From God Gnomaticus descends to man and the various departments of conduct, just as Bacon does in the Advancement of Learning:

And to be briefe, I wil deliver unto you the summe of your dutyes in four Chapters, the first chapiter shalbe of God and his ministers, the second of the King and his Officers, the third shall conteyne the duties that you owe unto your Countrey and the Elders thereof, and lastly you shal be put in remembraunce of your dutyes towardes your Parentes, and what you ought to be of your selves. In these foure chapters I trust (by Gods help) to enclude as much as shalbe necessary for the perfect government of a true Christian.

The author then proceeds to deliver himself at great length in two discourses (through the mouth of Gnomaticus) on these topics, in the manner of one who was accustomed to excel and who looked forward confidently to being the chief adviser to the Sovereign. The advice is all given from that high standpoint. Similarly in Bacon's writings.

P. 28. At the beginning of the second discourse Gnomaticus expresses a fear that he may have been "over longe in my first division," to which one of the studious youths replies:

Sir, our desire is such, to beare away perfectly your enstruction, that your prolixity seemeth to us very compendious.

an instance of ambition in the use of language.

On the same page occurs one of Bacon's favourite openings, "Salamon sayth."

P. 25. Eccho. . . . If I be not much deceyved, I saw a frosty bearded scholemaster instructing of four lusty young men erewhyle as we came in.

The same picturesque phrase occurs in "G. T.'s" letter in the 1573 edition of the Posies" frosty bearded philosopher" (see p. 214).

discuss the teaching of

P. 34. The young men Gnomaticus. The author already shows his dramatic versatility, for he has no difficulty in taking the other side against his own considered opinions :

Phylautus. Ah sirha, I see wel the olde proverbe is true, which saith so many men so many mindes, this order of teaching is farre contrary to all other yt ever I have heard, and shal I tell you? it hath in it neither head nor foote.

Phylomusus. Truly brother it hath in it great reason and vertue, and though it be at ye first unpleasant in comparison to Terences Commedies and such like, yet ought we to have good regarde therunto, since it teacheth in effect the summe of our duties.

Phylotimus. Yea, and that very compendiously.

Phylosarchus. Surely I am of Phylautus opinion, for who is ignorant that God is to be feared above all things? or who knoweth not that the Kinge is appointed of God to rule here on earth?

Phylautus. Is there any man so dull of understanding, that he knoweth not that in all countreys elders must (or will) be reverenced? and see we not daily, that all parents challenge obedience and love?

Phylosarchus. Yes, and more to, for some parentes are never contented what dutie soever the childe performeth, they forget what they once were themselves: But to the purpose, I looked for some excellent matter at this newe Schoolemasters handes, if this be all that he can say to us, I would for my part that we were in some Universitie, for here we shall but loose our time, I have (in effect) all this geare without booke already.

Phylautus. And I lacke not much of it.

It must be admitted that this is good writing, and there is nothing like it in the works which can be attributed with certainty to Gascoigne.

.. Bezo las manos.

P. 37. And geve her the This phrase occurs in the "Adventures of Master F. J."

P. 47. Gnomaticus sets the young men the task of putting his instructions as to their duty into verse; a most peculiar conception for a play, and evidence of inexperience. Parallels for the reasons given, as well as for the performance, will be found in the Spenser-Harvey letters.

Gnomaticus. Well, to the ende that you shall the better imprint them in your memorie, beholde, I have put them briefly in wryting as a memoriall, and here I deliver the same unto you, to be put in verse everie one by him self and in sundrie device, that you may therein take the greater delight, for of all other Artes Poetrie giveth greatest assistaunce unto memorie, since the verie

terminations and ceasures doe (as it were) serve for places of memorie, and helpe the mynde with delight to carry burdens, which else would seeme more grievous: and though it might percase seem unto you, that I do in maner overlode you with lessons and enterprises, yet shall you herein find rather comforte and recreation, than any encomberance: let me nowe see who can shewe himselfe the pleasantest Poet, in handeling thereof, and yet you must also therein observe decorum, for tryfling allegories and pleasant fygures in serious causes are not most comely. God guide you nowe and ever.

Philosarchus, who has now been ensnared by Lamia, wishes he had "the vayne which Virgill had in writing of a delectable verse," not, however, "as they thinke, God knoweth, to convert our tedious traditions there into: for a small grace in a verse wil serve for such unpleasant matter, but it was to furnish me with eloquence, for the better obteyning of this heavenly dame."

