And down the hyll is very litle labour,
as contrary is great.
as contrary is great.
Erasmus
And he was but
newe come frome hys mother into that compani. He told
vs before that the chyld had a very good woman to hys
mother, and was earnestly committed of her vnto hym:
anon to haue an occacion to beate hym, he beganne to
laye to hys charge I wotte not what wãtonnesse: When
the chylde shewed hym selfe to haue nothyng lesse,
and beckened to hym to whome he committed the chyefe
rule of hys colledge, surnamed of the thynge,
a tormentoure, to beate, hym ne by and by caste doune
the chylde, and beate hym as thoughe he had done
sacrilege. The diuine sayde once or twyse, it is
inoughe, it is inoughe. But that tormentour deaffe
with feruentnes, made no ende of his bochery, tyl the
chylde was almost in a sounde: Anon the diuine
turninge to vs, he hathe deserued nothynge quod he,
but that he muste be made lowe. Who euer after that
maner hath taught hys slaue, or hys Asse? A gẽtle
horse is better tamed with puping of the mouth or
softe handlyng, then wyth whyp or spurres. And if you
handle hym hard, he wil whynche, he wyll kycke, he
wyll byte, and go backwardes. An oxe if you pricke hym
to harde wyth godes, wyl caste of his yocke, and run
vpon hym that pricked hym. So muste a gentle nature be
handled as is the whelpe of a Lion. Onlye arte tameth
Elephantes, not violence, neyther is there any beaste
so wylde, but that it wyl be tamed by gentlenes,
neyther any so tame, but immoderate cruelnes wil anger
it. It is a seruyle thynge to be chastened by feare,
and common custume calleth chyldren free men, because
liberall and gentle bringyng vp becommeth them, much
vnlike to seruile. Yet they that be wyse do thys
rather, that seruantes by gentelnes and benefites
leaue of their slauyshe condicions: remẽbryng that
they also be men, and not beastes. There be rehearsed
meruelous examples of seruauntes toward their masters,
whome verely they shulde not haue founde such if they
hadde kept them vnder only by strypes. ¶ A seruaunt if
he be corrigible is better amended by monicions, by
honestie, & good turnes, then by stripes: if he be
paste amendmente, he is hardened to extreme mischief
and eyther wyll runne awaye and rob hys master, or by
some craft go aboute his masters deathe. Sometime he
is reuenged on his masters crueltie, thoughe it coste
hym his lyfe. And there is no creature more fereful
thẽ man, whõ cruell iniurie hathe taught to dispyse
his owne lyfe. Therfore the commõ prouerb that sayth a
man hath as manye enemies as he hath seruauntes, If it
be true, I thynke it may be chiefly imputed to the
vnreasonablenes of the master: for it is a poynte of
arte, and not of chaunce to rule wel seruauntes. And
if the wyser masters go aboute thys thynge, so to vse
their seruauntes, that thei shuld serue them well and
gently, and in stede of seruantes had rather haue them
fre men, how shameful is it bi bryngyng vp, to make
seruantes of those that be gentle and free by nature?
Nor wythout cause dothe the olde manne in the comedie
thynke that there is greate difference betwixte a
master and a father. The master only compelleth,
the father by honestie and gentelnes accustumeth hys
sonne, to do well of hys owne mynde, rather then by
feare of an other: and that he shulde bee all one in
hys presence and behind hys backe. He that can not do
this sayth he, lette hym confesse that he can not rule
chyldren. But there oughte to be a litle more
difference betwyxte a father and the master, then
betwixt a kinge and a tirant. Wee putte awaye a
tiraunte from the common wealthe, and we chose
tirauntes, yea for oure sonnes, eyther we oure selfes
exercyse tirannye vpon them. Howebeit thys vyle name
of seruitude oughte vtterlye to be taken awaye oute of
the lyfe of chrysten menne. Sainte Paule desyreth
Philo to bee good to Onesimus, not nowe as a
seruaunte, but as a deere brother in steede of a
seruaunte. And wrytyng to the Ephesians, he monysheth
the masters to remitte theyr bytternesse agaynst theyr
seruauntes, and their threatnynges, remembrynge that
they are rather felow seruauntes then masters, because
they both haue a common master in heauen, whyche as
well wyll punyshe the masters if they do amysse, as
the seruauntes. The Apostle wolde not haue the masters
ful of threatning, muche lesse full of beatynge: for
he saythe not, pardonynge your strypes, but pardonynge
your threatenynges, and yet wee woulde haue oure
chyldren nothynge but beaten, whyche scarse the Galeye
masters or Sea robbers do agaynste theyr slaues and
rowers. But of chyldren, what dothe the same Apostle
commaunde vs?
