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THE
SCHOLEMASTER
Or plaine and perfite way of tea-
chyng children, to vnderstand, write, and
speake, the Latin tong, but specially purposed
for the priuate brynging vp of youth in Ientle-
men and Noble mens houses, and commodious
also for all such, as haue forgot the Latin
tonge, and would, by themselues, with-
out a Scholemaster, in short tyme,
and with small paines, recouer a
sufficient habilitie, to vnder-
stand, write, and
speake Latin.
By Roger Ascham.
An. 1570.
AT LONDON.
Printed by Iohn Daye, dwelling
ouer Aldersgate.
Cum Gratia & Priuilegio Regiæ Maiestatis,
per Decennium.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
To the honorable Sir William
Cecill Knight, principall Secretarie to
the Quenes most excellent Maiestie.
[S]Ondry and reasonable be the causes why learned men haue vsed
to offer and dedicate such workes as they put abrode, to
some such personage as they thinke fittest, either in respect
of abilitie of defense, or skill for iugement, or priuate
regard of kindenesse and dutie. Euery one of those
considerations, Syr, moue me of right to offer this my late
husbands M. Aschams worke vnto you. For well remembryng how
much all good learnyng oweth vnto you for defense therof, as
the Vniuersitie of Cambrige, of which my said late husband was
a member, haue in chosing you their worthy Chaunceller
acknowledged, and how happily you haue spent your time in such
studies & caried the vse therof to the right ende, to the good
seruice of the Quenes Maiestie and your contrey to all our
benefites, thyrdly how much my sayd husband was many wayes
bound vnto you, and how gladly and comfortably he vsed in hys
lyfe to recognise and report your goodnesse toward hym, leauyng
with me then hys poore widow and a great sort of orphanes a
good comfort in the hope of your good continuance, which I haue
truly found to me and myne, and therfore do duely and dayly
pray for you and yours: I could not finde any man for whose
name this booke was more agreable for hope [of] protection,
more mete for submission to iudgement, nor more due for respect
of worthynesse of your part and thankefulnesse of my husbandes
and myne. Good I trust it shall do, as I am put in great hope
by many very well learned that can well iudge therof. Mete
therefore I compt it that such good as my husband was able to
doe and leaue to the common weale, it should be receiued vnder
your name, and that the world should owe thanke therof to you,
to whom my husband the authour of it was for good receyued of
you, most dutiefully bounden. And so besechyng you, to take on
you the defense of this booke, to auaunce the good that may
come of it by your allowance and furtherance to publike vse and
benefite, and to accept the thankefull recognition of me and my
poore
children, trustyng of the continuance of your good me-
morie of M. Ascham and his, and dayly commen-
dyng the prosperous estate of you and yours to
God whom you serue and whoes you
are, I rest to trouble you.
Your humble Margaret
Ascham.
A Præface to the Reader.
[W]Hen the great plage was at London, the yeare 1563. the
Quenes Maiestie Queene Elizabeth, lay at her Castle of
Windsore: Where, vpon the 10. day of December, it fortuned,
that in Sir William Cicells chamber, hir Highnesse Principall
Secretarie, there dined togither these personages, M.
Secretarie him selfe, Syr William Peter, Syr J. Mason, D.
Wotton, Syr Richard Sackuille Treasurer of the Exchecker, Syr
Walter Mildmaye Chauncellor of the Exchecker, M. Haddon Master
of Requestes, M. John Astely Master of the Iewell house, M.
Bernard Hampton, M. Nicasius, and J. Of which number, the most
part were of hir Maiesties most honourable priuie Counsell, and
the reast seruing hir in verie good place. I was glad than, and
do reioice yet to remember, that my chance was so happie, to be
there that day, in the companie of so manie wise & good men
togither, as hardly than could haue beene piked out againe, out
of all England beside.
M. Secretarie hath this accustomed maner, though his head
be neuer so full of most weightie affaires of the Realme, yet,
at diner time he doth seeme to lay them alwaies aside: and
findeth euer fitte occasion to taulke pleasantlie of other
matters, but most gladlie of some matter of learning: wherein,
he will curteslie heare the minde of the meanest at his Table.
Not long after our sitting doune, I haue strange newes
brought me, sayth M. Secretarie, this morning, that diuerse
Scholers of Eaton, be runne awaie from the Schole, for feare of
beating. Whereupon, M. Secretarie tooke occasion, to wishe,
that some more discretion were in many Scholemasters, in vsing
correction, than commonlie there is. Who many times,M.
punishe rather, the weakenes of nature, than the Secretarie.
fault of the Scholer. Whereby, many Scholers, that
might else proue well, be driuen to hate learning, before they
knowe, what learning meaneth: and so, are made willing to
forsake their booke, and be glad to be put to any other kinde
of liuing.
M. Peter, as one somewhat seuere of nature, said
plainlie, that the Rodde onelie, was the sworde, that must
keepe, the Schole in obedience, and the Scholer in M. Peter.
good order. M. Wotton, á man milde of nature, with M. Wotton.
soft voice, and fewe wordes, inclined to M.
Secretaries iudgement, and said, in mine opinion, Ludus
the Scholehouse should be in deede, as it is called literarum.
by name, the house of playe and pleasure, and not of
feare and bondage: and as I do remember, so saith Plato Rep.
Socrates in one place of Plato. And therefore, if a 7.
Rodde carie the feare of à Sworde, it is no maruell,
if those that be fearefull of nature, chose rather
to forsake the Plaie, than to stand alwaies within M. Mason.
the feare of a Sworde in a fonde mans handling. M.
Mason, after his maner, was verie merie with both M. Haddon.
parties, pleasantlie playing, both, with the shrewde
touches of many courste boyes, and with the small The Author
discretion of many leude Scholemasters. M. Haddon of this
was fullie of M. Peters opinion, and said, that the booke.
best scholemaster of our time, was the greatest
beater, and named the Person. Though, quoth I, it was his good
fortune, to send from his Schole, vnto the Vniuersitie, one of
the best Scholers in deede of all our time, yet wise men do
thinke, that that came so to passe, rather, by the great
towardnes of the Scholer, than by the great beating of the
Master: and whether this be true or no, you your selfe are best
witnes. I said somewhat farder in the matter, how, and whie,
yong children, were soner allured by loue, than driuen by
beating, to atteyne good learning: wherein I was the bolder to
say my minde, bicause M. Secretarie curteslie prouoked me
thereunto: or else, in such à companie, and namelie in his
præsence, my wonte is, to be more willing, to vse mine eares,
than to occupie my tonge. Syr Walter Mildmaye, M. Astley, and
the rest, said verie litle: onelie Syr Rich. Sackuill, said
nothing at all. After dinner I went vp to read with the Queenes
Maiestie. We red than togither in the Greke tongue, as I well
remember. that noble Oration of Demosthenes against Æschines,
for his false dealing in his Ambassage to king Philip of
Macedonie. Syr Rich. Sackuile came vp sone after: and finding
me in hir Maiesties priuie chamber, he tooke me byDemost.
the hand, & carying me to à windoe, said, M. peri
Ascham, I would not for à good deale of monie, parapresb.
haue bene, this daie, absent from diner. Where,
though I said nothing, yet I gaue as good eare, Syr R.
and do consider as well the taulke, that passed, Sackuiles
as any one did there. M. Secretarie said very communication
wisely, and most truely, that many yong wittes be with the
driuen to hate learninge, before they know what Author of
learninge is. I can be good witnes to this my this
selfe: For à fond Scholemaster, before I was booke.
fullie fourtene yeare olde, draue me so, with
feare of beating, from all loue of learninge, as nowe, when I
know, what difference it is, to haue learninge, and to haue
litle, or none at all, I feele it my greatest greife, and finde
it my greatest hurte, that euer came to me, that it was my so
ill chance, to light vpon so lewde à Scholemaster. But seing it
is but in vain, to lament thinges paste, and also wisdome to
looke to thinges to cum, surely, God willinge, if God lend me
life, I will make this my mishap, some occasion of good hap, to
litle Robert Sackuile my sonnes sonne. For whose bringinge vp,
I would gladlie, if it so please you, vse speciallie your good
aduice. I heare saie, you haue à sonne, moch of his age: we wil
deale thus togither. Point you out à Scholemaster, who by your
order, shall teache my sonne and yours, and for all the rest, I
will prouide, yea though they three do cost me a couple of
hundred poundes by yeare: and beside, you shall finde me as
fast à Frend to you and yours, as perchance any you haue. Which
promise, the worthie Ientleman surelie kept with me, vntill his
dying daye.
We had than farther taulke togither, of bringing vp of
children: of the nature, of quicke, and hard wittes: of the
right choice of à good witte: of Feare, and loue in teachinge
children. We passed from children and came to yonge men,
namely, Ientlemen: we taulked of their to moch Thr chiefe
libertie, to liue as they lust: of their letting pointes of
louse to sone, to ouer moch experience of ill, this
contrarie to the good order of many good olde common booke.
welthes of the Persians and Grekes: of witte
gathered, and good fortune gotten, by some, onely by
experience, without learning. And lastlie, he required of me
verie earnestlie, to shewe, what I thought of the common goinge
of Englishe men into Italie. But, sayth he, bicause this place,
and this tyme, will not suffer so long taulke, as these good
matters require, therefore I pray you, at my request, and at
your leysure, put in some order of writing, the cheife pointes
of this our taulke, concerning the right order of teachinge,
and honestie of liuing, for the good bringing vp of children&
yong men. And surelie, beside contentinge me, you shall both
please and profit verie many others. I made some excuse by
lacke of habilitie, and weakenes of bodie: well, sayth he, I am
not now to learne, what you can do. Our deare frende, good M.
Goodricke, whose iudgement I could well beleue, did once for
all, satisfye me fullie therein. Againe, I heard you say, not
long agoe, that you may thanke Syr John Cheke, for all the
learninge you haue: And I know verie well my selfe, that you
did teach the Quene. And therefore seing God did so blesse you,
to make you the Scholer of the best Master, and also the
Scholemaster of the best Scholer, that euer were in our tyme,
surelie, you should please God, benefite your countrie, &
honest your owne name, if you would take the paines, to impart
to others, what you learned of soch à Master, and how ye taught
suchà scholer. And, in vttering the stuffe ye receiued of the
one, in declaring the order ye tooke with the other, ye shall
neuer lacke, neither matter, nor maner, what to write, nor how
to write in this kinde of Argument.
I beginning some farther excuse, sodeinlie was called to
cum to the Queene. The night following, I slept litle, my head
was so full of this our former taulke, and I so mindefull,
somewhat to satisfie the honest request of so deare à frend, I
thought to præpare some litle treatise for a New yeares gift
that Christmas. But, as it chanceth to busie builders, so, in
building thys my poore Scholehouse (the rather bicause the
forme of it is somewhat new, and differing from others) the
worke rose dailie higher and wider, than I thought it would at
the beginninge.
And though it appeare now, and be in verie deede, but a
small cotage, poore for the stuffe, and rude for the
workemanship, yet in going forward, I found the site so good,
as I was lothe to giue it ouer, but the making so costlie,
outreaching my habilitie, as many tymes I wished, that some one
of those three, my deare frendes, with full pursses, Syr Tho.
Smithe, M. Haddon, or M. Watson, had had the doing of it. Yet,
neuerthelesse, I my selfe, spending gladlie that litle, that I
gatte at home by good Syr Iohn Cheke, and that that M. Smith.
I borrowed abroad of my frend Sturmius, beside Haddon
somewhat that was left me in Reuersion by my olde Watson.
