both well
learned and very eloquent, returning from the parliament house asked
another gentleman his friend how he liked Mr. Speaker's oration; 'Mary,'
quoth the other, 'methinks I heard not a better alehouse tale told this
seven years.'... And though grave and wise councillors in their
consultations do not use much superfluous eloquence, and also in their
judicial hearings do much mislike all scholastical rhetorics: yet in
such a case... if the lord chancellor of England or archbishop of
Canterbury himself were to speak, he ought to do it cunningly and
eloquently, which cannot be without the use of figures: and nevertheless
none impeachment or blemish to the gravity of the persons or of the
cause: wherein I report me to them that knew sir Nicholas Bacon lord
keeper of the great seal, or the now lord treasurer of England, and have
been conversant with their speeches made in the Parliament house and
Star-chamber. From whose lips I have seen to proceed more grave and
natural eloquence, than from all the orators of Oxford or Cambridge; but
all is as it is handled, and maketh no matter whether the same eloquence
be natural to them or artificial (though I rather think natural); yet
were they known to be learned and not unskilful of the art when they
were younger men.... I have come to the lord keeper sir Nicholas Bacon,
and found him sitting in his gallery alone with the works of Quintilian
before him; indeed he was a most eloquent man, and of rare learning and
wisdom as ever I knew England to breed; and one that joyed as much in
learned men and men of good wits." He mentions being a by-stander when a
doctor of civil law, "pleading in a litigious cause betwixt a man and
his wife, before a great magistrate, who (as they can tell that knew
him) was a man very well learned and grave, but somewhat sour and of no
plausible utterance: the gentleman's chance was to say: 'My lord, the
simple woman is not so much to blame as her leud abettors, who by
_violent_ persuasions have led her into this wilfulness.' Quoth the
Judge; 'What need such eloquent terms in this place?' The gentleman
replied, 'Doth your lordship mislike the term (_violent_)? and methinks
I speak it to great purpose; for I am sure she would never have done it,
but by force of persuasion.'" &c.

Pursuing the subject of language, which, he says, "in our maker or poet
must be heedily looked unto that it be natural, pure, and the most usual
of all his country," after some