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THE SECOND BOOKS 413
although the cadences and breakings of Salust doe
best agree with my humour, yet do I finde Caesar both
greater and lesse easie to be represented. And if my
inclination doth rather carrie mee to the imitation of
Senecaes stile, I omit not to esteeme Plutarke much
more. As well in silence as in speech, I am simply my
naturall forme, whence happily ensueth that I am more
in speaking than in writing. The motions and actions
of the body give life unto words, namely, in them that
move roundly and without affectation, as I doe, and
that will be earnest. Behaviour, the face, the voice,
the gowne, and the place, may somewhat endeare those
things which in themselves are but meane, as prating.
Messala complaineth in Tacitus of certaine strait garments
used in his time, and discommendeth the fashion
of the benches whereon the Orators were to speak, saying
they weakened their eloquence. My French tongue
is corrupted both in the pronunciation and elsewhere
by the barbarisme of my country. I never saw men of
these hither-countries that did not evidently taste of
his home-speech, and who often did not wound those
eares that are purely French. Yet it is not because I
am so cunning in my Perigordin : for I have no more
use of it than of the Dutch, nor doe I greatly care. It
is a language (as are many others round about me) like
to that of Poitou, Xaintonge, Angoulesme, Limosin,
and Auvergne, squattering, dragling, and lilthie. There
is about us, towards the mountaines, a Gascoine tongue,
which I much commend and like, sinnowie, pithie,
short, significant, and in truth man-like and military,
more than any other I understand. As compendious,
powerfull, and pertinent as the French is gracious,
delicate, and copious. As for the Latine, which was
given me for my mother-tongue, by reason of discontinuance,
I have so lost the promptitude of it, as I
cannot well make use of it in speech, and scarcely in
writing, in which I have heretofore becne so ready,
that I was called a master in it. Loe heere my little
fiumciencie in that behalfe.
Beauty is a part of great commendation in the