ΤΟ

great wasters

of time,

not marre them, and by to muche sufferaunce of his servauntes make them his maysters. Emonge these thynges now rehearsed, stealeth awaye the daye, the moneth, the yeare. When do I write then? And all this while have I 5 spoken no worde of slepe, neyther yet of meate, which emong a great number doth wast no lesse tyme then doeth slepe, wherein almoste halfe the life tyme of man crepeth awaye. I therefore do wynne and get onelye Meate and slepe that tyme, whiche I steale from slepe and meate. Whiche tyme because it is very litle, and yet somwhat it is, therfore have I ones at the laste, thoughe it be longe first, finished Utopia; and have sent it to you, frende Peter, to reade and peruse: to the intente that yf anye thynge have escaped me, you might put me in 15 remembraunce of it. For thoughe in this behalfe I do not greatlye mistruste my selfe (whiche woulde God I were somwhat in wit and learninge, as I am not all of the worste and dullest memorye) yet have I not so great truste and confidence in it, that I thinke nothinge coulde fall out of my mynde. For John Clement my boye, who

20

25

John Clement. as you know was there presente with us, whome I suffer to be awaye frome no talke, wherein maye be any profyte or goodnes (for oute of this yonge bladed and new shotte up corne, whiche hathe alreadye begon to spring up both in Latin and Greke learnyng, I loke for plentifull increase at length of goodly rype grayne) he, I saye, hathe broughte me into a greate doubte. For wheras Hythlodaye (onelesse my memorye fayle me) sayde that the bridge of Amaurote, whyche goethe over the river of Anyder is fyve 30 hundreth paseis, that is to saye, halfe a myle in lengthe: my

John sayeth that two hundred of those paseis muste be plucked away, for that the ryver conteyneth there not above three hundreth paseis in breadthe, I praye you hartelye call

A diversitie

betwene ma

king a lye, and

telling a lie.

15

the matter to youre remembraunce. For yf you agree wyth hym, I also wyll saye as you saye, and confesse myselfe deceaved. But if you cannot remember the thing, then surelye I wyll write as I have done and as myne owne remembraunce serveth me. For as I wyll take good hede, 5 that there be in my booke nothing false, so yf there be anye thynge doubtefull, I wyll rather tell a lye, then make a lie bycause I had rather be good, then wilie. Howebeit thys matter maye easelye be remedied, yf you wyll take the paynes to aske the question 10 of Raphael him selfe by woorde of mouthe, if he be nowe with you, or elles by youre letters. Whiche you muste nedes do for another doubte also, that hathe chaunced, throughe whose faulte I cannot tel: whether through mine, or yours, or Raphaels. For neyther we rememIn what parte bred to enquire of him, nor he to tel us in what of the worlde Utopia standpart of the newe world Utopia is situate. The eth it is unwhiche thinge, I had rather have spent no small somme of money, then that it should thus have escaped us : as well for that I am ashamed to be ignoraunt in what sea 20 that ylande standeth, wherof I write so long a treatise, as also because there be with us certen men, and especiallie one vertuous and godly man, and a professour of divinitie, who is excedynge desierous to go unto Utopia: not for a vayne and curious desyre to see newes, but to the intente he maye further and increase oure religion, whiche is there alreadye luckelye begonne. And that he maye the better accomplyshe and perfourme this hys good intente, he is mynded to procure that he maye be sente thether by the 30 hieghe byshoppe: yea, and that he himselfe may be made bishoppe of Utopia, beynge nothynge scrupulous herein, that he muste obteyne this byshopricke with suete. For he

knowen.

It is thoughte of some that

here is unfai

nedly ment the 25 care of Croy

late famous vi

don in Surrey.

