and Discourse written by Roger Ascham, of the affaires and state of Germany and the Emperour Charles his court, duryng certaine yeares while the sayd Roger was there. AT LONDON. ¶ Printed by Iohn Daye, dwelling ouer Aldersgate. Cum Gratia & Priuilegio Regia I John Astely to R. Ascham. Now finde true by experience, which I haue oft heard of others, & sometymes read my selfe that mē make no such accompt of commodities when they haue the, as when they want the. I meane this by our frendly fellowshyp together at Cheston Chelsey, and here at Hatfield her graces house: our pleasant studies in readyng together Aristotles Rethorike, Cicero, and Liuie: our free talke mingled alwayes with honest mirth : our trimme cōferences of that present world: and to true iudgementes of the troublesome tyme that followed. These commodities I now remeber with some grief, which we then vsed with much pleasure, besides many other fruites of frendshyp that faythfull good will could affourd. And these thinckynges cause me oft to wish, either you to be here with vs, or me to be there with you: but what wishyng is nothyng els but a vayne waylyng for that which will wanteth, I wil cease from wishyng, and seeke the true remedy for this sore. And that is whilest we mete agayne in deede, in the meanewhile to ease our desires with oft writyng the one to the other: I would in deede I had bene partaker in your company, of that your pleasaunt absence out of your countrey: And because I was not, I pray you let me be partaker by your letters of some fruite of that your iourney. We heare of great sturres in those parties: and how the Emperour a Prince of great wisedome and great power hath bene driuen to extreme shiftes, and that by the pollicie of mean men who were thought to be hys frendes, and not by the puisantnes of others who were knowne to be his open enemyes. I know your wont in markyng diligently and notyng truely all such broad. Farewell in Christ from Hat- S על R. Ascham, to Iohn Asteley. Alutem Plurimam in Christo Iesu. That part of your letters from Hatfield, decimo nono Octob. renewing a most pleasaunt memory of our fredly fellowship together, & full of your wonted good will towardes me: I aunswered immediatly from Spires by Fraunces the post: whiche letter if it be not yet come to your hand, ye might haue heard tell of it in M. Secretary Cicels chamber in the Court. As concernyng the other part of your letter, for your wish, to haue bene with me, in this mine absence from my countrey: and for your request, to be made partaker by my letters of the sturre of these times here in Germany. Surely I would you had your wish for then should not I now nede to bungle vp yours so great a request, when presently you should haue sene with much pleasure, which now peradueture you shall read with some doubt, lesse thynges may encrease by writyng which were so great in doyng, as I am more afrayd to leaue behind me much of the matter, then to gather vp more then hath sprong of the trouth. Your request conteineth few wordes but cōprehendeth both great and diuers matters. As first the causes of the open inuasion by the Turke: of the secret workyng for such soddeyne brechesse in Italy, and Germany: of the fine fetches in the French practises: of the double dealyng of Rome with all partes: the more particularly why Duke Octauio, the Prince of Salerne, Marches Albert, and Duke Maurice brake so out with the Emperour, which were all so fast knit vnto hym as the bondes of affinitie, loyaltie, bloud, and benefites could assure him of them: Octauio being his sonne in law, the Prince one of hys priuy chamber, Marches Albert hys kynsman, and Duke Maurice so inhaunsed with honor and enriched with benefites by hym, as the Duke could not haue wished greater in hope, then the Emperour performed in deede. Here is stuffe plenty to furnish well vp a trimme history if a workeman had it in handlyng. When you and I read Liuie together |