Masters, Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero, I haue at Syr I.
last patched it vp, as I could, and as you see. If Cheke. I.
the matter be meane, and meanly handled, I pray you Sturmius.
beare, both with me, and it: for neuer worke went vp Plato.
in worse wether, with mo lettes and stoppes, than Aristotle.
this poore Scholehouse of mine. Westminster Hall can Cicero.
beare some witnesse, beside moch weakenes of bodie,
but more trouble of minde, by some such sores, as Syr R.
greue me to toche them my selfe, and therefore I Sackuill.
purpose not to open them to others. And, in middes
of outward iniuries, and inward cares, to encrease them
withall, good Syr Rich. Sackuile dieth, that worthie Ientleman:
That earnest fauorer and furtherer of Gods true Religion: That
faithfull Seruitor to his Prince and Countrie: A louer of
learning, & all learned men: Wise in all doinges: Curtesse to
all persons: shewing spite to none: doing good to many: and as
I well found, to me so fast à frend, as I neuer lost the like
before. Whan he was gone, my hart was dead. There was not one,
that woare à blacke gowne for him, who caried à heuier hart for
him, than I. Whan he was gone, I cast this booke àwaie: I could
not looke vpon it, but with weping eyes, in remembring him, who
was the onelie setter on, to do it, and would haue bene, not
onelie à glad commender of it, but also à sure and certaine
comfort, to me and mine, for it. Almost two yeares togither,
this booke lay scattered, and neglected, and had bene quite
giuen ouer of me, if the goodnesse of one had not giuen me some
life and spirite againe. God, the mouer of goodnesse, prosper
alwaies him & his, as he hath many times comforted me and mine,
and, I trust to God, shall comfort more and more. Of whom, most
iustlie I may saie, and verie oft, and alwaies gladlie, I am
wont to say, that sweete verse of Sophocles, spoken by Oedipus
to worthie Theseus.
echo [gar] acho dia se, kouk allon broton.
Thys hope hath helped me to end this booke: which, Soph. in
if he allowe, I shall thinke my labours well Oed. Col.
imployed, and shall not moch æsteme the misliking
of any others. And I trust, he shall thinke the
better of it, bicause he shall finde the best part
thereof, to cum out of his Schole, whom he, of all
men loued and liked best. Plato in
Yet some men, frendly enough of nature, but initio
of small iudgement in learninge, do thinke, I take Theagis.
to moch paines, and spend to moch time, in settingeou gar
forth these childrens affaires. But those good men esti peri
were neuer brought vp in Socrates Schole, who saithotou
plainlie, that no man goeth àbout à more godlie theioterou
purpose, than he that is mindfull of the good anthropos
bringing vp, both of hys owne, and other mens an
children. bouleusaito,
Therfore, I trust, good and wise men, will e peri
thinke well of this my doing. And of other, that paideias,
thinke otherwise, I will thinke my selfe, they are kai ton
but men, to be pardoned for their follie, and auton, kai
pitied for their ignoraunce. ton
In writing this booke, I haue had earnest oikeion.
respecte to three speciall pointes, trothe of
Religion, honestie in liuing, right order in learning. In which
three waies, I praie God, my poore children may diligently
waulke: for whose sake, as nature moued, and reason required,
and necessitie also somewhat compelled, I was the willinger to
take these paines.
For, seing at my death, I am not like to leaue them any
great store of liuing, therefore in my life time, I thought
good to bequeath vnto them, in this litle booke, as in my Will
and Testament, the right waie to good learning: which if they
followe, with the feare of God, they shall verie well cum to
sufficiencie of liuinge.
I wishe also, with all my hart, that yong M. Rob.
Sackuille, may take that fructe of this labor, that his worthie
Grauntfather purposed he should haue done: And if any other do
take, either proffet, or pleasure hereby, they haue cause to
thanke M. Robert Sackuille, for whom speciallie this my
Scholemaster was prouided.
And one thing I would haue the Reader consider in
readinge this booke, that bicause, no Scholemaster hath charge
of any childe, before he enter into hys Schole, therefore I
leauing all former care, of their good bringing vp, to wise and
good Parentes, as à matter not belonging to the Scholemaster, I
do appoynt thys my Scholemaster, than, and there to begin,
where his office and charge beginneth. Which charge lasteth not
long, but vntill the Scholer be made hable to go to the
Vniuersitie, to procede in Logike, Rhetoricke, and other kindes
of learning.
Yet if my Scholemaster, for loue he beareth to hys
Scholer, shall teach hym somewhat for hys furtherance,
and better iudgement in learning, that may serue
him seuen yeare after in the Vniuersitie, he
doth hys Scholer no more wrong, nor de-
serueth no worse name therby, than he
doth in London, who sellinge silke
or cloth vnto his frend, doth
giue hym better measure,
than either hys pro-
mise or bargaine
was.
Farewell in Christ.
The first booke for the youth.
[A]Fter the childe hath learned perfitlie the eight partes of
speach, let him then learne the right ioyning togither of
substantiues with adiectiues, the nowne with the verbe, the
relatiue with the antecedent. And in learninge farther hys
Syntaxis, by mine aduice, he shall not vse the common order in
common scholes, for making of latines: wherby, the childe
commonlie learneth, first, an euill choice of wordes, (and
right choice of wordes, saith Cæsar, is the foundation of
eloquence) than, a wrong placing of wordes: and Cic. de
lastlie, an ill framing of the sentence, with a Cla. or.
peruerse iudgement, both of wordes and sentences.
These faultes, taking once roote in yougthe, be Making of
neuer, or hardlie, pluckt away in age. Moreouer, Lattines
there is no one thing, that hath more, either marreth
dulled the wittes, or taken awaye the will of Children.
children from learning, then the care they haue, to
satisfie their masters, in making of latines. Horman.
For, the scholer, is commonlie beat for the Whittington.
making, when the master were more worthie to be
beat for the mending, or rather, marring of the same: The
master many times, being as ignorant as the childe, what to
saie properlie and fitlie to the matter.
Two scholemasters haue set forth in print, either of them
a booke, of soch kinde of latines, Horman and Whittington. A
childe shall learne of the better of them, that, which an other
daie, if he be wise, and cum to iudgement, he must be faine to
vnlearne againe.
There is a waie, touched in the first booke of Cicero De
Oratore, which, wiselie brought into scholes, truely taught,
and constantly vsed, would not onely take wholly away this
butcherlie feare in making of latines, but would also, with
ease and pleasure, and in short time, as I know by good
experience, worke a true choice and placing of wordes, a right
ordering of sentences, an easie vnderstandyng of the tonge, a
readines to speake, a facultie to write, a true iudgement, both
of his owne, and other mens doinges, what tonge so 1. De Or.
euer he doth vse.
The waie is this. After the three Concordances
learned, as I touched before, let the master read The order
vnto hym the Epistles of Cicero, gathered togither of
and chosen out by Sturmius, for the capacitie of teaching.
children.
First, let him teach the childe, cherefullie
and plainlie, the cause, and matter of the letter: Two paper
then, let him construe it into Englishe, so oft, as bokes.
the childe may easilie carie awaie the vnderstanding
of it: Lastlie, parse it ouer perfitlie. This done
thus, let the childe, by and by, both construe and Children
parse it ouer againe: so, that it may appeare, that learne by
the childe douteth in nothing, that his master prayse.
taught him before. After this, the childe must take
a paper booke, and sitting in some place, where no man shall
prompe him, by him self, let him translate into Englishe his
former lesson. Then shewing it to his master, let the master
take from him his latin booke, and pausing an houre, at the
least, than let the childe translate his owne Englishe into
latin againe, in an other paper booke. When the childe bringeth
it, turned into latin, the master must compare it with Tullies
booke, and laie them both togither: and where the childe doth
well, either in chosing, or true placing of Tullies wordes, let
the master praise him, and saie here ye do well. For I assure
you, there is no such whetstone, to sharpen a good witte and
encourage a will to learninge, as is praise.
But if the childe misse, either in forgetting a worde, or
in chaunging a good with a worse, or misordering the sentence,
I would not haue the master, either froune, or chide with him,
if the childe haue done his diligence, and vsed no trewandship
therein. For I know by good experience, that a childe shall
take more profit of two fautes, ientlie warned of, then of
foure thinges, rightly hitt. For than, the master shall haue
good occasion to saie vnto him. N. Tullie would haue Ientlenes
vsed such a worde, not this: Tullie would haue in
placed this word here, not there: would haue vsed teaching.
this case, this number, this person, this degree,
this gender: he would haue vsed this moode, this tens, this
simple, rather than this compound: this aduerbe here, not
there: he would haue ended the sentence with this verbe, not
with that nowne or participle, etc.
In these fewe lines, I haue wrapped vp, the most tedious
part of Grammer: and also the ground of almost all the Rewles,
that are so busilie taught by the Master, and so hardlie
learned by the Scholer, in all common Scholes: which after this
sort, the master shall teach without all error, and the scholer
shall learne without great paine: the master being led by so
sure a guide, and the scholer being brought into so plaine and
easie a waie. And therefore, we do not contemne Rewles, but we
gladlie teach Rewles: and teach them, more plainlie, sensiblie,
and orderlie, than they be commonlie taught in common Scholes.
For whan the Master shall compare Tullies booke with his
Scholers translation, let the Master, at the first, lead and
teach his Scholer, to ioyne the Rewles of his Grammer booke,
with the examples of his present lesson, vntill the Scholer, by
him selfe, be hable to fetch out of his Grammer, euerie Rewle,
for euerie Example: So, as the Grammer booke be euer in the
Scholers hand, and also vsed of him, as a Dictionarie, for
euerie present vse. This is a liuely and perfite waie of
teaching of Rewles: where the common waie, vsed in common
Scholes, to read the Grammer alone by it selfe, is tedious for
the Master, hard for the Scholer, colde and vncumfortable for
them bothe.
Let your Scholer be neuer afraide, to aske you any dout,
but vse discretlie the best allurements ye can, to encorage him
to the same: lest, his ouermoch fearinge of you, driue him to
seeke some misorderlie shifte: as, to seeke to be helped by
some other booke, or to be prompted by some other Scholer, and
so goe aboute to begile you moch, and him selfe more.
With this waie, of good vnderstanding the mater, plaine
construinge, diligent parsinge, dailie translatinge, cherefull
admonishinge, and heedefull amendinge of faultes: neuer
leauinge behinde iuste praise for well doinge, I would haue the
Scholer brought vp withall, till he had red, & translated ouer
ye first booke of Epistles chosen out by Sturmius, with a good
peece of a Comedie of Terence also.
All this while, by mine aduise, the childe shall vse to
speake no latine: For, as Cicero saith in like mater, with like
wordes, loquendo, male loqui discunt. And, that excellent
learned man, G. Budæus, in his Greeke Commentaries, Latin
sore complaineth, that whan he began to learne the speakyng.
latin tonge, vse of speaking latin at the table, and G. Budæus.
elsewhere, vnaduisedlie, did bring him to soch an
euill choice of wordes, to soch a crooked framing of sentences,
that no one thing did hurt or hinder him more, all the daies of
his life afterward, both for redinesse in speaking, and also
good iudgement in writinge.
In very deede, if children were brought vp, in soch a
house, or soch a Schole, where the latin tonge were properlie
and perfitlie spoken, as Tib. and Ca. Gracci were brought vp,
in their mother Cornelias house, surelie, than the dailie vse
of speaking, were the best and readiest waie, to learne the
latin tong. But, now, commonlie, in the best Scholes in
England, for wordes, right choice is smallie regarded, true
proprietie whollie neglected, confusion is brought in,
barbariousnesse is bred vp so in yong wittes, as afterward they
be, not onelie marde for speaking, but also corrupted in
iudgement: as with moch adoe, or neuer at all, they be brought
to right frame againe.