P. 53. The two fathers, hearing of the goings on of the two elder sons, are for taking strong measures; but Gnomaticus counsels moderation :

. . you are to consider, that the hartes of young men are oftentimes so stout, that they can not abid publiquely to heare of a faulte, the which (being privatlie and gentlely admonished) they woulde peradventure willingly amend.

P. 54. In the meantime the excellent younger brothers get to work on the verses, and each produce a copy (Philotimus of forty lines, and Philomusus of seventy-four lines) which they read to each other. At the end of his recitation Philotimus uses one of Bacon's favourite phrases, "Thus have you now seene Phylomusus, my simple skill in poetry"-in affectation of absence of premeditation or special skill. Philomusus, at the end of his more elaborate version, says, with a consciousness of superiority, which perhaps indicates the author's satisfaction, "Thus may you see Phylotimus, that one selfe same thing may be handled sundrie wayes."

P. 60. Gnomaticus now discovers that, while Philomusus and Philotimus had done their task well, "Phylosarchus

1 See Chapter V.

had spent the time in wryting of loving sonets, and Phylautus had also made verses in praise of marshiall feates and pollycies," and he urges their being sent off to the University. They are sent accordingly, and the parasites follow them.

P. 68. Gnomaticus soliloquises on the education of youth. The following passage is strikingly similar in thought and manner to passages in the Advancement of Learning, and is marked by the wisdom and sanity which characterise Bacon's discourses:

Even so ye mindes of yong men being onely trained in knowledge of artes, and never persuaded in points of moral reformation, become often times so prowde and so headie, that they are caried rather away with a vaine imagination of their owne excellency, then setled in y resolutions which might promoote them unto dignitie: and wandring so in a vayne glorious opinion of their owne wit, they do (as it were) founder and cast them selves in their own halter. Such have sundrie philosophers bin in time past, who have so far gone on pilgrimage in their owne peevish conceits, yt they have not shamed, by a vaine shew of learning to defend such propositions, as seeme most rediculous and estranged from reason. . . .

For the mind of man is so heavenlie a thing and of such rare excellencie,1 that it alwaies worketh and can not be idle. And if with the quicknes of conceyt it be tempred by a modest moderation, to have regard unto vertue, and moralitie, then proveth it both goodly and godly: wheras if it run on hedlong, only led by natural considerations of causes, it may prove admirable for some passing qualitie, but it seldome is seene commendable or allowed for perfection. The consideration whereof hath often moved me rather to enstruct youth by a prescribed order out of gods own word, then to nuzzle them over deepely in philosophicall opinions. And yet is the mind of young men so prone and prompt to vanitie and delight, that all proveth not as I would have it.

...

One of the reasons why Bacon's writings are so interesting is that he draws his observations of life largely from his own experience, and this probably accounts for the glaring inconsistency between many of his finest

1 Compare Hamlet, ii. 2: "What a piece of work is a man," etc. 2 Queen Elizabeth called Bacon her "watch candle," "because it pleased her to say I did continually burn."--Spedding, Life, iv. 280.

utterances and his conduct on certain occasions. In his grave and impartial attitude of demonstration, extenuation and censure, which produces the impression that the writer is criticising different types of men, he is undoubtedly frequently thinking of himself, his own ambitions, doubts, shortcomings, etc. This can easily be traced throughout the Essays.

P. 75. Philautus and Philosarchus come to grief at the University, but the parents have comfort in the success of the younger sons:

Phylocalus. . . . Of himselfe [Phylotimus] I have good newes, for he wryteth unto me that the Palsgrave hath written unto the chauncellour of the university for a secretary, and that he standeth in election.

Phylopes. And my Sonne Phylomusus is entered into the ministrie, and hath preached in the University, and meaneth shortly to go unto Geneva, such comfort we have yet unto our calamity.

P. 85. Only ten pages later a curious transposition takes place, where Fidus, the servant, returning from Doway, reports that "Phylomusus was sent by the whole consent of the university unto the Palsgrave to be his secretary . . . and Phylotimus was gone unto Geneva, moved with an earnest zeale and spirit, and there he is in singuler commendation and much followed." Mr. Cunliffe has a note on this: "Gascoigne has apparently forgotten, and reversed the names." The play is so carefully written, however, that I cannot help thinking that the transposition is not an accident. These two young men stand for the ambition of the author on two sides, statecraft and studies, the active and the contemplative. He is incapable of limiting himself to the sole pursuit of either, and it is in consonance with all Bacon's acknowledged writings that he should indicate by the transposition that contemplation and action should go together, and that the standard of excellence which he set before himself could never be reached by devotion to one to the exclusion of the other. His failure, or apparent failure, in life was largely due to