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The book was originally (1550) printed together with Richard Sherry’s_A Treatise of Schemes and Tropes_. Since the two texts have noconnection except that Sherry is assumed to be the translator, theyhave been made into separate e-texts. ]

 ¶ A treatise of Schemes & Tropes very profytable for the better vnderstanding of good authors, gathered out of the best Grammarians & Oratours by Rychard Sherry Lon doner. 

 Whervnto is added a declamacion, That chyldren euen strayt frõ their infancie should be well and gent- ly broughte vp in learnynge. Written fyrst in Latin by the most excel- lent and famous Clearke, Erasmus of Rotero- dame. 

 That chyldren oughte to be taught and brought vp gẽtly in vertue and learnynge, and that euen forthwyth from theyr na tiuitie: A declamacion of a briefe theme, by E- rasmus of Rote- rodame. 

If thou wilt harken vnto me, or rather to Chrisippus, the sharpeste witted of Philosophers, y^u shalteprouide y^t thyne infante and yonge babe be forthewythinstructed in good learnyng, whylest hys wyt is yetvoyde from tares and vices, whilest his age is tenderand tractable, and his mind flexible and ready tofolowe euery thyng, and also wyl kepe fast goodlessons and preceptes. For we remẽber nothynge so wellwhen we be olde, as those thynges y^t we learne inyonge yeres. [Sidenote: Diuision of y^t confutaciõ]Care not thou for those fooles wordes which chatterthat thys age, partly is not hable inough to receiuediscipline, & partlye vnmete to abyde the labours ofstudies. For fyrst, the beginninges of learning, stãdspecially by memorie, which as I sayd, in yõg ones isvery holdfast. Secondly because nature hath made vs toknowledge the study of y^t thynge can not be to hasty, wherof y^e author of al thyng her self hath graffed invs y^e seedes. Beside this some thinges be necessaryto be knowẽ whẽ we be sũwhat elder, which by a certẽpeculier readines of nature, y^e tender age perceiuethboth much more quickly, & also more esily thẽ doth y^eelder, as y^e first beginnings of letters, y^eknowledge of tõges, tales & fabels of poetes. Finallye, why shulde y^t age be thought vnmete tolerning, which is apt to lerne maners? Or what otherthinge shuld chyldrẽ do rather whẽ they be more ableto speake, seyng nedes thei muste do sumwhat? How muchmore profite is it y^t age to sporte in letters, thenin trifles? Thou wilt say y^t it is but of litle valuey^t is done in those fyrste yeres. Why is it dispisedas a smal thing, which is necessary to a very greatematter? And why is y^t lucre, be it neuer so litle, yet a lucre, dispised of purpose? Now if you oftẽ puta lytle to a litle, there riseth a greate heape. Herewith cõsider this also, if beyng an infant helerne smaller thinges, he shalt lerne greter, growyngevpwardes in those yeres, in which those smaller shuldhaue ben lerned. Finally whyle he doth these thinges, at y^e least he shal be kept frõ those fautes, wherw^twe se comẽly y^t age to be infected. For nothynge dothbetter occupy y^e whole mynd of man, thẽ studies. Verely this lucre ought not to be set light bi. But ifwe shuld graũte that by these labours y^e strength ofy^e body is sumwhat diminished; yet thinke I thislosse well recõpensed by winnynge of wyt. For theminde by moderate labours is made more quicke, &lustye. And if ther be any ieopardy in this pointe, itmay be auoyded by our diligẽce. You must haue for thistender age a teacher to enter it by fayre meanes, & not discorage it by foule. And ther be also somethings both plesaũt to be knowen, & as it wer sibbe tochildrẽs wittes, whiche to lerne is rather a play thẽa labour. Howbeit childehod is not so weake which euẽfor thys is y^e more mete to take paynes & labour, because they fele not what labour is. Therfore if thouwylte remember how far vnworthy he is to be counted amã which is void of learning, and how stirring thelife of man is, how slypper youth is to myschiefe, andmans age howe it desyreth to be occupied, how barenolde age is, and further how few come vnto it, thouwylt not suffer thy yong babe in the whych thou shaltelyue styll as it were borne agayne, to let go anyparte of hys tyme vnoccupied, in the whych any thyngemaye be gotten that eyther maye do muche good to ally^e whole lyfe afterwardes, or kepe it awaye fromhurtes, and mischiefes. 

 The selfe same matter enlarged by copye. 

After the longe despayred fruitfulnes of thy wyfe, I hearsay thou art made a father, and that wyth a manchylde, whyche sheweth in it selfe a merueloustowardnes, and euen to be lyke the parentes: andthat if so be we maye by such markes and tokenspronosticate anye thyng, maye seeme to promise perfitevertue. And that therfore thou doest entend, to sethys chylde of so grete hope, assone as he shalbesomewhat of age to be begonne in good letters, and tobe taught in very honest learnynge, to be instructedand fashioned with the very wholsome preceptes ofphilosophy. In deede you wyll be the whole father, andyou wyll haue hym your very son, and to loke lyke you, not only in the fashion of hys face, and liniamẽtes ofhys bodye, but also in the giftes of hys wytte. Verelyas I am hertelye glad for the good fortune of myneespeciall friende, so I greatlye alowe your wyseentente. This one thynge I wolde warne you of boldlyein deede, but louinglye, not to suffer after theiudgemente and example of the cõmon people, that thefyrst age of your infante shulde flytte awaye withoutall fruite of good instrucciõ, and then at the last toset hym to learne hys fyrste letters, when bothe hysage wyll not so well be handled, and hys wytte shallbe more readye to euyll, and peraduenture possessedalreadye w^t the fast holdyng bryers of vices. ¶ Yearather euẽ now loke about for some man, as of manerspure & vncorrupt, so also wel learned: & into his lapdeliuer your litle chyld, as it wer to a nurse of hystẽder mind, that euẽ w^t his milke he may sucke inswete lerning: & deuide the care of thy litle sõne tohis nurses & teacher that they shuld suckun the litlebody w^t very good iuyce, & so indue hys mynd w^t verywholsom opinions, & very honest lernynge. For I thinkeit not conuenient that y^u one of al the best learned, & also wysest shuldest geue care to those piuyshewomen, or vnto mẽ very lyke to thẽ the beard excepted, whych by a cruell pytie, & hateful loue, iudge thatthe chyldren euen vntyl they waxe springoldes, shuldbe kept at home kyssyng theyr mothers, and among thesweete wordes of theyr nurses pastymes, and vnchastetrystynges of seruauntes and maydens. And thynke thatthey ought vtterlye to be kepte awaye from learnyng asfrom venome, saying that the fyrst age is so rude thatit can receiue no discipline, and so tender that it isnot mete for the labours of studies: and finally thatthe profite of that age is so lytle worth, thatneyther anye coste shulde be made vpon it, neyther y^tthe weakenes of the chyldrẽ shuld be vexed. Whyle Iproue euery of these thynges false, I pray you a lytlewhyle take hede, countyng as the truth is, fyrst thatthese thynges be writtẽ of him which loueth you as welas any mã doth, & inespecially of y^t thing which soperteineth to you, y^t none can do more. For what ismore derer to you thẽ your son, inespecial hauing buthim alone, vpon whõ we wold be glad if we mightbestowe yea our life, not only our substaũce. Wherforewho mai not se y^t thei do leudly & also vntowardliwhich in tilling their lãd building their houses, keping their horse, vse y^e gretest diligẽce thei cã, & take to counsell men y^t be wyse, & of greatexperience: in bringing vp and teachynge theyrchyldren, for whose sakes al other thinges ar gotten, take so litle regard that nether they once councelwith theyr owne mynd, not seke for the iudgements ofwyse men, but as thoughe there were a trifle in hande, geue care to folyshe women, and to euery rascalwretche, whych is no lesse shame to hear, then if aman taking thought for the shooe, wolde set naught bythe foote, or wyth great study wold prouide that thereshuld be no faut in the garmente, naught reckynge forthe healthe of the bodye. Good syr, I wyl not herecause you to tarye wyth common places, howe muche thestrength of nature, how much fatherly loue, the law ofgod, mens constitucions require the parentes to owevnto the childrẽ, thorowe whom asmuche as we maye weeescape to dye, and be made to lyue euer. But somethynke they haue gaylye done the office of a father, when they haue only begottẽ chyldren, where as thys isthe least porcion of loue that the name of a fatherrequyreth. What greate thought take the motherscomenlye leste the infant shulde loke a gogle or asquint, lest he shuld be puffe cheked, wrie necked, croke shuldred, croke legged, splaye footed, and lestthat the proporcion of his bodye shuld not be trimmein euery point: whereunto besyde other thynges, theybe wont to vse swadelbondes, and keepe in their chekeswyth lytle miters. They haue regard also to theyrmylke, their meate, theyr bathes, & their mouinges, by whyche thynges the phisicions in many bookes, andinespeciall Galene hath taught that the chyldren getgood healthe of theyr bodye: neyther do they differthys diligẽce vnto the seuenth or tenth yere, but euẽassone as the chylde commeth oute of the motherswombe, they take greate charge of thys. And they dowell, for the infancie not regarded, oftentymescauseth men to haue a syckely and sore disseased oldeage, if they happen to come to it. Yea moreouer oreuer the chyld be born, yet dothe the mother takegreat heede: Thei eate not of euery meat when they begreate with chylde, they take heede that they moue nottheyr bodie to hurte them: and if there happen anythyng to fall vpon their face, by and by they take itaway wyth theyr hand, and laye it vpon the priuiepart of theyr body. It hath ben proued by manyexperimentes, that by this remedie the deformitiewhych wold haue bene on that part of y^e body that issene, hathe lyen hyd in the secrete place. No mãcalleth this to hasty a care whych is vsed for theworser parte of man. Why then is that parte of man, wherby we be properly called menne, neglected so manyyeres? ¶ Shuld he not do all agaynste gods forbod whichwold trim his cap, lettyng his head be vnkempt, andall scabbed? Yet much more vnreasonable is it that weshuld bestow iuste labours vpon the mortall bodye, andto haue no regarde of the immortal soule. Further, ifa mã haue at home an horse colte, or a whelpe of agood kynd, wyl he not straight waye begynne to fashionhym to do sumwhat, and wyll do that so muche the moregladlye, the readyer the yonge age is to folow theteachers mynde? Wee wyl teache a popiniaye while timeis, to speke as a manne dothe, knowynge well that theelder he waxeth, the lesse apte he wyll be to betaughte, yea the common prouerbe geuyng warnynge ofthys thynge: That an old popiniaye careth not for therod. ¶ And what a thynge is it to be diligente in abyrde, and slowe in teachynge thy sonne? What do thewytty husbandmen? Do they not teach euen straight waythe plãtes whyle they be yet tender, to put awayetheyr wylde nature by graffynge, and wyll not taryetyll they be waxen bygge and myghtye? ¶ And they do notonlye take heede that the litle tree grow not crokedor haue any other faute, but if ther be anye, theymake haste to amend it, whyle it wyll yet bowe, andfolowe the hande of the fashioner. ¶ And what liuyngthynge, or what plante wyll bee as the owener orhousebande manne wolde haue it to serue for, excepteoure dylygence helpe nature? The sooner it is donne, the better will it come to passe. 

¶ In dede to manye dumme beastes, nature the mother ofall thynges, hath geuen more helpe to do theyr naturaloffices, but because the prouidẽce of God hath of alcreatures vnto men onlye geuen the strength of reason, she hath left the greatest parte to educacion, in somuch that one hath written very wel the first poynte, the middle, and the thirde, that is the chyefe of allmans felicitye, to be good instruccion, & ryghtbryngynge vp. Whych prayse Demosthenes gaue to ryghtpronunciacion, and that in deede not falsely, butryghte bryngynge vp helpeth muche more to wysedome, then pronunciation to eloquence. For diligente andholy bringing vp, is the founteyne of al vertue. As tofolye and myschief, the fyrst, seconde, and thyrdepoynte, is vndiligente and corrupte educacion. Thys isthe thynge that is chiefelye lefte vnto vs. That isthe cause why vnto other beastes nature hathe geuenswyftnes, flyght, sharpnes of sight, greatnes, andstrengthe of bodye, scales, flyshes, heares, hornes, nayles, venome, wherby they may both defende theirhealthe, and prouide for theyr liuynge, and brynge vptheir yonge: and bryngeth forthe man onlye softe, naked, and vnfensed: but in stede of all thys, hathgeuen hym a mynde hable to receiue all discipline, because in this onlye are all thynges, if a man wyllexercise it. And euerye liuynge thynge, the lesse meteit is to teachynge, so muche the more it hathe ofnatiue prudence. Bees learne not to make their celles, to gather iuce, and to make honye. The Emets are nottaughte to gather into their holes in somer, wherbythey shulde lyue in wynter, but all these thynges bedone by instruccion of nature. But man neyther caneate, nor go, nor speake, except he be taught. Then ifthe tree brynge forthe eyther no fruite or vnsauerye, without the diligence of graffing, if the dogge bevnmete to hunte, the horse vnapte to iuste, the oxe tothe plowe, except oure diligence bee putte to, howewylde and vnprofitable a creature wolde man become, except diligẽtlye, and in dewe tyme he shulde befashioned by good bryngynge vp. ¶ I wyll not hererehearse vnto you the example of Lycurgus knowen ofeuerye man, whyche bryngynge oute two whelpes, one ofa gentle kynde, but euyll taughte, that ran to themeate, that other of sluggyshe syres, but diligentlybrought vp, that leafte the meate and leapt vpon thebeast. Nature is an effectuall thynge, but educacionmore effectuall, ouercommeth it. Menne take heede thatthey maye haue a good dog to hunte, to haue a goodhorse to iournei with, and here thei thynke nodiligence to be to hastie, but to haue a sonne thatshulde be both worship and profite to the parentes, vpon whome they myghte laye a good part of the chargesof their houshold, whose loue mighte noryshe and bearevp their vnweldy age, and y^t shuld shew hym self atrustye and healpynge sonne in a lawe, a good husbandeto his wife, a valiaunte and profitable citizen to thecommon wealthe, I saye to haue suche one, eyther theytake no care, or else they care to late. For whõ dothey plant? for whõ do they plowe? for whõ do theybuylde? for whõ do they hunt for riches both by land &by sea? not for theyr chyldrẽ? But what profite orworshyp is in these thinges, if he y^t shal be heireof thẽ can not vse thẽ? With vnmesurable studye bepossessions gotten, but of the possessor we take nokepe Who prepareth an harpe for the vnskylfull ofmusycke? Who garnysheth a librarie for hym that canskyl of no bookes? And are so great ryches gotten forhym whyche can not tell howe to vse them? If thougettest these thynges to hym that is well broughte vp, thou geueste hym instrumentes of vertue: but if thouget them for a rude and rusticall wytte, what otherthynge doest thou then minister a matter ofwantonnesse and mischiefe? What canne bee thoughtemore folyshe then thys kynde of fathers? They prouidethat the bodie of the sonne maye be wythout faute, andshulde bee made apte to do all manner thynges comelye, but the mynde, by whose moderacion all honeste wyrkesdo stand, that they care not for. It nedeth me nothere to rehearse that riches, dignitie, authoritie, and also healthfulnes of body, whych menne sodesirouslye wyshe to theyr chyldren, nothynge dothmore get them vnto man, thẽ vertue and learninge. Theywyshe vnto them a praye, but they wyll not geue thẽ anette to take it with all. That thing which is of almost excellent, thou canst not geue thy sonne, butthou mayest store hym wyth those good sciences, wherbythe best thynges be gotten. Now is this a greatinconuenience, but it is yet a greater, that theyleaue at home their dogge wel taught, their horse wellbroken and taught, and theyr son enstructed wyth nolearnyng. They haue land well tylled, and theyr sonneshamefull rude. ¶ They haue their house goodly trimmed, and theyr sonne voyde of all garnyshyng. Further, theywhych after the peoples estimacion seme to bemeruelouse wyse, do prolong the diligence to garnyshethe mind eyther in to an age vnapte to bee taughte, or else take no care at all for it, and are meruelousethoughtfull of externall goodes of fortune, yea oreuer he be borne, whom they haue appoynted to be lordeof thẽ all. For what se we not them to do? When theirwyfe is greate with chylde, then call they for asearcher of natiuities, the parentes axe whether itshall be a man or a woman kynde. They searche oute thedestenye. If the astrologer by the byrth houre hauesayde that the chylde shulde be fortunate in warre:wee wyll, saye they, dedicate this chyld to the kyngescourte. If he shal promyse ecclesiasticall dygnitie, wee wyll, saye they, hunte for hym by some meanes, a Byshoprycke, or a fatte Abbotshyp. Thys chylde wylwe make a president or a deane. ¶ Thys semeth not tothem to hasty a care when they preuente euen the werybyrth: and semeth it to hastye that is vsed infashioning your childrens myndes? So quyclye youprouide to haue your sonne a capteine or an officer, and therewyth wylte thou not prouide that he maie be aprofitable captayn or officer of the common wealth?Before the tyme come you go aboute this, to haue yoursonne a byshop, or an abbot, and wylt thou not fashionhym to this well, to beare the office of a byshop, oran abbot? Thou setteste hym to a chariot, and shewesthym not the manner to guyde it. Thou puttest hym tothe sterne, and passest not that he shulde learnethose thynges that becommeth a shypmaster to know. Finally in all thy possessions thou regardest nothinglesse then that, that is moste precious, & for whosesake al other thynges be gotten. Thi corne fieldes begoodly, thy houses be fayre, thy vessel is bright, thygarmentes, and al thy housholde stuffe, thy horses beewel kept, thi seruaũtes wel taught, only thy sonneswyt is foule, filthy & all sluttishe. Thou hastperchaũce bought by the drũme a bond slaue, vyle, andbarbarous, if he be rude and ignoraunt, y^u markest towhat vse he is good, & trimly thou bryngest hym vp tosome craft, either of the kytchen, physicke, husbandrye, or stewardshyp: only thy sõne thou settestlyght by, as an idle thynge. Thei wyl say: He shalhaue inough to lyue on, but he shall not haue to lyuewell on. Comonly the rycher that men be, the lessethey care for the bryngyng vp of their chyldren. Whatneede is it, say they, of anye learnyng, they shallhaue inoughe? Yea the more nede haue they of the helpeof phylosophy and learnyng. The greater the shyp is, &the more marchandyse it carieth aboute, the more needeit hathe of a connynge shyppe master. Howe greatlye doPrynces go about this, to leaue vnto their sonnes aslarge a dominion as they cã, and yet do none carelesse that they shuld be brought vp in those goodwayes, wythoute the whych, principalitie can not welbe ordred. How muche more dothe he geue, that geuethvs to lyue well, then to lyue? Verye lytel do chyldrenowe vnto theyre fathers of whome they be no morebut begotten, and not also broughte vp to lyueverteouslye. 