¶ In somuch he wyll not haue them beaten slauyshely,
he cõmaundeth all crueltye and bytternes to be awaye
from our monicions and chydyng. You fathers saythe he,
prouoke not your chyldren to anger, but bring them vp
in discipline and chastisyng of the Lorde. And what
the discipline of the lorde is, he shal soone se that
wyll consider, wyth what gentlenes, what meekenes,
what charitie the Lord Iesus hath taught, suffered and
noryshed and brought vp by litle and lytle his
disciples. The lawes of man do temper the fathers
power: the same also permit vnto the seruauntes an
accion of euyll handlyng, and from whence then commeth
thys crueltye amonge christen men? In time paste one
Auxon a knight of Rome, whylest he wente about to
amende hys sonne by beatynge hyn vnmesurably, he
kylled him. That crueltye so moued the people, that
the fathers and chyldren haled hym in to the market
place, & al to be pricked hym, thrust him in with
theyr wrytyng pinnes, nothynge regarding the dignitie
of his knighthod, and Octauus Augustus had much a do
to saue hym. But now a daies howe many Auxons do we
see whiche thorowe cruell beatynge, hurte the
chyldrens healthe, make them one eyed, weaken them,
and sometyme kyll them. Roddes serue not to some mens
crueltie, they turne them and beate thẽ wyth the great
ende, they geue them buffettes, and stryke the yonge
ons wyth their fistes, or whatsoeuer is next at hand
they snatche it, and dashe it vpon them. It is told in
the lawe, that a certen sowter, when he layd one of
hys sowters vpon the hynder parte of the heade wyth a
laste, he stroke oute one of hys eyes, and that for
that deede he was punyshed by the lawe. What shall we
saye of them whyche beside their beatinges, do thẽ
shamefull despite also? I wolde neuer haue beleued it,
excepte both I had knowen the chylde, and the doer of
this crueltie perfitelye.
¶ A chylde yet scante . vii. yere olde, whose honeste
parentes had done good to his master, they handled so
cruellye, that scarse anye suche tiraunt as was
Mezencius or Phalaris coulde do more cruelly. They
caste so much mans donge into the childes mouth y^t
scarsely he coulde spit, but was cõpelled to swallowe
doune a great parte of it. What tiraunt dyd euer suche
kynde of despyght? After suche daynties, they
exercysed suche lozdelynes. The chylde naked was
hanged vp wyth cordes by y^e armeholes, as though he
hadde bene a stronge thyefe, and there is amonge to
Germanes no kynde of punishement more abhorred then
thys. Anone as he honge, they all to beat hym wyth
roddes, almoste euen tyll deathe. For the more the
chylde denyed the thynge that he dyd not, so muche the
more dyd they beate hym. Put also to thys, the
tormentour hym selfe almoste more to be feared then
the verie punyshemente, hys eyes lyke a serpente,
hys narowe and wrythen mouth, hys sharpe voyce like a
spirite, hys face wanne and pale, hys head roulyng
about, threatninges and rebukes suche as they lusted
in theyr anger: a manne wolde haue thought it a furie
out of hel. What folowed? anone after this punishement
the chyld fel sicke, with great ieopardye both of
mynde and lyfe. Then this tormentour began fyrst to
complayne, he wrote to hys father to take awaye hys
sonne as sone as could be, and that he had bestowed as
much phisicke vpon him as he coulde, but in vayne vpon
the chylde that was paste remedye. ¶ When the sicknes of
the body was somewhat put away by medicines, yet was
the minde so astonied, that we feared leste he wold
neuer come agayne to the olde strength of hys mynd.
