The First Book 47 



obscured his colleague and survived him long, was named 

 the philosopher: who, as he excelled all the rest in learning, 

 so he excelled them likewise in perfection of all royal virtues ; 

 insomuch as JuHanus the emperor, in his book entitled 

 CcBsares, being as a pasquil or satire to deride all his prede- 

 cessors, feigned that they were all invited to a banquet of 

 the gods, and Silenus the jester sat at the nether end of the 

 table, and bestowed a scoff on every one as they came in ; 

 but when Marcus Philosophus came in, Silenus was gravelled, 

 and out of countenance, not knowing where to carp at him ; 

 save at the last he gave a glance at lias patience towards his 

 wife. And the virtue of this prince, continued with that of 

 his predecessor, made the name of Antoninus so sacred in 

 the world, that though it were extremely dishonoured in 

 Commodus, Caracalla, and Heliogabalus, who all bore the 

 name, yet when Alexander Severus refused the name, 

 because he was a stranger to the family, the senate with one 

 acclamation said, Quomodo Augustus, sic et Antoninus. In 

 such renown and veneration was the name of these two 

 princes in those days, that they would have it as a perpetual 

 addition in all the emperors' style. In this emperor's time 

 also the Church for the most part was in peace ; so as in this 

 sequence of six princes we do see the blessed effects of 

 learning in sovereignty, painted forth in the greatest table 

 of the world. 

 9. But for a tablet, or picture of smaller volume, (not pre- 

 suming to speak of your majesty that hveth,) in my judg- 

 ment the most excellent is that of Queen Elizabeth, your 

 immediate predecessor in this part of Britain; a princess 

 that, if Plutarch were now ahve to write hves ^ by parallels, 

 would trouble him, I think, to find for her a parallel amongst 

 women. This lady was endued with learning in her sex 

 singular, and great ^ even amongst masculine princes ; 

 whether we speak of learning, of language, or of science, 

 modern or ancient. Divinity or Humanity: and unto the 

 very last year of her life she was accustomed to appoint set 

 hours for reading, scarcely any young student in a univer- 

 sity more daily, or more duly. As for her government, I 

 assure myself I shall not exceed, if I do afi&rm that this part 



* Edition 1605, lynes. 



• Editions 1629, 1633, tare. Edition 1605, grace, i.e. " learning in 

 her sex singular, and grace even amongst masculine princes." 