¶ The saying of Alexander is muche spoken of: excepteI were Alexander, I wold wishe to be Diogenes. Butvery worthely doth Plutarch rebuke it, because that somuch the more he shuld haue wyshed to haue hadDiogenes philosophye, howe muche the greater hysdominion was. But muche more shameful is theyrsluggardy, whyche not onely bryng not vp their chyldrẽaright, but also corrupte them to wyckednesse. WhenCrates the Thebane dyd perceiue thys abhominacion, notwithout a cause he wolde go in to y^e hyest place ofthe citye, & there crie out as loud as he could, &caste them in the teeth wyth theyr madnesse in thiswyse. You wretches what madnesse driueth you? Take yousuche thought to gette money and possessions, & takeyou no care for your children for whom you get thesethynges? As they be scante halfe mothers whych onlyebringe forth, and not vp their chyldren, so be theyscante halfe fathers, which when they prouidenecessaries for theyr chyldrens bodies, euẽ somuchthat they maye ryot wythall, prouide not that theirmyndes maye be garnyshed wyth honest disciplines. Trees paraduẽture wyl grow though eyther baren, orwyth wild fruite: horses are foled, though perchauncethey be good for nothyng: but menne (truste me) be notborne, but fashioned. Menne in olde tyme which by nolawes, nor good order ledde theyr lyues in woodes, inwãderynge lustes of bodye, were rather wylde beastesthen men. Reason maketh a man: that hathe no placewhere all thynges are gouerned after affection. Ifshape and fashion shulde make a man, Images alsoshulde be counted among men. Elegantly saydeAristippus when a certen ryche man axed him whatprofite learnyng shuld brynge to a yong man: & it beno more but this quod he, y^t in the playing place onestone sytte not vpon an other. Very properly anotherPhilosopher Diogenes I trowe, bearynge in the mydday acandle in his hand, walked aboute the market placethat was full of men: beinge axed what thynge hesought: I seeke quod he, a man. He knewe that therewas a greate company, but of beastes, and not men. Thesame man on a daye, when stãding on an hye place hehad called a great sort together, and sayde nothingelse but come hither men, come hyther men. Some halfeangrye cryed agayne: we are here men, say what thouhast. Thẽ quod he: I wold haue men come hyther & notyou whych are nothyng lesse then men, and therwythdraue them away wyth his staffe. Surely it is verytrewe, that a man not instructed wyth Phylosophye norother good sciences, is a creature somewhat worse thenbrute beastes. For beastes folowe onely the affectesof nature, a manne except he be fashioned wythlearning, and preceptes of philosophy, is rawght intoaffeccions more thẽ beastlike. For there is no beastmore wylde, or more hurtefull then a manne, whomambicion dryuethe, desyre, anger, enuye, ryot, andluste. Therfore he that prouideth not that his sonnemay by and by be instructed in the beste learnyng;neyther is he a manne, nor the sonne of a man. ¶ Wereit not an abhominable sight that the mynde of a manshulde be in a beastes body? As we haue read thatCirces when she had enchaũted men wyth her wytchcraft, dyd turne them into Lions, beares and swyne, so thatyet ther shuld be stil in them the mynde of a man, which thyng Apuleus wrote to haue happened to hymselfe, and Austin also hathe beleued that men hauebene turned into wolues. Who could abyde to be calledthe father of such a monster. But it is a moremerueylous monster that a beastes mynde shulde be in amans bodye, and yet do very many please them selues insuche chyldren, and bothe the fathers seme, and thecommon people thynke suche to be verye wise. 

¶ It is sayde that beares caste oute a lumpe of fleshewythout anye fashion, whych wyth longe lyckyng theyforme and brynge into a fashyon, but there is nobeares yonge one so euyll fauored as a manne is, borneof a rude mynde. 

¶ Except wyth much studye y^u forme and fashion this, thou shalt be a father of a monster and not of a man. If thy sonne be borne wyth a copped head orcrockeshuldred, or splay footed, or wyth syxe fingersin one hande, howe lothe woldest thou be for it, howarte thou ashamed to be called the father not of aman, but of a monster: and art thou not ashamed of somonstrous a mynde? ¶ Howe discoraged be the fathers intheyr hertes if their wyfe brynge forthe a naturall, &an infante of a brute mynde? For they thynke they hauebegottẽ not a man, but a monster, and excepte feare ofthe lawe dyd let them, they wolde kyll that that isborne. Thou blameste nature whych hath denied theminde of a man to thy chylde, & thou causest by thyneown negligence, that thy sonne shulde be wythoute themynde of a man. But thou wylte saye: Better it is tobe of a brutishe rather thẽ of an vngracious mind. Naye better it is to be a swyne, thẽ an vnlearned andeuyll man. Nature, when she geueth the a sonne, shegeueth nothyng else, thẽ a rude lumpe of fleshe. It isthy parte to fashiõ after y^e best maner, that matterthat will obey & folow in euery poynt. If thou wyltslacke to do it, thou hast a beaste: if thou take hedethou hast, as I myght saye, a God. Srayght waye assoneas thy infãte is borne, it is apte to be taughte thosethynges whych properlie belonge to a man. Therforeafter the sayinge of Vyrgyll, bestowe diligente labourvpon hym, euen from hys tender age. Handle the waxestrayght way whyle it is very soft, fashion thys claiewhle it is moist, season thys earthen vessel wythverye good liquour, while it is newe, bye your wollewhyle it commeth whyte frome the fuller, and is notdefiled wyth any spottes. Antisthenes dyd veryemerilye shewe the same, whyche when he had taken acerten mans sõne to be taught, and was axed of hysfather what thinges he had neede of: a newe booke quodhe, a newe pensyle, and a new table. Verelye thephilosopher requyred a rude and emptye mynde. Thoucanst not haue a rude lumpe; but and if thou fashyonstnot lyke a manne, of it selfe it wylt waxe naught, into monstruous formes of wylde beastes. Seynge thoudoest owe this seruyce to God & nature, although therewere no hope that thou shuldest haue any profitetherby, count in thy mynd, how greate comforte, howgreate profite, howe much worshyp the children that bewell brought vp brynge to theyr fathers. [Sidenote:Chyldren euyl broughte vp, brynge shame to theirparẽtes] Agayne into what shames and greate sorowesthey cast their parentes that bee euyll broughte vp. There is no nede to bryng here vnto the examples outof olde chronicles: do no more but remember in thymind the housholdes of thine owne citye, howe manyexamples shalt y^u haue in eueri place? I know thoudoest often hear such wordes. O happye man that Iwere, if my chyldren were buryed. O fortunate mother, if I hadde neuer broughte forth chylde. It is awayghty matter to brynge vp chyldren well, I graunt:but no man is borne to him selfe, no man borne to beidle. Thou woldest nedes be a father, y^u muste be agood father; y^u haste gotten thẽ to the cõmon wealth, not to thy self only; or to speake more lyke achristen man, y^u hast begottẽ thẽ to god, not to thyselfe. Paul wryteth that so in dede women be saued, ifthey bryng forth childrẽ, & so brynge thẽ vp that theycontinue in y^e study of vertue. God wil straitlycharge the parẽts w^t the childrẽs fautes. Therforeexcepte y^t euen forthwith thou bryng vp honestly y^t, that is borne, fyrst y^u dost thy self wronge, whichthorow thy negligence, gettest y^t to thy selfe, thenthe which no enemye could wyshe to an other, ethermore greuous or paynful. Dionisius did effeminat w^tdelyghtes of the court Dions yong son y^t was runawaye from him: he knew y^t this shuld be morecarefull to y^e father, then if he had kylled hym w^ta swerde. A litel whyle after when the yong manne wasforced of his father that was come to him, to returneagayne to his old vertue, he brake his necke out of agarret. In dede a certeyne wise hebriciõ wrot verywisely. A wise child maketh the father glad, & afolish son is sorow to y^e mother. But a wyse chyldnot only is pleasure to hys father, but also worshipand succoure, and finallye hys fathers lyfe. Contraryea folyshe and leude chylde, not only bringethheauynesse to hys parentes, but also shame andpouertye, and olde before the tyme: and at lastecauseth death to them, of whom he had the begynnyng oflyfe. What nede me to rehearse vp? daily are in oureies the examples of citizens, whome the euyll manersof theyr chyldrẽ haue brought to beggarye, whomeeyther the sonne beyng hanged, or theyr daughter anwhoore of the stewes, haue tormented wyth intollerableshame and vylany. I know greate men, whych of manyechyldren haue scante one lefte alyue. ¶ One consumedwyth the abhominable leprie, called by diminucion y^efrench pockes, beareth his death aboute wyth hym:another hathe burste by drynkynge for the beste game, an other goyng a whorehuntynge in the nyghte with avisar, was pitifullye kylled. What was the cause?Bycause theyr parentes thynkynge it enough to hauebegotten them, and enryched them, toke no heede oftheire bryngynge vp. ¶ They shall dye by the lawe, whychlaye awaye theyr children, and cast them into somewood to be deuoured of wylde beastes. But there is nokynde of puttynge them awaye more cruell, then to geuevp that to beastlye affeccions, whych nature hathgeuen to be fashioned by very good waies. If ther werani witch could wyth euyl craftes, and wold go aboutto turne thy sonne into a swyne or a wolfe, woldestthou not thynke that ther were no punyshemente to sorefor her myscheuouse deede? But that whych thouabhorrest in her, thou of purpose doest it thy selfe. How huge a beaste is lechery? how rauenous andinsaciable is ryot? howe wylde a beast is dronkenshyp?how hurtfull a thing is anger? how horrible isambicion? To these beastes dothe he set ouer hyssonne, whosoeuer from his tender youthe doth notaccustume hym to loue that, that is honeste: toabhorre synne: yea rather not onlye he casteth hym towyld beastes, whych the most cruel casters away arewonte to do, but also whych is more greuouese, henorisheth this greate and perilous beaste, euen to hysowne destruccion. It is a kind of men most to beabhorred, which hurteth the body of infantes wythbewitchyng: and what shal we say of those parenteswhiche thorowe their negligence and euyll educacionbewitch the mynd? They are called murtherers that kylltheir children beynge newe borne, and yet kyll but thebody: howe great wyckednes is it to kyll the mynde?For what other thynge is the deathe of the soule, thenfoly and wickednes. And he doth also no lesse wrong tohis contrey, to whom asmuch as lyeth in hym, he geuetha pestilente citizẽ. He is naught to godwards, of whomhe hath receyued a chylde for thys purpose, to bryngehym vp to vertue. Hereby you may se, how greate andmanifolde mischiefes they committe whych regarde notthe bryngynge vp of tender age. ¶ But as I touched alytle before, they synne more greuouslie then dothese, whych not onely do not fashion them tohonestye, but also season the tender and soft vesselof the infante to myschiefe and wyckednesse, andteacheth hym vyce before he knowe what vice is. Howshuld he be a modeste man and dyspyser of pride, thatcreepeth in purple? ¶ He can not yet sound his fyrsteletters, and yet he nowe knoweth what crimosine andpurple sylke meaneth, he knoweth what a mullet is, andother dayntie fyshes, and disdainfullye wyth a proudelooke casteth away cõmon dyshes. How can he beshamefast whẽ he is growen vp, which being a litelinfãt was begon to be fashioned to lecherye? How shallhe waxe liberal whẽ he is old, which being so litelhath lerned to meruell at money & gold? If ther be anikynd of garment lately foũd out, as daili y^e tailerscraft, as in time paste dyd Africa, bringeth forthsome new mõster, y^t we put vpon our infãt. He istaught to stand in his own cõceite: & if it be takẽaway, he angerly axeth for it again. Howe shall hebeyng old hate drũkennes, whych when he is an infãt istaught to loue wine? They teach them by lytle andlytle suche filthy wordes whych are scant to besuffered, as sayth Quintilian, of the deliciousAlexandrians. And if the child speake any suche afterthem, they kysse hym for hys laboure. I warant youthey know their yong, growynge nothynge out of kynde, when theyr owne lyfe is nothynge else then an exampleof naughtynes. Beynge an infant, he learneth thevnchaste flatterynge wordes of nurses, and as we saye, he is fashioned wyth the hand to wanton touchynge. He seeth hys father well whetteled wyth drynke, andheareath hym bablynge oute that, that shulde be keptein. He sytteth at greate, and not very honest feastes, he heareth the house ful of iesters, harpes, mynstrelsand daunsers. ¶ To these maners the chyld is soaccustumed, that custume goeth into nature. There benacions that fashion their chyldren to fiercenesse ofwarre whyle they be yet redde frõ the mother. Theylerne to loke fierslie, the learne to loue theswearde, and to geue a strype. From such beginningesthei are deliuered to the master: and do we merueyleif wee fynde them vnapte to lerne vertue, whych hauedronke in vyces, euen wyth the mylke? But I hear somemen defendynge theyr folye thus, and saie that by thyspleasure whiche is taken of the wantõnes of infantes, the tediousnes of noursyng is recõpẽsed. What is this?Shuld it be to the verye father more pleasaunt if thechylde folowe an euyll deede, or expresse a leudeworde, thẽ if wyth his lytle stuttyng tonge, he spakea good sentence, or folowe any deede that is wel done?Nature specially hathe geuen to the fyrste age aneasines to folowe and do after, but yet thys folowyngis somewhat more prone to naughtynesse then togoodnes. Is vyce more plesaunte to a good man thenvertue, specially in hys chrldren? If anye fylthe fallvpon the yonge chyldes skyn, thou puttest it away, anddost thou infect the mynd wyth so foule spottes?Nothynge stycketh faster then that that is learned inyonge myndes. I pray you what motherlye hertes hauethose women, whiche dandle in their lap their chyldrentyl they be almost seuen yeres old, and in maner makethẽ fooles? If they be so much disposed to play why dothey not rather get apes, and litle puppets to playwythall? O saye they: they be but chyldren. They be indeede: but it cã scant be told how muche those fyrstebeginninges of our yong age do helpe vs to guide allour lyfe after, & howe hard & vntractable a wanton anddissolute bryngyng vp, maketh the chylde to theteacher, callynge the same gentlenes, when in deede itis a marring. Might not an accion of euyl handlyngchildren meruelous iustli be laid against suchmothers? For it is plainely a kynde of witchcraft & ofmurther. They be punyshed by the lawe, y^t bewitchetheir childrẽ, or hurt their weake bodies withpoisons: what do thei deserue which corrupt y^e chiefeparte of the infãt w^t most vngracious venome? It is alighter matter to kyl the body then the mind? If achild shulde be brought vp amõg the gogle eiedstutters, or haltyng, the body wold be hurt w^tinfecciõ: but in dede fautes of the mind crepe vpon vsmore priuely, & also more quickely, & settel deper. The apostle Paul worthily gaue this honor vnto theverse of Menãder, y^t he wold recite it in hisepistels: Euyl comunicaciõ, corrupteth good maners:but this is neuer truer thẽ in infantes. Aristotle whẽhe was axed of a certen mã by what meanes he myghtebringe to pas, to haue a goodly horse: If he bebrought vp quod he, among horses of good kynde. Andy^t if neyther loue nor reason can teach vs howegreate care we ought to take for y^e first yeres ofour children, at y^e least waies let vs take exampleof brute beastes. For it oughte not to greue vs tolearne of thẽ a thynge y^t shall be so profitable, of whome mãkinde now long ago hath lerned so manyfruitful things: sence a beast called Hippopotamushath shewed y^e cutting of veines, & a bird of egiptcalled Ibis hath shewed y^e vse of a clister, whichy^e phisiciõs gretly alow. The hearbe called dictamumwhiche is good to drawe out arrowes, we haue knowne itbi hartes. Thei also haue taughte vs that the eatingeof crabs is a remedy against the poyson of spyders. And also we haue learned by the teachyng of lysardes, that dictamum doth confort vs agaynst the byting ofserpentes. For thys kynde of beastes fyghte naturallyagaynste serpentes, of whom whẽ they be hurt, theyhaue ben espyed to fetche theyr remedye of that herbe. Swallowes haue shewed vs salandine, and haue geuen thename vnto the hearbe. ¶ The wesyll hathe shewed vs thatrewe is good in medicines. The Storke hathe shewed vsthe herbe organye: and the wylde bores haue declaredy^t Iuy helpeth sickenesses. Serpentes haue shewedthat fenel is good for the eye syght. That vomite ofthe stomacke is stopped by lettise, the Dragonmonysheth vs. And that mans donge helpeth agaynstpoyson, the Panthers haue taught vs, and many moremedies we haue learned of Brute beastes: yea andcraftes also that be verye profitable for mannes lyfe. Swine haue shewed vs the maner to plow the land, andthe Swalowe to tẽper mud walles. To be short, there isin maner nothyng profitable for the lyfe of man, but y^t nature hathe shewed vs an example in brutebeastes, that they that haue not learned philosophyand other sciences, maye be warned at the least wayeby them what they shulde do. Do we not se howe thateuery beaste, not only doth beget yonge, but alsofashion them to do their natural office? The byrde isborne to flye. Doest thou not se how he is taughttherunto & fashioned by his dãme? We see at home howthe cattes go before their kytlynges, and exercysethem to catch myse and byrdes, because they muste lyueby them. ¶ They shewe them the praye whyle it is yetalyue, and teache them to catche it by leapyng, and atlast to eate them. What do hartes? Do they not forthwyth exercise their fawnes to swyftnes, and teach thẽhowe to runne? they brynge them to hye stiepe douneplaces, & shewe them how to leap, because by thesemeanes they be sure agaynste the traines of thehunters. Ther is put in writing as it were a certenrule of techyng elephãtes and dolphins in brynginge vptheir yonge. In Nyghtingales, we perceiue the officesof the techer and learner, how the elder goth before, calleth backe, and correcteth, and howe the yongerfoloweth and obeyeth. And as the dogge is borne tohuntyng, the byrde to flyinge, the horse to runnyng, the oxe to plowynge, so man is borne to philosophy andhoneste doinges: and as euery liuing thing lernethvery easly that, to the whiche he is borne, so manwyth verye lytle payne perceiueth the lernyng ofvertue and honestye, to the whiche nature hath graffedcerten vehemente seedes and principles: so that to thereadinesse of nature, is ioyned the diligence of theteacher. What is a greater inconuenience then beastesthat be wythout reason to knowe and remember theyrduetye towarde theyr yong: Man whych is deuided frombrute beastes by prerogatiue of reason, not to knowwhat he oweth to nature, what to vertue, and what toGod? And yet no kynde of brute beastes looketh foranye rewarde of theyre yong for their noursynge andteachynge, excepte we luste to beleue that the Storkesnoryshe agayne they dãmes forworne wyth age, and bearthem vpon their backes. But among men, because nocontinuance of time taketh awaye the thanke ofnaturall loue: what comfort, what worshyp, whatsuccoure doth he prepare for hym selfe, that seeth hyschilde to be well brought vp? Nature hathe geuen intothy handes a newe falowed fielde, nothynge in it indeede, but of a fruitfull grounde: and thou thorownegligence sufferest it to be ouergrowen wyth bryersand thornes, whyche afterwardes can not be pulled vpwyth any diligence. In a lytell grayne, howe greate atree is hyd, what fruite will it geue if it springoute. 