Neither was thys y^e cruelty of one daye, as longe as
the childe dwelte wyth hym there passed no daye but he
was cruelly beatẽ once or twise. I know y^u suspectest
o reader, that it was an haynouse faute, wherunto so
cruell remedie was vsed. I wyl shew you in few words.
Ther was foũd both of hys y^t was beaten, and of two
others, theire bookes blotted wyth ynke, their
garmentes cutte, and their hose arayed wyth mannes
donge.
¶ He that played thys playe was a chylde borne to all
myschiefe, whiche by other vngracious deedes
afterwardes, made men beleue the other to be true that
were done before. And he was nephewe by the systers
syde to this mad docter: euẽ then playing a part
before to these thyngs whych souldiers are wont to do
in bataile or robbynge. At an hostes house of his, he
pulled oute the faucet, and let the wyne runne vpõ the
ground, and as one to shew a pleasure, he sayde that
he felt the sauour of the wyne: wyth an other of hys
felowes he daylye played at the sworde, not in sporte,
but in earnest, that euen then you myght wel perceyue
he wolde be a thyefe or a murtherer, or whych is very
lyke to them, that he wolde be an hyred souldier.
Although the teacher fauored hym, yet fearynge leste
they shulde one kyll an other, he sente awaye his
cosen. For he had for that other a good rewarde: and
he was of this sorte of gospellers, to whom nothing is
more swete then monei. His godfather was made surely
to beleue that the child was w^t a good and diligent
master, when in deede he dwelte wyth a boucher, & was
continually in company, and made drudge with a man
that was halfe mad, and continually sicke. Thus
fauoringe more his kynseman then hym by whom he had so
much profite, the suspicion was layde vpon the
harmeles, to whom they ascribed so muche malice that
he wolde teare and defile his owne garmentes to auoide
suspicion if any suche thyng had bene done. But the
child commyng both of good father and mother, dyd
neuer shewe any tokẽ of such a naughtie disposicion:
and at thys daye there is nothing farther from all
malice then are hys maners, whyche nowe free frome all
feare telleth all the matter in order as it was donne.
¶ To suche tutors do honest citizens committe their
chyldren whome they moste loue, and suche do complayne
that they be not wel rewarded for their paynes. And
this tormentour wolde not once knoweledge he had done
amisse, but had rather playe the starke mad man, then
confesse his faute: and yet agaynst such is not taken
an accion of euyll handlyng, neither hath the rigoure
of the lawe anye power agaynste suche huge crueltie.
There is no anger worse to be pleased thẽ theirs that
be lyke to haue the fallynge sycknes. Howe many things
be crepte in, into the lyfe of christen men, not meete
neither for the Phrigians nor y^e Scithians, of y^e
which I wyl shew one much like this matter. The yong
gentlemã is send in to y^e vniuersitie to lerne the
liberall sciences. But w^t how vngentle despightes is
he begun in them? Fyrst they rub his chyn, as though
they wolde shaue his bearde: hereunto thei vse pisse,
or if ther be any fouler thyng. This liquour is dashed
into his mouth, & he may not spit it out. Wyth
paynfull bobbes they make as though thei drewe hornes
from him: sõtime he is cõpelled to drinke a great
deale of vinegre or salte, or whatsoeuer it listeth
y^e wyld cõpany of yong mẽ to geue him: for whẽ they
begin the play, thei make him swere y^t he shal obey
al that they cõmaund him. At last they hoyse him vp,
& dashe his backe against a post as oftẽ as they list.
