Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/230

 192 Readings in Eiiropean History that he desired, yet he held himself satisfied with her man- ner of speech, which gave hope of success in the second attempt. . . . She was accounted in her latter time to be very near, and oversparing of expense ; and yet,' if the rewards which she gave of mere motion and grace had been bestowed of merit, with due respect, they had doubtless purchased her the name, of a very liberal prince. . . . She was very rich in jewels, which had been given her by her subjects ; for in times of progress there was no per- son that entertained her in his house but (besides his extraordinary charge in feasting her and her train) he bestowed a jewel upon her ; a custom in former times begun by some of her especial favorites that (having in great measure tasted of her bounty) did give her only of her own ; though otherwise that kind of giving was not so pleasing to gentlemen of meaner quality. Elizabeth's Touching these commendable qualities whereto, partly learning. ^y nature and partly by education and industry, she had attained, there were few men that (when time and occasion served) could make better use or more show of them than herself. The Latin, French, and Italian she could speak very elegantly, and she was able in all those languages to answer ambassadors on the sudden. Her manner of writing was somewhat obscure and the style not vulgar, as being either learned by imitation of some author whom she delighted to read, or else affected for difference' sake, that she might not write in such phrases as were commonly used. Of the Greek tongue also she was not altogether ignorant. She took pleasure in reading of the best and wisest histories, and some part of Tacitus' Annals she her- self turned into English for her private exercise. She also translated Boethius' De Consolatione P/iilosofl/iiae, and a trea- tise of Plutarch, De Curiositate, with divers others. For her private pleasures, she used them moderately and warily, without touch to her reputation or offense to her people. She was in her diet very temperate, as eating but a few kinds of meat and those not compounded ; the wine