Yet all men couet to haue their children speake latin:
and so do I verie earnestlie too. We bothe, haue one purpose:
we agree in desire, we wish one end: but we differ somewhat in
order and waie, that leadeth rightlie to that end. Other would
haue them speake at all aduentures: and, so they be speakinge,
to speake, the Master careth not, the Scholer knoweth not,
what. This is, to seeme, and not to bee: except it be, to be
bolde without shame, rashe without skill, full of words without
witte. I wish to haue them speake so, as it may well appeare,
that the braine doth gouerne the tonge, and that reason leadeth
forth the taulke. Socrates doctrine is true in Plato, and well
marked, and truely vttered by Horace in Arte Poetica, that,
where so euer knowledge doth accompanie the witte, there best
vtterance doth alwaies awaite vpon the tonge: For, good
vnderstanding must first be bred in the childe, which, being
nurished with skill, and vse of writing (as I will Plato.
teach more largelie hereafter) is the onelie waie to Horat.
bring him to iudgement and readinesse in speakinge:
and that in farre shorter time (if he followe Much
constantlie the trade of this litle lesson) than he writyng
shall do, by common teachinge of the common scholes breedeth
in England. ready
But, to go forward, as you perceiue, your speakyng.
scholer to goe better and better on awaie, first,
with vnderstanding his lesson more quicklie, with
parsing more readelie, with translating more The second
spedelie and perfitlie then he was wonte, after, degree and
giue him longer lessons to translate: and withall, order in
begin to teach him, both in nownes, & verbes, what teachyng.
is Proprium, and what is Translatum, what Synonymum,
what Diuersum, which be Contraria, and which be most notable
Phrases in all his lecture
As:
{Rex Sepultus est
Proprium. {magnificè.
{Cum illo principe,
Translatum. {Sepulta est & gloria
{et Salus Reipublicæ.
Synonyma. {Ensis, Gladius.
{Laudare, prædicare.
{Diligere, Amare.
Diuersa. {Calere, Exardescere.
{Inimicus, Hostis.
{Acerbum & luctuosum
{ bellum.
Contraria. {Dulcis & lœta
{ Pax.
{Dare verba.
Phrases. {abjicere obedientiam.
Your scholer then, must haue the third paper booke: in
the which, after he hath done his double The thyrd
translation, let him write, after this sort foure of paper
these forenamed sixe, diligentlie marked out of boke.
eurie lesson.
{Propria.
{Translata.
Quatuor. {Synonyma.
{Diuersa.
{Contraria.
{Phrases.
Or else, three, or two, if there be no moe: and if there be
none of these at all in some lecture, yet not omitte the order,
but write these.
{Diuersa nulla.
{Contraria nulla. etc.
This diligent translating, ioyned with this heedefull
marking, in the foresaid Epistles, and afterwarde in some
plaine Oration of Tullie, as, pro lege Manil: pro Archia Poeta,
or in those three ad C. Cæs: shall worke soch a right choise of
wordes, so streight a framing of sentences, soch a true
iudgement, both to write skilfullie, and speake wittlelie, as
wise men shall both praise, and maruell at.
If your scholer do misse sometimes, in marking rightlie
these foresaid sixe thinges, chide not hastelie: for that
shall, both dull his witte, and discorage his diligence: but
monish him gentelie: which shall make him, both willing to
amende, and glad to go forward in loue and hope of learning.
I haue now wished, twise or thrise, this gentle nature,
to be in a Scholemaster: And, that I haue done so, neither by
chance, nor without some reason, I will now declare at large,
why, in mine opinion, loue is fitter than feare, ientlenes
better than beating, to bring vp a childe rightlie Ientlenes
in learninge. in
With the common vse of teaching and beating in teaching.
common scholes of England, I will not greatlie
contend: which if I did, it were but a small Loue.
grammatical controuersie, neither belonging to Feare
heresie nor treason, nor greatly touching God nor
the Prince: although in very deede, in the end, the Common
good or ill bringing vp of children, doth as much Scholes.
serue to the good or ill seruice, of God, our
Prince, and our whole countrie, as any one thing doth beside.
I do gladlie agree with all good Scholemasters in these
pointes: to haue children brought to good perfitnes in
learning: to all honestie in maners: to haue all fautes
rightlie amended: to haue euerie vice seuerelie corrected: but
for the order and waie that leadeth rightlie to these pointes,
we somewhat differ. For commonlie, many scholemasters, some, as
I haue seen, moe, as I haue heard tell, be of so crooked a
nature, as, when they meete with a hard witted scholer, they
rather breake him, than bowe him, rather marre him, then mend
him. For whan the scholemaster is angrie with some other
matter, then will he sonest faul to beate his scholer: and
though he him selfe should be punished for his folie, yet must
he beate some scholer for his pleasure: though there be no
cause for him to do so, nor yet fault in the Sharpe
scholer to deserue so. These ye will say, be fondScholemasters.
scholemasters, and fewe they be, that be found to
be soch. They be fond in deede, but surelie Nature
ouermany soch be found euerie where. But this I punished.
will say, that euen the wisest of your great
beaters, do as oft punishe nature, as they do Quicke
correcte faultes. Yea, many times, the better wittes for
nature, is sorer punished: For, if one, by learnyng.
quicknes of witte, take his lesson readelie, an
other, by hardnes of witte, taketh it not so speedelie: the
first is alwaies commended, the other is commonlie punished:
whan a wise scholemaster, should rather discretelie consider
the right disposition of both their natures, and not so moch
wey what either of them is able to do now, as what either of
them is likelie to do hereafter. For this I know, not onelie by
reading of bookes in my studie, but also by experience of life,
abrode in the world, that those, which be commonlie the wisest,
the best learned, and best men also, when they be olde, were
neuer commonlie the quickest of witte, when they were yonge.
The causes why, amongst other, which be many, that moue me thus
to thinke, be these fewe, which I will recken. Quicke wittes
commonlie, be apte to take, vnapte to keepe: soone hote and
desirous of this and that: as colde and sone wery of the same
againe: more quicke to enter spedelie, than hable to pearse
farre: euen like ouer sharpe tooles, whose edges be verie soone
turned. Soch wittes delite them selues in easie and pleasant
studies, and neuer passe farre forward in hie and hard
sciences. And therefore the quickest wittes commonlie may proue
the best Poetes, but not the wisest Orators: readie of tonge to
speake boldlie, not deepe of iudgement, either for good
counsell or wise writing. Also, for maners and life, quicke
wittes commonlie, be, in desire, newfangle, in purpose,
vnconstant, light to promise any thing, readie to forget euery
thing: both benefite and inurie: and therby neither fast to
frend, nor fearefull to foe: inquisitiue of euery trifle, not
secret in greatest affaires: bolde, with any person: Quicke
busie, in euery matter: sothing, soch as be present: wittes,
nipping any that is absent: of nature also, alwaies, for maners
flattering their betters, enuying their equals, & lyfe.
despising their inferiors: and, by quicknes of
witte, verie quicke and readie, to like none so well as them
selues.
Moreouer commonlie, men, very quicke of witte, be also,
verie light of conditions: and thereby, very readie of
disposition, to be caried ouer quicklie, by any light cumpanie,
to any riot and vnthriftines when they be yonge: and therfore
seldome, either honest of life, or riche in liuing, when they
be olde. For, quicke in witte, and light in maners, be either
seldome troubled, or verie sone wery, in carying a verie heuie
purse. Quicke wittes also be, in most part of all their
doinges, ouerquicke, hastie, rashe, headie, and brainsicke.
These two last wordes, Headie, and Brainsicke, be fitte and
proper wordes, rising naturallie of the matter, and tearmed
aptlie by the condition of ouer moch quickenes of witte. In
yougthe also they be, readie scoffers, priuie mockers, and euer
ouer light and mery. In aige, sone testie, very waspishe, and
alwaies ouer miserable: and yet fewe of them cum to any great
aige, by reason of their misordered life when they were yong:
but a great deale fewer of them cum to shewe any great
countenance, or beare any great authoritie abrode in the world,
but either liue obscurelie, men know not how, or dye
obscurelie, men marke not whan. They be like trees, that shewe
forth, faire blossoms & broad leaues in spring time, but bring
out small and not long lasting fruite in haruest time: and that
onelie soch, as fall, and rotte, before they be ripe, and so,
neuer, or seldome, cum to any good at all. For this ye shall
finde most true by experience, that amongest a number of quicke
wittes in youthe, fewe be found, in the end, either verie
fortunate for them selues, or verie profitable to serue the
common wealth, but decay and vanish, men know not which way:
except a very fewe, to whom peraduenture blood and happie
parentage, may perchance purchace a long standing vpon the
stage. The which felicitie, because it commeth by others
procuring, not by their owne deseruinge, and stand by other
mens feete, and not by their own, what owtward brag so euer is
borne by them, is in deed, of it selfe, and in wise mens eyes,
of no great estimation.
Some wittes, moderate enough by nature, be many tymes
marde by ouer moch studie and vse of some sciences, namelie,
Musicke, Arithmetick, and Geometrie. Thies sciences, as they
sharpen mens wittes ouer moch, so they change mens maners ouer
sore, if they be not moderatlie mingled, & wiselie applied to
som good vse of life. Marke all Mathe- maticall heades, which
be onely and wholy bent to those sciences, how solitarie they
be themselues, how vnfit to liue with others, & how vnapte to
serue in the world. This is not onelie knowen now Som
by common experience, but vttered long before by sciences
wise mens Iudgement and sentence. Galene saith, hurt mens
moch Musick marreth mens maners: and Plato hath a wits, and
notable place of the same thing in his bookes de mar mens
Rep. well marked also, and excellentlie translatedmaners.
by Tullie himself. Of this matter, I wrote once
more at large, XX. yeare a go, in my booke of Mathematicall
shoting: now I thought but to touch it, to proue, heades.
that ouer moch quicknes of witte, either giuen by
nature, or sharpened by studie, doth not commonlieGalen.
bring forth, eyther greatest learning, best Plato.
maners, or happiest life in the end.
Contrariewise, a witte in youth, that is notHard wits
ouer dulle, heauie, knottie and lumpishe, but in
hard, rough, and though somwhat staffishe, as learning.
Tullie wisheth otium, quietum, non languidum: and
negotium cum labore, non cum periculo, such a witte I say, if
it be, at the first well handled by the mother, and rightlie
smothed and wrought as it should, not ouerwhartlie, and against
the wood, by the scholemaster, both for learning, and hole
course of liuing, proueth alwaies the best. In woode and stone,
not the softest, but hardest, be alwaies aptest, for
portrature, both fairest for pleasure, and most durable for
proffit. Hard wittes be hard to receiue, but sure to keepe:
painefull without werinesse, hedefull without wauering,
constant without newfanglenes: bearing heauie thinges, thoughe
not lightlie, yet willinglie: entring hard thinges, though not
easelie, yet depelie, and so cum to that perfitnes of learning
in the ende, that quicke wittes, seeme in hope, but do not in
deede, or else verie seldome, euer attaine vnto. Also, for
maners and life, hard wittes commonlie, ar hardlie caried,
either to desire euerie new thing, or else to meruell at euery
strange thinge: and therfore they be carefull and diligent in
their own matters, not curious and busey in other mens
affaires: and so, they becum wise them selues, and also ar
counted honest by others. They be graue, stedfast, silent of
tong, secret of hart. Not hastie in making, but constant in
keping any promise. Not rashe in vttering, but ware in
considering euery matter: and therby, not quicke in Hard wits
speaking, but deepe of iudgement, whether they in maners
write, or giue counsell in all waightie affaires. and lyfe.