After these so rustical despightes sũtime foloweth an
ague or a paine of y^e backe y^t neuer cã be remedied.
Certes this foolishe play endeth in a drõken bãket:
w^t such beginninges enter they into y^e studies of
liberal sciences. But it were mete that after this
sorte ther shuld begin a boucher, a tormẽtour a baud
or a bõde slaue or a botemã, not a child appointed to
y^e holy studies of lerning. It is a meruel that yong
mẽ geuen to liberal studies be mad after this fashiõ,
but it is more meruel y^t these things be alowed of
suche as haue the rule of youth. To so foule & cruel
folyshenes is pretẽsed the name of custume, as though
the custume of an euil thing wer any thing else thẽ an
old errour, whiche ought so much the more diligẽtly to
be pulled vp bicause it is crept among many. So
cõtinueth amõg the diuines y^e maner of a vesper, for
they note an euyl thynge w^t a like name, more mete
for scoffers thẽ diuines. But thei y^t professe
liberal sciẽces, shuld haue also liberal sports. But I
come againe to chyldren, to whome nothyng is more
vnprofitable, then to be vsed to stripes, whiche
enormittie causeth that the gẽtle nature is
intractable, and the viler driuen to desperacion:
and cõtinuaunce of thẽ maketh that both the bodye is
hardened to stripes, & the mynd to wordes. Nay we may
not oftentymes chyde thẽ to sharplye. A medicine
naughtelye vsed, maketh the sickenes worse, helpeth it
not, and if it be layde to continuallye, by litle and
litle, it ceaseth to be a medicine, and dothe nothinge
else then dothe stinkynge and vnwholesome meate. But
here some man wyl laye vnto vs the godlye sayings of
the Hebrues. He that spareth the rod hateth hys chylde
and he that loueth hys sonne, beateth hym muche.
Agayne: Bowe downe the necke of thy chylde in youth,
and beate hys sydes whyle he is an infante very yonge.
Suche chastisemente peraduenture was meete in tyme
paste for the Iewes. Nowe must the sayinge be
expounded more ciuilely. And if a man wil be hard to
vs wyth letters and sillables, what is more cruell
then to bend the necke of a chyld, & to beat the sides
of an infant? woldest thou not beleue that a bull were
taught to y^e plowgh, or an asse to bear paniars, and
not a mã to vertue? And what rewarde doth he promise
vs? That he grope not after other mẽnes dores. He is
afeard lest his son shulde be poore, as the greateste
of all mischiefe. What is more coldly spoken then thys
sentence? Let gentle admonicion be oure rodde, and
sometyme chydyng also, but sauced wyth mekenes, not
bitternes. Let vs vse thys whyp continuallye in our
chyldren, y^t beyng wel brought vp, they maye haue at
home a meanes to lyue well, and not be cõpelled to beg
counsell at their neighbours how to do their busines.
