To Robert Sidney
My deere brother, for the mony yow have receaved, assure your selfe (for it is true) there is nothing I spend so pleaseth me as that which is for yow. If ever I have abilitie yow will finde it, if not, yet shall not any brother living be better beloved then yow of me. I cannot write now to H. White, doe yow excuse me. For his nephew, they are but passions in my father, which wee must beare with reverence, but I am sory he should returne till he had the fruite of his travell, for yow shall never have such a servant as he would prove, use your owne discretion therin. For your countenance I would for no cause have it diminished in Germany; in Italy your greatest expence must be upon worthi men, and not upon housholding. Looke to your diet (sweete Robin) and hould upp your hart in courage and vertue truly greate part of my comfort is in yow. I know not my selfe what I ment by braverie in yow, so greatly yow may see I condemne yow, be carefull of your selfe and I shall never have cares. I have written to Mr Saveli, I wish yow kept still togeather, he is an excellent man; and there may if yow list passe good exercises betwixt yow and Mr Ne veil there is greate expectation of yow both. For the method of writing Historié, Boden hath written at large, yow may reade him and gather out of many wordes some matter. This I thinke in haste a story is either to be considered as a storie, or as a treatise which besides that addeth many thinges for profite and ornament; as a story, he is nothing but a narration of thinges done, with the beginings, cawses, and appendences therof, in that kinde your method must be to have seriem temporum very exactlie, which the Chronologies of Melanchton, Tarchagnora, Languet, and such other will helpe yow to. Then to consider by that as yow not your selfe, Zenophon to follow Thucidides, so doth Thucidides follow Herodotus, and Diodorus Siculus follow Zenophon. So generally doe the Roman stories follow the Greeke, and the perticuler stories of present Monarchies follow the Roman. In that kinde yow have principally to note the examples of vertue or vice, with their good or evell successes, the establishments or ruines of greate Estates, with the cawses, the tyme and circumstances of the lawes they write of, the entrings, and endings of warrs, and therin the stratagems against the enimy, and the discipline upon the soldiour, and thus much as a very Historiographer. Besides this the Historian makes himselfe a discourser for profite and an Orator, yea a Poet sometimes for ornament. An Orator in making excellent orations e re nata which are to be marked, but marked with the note of rhetoricall remembrances; a Poet in painting forth the effects, the motions, the whisperings of the people, which though in disputation one might say were true, yet who will marke them well shall finde them taste of a poeticall vaine, and in that kinde are gallantly to be marked, for though perchance they were not so, yet it is enough they might be so. The last poynt which tendes to teach profite is of a Discourser, which name I giv e to who soever speakes non simpliciter de facto, sed de quali- tatihus et circumstantiis facti; and that is it which makes me and many others rather note much with our penn then with our minde, because wee leave all thes discourses to the confused trust of our memory because they being not tyed to the tenor of a question as Philosophers use sometimes plaies the Divine in telling his opinion and reasons in religion, sometimes the Lawyer in shewing the cawses, and benefites of lawes, sometimes a Naturall Philosopher in setting downe the cawses of any strange thing which the story bindes him to speake of, but most commonly a Morall Philosopher, either in the ethick part when he setts forth vertues or vices and the natures of Passions, or in the Politick when he doth (as often he doth) meddle sententiouslie with matters of Estate. Againe, sometimes he giv es precept of warr both offensive, and defensive, and so lastlie not professing any art, as his matter leades him he deales with all arts Which because it carrieth the life of a lively exemple, it is wonderfull what light it gives to the arts themselves, so as the greate Civillians helpe themselves with the discourses of the Historians, so doe Soldiours, and even Philosophers, & Astronomers, but that I wish herein, is this, that when yow reade any such thing, yow straite bring it to his heade, not only of what art, but by your logicall subdivisions, to the next member and parcell of the art. And so as in a table be it wittie word