1.1 Fāma the rumour est is mē me annō in the year mīllēsimō thousandth quīngentēsimō five-hundredth nōnāgēsimō ninetieth septimō seventh lēgātum an ambassador Polōnum Polish Latīnē in Latin ex out of tempore the moment increpuisse to have rebuked
1.2 Dīcunt say aulicī the courtiers mē me cum when lēgātus the ambassador querēlās complaints suās his fīnīvisset had finished sine without morā delay surrēxisse to have risen et and tam so prōmptē readily respondisse to have answered ut that omnēs all obstupēscerent were astounded
1.3 Rōbertus Robert Cēcilius Cecil quī who mihi for me ab in charge of epistulīs letters erat was comitī to the earl Essexiae of Essex quī who tum then aberat was away scrīpsit wrote illud that ūnum one ex out of optimīs the best respōnsīs answers esse to be quae which umquam ever Latīnē in Latin ex out of tempore the moment audīvisset he had heard
1.4 Memoriae to memory prōditum est it has been handed down mē me posteā afterwards rīdentem laughing dīxisse to have said Latīnitātem Latinity meam my rubīginōsam rusty hodiē today dētergendam to be scoured fuisse to have been
1.5 Haec these things omnia all nārrantur are told et and nihil nothing eōrum of them falsum false est is sed but quī he who haec these things sōla alone audit hears rem the matter nōn not intellegit understands
1.6 Sententia saying mea my est is Videō I see et and taceō I am silent
1.7 Hodiē today tamen however quoniam since rēgnum reign meum my iam now nēmō no one turbāre to disturb potest is able pauca a few things loquar I shall say
1.8 Nōn not dē about īrā anger meā my nārrābō I shall tell quam which omnēs all vīdērunt saw sed but dē about eō that quod which nēmō no one vīdit saw dē about ratiōne the reckoning quam which dum while ille he loquēbātur was speaking subdūxī I worked out
2.1 Ante before diem the day octāvum eighth Kalendās the Kalends Augustās of August in in rēgiā palace meā my Grenovicī at Greenwich sedēbam I was sitting
2.2 Nūntiātum erat it had been announced lēgātum an ambassador ā from Sigismundō Sigismund rēge king Polōniae of Poland et and Sueciae of Sweden venīre to be coming virum a man nōbilem noble et and doctum learned nōmine by name Paulum Paul Dzialinium Działyński
2.3 Crēdēbam I believed eum him dē about foedere treaty dē about amīcitiā friendship fortasse perhaps dē about mercātūrā trade commūnī common verba words factūrum esse to be going to make
2.4 Itaque and so aulam the hall omnibus to all patēre to lie open iussī I ordered ut so that quam as plūrimī many as possible vidērent might see quantō with how great honōre honour lēgātum the ambassador rēgis of a king acciperem I received
2.5 Ingressus est entered lēgātus the ambassador veste in a robe longā long nigrā black indūtus clothed ex out of sēricō silk villōsō shaggy factā made et and gemmīs with jewels undique all over distinctā studded
2.6 Mē me rīte duly salūtāvit he greeted ad to locum place suum his regressus est went back et and ōrātiōnem an oration Latīnam Latin exōrsus est began
2.7 Prīmō at first verba the words eius of him blanda flattering erant were deinde then paulātim little by little asperiōra harsher fīēbant were becoming
2.8 Querēbātur he complained nāvēs the ships mercātōrum of merchants quī who ex from Polōniā Poland mercēs goods in into Hispāniam Spain vehēbant were carrying ā by nautīs sailors meīs my captās esse to have been captured
2.9 Affirmābat he asserted iūre by the law gentium of nations mare the sea omnibus to all patēre to lie open nec nor mihi for me licēre to be permitted aliēna of others commercia trade impedīre to obstruct
2.10 Significāvit he indicated vōce with voice sublātā raised rēgem king suum his nisi unless iniūriae the wrongs sarcīrentur were made good aliā by another viā way iūs right suum his persecūtūrum esse to be going to pursue
2.11 Commemorāvit he mentioned etiam also affīnitātem the kinship by marriage rēgis of king suī his cum with domō the house Austriacā Austrian
2.12 Aulicī courtiers meī my quōrum of whom nōn not omnēs all Latīnē Latin intellegēbant understood vultum face meum my spectābant were watching ut so that ex from eō it cognōscerent they might learn quid what audīvissent they had heard
3.1 Dum while ille he loquēbātur was speaking ego I ut as semper always soleō I am accustomed tria three things mēcum with myself quaerēbam was asking
