refyning it, I fand in Barret’s Alvearie,[3] quhilk is a dictionarie
Anglico-latinum, that Sr. Thomas Smith,[4] a man of nae less worth
then learning, Secretarie to Queen Elizabeth, had left a learned and
judiciouse monument on the same subject. Heer consydering my aun
weaknes, and meannes of my person, began to fear quhat might betyed my
sillie boat in the same seas quhaer sik a man’s ship was sunck in the
gulf of oblivion. For the printeres and wryteres of this age, caring for
noe more arte then may win the pennie, wil not paen them selfes to knau
whither it be orthographie or skuiographie that doeth the turne: _and_
schoolmasteres, quhae’s sillie braine will reach no farther then the
compas of their cap, content them selfes with αὐτὸς ἔφη my master said
it. Quhil I thus hovered betueen hope _and_ despare, the same Barret,
in the letter E, myndes me of a star _and_ constellation to calm al
the tydes of these seaes, if it wald please the supreme Majestie to
command the universitie to censure and ratifie, and the schooles to
teach the future age right and wrang, if the present will not rectius
sapere. Heere my harte laggared on the hope of your M_ajesties_
judgement, quhom God hath indeued with light in a sorte supernatural, if
the way might be found to draue your eie, set on high materes of state,
to take a glim of a thing of so mean contemplation, and yet necessarie.
Quhiles I stack in this claye, it pleased God to bring your M_ajestie_
hame to visit your aun Ida. Quher I hard that your G_race_, in the
disputes of al purposes quherwith, after the exemple of _th_e wyse in
former ages, you use to season your moat, ne quid tibi temporis sine
fructu fluat, fel sundrie tymes on this subject reproving your
courteoures, quha on a new conceat of finnes sum tymes spilt (as they
cal it) the king’s language. Quhilk thing it is reported that your
M_ajestie_ not onlie refuted with impregnable reasones, but alsoe fel
on Barret’s opinion that you wald cause the universities mak an Inglish
gra_m_mar to repres the insolencies of sik green heades. This, quhen I