so I shuffle them up.  Sometimes they prease out thicke and three fold, and other times they come out languishing one by one.  I will have my naturall and ordinarie pace scene as loose and as shuffling as it is.  As I am, so I goe on plodding.  And besides, these are matters that a man may not be ignorant of, and rashly and casually to speake of them.  I would wish to have a more perfect understanding of things, but I will not purchase it so deare as it cost.  My intention is to passe the remainder of my life quietly and not laboriously, in rest and not in care.  There is nothing I will trouble or vex myselfe about, no not for science it selfe, what esteeme soever it be of.  I doe not search and tosse over books but for an honester recreation to please, and pastime to delight my selfe:  or if I studie, I only endevour to find out the knowledge that teacheth or handleth the knowledge of my selfe, and which may instruct me how to die well and how to live well.

     Has meus ad metas sudet oportet equus.
     [Footnote:  Propeet. 1. iv.  El. i. 70]

     My horse must sweating runne,
     That this goale may be wonne.

If in reading I fortune to meet with any difficult points, I fret not my selfe about them, but after I have given them a charge or two, I leave them as I found them.  Should I earnestly plod upon them, I should loose both time and my selfe, for I have a skipping wit.  What I see not at the first view, I shall lesse see it if I opinionate my selfe upon it.  I doe nothing without blithnesse; and an over obstinate continuation and plodding contention doth dazle, dul, and wearie the same:  my sight is thereby confounded and diminished.  I must therefore withdraw it, and at fittes goe to it againe.  Even as to judge well of the lustre of scarlet we are taught to cast our eyes over it, in running over by divers glances, sodaine glimpses and reiterated reprisings. [Footnote:  Repeated observations.] If one booke seeme tedious unto me I take another, which I follow not with any earnestnesse, except it be at such houres as I am idle, or that I am weary with doing nothing.  I am not greatly affected to new books, because ancient Authors are, in my judgement, more full and pithy:  nor am I much addicted to Greeke books, forasmuch as my understanding cannot well rid [Footnote:  Accomplish.] his worke with a childish and apprentise intelligence.  Amongst moderne bookes meerly pleasant, I esteeme Bocace his Decameron, Rabelais, and the kisses of John the second (if they may be placed under this title), worth the paines-taking to reade them.  As for Amadis and such like trash of writings, they had never the credit so much as to allure my youth to delight in them.  This I will say more, either boldly or rashly, that this old and heavie-pased minde of mine will no more be pleased with Aristotle, or tickled with good Ovid:  his facility and quaint inventions, which heretofore have so ravished me, they can now a days scarcely entertaine me.  I