Licon the philosopher hath shewed . ii. sharpe spurres
to quicken vp chyldrens wyttes, shame, and prayse:
shame is the feare of a iust reproch, prayse is the
norysher of all verteous actes: wyth these prickes
lette vs quicken our chyldrens wyttes. Also if you
wyl, I wyl shewe you a club to beate their sides
wythall. Continuall labour vanquysheth all thynges
sayth the best of al poetes. Let vs wake, let vs
prycke thẽ forwardes, & styl call vpon them, by
requiringe, repetynge, and often teachyng: Wyth this
club let vs beate the sydes of our infantes. Fyrst let
them lerne to loue, and maruell at vertue and lernyng,
to abhor sinne and ignorance. Let them hear some
praysed for theyr well doinges, and some rebuked for
their euyl. Let examples be brought in of those men to
whom lernyng hath gottẽ hygh glorye, ryches, dignitie,
and authoritie. And againe of them to whom their euyll
condicions & wyt wythout all lernyng hath brought
infamie, contempt, pouertye and myschiefe. These
verely be the clubbes meete for christians, that make
disciples of Iesu. [Sidenote: Emulacion is an enuye
wythout malice, for desire to be as good as an other,
& to be as much praysed. ] And if we cã not profite by
monicions, nor prayers, neyther by emulacion, nor
shame, nor prayse, nor by other meanes, euen the
chastenyng w^t the rod, if it so require, ought to be
gentle & honeste. For euen thys that the bodies of
gẽtle children shulde be made bare, is a kind of
despice. Howbeit Fabius vtterly cõdemneth al y^e
custume to beate gentle chyldrẽ. Some mã wil saye,
what shall be done to them if they can not be driuen
to study but by stripes? I answer roũdly, what wold ye
do to asses or to oxen if thei went to schole? Woldest
thou not driue them in to the contrey, & put the one
to the backhouse, the other to the plowe. For there be
men as well borne to the plowe and to the backehouse,
as oxen and asses be. But they wyll saye: then
decreseth my flocke. What then? Yea and myne
aduauntage to. Thys is an harde matter: thys maketh
them to weepe. They set more money then by the profite
of the chyldren. But suche are all the cõmon sorte of
folyshe teachers. I graunte. As the philosophers
describe a wyse mã, y^e rethoricians an oratour, such
one as scarse maye be foũd in anye place: So muche
more easye it is to prescribe what manner of man a
scholmaster shuld be, thẽ to find many y^t wil be as
you wold haue thẽ. [Sidenote: Ciuile officers and
prelates shuld se that ther wer good schole masters. ]
¶ But this oughte to be a publyque care and charge, and
belongeth to the ciuyle officer, and chyef prelats of
the churches that as ther be men appointed to serue in
war, to singe in churches, so muche more there shulde
be ordeined that shuld teach citizens chyldren well
and gently. [Sidenote: Vespasian. ] Vespasianus oute of
hys owne cofers gaue yerely sixe hũdred poũde to
Latine and Greke rethoricians. [Sidenote: Plinie. ]
Plinie the nephew of his owne liberalitie bestowed a
great sũme of money to the same purpose. And if the
comẽty in thys poynt be slacke, certenly euerye man
ought to take hede at home for his owne house. ¶ Thou
wylt saye: what shall poore men do which can scarse
fynd their chyldren, muche lesse hyre a master to
teache them? Here I haue nothynge to saye, but thys
out of the comedie: We muste do as we maye do, when we
can not as we wolde. We do shewe the beste waye of
teachynge, we be not able to geue fortune: Saue that
here also the liberalitie of ryche men ought to helpe
good wyttes, whych can not shewe forthe the strength
of naturall inclinacion because of pouertye.
[Sidenote: Pouertie hurteth good wittes. ] I wyll that
the gentlenes of the master shulde be so tempered,
that familiaritie, the companion of contempte, put not
away honeste reuerence, suche one as men say Sarpedo
was, tutour to Cato of Vtica, which thorowe hys gentle
maners gat greate loue, and by hys vertue as lyke
authoritie, causynge the chylde to haue a greate
reuerence, and to set much by him wythout anye feare
of roddes. But these y^t can do nothynge elles but
beate, what wolde they do if they had taken vpon them
to teache Emperoures or kynges chyldren, whome it were
not lefull to beate? They wyll saye that greate mens
sonnes muste be excepted from thys fashion. What is
that? Be not the chyldren of citizens, men as well as
kynges chyldren be? Shulde not euerye manne as wel
loue hys chylde as if he wer a kynges sonne? If his
estate be sũwhat base, so much the more neede hath he
to be taught, and holpen by lernynge, that he maye
come vp, from his pore case. But if he be of hye
degre, philosophy & lernyng is necessary to gouerne
hys matters well. Further not a fewe be called frome