¶ All thys profite is lost except thou caste seedeinto the forowe, excepte thou noryshe wyth thy labourthis tender plant as it groweth, and as it were makeit tame by graffyng. Thou awakest in tamyng thy plãt, and slepeste thou in thy sonne? All the state of mansfelicitie standeth specially in thre poyntes: nature, good orderyng, and exercyse. I cal nature an aptnes tobe taught, and a readines that is graffed within vs tohonestye. Good orderynge or teachyng, I call doctryne, which stondeth in monicions and preceptes. I callexercyse the vse of that perfitenes which nature hathgraffed in vs, and that reason hath furthered. Naturerequyreth good order and fashionynge: exercyse, exceptit be gouerned by reason, is in daunger to manyeperylles and erroures. They be greatly thereforedeceiued, whych thynke it sufficiẽt to be borne, & nolesse do they erre whyche beleue that wysedome is gotby handelynge matters and greate affayres wythoute thepreceptes of philosophye. Tel me I praye you, whenshall he be a good runner whych runneth lustelye indeede, but eyther runneth in the darke, or knoweth notthe waye? ¶ When shall he bee a good sworde player, whych shaketh hys sworde vp and downe wynkyng?Preceptes of philosophye be as it were the eyes of themynde, and in manner geue lyght before vs that you maysee what is nedefull to be done and what not. Longeexperience of diuerse thinges profite much in dede, I confesse, but to a wyse man that is diligentlyinstructed in preceptes of well doynge. Counte whatthei haue done, and what thei haue suffered all theyrlyfe, whych haue gotten them by experience of thingesa sely small prudence & thinke whether y^u woldestwyshe so greate myschiues to thy sonne. Moreouerphilosophye teacheth more in one yere, then dothe anyeexperience in thyrty, and it teacheth safely, whẽ byexperience mo men waxe miserable then prudent, in somuch that the old fathers not without a cause sayde:a man to make a perill or be in ieopardy, whychassayed a thyng by experience. Go to, if a man woldhaue hys sonne well seene in physycke, whether woldehe rather he shulde reade the bookes of physicions orlearne by experience what thynge wolde hurt bypoysonyng, or helpe by a remedy. Howe vnhappyeprudence is it, when the shypman hathe learned thearte of saylynge by often shypwrackes, when the princeby continuall batayles and tumultes, and by cõmonmyschieues hath learned to beare hys office? Thys isthe prudence of fooles, and that is bought to dearlye, that men shulde be wyse after they be strycken wythmyschief. He learneth very costely, whych by wanderynglerneth not to wander. Philippus wyselye learned hyssonne Alexander to shewe hym selfe glad to lerne ofAristotle: and to learne philosophy perfectlye of himto the entẽt he shuld not do that he shuld repent hymof. And yet was Phylyp cõmended for hys singulertowardnes of wytte. What thynke ye then is to belooked for of the cõmon sorte. But the manner ofteachynge doth briefly shewe what we shulde folowe, what wee shulde auoyde: neyther dothe it after weehaue taken hurte monyshe vs, thys came euyll to passe, hereafter take heede: but or euer ye take the matterin hande, it cryeth: If thou do thys, thou shalt getvnto the euyll name and myschiefe. Let vs knyttetherfore this threfolde corde, that both good teachyngleade nature, and exercise make perfite goodteachynge. Moreouer in other beastes we do perceiuethat euery one doth sonest learne that that is mostproperly belonging to hys nature, and whych is fyrsteto the sauegarde of hys healthe: and that standeth inthose thynges which brynge either payne or destrucciõ. Not onlye liuing thyngs but plantes also haue thyssence. For we se that trees also in that parte wherethe sea doth sauour, or the northen winde blow, toshrynke in their braunches and boughes: and where thewether is more gentle, there to spreade them fartheroute. 