And theis be the men, that becum in the end, both
most happie for themselues, and alwaise best estemed The best
abrode in the world. wittes
I haue bene longer in describing, the nature, driuen
the good or ill successe, of the quicke and hard from
witte, than perchance som will thinke, this place learnyng,
and matter doth require. But my purpose was hereby, to other
plainlie to vtter, what iniurie is offered to all liuyng.
learninge, & to the common welthe also, first, by
the fond father in chosing, but chieflie by the lewd
scholemaster in beating and driuing away the best natures from
learning. A childe that is still, silent, constant, and
somewhat hard of witte, is either neuer chosen by the father to
be made a scholer, or else, when he commeth to the schole, he
is smally regarded, little looked vnto, he lacketh teaching, he
lacketh coraging, he lacketh all thinges, onelie he neuer
lacketh beating, nor any word, that may moue him to hate
learninge, nor any deed that may driue him from learning, to
any other kinde of liuing.
And when this sadde natured, and hard witted child, is
bette from his booke, and becummeth after eyther student of the
common lawe, or page in the Court, or seruingman, or bound
prentice to a merchant, or to som handiecrafte, he proueth in
the ende, wiser, happier and many tymes honester Hard wits
too, than many of theis quick wittes do, by their proue best
learninge. in euery
Learning is, both hindred and iniured to, by kynde of
the ill choice of them, that send yong scholers to life.
the vniuersities. Of whom must nedes cum all our
Diuines, Lawyers, and Physicions. The ill
Thies yong scholers be chosen commonlie, as choice of
yong apples be chosen by children, in a faire garden wittes for
about S. Iames tyde: a childe will chose a sweeting, learnyng.
because it is presentlie faire and pleasant, and
refuse a Runnet, because it is than grene, hard, and sowre,
whan the one, if it be eaten, doth breed, both wormes and ill
humors: the other if it stand his tyme, be ordered and kepte as
it should, is holsom of it self, and helpeth to the good
digestion of other meates: Sweetinges, will receyue wormes,
rotte, and dye on the tree, and neuer or seldom cum to the
gathering for good and lasting store.
For verie greafe of harte I will not applie the
similitude: but hereby, is plainlie seen, how learning is
robbed of hir best wittes, first by the great beating, and
after by the ill chosing of scholers, to go to the
vniuersities. Whereof cummeth partelie, that lewde and
spitefull prouerbe, sounding to the greate hurte of learning,
and shame of learned men, that, the greatest Clerkes be not the
wisest men.
And though I, in all this discourse, seem plainlie to
prefer, hard and roughe wittes, before quicke and light wittes,
both for learnyng and maners, yet am I not ignorant that som
quicknes of witte, is a singuler gifte of God, and so most rare
emonges men, and namelie such a witte, as is quicke without
lightnes, sharpe without brittlenes, desirous of good thinges
without newfanglenes, diligent in painfull thinges without
werisomnes, and constant in good will to do all thinges well,
as I know was in Syr Iohn Cheke, and is in som, that yet liue,
in whome all theis faire qualities of witte ar fullie mette
togither.
But it is notable and trewe, that Socrates saith in Plato
to his frende Crito. That, that number of men is fewest, which
far excede, either in good or ill, in wisdom of folie, but the
meane betwixt both, be the greatest number: which he proueth
trewe in diuerse other thinges: as in greyhoundes, emonges
which fewe are found, exceding greate, or exceding litle,
exceding swift, or exceding slowe: And therfore I Plato
speaking of quick and hard wittes, I ment, the inCritone.
common number of quicke and hard wittes, emonges
the which, for the most parte, the hard witte, Verie
proueth manie times, the better learned, wiser andgood, or
honester man: and therfore, do I the more lament, verie ill
that soch wittes commonlie be either kepte from men, be
learning, by fond fathers, or bet from learning byfewest in
lewde scholemasters. number.
And speaking thus moche of the wittes of
children for learning, the opportunitie of the Horsemen
place, and goodnes of the matter might require to be wiser
haue here declared the most speciall notes of a in
good witte for learning in a childe, after the knowledge
maner and custume of a good horsman, who is of a good
skilfull, to know, and hable to tell others, how Colte,
by certein sure signes, a man may choise a colte, than
that is like to proue an other day, excellent for scholemasters
the saddle. And it is pitie, that commonlie, more be, in
care is had, yea and that emonges verie wise men, knowledge
to finde out rather a cunnynge man for their of a good
horse, than a cunnyng man for their children. Theywitte.
say nay in worde, but they do so in deede. For, to
the one, they will gladlie giue a stipend of 200. A good
Crounes by yeare, and loth to offer to the other, Rider
200. shillinges. God, that sitteth in heauen better
laugheth their choice to skorne, and rewardeth rewarded
their liberalitie as it should: for he suffereth than a
them, to haue, tame, and well ordered horse, but good
wilde and vnfortunate Children: and therfore in Scholemaster.
the ende they finde more pleasure in their horse,
than comforte in their children. Horse well
But concerning the trewe notes of the best broken,
wittes for learning in a childe, I will reporte, children
not myne own opinion, but the very iudgement of ill
him, that was counted the best teacher and wisest taught.
man that learning maketh mention of, and that is
Socrates in Plato, who expresseth orderlie thies Plato in
seuen plaine notes to choise a good witte in a 7. de Rep.
child for learninge.
{1 Euphues.
{2 Mnemon.
{3 Philomathes.
Trewe notes of a good witte. {4 Philoponos.
{5 Philekoos.
{6 Zetetikos.
{7 Philepainos.
And bicause I write English, and to Englishemen, I will
plainlie declare in Englishe both, what thies wordes of Plato
meane, and how aptlie they be linked, and how orderlie they
folow one an other.
1. Euphues.
Is he, that is apte by goodnes of witte, and appliable by
readines of will, to learning, hauing all other qualities of
the minde and partes of the bodie, that must an other day serue
learning, not trobled, mangled, and halfed, but sounde, whole,
full, & hable to do their office: as, a tong, not Witte.
stamering, or ouer hardlie drawing forth wordes, but Will.
plaine, and redie to deliuer the meaning of the
minde: a voice, not softe, weake, piping, The tong.
wommanishe, but audible, stronge, and manlike: a
countenance, not werishe and crabbed, but faire and The voice.
cumlie: a personage, not wretched and deformed, but
taule and goodlie for surelie, a cumlie countenance, Face.
with a goodlie stature, geueth credit to learning, Stature.
and authoritie to the person: otherwise commonlie,
either, open contempte, or priuie disfauour doth Learnyng
hurte, or hinder, both person and learning. And, ioyned
euen as a faire stone requireth to be sette in the with a
finest gold, with the best workmanshyp, or else it cumlie
leseth moch of the Grace and price, euen so, personage.
excellencye in learning, and namely Diuinitie,
ioyned with a cumlie personage, is a meruelous Iewell in the
world. And how can a cumlie bodie be better employed, than to
serue the fairest exercise of Goddes greatest gifte, and that
is learning. But commonlie, the fairest bodies, ar bestowed on
the foulest purposes. I would it were not so: and with examples
herein I will not medle: yet I wishe, that those shold, both
mynde it, & medle with it, which haue most occasion to looke to
it, as good and wise fathers shold do, and greatest authoritie
to amend it, as good & wise magistrates ought to do: And yet I
will not let, openlie to lament the vnfortunate case of
learning herein.
For, if a father haue foure sonnes, three faire and well
formed both mynde and bodie, the fourth, wretched, lame, and
deformed, his choice shalbe, to put the worst to learning, as
one good enoughe to becum a scholer. I haue spent the most
parte of my life in the Vniuersitie, and therfore I can beare
good witnes that many fathers commonlie do thus: Deformed
wherof, I haue hard many wise, learned, and as good creatures
men as euer I knew, make great, and oft complainte: commonlie
a good horseman will choise no soch colte, neither set to
for his own, nor yet for his masters sadle. And thus learnyng.
moch of the first note.
Memorie.
2 Mnemon.
Aul. Gel.
Good of memorie, a speciall parte of the first
note euphues, and a mere benefite of nature: yet it Three sure
is so necessarie for learning, as Plato maketh it a signes of
separate and perfite note of it selfe, and that so a good
principall a note, as without it, all other giftes memorie.
of nature do small seruice to learning. Afranius,
that olde Latine Poete maketh Memorie the mother of learning
and wisedome, saying thus.
Vsus me genuit, Mater peperit memoria, and though it be
the mere gifte of nature, yet is memorie well preserued by vse,
and moch encreased by order, as our scholer must learne an
other day in the Vniuersitie: but in a childe, a good memorie
is well known, by three properties: that is, if it be, quicke
in receyuing, sure in keping, and redie in deliuering forthe
againe.
3 Philomathes.
Giuen to loue learning: for though a child haue all the
giftes of nature at wishe, and perfection of memorie at wil,
yet if he haue not a speciall loue to learning, he shall neuer
attaine to moch learning. And therfore Isocrates, one of the
noblest scholemasters, that is in memorie of learning, who
taught Kinges and Princes, as Halicarnassæus writeth, and out
of whose schole, as Tullie saith, came forth, mo noble
Capitanes, mo wise Councelors, than did out of Epeius horse at
Troie. This Isocrates, I say, did cause to be written, at the
entrie of his schole, in golden letters, this golden sentence,
ean es philomathes, ese polymathes which excellentlie said in
Greeke, is thus rudelie in Englishe, if thou louest learning,
thou shalt attayne to moch learning.
4. Philoponos.
Is he, that hath a lust to labor, and a will to take
paines. For, if a childe haue all the benefites of nature, with
perfection of memorie, loue, like, & praise learning neuer so
moch, yet if he be not of him selfe painfull, he shall neuer
attayne vnto it. And yet where loue is present, labor is seldom
absent, and namelie in studie of learning, and matters of the
mynde: and therfore did Isocrates rightlie iudge, that if his
scholer were philomathes he cared for no more. Aristotle,
variing from Isocrates in priuate affaires of life, but agreing
with Isocrates in common iudgement of learning, for loue and
labor in learning, is of the same opinion, vttered in these
wordes, in his Rhetorike ad Theodecten. Libertie kindleth loue:
Loue refuseth no labor: and labor obteyneth what so 2 Rhet. ad
euer it seeketh. And yet neuerthelesse, Goodnes of Theod.
nature may do little good: Perfection of memorie,
may serue to small vse: All loue may be employed in vayne: Any
labor may be sone graualed, if a man trust alwaies to his own
singuler witte, and will not be glad somtyme to heare, take
aduise, and learne of an other: And therfore doth Socrates very
notablie adde the fifte note.
5. Philekoos.
He, that is glad to heare and learne of an other. For
otherwise, he shall sticke with great troble, where he might go
easelie forwarde: and also catche hardlie a verie litle by his
owne toyle, whan he might gather quicklie a good deale, by an
nothers mans teaching. But now there be some, that haue great
loue to learning, good lust to labor, be willing to learne of
others, yet, either of a fonde shamefastnes, or else of a proud
folie, they dare not, or will not, go to learne of an nother:
And therfore doth Socrates wiselie adde the sixte note of a
good witte in a childe for learning, and that is.
