ain Nicholas Dawtry,
the Seneschal of Clandeboy, in the troublesome Ulster country,
afterwards "Captain" of Hampshire at the time of the Armada. It was a
remarkable party. The date of this meeting must have been after the
summer of 1584, at which time Long was made Primate, and before the
beginning of 1588, when Dawtry was in Hampshire. The extract is so
curious, as a picture of the intellectual and literary wants and efforts
of the times, especially amid the disorders of Ireland, and as a
statement of Spenser's purpose in his poem, that an extract from it
deserves to be inserted, as it is given in Mr. Todd's _Life of Spenser_,
and repeated in that by Mr. Hales.

"Herein do I greatly envie," writes Bryskett, "the happiness
of the Italians, who have in their mother-tongue late writers
that have, with a singular easie method taught all that Plato
and Aristotle have confusedly or obscurely left written. Of
which, some I have begun to reade with no small delight; as
Alexander Piccolomini, Gio. Baptista Giraldi, and Guazzo; all
three having written upon the Ethick part of Morall
Philosophie both exactly and perspicuously. And would God that
some of our countrimen would shew themselves so wel affected
to the good of their countrie (whereof one principall and most
important part consisteth in the instructing men to vertue),
as to set downe in English the precepts of those parts of
Morall Philosophy, whereby our youth might, without spending
so much time as the learning of those other languages require,
speedily enter into the right course of vertuous life.

In the meane while I must struggle with those bookes which I
vnderstand and content myselfe to plod upon them, in hope that
God (who knoweth the sincerenesse of my desire) will be
pleased to open my vnderstanding, so as I may reape that
profit of my reading, which I trauell for. Yet is there _a
gentleman in this company_, whom I have had often a purpose to
intreate, that as his liesure might serue him, he would
vouchsafe to spend some time with me to instruct me in some
hard points which I cannot of myselfe understand; _knowing him
to be not onely perfect in the Greek tongue, but also very
well read in Philosophie, both morall and naturall_.
Neuertheless such is my bashfulness, as I neuer yet durst open
my mouth to disclose this my d