¶ And what is that that properly belongeth vnto man?Verelye to lyue according to reason, and for that iscalled a reasonable creature, and diuided frõ thosethat cã not speake And what is most destrucciõ to mã?Folyshenes. He wyll therfore be taught nothyng sonerthen vertue, and abhorre from nothynge sooner thenfolyshenesse, if so be the diligence of the parenteswyll incontinent set aworke the nature whyle it isemty. But we here meruelous complantes of the commonpeople, howe readye the nature of chyldrẽ is to fal tovyce, & how hard it is to drawe them to the loue ofhonesty. They accuse nature wrongfullye. The greatestparte of thys euyll is thorowe oure owne faute, whychemar the wittes w^t vyces, before we teache themvertues. And it is no maruell if we haue them notverye apte to learne honestye, seyng they are nowealready taught to myschiefe. And who is ignoraunt, that the labour to vnteache, is both harder, and alsogoth before teachyng. Also the common sorte of men doamysse in thys pointe thre maner of wayes: eytherbecause they vtterlye neglecte the bryngynge vp ofchyldren, or because they begynne to fashion theirmyndes to knoweledge to late, or because they puttethem to those men of whome they maye learne that thatmuste be vnlerned agayne. Wee haue shewed those fyrstmaner of men vnworthi to be called fathers, and thatthey very litle differ from suche as sette theyrinfantes out abrode to be destroyed, and that theyoughte worthely to be punyshed by the lawe, which dothprescribe this also diligentlye by what meaneschyldren shuld be brought vp, & afterwards youth. Thesecond sorte be very manye, wyth whom nowe I speciallyentend to striue. The thyrd doth amysse two wayes, partly thorowe ignoraunce, partly thorowe retchlesnes. And syth it is a rare thynge and a shame to beignoraunte to whome thou shuldest put oute thy horse, or thy grounde to be kepte, howe muche more shamefullis it not to knowe whom thou shuldeste put thy chyldein truste wythal, beynge the dearest part of thypossessions? Ther thou beginnest to lerne that, thatthou canst not skyll well of thy selfe, thou axestcounsell of the beste seene: here thou thynkeste itmaketh no matter to whom thou committest thy sonne. Thou assignest to thy seruantes, eueri man his officethat is metest for hym. Thou tryest whom thou mayestmake ouersear of thy husbandrie, whome to appoint tothe kitchen, and who shulde ouersee thy housholde. Andit there be any good for nothynge, a slug, a dulhead, a foole, a waster, to hym we cõmit oure childe to betaught: and that thynge whych requireth the cunningestman of all, is put to y^e worst of our seruauntes. What is vntoward, if here menne haue not an vntowardmind? Ther be some whych for theyr couetous mynd beafeard to hyre a good master, and geue more to anhorskeper then a teacher of the chyld. And yet for althat they spare no costly feastes, nyght & day theiplaye at dice, and bestowe moch vpon houndes & fooles. In thys thynge onely they be sparers and nigardes, for whose cause sparinge in other thynges myght beexcused. I wold ther wer fewer whych bestowe more vpona rotten whore, then vpon bringyng vp of their chylde. Nothyng sayth the Satir writer stãdeth the father inlesse cost then the sonne. Peraduenture it wyll not bemuch amisse here to speake of y^e day dyet, whichlonge ago was muche spokẽ of in y^e name of Crates. They report it after thys fashion. Alow to thy coke. X. Poũd, to thy physicion a grote, to thy flatterer. V. Talẽts, to thy coũseller smoke, to thy harlot atalent, to thy philosospher . Iii. Halfpẽs. Whatlacketh to this preposterous count, but to put to ity^t the teacher haue . Iii. Farthings: Howbeit I thinkey^t the master is meant vnder y^e name of philosopher. Whẽ one that was riche in money, but nedy of wit axedAristippus what wages he wold axe for teching his son, & he answered . V. C. Grotes. You axe quod he to great asũme: for w^t this much money a man maye bye aseruaunte. ¶ Then the philosopher very properly againe:but now, quod he, for one thou shalt haue two: a sonnemete to do the seruice, and a philosopher to teachethy sonne. Further if a man shulde bee axed, whetherhe wold haue hys onlye sonne dead to wynne an hundredhorses, if he had any crumme of wysedome, he woldanswer (I thinke:) in no wyse. Whi geuest thou thenmore for thi horse? why is he more diligẽtly takẽ hedeto then thy sonne? why geuest thou more for a fole, then for the bringyng vp of thy chylde? Be frugall andsparynge in other thynges, in thys poynt to bethryfty, is no sparynge but a madnes. There be otheragayn that take good heede in chosyng a master, butthat is at the desyre of their friendes. They lettepasse a meete and cunninge man to teache chyldren, andtake one that can no skyll, for none other cause, butthat he is set forwardes at the desyres of theirfriendes. Thou mad man, what meanest thou? In saylyngethou regardest not the affeccion of thẽ y^t speakegood wordes for a man, but thou setteste hym to thehelme, whych can beste skyll to gouerne the shyp: inthe sonne, whẽ not only he hymself is in ieopardy, butthe father and mother and all the housholde, yea andthe common wealth it selfe, wylte thou not vse likeiudgement? Thy horse is sicke, whether wilt thou sendefor a leche at the good word of thy friend, or for hiscũning in lechcraft. What? Is thy sonne of lesse pricevnto the then thi horse? Yea settest thou lesse by thyselfe then by thy horse? This beyng a foule thynge inmeane citizens, how much more shamefull is it in greatmenne? At one supper a dashynge agaynst the mischeuousrocke of dice, and so hauynge shypwrake, thei lose twohundred poũd, and yet they saye they be at coste, ifvpon theyr son they bestowe aboue . Xx. Pounde. No mancan geue nature, eyther to himselfe, or to other:howbeit in this poynte also the diligẽce of theparẽtes helpeth much. The fyrst poynt is, that a mãchose to hym selfe a wyfe that is good, come of a goodkynred, and well broughte vp, also of an healthfullbodie. For seyng the kynred of the body and mynde isvery straytlye knytte, it can not be but that the onethynge eyther muste be holpen or hurte of the other. The nexte is, that when the husbande dothe hys duetyeto get chyldren, he do it neither beyng moued wythanger, nor yet drunken, for these affeccions go intothe chylde by a secrete infeccion. A certenphilosopher seemed to haue marked that thyng properly, whyche seynge a yonge man behauinge hym selfe notverye soberlie, it is meruell quod he, but if thyfather begat the whẽ he was dronke. Verily I thynkethis also maketh greatli to the matter, if the motherat all times, but specially at y^e time of concepcionand byrthe, haue her mynde free from all crimes, andbe of a good cõscience. For ther can be nothyng eythermore quiet or more merye then such a mynd. The thyrdpoint is y^t the mother noryshe with her own brestesher infãt, or if ther hap any necessitie that it mayenot so be, let be chosẽ a nurse, of a wholsome body, of pure mylke, good condicions, nether drunkẽ, notbrauler, nor lecherous. For the vices that be takẽeuen in y^e very beginninges of lyfe, both of thebodye and of the mynd, abyde fast vntyl we be olde. Some men also write y^t it skilleth muche who be hissucking felowes & who be his playfelowes. Fourthlyethat in due season he be set to a chosen scholemasteralowed by all mens witnes, and many waies tryed. Youmust be diligẽt in chosyng, and after go thorowe withit. Homer disaloweth wher many beare rule: and afterthe olde prouerbe of the grekes. The multitude ofcaptaines dyd lose Caria. And the oftẽ chaunginge ofphysicions hath destroyed manye. There is nothyngemore vnprofitable, then often to chaunge y^e master. For by that meanes the web of Penelopes is wouẽ andvnwouen. But I haue knowen childrẽ, whych before theywer . Xii. Yere old, had more thẽ . Xii. Masters, andthat thorowe the rechelesnesse of their parẽtes. Andyet after this is done must the parẽtes be diligẽt. They shall take heede bothe to the master & to thesonne, neither shall they so caste away al care fromthẽ as they are wonte to laye all the charge of thedoughter vpon the spouse, but the father shalloftentyme looke vpon them, and marke whether heprofite, remembrynge those thynges whych the olde menspake both sagely and wittely, that the forehead isset before the hynder part of the head: and thatnothyng sooner fatteth the horse then the masters eye, nor that no dunge maketh the ground more fruitfullthen the masters footyng. I speake of yonge ons. Foras for the elders it is meete sometyme that they besente far out of oure syght, whiche thing as it were agraffing, is inespecially wont to tame yonge menswyttes. Emonge the excellent vertues of PaulusEmilius, this also is praised, that as oftẽ as hemight for his busines in the cõmon welth he wolde beat the exercises of hys sõnes. And Plinie the nepheuwas contente nowe and then to go into the schole forhis friendes sonnes sake, whom he had taken vpon himto brynge vp in good learnynge. ¶ Furthermore, that thatwee haue spoken of nature is not to be vnderstand onewayes. For there is a nature of a common kinde, as thenature of a man in to vse reason. But ther is a naturepeculier, eyther to hym or him, that properly belõgetheither to thys man or that, as if a man wolde sayesome menne to be borne to disciplines mathematicalsome to diuinitie, some to rethorike some to poetrie, and some to war. So myghtely disposed they be andpulled to these studies, that by no meanes they cannebe discoraged from them, or so greatly they abhorthem, that they wyl sooner go into the fyre, thenapply their mynde to a science that they hate. I kneweone familierlye whych was verye well seene both ingreke and latin, and well learned in all liberallsciences, when an archbyshop by whõ he was found, hadsende hither by hys letters, that he shulde begynne toheare the readers of the lawe agaynst hys nature. After he had cõplayned of this to me (for we laye bothtogether) I exhorted hym to be ruled by his patron, saying that it wold wexe more easily, that at thebeginning was harde, and that at the least waye heshulde geue some part of hys tyme to that study. Afterhe had brought oute certen places wonderfull folyshe, which yet those professours halfe goddes dyd teachetheir hearers wyth greate authoritie, I answered, heshuld set light by them, & take out that whyche theytaught well: and after I had preased vpon hym wythmany argumentes, I am quod he so minded, that as oftenas I turne my selfe to these studies, me thinketh aswerde runneth thorowe my hert. Menne that bee thusnaturallye borne, I thynke they be not to beecompelled against their nature, lest after the commonsaying we shuld leade an Oxe to wreastlynge, or anAsse to the harpe. Peraduenture of this inclinacionyou may perceiue certen markes in lytle ons. There bethat can pronosticate such thynges by the houre of hysbirthe, to whose iudgemente howe muche ought to begeuen, I leaue it to euerye mans estimacion. It woldeyet muche profite to haue espyed the same assoone ascan be, because we learne those thynges most easelie, to the which nature hath made vs. I thinke it not avery vayne thing to coniecture by y^e figure of theface and the behaueour of the rest of the bodie, whatdisposicion a man is of. Certes Aristotle so greate aphilosopher vouchsaued to put oute a booke ofphisiognonomye verye cunnynge and well laboured. Assaylyng is more pleasaunt when wee haue borne the wyndand the tyde, so be we soner taught those things tothe whych we be inclined by redines of wyt. Virgyllhath shewed markes wherby a man may know an oxe goodfor y^e plough, or a cowe meete for generacion &encrease of cattell. Beste is y^t oxe that lookethgrimly. He techeth by what tokẽs you may espie a yongcolt mete for iusting. Straight waye the colt of alusty courage trãpleth garlic in the fieldes . &c. Foryou know the verses. They are deceyued whyche beleuethat nature hathe geuen vnto man no markes, wherebyhys disposiciõ maye bee gathered, and they do amisse, that do not marke them thar be geuen. Albeit in myiudgemente there is scante anye discipline, but thatthe wyt of man is apt to lerne it, if we continue inpreceptes and exercise. For what may not a man learne, when an Eliphant maye be taught to walke vpõ a corde, a bear to daunse, and an asse to playe the foole. Asnature therefore is in no mannes owne hande, so weehaue taught wherin by some meanes we maye helpenature. But good orderynge and exercise is altogetherof our own witte and diligence. How much the waye toteach doth helpe, thys specially declareth, that we sedaylye, burdens to be lyft vp by engins and arte, whiche otherwyse coulde bee moued by no strength. ¶ Andhow greatly exercise auaileth that notable saying ofthe old wise man, inespeciallye proueth, that heascribeth all thynges to diligence and study. Butlabour, say they, is not meete for a tender age, &what readines to lerne can be in children whych yetscarse knowe that they are men: I wyll answere tobothe these thinges in few wordes. How agreeth it thatthat age shulde bee counted vnmeete for learnynge, whych is nowe apte to learne good maners? But as therebe rudimentes of verture, so be there also ofsciences. Philosophy hath his infancie, hys youthe, and rype age. An horsecolt, which forthwyth shewethhis gentle kynd, is not straight way forced wyth thebytte to cary on his backe an armed manne, but wytheasy exercises he learneth the fashion of warre. The calfe that is appoynted to the plowghe, is notstrayght wayes laden wyth werye yockes, nor pryckedwyth sharpe godes, but as Virgyl hath elegantlyetaught: Fyrst they knyt aboute his necke circles madeof tender twygges, and after when his free necke hathebene accustumed to do seruice, they make rounde hoopesmete, & when they be wrythẽ, ioyne a payre of meeteons together, and so cause the yonge heyfers to gooeforwardes, and often tymes they make them to draw anempty cart, and sleightly go awaye, but afterwardsthey set on a great heauy axeltree of beeche, and makethem to draw a great plough beame of yrõ. Plowmen canskyll howe to handell oxen in youthe, and attempertheir exercises after their strength muche morediligently ought this to be done in bringing vp ourchildren. Furthermore the prouidẽce of nature hathgeuen vnto litle ons a certen mete habilitte. Aninfant is not yet meete to whome thou shuldest readey^e offices of Cicero, or the Ethickes of Aristotle, or the moral bokes of Seneca or Plutarche, or theepistles of Paule, I confesse, but yet if he do anythyng vncomly at the table, he is monyshed, and whenhe is monyshed, he fashioneth hym selfe to do as he istaught. He is brought into the temple, he lerneth tobowe his kne, to holde hys handes manerly, to put ofhys cap, and to fashion all the behaueour of hys bodieto worshyp God, he is cõmaunded to holde hys peacewhen misteries be in doyng, and to turne hys eyes tothe alter. These rudimentes of modestye and vertue thechilde lerneth before he can speake, which becausethey sticke fast vntil he be elder, they profitsomwhat to true religiõ. There is no differẽce to achyld when he is first borne, betwene his parẽntes &straungers. Anon after he learneth to knowe hismother, & after his father. He learneth by litle &litle to reuerẽce thẽ, he learneth to obey them, & toloue thẽ. He vnlerneth to be angrye, to be auẽged, & when he is biddẽ kysse thẽ that he is ãgry withal, he doth it, & vnlerneth to bable out of measure. Helerneth to rise vp, & geue reuerence to an old mã, &to put of his cap at y^e image of the crucifix. Theithat thinke y^t these lytle rudimẽtes help nothing tovertue, in my mind be greatly deceiued, A certẽ yongeman whẽ he was rebuked of Plato because he had plaiedat dice cõplained y^t he was so bitterly chiddẽ, forso litle harme. Thẽ quod Plato, although it be butsmal hurt to play at dice, yet is it great hurt to vseit. As it is therefore a greate euyll to accustume thyselfe to euyl, so to vse thy selfe to small goodthynges is a greate good. And that tender age is somuche the more apte to learne these thyngs, because ofit selfe it is plyaunt vnto all fashions, because itis not yet occupyed wyth vyce, and is glad to folowe, if you shewe it to do any thinge. And as cõmonlye itaccustumeth it selfe to vyce, or euer it vnderstandwhat vyce is, so wyth lyke easynes maye it beaccustumed to vertue. And it is beste to vse bestthinges euen at the fyrst. That fashion wyll endurelonge, to the which you make the empty and tendermynde. Horace wrote that if you thruste oute naturewyth a forke, yet wyll it styll come againe. He wrotit and that very truly, but he wrote it of an oldetre. Therefore the wise husband man wil straight wayefashion the plante after that maner whyche he wyllhaue tarye for euer when it is a tree. It wyll sooneturne in to nature, that you powre in fyrste of all. Claye if it be to moyste wyl not kepe the fashion thatis prynted in it: the waxe may be so softe thatnothynge can bee made of it. But scarse is there anyage so tender that is not able to receyue learnyng. Noage sayth Seneca, is to late to learne: whether thatbe true or no I wot not, surely elderly age is veryharde to learne some thyngs. This is doutles, that noage is so yonge but it is apte to be taught, inespecially those thynges vnto the whych nature hathemade vs, for as I sayd: for thys purpose she hathgeuen a certen peculier desyre of folowyng, that whatso euer they haue herde or seene, they desyre to dothe lyke, and reioyse when they thynke they can do anythyng: a man wolde saye they wer apes. And of thysryseth the fyrste coniecture of their wyt and aptnesto be taughte. Therefore assone as the man chyld isborne, anone he is apte to lerne maners. After whẽ hehath begon to speake, he is mete to be taught letters. Of what thynge regarde is fyrste to be had, a readinesby & by is geuen to lerne it. For learnyng although ithaue infinite commodities, yet excepte it wayte vponvertue, it bryngeth more harme then good. Worthilyewas refused of wyse menne theire sentence, whichthought that children vnder seuen yere olde shulde notbe set to lernyng: and of thys sayinge many beleuedHesiodus to be the author, albeit Aristophanes thegramarian sayd, that those morall preceptes in thewhych worke it was written, were not made by Hesiodus. Yet nedes must be some excellẽt wryter, which putforth such a booke that euen learned menne thought itto be of Hesiodus doing. But in case it were Hesiodus, without doute yet no mans authoritie oughte to be ofsuche force vnto vs, that we shulde not folowe thebetter if it be shewed vs. Howebeit who soeuer wer ofthys mynd, they meant not thys, that all thys timevntyll seuen yeres shulde bee quite voyde of teachyng, but that before that tyme chyldren shulde not beetroubled wyth the laboure of studies, in the whychcerteine tediousnes muste bee deuoured, as of cannyngwythout booke, sayinge the lesson agayn, and wythwrytinge it, for scant maye a man fynde anye thathathe so apte a wytte to bee taught, so tractable andthat so wil folowe, whyche wyll accustume it selfe tothese thynges wythout prickyng forward. Chrisippusapoynted thre yeres to the nourses, not that in themeane space there shuld be no teachynge of manners, and speach, but that the infante shulde be prepared byfayr meanes to lern vertue and letters, ether of thenurses, or of the parentes, whose maners wythoutperaduẽture do help very much to the good fashionyngeof chyldren. And because the fyrste teachyng ofchyldren is, to speake playnly and wythout faute, inthis afore tyme the nourses and the parentes helpe nota lytle. Thys begynnyng, not only very muche profitethto eloquẽce, but also to iudgement, and to theknowledge of all disciplines: for the ignoraunce oftonges, eyther hath marred all the sciences, orgreatly hurt thẽ, euẽ diuinitie it selfe also, phisicke & law. The eloquence of the Gracchians wasmuche merueyled at in tyme paste, but for the mostthey myghte thanke theyr mother Cornelia for it, as Tullie iudgeth. It apeareth sayth he, that thechyldren wer not so much brought vp in the motherslappe, as in the mothers cõmunicacion. So theyr fyrstescholyng was to them the mothers lap. Lelia alsoexpressed in her goodly talke the eloquence of herfather Caius. And what marueile. While she was yetyonge she was dyed wyth her fathers communicacion, euen when she was borne in his armes. The samehappened to the two sisters, Mucia and Licinia, neecesvnto Caius. Specially is praysed the elegaunce ofLicinia in speakyng, whiche was the daughter of LuciusCrassus, one Scipios wyfe as I weene. What nedes manywords? All the house and all the kynred euen to thenepheus, and their cosyns dyd often expresse eleganceof their fore fathers in artificiall and cunnyngspeakyng. The daughter of Quintus Hortencius soexpressed her fathers eloquence, that ther was longeago an oracion of hers to se, that she made before theofficers called Triumuiri, not only (as Fabius sayth)to the prayse of womankynd. To speake without faut nolitle helpe brynge also the nourses, tutors, andplayefelowes. For as touching the tonges, so great isthe readines of that age to learne them, that within afew monethes a chylde of Germany maye learne Frenche, and that whyle he dothe other thinges also: neytherdothe that thynge come euer better to passe then inrude and verye yonge yeres. And if this come to passein a barbarous and vnruled tonge, whych wryteth otherwyse then it speaketh, and the whych hathe hysschriches and wordes scarse of a man, howe muche moreeasely wyl it be done in the Greeke or Latine tonge?Kyng Mithridates is read to haue perfitly knowen. Xxii. Tonges, so that he could plead the lawe toeuery nacion in their owne tonges wythoute anyeinterpreter. ¶ Themistocles within a yeres space lernedperfitely the Persians tong because he wolde thebetter cõmen wyth the kyng. If sũwhat old age can dothat, what is to be hoped for of a chylde? And allthis businesse standeth specially in two thynges, memorye and imitacion. We haue shewed before alredythat there is a certein naturall greate desyre inchyldren to folowe other, and very wyse men wryte thatmemorie in chyldren is verye sure in holdinge faste:and if we distrust there authoritie, experience itselfe wyll proue it vnto vs. Those thynges that wehaue seene beying chyldren, they so abide in ourmindes, as thou we had sene them yesterdaie. Thingesthat we read today whẽ we be old, wythin two daiesafter if we read thẽ agayn they seme newe vnto vs. Furthermore howe fewe haue we seene whych haue hadgood successe in lernynge the tonges when they wereolde? And if some haue wel spedde them in knowledge, yet the right sound and pronunciacion hath chaunsedeither to none, or to very few. For rare examples beno common rules. Neyther for thys muste we callchyldren to lerne the tonges after sixtene yere olde, because that the elder Cato lerned latine, and Greeke, when he was thre score and ten yeres olde. But Cato ofVtica muche better lerned then the other and moreeloquent, when he was a chylde was continuallye wythhys master Sarpedo. And hẽce we ought so much the moreto take heede, because that yonge age led rather bysense then iudgemẽt, wyll assone or peraduenture sonerlerne leudnes & things y^t be naught. Yea we forgetsoner good thinges thẽ naught. Gentile philosophersespyed that, & merueyled at it, and could not searchout the cause, whiche christẽ philosophers haue shewedvnto vs: which telleth y^t this redines to mischiefeis setteled in vs of Adam the first father of mãkind. Thys thynge as it can not be false, so is it verytrue, that the greateste parte of this euyll cõmeth ofleude and naughty bryngyng vp, inespeciallye of tenderyouthe, whyche is plyeable to euerye thynge. 