3.2 Prīmum first quaerēbam I asked quid what hic this homō man ā from mē me cuperet wanted
3.3 Nāvēs ships nōn not cupiēbat he wanted nam for dē about nāvibus ships per through litterās letters agī to be dealt poterat it could cupiēbat he wanted ut that ipse he himself domī at home fortis brave vidērētur might seem et and ut that ego I hīc here cōram before populō people meō my reprehēnsa rebuked vidērer might be seen
3.4 Deinde next quaerēbam I asked quid what āmitterem I would lose sī if eī to him darem I gave quod what cuperet he wanted
3.5 Sī if tacērem I kept silent et and rem the matter cōnsiliāriīs to councillors meīs my permitterem I handed over tōta the whole aula court crēderet would believe rēgīnam the queen ā by lēgātō an ambassador victam esse to have been defeated
3.6 Sī if Anglicē in English respondērem I answered aulicī the courtiers quidem indeed intellegerent would understand sed but lēgātus the ambassador domum home referret would report rēgīnam the queen Angliae of England Latīnē in Latin respondēre to answer nōn not potuisse to have been able
3.7 Tertium third quaerēbam I asked quid what corōna the crown ab from hāc this hōrā hour postulāret demanded
3.8 Respondēbam I answered mihi to myself corōnam the crown postulāre to demand ut that omnēs all cum when discessissent they had departed scīrent should know rēgīnam the queen neque neither timēre to fear neque nor tacēre to keep silent cum when loquī to speak oportēret it was proper
3.9 Sententiam saying meam my nōvistis you know sed but tacēre to keep silent cōnsilium a policy est is nōn not necessitās a necessity
3.10 Itaque and so cōnstituī I decided eādem in the same linguā language respondēre to answer quā in which ille he mē me lacessīverat had provoked et and statim at once nē lest quis anyone putāret should think respōnsum the answer mihi for me ab by aliīs others parātum esse to have been prepared
4.1 Cum when fīnem an end dīcendī of speaking fēcisset he had made surrēxī I rose
4.2 Nōn not exspectāvī I waited ut that ūnus one ex out of cōnsiliāriīs councillors meīs my prō for mē me loquerētur should speak ut as mōs the custom est is
4.3 Haec these prīma first verba words fuērunt were quae which multī many posteā afterwards memoriae to memory mandāvērunt committed Ō O quam how dēcepta deceived fuī I have been Exspectāvī I expected lēgātiōnem an embassy mihi to me vērō but querēlam a complaint addūxistī you have brought
4.4 Dīxī I said mē me eum him per through litterās the letters rēgis of king suī his ut as lēgātum an ambassador recēpisse to have received sed but prōvocātōrem a challenger invēnisse to have found
4.5 Dīxī I said mē me numquam never in in vītā life tantam such great audāciam audacity audīvisse to have heard
4.6 Dīxī I said mē me crēdere to believe rēgem the king eius of him haec these verba words nōn not mandāvisse to have commanded sī if mandāvisset he had commanded id that aetātī to the age eius of him tribuendum esse to have to be attributed quod because adhūc still iuvenis young esset he was
4.7 Docuī I taught eum him rēgēs kings inter among sē themselves nōn not ita thus loquī to speak nec nor lēgātōs ambassadors mittī to be sent ut that prīncipem a prince cōram before cīvibus the subjects eius of him reprehendant they may rebuke
4.8 Dē about iūre the law gentium of nations respondī I answered in in bellō war licēre to be permitted hostī to an enemy commeātum supplies interclūdere to cut off et and eum him quī who hostī to enemy meō my arma arms vel or frūmentum grain ferret carried ipsum himself mē me laedere to harm
4.9 Dē about domō the house Austriacā Austrian quam which ille he tantī of so much worth faciēbat was making monuī I warned nē not oblīvīscerētur he should forget ūnum one ex out of eā that domō house rēgnum the kingdom Polōniae of Poland rēgī from king suō his ēripere to snatch cōnātum esse to have tried
4.10 Dēnique finally dīxī I said cōnsiliāriōs councillors meōs my cēterās the rest of querēlās complaints eius his audītūrōs esse to be going to hear et and eum him valēre to fare well iussī I bade
4.11 Tum then cōnsēdī I sat down
4.12 Per through tōtam the whole aulam hall silentium silence erat there was quāle such as in in templō a church esse to be solet is accustomed
5.1 Nārrant relate omnēs all mē me ex out of tempore the moment respondisse to have answered
