

NOTE A A A. 



as desirous to prevent the incertainness of my own life and times, by uttering 

 ither seeds than plants ; nay, and farther, as the proverb is, by sowing with 

 the basket than with the hand. Wherefore, since I have only taken upon me to 

 ring a bell, to call other wits together (which is the meanest office), it cannot but 

 be consonant to my desire to have that bell heard as far as can be. And since 

 that they are but sparks, which can work but upon matter prepared, I have the 

 more reason to wish that those sparks may fly abroad, that they may the better find, 

 and light upon those minds and spirits which are apt to be kindled. And there 

 fore, the privateness of the language considered wherein it is written excluding 

 so many readers (as on the other side, the obscurity of the argument, in many 

 parts of it, excludeth many others ;) I must account it a second birth of that 

 work, if it might be translated into Latin, without manifest loss of the sense and 

 matter. For this purpose, I could not represent to myself any man into whose 

 hands I do more earnestly desire that work should fall than yourself; for by 

 that I have heard and read, I know no man a greater master in commanding 

 words to serve matter. Nevertheless I am not ignorant of the worth of your 

 labours, whether such as your place and profession imposeth on you, or such as 

 your own virtue may, upon your voluntary election, take in hand. But I can 

 lay before you no other persuasions, than either the work itself may affect you 

 with, or the honour of his majesty, to whom it is dedicated, or your particular 

 inclination to myself; who, as I never took so much comfort in any labours of 

 my own, so I shall never acknowledge myself more obliged in any thing to the 

 labour of another, than in that which shall assist this. Which your labour, if 

 I can by my place, profession, means, friends, travel, work, deed, requite unto 

 you, I shall esteem myself so straitly bound thereunto, as I shall be ever most 

 ready both to take and seek occasion of thankfulness. So leaving it neverthe 

 less, solid amicitia, as reason is to your good liking, I remain. 



Dr. Playfer s wish to comply with this request, and his failure is thus stated 

 by Archbishop Tenison, (a) &quot; The Doctor was willing to serve so excellent a 

 person, and so worthy a design, and within a while sent him a specimen of a 

 Latin translation. But men generally come short of themselves v/hen they 

 strive to outdo themselves ; they put a force upon their natural genius, and, by 

 straining of it, crack and disable it : and so it seems it happened to that worthy 

 and elegant man. Upon this great occasion he would be over accurate ; and 

 he sent a specimen of such superfine Latinity, that the Lord Bacon did not 

 encourage him to labour further in that work, in the penning of which, he 

 desired not so much neat and polite, as clear, masculine, and apt expression.&quot; 



This was probably in 1606 or 1607, for Dr. Playfer s death is thus recorded 

 by Bishop Hackett, in his life of Archbishop Williams : &quot; On Candlemas-day, 

 anno 1608, his reverend friend Dr. Playfer departed out of this world, in the 

 forty-sixth year of his life, in his flower and prime ; whose greatest well-wishers 

 did not wish him alive again, because his rarely beautified wits, with which he 

 had even enchanted his hearers in so many estivat commencements, were now 

 more and more distempered. Yet Mr. Williams wept over him, and exceeded 

 in grief, as if a child had lost his father. The University making preparation 

 for the solemn funeral of so great an ornament to it, the Vice Chancellor that 

 then was, Dr. Jeggon, possessed the pulpit to preach, and Mr. Williams was 

 required to be the orator, to give him a farewell of due praise in the chapel of 

 St. John s College. He pleaded the truth, that his sorrow would not grant him 

 such a dispassionate mind, as was fit to compose a panegyric, and that in the 

 space of three days, and for such a man as Dr. Playfer. And with this excuse 

 he held off, till Dr. Clayton set upon it to enforce the task on him that could 

 best discharge it, threatened him with expulsion, if he refused that service to 

 which his superiors had allotted him. An hard condition, and such as might 

 have been disputed, as long after I heard him argue upon it. But then he 

 yielded, whether fair means or foul means overcame him I know not: but I 

 think rather love than fear got the upper hand of grief. And when his turn 



(a) Baconiana, 25. 