¶ We fynd in writyng that great Alexander lernedcerteine fautes of hys master Leonides, whyche hecould not leaue when he was well growẽ vp, and a greatEmperour. Therfore as long as amonge the latinesfloryshed that old vertuousnes of good maners, chyldren were not committed to an hyrelynge to betaught, but were taughte of the parentes them selues &their kinsfolke, as of their vncles both by father andmother, of the graundfathers, as Plutarch sayth: Forthey thought it especially perteyned to the honour oftheir kynred, if they had very manye excellentlye wellseene in liberall knowledge, where as now adayes allnobilitie almost stãdeth in painted & grauen armes, dauncing, huntynge and dicynge. Spurius Carbilius of abond man made free, whose patron Carbilius brought inthe fyrste example of diuorce, is reported to be thefyrste that taught an opẽ grãmer schole. Before thystyme it was counted a verye vertuous office if euerymã taughte hys kynsefolke in vertue and lernyng. Noweis thys theyr onlye care, to seeke for their chyld awyfe wyth a good dowrye. That done, they thynke theyhaue done all that belongeth to a father. But as theworld is alwayes redy to be worse and worse, dayntineshathe perswaded vs to comune this office to a tuterthat is one of our householde, and a gentleman is putto be taught of a seruaunte. In whyche thynge indeede, if we wolde take heede whom we chose, theieopardy were so muche the lesse, because the teacherliued not only in y^e fathers syght, but also wervnder hys power if he dyd amysse. They that wer verywyse, either bought lerned seruauntes, or prouidedthey myghte be lerned, that they myghte be teachers totheir children. But howe muche wyser were it, if theparents wolde get lernyng for thys entent, that theythem selues myght teach theyr owne chyldren. Verelyeby thys meanes the profite wolde be double, as thecõmoditie is double if the Byshoppe shewe hym selfe agood man, to the entente he maye encourage very manyto the loue of vertue. Thou wyle saye; euerye mã hathnot leasure, and they be lothe to take so greatepayne. But go to good syr, Lette vs caste wyth oureselfe howe muche tyme wee lose at dice, bankettynge, and beholdynge gaye syghtes, and playinge wyth fooles, and I weene wee shall bee ashamed, to saye wee lackeleasure to that thynge whych oughte to be done, allother set asyde. We haue tyme sufficiente to do all weshoulde do, if we bestowe it so thriftelye as weshulde do. But the daye is short to vs, whẽ we losethe greater part thereof. Consider thys also, howegreate a porcion of tyme is geuen now and then to thefoelyshe busines of our friendes. If we can not do asthey all wolde haue vs, verelye wee oughte chiefely toregarde our chyldren. What payne refuse we to leauevnto oure chyldren a ryche patrimonye and wellstablished: and to get that for them whiche is betterthen all this, shulde it yrke vs to take laboure?namelye when naturall loue and the profite of themwhyche be mooste deareste vnto vs, maketh sweete althe grief and payne. If that were not, when wolde themothers beare so longe tediousenes of chyldbyrth andnursyng. He loueth his sonne lyghtlye whych is greuedto teache hym. ¶ But the manner to enstructe them wasthe more easy to them in olde tyme, because thelearned and vnlearned people spake all one tong, sauethat the learned spake more truelye, more elegantly, more wiselye, and more copiouselye. I confesse that, and it were a very shorte way to learnynge, if it wereso nowe a dayes. And there haue bene some that hauegone aboute to renewe and brynge again those oldeexamples, and to doo as those olde fathers haue doneafore tyme, as in Phrisia, Canterians, in SpayneQueene Elisabeth the wyfe of Fardinandus, out of whosefamilye there haue come forthe verye manye womennebothe merueylouselye well learned and verteouse. Emongthe englishe men, it greued not the ryght worshypfulThomas More, although beyng much occupyed in thekynges matters, to be a teacher to hys wyfe, daughters, and sonne, fyrste in vertue, and after toknowledge of Greke and Latine. Verely this ought to bedone in those that we haue apoynted to learnynge. Neyther is there anye ieopardie that they shulde beignoraunt in the peoples tonge, for thei shall learnethat whether they wyl or not by companye of men. Andif there be none in oure house that is lerned, anon weshulde prouide for some cunnyng man, but tryed both inmaners and lernyng. It is a folyshe thyng to make aprofe in thy sone, as in a slaue of litle value, whether hys teacher be learned or not, and whether hebee a good man that thou haste gotten hym or not. Inother thinges pardon may be geuen to negligence, buthere thou muste haue as manye eyes as Argus had, andmuste be as vigilant as is possible. They say: a manmaye not twyse do a faute in war: here it is notlaweful to do once amisse. Moreouer the soner thechild shall be set to a master, so much shal hysbrynginge vp come the better to passe. I knowe somemen fynde thys excuse, that it is ieopardy lest thelabour of studies make y^e good health of the tenderbodye weaker. Here I myght ensure, y^t althoughe thestrength of the bodye wer sumwhat taken awaye, thatthys incõmoditie is well recompensed by so goodlygyftes of the mynd. For we fashion not a wrestler, buta philosopher, a gouernour of the common wealth, towhõ it is sufficient to be healthful, although he hauenot the strengthe of Milo: yet do I cõfesse thatsomewhat we must tender the age, that it maye waxe themore lustye. But there be manye that foolyshely dofeare leste their chyldren shulde catche harme bylearnynge, whych yet feare not the much greater peryllthat cometh of to muche meate, whereby the wyttes ofthe litle ons no lesse be hurted then bee theyr bodyesby kyndes of meates and drynkes that be not meete forthat age. They brynge theyr lytle children to greatand longe feastes, yea feastyng sometyme vntyl farreforth nyghtes, they fyl them wyth salt and hoatmeates, somtyme euẽ tyl thei vomite. They bynde in andloade the tender bodies wyth vnhandsome garmentes toset them out, as some trym apes, in mans apparel, andotherwayes they weaken their children, and they neuermore tenderlye be afrayed of their health, then whencõmunication is begon to be had of lernynge, that isof that thynge whych of al other is moste wholesom andnecessarye. That whych we haue spoken touchyng health, that same perteineth to the care of hys bewety, whycheas I confesse is not to be lyght set bye, so tocarefully to be regarded, is not very meete for a man. [Sidenote: A wayward feare for hurting childrẽsbewtye. ] Neyther do we more weywardlye fear any otherthyng then the hurt of it to come by studie, where itis hurt a greate deale more by surfet, dronkennes, vntymelye watchynge, by fyghtyng and woundes, finallyby vngracious pockes, which scarse anie man escapeththat liueth intemperatly. From these thyngs rather letthẽ see they keepe their children then frõ lernyng, whych so carefully take thought for the health andbewtie. [Sidenote: Prouisiõ for easinge chyldrenslabour] Howbeit thys also may be prouided for by ourcare & diligẽce that ther shuld be very litle labourand therfore litle losse. This shal be if neyther manythyngs, neither euery lyght thynge be taught them whenthey be yong, but the best only & that be mete fortheir age, whiche is delighted rather in pleasaũtthynges then in subtile. Secondly, a fayre manoure ofteachynge shall cause y^t it may seme rather a playethen a labour, for here the age must be beguiled withsweete flattering wordes, which yet cã not tell whatfruit, what honour, what pleasure lernyng shall bryngevnto them in tyme to come. And this partly shal bedone by the teachers gẽtlenes & curteous behaueour, &partlye by his wit & subtile practise, wherbi he shaldeuise diuerse prety meanes to make lerning plesaũt toy^e chylde, & pul hym away frõ feling of labour. Forthere is nothynge worse then when the waywardnes ofthe master causeth the children to hate lernyng beforethey knowe wherefore it shulde be loued. The fyrstdegree of lerning, is the loue of the master. Inprocesse of tyme it shall come to passe that the chyldwhych fyrst began to loue lernyng for the masterssake, afterwards shall loue the master because oflernyng. For as many giftes are very dere vnto vs euẽfor thys cause, that they come from them whome weeloue hertelye: so lernyng, to whom it can not yet bepleasaunt thorowe discrescion, yet to them it isacceptable for the loue they beare to the teacher. Itwas very well spoken of Isocrates that he lerneth verymuch, whych is desirous of lernyng. And we gladlyelerne of them whome we loue. But some be of sovnpleasaunt maners that they can not bee loued, no notof their wyues, theyr countenaũce lowryng, theircompanye currishe, they seme angrye euen when they bebeste pleased, they can not speke fayre, scarse canthey laughe when men laugh vpon them, a man wold sayethey were borne in an angrye hour. These men I iudgescant worthye to whome we shulde put oure wylde horsesto be broken, muche lesse wuld I thynke that thystender and almost suckynge age shuld be committed tothem. Yet be ther some that thynke that these kynde ofmen, euen inespecyally worthye to be set to teacheyonge chyldren, whylest they thynke their sturdynes inlookynge is holynes. But it is not good trustyng thelookes, vnder that frownynge face lurke oftẽ tymesmost vnchaste and wanton maners, neyther is to bespoken amonge honeste men, to what shamefulnes thesebouchers abuse chyldren by fearyng them. No nor theparents thẽ selues can well bring vp theyr chyldrẽ, ifthey be no more but feared. The fyrste care is to bebeloued, by lytle and lytle foloweth after, not feare, but a certen liberall and gentle reuerence which ismore of value then feare. Howe properly then I prayeyou be those chyldren prouided for, which being yetscante foure yere olde are sente to schole, wheresytteth an vnknowen scholemaster, rude of manners, notverye sober, and sometyme not well in hys wytte, oftenlunatike, or hauynge the fallyng sycknes, or frenchepockes? For there is none so vyle, so naughte, sowretched, whome the common people thynketh notsufficiente ynoughe to teache a grammer schole. Andthei thynkyng they haue gotten a kingdome, it ismarueyle to see howe they set vp the brystels becausethei haue rule, not vpon beastes, as sayeth Terence, but vpõ that age whiche ought to be cheryshed wyth allgentlenes. You wolde saye it were not a schole, but atormentynge place: nothynge is hearde there beside theflappynge vpon the hande, beside yorkynge of roddes, besyde howlynge and sobbinge and cruell threatnynges. What other thynge maye chyldren learne hereof, then tohate learnyng? When this hatered hath once setteled inthe tender myndes, yea when they be old they abhorrestudye. It is also muche more foolyshe, that some mensende their lytle chyldren to a pyuyshe dronken womanto learne to reade and wryte. It is agaynste naturethat women shulde haue rule vpon menne: besyde that, nothynge is more cruell then that kynde, if they beemoued with anger, as it wyll soone be, and wyll notcease tyll it be full reuenged. Monasteries also, andcolleges of brethern, for so they cal them selues, seeke for their liuynge hereof, and in theyr darkecorners teache the ignoraunt chyldren commenlye bymenne that be but a lytle learned, or rather leudlyelearned, althoughe we graunte they bee bothe wyse andhoneste. ¶ Thys kynde of teachynge howe so euer othermenne alowe it, by my counsell no manne shall vse it, who soeuer entendeth to haue hys child well broughtvp. It behoueth that eyther there were no schole, orelse to haue it openlye abrode. It is a shorte waye indede that cõmonlye is vsed: for manye be compelled ofone more easelye by feare, that one brought vp of oneliberallye. ¶ But it is no great thynge to beare rulevpon Asses or Swyne, but to brynge vp chyldrenliberallye as it is veri hard, so is it a goodlything. It is tiranny to oppresse citizens by feare, to keepe them in good order, by loue, moderacion andprudence, it is princely. Diogenes beynge taken out ofthe Agenites, and brought oute to be solde, the cryeraxed hym by what title he wolde be set out to thebyer. Axe quod he if any wyl bye a man that can rulechyldren. At this straunge prayse manye laughed. One that hadde chyldren at home communed wyth thephilosopher, whether he could do in deede that heprofessed. He sayde he coulde. By shorte communicacionhe perceyued he was not of the cõmon sorte, but vndera pore cloke, ther was hydden great wisedome: hebought hym, and brought hym home, & put his chyldrẽ tohim to be taught. As y^e Scots say, ther be no greaterbeaters then frenche scholemasters. When they be toldethereof, they be wonte to answere, that that naciõeuen lyke the Phrigians is not amẽded but bi stripes. Whether this be true let other mẽ iudge. Yet I grauntthat there is some difference in the nacion, but muchmore in the propertie of euerye seueral wyt. Some youshal soner kyl, then amende wyth stripes: but the samebi loue and gentle monicions you may leade whither yewyll. Truth it is that of thys disposicion I my selfewas when I was a childe, and when my master whychloued me aboue all other, because he sayd he conceiueda certen great hope of me, toke more heede, watched mewell, and at laste to proue howe I could abyde therod, and laying a faute vnto my charge which I neuerthought of, did beat me, that thinge so put awaye fromme all the loue of studie, and so discouraged mychyldyshe mynd, that for sorowe I hadde almostconsumed awaye, and in deede folowed therof aquartaine ague. When at laste he had perceiued hysfaute, among his friendes he bewailed it. ¶ This wyt(quod he) I had almoste destroyed before I knewe it. For he was a man both wyttye and well learned, and asI thynke, a good mã. He repẽted him, but to late formy parte. Here nowe (good syr) cõiecture me howe manyfrowarde wyttes these vnlerned greate beaters dodestroye, yet proud in their owne conceite oflearnyng, wayeward, dronken, cruel, and that wyl beatefor their pleasure: them selues of suche a cruellnature, that they take plesure of other menstormentes. These kynde of men shuld haue ben bouchersor hangmẽ, not teachers of youth. Neyther do anytorment chyldren more cruelly, thẽ they that canne notteache them. ¶ What shulde thei do in scholes but passethe daye in chydyng and beatynge? I knewe a diuine andthat familierly, a man of greate name, whych was neuersatisfied wyth crudelity against his scholers, whẽ hehim selfe had masters that were very great beaters. Hethought y^t dyd much helpe to caste downe the fiersnesof their wittes, & tame the wãtonnes of their youth. He neuer feasted amonge hys flocke, but as Comedies bewont to haue a mery endyng, so contrary when they hadeaten theyr meat, one or other was haled oute to bebeaten wyth roddes: and sometime he raged against themthat had deserued nothynge, euen because they shuld beaccustumed to stripes. I my selfe on a time stodenerre hym, when after diner he called out a boie as hewas wõt to do, as I trow ten yere olde. And he was butnewe come frome hys mother into that compani. He toldvs before that the chyld had a very good woman to hysmother, and was earnestly committed of her vnto hym:anon to haue an occacion to beate hym, he beganne tolaye to hys charge I wotte not what wãtonnesse: Whenthe chylde shewed hym selfe to haue nothyng lesse, and beckened to hym to whome he committed the chyeferule of hys colledge, surnamed of the thynge, a tormentoure, to beate, hym ne by and by caste dounethe chylde, and beate hym as thoughe he had donesacrilege. The diuine sayde once or twyse, it isinoughe, it is inoughe. But that tormentour deaffewith feruentnes, made no ende of his bochery, tyl thechylde was almost in a sounde: Anon the diuineturninge to vs, he hathe deserued nothynge quod he, but that he muste be made lowe. Who euer after thatmaner hath taught hys slaue, or hys Asse? A gẽtlehorse is better tamed with puping of the mouth orsofte handlyng, then wyth whyp or spurres. And if youhandle hym hard, he wil whynche, he wyll kycke, hewyll byte, and go backwardes. An oxe if you pricke hymto harde wyth godes, wyl caste of his yocke, and runvpon hym that pricked hym. So muste a gentle nature behandled as is the whelpe of a Lion. Onlye arte tamethElephantes, not violence, neyther is there any beasteso wylde, but that it wyl be tamed by gentlenes, neyther any so tame, but immoderate cruelnes wil angerit. It is a seruyle thynge to be chastened by feare, and common custume calleth chyldren free men, becauseliberall and gentle bringyng vp becommeth them, muchvnlike to seruile. Yet they that be wyse do thysrather, that seruantes by gentelnes and benefitesleaue of their slauyshe condicions: remẽbryng thatthey also be men, and not beastes. There be rehearsedmeruelous examples of seruauntes toward their masters, whome verely they shulde not haue founde such if theyhadde kept them vnder only by strypes. ¶ A seruaunt ifhe be corrigible is better amended by monicions, byhonestie, & good turnes, then by stripes: if he bepaste amendmente, he is hardened to extreme mischiefand eyther wyll runne awaye and rob hys master, or bysome craft go aboute his masters deathe. Sometime heis reuenged on his masters crueltie, thoughe it costehym his lyfe. And there is no creature more ferefulthẽ man, whõ cruell iniurie hathe taught to dispysehis owne lyfe. Therfore the commõ prouerb that sayth aman hath as manye enemies as he hath seruauntes, If itbe true, I thynke it may be chiefly imputed to thevnreasonablenes of the master: for it is a poynte ofarte, and not of chaunce to rule wel seruauntes. Andif the wyser masters go aboute thys thynge, so to vsetheir seruauntes, that thei shuld serue them well andgently, and in stede of seruantes had rather haue themfre men, how shameful is it bi bryngyng vp, to makeseruantes of those that be gentle and free by nature?Nor wythout cause dothe the olde manne in the comediethynke that there is greate difference betwixte amaster and a father. The master only compelleth, the father by honestie and gentelnes accustumeth hyssonne, to do well of hys owne mynde, rather then byfeare of an other: and that he shulde bee all one inhys presence and behind hys backe. He that can not dothis sayth he, lette hym confesse that he can not rulechyldren. But there oughte to be a litle moredifference betwyxte a father and the master, thenbetwixt a kinge and a tirant. Wee putte awaye atiraunte from the common wealthe, and we chosetirauntes, yea for oure sonnes, eyther we oure selfesexercyse tirannye vpon them. Howebeit thys vyle nameof seruitude oughte vtterlye to be taken awaye oute ofthe lyfe of chrysten menne. Sainte Paule desyrethPhilo to bee good to Onesimus, not nowe as aseruaunte, but as a deere brother in steede of aseruaunte. And wrytyng to the Ephesians, he monysheththe masters to remitte theyr bytternesse agaynst theyrseruauntes, and their threatnynges, remembrynge thatthey are rather felow seruauntes then masters, becausethey both haue a common master in heauen, whyche aswell wyll punyshe the masters if they do amysse, asthe seruauntes. The Apostle wolde not haue the mastersful of threatning, muche lesse full of beatynge: forhe saythe not, pardonynge your strypes, but pardonyngeyour threatenynges, and yet wee woulde haue ourechyldren nothynge but beaten, whyche scarse the Galeyemasters or Sea robbers do agaynste theyr slaues androwers. But of chyldren, what dothe the same Apostlecommaunde vs?