6. Zetetikos.
He, that is naturallie bold to aske any question,
desirous to searche out any doute, not ashamed to learne of the
meanest, not affraide to go to the greatest, vntill he be
perfitelie taught, and fullie satisfiede. The seuenth and last
poynte is.
7. Philepainos.
He, that loueth to be praised for well doing, at his
father, or masters hand. A childe of this nature, will
earnestlie loue learnyng, gladlie labor for learning,
willinglie learne of other, boldlie aske any doute. And thus,
by Socrates iudgement, a good father, and a wise scholemaster,
shold chose a childe to make a scholer of, that hath by nature,
the foresayd perfite qualities, and cumlie furniture, both of
mynde and bodie: hath memorie, quicke to receyue, sure to
keape, and readie to deliuer: hath loue to learning: hath lust
to labor: hath desire to learne of others: hath boldnes to aske
any question: hath mynde holie bent, to wynne praise by well
doing.
The two firste poyntes be speciall benefites of nature:
which neuerthelesse, be well preserued, and moch encreased by
good order. But as for the fiue laste, loue, labor, gladnes to
learne of others, boldnes to aske doutes, and will to wynne
praise, be wonne and maintened by the onelie wisedome and
discretion of the scholemaster. Which fiue poyntes, whether a
scholemaster shall worke soner in a childe, by fearefull
beating, or curtese handling, you that be wise, iudge.
Yet some men, wise in deede, but in this matter, more by
seueritie of nature, than any wisdome at all, do laugh at vs,
when we thus wishe and reason, that yong children should rather
be allured to learning by ientilnes and loue, than compelled to
learning, by beating and feare: They say, our reasons serue
onelie to breede forth talke, and passe a waie tyme, but we
neuer saw good scholemaster do so, nor neuer red of wise man
that thought so.
Yes forsothe: as wise as they be, either in other mens
opinion, or in their owne conceite, I will bring the contrarie
iudgement of him, who, they them selues shall confesse, was as
wise as they are, or else they may be iustlie thought to haue
small witte at all: and that is Socrates, whose iudgement in
Plato is plainlie this in these wordes: which, bicause they be
verie notable, I will recite them in his owne tong, ouden
mathema meta douleias chre manthanein: oi men gar tou somatos
ponoi bia ponoumenoi cheiron ouden to soma apergazontai; psyche
de, biaion ouden emmonon mathema: in Englishe thus, No learning
ought to be learned with bondage: For bodelie labors, wrought
by compulsion, hurt not the bodie: but any learning learned by
compulsion, tarieth not long in the mynde: And why? For what
soeuer the mynde doth learne vnwillinglie with Plato in
feare, the same it doth quicklie forget without 7. de Rep.
care. And lest proude wittes, that loue not to be
contraryed, but haue lust to wrangle or trifle The right
away troth, will say, that Socrates meaneth not reading of
this of childrens teaching, but of som other Plato.
higher learnyng, heare, what Socrates in the same
place doth more plainlie say: me toinyn bia, o Yong
ariste, tous paidas en tois mathemasin, alla Ientlemen,
paizontas trephe, that is to say, and therfore, be
my deare frend, bring not vp your children in wiselier
learning by compulsion and feare, but by playing taught to
and pleasure. And you, that do read Plato, as ye ryde, by
shold, do well perceiue, that these be no common
Questions asked by Socrates, as doutes, but they ryders,
be Sentences, first affirmed by Socrates, as merethan to
trothes, and after, giuen forth by Socrates, as learne, by
right Rules, most necessarie to be marked, and common
fitte to be folowed of all them, that would haue Scholemasters.
children taughte, as they should. And in this
counsell, iudgement, and authoritie of Socrates I will repose
my selfe, vntill I meete with a man of the contrarie mynde,
whom I may iustlie take to be wiser, than I thinke Socrates
was. Fonde scholemasters, neither can vnder- stand, nor will
folow this good counsell of Socrates, but wise ryders, in their
office, can and will do both: which is the onelie cause, that
commonly, the yong ientlemen of England, go so vnwillinglie to
schole, and run so fast to the stable: For in verie deede fond
scholemasters, by feare, do beate into them, the hatred of
learning, and wise riders, by ientle allurements, do breed vp
in them, the loue of riding. They finde feare, & bondage in
scholes, They feele libertie and freedome in stables: which
causeth them, vtterlie to abhore the one, and most gladlie to
haunt the other. And I do not write this, that in exhorting to
the one, I would dissuade yong ientlemen from the other: yea I
am sorie, with all my harte, that they be giuen no more to
riding, then they be: For, of all outward qualities, to ride
faire, is most cumelie for him selfe, most necessarie for his
contrey, and the greater he is in blood, the greater is his
praise, the more he doth excede all other therein. It was one
of the three excellent praises, amongest the noble ientlemen
the old Percians, Alwaise to say troth, to ride faire, and
shote well: and so it was engrauen vpon Darius tumbe, as Strabo
beareth witnesse.
Darius the king, lieth buried here,
Who in riding and shoting had neuer peare.
But, to our purpose, yong men, by any meanes, leesing the
loue of learning, whan by tyme they cum to their Ryding.
owne rule, they carie commonlie, from the schole
with them, a perpetuall hatred of their master, and Strabo.
a continuall contempt of learning. If ten Ientlemen 15.
be asked, why they forget so sone in Court, that
which they were learning so long in schole, eight of Pastime.
them, or let me be blamed, will laie the fault on Learnyng.
their ill handling, by their scholemasters.
Cuspinian doth report, that, that noble Emperor Maximilian,
would lament verie oft, his misfortune herein.
Yet, some will say, that children of nature, loue
pastime, and mislike learning: bicause, in their kinde, the one
is easie and pleasant, the other hard and werisom: which is an
opinion not so trewe, as some men weene: For, the matter lieth
not so much in the disposition of them that be yong, as in the
order & maner of bringing vp, by them that be old, nor yet in
the difference of learnyng and pastime. For, beate a child, if
he daunce not well, & cherish him, though he learne not well,
ye shall haue him, vnwilling to go to daunce, & glad to go to
his booke. Knocke him alwaies, when he draweth his shaft ill,
and fauor him againe, though he faut at his booke, ye shall
haue hym verie loth to be in the field, and verie willing to be
in the schole. Yea, I saie more, and not of my selfe, but by
the iudgement of those, from whom few wisemen will gladlie
dissent, that if euer the nature of man be giuen at any tyme,
more than other, to receiue goodnes, it is in innocencie of
yong yeares, before, that experience of euill, haue taken roote
in hym. For, the pure cleane witte of a sweete yong babe, is
like the newest wax, most hable to receiue the best and fayrest
printing: and like a new bright siluer dishe neuer occupied, to
receiue and kepe cleane, anie good thyng that is put into it.
easelie be won to be verie well willing to learne. And
witte in children, by nature, namelie memorie, the onelie keie
and keper of all learning, is readiest to receiue, and surest
to kepe anie maner of thing, that is learned in yougth: This,
lewde and learned, by common experience, know to be most trewe.
For we remember nothyng so well when we be
olde, as those things which we learned when Will.} in
we were yong: And this is not straunge, but Children.
common in all natures workes. Euery man sees, Witte.}
(as I sayd before) new wax is best for
printyng: new claie, fittest for working: newYong yeares aptest
shorne woll, aptest for sone and surest for learnyng.
dying: new fresh flesh, for good and durable salting. And this
similitude is not rude, nor borowed of the larder house, but
out of his scholehouse, of whom, the wisest of England, neede
not be ashamed to learne. Yong Graftes grow not onelie sonest,
but also fairest, and bring alwayes forth the best and sweetest
frute: yong whelpes learne easelie to carie: yong Popingeis
learne quicklie to speake: And so, to be short, if in all other
thinges, though they lacke reason, sens, and life, the
similitude of youth is fittest to all goodnesse, surelie
nature, in mankinde, is most beneficiall and effectuall in this
behalfe.
Therfore, if to the goodnes of nature, be ioyned the
wisedome of the teacher, in leading yong wittes into a right
and plaine waie of learnyng, surelie, children, kept vp in Gods
feare, and gouerned by his grace, maie most easelie be brought
well to serue God and contrey both by vertue and wisedome.
But if will, and witte, by farder age, be once allured
from innocencie, delited in vaine sightes, filed with foull
taulke, crooked with wilfulnesse, hardned with stubburnesse,
and let louse to disobedience, surelie it is hard with
ientlenesse, but vnpossible with seuere crueltie, to call them
backe to good frame againe. For, where the one, perchance maie
bend it, the other shall surelie breake it: and so in stead of
some hope, leaue an assured desperation, and shamelesse
contempt of all goodnesse, the fardest pointe in all mischief,
as Xenophon doth most trewlie and most wittelie marke.
Therfore, to loue or to hate, to like or contemne, to
plie this waie or that waie to good or to bad, ye shall haue as
ye vse a child in his youth.
And one example, whether loue or feare doth worke more in
a child, for vertue and learning, I will gladlie Xen. I.
report: which maie be hard with some pleasure, and Cyri Pæd.
folowed with more profit. Before I went into
Germanie, I came to Brodegate in Lecetershire, to Lady Iane
take my leaue of that noble Ladie Iane Grey, to whom Grey.
I was exceding moch beholdinge. Hir parentes, the
Duke and Duches, with all the houshould, Gentlemen and
Gentlewomen, were huntinge in the Parke: I founde her, in her
Chamber, readinge Phædon Platonis in Greeke, and that with as
moch delite, as som ientleman wold read a merie tale in Bocase.
After salutation, and dewtie done, with som other taulke, I
asked hir, whie she wold leese soch pastime in the Parke?
smiling she answered me: I wisse, all their sporte in the Parke
is but a shadoe to that pleasure, that I find in Plato: Alas
good folke, they neuer felt, what trewe pleasure ment. And howe
came you Madame, quoth I, to this deepe knowledge of pleasure,
and what did chieflie allure you vnto it: seinge, not many
women, but verie fewe men haue atteined thereunto. I will tell
you, quoth she, and tell you a troth, which perchance ye will
meruell at. One of the greatest benefites, that euer God gaue
me, is, that he sent me so sharpe and seuere Parentes, and so
ientle a scholemaster. For when I am in presence either of
father or mother, whether I speake, kepe silence, sit, stand,
or go, eate, drinke, be merie, or sad, be sowyng, plaiyng,
dauncing, or doing anie thing els, I must do it, as it were, in
soch weight, mesure, and number, euen so perfitelie, as God
made the world, or else I am so sharplie taunted, so cruellie
threatened, yea presentlie some tymes, with pinches, nippes,
and bobbes, and other waies, which I will not name, for the
honor I beare them, so without measure misordered, that I
thinke my selfe in hell, till tyme cum, that I must go to M.
Elmer, who teacheth me so ientlie, so pleasantlie, with soch
faire allurementes to learning, that I thinke all the tyme
nothing, whiles I am with him. And when I am called from him, I
fall on weeping, because, what soeuer I do els, but learning,
is ful of grief, trouble, feare, and whole misliking vnto me:
And thus my booke, hath bene so moch my pleasure, & bringeth
dayly to me more pleasure & more, that in respect of it, all
other pleasures, in very deede, be but trifles and troubles
vnto me. I remember this talke gladly, both bicause it is so
worthy of memorie, & bicause also, it was the last talke that
euer I had, and the last tyme, that euer I saw that noble and
worthie Ladie.
I could be ouer long, both in shewinge iust causes, and
in recitinge trewe examples, why learning shold be taught,
rather by loue than feare. He that wold see a perfite discourse
of it, let him read that learned treatese, which my frende
Ioan. Sturmius wrote de institutione Principis, toSturmius
the Duke of Cleues. de Inst.