lowe degre to hye estate, yea sometyme to be great
byshops. All men come not to thys, yet oughte al men
to be brought vp to come to it. I wil braule no more
with these greate beaters, after I haue tolde you this
one thing: How that those lawes & officers be
condemned of wyse men, whych can no more but feare men
wyth punyshement, & do not also entyse men by
rewardes: and the whych punyshe fautes, and prouide
not also y^t nothyng be done worthy punishmẽt. The
same must be thought of the cõmon sort of teachers,
whych only beate for fautes, and do not also teache
y^e mynd that it do not amysse. They straitlie require
their lesson of them: if the chylde fayle, he is
beaten: and whẽ this is done daily because the child
shuld be more accustumed to it, thei thinke they haue
plaied the part of a gaye scholemaster. But the chyld
shulde fyrste haue ben encoraged to loue lernyng, and
to be afeared to displease hys teacher. But of these
thynges peraduenture some man wyl thynke I haue spoke
to much & so myght I worthely be thought, except that
almoste all men dyd in this poynte so greatly offende,
that hereof a mã cã neuer speke inough. Furthermore it
wyll helpe verye muche, if he that hathe taken vpon
hym to teache a chylde, so sette hys mynd vpon hym,
that he bear a fatherly loue vnto hym. By thys it
shall come to passe, y^t both the child wil lerne more
gladly, & he shal fele lesse tediousnes of his
laboure. [Sidenote: A sentence to be marked. ] For in
euery busines loue taketh away y^e greatest part of
hardnes. And because after the olde prouerbe: Lyke
reioyseth in lyke, y^e master muste in maner play the
childe againe, that he may be loued of the chylde. Yet
this lyketh me not, y^t men set theyr children to be
taught their fyrst beginnings of letters vnto those
that be of extreme and dotyng olde age, for they be
chyldren in verye deede, they fayne not, they
coũterfait not, stuttinge, but stutte in deede.
¶ I wolde wyshe to haue one of a lustye yonge age,
whome the chylde myght delyght in, and which wold not
be lothe to playe euerye parte. [Sidenote: A lykenynge
of scholemasters and nurses together. ] Thys man shulde
do in fashionyng hys wytte, that parentes and nurses
be wont to do in formynge the bodye. Howe do they
fyrst teache the infante to speake lyke a man? They
applye their wordes by lyspyng accordyng to the
chyldes tatlynge. How do they teach them to eat? They
chaw fyrst their milke soppes, and when they haue
done, by lytle & litle put it in to the chyldes
mouthe. Howe do they teache thẽ to go? They bowe downe
their owne bodies, and drawe in theyre owne strides
after the measure of the infantes. Neyther do they
fede them wyth euerye meate, nor putte more in then
they bee able to take: and as they increase in age,
they leade them to bigger thinges. First they seeke
for noryshemente that is meete for them, not differyng
much frõ mylke, whych yet if it be thrust into the
mouthe to muche, either it choketh the chylde, or
beynge caste oute defileth hys garmente. When it is
softelye and pretelye put in, it doth good. Whych
selfe thynge we se cõmeth to passe in vesselles that
haue narowe mouthes: if you pour in muche, it bubbleth
out agayne, but if you powre in a litle, and as it
were by droppes, in deede it is a whyle, and fayre and
softely erste, but yet then fylled. [Sidenote: The
fedyng of the bodye and mynd cõpared together. ] So
then as by small morsels, and geuen now and then,
the lytle tender bodies are noryshed: in lyke manner
chyldrens wyttes by instruccions meete for them taught
easely, and as it were by playe by lytle & litle
accustume thẽ selues to greater thyngs: & the
wearynesse in the meane season, is not felte, because
that small encreasynges so deceyue the felynge of
labour, that neuerthelesse they helpe much to great
profite. As it is told of a certen wrestler, whych,
accustumed to beare a calfe by certein furlonges, bare
hym whẽ he was waxen a bull, wythoute anye payne: for
the encrease was not felt, whych euerye daye was put
to the burden. But there be some that looke that
chyldren shulde strayghtwaye become olde men, hauyng
no regarde of their age, but measure the tender
wittes, by theyr owne strengthe. ¶ Straightway they call
vpon them bytterly, straightway they straitly require
perfect diligence, by and by they frowne wyth the
forhead if the childe do not as wel as he wold haue
hym, and they bee so moued as thoughe they had to do
wyth an elder body, forgettyng you maye be sure y^t
they thẽ selues wer once children. How much more
curteouse is it that Pliny warneth a certen master
that was to sore. Remember saythe he, that bothe he is
a yonge man, and that thou hast ben one thi selfe.