of which Tacitus is full, sentences, of which Livy, or similitudes wherof Plutarch, straite to lay it upp in the right place of his storehouse, as either militarie, or more spetiallie defensive militarie, or more perticulerlie, defensive by fortification and so lay it upp. So likewise in politick matters, and such a little table yow may easelie make, wherwith I would have yow ever joyne the his- toricall part, which is only the example of some stratageme, or good cownsaile, or such like. This write I to yow in greate hast, of method, without method, but with more leysure & studie (if I doe not finde some booke that satisfies) I will venter to write more largely of it unto yow. Mr Saveli will with ease helpe yow to sett downe such a Table of Remembrance to your selfe, and for your sake I perceive he will doe much, and if ever I be able I will deserve it of him, one onely thing as it comes unto my minde lett me remember yow of, that yow consider wherin the Historian excelleth, and that to note, as Dion Nicœus in the searching the seac[rea]ts of Goverment; Tacitus, in the pithy opening the venome of wickednes, & so of the rest. My time exceedingly short will suffer me to write no more leisurely. Stephen can tell yow who stands with me while I am writing. Now (deere Brother) take delight likewise in the mathematicalls, Mr Saveli is excellent in them. I thinke yow understand the sphere, if yow doe, I care little for any more astronomie in yow. Arithmatick, and geometry, I would wish yow well seene in, so as both in matter of nomber and measure yow might have a feeling, and active judgment I would yow did beare the mechanicall instruments wherin the Dutch I write this to yow as one, that for my selfe have given over the delight in the world but wish to yow as much if not more then to my selfe. So yow can speake and write Latine not barbarously I never require great study in Ciceronianisme the cheife abuse of Oxford, Qui dum verba sectantur, res ipsas negligunt. My toyfull booke I will send with Gods helpe by February, at which time yow shall have your mony. And for.200u a yeare, assure your selfe if the Estate of England remaine yow shall not faile of it, use it to your best profite. My Lord of Leister sendes yow forty pownds as I understand by Stephen, and promiseth he will continue that stipend yearly at the least, then that is above commons, in any case write largely and diligently unto him, for in troth I have good proofe that he meanes to be every way good unto yow. The odd.301’. shall come with the hundred or els my father and I will jarle. Now sweete brother take a delight to keepe and increase your musick, yow will not beleive what a want I finde of it in my melancholie times. At horsemanshipp when yow exercise it reade Grison Claudio, and a booke that is called La gloria del cavallo, withall, that yow may joyne the through contemplation of it with the exercise, and so shall yow profite more in a moneth then others in a yeare, and marke the bitting, sadling, and curing of horses. I would by the way your worship would learne a better hand, yow write worse than I, and I write evell enough; once againe have care of your dyet, and consequently of your complexion, remember, gratior est veniem in pulchro corpore virtus. Now Sir for newes I referr my selfe to this bearer, he can tell yow how idlie wee looke on our Naighbours fyres, and nothing is happened notable at home, save only Drakes returne, of which yet I know not the seacreat poyntes, but about the world he hath bene, and rich he is returned. Portugall wee say is lost, and to conclude my eies are almost closed upp, overwatched with tedeous busines. God bless yow (sweete boy) and accomplish the joyfull hope I conceive of yow, once againe commend me to Mr Nevell, Mr Saveli, & honest Harry White, and bid him be merry. When yow play at weapons I would have yow gett thick capps & brasers, and play out your play lustilie, for indeed tickes, & daliances are nothing in earnest for the time of the one & the other greatlie differs, and use aswell the blow, as the thrust, it is good in it selfe, & besides exerciseth your breath and strength, and will make yow a strong man at the Tournei and Barriers. First in any case practize the single sword, & then with the dagger, lett no day passe without an hower or two such exercise the rest studie, or conferr diligentlie, & so shall yow come home to my comfort and creditt. Lord how I have babied, once againe farewell deerest brother.
At Lesterhouse this 18. of October. 1580.
Your most loving and carefull brother Philip Sidney.