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 Sir John Cheke and Sir Thomas Smith. 115 DESCRIPTION OF CHEKE, WITH PROGNOSTICATIONS, BY CARDANO. Forma corporis est gracili, flava, maculosa, rariore cute, capillis mcdiocribus, oculis dccentibus csesiisque, statura proce'ra, hirsutus, rubescens satis ob solem, pulcher, incommensuratus tamen, et anterioribus debiiior, sicci temperamenti, sed in activis qualitatibus temperati. Calvescet cito ob id, canescetque cclerius. Morietur ex morbo longo, &c. &c. (After various fanciful propheciet, Cardano adds :) Erit autem talis, ut maximd loco et tempori accommodate se novit. Et ultimum splendoris ac gloriaa humana? consequctur, opinionemque sapientia3 quasi divinae nisi a communibus constitutionibus impediatur : quas etiam modo evaserit, maximus fict. . . . Erit in universum officiosus, gravis, liberalis, sapiens, humanus, Anglicaxme gloria gentis. Apud quern diversatus cum f'astum omnem, cum gloriam consulte compresserim, ut agnoscerem, non agnoscerer, quod verse felicitatis est, contemni aut negligi minimi potui. Ibid. p. 40. II. LETTER OF CHEKE TO THE DUCHESS OF SOMERSET. (MS. Lansdownc 2, No. 34.) Yo r graces singular Fauor towardes me, hath alwaics been one of mi cliefe comfortes in mi dili^et Service of y e K. M. which was y e easier to me, bicausc it was wel taken. And althoughe in this desert of other mens treble, and mishap of mine owne, I praccisc'li know not of yo r graces fauorable goodnes towarde me, yet I iudge y' yo r g. good minde 8 towarde me, vndeserved to bee gotten, and vndeserved to be lost again, is sich, y l I passe the qnietlier thorough the hole course of mi danger, and fele y e lesse storme of causelcs hap, bicause 1 do miche stai misi-lf in yo r g. wisedome of takino- thinges truli, and in yo r goodnes of helpinge the honest fauorablie. Wherefore presuming to give yc* g. thankes for miself, bicause I trust wel, and moost liumbli requiring yo r g. of con- tinuans of yo r fauor worthilie as I trust to be bestowd on me, I can not chuse but make half a sute for half miself, being dissevered as yet from y c other half of miself. In mi wife's misbehavor towarde yo r g. whosoever is sorie for it I am moost sorie, not redie to excuse ' which is fautie, but desiring of pardon, where forgivenes is plentiful, and knowing y' forgivencs of fuutes past is amend- ment of time to come, and no vice in anie meane woman to bee soo great, but y e vertue of nobilitee is as large to mercie. Mi moost humble request therfor is, y l yo r g. gentilnes overcome mi wife's fautes, to fauor of clemencie, where iustice wold have straitnes, to be more noble in vertue then other be in offence, y 1 where as faute is greatest, yo r g. mai moost appeare. In other matters I have charged her to be plaine, and I trust her honest nature wil content yo r g. whcerin if she be fautie, I must nedes naturalli pitie her, iustli I can not speke for her, and yet as I trust sche wil shew herself true and plaine, so I wold faine speke If I thought theer were nede, and put yo r g. in minde, y l yow of wisedome consider y* in yougth theer mai be pardon, wheer experiens lacketh, Misprinted in Strype's Cheke, edit. 1820, "your good Graces mind." Q2