But many be so cruel against the tender chyldren, as
though thei remẽbred not neyther them selues, neyther
their scolers to be menne. [Sidenote: What things
lytle yonge chyldrẽ shold be fyrste taughte. ] Thou
woldest that I shulde shewe the those thynges that be
meete for the inclinaciõ of that age, and whiche shuld
by and by be taughte the lytle yongons. Fyrst the vse
of tonges whych commeth to them without any greate
studye, ther as olde folkes can scarse be hable to
learne them wyth great labour. [Sidenote: Chyldren
desyre naturally to folow & do as other do. ] And here
to as we sayde, moueth the chyldrẽ a certen desyre to
folowe and do as they se other do: of the which thing
we see a certen lyke fashion in pies and popiniayes.
What is more delectable then the fabels of poetes,
which wyth their swete entisynge plesures to delight
childrens eares that thei profite vs very much whẽ we
be olde also, not only to y^e knowledge of the tong,
but also to iudgement and copye of elegant speche?
What wyll a chyld hear more gladlye then Esops fabels,
whyche in sporte and playe teache earnest preceptes of
philosophy? and the same fruite is also in the fabels
of other poetes. The chylde heareth that Vlisses
felowes were turned into swyne, and other fashions of
beastes. The tale is laughed at, and yet for al that
he lerneth that thing that is the chiefest poynte in
al morall philosophye: Those whyche be not gouerned by
ryght reason, but are caried after the wyll of
affeccions, not to be men, but beastes. ¶ What coulde
a stoycke saye more sagely? and yet dothe a merye tale
teache the same. In a thynge that is manifest I wyll
not make the tarye with many exãples. [Sidenote:
Bucolicall, where y^e herdmen do speke of nete and
shepe. ] Also what is more mery conceited thẽ the
verses called Bucolicall? what is sweter then a
comedie, whych standing by morall maners, deliteth
bothe the vnlearned and chyldren? And heare how great
a parte of philosophye is lerned by playe? Adde vnto
thys the names of all thynges, in the whych it is
meruell to see howe now a dayes, yea euẽ they be blind
which are taken for wel lerned mẽ. Finally, shorte and
mery conceited sentences, as commonly be prouerbes,
and quicke shorte sayinges of noble men, in the whiche
onlye in tyme paste philosophie was wonte to be taught
to the people. Ther appeareth also in the very
chyldren a certen peculier redines to some sciences,
as vnto musicke, arithmetique, or cosmographie. For I
haue proued that they whych were very dull to lerne
the preceptes of grammer and rethorique, were found
verye apte to lerne the subtile artes. Nature therfore
must be holpen to that parte wherunto of it selfe it
is inclined.
And down the hyll is very litle labour,
as contrary is great. Thou shalt nether do nor saye
anye thynge agaynst thy naturall inclinacion. I knewe
a child that could not yet speake whych had no greater
pleasure, than to open a booke, and make as thoughe he
read. And when he dyd that sometyme many houres, yet
was he not weery. And he neuer wept so bitterli, but
if you had offered hym a booke, he wolde be pleased.
That thynge made hys friendes hope that in time to
come he wolde be a well lerned manne. His name also
brought some good lucke: for he was called Hierome.
