

 greatest usurer in France, because he had turned all his 

 estate into obligations. 



21. To conclude therefore: as certain critics are used 

 to say hyperbolically, Thai if all sciences were lost they 

 might be found in Virgil, so certainly this may be said 

 truly, there are the prints and footsteps of learning in 

 those few speeches which are reported of this prince: 

 the admiration of whom, when I consider him not as 

 Alexander the Great, but as Aristotle s scholar, hath 

 carried me too far. 



22. As for Julius Caesar, the excellency of his learning 

 needeth not to be argued from his education, or his 

 company, or his speeches ; but in a further degree doth 

 declare itself in his writings and works ; whereof some 

 are extant and permanent, and some unfortunately 

 perished. For first, we see there is left unto us that 

 excellent history of his own wars, which he intituled only 

 a Commentary, wherein all succeeding times have admired 

 the solid weight of matter, and the real passages and 

 lively images of actions and persons, expressed in the 

 greatest propriety of words and perspicuity of narration 

 that ever was; which that it was not the effect of a 

 natural gift, but of learning and precept, is well witnessed 

 by that work of his intituled De Analogi a, being a gram 

 matical philosophy, wherein he did labour to make this 

 same Vox ad placitum to become Vox ad liciium, and to 

 reduce custom of speech to congruity of speech; and 

 took as it were the pictures of words from the life of 

 reason. 



23. So we receive from him, as a monument both of 

 his power and learning, the then reformed computation 

 of the year; well expressing that he took it to be as 