5.2 Ex out of tempore the moment quidem indeed sed but nōn not sine without tempore time
5.3 Puella as a girl Latīnās Latin et and Graecās Greek litterās letters didicī I learned magistrō teacher Rogeriō Roger Aschamō Ascham virō a man dīligentissimō most diligent
5.4 Ille he mē me cotīdiē daily Cicerōnem Cicero et and Dēmosthenem Demosthenes legere to read iubēbat used to order
5.5 Mōs the custom eius of him erat was ut that ego I sententiās sentences Latīnās Latin in into sermōnem speech Anglicum English verterem should turn deinde then librō the book clausō closed Anglicās the English ones rūrsus back again in into Latīnum Latin
5.6 Sīc thus aiēbat he used to say nōn not verba words sōla alone sed but ipsum the very ōrdinem order cōgitandī of thinking discī to be learned
5.7 Neque neither ille he neque nor ego I tum then sciēbāmus knew mē me umquam ever rēgnātūram esse to be going to reign
5.8 Discēbam I was learning tamen nevertheless tamquam as if rēgnātūra going to reign
5.9 Nihil nothing enim for quod which prīnceps a prince discit learns inūtile useless est is omnia all things sunt are īnstrūmenta instruments quae which ūsum use suum their exspectant await
5.10 Lingua the language Latīna Latin quīnquāgintā fifty ferē almost annōs years mēcum with me fuerat had been ut like gladius a sword in in vāgīnā a sheath quī which rārō rarely stringitur is drawn sed but numquam never rubīgine by rust corrumpitur is spoiled
6.1 Postquam after lēgātus the ambassador abductus est was led away ad to aulicōs courtiers meōs my conversa sum I turned
6.2 Rīdēns laughing dīxī I said mē me hodiē today coāctam esse to have been forced Latīnitātem Latinity meam my veterem old et and rubīginōsam rusty dētergēre to scour
6.3 Rīsērunt laughed omnēs all et and laudāvērunt praised et and negāvērunt denied ūllam any rubīginem rust appāruisse to have appeared
6.4 Hoc this ipsum very thing volēbam I wanted
6.5 Nam for sī if prīnceps a prince dīcit says gladium sword suum his rubīginōsum rusty esse to be et and tamen yet gladius the sword fulget shines omnēs all sēcum with themselves cōgitant think quālis of what kind sit is ille that gladius sword cum when dētersus sit it has been scoured
6.6 Cēcilius Cecil posteā afterwards comitī to the earl Essexiae of Essex scrīpsit wrote ut as suprā above dīxī I said
6.7 Sciēbam I knew eum him scrīptūrum esse to be going to write sciēbam I knew etiam also quid what scrīptūrus esset he was going to write
6.8 Comes the earl enim for nāvēs ships parābat was preparing et and glōriam glory bellicam of war quaerēbat was seeking Cēcilius Cecil ut as opīnor I suppose eum him monēre to remind volēbat wished glōriam glory etiam also domī at home sine without nāvibus ships parārī to be won posse to be able
6.9 Ita so ūna one epistula letter duōbus two virīs men serviēbat was serving et and uterque each of them mihi me
7.1 Īra anger mea my illō on that diē day vēra true vidēbātur seemed
7.2 Nōn not negō I deny mē me īrātam angry fuisse to have been negō I deny mē me īrā by anger rēctam esse to have been ruled
7.3 Īra anger enim for mea my equus a horse erat was quem which ipsa I myself regēbam was guiding nōn not quī one which mē me quō where vellet it wished auferret might carry off
7.4 Posterīs on the following diēbus days cōnsiliāriī councillors meī my lēgātum the ambassador lēnius more gently audīvērunt heard et and dē about nāvibus the ships sine without clāmōre shouting āctum est it was dealt
7.5 Posteā afterwards lēgātum ambassador meum my in into Polōniam Poland mīsī I sent ut so that rēs the matter placidē calmly compōnerētur might be settled
7.6 Ita thus īra anger mea my in in aulā the hall loquēbātur was speaking cōnsilium counsel meum my in in conclāvī the closet
7.7 Haec this est is ratiō the method prīncipis of a prince alia one lingua language populō for the people alia another lēgātō for the ambassador alia another cōnsiliāriīs for the councillors
7.8 Vōs you quī who Latīnē Latin discitis are learning mementōte remember linguam a language nōn not ōrnāmentum an ornament esse to be sed but īnstrūmentum an instrument
7.9 Quī he who eam it bene well tenet holds nōn not semper always loquitur speaks sed but cum when loquī to speak oportet it is proper nēmō no one eum him interpellat interrupts
7.10 Videō I see et and taceō I am silent et and cum when nōn not taceō I am silent id that quoque also videō I see