further, it had been excusable, and to be borne with-all;
but it was such a steepie downe-fall, and by meere
strength hewen out of the maine rocke, that by reading
of the first six words, me thought I was carried into
another world: whereby I perceive the bottome
whence I came to be so low and deep, as I durst never
more adventure to go through it; for, if I did stuffe
any one of my discourses with those rich spoiles,
it would manifestly cause the sottishnesse [Footnote:
Foolishness.] of others to appeare. To reprove
mine owne faults in others, seemes to me no more unsufferable
than to reprehend (as I doe often) those of others
in my selfe. They ought to be accused every where,
and have all places of Sanctuarie taken from them:
yet do I know how over boldly, at all times I adventure
to equall my selfe unto my filchings, and to march
hand in hand with them; not without a fond hardie
hope, that I may perhaps be able to bleare the eyes
of the Judges from discerning them. But it is
as much for the benefit of my application, as for
the good of mine invention and force. And I doe
not furiously front, and bodie to bodie wrestle with
those old champions: it is but by flights, advantages,
and false offers I seek to come within them, and if
I can, to give them a fall. I do not rashly take
them about the necke, I doe but touch them, nor doe
I go so far as by my bargaine I would seeme to doe;
could I but keepe even with them, I should then be
an honest man; for I seeke not to venture on them,
but where they are strongest. To doe as I have
seen some, that is, to shroud themselves under other
armes, not daring so much as to show their fingers
ends unarmed, and to botch up all their works (as
it is an easie matter in a common subject, namely
for the wiser sort) with ancient inventions, here
and there hudled up together. And in those who
endeavoured to hide what they have filched from others,
and make it their owne, it is first a manifest note
of injustice, then a plaine argument of cowardlinesse;
who having nothing of any worth in themselves to make
show of, will yet under the countenance of others
sufficiencie goe about to make a faire offer:
Moreover (oh great foolishnesse) to seek by such cosening
[Footnote: Cheating.] tricks to forestall the
ignorant approbation of the common sort, nothing fearing
to discover their ignorance to men of understanding
(whose praise only is of value) who will soone trace
out such borrowed ware. As for me, there is nothing
I will doe lesse. I never speake of others, but
that I may the more speake of my selfe. This
concerneth not those mingle-mangles of many kinds of
stuffe, or as the Grecians call them Rapsodies, that
for such are published, of which kind I have (since
I came to yeares of discretion) seen divers most ingenious
and wittie; amongst others, one under the name of
Capilupus; besides many of the ancient stampe.
These are wits of such excellence, as both here and
elsewhere they will soone be perceived, as our late