Page:Halliwell Collection of Letters.djvu/46

22 never pourtracted in table but of Apelles, never graven in brasse but of Lisippus, nor at any tyme praised in assembles but of Ephestion, least by the unskilfulnes of any other the glory of his renoune might be empaired; so of right this tower, which is the only wonder I heare of, shoold never be described but of sutche exquisit men in paintinge, carvinge and speach, as weare those forenamed persons; and myself ought rather to be silent (beinge acquainted with mine owne simplicitie in that behalf), then by endeavoringe to describe the workmanshipp detract from the wonder and mervaile that all menn have so justly thereof conceaved. But as those that had the vewe of the pyramides in Egipt weare rather astonid with the sight, then able to decypher those hidden misteries covered with the shoe of hieroglificall beastes, and therefore they presented the formes and models thereof only unto there frendes at there retoome, to procure therein also ther delight. In like sorte my self, in behouldinge theise German pyramides with an admiringe mynde, following there example, have sent you heer enclosed theise two sheetes of paper, which doe figure foorth, although obscurely, the shininge excellencye of that they represent; wishinge there all that the painters cunninge had been aunswerable to ther curious rarnes, for then your pleasure should have been in every respect equall with your desyre. But this want of his must be supplied with your judgement, which like the skilfiil geometrician, cann by one smale part proportionably gather the whoale boddie, or by measuringe only the shadowe discerne the heyth of the tower; and like unto Pithagoras that findinge in ludis Olympiacis but one stadium, which contayned three hundred feet, therbie conceive the huge monstrous stature of the geant Hercules the measurer thereof. But yeat least you, by behouldinge theis dumme, silent and mute pictures, finde more to amaze your minde, then to delight your eye, I present myself unto you as a bashfull trushman to unfould there meaninge. Yf I interpret there wordes amis attribut that fault to my unskilfulnes of there speech, because they be Germans by nature, and myself am not perfectly acquainted with there tounge, by reason of the smalnes of my continuaunce: I might also add this for a more juste excuse, that I am not a professour of there arte, and therefore unfitt to be an expressour of there misteries. But that which embouldeneth me is this, that though I aunswere not there worthines, yet I shall after a sort observe decorum, in beinge as farr of from presentinge the veary truth by my penn, as the painter is from describinge the lively vew thereof by the draught of his pensell.

The citie of Strasbourge is called in Latin Argentina, for