matter, I shalbe at my lybertie afterwardes to take newe aduisement. Howebeit, seynge I haue taken great paynes and laboure in wrytynge the matter, if it may stande with hys mynde and pleasure, I wyll, as touchinge the edition or publishing of the booke, followe the counsell and aduise of my frendes, and specially yours. Thus fare you well, ryght hartely beloued frende Peter, with youre gentell wyfe; and loue . then euer I dyd. postea tamen integrum erit hac de re consultare denuo. Quan|quam si id ipsius uoluntate fiat, quandoquidem scribendi labore defunctus nunc sero sapio, 25 A fruteful/ and pleasaunt worke of the beste state of a publyque weale, and of the newe yle called Utopia: written in Latine by Spr Thomas More knyght, and translated into Englyshe by Raphe Robynson Citizein and Goldsmythe of London, at the procurement, and earnest request of George Tadlowe Citezein & Haberdassher of the same Citie. ¶ Emprinted at London by Abraham Uele, dwelling in Pauls churcheyarde at the sygne of the Lambe. Anno, 1 55 1. VPon To the right honourable, and his berie sín tue, and honoure. Pon a tyme 2, when tidynges came too the citie of Corinthe that kyng Philippe, father to Alexander surnamed the Great, was comming thetherwarde with an armie royall to lay siege to the citie; the Corinthians, being forth with stryken with greate feare, beganne busilie and earnestly to looke aboute them, and to falle to worke of 1 William Cecil, afterwards Lord Burghley, was born in 1520, being the only son of Richard Cecil of Burleigh in Northamptonshire. He was educated at Stamford and Grantham Schools, and afterwards at St. John's College, Cambridge, then at the height of its reputation. Owing to a romantic attachment to a sister of John Cheke, he was taken from the University before obtaining a degree, and was entered at Gray's Inn, where his portrait still hangs in the Hall. He was knighted in October, 1551; made Secretary of State, Nov. 20, 1558, three days after Elizabeth's accession ; Baron of Burghley, Feb. 25, 1571, and Lord High Treasurer in July, 1572. He died in 1598. See Dr. Jessopp's article in the Dict. of National Biography, and, for his connection with Robynson, the Introduction, above, p. lxxi. "The story which follows is taken from Lucian's Quomodo historia conscribenda sit, § 3. The readers of Sir Walter Scott will remember the description in Waverley of David Gellatly, idle as Diogenes at Sinope, while his countrymen were preparing for a siege.' all handes; some to skowre and trymme vp harneis; some to carry stones; some to amende and buylde hygher the walles; some to rampiere and fortyfie the bulwarkes and fortresses; some one thynge and some an other, for the defendinge and strengthenynge of the citie. The whiche busie labour and toyle of theires when Diogenes the phylosopher sawe, hauing no profitable busines wherupon to sette himself on worke (neither any man required his labour and helpe as expedient for the commen wealth in that necessitie), immediatly girded about him his phylosophicall cloke, and began to rolle and tumble vp and downe hether and thether vpon the hille syde, that lieth adioyninge to the citie, his great barrel or tunne, wherein he dwelled for other dwellynge place wold he haue none. This seing one of his frendes, and not alitell musynge therat, came to hym: And I praye the, Diogenes (quod he), whie doest thou thus, or what meanest thou hereby? Forsothe I am tumblyng my tubbe to, (quod he) bycause it were no reason that I only should be ydell, where so many be working. In semblable maner, right honorable sir, though I be, as I am in dede, of muche lesse habilitie then Diogenes was, to do any thinge, that shall or may be for the auauncement and commoditie of the publique wealth of my natiue countrey; yet I, seing euery sort and kynde of people in theire vocation and degree busilie occupied about the common wealthes affaires, and especially learned men dayly putting forth in writing newe inuentions and deuises to the furtheraunce of the same; thought it my bounden duetie to God and to my countrey, so to tumble my tubbe, I meane so to occupie and exercise meself in bestowing such spare houres, as I, beinge at the becke and commaundement of others, cold conueniently winne to me. self; that, though no commoditie of that my labour and trauaile to the publique weale should arise, yet it myght |