The godlie counsels of Salomon and Iesus thePrinc.
sonne of Sirach, for sharpe kepinge in, and
bridleinge of youth, are ment rather, for Qui parcit
fatherlie correction, then masterlie beating, virgæ,
rather for maners, than for learninge: for other odit
places, than for scholes. For God forbid, but all filium.
euill touches, wantonnes, lyinge, pickinge,
slouthe, will, stubburnnesse, and disobedience, 1.
shold be with sharpe chastisement, daily cut away.Scholemaster.
This discipline was well knowen, and 2.
diligentlie vsed, among the Græcians, and old Gouernour.
Romanes, as doth appeare in Aristophanes, 3. Father.
Isocrates, and Plato, and also in the Comedies of
Plautus: where we see that children were vnder the rule of
three persones: Præceptore, Pædagogo, Parente: the scholemaster
taught him learnyng with all ientlenes: the Gouernour corrected
his maners, with moch sharpenesse: The father, held the sterne
of his whole obedience: And so, he that vsed to teache, did not
commonlie vse to beate, but remitted that ouer to an other mans
charge. But what shall we saie, whan now in our dayes, the
scholemaster is vsed, both for Præceptor in learnyng, and
Pædagogus in maners. Surelie, I wold he shold not confound
their offices, but discretelie vse the dewtie of both so, that
neither ill touches shold be left vnpunished, nor ientlesse in
teaching anie wise omitted. And he shall well do both, if
wiselie he do appointe diuersitie of tyme, & separate place,
for either purpose: vsing alwaise soch discrete moderation as
the scholehouse should be counted a sanctuarie against feare:
and verie well learning, a common perdon for ill doing, if the
fault, of it selfe be not ouer heinous.
And thus the children, kept vp in Gods feare, and
preserued by his grace, finding paine in ill doing, and
pleasure in well studiyng, shold easelie be brought to honestie
of life, and perfitenes of learning, the onelie marke, that
good and wise fathers do wishe and labour, that their children,
shold most buselie, and carefullie shot at.
There is an other discommoditie, besides crueltie in
scholemasters in beating away the loue of learning The schole
from children, which hindreth learning and vertue, house.
and good bringing vp of youth, and namelie yong
ientlemen, verie moch in England. This fault is Youth of
cleane contrary to the first. I wished before, to England
haue loue of learning bred vp in children: I wishe brought vp
as moch now, to haue yong men brought vp in good with to
order of liuing, and in some more seuere discipline, much
then commonlie they be. We haue lacke in England of libertie.
soch good order, as the old noble Persians so
carefullie vsed: whose children, to the age of xxi. Xen. 7.
yeare, were brought vp in learnyng, and exercises of Cyri Ped.
labor, and that in soch place, where they should,
neither see that was vncumlie, nor heare that was vnhonest.
Yea, a yong ientleman was neuer free, to go where he would, and
do what he liste him self, but vnder the kepe, and by the
counsell, of some graue gouernour, vntill he was, either
maryed, or cald to beare some office in the common wealth.
And see the great obedience, that was vsed in old tyme to
fathers and gouernours. No sonne, were he neuer so old of
yeares, neuer so great of birth, though he were a kynges sonne,
might not mary, but by his father and mothers also consent.
Cyrus the great, after he had conquered Babylon, and subdewed
Riche king Crœsus with whole Asia minor, cummyng
tryumphantlie home, his vncle Cyaxeris offered him his daughter
to wife. Cyrus thanked his vncle, and praised the maide, but
for mariage he answered him with thies wise and sweete wordes,
as they be vttered by Xenophon, o kuazare, to te genos epaino,
kai ten paida, kai dora boulomai de, ephe, syn te tou patros
gnome kai [te] tes metros tauta soi synainesai, &c., that is to
say: Vncle Cyaxeris, I commend the stocke, I like the maide,
and I allow well the dowrie, but (sayth he) by the counsell and
consent of my father and mother, I will determine farther of
thies matters.
Strong Samson also in Scripture saw a maide that liked
him, but he spake not to hir, but went home to his father, and
his mother, and desired both father and mother to make the
mariage for him. Doth this modestie, doth this obedience, that
was in great kyng Cyrus, and stoute Samson, remaine Xen. 8.
in our yongmen at this daie? no surelie: For we liue Cyri. Pæd.
not longer after them by tyme, than we liue farre
different from them by good order. Our tyme is so
farre from that old discipline and obedience, as Great mens
now, not onelie yong ientlemen, but euen verie sonnes
girles dare without all feare, though not without worst
open shame, where they list, and how they list, brought
marie them selues in spite of father, mother, God, vp.
good order, and all. The cause of this euill is,
that youth is least looked vnto, when they stand [in] most
neede of good kepe and regard. It auaileth not, to see them
well taught in yong yeares, and after whan they cum to lust and
youthfull dayes, to giue them licence to liue as they lust them
selues. For, if ye suffer the eye of a yong Ientleman, once to
be entangled with vaine sightes, and the eare to be corrupted
with fond or filthie taulke, the mynde shall quicklie fall
seick, and sone vomet and cast vp, all the holesome doctrine,
that he receiued in childhoode, though he were neuer so well
brought vp before. And being ons inglutted with vanitie, he
will streight way loth all learning, and all good counsell to
the same. And the parents for all their great cost and charge,
reape onelie in the end, the frute of grief and care. This
euill, is not common to poore men, as God will haue it, but
proper to riche and great mens children, as they deserue it. In
deede from seuen, to seuentene, yong ientlemen commonlie be
carefullie enough brought vp: But from seuentene to seuen and
twentie (the most dangerous tyme of all a mans life, and most
slipperie to stay well in) they haue commonlie the reigne of
all licens in their owne hand, and speciallie soch as do liue
in the Court. And that which is most to be merueled at,
commonlie, the wisest and also best men, be found the fondest
fathers in this behalfe. And if som good father would seick
some remedie herein, yet the mother (if theWise men fond
house hold of our Lady) had rather, yea, & fathers.
will to, haue her sonne cunnyng & bold, in
making him to lyue trimlie when he is yong,Meane mens sonnes
than by learning and trauell, to be able tocome th great
serue his Prince and his contrie, both authoritie.
wiselie in peace, and stoutelie in warre,
whan he is old. Nobilitie without
The fault is in your selues, ye noblewisedome.
mens sonnes, and therefore ye deserue the
greater blame, that commonlie, the meaner Nobilitie with
mens children, cum to be, the wisest wisedome.
councellours, and greatest doers, in the
weightie affaires of this Realme. And why?
for God will haue it so, of his prouidence: {Wisedom.
bicause ye will haue it no otherwise, by Nobilitie{
your negligence. And God is a good God, & with {Out
wisest in all his doinges, that will place wisedome.
vertue, & displace vice, in those kingdomes, where he doth
gouerne. For he knoweth, that Nobilitie, without vertue and
wisedome, is bloud in deede, but bloud trewelie, without bones
& sinewes: & so of it selfe, without the other, verie weeke to
beare the burden of weightie affaires.
The greatest shippe in deede commonlie carieth the
greatest burden, but yet alwayes with the greatest ieoperdie,
not onelie for the persons and goodes committed vnto it, but
euen for the shyppe it selfe, except it be gouerned, with the
greater wisdome. But Nobilitie, gouerned by learning and
wisedome, is in deede, most like a faire shippe, hauyng tide
and winde at will, vnder the reule of a skilfull master: whan
contrarie wise, a shippe, caried, yea with the hiest tide &
greatest winde, lacking a skilfull master, most commonlie, doth
either, sinck it selfe vpon sandes, or breake it selfe vpon
rockes. And euen so, how manie haue bene, either drowned in
vaine pleasure, or ouerwhelmed by stout wilfulnesse, the
histories of England be able to affourde ouer many examples
vnto vs. Therfore, ye great and noble mens children, if ye will
haue rightfullie that praise, and enioie surelie that place,
which your fathers haue, and elders had, and left vnto you, ye
must kepe it, as they gat it, and that is, by the onelie waie,
of vertue, wisedome, and worthinesse.
For wisedom, and vertue, there be manie faire examples in
this Court, for yong Ientlemen to folow. But they be, like
faire markes in the feild, out of a mans reach, to far of, to
shote at well. The best and worthiest men, in deede, be
somtimes seen, but seldom taulked withall: A yong Ientleman,
may somtime knele to their person, smallie vse their Vaine
companie, for their better instruction. pleasure,
But yong Ientlemen ar faïne commonlie to do in and stoute
the Court, as yong Archers do in the feild: that is wilfulnes,
take soch markes, as be nie them, although they be two
neuer so foule to shote at. I meene, they be driuen greatest
to kepe companie with the worste: and what force ill enemies to
companie hath, to corrupt good wittes, the wisest Nobilitie.
men know best.
And not ill companie onelie, but the ill Ill
opinion also of the most part, doth moch harme, and companie
namelie of those, which shold be wise in the trewe marreth
de- cyphring, of the good disposition of nature, of youth.
cumlinesse in Courtlie maners, and all right doinges
of men. The Court
But error and phantasie, do commonlie occupie, iudgeth
the place of troth and iudgement. For, if a yong worst of
ientleman, be demeure and still of nature, they say, the best
he is simple and lacketh witte: if he be bashefull, natures in
and will soone blushe, they call him a babishe and youth.
ill brought vp thyng, when Xenophon doth preciselie
note in Cyrus, that his bashfulnes in youth, was ye Xen. in I.
verie trewe signe of his vertue & stoutnes after: If Cyr. Pæ,d.
he be innocent and ignorant of ill, they say, he is The Grace
rude, and hath no grace, so vngraciouslie do som in Courte.
gracelesse men, misuse the faire and godlie word
G R A C E.
But if ye would know, what grace they meene, go, and
looke, and learn emonges them, and ye shall see that it is:
First, to blush at nothing. And blushyng in youth, sayth
Aristotle is nothyng els, but feare to do ill: which feare
beyng once lustely fraid away from youth, then foloweth, to
dare do any mischief, to contemne stoutly any goodnesse, to be
busie in euery matter, to be skilfull in euery thyng, to
acknowledge no ignorance at all. To do thus in Court, is
counted of some, the chief and greatest grace of all: and
termed by the name of a vertue, called Corage & boldnesse, whan
Crassus in Cicero teacheth the cleane contrarie, and that most
wittelie, saying thus: Audere, cum bonis etiam rebus
coniunctum, per seipsum est magnopere fugiendum. Which is to
say, to be bold, yea in a good matter, is for it self, greatlie
to be exchewed.
