by weakness, nor only fall by wilfulness, but went to it advisedly, purposing all practices,* and finding out all fetches that mischief could imagine, to bring mischief to pass. Yet though David had shaken from him God's fear, yet God had not taken from David his grace. For, when God did knock, David did open : when Nathan said boldly, Tu fecisti malum coram Domino, David answered humbly, Ipse peccavi Domino. And so, tout of this foul matter is gathered the fairest example, and best lesson, both for prince and private man, that is in all Scripture; for the highest and best, always to beware; for the meanest and worst never to despair; and that, with a marvellous note of king David's singular good nature, who was angry with himself for ill-doing, and not with good Nathan for true speaking.

But your Majesty, in reading the whole course of this holy history, shall better judge of all these points, and many other more, if it may please you to read withal, these learned commentaries of Peter Martyr, who, beside the expressing of this story, and opening all hard doubts thereof, hath godly and learnedly, as a man of great experience and deep judgment, decided many notable common places, belonging especially to the good order of civil government, and therefore very fit for the knowledge of all good princes.

And therefore was I very willing to offer this book to your Majesty, wherein, as in a fair glass, your Majesty shall see and acknowledge, by God's dealings with David, even very many like good dealings of God

* Practice, in the language of our author's age, was commonly taken in an ill sense, for wicked acts, or unlawful strategems.

This had been a very proper admonition after the execu tion of Queen Mary of Scotland.

with your Majesty; and thereby find yourself bound, both daily to say with David, Quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quæ tribuit mihi! and also to promise and perform with David, Benedicam Dominum in omni tempore, et semper laus ejus in ore meo. And so doing as David did, hear from God, as David heard, Inveni mulierem secundum cor meum; and in the end have as David had, that is, most prosperity, and surest felicity, for you, yours, and your posterity. God bless your Majesty with all felicity, and send you, with many long years, all heart's ease.

ххх Остов. MDLXVI.

Your Majesty's

Most bounden and
Faithful servant,

R. ASCHAM.

MARGARET ASCHAM'S DEDICATION.

TO THE HONOURABLE

SIR WILLIAM CECIL, KNIGHT,

PRINCIPAL SECRETARY TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT

MAJESTY.

S

UNDRY and reasonable be the causes, why learned men have used to offer and dedicate such works as they put abroad, to some such personage as they think fittest, either in re

spect of ability of defence, or skill for judg ment, or private regard of kindness and duty. Every one of those considerations, Sir, move me of right to offer this my late husband's (Mr. Ascham) work unto you. For well remembering how much all good learning oweth unto you for defence thereof, as the University of Cambridge, of which my said late husband was a member, have, in choosing you their worthy chancellor, acknowledged; and how happily you have spent your time in such studies, and carried the use thereof to the right end, to the good service of the Queen's majesty, and your country, to all our benefits; thirdly, how much my said husband was many ways bound unto you, and how gladly and comfortably he used in his life to recognise, and report your goodness toward

him, leaving with me, then his poor widow, and a great sort of orphans, a good comfort in the hope of your good continuance, which I have truly found to me and mine; and therefore do duly and daily pray for you and yours I could not find any man, for whose name this book was more agreeable for hope of protection, more meet for submission to judgment, nor more due for respect of worthiness of your part, and thankfulness of my husband's and mine. Good I trust it shall do, as I am put in great hope by many very well learned, that can well judge thereof. Meet therefore I count it, that such good as my husband was able to do and leave to the common weal, it should be received under your name, and that the world should owe thank thereof to you, to whom my husband, the author of it, was, for good received of you, most dutifully bounden. And so beseeching you to take on you the defence of this book, to advance the good that may come of it by your allowance, and furtherance to public use and benefit, and to accept the thankful recognition of me and my poor children, trusting of the continuance of your good memory of Mr. Ascham and his, and daily commending the prosperous estate of you and yours to God, whom you serve, and whose you are, I rest to trouble you.

Your humble

MARGARET ASCHAM.

ASCHAM'S

PREFACE TO THE READER.

HEN the great plague was at London, the year 1563, the queen's majesty, queen Elizabeth, lay at her castle of Windsor, where,* upon the tenth day of December, it fortuned, that in Sir William Cecil's chamber, her highness's principal secretary, there dined together these personages: Mr. Secretary himself, Sir William Peter, Sir J. Mason, D. Wotton, Sir Richard Sackville, treasurer of the exchequer, Sir Walter Mildmay, chancellor of the exchequer, Mr. Haddon, master of requests, Mr. John Astley, master of the jewel-house, Mr. Bernard Hampton, Mr. Nicasius, and I. Of which number, the most part were of her majesty's most honourable Privy Council, and the rest serving her in very good place. I was glad then, † and do rejoice yet to remember, that my chance was so happy to be there that day, in the company of so many wise and good men together, as hardly then could have been picked out again out of all England beside.

Mr. Secretary hath his accustomed manner; though

* This was about five years before the author's death; for he died the 30th December, in the year 1568, in the fifty-third year of his age.

The author wrote than, as appears by the early editions: the words once bore the same meaning, which may still be traced in such expressions as "He came sooner than I;" i.e., he came-then I came.