THE FIRST BOOK 219 



perspicuity of narration that ever was;_which that jt was^ / 

 not the effect of a natural gift, but of(^rning>nd^recept/J 

 is well witnessed by that work of his intitled De Analogia^ 

 being a grammatical philosophy, wherein he did labour to 

 make this same vox ad placitum to become vox ad licitum, 

 and to reduce custom of speech to congruity of speech ; 

 and took as it were the picture of words from the life 

 of reason. 



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 great a 

 glory to himself to observe and know the law of the 

 heavens as to give law to men upon the earth. 



So likewise in that hook of his Anti-Cato, it may easily 

 appear that he did aspire as well to victory of wit as r^& 

 victory of war ; undertaking therein a conflict against the 

 greatest champion with the pen that then lived, Cicero ^ 

 the orator. 



So again in his _bopk_ of Apophthegms which he collected, 

 we see that he esteemed it more honour to make himself 

 but(a pair of tables to take the wise an^_rj^y__words^ of 

 others, than to have every word of his own to be made an 

 apophthegm or an oracle; as vain princes, by custom of 

 flattery, pretend to do.J And yet if I should enumerate 

 divers of his speeches, as I did those of Alexander, they 

 are truly such as Solomon noteth, when he saith, Verba 

 sapientum tanquam acuki^ et tanquam clavi in altum defixi : 

 whereof I_will only jecite three, not so delectable for 

 elegancy, but admirable for vigour and efficacy. 

 ~Aslfrstpil~ "is l-easolTYe^bethought a master of words, 

 that could with one word appease a mutiny of his army ; 

 which was thus. The Romans, when their generals did 

 speak to their army, did use the word Milites ; but when 

 the magistrates spake to the people, they did use the word 

 Quirites. The soldiers were in tumult, and seditiously 

 prayed to be cashiered ; not that they so meant, but by 

 expostulation thereof to draw Caesar to other conditions ; 

 wherein he being resolute not to give way, after some 

 silence, he began his speech, Ego, Quirites ; which did admit 