Moreouer, where the swing goeth, there to Grace of
follow, fawne, flatter, laugh and lie lustelie at Courte.
other mens liking. To face, stand formest, shoue
backe: and to the meaner man, or vnknowne in the Cic. 3. de
Court, to seeme somwhat solume, coye, big, and Or.
dangerous of looke, taulk, and answere: To thinke
well of him selfe, to be lustie in contemning of Boldnes
others, to haue some trim grace in a priuie mock. yea in a
And in greater presens, to beare a braue looke: to good
be warlike, though he neuer looked enimie in the matter,
face in warre: yet som warlike signe must be vsed, not to be
either a slouinglie busking, or an ouerstaring praised.
frounced hed, as though out of euerie heeres toppe,
should suddenlie start out a good big othe, when More Grace
nede requireth, yet praised be God, England hath at of Courte.
this time, manie worthie Capitaines and good
souldiours, which be in deede, so honest of Men of
behauiour, so cumlie of conditions, so milde of warre,
maners, as they may be examples of good order, to a best of
good sort of others, which neuer came in warre. But conditions.
to retorne, where I left: In place also, to be able
to raise taulke, and make discourse of euerie rishe:Palmistrie.
to haue a verie good will, to heare him selfe
speake: To be seene in Palmestrie, wherby to conueie to chast
eares, som fond or filthie taulke:
And if som Smithfeild Ruffian take vp, som strange going:
som new mowing with the mouth: som wrinchyng with the shoulder,
som braue prouerbe: som fresh new othe, that is not stale, but
will rin round in the mouth: som new disguised garment, or
desperate hat, fond in facion, or gaurish in colour, what
soeuer it cost, how small soeuer his liuing be, by what shift
soeuer it be gotten, gotten must it be, and vsed with the
first, or els the grace of it, is stale and gone: som part of
this gracelesse grace, was discribed by me, in a little rude
verse long ago.
{To laughe, to lie, to flatter, to face:
{Foure waies in Court to win men grace.
{If thou be thrall to none of thiese,
{Away good Peek goos, hens Iohn Cheese:
{Marke well my word, and marke their dede,
{And thinke this verse part of thy Crede.
Would to God, this taulke were not trewe, and that som
mens doinges were not thus: I write not to hurte any, but to
proffit som: to accuse none, but to monish soch, who, allured
by ill counsell, and folowing ill example, contrarie to their
good bringyng vp, and against their owne good nature, yeld
ouermoch to thies folies and faultes: I know many seruing men,
of good order, and well staide: And againe, I heare saie, there
be som seruing men do but ill seruice to their yong masters.
Yea, rede Terence and Plaut. aduisedlie ouer, and ye shall
finde in those two wise writers, almost in euery
commedie, no vnthriftie yong man, that is not Ill{Councell.
brought there vnto, by the sotle inticement of {Company.
som lewd seruant. And euen now in our dayes Getæ
and Daui, Gnatos and manie bold bawdie Phormios Seruinge men.
to, be preasing in, to pratle on euerie stage, Terentius.
to medle in euerie matter, whan honest Parmenos Plautus.
shall not be hard, but beare small swing with
their masters. Their companie, their taulke, Serui
their ouer great experience in mischief, doth corruptelæ
easelie corrupt the best natures, and best iuuenum.
brought vp wittes.
But I meruell the lesse, that thies Multi Getæ
misorders be emonges som in the Court, for pauci
commonlie in the contrie also euerie where, Parmenones.
innocencie is gone: Bashfulnesse is banished: moch presumption
in yougthe: small authoritie in aige: Reuerence is neglected:
dewties be confounded: and to be shorte, disobedience doth
ouerflowe the bankes of good order, almoste in euerie place,
almoste in euerie degree of man.
Meane men haue eies to see, and cause to lament, and
occasion to complaine of thies miseries: but other haue
authoritie to remedie them, and will do so to, whan God shall
think time fitte. For, all thies misorders, be Goddes iuste
plages, by his sufferance, brought iustelie vpon vs, for our
sinnes, which be infinite in nomber, and horrible in deede, but
namelie, for the greate abhominable sin of vnkindnesse: but
what vnkindnesse? euen such vnkindnesse as was in the Iewes, in
contemninge Goddes voice, in shrinking from his woorde, in
wishing backe againe for Ægypt, in committing aduoultrie and
hordom, not with the women, but with the doctrine ofMisorders
Babylon, did bring all the plages, destructions, andin the
Captiuities, that fell so ofte and horriblie, vpon countrey.
Israell.
We haue cause also in England to beware of Contempt
vnkindnesse, who haue had, in so fewe yeares, the of Gods
Candel of Goddes worde, so oft lightned, so oft put trewe
out, and yet will venture by our vnthankfulnesse in Religion.
doctrine and sinfull life, to leese againe, lighte,
Candle, Candlesticke and all. Doctrina
God kepe vs in his feare, God grafte in vs theMores.
trewe knowledge of his woorde, with a forward will Publicæ
to folowe it, and so to bring forth the sweete Leges.
fruites of it, & then shall he preserue vs by his Domestica
Grace, from all maner of terrible dayes. The remediedisciplina.
of this, doth not stand onelie, in making good Cognitio
common lawes for the hole Realme, but also, (and boni.
perchance cheiflie) in obseruing priuate discipline
euerie man carefullie in his own house: and namelie, if
speciall regard be had to yougth: and that, not so moch, in
teaching them what is good, as in keping them from that, that
is ill.
Therefore, if wise fathers, be not as well waare in
weeding from their Children ill thinges, and ill companie, as
they were before, in graftinge in them learninge, and prouiding
for them good scholemasters, what frute, they shall reape of
all their coste & care, common experience doth tell.
Here is the place, in yougthe is the time whan som
ignorance is as necessarie, as moch knowledge, and not in
matters of our dewtie towardes God, as som wilful wittes
willinglie against their owne knowledge, perniciouslie againste
their owne conscience, haue of late openlie taught. In deede S.
Chrysostome, that noble and eloquent Doctor, in a sermon contra
fatum, and the curious serchinge of natiuities, doth wiselie
saie, that ignorance therein, is better than knowledge: But to
wring this sentence, to wreste thereby out of mens handes, the
knowledge of Goddes doctrine, is without all reason, against
common sence, contrarie to the iudgement also of Ignoratio
them, which be the discretest men, and best learned, mali.
on their own side. I know, Iulianus Apostata did so,
but I neuer hard or red, that any auncyent father of Some
the primitiue chirch, either thought or wrote so. ignorance,
But this ignorance in yougthe, which I spake as good as
on, or rather this simplicitie, or most trewlie, knowledge.
this innocencie, is that, which the noble Persians,
as wise Xenophon doth testifie, were so carefull, to Chrisost.
breede vp their yougth in. But Christian fathers de Fato.
commonlie do not so. And I will tell you a tale, as
moch to be misliked, as the Persians example is to Iulia.
be folowed. Apostat.
This last somer, I was in a Ientlemans house:
where a yong childe, somewhat past fower yeare olde, Innocency
cold in no wise frame his tongue, to saie, a litle in youth.
shorte grace: and yet he could roundlie rap out, so
manie vgle othes, and those of the newest facion, as A childe
som good man of fourescore yeare olde hath neuer ill
hard named before: and that which was most brought
detestable of all, his father and mother wold laughe vp.
at it. I moche doubte, what comforte, an other daie,
this childe shall bring vnto them. This Childe vsing Ill
moche the companie of seruinge men, and geuing good Parentes.
eare to their taulke, did easelie learne, which he
shall hardlie forget, all daies of his life hereafter: So
likewise, in the Courte, if a yong Ientleman will ventur him
self into the companie of Ruffians, it is ouer greate a
ieopardie, lest, their facions, maners, thoughtes, taulke, and
deedes, will verie sone, be euer like. The confounding of
companies, breedeth confusion of good maners both in the
Courte, and euerie where else.
And it maie be a great wonder, but a greater shame, to vs
Christian men, to vnderstand, what a heithen writer, Isocrates,
doth leaue in memorie of writing, concerning the care, that the
noble Citie of Athens had, to bring vp their yougthe, in honest
companie, and vertuous discipline, whose taulke in Ill
Greke, is, to this effect, in Englishe. companie.
"The Citie, was not more carefull, to see
their Children Isocrates.
"well taughte, than to see their yong men well
"gouerned: which they brought to passe, not so In Orat.
"much by common lawe, as by priuate discipline. Ariopag.
"For, they had more regard, that their yougthe, by
good order
"shold not offend, than how, by lawe, they might be punished:
"And if offense were committed, there was, neither waie to
"hide it, neither hope of pardon for it. Good natures, were
"not so moche openlie praised as they were secretlie marked,
"and watchfullie regarded, lest they should lease the goodnes
"they had. Therefore in scholes of singing and dauncing, and
"other honest exercises, gouernours were appointed, more
"diligent to ouersee their good maners, than their masters
were,
"to teach them anie learning. It was som shame to a yong
"man, to be seene in the open market: and if for businesse, he
"passed throughe it, he did it, with a meruelous modestie, and
"bashefull facion. To eate, or drinke in a Tauerne, was not
onelie a shame, but also punishable, in a yong man. To
"contrarie, or to stand in termes with an old man, was more
"heinous, than in som place, to rebuke and scolde with his
"owne father: with manie other mo good orders, and faire
disciplines, which I referre to their reading, that haue lust
to looke vpon the description of such a worthie common welthe.
And to know, what worthie frute, did spring of soch
worthie seade, I will tell yow the most meruell of all, and yet
soch a trothe, as no man shall denie it, except such as be
ignorant in knowledge of the best stories.
Athens, by this discipline and good ordering of yougthe,
did breede vp, within the circute of that one Citie, within the
compas of one hondred yeare, within the memorie of one mans
life, so manie notable Capitaines in warre, for worthinesse,
wisdome and learning, as be scarse matchable no not in the
state of Rome, in the compas of those seauen hondred yeares,
whan it florished moste.
And bicause, I will not onelie saie it, but also proue
it, the names of them be these. Miltiades, Themistocles,
Xantippus, Pericles, Cymon, Alcybiades, Thrasybulus, Conon,
Iphicrates, Xenophon, Timotheus, Theopompus, Demetrius, and
diuers other mo: of which euerie one, maie iustelie be spoken
that worthie praise, which was geuen to Scipio Africanus, who,
Cicero douteth, whether he were, more noble Good
Capitaine in warre, or more eloquent and wise seede,
councelor in peace. And if ye beleue not me, read worthie
diligentlie, Æmilius Probus in Latin, and Plutarche frute.
in Greke, which two, had no cause either to flatter
or lie vpon anie of those which I haue recited. Athenes.
And beside nobilitie in warre, for excellent
and matchles masters in all maner of learninge, in Roma.
that one Citie, in memorie of one aige, were mo
learned men, and that in a maner altogether, than The noble
all tyme doth remember, than all place doth Capitaines
affourde, than all other tonges do conteine. And I of Athens.
do not meene of those Authors, which, by iniurie of
tyme, by negligence of men, by crueltie of fier and Æmil.
sworde, be lost, but euen of those, which by Goddes Probus.
grace, are left yet vnto us: of which I thank God, Plutarchus.
euen my poore studie lacketh not one. As, in
Philosophie, Plato, Aristotle, Xenophon, Euclide andThe
Theophrast: In eloquens and Ciuill lawe, learned of
Demosthenes, Æschines, Lycurgus, Dinarchus, Demades,Athenes.
Isocrates, Isæus, Lysias, Antisthenes, Andocides: In
histories, Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon: and which we lacke,
to our great losse, Theopompus and Eph[orus]: In Poetrie
Æschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, and somwhat of
Menander, Demosthenes sister sonne.
Now, let Italian, and Latin it self, Spanishe, French,
Douch, and Englishe bring forth their lerning, and recite their
Authors, Cicero onelie excepted, and one or two moe in Latin,
they be all patched cloutes and ragges, in comparison of faire
wouen broade clothes. And trewelie, if there be any good in
them, it is either lerned, borowed, or stolne, from some one of
those worthie wittes of Athens.
The remembrance of soch a common welthe, vsing soch
discipline and order for yougthe, and thereby bringing forth to
their praise, and leauing to vs for our example, such
Capitaines for warre, soch Councelors for peace, and matcheles
masters, for all kinde of learninge, is pleasant for me to
recite, and not irksum, I trust, for other to heare, except it
be soch, as make neither counte of vertue nor learninge.