¶ In somuch he wyll not haue them beaten slauyshely, he cõmaundeth all crueltye and bytternes to be awayefrom our monicions and chydyng. You fathers saythe he, prouoke not your chyldren to anger, but bring them vpin discipline and chastisyng of the Lorde. And whatthe discipline of the lorde is, he shal soone se thatwyll consider, wyth what gentlenes, what meekenes, what charitie the Lord Iesus hath taught, suffered andnoryshed and brought vp by litle and lytle hisdisciples. The lawes of man do temper the fatherspower: the same also permit vnto the seruauntes anaccion of euyll handlyng, and from whence then commeththys crueltye amonge christen men? In time paste oneAuxon a knight of Rome, whylest he wente about toamende hys sonne by beatynge hyn vnmesurably, hekylled him. That crueltye so moued the people, thatthe fathers and chyldren haled hym in to the marketplace, & al to be pricked hym, thrust him in withtheyr wrytyng pinnes, nothynge regarding the dignitieof his knighthod, and Octauus Augustus had much a doto saue hym. But now a daies howe many Auxons do wesee whiche thorowe cruell beatynge, hurte thechyldrens healthe, make them one eyed, weaken them, and sometyme kyll them. Roddes serue not to some menscrueltie, they turne them and beate thẽ wyth the greatende, they geue them buffettes, and stryke the yongeons wyth their fistes, or whatsoeuer is next at handthey snatche it, and dashe it vpon them. It is told inthe lawe, that a certen sowter, when he layd one ofhys sowters vpon the hynder parte of the heade wyth alaste, he stroke oute one of hys eyes, and that forthat deede he was punyshed by the lawe. What shall wesaye of them whyche beside their beatinges, do thẽshamefull despite also? I wolde neuer haue beleued it, excepte both I had knowen the chylde, and the doer ofthis crueltie perfitelye. 

¶ A chylde yet scante . Vii. Yere olde, whose honesteparentes had done good to his master, they handled socruellye, that scarse anye suche tiraunt as wasMezencius or Phalaris coulde do more cruelly. Theycaste so much mans donge into the childes mouth y^tscarsely he coulde spit, but was cõpelled to swallowedoune a great parte of it. What tiraunt dyd euer suchekynde of despyght? After suche daynties, theyexercysed suche lozdelynes. The chylde naked washanged vp wyth cordes by y^e armeholes, as though hehadde bene a stronge thyefe, and there is amonge toGermanes no kynde of punishement more abhorred thenthys. Anone as he honge, they all to beat hym wythroddes, almoste euen tyll deathe. For the more thechylde denyed the thynge that he dyd not, so muche themore dyd they beate hym. Put also to thys, thetormentour hym selfe almoste more to be feared thenthe verie punyshemente, hys eyes lyke a serpente, hys narowe and wrythen mouth, hys sharpe voyce like aspirite, hys face wanne and pale, hys head roulyngabout, threatninges and rebukes suche as they lustedin theyr anger: a manne wolde haue thought it a furieout of hel. What folowed? anone after this punishementthe chyld fel sicke, with great ieopardye both ofmynde and lyfe. Then this tormentour began fyrst tocomplayne, he wrote to hys father to take awaye hyssonne as sone as could be, and that he had bestowed asmuch phisicke vpon him as he coulde, but in vayne vponthe chylde that was paste remedye. ¶ When the sicknes ofthe body was somewhat put away by medicines, yet wasthe minde so astonied, that we feared leste he woldneuer come agayne to the olde strength of hys mynd. Neither was thys y^e cruelty of one daye, as longe asthe childe dwelte wyth hym there passed no daye but hewas cruelly beatẽ once or twise. I know y^u suspectesto reader, that it was an haynouse faute, wherunto socruell remedie was vsed. I wyl shew you in few words. Ther was foũd both of hys y^t was beaten, and of twoothers, theire bookes blotted wyth ynke, theirgarmentes cutte, and their hose arayed wyth mannesdonge. 

¶ He that played thys playe was a chylde borne to allmyschiefe, whiche by other vngracious deedesafterwardes, made men beleue the other to be true thatwere done before. And he was nephewe by the systerssyde to this mad docter: euẽ then playing a partbefore to these thyngs whych souldiers are wont to doin bataile or robbynge. At an hostes house of his, hepulled oute the faucet, and let the wyne runne vpõ theground, and as one to shew a pleasure, he sayde thathe felt the sauour of the wyne: wyth an other of hysfelowes he daylye played at the sworde, not in sporte, but in earnest, that euen then you myght wel perceyuehe wolde be a thyefe or a murtherer, or whych is verylyke to them, that he wolde be an hyred souldier. Although the teacher fauored hym, yet fearynge lestethey shulde one kyll an other, he sente awaye hiscosen. For he had for that other a good rewarde: andhe was of this sorte of gospellers, to whom nothing ismore swete then monei. His godfather was made surelyto beleue that the child was w^t a good and diligentmaster, when in deede he dwelte wyth a boucher, & wascontinually in company, and made drudge with a manthat was halfe mad, and continually sicke. Thusfauoringe more his kynseman then hym by whom he had somuch profite, the suspicion was layde vpon theharmeles, to whom they ascribed so muche malice thathe wolde teare and defile his owne garmentes to auoidesuspicion if any suche thyng had bene done. But thechild commyng both of good father and mother, dydneuer shewe any tokẽ of such a naughtie disposicion:and at thys daye there is nothing farther from allmalice then are hys maners, whyche nowe free frome allfeare telleth all the matter in order as it was donne. 

¶ To suche tutors do honest citizens committe theirchyldren whome they moste loue, and suche do complaynethat they be not wel rewarded for their paynes. Andthis tormentour wolde not once knoweledge he had doneamisse, but had rather playe the starke mad man, thenconfesse his faute: and yet agaynst such is not takenan accion of euyll handlyng, neither hath the rigoureof the lawe anye power agaynste suche huge crueltie. There is no anger worse to be pleased thẽ theirs thatbe lyke to haue the fallynge sycknes. Howe many thingsbe crepte in, into the lyfe of christen men, not meeteneither for the Phrigians nor y^e Scithians, of y^ewhich I wyl shew one much like this matter. The yonggentlemã is send in to y^e vniuersitie to lerne theliberall sciences. But w^t how vngentle despightes ishe begun in them? Fyrst they rub his chyn, as thoughthey wolde shaue his bearde: hereunto thei vse pisse, or if ther be any fouler thyng. This liquour is dashedinto his mouth, & he may not spit it out. Wythpaynfull bobbes they make as though thei drewe hornesfrom him: sõtime he is cõpelled to drinke a greatdeale of vinegre or salte, or whatsoeuer it listethy^e wyld cõpany of yong mẽ to geue him: for whẽ theybegin the play, thei make him swere y^t he shal obeyal that they cõmaund him. At last they hoyse him vp, & dashe his backe against a post as oftẽ as they list. After these so rustical despightes sũtime foloweth anague or a paine of y^e backe y^t neuer cã be remedied. Certes this foolishe play endeth in a drõken bãket:w^t such beginninges enter they into y^e studies ofliberal sciences. But it were mete that after thissorte ther shuld begin a boucher, a tormẽtour a baudor a bõde slaue or a botemã, not a child appointed toy^e holy studies of lerning. It is a meruel that yongmẽ geuen to liberal studies be mad after this fashiõ, but it is more meruel y^t these things be alowed ofsuche as haue the rule of youth. To so foule & cruelfolyshenes is pretẽsed the name of custume, as thoughthe custume of an euil thing wer any thing else thẽ anold errour, whiche ought so much the more diligẽtly tobe pulled vp bicause it is crept among many. Socõtinueth amõg the diuines y^e maner of a vesper, forthey note an euyl thynge w^t a like name, more metefor scoffers thẽ diuines. But thei y^t professeliberal sciẽces, shuld haue also liberal sports. But Icome againe to chyldren, to whome nothyng is morevnprofitable, then to be vsed to stripes, whicheenormittie causeth that the gẽtle nature isintractable, and the viler driuen to desperacion:and cõtinuaunce of thẽ maketh that both the bodye ishardened to stripes, & the mynd to wordes. Nay we maynot oftentymes chyde thẽ to sharplye. A medicinenaughtelye vsed, maketh the sickenes worse, helpeth itnot, and if it be layde to continuallye, by litle andlitle, it ceaseth to be a medicine, and dothe nothingeelse then dothe stinkynge and vnwholesome meate. Buthere some man wyl laye vnto vs the godlye sayings ofthe Hebrues. He that spareth the rod hateth hys chyldeand he that loueth hys sonne, beateth hym muche. Agayne: Bowe downe the necke of thy chylde in youth, and beate hys sydes whyle he is an infante very yonge. Suche chastisemente peraduenture was meete in tymepaste for the Iewes. Nowe must the sayinge beexpounded more ciuilely. And if a man wil be hard tovs wyth letters and sillables, what is more cruellthen to bend the necke of a chyld, & to beat the sidesof an infant? woldest thou not beleue that a bull weretaught to y^e plowgh, or an asse to bear paniars, andnot a mã to vertue? And what rewarde doth he promisevs? That he grope not after other mẽnes dores. He isafeard lest his son shulde be poore, as the greatesteof all mischiefe. What is more coldly spoken then thyssentence? Let gentle admonicion be oure rodde, andsometyme chydyng also, but sauced wyth mekenes, notbitternes. Let vs vse thys whyp continuallye in ourchyldren, y^t beyng wel brought vp, they maye haue athome a meanes to lyue well, and not be cõpelled to begcounsell at their neighbours how to do their busines. Licon the philosopher hath shewed . Ii. Sharpe spurresto quicken vp chyldrens wyttes, shame, and prayse:shame is the feare of a iust reproch, prayse is thenorysher of all verteous actes: wyth these prickeslette vs quicken our chyldrens wyttes. Also if youwyl, I wyl shewe you a club to beate their sideswythall. Continuall labour vanquysheth all thyngessayth the best of al poetes. Let vs wake, let vsprycke thẽ forwardes, & styl call vpon them, byrequiringe, repetynge, and often teachyng: Wyth thisclub let vs beate the sydes of our infantes. Fyrst letthem lerne to loue, and maruell at vertue and lernyng, to abhor sinne and ignorance. Let them hear somepraysed for theyr well doinges, and some rebuked fortheir euyl. Let examples be brought in of those men towhom lernyng hath gottẽ hygh glorye, ryches, dignitie, and authoritie. And againe of them to whom their euyllcondicions & wyt wythout all lernyng hath broughtinfamie, contempt, pouertye and myschiefe. Theseverely be the clubbes meete for christians, that makedisciples of Iesu. [Sidenote: Emulacion is an enuyewythout malice, for desire to be as good as an other, & to be as much praysed. ] And if we cã not profite bymonicions, nor prayers, neyther by emulacion, norshame, nor prayse, nor by other meanes, euen thechastenyng w^t the rod, if it so require, ought to begentle & honeste. For euen thys that the bodies ofgẽtle children shulde be made bare, is a kind ofdespice. Howbeit Fabius vtterly cõdemneth al y^ecustume to beate gentle chyldrẽ. Some mã wil saye, what shall be done to them if they can not be driuento study but by stripes? I answer roũdly, what wold yedo to asses or to oxen if thei went to schole? Woldestthou not driue them in to the contrey, & put the oneto the backhouse, the other to the plowe. For there bemen as well borne to the plowe and to the backehouse, as oxen and asses be. But they wyll saye: thendecreseth my flocke. What then? Yea and myneaduauntage to. Thys is an harde matter: thys makeththem to weepe. They set more money then by the profiteof the chyldren. But suche are all the cõmon sorte offolyshe teachers. I graunte. As the philosophersdescribe a wyse mã, y^e rethoricians an oratour, suchone as scarse maye be foũd in anye place: So muchemore easye it is to prescribe what manner of man ascholmaster shuld be, thẽ to find many y^t wil be asyou wold haue thẽ. [Sidenote: Ciuile officers andprelates shuld se that ther wer good schole masters. ]¶ But this oughte to be a publyque care and charge, andbelongeth to the ciuyle officer, and chyef prelats ofthe churches that as ther be men appointed to serue inwar, to singe in churches, so muche more there shuldebe ordeined that shuld teach citizens chyldren welland gently. [Sidenote: Vespasian. ] Vespasianus oute ofhys owne cofers gaue yerely sixe hũdred poũde toLatine and Greke rethoricians. [Sidenote: Plinie. ]Plinie the nephew of his owne liberalitie bestowed agreat sũme of money to the same purpose. And if thecomẽty in thys poynt be slacke, certenly euerye manought to take hede at home for his owne house. ¶ Thouwylt saye: what shall poore men do which can scarsefynd their chyldren, muche lesse hyre a master toteache them? Here I haue nothynge to saye, but thysout of the comedie: We muste do as we maye do, when wecan not as we wolde. We do shewe the beste waye ofteachynge, we be not able to geue fortune: Saue thathere also the liberalitie of ryche men ought to helpegood wyttes, whych can not shewe forthe the strengthof naturall inclinacion because of pouertye. [Sidenote: Pouertie hurteth good wittes. ] I wyll thatthe gentlenes of the master shulde be so tempered, that familiaritie, the companion of contempte, put notaway honeste reuerence, suche one as men say Sarpedowas, tutour to Cato of Vtica, which thorowe hys gentlemaners gat greate loue, and by hys vertue as lykeauthoritie, causynge the chylde to haue a greatereuerence, and to set much by him wythout anye feareof roddes. But these y^t can do nothynge elles butbeate, what wolde they do if they had taken vpon themto teache Emperoures or kynges chyldren, whome it werenot lefull to beate? They wyll saye that greate menssonnes muste be excepted from thys fashion. What isthat? Be not the chyldren of citizens, men as well askynges chyldren be? Shulde not euerye manne as welloue hys chylde as if he wer a kynges sonne? If hisestate be sũwhat base, so much the more neede hath heto be taught, and holpen by lernynge, that he mayecome vp, from his pore case. But if he be of hyedegre, philosophy & lernyng is necessary to gouernehys matters well. Further not a fewe be called fromelowe degre to hye estate, yea sometyme to be greatbyshops. All men come not to thys, yet oughte al mento be brought vp to come to it. I wil braule no morewith these greate beaters, after I haue tolde you thisone thing: How that those lawes & officers becondemned of wyse men, whych can no more but feare menwyth punyshement, & do not also entyse men byrewardes: and the whych punyshe fautes, and prouidenot also y^t nothyng be done worthy punishmẽt. Thesame must be thought of the cõmon sort of teachers, whych only beate for fautes, and do not also teachey^e mynd that it do not amysse. They straitlie requiretheir lesson of them: if the chylde fayle, he isbeaten: and whẽ this is done daily because the childshuld be more accustumed to it, thei thinke they haueplaied the part of a gaye scholemaster. But the chyldshulde fyrste haue ben encoraged to loue lernyng, andto be afeared to displease hys teacher. But of thesethynges peraduenture some man wyl thynke I haue spoketo much & so myght I worthely be thought, except thatalmoste all men dyd in this poynte so greatly offende, that hereof a mã cã neuer speke inough. Furthermore itwyll helpe verye muche, if he that hathe taken vponhym to teache a chylde, so sette hys mynd vpon hym, that he bear a fatherly loue vnto hym. By thys itshall come to passe, y^t both the child wil lerne moregladly, & he shal fele lesse tediousnes of hislaboure. [Sidenote: A sentence to be marked. ] For ineuery busines loue taketh away y^e greatest part ofhardnes. And because after the olde prouerbe: Lykereioyseth in lyke, y^e master muste in maner play thechilde againe, that he may be loued of the chylde. Yetthis lyketh me not, y^t men set theyr children to betaught their fyrst beginnings of letters vnto thosethat be of extreme and dotyng olde age, for they bechyldren in verye deede, they fayne not, theycoũterfait not, stuttinge, but stutte in deede. 

