DISCOURSESOFRAPHAELHYTHLODAY, OFTHEBESTSTATEOFACOMMONWEALTH

HenryVIII., theunconqueredKingofEngland, aprinceadornedwithallthevirtuesthatbecomeagreatmonarch, havingsomedifferencesofnosmallconsequencewithCharlesthemostserenePrinceofCastile, sentmeintoFlanders, ashisambassador, , whomtheKing, withsuchuniversalapplause, latelymadeMasteroftheRolls; butofwhomIwillsaynothing; notbecauseIfearthatthetestimonyofafriendwillbesuspected, butratherbecausehislearningandvirtuesaretoogreatformetodothemjustice, andsowellknown, thattheyneednotmycommendations, unlessIwould, accordingtotheproverb, "Showthesunwithalantern." ThosethatwereappointedbythePrincetotreatwithus, metusatBruges, accordingtoagreement; , andthechiefmanamongthem; buthethatwasesteemedthewisest, andthatspokefortherest, wasGeorgeTemse, theProvostofCasselsee: bothartandnaturehadconcurredtomakehimeloquent: hewasverylearnedinthelaw; and, ashehadagreatcapacity, so, byalongpracticeinaffairs, , withoutcomingtoanagreement, theywenttoBrusselsforsomedays, toknowthePrince'spleasure; and, sinceourbusinesswouldadmitit, , amongmanythatvisitedme, therewasonethatwasmoreacceptabletomethananyother, PeterGiles, bornatAntwerp, whoisamanofgreathonour, andofagoodrankinhistown, thoughlessthanhedeserves; forIdonotknowiftherebeanywheretobefoundamorelearnedandabetterbredyoungman; forasheisbothaveryworthyandaveryknowingperson, soheissociviltoallmen, soparticularlykindtohisfriends, andsofullofcandourandaffection, thatthereisnot, perhaps, aboveoneortwoanywheretobefound, thatisinallrespectssoperfectafriend: heisextraordinarilymodest, thereisnoartificeinhim, , thathiscompanyinagreatmeasurelessenedanylongingstogobacktomycountry, andtomywifeandchildren, , 's, whichisthechiefchurch, andthemostfrequentedofanyinAntwerp, Isawhim, byaccident, talkingwithastranger, whoseemedpasttheflowerofhisage; hisfacewastanned, hehadalongbeard, andhiscloakwashangingcarelesslyabouthim, sothat, byhislooksandhabit, , hecameandsalutedme, andasIwasreturninghiscivility, hetookmeaside, andpointingtohimwithwhomhehadbeendiscoursing, hesaid, "Doyouseethatman? Iwasjustthinkingtobringhimtoyou." Ianswered, "Heshouldhavebeenverywelcomeonyouraccount." "Andonhisowntoo," repliedhe, "ifyouknewtheman, forthereisnonealivethatcangivesocopiousanaccountofunknownnationsandcountriesashecando, whichIknowyouverymuchdesire." "Then," saidI, "Ididnotguessamiss, foratfirstsightItookhimforaseaman." "Butyouaremuchmistaken," saidhe, "forhehasnotsailedasaseaman, butasatraveller, , whofromhisfamilycarriesthenameofHythloday, isnotignorantoftheLatintongue, butiseminentlylearnedintheGreek, havingappliedhimselfmoreparticularlytothatthantotheformer, becausehehadgivenhimselfmuchtophilosophy, inwhichheknewthattheRomanshaveleftusnothingthatisvaluable, , andwassodesirousofseeingtheworld, thathedividedhisestateamonghisbrothers, ranthesamehazardasAmericusVesputius, andboreashareinthreeofhisfourvoyagesthatarenowpublished; onlyhedidnotreturnwithhiminhislast, butobtainedleaveofhim, almostbyforce, ; forheusedoftentosay, thatthewaytoheavenwasthesamefromallplaces, , ifGodhadnotbeenverygracioustohim; forafterhe, withfiveCastalians, hadtravelledovermanycountries, atlast, bystrangegoodfortune, hegottoCeylon, andfromthencetoCalicut, wherehe, veryhappily, foundsomePortugueseships; and, beyondallmen'sexpectations, returnedtohisnativecountry." WhenPeterhadsaidthistome, Ithankedhimforhiskindnessinintendingtogivemetheacquaintanceofamanwhoseconversationheknewwouldbesoacceptable; , weallwenttomyhouse, andenteringintothegarden, , he, andhiscompanionsthatstayedbehindinNewCastile, bydegreesinsinuatedthemselvesintotheaffectionsofthepeopleofthecountry, meetingoftenwiththemandtreatingthemgently; andatlasttheynotonlylivedamongthemwithoutdanger, butconversedfamiliarlywiththem, andgotsofarintotheheartofaprince, whosenameandcountryIhaveforgot, thathebothfurnishedthemplentifullywithallthingsnecessary, andalsowiththeconveniencesoftravelling, bothboatswhentheywentbywater, andwaggonswhentheytrainedoverland: hesentwiththemaveryfaithfulguide, whowastointroduceandrecommendthemtosuchotherprincesastheyhadamindtosee: andaftermanydays' journey, theycametotowns, andcities, andtocommonwealths, , andasfaronbothsidesofitasthesunmoves, therelayvastdesertsthatwereparchedwiththeperpetualheatofthesun; thesoilwaswithered, allthingslookeddismally, andallplaceswereeitherquiteuninhabited, oraboundedwithwildbeastsandserpents, andsomefewmen, , astheywentfarther, anewsceneopened, allthingsgrewmilder, theairlessburning, thesoilmoreverdant, andeventhebeastswerelesswild: and, atlast, therewerenations, towns, andcities, thathadnotonlymutualcommerceamongthemselvesandwiththeirneighbours, buttraded, bothbyseaandland, , -bottomed, theirsailsweremadeofreedsandwicker, wovenclosetogether, onlysomewereofleather; but, afterwards, theyfoundshipsmadewithroundkeelsandcanvassails, andinallrespectslikeourships, , , andonlyinsummertime; butnowtheycountallseasonsalike, trustingwhollytotheloadstone, inwhichtheyare, perhaps, moresecurethansafe; sothatthereisreasontofearthatthisdiscovery, whichwasthoughtwouldprovesomuchtotheiradvantage, may, bytheirimprudence, , itwouldbetoogreatadigressionfromourpresentpurpose: whateverisnecessarytobetoldconcerningthosewiseandprudentinstitutionswhichheobservedamongcivilisednations, , towhichheansweredverywillingly; wemadenoinquiriesaftermonsters, thanwhichnothingismorecommon; foreverywhereonemayhearofravenousdogsandwolves, andcruelmen-eaters, butitisnotsoeasytofindstatesthatarewellandwiselygoverned.