And whether, there be anie soch or no, I can not well
tell: yet I hear saie, some yong Ientlemen of oures, count it
their shame to be counted learned: and perchance, Learnyng,
they count it their shame, to be counted honest chiefly
also, for I heare saie, they medle as litle with the conteined
one, as with the other. A meruelous case, that in the
Ientlemen shold so be ashamed of good learning, and Greke, and
neuer a whit ashamed of ill maners: soch do saie for in no
them, that the Ientlemen of France do so: which is a other
lie, as God will haue it. Langæus, and Bellæus that tong.
be of France.
dead, & the noble Vidam of Chartres, that is Contemners
aliue, and infinite mo in France, which I heare tell of
of, proue this to be most false. And though som, in learnyng.
France, which will nedes be Ientlemen, whether men
will or no, and haue more ientleshipe in their hat, Ientlemen
than in their hed, be at deedlie feude, with both of France.
learning and honestie, yet I beleue, if that noble
Prince, king Francis the first were aliue, they Franciscus
shold haue, neither place in his Courte, nor pension 1.
in his warres, if he had knowledge of them. This Nobilis.
opinion is not French, but plaine Turckishe: from Francorum
whens, some Frenche fetche moe faultes, than this: Rex.
which, I praie God, kepe out of England, and send
also those of oures better mindes, which bend them selues
againste vertue and learninge, to the contempte of God,
dishonor of their contrie to the hurt of manie others, and at
length, to the greatest harme, and vtter destruction of
themselues.
Som other, hauing better nature, but lesse witte, (for
ill commonlie, haue ouer moch witte) do not vtterlie dispraise
learning, but they saie, that without learning, common
experience, knowledge of all facions, and haunting all
companies, shall worke in yougthe, both wisdome, and habilitie,
to execute anie weightie affaire. Surelie long experience doth
proffet moch, but moste, and almost onelie to him (if we meene
honest affaires) that is diligentlie before instructed with
preceptes of well doinge. For good precepts of learning, be the
eyes of the minde, to looke wiselie before a man, which waie to
go right, and which not.
Learning teacheth more in one yeare than experience in
twentie: And learning teacheth safelie. when Experience
experience maketh mo miserable then wise. He without
hasardeth sore, that waxeth wise by experience. An learnyng.
vnhappie Master he is, that is made cunning by manie
shippewrakes: A miserable merchant, that is neither Learnyng.
riche or wise, but after som bankroutes. It is Experience.
costlie wisdom, that is bought by experience. We
know by experience it selfe, that it is a meruelous paine, to
finde oute but a short waie, by long wandering. And surelie, he
that wold proue wise by experience, he maie be wittie in deede,
but euen like a swift runner, that runneth fast out of his
waie, and vpon the night, he knoweth not whither. And verilie
they be fewest of number, that be happie or wise by vnlearned
experience. And looke well vpon the former life of those fewe,
whether your example be old or yonge, who without learning haue
gathered, by long experience, a litle wisdom, and som happines:
and whan you do consider, what mischiefe they haue committed,
what dangers they haue escaped (and yet xx. for one, do perishe
in the aduenture) than thinke well with your selfe, whether ye
wold, that your owne son, should cum to wisdom and happines, by
the waie of soch experience or no.
It is a notable tale, that old Syr Roger Chamloe, somtime
cheife Iustice, wold tell of him selfe. When he was Auncient in
Inne of Courte, Certaine yong Ientlemen were brought before
him, to be corrected for certaine misorders: And one of the
lustiest saide: Syr, we be yong ientlemen, and wisemen before
vs, haue proued all facions, and yet those haue done full well:
this they said, because it was well knowen, that Syr Roger had
bene a good feloe in his yougth. But he aunswered them verie
wiselie. In deede saith he, in yougthe, I was, as you ar now:
and I had twelue feloes like vnto my self, but not one of them
came to a good ende. And therfore, folow not my example in
yougth, but folow my councell in aige, if euer ye thinke to cum
to this place, or to thies yeares, that I am cum vnto, lesse ye
meete either with pouertie or Tiburn in the way.
Thus, experience of all facions in yougthe, beinge, in
profe, alwaise daungerous, in isshue, seldom lucklie, is a
waie, in deede, to ouermoch knowledge, yet vsed commonlie of
soch men, which be either caried by som curious Syr Roger
affection of mynde, or driuen by som hard Chamloe.
necessitie of life, to hasard the triall of ouer
manie perilous aduentures. Erasmus the honor of Experience
learning of all oure time, saide wiselie that
experience is the common schole- house of foles, Erasmus.
and ill men: Men, of witte and honestie, be
otherwise instructed. For there be, that kepe them Experience
out of fier, and yet was neuer burned: That beware the
of water, and yet was neuer nie drowninge: That schole-house
hate harlottes, and was neuer at the stewes: That of Foles,
abhorre falshode, and neuer brake promis and ill
themselues. men.
But will ye see, a fit Similitude of this
aduentured experience. A Father, that doth let louse his son,
to all experiences, is most like a fond Hunter, that letteth
slippe a whelpe to the hole herde. Twentie to one, he shall
fall vpon a rascall, and let go the faire game. Men that hunt
so, be either ignorant persones, preuie stealers, or night
walkers.
Learning therefore, ye wise fathers, and good bringing
vp, and not blinde & dangerous experience, is the next and
readiest waie, that must leede your Children, first, to wisdom,
and than to worthinesse, if euer ye purpose they shall cum
there. And to saie all in shorte, though I lacke Authoritie to
giue counsell, yet I lacke not good will to wisshe, that the
yougthe in England, speciallie Ientlemen, and namelie no-
bilitie, shold be by good bringing vp, so grounded in iudgement
of learninge, so founded in loue of honestie, as, whan they
shold be called forthe to the execution of great affaires, in
seruice of their Prince and contrie, they might be hable, to
vse and to order, all experiences, were they good were they
bad, and that, according to the square, rule, and line, of
wisdom learning and vertue.
And, I do not meene, by all this my taulke, that yong
Ientlemen, should alwaies be poring on a booke, and by vsing
good studies, shold lease honest pleasure, and haunt no good
pastime, I meene nothing lesse: For it is well knowne, that I
both like and loue, and haue alwaies, and do yet still vse, all
exercises and pastimes, that be fitte for my nature and
habilitie. And beside naturall disposition, in iudgement also,
I was neuer, either Stoick in doctrine, or Anabaptist in
Religion, to mislike a merie, pleasant, and plaifull nature, if
no outrage be committed, against lawe, mesure, and good order.
Therefore, I wold wishe, that, beside some How
good time, fitlie appointed, and constantlie kepte, experience
to encrease by readinge, the knowledge of the tonges may
and learning, yong ientlemen shold vse, and delite proffet.
in all Courtelie exercises, and Ientlemanlike
pastimes. And good cause whie: For the self same Diligent
noble Citie of Athenes, iustlie commended of me learninge
before, did wiselie and vpon great consideration, ought to
appoint, the Muses, Apollo, and Pallas, to be be ioyned
patrones of learninge to their yougthe. For the with
Muses, besides learning, were also Ladies of pleasant
dauncinge, mirthe and ministrelsie: Apollo, was god pastimes,
of shooting, and Author of cunning playing vpon namelie in
Instrumentes: Pallas also was Laidie mistres in a
warres. Wherbie was nothing else ment, but that ientleman.
learninge shold be alwaise mingled, with honest
mirthe, and cumlie exercises: and that warre also Learnyng
shold be gouerned by learning, and moderated by ioyned
wisdom, as did well appeare in those Capitaines of with
Athenes named by me before, and also in Scipio & pastimes.
Cæsar, the two Diamondes of Rome.
And Pallas, was no more feared, in weering Musæ.
Ægida, than she was praised, for chosing Oliva: Apollo.
whereby shineth the glory of learning, which thus, Pallas.
was Gouernour & Mistres, in the noble Citie of
Athenes, both of warre and peace.
Therefore, to ride cumlie: to run faire at the tilte or
ring: to plaie at all weapones: to shote faire in bow, or
surelie in gon: to vaut lustely: to runne: to leape: to
wrestle: to swimme: To daunce cumlie: to sing, and playe of
instrumentes cunnyngly: to Hawke: to hunte: to playe at tennes,
& all pastimes generally, which be ioyned with labor, vsed in
open place, and on the day light, conteining either some fitte
exercise for warre, or some pleasant pastime for peace, be not
onelie cumlie and decent, but also verie necessarie, for a
Courtlie Ientleman to vse.
But, of all kinde of pastimes, fitte for a Ientleman, I
will, godwilling, in fitter place, more at large, declare
fullie, in my booke of the Cockpitte: which I do write, to
satisfie som, I trust, with som reason, that be more curious,
in marking other mens doinges, than carefull in Learning
mendying their owne faultes. And som also will nedes rewleth
busie them selues in merueling, and adding thereunto both warre
vnfrendlie taulke, why I, a man of good yeares, and and peace.
of no ill place, I thanke God and my Prince, do make
choise to spend soch tyme in writyng of trifles, as The
the schole of shoting, the Cockpitte, and this booke pastimes
of the first Principles of Grammer, rather, than to that be
take some weightie matter in hand, either of fitte for
Religion, or Ciuill discipline. Courtlie
Wise men I know, will well allow of my choise Ientlemen.
herein: and as for such, who haue not witte of them
selues, but must learne of others, to iudge right of The
mens doynges, let them read that wise Poet Horace in Cokpitte.
his Arte Poetica, who willeth wisemen to beware, of
hie and loftie Titles. For, great shippes, require A booke of
costlie tackling, and also afterward dangerous a lofty
gouernment: Small boates, be neither verie title,
chargeable in makyng, nor verie oft in great beareth
ieoperdie: and yet they cary many tymes, as good and the brag
costlie ware, as greater vessels do. A meane of
Argument, may easelie beare, the light burden of a ouergreat
small faute, and haue alwaise at hand, a ready a promise.
excuse for ill handling: And, some praise it is, if
it so chaunce, to be better in deede, than a man dare venture
to seeme. A hye title, doth charge a man, with the heauie
burden, of to great a promise: and therefore sayth Horace verie
wittelie, that, that Poete was a verie foole, that began hys
booke, with a goodlie verse in deede, but ouer proude
Fortunam Priami cantabo & nobile bellum,
And after, as wiselie.
Quantò rectiùs hic, qui nil molitur ineptè. etc.
Meening Homer, who, within the compasse of a smal Argument, of
one harlot, and of one good wife, did vtter so moch The right
learning in all kinde of sciences, as, by the choise, to
iudgement of Quintilian, he deserueth so hie a chose a
praise, that no man yet deserued to sit in the fitte
second degree beneth him. And thus moch out of my Argument
way, concerning my purpose in spending penne, and to write
paper, & tyme, vpon trifles, & namelie to aunswere vpon.
some, that haue neither witte nor learning, to do Hor.
any thyng them selues, neither will nor honestie, to inArte
say well of other. Poet.
To ioyne learnyng with cumlie exercises, Conto
Baldesær Castiglione in his booke, Cortegiano, doth Homers
trimlie teache: which booke, aduisedlie read, and wisdom in
diligentlie folowed, but one yeare at home in choice of
England, would do a yong ientleman more good, I his
wisse, then three yeares trauell abrode spent in Argument.
Italie. And I meruell this booke, is no more read in
the Court, than it is, seying it is so well The
translated into English by a worthie Ientleman Syr Cortegian,
Th. Hobbie, who was many wayes well furnished with |