¶ I wolde wyshe to haue one of a lustye yonge age, whome the chylde myght delyght in, and which wold notbe lothe to playe euerye parte. [Sidenote: A lykenyngeof scholemasters and nurses together. ] Thys man shuldedo in fashionyng hys wytte, that parentes and nursesbe wont to do in formynge the bodye. Howe do theyfyrst teache the infante to speake lyke a man? Theyapplye their wordes by lyspyng accordyng to thechyldes tatlynge. How do they teach them to eat? Theychaw fyrst their milke soppes, and when they hauedone, by lytle & litle put it in to the chyldesmouthe. Howe do they teache thẽ to go? They bowe downetheir owne bodies, and drawe in theyre owne stridesafter the measure of the infantes. Neyther do theyfede them wyth euerye meate, nor putte more in thenthey bee able to take: and as they increase in age, they leade them to bigger thinges. First they seekefor noryshemente that is meete for them, not differyngmuch frõ mylke, whych yet if it be thrust into themouthe to muche, either it choketh the chylde, orbeynge caste oute defileth hys garmente. When it issoftelye and pretelye put in, it doth good. Whychselfe thynge we se cõmeth to passe in vesselles thathaue narowe mouthes: if you pour in muche, it bubblethout agayne, but if you powre in a litle, and as itwere by droppes, in deede it is a whyle, and fayre andsoftely erste, but yet then fylled. [Sidenote: Thefedyng of the bodye and mynd cõpared together. ] Sothen as by small morsels, and geuen now and then, the lytle tender bodies are noryshed: in lyke mannerchyldrens wyttes by instruccions meete for them taughteasely, and as it were by playe by lytle & litleaccustume thẽ selues to greater thyngs: & thewearynesse in the meane season, is not felte, becausethat small encreasynges so deceyue the felynge oflabour, that neuerthelesse they helpe much to greatprofite. As it is told of a certen wrestler, whych, accustumed to beare a calfe by certein furlonges, barehym whẽ he was waxen a bull, wythoute anye payne: forthe encrease was not felt, whych euerye daye was putto the burden. But there be some that looke thatchyldren shulde strayghtwaye become olde men, hauyngno regarde of their age, but measure the tenderwittes, by theyr owne strengthe. ¶ Straightway they callvpon them bytterly, straightway they straitly requireperfect diligence, by and by they frowne wyth theforhead if the childe do not as wel as he wold hauehym, and they bee so moued as thoughe they had to dowyth an elder body, forgettyng you maye be sure y^tthey thẽ selues wer once children. How much morecurteouse is it that Pliny warneth a certen masterthat was to sore. Remember saythe he, that bothe he isa yonge man, and that thou hast ben one thi selfe. But many be so cruel against the tender chyldren, asthough thei remẽbred not neyther them selues, neythertheir scolers to be menne. [Sidenote: What thingslytle yonge chyldrẽ shold be fyrste taughte. ] Thouwoldest that I shulde shewe the those thynges that bemeete for the inclinaciõ of that age, and whiche shuldby and by be taughte the lytle yongons. Fyrst the vseof tonges whych commeth to them without any greatestudye, ther as olde folkes can scarse be hable tolearne them wyth great labour. [Sidenote: Chyldrendesyre naturally to folow & do as other do. ] And hereto as we sayde, moueth the chyldrẽ a certen desyre tofolowe and do as they se other do: of the which thingwe see a certen lyke fashion in pies and popiniayes. What is more delectable then the fabels of poetes, which wyth their swete entisynge plesures to delightchildrens eares that thei profite vs very much whẽ webe olde also, not only to y^e knowledge of the tong, but also to iudgement and copye of elegant speche?What wyll a chyld hear more gladlye then Esops fabels, whyche in sporte and playe teache earnest preceptes ofphilosophy? and the same fruite is also in the fabelsof other poetes. The chylde heareth that Vlissesfelowes were turned into swyne, and other fashions ofbeastes. The tale is laughed at, and yet for al thathe lerneth that thing that is the chiefest poynte inal morall philosophye: Those whyche be not gouerned byryght reason, but are caried after the wyll ofaffeccions, not to be men, but beastes. ¶ What couldea stoycke saye more sagely? and yet dothe a merye taleteache the same. In a thynge that is manifest I wyllnot make the tarye with many exãples. [Sidenote:Bucolicall, where y^e herdmen do speke of nete andshepe. ] Also what is more mery conceited thẽ theverses called Bucolicall? what is sweter then acomedie, whych standing by morall maners, delitethbothe the vnlearned and chyldren? And heare how greata parte of philosophye is lerned by playe? Adde vntothys the names of all thynges, in the whych it ismeruell to see howe now a dayes, yea euẽ they be blindwhich are taken for wel lerned mẽ. Finally, shorte andmery conceited sentences, as commonly be prouerbes, and quicke shorte sayinges of noble men, in the whicheonlye in tyme paste philosophie was wonte to be taughtto the people. Ther appeareth also in the verychyldren a certen peculier redines to some sciences, as vnto musicke, arithmetique, or cosmographie. For Ihaue proued that they whych were very dull to lernethe preceptes of grammer and rethorique, were foundverye apte to lerne the subtile artes. Nature therforemust be holpen to that parte wherunto of it selfe itis inclined. And down the hyll is very litle labour, as contrary is great. Thou shalt nether do nor sayeanye thynge agaynst thy naturall inclinacion. I knewea child that could not yet speake whych had no greaterpleasure, than to open a booke, and make as thoughe heread. And when he dyd that sometyme many houres, yetwas he not weery. And he neuer wept so bitterli, butif you had offered hym a booke, he wolde be pleased. That thynge made hys friendes hope that in time tocome he wolde be a well lerned manne. His name alsobrought some good lucke: for he was called Hierome. [Sidenote: That is a teacher of holye lernynge. ] Andwhat he is now I can not tel, for I sawe hym notbeynge growẽ vp. To the knowledge of the tonge it wyllhelpe verye muche if he be broughte vp amonge themthat be talkatiue. Fabels and tales wyll the chyldelerne so muche the more gladly, and remember thebetter, if he maye see before his eyes the argumentesproperly paynted, and what soeuer is tolde in theoracion be shewed him in a table. The same shall helpeas much to lerne without boke the names of trees, herbs, and beastes, and also their properties, inespecially of these whych be not common to be seenein euerye place, as is Rhinoceros, whyche is a beastethat hathe a horne in hys nose, naturall enemye to theElephant: Tragelaphus, a goate hart, Duocrotalus, a byrd lyke to a swã, whyche puttyng hys head into thewater brayeth lyke an asse, an asse of Inde and anElephant. The table maye haue an Elephant whom aDragon claspeth harde aboute, wrapping in his formerfeete with his tayle. The litle chyld laugheth at thesyght of thys straunge paintynge, what shall themaster do then? He shall shewe him that ther is agreate beaste called in Greeke an Elephante, and inLatine lykewyse, saue that sometyme it is declinedafter the latine fashion. He shall shewe, that thatwhyche the grekes cal proboscida, or his snout, thelatines call his hande, because wyth that he reachethhys meate. He shall tell hym that that beaste doth nottake breath at the mouthe as we do, but at the snoute:& that he hath teth standyng out on bothe sides, andthey be iuory, which rich mẽ set much price by, andtherwith shal shew hym an iuory combe. Afterwardes heshall declare that in Inde ther be dragons as greateas they. And that dragon is bothe a greke worde and alatine also, saue that the grekes says dracontes inthe genitiue case. He shall shewe that naturalliebetwyxte the dragons and the Elephantes is greatfyghte. And if the chylde be somewhat gredy oflearnynge, he maye rehearse manye other thynges of thenature of Elephantes and dragons. Manye reioyse to seehuntinges paynted. Here howe manye kyndes of trees, hearbes, byrdes, foure footed beastes maye he lerneand playe? I wyll not holde you longe wyth examples, seynge it is easye by one to coniecture all. ¶ Themaster shall be diligent in chosynge them oute, andwhat he shall iudge moste pleasaunt to chyldren, mostmete for them, what they loue best, and is mostfloryshyng, that inespecially let hym set before them. The fyrste age lyke vnto the spring tyme, standeth inpleasaunt sweete flowres, and goodly grene herbes, vntyl the heruest time of ripe mans age fyll the barnefull of corne. ¶ Then as it were agaynst reason in veror springe tyme to seeke for a rype grape, and a rosein autumne, [Sidenote: Autumne is the tyme betwyxtsomer and wynter. ] so muste the master marke what ismete for euerye age. Mery and plesaunte thynges beconueniente for chyldehod, howbeit all sourenesse andsadnes muste be cleane awaye from all studies. [Sidenote: The meaning of y^e poetes deuise touchingthe muses & Charites. ] And I am deceyued except theolde men ment that also, whyche ascribed to the musesbeynge virgins, excellent bewtye, harpe, songes, daunses, and playes in the pleasaunt fieldes, andioyned to them as felowes the Ladies of loue: and thatincrease of studies dyd stande specially in mutualloue of myndes, and therefore the olde men called itthe lernyng that perteined to man. And ther is nocause why profite maye not folowe pleasure, andhonestie ioyned to delectacion. [Sidenote: Wherforelernyng is called humanitie] For what letteth thatthey shulde not lerne eyther a proper fable, arte ofpoets, or a sentence, or a notable prety hystorie, ora learned tale, as well as they lerne and can wythoutboke a piuyshe songe, and oftẽtimes a baudy one to, & folishe old wiues tatlynges, & very trifles oftriflyng womẽ? What a sũme of dreames, vaine ryddels, and vnprofitable trifles of spirites, hobgoblines, fayries, witches, nightmares wood men and gyauntes, how manye naughty lies, how many euyll sayingsremember wee, yea euen when we be men, whych beynglytle chyldrẽ we lerned of our dadies, graũdmothers, nurses, & maydens whyle they were spynnynge, and heardthẽ when they kissed & plaied wyth vs? And what aprofite shuld it haue bene to lernynge, if in stede ofthese moste vaine garringes, not only folyshe, butalso hurtfull, wee had lerned those thynges that werehearsed a litle before. Thou wylt saye, what lernedman wyll lowly hys wyt to these so small thynges? YetAristotle hym selfe beynge so greate a philosopher wasnot greued to take vpon hym the office of a teacher, to instruct Alexander. ¶ Chiron fashioned the infancy ofAchilles, and Phenix succeded hym. Hely the priestbrought vp y^e childe Samuell. And ther be now a daieswhych eyther for a lytle money, or for theyr plesuretake almost more payne in teachyng a pye or apopiniay. There be some that for deuocions sake takevpon them iourneys that both be farre of andieoperdeous, and other laboures besyde almostintollerable. Why dothe not holynes cause vs to dothys office seynge nothyng can please god better?Howbeit in teachinge those thynges that we hauerehearsed, the master must neyther be to much callyngvpon, neither to sharpe: but vse a continuaunce ratherthen be wythout measure. Continuaunce hurteth not soit be mesurable, & spiced also wyth varietie andplesaũtnes. Finally if these thynges be so taught, that imaginaciõ of labour be awaye, and that thechylde do thynk al thinges be done in playe. Here thecourse of our talkyng putteth vs in remẽbrauncebriefely to shewe by what meanes it maye be brought topasse that lernyng shuld waxe swete vnto the chylde, [Sidenote: How learnyng may be made swete vnto y^echyld. ] which before we somwhat touched. To be able tospeake redely, as I told you is easely gotten by vse. After thys cõmeth the care to reade and write whychof it selfe is somwhat tedious, but the griefe istaken awaye a great parte by the cũnyng handling ofthe master, if it be sauced w^t some pleasauntallurementes. For you shall fynde some whych taryelong and take great paine in knowyng & ioynynge theirletters & in those fyrst rudimẽtes of grammer, whẽthey wyl quyckely lerne greater thyngs. The yrksõnesof these thinges must be holpẽ by some pretie craft, of the which y^e old fathers haue shewed certẽfashions. Some haue made the letters in sweete crustesand cakes that chyldren loue well, that so in mannerthey myghte eate vp their letters. ¶ When they tellthe letters name, they geue the letter it selfe for arewarde. Other haue made the fashion of iuorie, thatthe chylde shulde playe wyth them, or if there wereany other thyng wherin that age is specially delited. [Sidenote: The practise of a certen englishe man toteache hys chyld hys letters by shootyng. ] Theenglyshe mẽ delyte principally in shotynge, and teacheit their chyldren fyrst of all: wherefore a certenfather that had a good quicke wyt perceiuinge hissonne to haue a greate pleasure in shotyng, bought hyma prety bowe & very fayr arrowes, & in al partes bothof hys bowe & arrowes were letters painted. Afterwardsinsted of markes, he set vp the fashiõ of leters, fyrste of Greke, and after of latẽ: when he hyt, & tolde the name of the letter, besyde a greatereioysinge, he had for a reward a cherye, or someother thynge that chyldrẽ delyte in. Of that playecommeth more fruite, if two or thre matches playetogether. For then the hope of victorie and feare ofrebuke maketh them to take more heede, and to be morechereful. By thys deuise it was broughte aboute thatthe chylde wythin a fewe days playing, had perfitelylerned to know & sound all hys letters whych ye cõmõsort of teachers be scarse able to brynge to passe inthre whole yeres whyth their beatynges threatyngs, andbrawlynges. Yet do not I alowe the diligence of someto painful, whych drawe out these thyngs by playingeat chesses or dyce. For when the playes them seluespasse the capacitie of chyldren, how shal they lernethe letters by them? ¶ This is not to helpe thechyldrens wyttes, but to put one labour to an other. As there be certen engins so full of worke and socurious, that they hynder the doynge of the busines. Of thys sorte commonly be all those thynges whych somehaue deuised of the arte of memorye for to gettemoney, or for a vayne boastynge, rather then forprofite: for they do rather hurte the memorye. [Sidenote: The beste craft for memmorie. ] The bestcrafte for memorie, is thorowlye to vnderstande, and then to brynge into an order, last of al oftẽ torepete that thou woldest remember. And in litleonsthere is a natural great desyre to haue the mastryinespecially of suche as be of lustye courage, andlyuely towardnes. ¶ The teacher shall abuse theseinclinacions to the profite of hys study. If he shallprofite nothing by prayers, and fayre meanes, neytherby gyftes mete for chyldren, nor prayses, he shal makea contencion with hys equales. Hys felowe shall bepraysed in the presẽce of the duller. Desyre to be asgood shall quicken forwardes, whom only adhortacioncoulde not do. Yet it is not meete so to geue themastrie to the victor, as thoughe he shulde haue itfor euer: but somtime he shall shewe hope to hym thatis ouercome, that by takyng hede he may recouer y^eshame: whych thynge capteyns be wonte to dooe inbatayle. And sometyme we shall suffer that the chyldshuld thynke he hadde gotten the better, when he isworse in deede. Finally by enterchaungyng, prayse anddisprayse, he shall noryshe in them, as Hesiodussayth, a stryfe who shall do best. Perchaunce one of asadde wyt wyl be loth so to play the child amongchyldren. And yet the same is not greued, neyther yetashamed to spende a greate parte of the day in playingwyth little puppies and marmesettes, or to babble wytha pie or popiniay, or to play the foole wyth a foole. By these tryfles, a verye sadde matter is broughte topasse, and it is meruell that good men haue litlepleasure herein, seeing y^t natural loue of ourchildren, and hope of great profit is wunt to makethose thynges also pleasaũte, whyche of them selues besharpe, sowre and bytter. I confesse that thepreceptes of grammer be at the beginnynge somewhatsowre, and more necessary then pleasant. But thehandsomnes of the teacher shal take from them also agreate parte of the payne. The beste thynge andplaynest muste be taughte fyrste. ¶ But nowe wyth whatcompasses, and hardenesse be chyldren troubeled whylethey learne wythout the booke the names of the lettersbefore they knowe what manner letters they bee?

