28 PREFACE. 



latter I have been sparing ; of the former, perhaps, too hberal. 



Symmachus, *' the wordy champion of expiring Paganism," 



checks his friend and correspondent Agorius in boasting too 



Sjmmaciii much of his " nodosa retia vel pennarum formidines, et sagaces 



Epist. L. I. E. '■ > o 



^^- canes, omnemque rem venaticam, mehorum oblitus ; " and 



suggests " quare cum scribis, memento facundiae tuae modum 

 ponere. Rustica sunt et inculta, quae loqueris, ut venator esse 

 credaris. " Wherefore, being myself addicted only to one 

 branch of the craft, viz. that of " greyhound-hunting," in the 

 phrase of our '* pedant king," 



Sir Thomas ^Q nourishe up and fede 



More s poems. 



" Wanhod." ■'"^ greynounde to the course — 



I am fearful of falling into the error of Agorius, and becoming 

 obnoxious to the same rebuke. Enough, therefore : and now 

 for an example. — Will the bookful recluse, the sedentary and 

 learned oppositionist qualify the scorn with which he views our 

 varied course of occupation in the library and the field, if we 

 Symmarhi sliow him that our opinious and practice " liberalia studia 



Epist. L. V. 6. r r 



sylvestri voluptate distinguere" are supported by a renowned 



example of antiquity ; and direct his attention to the latter and 



sequestered part of the hfe " secretum iter, et fallentis semita 



Xenophon. vitae" of the elder Xenophon, in contradiction of the refined 



Anal). L. V. . 



antipathies of Sallust ? — bid him contemplate the rival of Plato 

 and Thucydides in his delightful retreat at Scillus, " under the 

 protection of the temporal sovereignty of Lacedaemon, and the 

 spiritual tutelage of Diana ; diversifying the more refined 

 pleasures of his studious hours with the active amusements of 

 the field ; breaking his dogs, training his horses, and attending 

 to the breed of stock ; registering the observations of his 