A godly suete.

counteth that a godly suete, which procedeth

not of the desire of honoure or lucre, but onelie of a godlie zeale. Wherfore I moste earnestly desire you, frende Peter, to talke with Hythlodaye, yf you can, face to 5 face, or els to wryte youre letters to hym, and so to woorke in thys matter, that in this my booke there maye" neyther anye thinge be founde, whyche is untrue, neyther any thinge be lacking, whiche is true. And I thynke verelye it shal be well done, that you shewe unto him the book it selfe. For 10 yf I have myssed or fayled in anye poynte, or if anye faulte

have escaped me, no man can so well correcte and amende it, as he can and yet that can he not do, oneles he peruse and reade over my booke written. Moreover by this meanes shall you perceave, whether he be well wyllynge 15 and content, that I shoulde undertake to put this woorke in writyng. For if he be mynded to publyshe, and put forth his owne laboures, and travayles himselfe, perchaunce he woulde be lothe, and so woulde I also, that in publishynge the Utopiane weale publyque, I shoulde prevent him, and 20 take frome him the flower and grace of the noveltie of this his historie. Howbeit, to saye the verye trueth, I am not yet fullye determined with my selfe, whether I will put furth my booke or no. For the natures of men be so divers, the phantasies of some so waywarde, their myndes The unkynde 25 judgementes of Sso unkynde, their judgementes so corrupte, that they which leade a merie and a jocounde lyfe, folowynge theyr owne sensuall pleasures and carnall lustes, maye seme to be in a muche better state or case, then they that vexe and unquiete themselves with cares and studie for 30 the puttinge forthe and publishynge of some thynge, that maye be either profeit or pleasure to others: whiche others. nevertheles will disdainfully, scornefully, and unkindly accepte the same. The moost part of al be unlearned.

men.

And a greate number hathe learning in contempte. The rude and barbarous alloweth nothing, but that which is verię barbarous in dede. If it be one that hath a little smacke of learnynge, he rejecteth as homely geare and commen ware, whatsoever is not stuffed full of olde moughteaten 5 termes, and that be worne out of use. Some there be that have pleasure onelye in olde rustie antiquities. And some onelie in their owne doynges. One is so sowre, so crabbed, and so unpleasaunte, that he can awaye with no myrthe nor sporte. An other is so narrowe betwene the shulders, that 10 he can beare no jestes nor tauntes. Some seli poore soules be so afearde that at everye snappishe woorde their nose shall be bitten of, that they stande in no lesse drede of everye quicke and sharpe woorde, then he that is bitten of a madde dogge feareth water. Some be so mutable and 15 waverynge, that every houre they be in a newe mynde, sayinge one thinge syttinge and an other thynge standynge. An other sorte sytteth upon their allebencheis, and there amonge their cuppes they geve judgement of the wittes of writers, and with greate authoritie they condempne, even as 20 pleaseth them, everye writer accordynge to his writinge, in moste spitefull maner mockynge, lowtinge and flowtinge them; beyng them selves in the meane season sauffe and, as sayeth the proverbe, oute of all daunger of gonneshotte. For why, they be so smugge and smothe, that they have 25 not so much as one hearre of an honeste man, wherby one may take holde of them. There be moreover some so unkynde and ungentle, that thoughe they take great pleasure, and delectation in the worke, yet for all that, they can not fynde in their hertes to love the author therof, nor to 30 aforde him a good woorde: beynge much like uncourteous, unthankfull, and chourlish gestes. Whiche A fitte Similiwhen they have with good and daintie meates

tude.

well fylled theire bellyes, departe home, gevyng no thankes to the feaste maker. Go your wayes now and make a costlye feaste at youre owne charges for gestes so dayntie mouthed, so divers in taste, and besides that of so unkynde and 5 unthankfull natures. But nevertheles (frende Peter) doo, I pray you, with Hithloday, as I willed you before. And as for this matter I shall be at my libertie, afterwardes to take newe advisement. Howbeit, seeyng I have taken great paynes and laboure in writyng the matter, if it may stande 10 with his mynde and pleasure, I wyll as touchyng the edition or publishyng of the booke, followe the counsell and advise of my frendes, and speciallye yours. Thus fare you well

15

right hertely beloved frende Peter,

with your gentle wife: and

love me as you have ever

done, for I love you

better then

ever I

dyd.