¶ Whyle they be compelled in the declinynge of nownesand verbes to can by roote in howe manye cases, moodesand tenses one worde is put: as muse in the genetiueand datiue singuler, the nominatiue and vocatiueplurel? Legeris of legor, and of legerim, and legero?What a beatyng is thẽ in the schole, whẽ chyldren beaxed these thynges? ¶ Some light teachers to boast theirlerynge are wonte of purpose to make these thyngessomewhat harder. Whyche faute maketh the beginnyngesalmost of all sciences in doute, and paynfull, specially in logicke. And if you shewe them a betterwaye, they answere they were brought vp after thysfashion, and wyll not suffer that anye chyldren shuldebe in better case, then they them selues were whenthey were chyldren. All difficultye eyther thereforemuste be auoided, whyche is not necessarye, or that isvsed oute of tyme. It is made softe and easy, that isdone whẽ it shuld be. But when tyme is, that ofnecessitie an harde doute muste be learned, than acunnynge teacher of a childe shall studye as muche ashe may to folowe the good and frendlye Phisicians, [Sidenote: A good schol master in teachyng, mustefolow a phisicion in medicines. ] whych whan they shaltgyue a bytter medicyne do anoyut, as Lucrecius faith, the brimmes of their cuppes with honye, that thechylde entised by pleasure of the swetenes shuld notfeare the wholesome bytternes, or else put suger intoy^e medicine it selfe, or some other swete sauoryngthynge. Yea they wyl not be knowen that it is amedicine, for the only imaginacion sometyme maketh vsquake for feare. Finally thys tediousenes is soneouercome, if things be taught them not to much atonce, but by lytle and litle, and at sundrie times. Howebeit we ought not to distrust to much chyldrensstrength, if perhaps they muste take some paines. A chyld is not myghty in strength of bodye, but he isstronge to continue, and in abilitie strong inough. Heis not myghty as a bull, but he is strong as an emet. [Sidenote: Note the sentence. ] In some thinges a flyepasseth an elephant. Euerye thyng is mighty in that, to the whyche nature hathe made hym. Do we not setender chyldren rũne merueylouse swyftlye all the dayelong, and feele no werinesse. What is the cause?Because playe is fitte for that age, and they imagineit a playe and no labour. And in euerye thynge thegretest part of payne is imaginacion, whych somtymemaketh vs feele harme, when there is no harme at all. Therefore seynge that the prouidence of nature hathtaken awaye imaginacion of laboure from chyldren, Andhowe muche they lacke in strengthe, so muche they beholpen in thys part, that is, that they feele notlabour, It shal be the masters parte, as we saydebefore, to put away the same by as many wayes as hecan, and of purpose to make a playe of it. ¶ There bealso certen kindes of sportes meete for chyldren, wherwyth theyr earnest studye must somwhat be easedafter they be come to that, they muste lerne thosehigher thynges whyche can not be perceiued wythoutediligence and laboure: as are the handling of Themes, to turne latine into Greeke, or greeke into latine, orto learne cosmographie wythout booke. But moste of allshall profite, if the chylde accustume to loue andreuerence hys master, to loue and make muche oflearnyng, to feare rebuke, and delyght in prayse. [Sidenote: The last obieccion touching the profit ofy^e chyld in his young yeres. ] There remayneth onedoute, wonte to be obiected by those whych saye: Theprofite that the chylde getteth in those thre or foureyeres to be so lytle, that it is not worthe thelaboure, eyther to take so muche payne in teachynge, or bestowe so much coste. And these in dede seme vntome, not so muche to care for to profite the chyldren, as for the sparyng of theyr money, or the teacherslabour. But I wyl saye he is no father, whyche whenthe matter is of teaching his child, taketh so greatecare for expenses. Also it is a folyshe pitie, tothintent the master shuld saue his labour, to make hissonne lose certen yeres. I graunt it to be true indedey^t Fabius sayth, y^t more good is done in . I. Yereafter, then in these . Iii. Or . Iiii. Why shuld we setlight by this litle y^t is won in a thyng far moreprecious. Let vs graunt that it is but a very lytle, yet were it better the chylde to do it, then eythernothyng at al, or lerne somewhat that after muste bevnlerned. Wyth what businesse shall that age be betteroccupied as sone as he beginneth to speake, whiche inno wyse can be vnoccupied? Also how lytle soeuer it bethat the former age doth bringe, yet shal the chyldelerne greater thynges, euen in the same yeres, whensmaller shuld haue ben lerned, if he had not lernedthem before. Thys sayth Fabius, euery yere furtheredand increased profiteth to a great summe and as muchtyme as is taken before in the infancie, is gotten tothe elder age. It nedeth not to rehearse that in thosefirst yeres certen thinges be easely lerned, which bemore hard to be lerned whẽ we be elder. For it is veryeasely lerned, that is lerned in time conueniente. Letvs graunt that they be small and litle thynges, so weconfesse them to be necessarye. Yet to me in deede itsemeth not so litle a furtheraunce to lerning to hauegotten though not a perfit knowledge, yet at the leastwaye a taste of bothe the tongues, besydes so manyvocables and names of thinges, and finally to hauebegun to be able to reade and write prõptly. Itgreueth vs not in thinges much more vile, to gette allthe vauntage we can, be it neuer so lytle. A diligentemarchaunt setteth not light bi winning of a farthing, thinkyng thus in hys mynde: it is in dede of it selfebut a litle, but it groweth to a summe, and a litleoften put to a lytle, wyll quyckelye make a greatheape. The Smithes ryse before daye, to wyn as it wereparte of the day. Husband men vpon the holy daye dosome thynges at home, to make an ende of more workethe other dayes. And do we regarde as nothyng thelosse of . Iiii. Yeres in oure chyldren, when there isnothyng more costly then tyme, nor no possessionbetter thẽ lerning? It is neuer lerned tymely inoughethat neuer is ended. For we muste euer learne as longeas we lyue. ¶ And in other thyngs the lucre that isloste by slackenes, maye be recouered by diligence. Time whẽ it is once flowen awaye (and it flyethawaye very quickely) may be called againe by noinchauntmentes. For the poets do trifle whyche tell ofa fountayne, wherby olde men do as it were waxe yongagayne: and the phisicions deceiue you, whych promisea gay floryshyng youth to old men thorowe a certeynfolishe fyft essence I wote not what. Here therfore weought to be verye sparyng, because the losse of tymemay by no meanes be recouered. Beside this the fyrstpart of our lyfe is coũted to be best, and therforeshuld be bestowed more warelye. Hesiodus aloweth notsparynge, neyther at the hyest, nor at the lowest, because when the tunne is full it semeth to hasty, andto late when it is spente: and therefore byddeth vsspare in the myddes. But of tyme we muste nowher castaway the sparing, and if we shuld spare when the tunneis ful for thys cause that wyne is best in themyddest, then shulde we most of all saue our yongeyeres, because it is the best parte of the life, ifyou exercise it, but yet y^t goeth swyftest awaye. Thehusbande manne if he be anye thynge diligente, wyllnot suffer anye parte of hys lande to lye vacante, and that that is not meete to brynge forthe corne, hesetteth it eyther wyth yonge graffes, or leaueth it topasture, or storeth it wyth potte hearbes. And shallwe suffer the beste parte of our lyfe to passe awayewyth oute all fruite of lerning? Newe falowed groundmust be preuented wyth some fruitfull thynge, lestebeynge vntylled, it brynge forthe of it selfe naughtycockle. For needes muste it brynge forthe somewhat. Lykewyse the tender mynde of the infante, except itbee strayghte wayes occupyed wyth fruitefullteachynges, it wyl be ouercoued wyth vyce. An earthenpotte wyll keepe longe the sauoure of the liquore thatit is fyrste seasoned wyth, and it wyll be long or itgo out. But as for an earthen vessell beynge newe andemptye, you maye keepe it for what liquore ye wyll. 

¶ The mynde eyther bryngeth forth good fruite, if youcaste into it good seede, or if ye regard it not, itis fylled wyth naughtines, whych afterwardes must bepulled vp. And not a litle hath he wonne whyche hatheescaped the losse, neyther hathe he brought smallhelpe to vertue, whiche hath excluded vyce. But whatnede many wordes? Wylt thou see howe muche itauayleth, whether one be brought vp in learnynge ornot? Beholde how excellently lerned in the olde tymemen were in their youth, and how in oure daies theythat be aged be hable to do nothyng in studie?[Sidenote: Ouide. ] Ouide beyng a verye yonge man wrothys verses of loue. What olde man is hable to do lyke?[Sidenote: Lucane. ] What maner of man Lucane was inhys youth hys workes declare. Howe came thys? Becausethat beynge but . Vi. Moneths old he was brought toRome, & strayght waie deliuered to be taught of twothe best gramarians, Palemõ, and Cornutus. [Sidenote:Bassus. ] Hys companions in studye were Salcius Bassus, and Aulus Persius: [Sidenote: Persius. ] that oneexcellente in historye, that other in a Satyre. 

Doubtles hereof cam that most perfite knoweledge thathe had in all the seuen sciences, & his so marueylouseloquence, that in verse he was both an excellenteoratoure, & also a Poet. In thys our time ther wãtethnot exemples of good bringing vp (although thei beveri few) & y^t as wel in womẽ as mẽ. Politiã praisedy^e wit of y^e maidẽ Cassãdra. ¶ And what is moremarueylous thã Vrsinus a childe of . Xii. Yeres olde?for the remẽbraunce of him, he also in a very eligãteepistle put in eternall memorye. How fewe men shal younowe fynd, whiche at one time be able to endite twoepistles to so manye notaries, that the sẽtence ineuerye one do agree, and that there shoulde happen noinconueniente speache. That chylde did it in fyueepistles & gaue the argumentes w^tout any study, & wasnot prepared afore hãd to do it. Some men when they sethese things, thinking that thei passe al mensstrength, ascribe it to witchcraft. It is done in dedeby witchcrafte, but it is an effectual enchaũting, to be set in time to a learned, good, and vigilantmaster. It is a stronge medicine to learne the bestthings of learned men, and emonge the learned. 

[Sidenote: Alexander. ] By such wytchcrafte Alexanderthe greate, whan he was a yonge man, besideseloquence, was perfit in al the parts of Philosophie, and except the loue of warres, & swetenes to raygnehad quite raught away his inclinaciõ, he might hauebene counted the chiefe among the beste Philosophers. By the same meanes Caius Cesar beinge but a yonge man, was so eloquent & wel sene in the mathematicalsciences. So well sene also were many Emperors: MarcusTullius, also Virgil, and Horace in their lusty youthwere so excellent in learninge and Eloquence, allbycause they were strayght waye in their tender agelearned of their parentes & nourses the elegancy ofthe tonges, and of the beste maisters the liberalsciences: as Poetry, Rhetorique, Histories, theknowledge of antiquities, Arithmetique, Geographye, Philosophye, moral and political. And what do we Ipraye you? wee kepe our children at home till they bepast fourtene or fiftene yere old, and whan they becorrupted wyth idlenes, ryot, & delicatenes, withmuche worke at the laste we sende them to the cõmenscholes. There to further y^e matter wel, they taste alittle grammer: after, whan they can declyne words, &ioyne the adiectiue and the substãtiue togither, theyhaue learned al the grammer, and thã be set to thattroubled Logike, wher they must forget againe if theyhaue learned to speake anie thynge well. But morevnhappye was the tyme whan I was a child whiche al tovexed the youth with modes of signifiinge, and otherfolyshe questions, & teching nothinge els then tospeake folishelye. Verely those masters bicause theywold not be thought to teach folish thinges, darckenedgrammer wyth difficulties of Logike and Metaphisike:euen for this verelye, that afterwardes they sholdreturne backwardelye to learne grammer, whã they wereolde, which we see happeneth nowe to some diuines thatbe wyser, that after so manye hye degrees and alltheir titles, wherby they maye be ignoraunte innothing, they be faine to come againe to those bookes, which are wonte to be reade vnto children. I blame thẽnot, for it is better to lerne late then neuer, thatthing which is necessary to be knowen. 

Good Lorde what a world was that, whan wyth greateboastynge Iohn Garlandes verses wer read to yonge men, and that with longe and painefull commentaries? whã agreate parte of tyme was consumed in folyshe verses, in saying thẽ to other, repetynge them, and hearyngetheim agayne? whan Florista and Florius were learnedwithout booke? for as for Alexander, I thynke himworthye to be receiued amonge the meaner sorte. Moreouer howe muche tyme was loste in Sophistrye, andin the superfluous mases of Logyke? And bicause I willnot be to longe, howe troublesomelye were all sciencestaughte? howe paynefully? whiles euerye reader toauaunce him selfe, wolde euen straighte waye in thebegynninge stuffe in the hardest thynges of all, andsometyme verye folyshe thyngs to. For a thyng is nottherfore goodly bycause it is harde, as to stand a farof, and to caste a mustarde seede thorowe a nedles eye& misse not, it is hard in dede, but yet it is a veryetrifle: and to vndo a payre of tariers, it is muchworke, but yet a vayne and idle subilltye. 

Adde here vnto, that oftentymes these thynges betaught of vnlearned men, and that is worse, of lewdlearned men, somtyme also of sluggardes andvnthriftes, which more regarde takynge of money thãthe profite of their scholers. Whã the communebryngynge vp is suche, yet do wee maruayle that fewebe perfitly learned before they be old. [Sidenote:Nota. ] The beste parte of oure lyfe is loste wythidlenes, with vices, wherewith whan we be infected, we giue a litle parte of our tyme to studies, and agreate parte to feastes and plaies. And to an yllmatter is taken as euil a craftes manne, eitherteachynge that is folyshe, or that whiche must bevnlearned againe. And after this we make our excusethat the age is weake, the wyt not yet apte to learne, the profite to be verye small, and manye otherthinges, whan in dede the fault is to be ascribed toeuill brynginge vp. I wil not trouble you any lẽger, onelie wil I speake to your wisdome whyche is in otherthynges verye sharpe and quycke of syght. [Sidenote:A goodli brief rehearsall of the thinges beforespokẽ. ] Consider howe deare a possession youre sonneis, howe diuerse a thynge it is and a matter of mucheworke to come by learnynge, and how noble also thesame is, what a redines is in all childrens wyttes tolearne, what agilitie is in the mynd of mã howe easilythose thynges be learned whyche be beste and agreableto nature, inespeciallye if they be taught of learnedand gentle maisters by the waye of playe: further howfast those thynges abide with vs, wherew^t we seasonfyrste of all the emptye and rude myndes, whiche selfethynges an elder age perceyueth boeth more hardelye, and soner forgetteth: Beside thys how dear and thelosse neuer recouered, tyme is, howe much it auaylethto begin in seasõ, and to learne euery thyng whan itshold be, how much continuaunce is able to do, & howegreately the heape that Hesiodus speaketh of, doethincrease by puttinge to little and litle, how swiftlythe time flieth away, how youth wyll alwayes beoccupied, & howe vnapte olde age is to be taught: Ifthou consyder these thynges thou wilt neuer sufferthat thi litle child shoulde passe away (I wil notsay) seuen yere, but not so much as thre dayes, in thewhiche he maye be eyther prepared or in- structed to learnynge though the profit be neuer so litle. 

FINIS. 

 ¶ Impryn- ted at London by Iohn Day, dwellinge ouer Aldersgate, beneth saint Martyns. And are to be sold at his shop by the litle conduit in Chepesyde at the sygne of the Resurrec- tion. 

 Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum. Per septennium. 

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

_Paragraphs_

Some paragraph breaks in this e-text are conjectural. The printed bookhad the following kinds of breaks:

 --conventional paragraph with indented first line --unambiguous paragraph with non-indented first line --ambiguous paragraph: previous line ends with blank space, but the space is not large enough to contain the first syllable of the following line --sentence break corresponds to line break: this happens randomly in any printed book, and only becomes ambiguous when the book also has non-indented paragraphs

In this e-text, the second type of paragraph is marked with a pilcrow ¶. The third type has a pilcrow ¶ but no paragraph break. The fourth typeis not marked. 

_Errors and Inconsistencies_ (Noted by Transcriber)

Unless otherwise noted, spelling and punctuation are unchanged. 

Spelling:

 The pattern of initial “v”, non-initial “u” is followed consistently. The spelling “they” is more common than “thei”. The form “then” is normally used for both “then” and “than”; “than” is rare. The most common spelling is “wyll”, but “wyl”, “wil” and “will” also occur. 

Word Division:

Line-end hyphens were completely arbitrary; words split at line breakwere hyphenated about two-thirds of the time. The presence or absenceof a hyphen has not been noted. Hyphenless words at line-end were joinedor separated depending on behavior elsewhere in the text:

 Always one word (re-joined at line break): som(e)what, without, afterward(e)s Usually one word: often()times, what()so()euer One or two words: an()other Usually two words: it/him/my. . Self/selues; shal()be; straight()way Always two words: here to

Roman Numerals:

Numbers were printed with leading and following . Period. When the numbercame at the beginning or end of a line, the “outer” period was sometimesomitted. These have been silently supplied for consistency. 

Notes:

 what soeuer is tolde in the oracion be shewed him in a table. [_in context, “table” looks like an error for either “tale” or “fable”, but it means picture (Latin _tabula_)_] the grekes says dracontes in the genitiue case [_Latin _draco, draconis_; Greek δρακων, δρακοντος (_drakôn, drakontos_)_]

Errors:

 what plante wyll bee as the owener or [or or] They lerne to loke fierslie, the learne to loue the swearde [_text unchanged: “the” error for “they/thei”?_] What thynke ye then is to be looked for [is to de] a yonge man behauinge hym selfe [behaninge] Straight waye the colt of a lusty courage [Sraight] so be there also of sciences. [_text has “sci-/cences” at line break_] were not made by Hesiodus. [_final . Missing_] thought it to be of Hesiodus doing. [_final . Missing_] And hẽce we ought [hece] things y^t be naught. [_final . Missing_] Nowe is thys theyr onlye care [_one printing has “thyer”_] dayntines hathe perswaded vs to comune this office [_one printing has “commit”_] more easelye by feare, that one brought vp [_text unchanged: “that” error for “then/than”?_] hym to whome he committed the chyefe rule of hys colledge, surnamed of the thynge [_text unchanged_] theyr seruauntes, and their threatnynges, [threatnynges, ,] After suche daynties, they exercysed suche lozdelynes. [_text unchanged: “z” may be intended for some other letter_] When the sicknes of the body was somewhat put away [sickens] these things be alowed of suche as haue [suche is] But if he be of hye degre [_“if” invisible in one printing_] I wil braule no more [wll] fayries, witches, nightmares wood men and gyauntes [_punctuation unchanged_] that so in manner they myghte eate vp their letters [_final “t” in “that” invisible_] of laboure from chyldren, And howe muche [_punctuation unchanged_] they feele not labour, It shal be the masters parte [_punctuation unchanged_] a thyng far more precious. Let vs [_text has “preci-//Let” at page break; “ous” supplied from catchword_] it wyl be ouercoued wyth vyce [_text unchanged: error for “overcouered”?_]