Thursday, February 08, 2007
Translation
Roger Ascham, The Scholemaster (ed. R.J. Schoeck), Book II:
Pie = magpie
Daw = jackdaw
Hopshackles = hamshackles, hobbles, fetters
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A bishop that now liveth, a good man, whose judgement in religion I better like than his opinion in perfectness in other learning, said once unto me, "We have no need now of the Greek tongue, when all things be translated into Latin." But the good man understood not, that even the best translation is for mere necessity but an evil imped wing to fly withal, or a heavy stump leg of wood to go withal. Such, the higher they fly, the sooner they falter and fail: the faster they run, the ofter they stumble, and sorer they fall. Such as will needs so fly, may fly at a pie, and catch a daw; and such runners, as commonly they shove and shoulder to stand foremost; yet, in the end, they come behind others, and deserve but the hopshackles, if the masters of the game be right judgers.Evil imped = badly repaired
Pie = magpie
Daw = jackdaw
Hopshackles = hamshackles, hobbles, fetters
