Peacham, Henry: The compleat gentleman : fashioning him absolute in the most necessary and commendable qualities, concerning mind, or body, that may be required in a person of honor. To which is added the gentlemans exercise or, an exquisite practise, as well for drawing all manner of beasts, as for making colours, to be used in painting, limming, &c (London, 1661)

Exocl. 4,

Cicero*

Tacitus-in Ora-
tor e.

Of Style and Hi siery,
learned, for his so apish andsuperstitious imitation of
Tnlljh in so much as he would have rhou^ht a whole
Volume quite marred, if the word Possibi/e hadpasted
his pen; because it is not to be found in all Tully : or
every sentence had not sunk with/jsposse videatur,like
a peal endinfe with a chime,or an Amen upon theOrgans
in St.Pau/s. For,as the young Virgin to make her fair-
est Garlands, gathereth not altogether one kind of
Flower ; and the cunning Painter, to make a delicate
beauty,is forced to mix his Complexion, & compound
it of many colours; the Arras-worker,to please the eys
of PrinceSjto be acquainted with many Histories.-fo are
you to gather this Honey of'eloquence,/? gist of heaven,
out of many fields ; making it your own by diligence
in collection, care in expression, and skill in digestion.
But let me lead you forth into these all riowrie and
verdant ft lds,where so much sweetvarietie willamaze3
and make you doubtful where to gather first.
First,T«/(r (in whose bosom the Treasure of Elo»
quence seemeth to have been locked up, and with him
to have perished) offereth himself as Pater Romani
el&qnii: whose words and style (that you may not be
held an Heretick, of all the world) you muff prefer
above all other, as well for the sweetnesse, gravity, ,
richnesse, and unimitable texture thereof: as that,his
works are throughout seasoned with all kind of Learn-
ing, and relissi of a fingularand Chriifian-like hone-
sty. There wanted not in hint (saith Tacitus) knowledge
os Geometry, os Musick,* of any manner os Att that was
commendable and honeft : he knew the subtilty os Togics, .
eachpart os Moral Philosophy,and so forth. How well he
was seen in the Civil Laws, his Book Ve legibus, and
the A&ions in Verrem, will shew you : which are the
rather worthy your reading, because you shall there
see the grounds os many of our Laws herein England.
For the integrity of hism nd, though his Offices had
lain suppressed,let this one saying (among manythou-
$ands)perswadeyou to a charitable opinion of the sames