[Sidenote: That is a teacher of holye lernynge. ] And
what he is now I can not tel, for I sawe hym not
beynge growẽ vp. To the knowledge of the tonge it wyll
helpe verye muche if he be broughte vp amonge them
that be talkatiue. Fabels and tales wyll the chylde
lerne so muche the more gladly, and remember the
better, if he maye see before his eyes the argumentes
properly paynted, and what soeuer is tolde in the
oracion be shewed him in a table. The same shall helpe
as much to lerne without boke the names of trees,
herbs, and beastes, and also their properties,
inespecially of these whych be not common to be seene
in euerye place, as is Rhinoceros, whyche is a beaste
that hathe a horne in hys nose, naturall enemye to the
Elephant: Tragelaphus, a goate hart, Duocrotalus,
a byrd lyke to a swã, whyche puttyng hys head into the
water brayeth lyke an asse, an asse of Inde and an
Elephant. The table maye haue an Elephant whom a
Dragon claspeth harde aboute, wrapping in his former
feete with his tayle. The litle chyld laugheth at the
syght of thys straunge paintynge, what shall the
master do then? He shall shewe him that ther is a
greate beaste called in Greeke an Elephante, and in
Latine lykewyse, saue that sometyme it is declined
after the latine fashion. He shall shewe, that that
whyche the grekes cal proboscida, or his snout, the
latines call his hande, because wyth that he reacheth
hys meate. He shall tell hym that that beaste doth not
take breath at the mouthe as we do, but at the snoute:
& that he hath teth standyng out on bothe sides, and
they be iuory, which rich mẽ set much price by, and
therwith shal shew hym an iuory combe. Afterwardes he
shall declare that in Inde ther be dragons as greate
as they. And that dragon is bothe a greke worde and a
latine also, saue that the grekes says dracontes in
the genitiue case. He shall shewe that naturallie
betwyxte the dragons and the Elephantes is great
fyghte. And if the chylde be somewhat gredy of
learnynge, he maye rehearse manye other thynges of the
nature of Elephantes and dragons. Manye reioyse to see
huntinges paynted. Here howe manye kyndes of trees,
hearbes, byrdes, foure footed beastes maye he lerne
and playe? I wyll not holde you longe wyth examples,
seynge it is easye by one to coniecture all. ¶ The
master shall be diligent in chosynge them oute, and
what he shall iudge moste pleasaunt to chyldren, most
mete for them, what they loue best, and is most
floryshyng, that inespecially let hym set before them.
The fyrste age lyke vnto the spring tyme, standeth in
pleasaunt sweete flowres, and goodly grene herbes,
vntyl the heruest time of ripe mans age fyll the barne
full of corne. ¶ Then as it were agaynst reason in ver
or springe tyme to seeke for a rype grape, and a rose
in autumne, [Sidenote: Autumne is the tyme betwyxt
somer and wynter. ] so muste the master marke what is
mete for euerye age. Mery and plesaunte thynges be
conueniente for chyldehod, howbeit all sourenesse and
sadnes muste be cleane awaye from all studies.
[Sidenote: The meaning of y^e poetes deuise touching
the muses & Charites. ] And I am deceyued except the
olde men ment that also, whyche ascribed to the muses
beynge virgins, excellent bewtye, harpe, songes,
daunses, and playes in the pleasaunt fieldes, and
ioyned to them as felowes the Ladies of loue: and that
increase of studies dyd stande specially in mutual
loue of myndes, and therefore the olde men called it
the lernyng that perteined to man. And ther is no
cause why profite maye not folowe pleasure, and
honestie ioyned to delectacion. [Sidenote: Wherfore
lernyng is called humanitie] For what letteth that
they shulde not lerne eyther a proper fable, arte of
poets, or a sentence, or a notable prety hystorie, or
a learned tale, as well as they lerne and can wythout
boke a piuyshe songe, and oftẽtimes a baudy one to,
& folishe old wiues tatlynges, & very trifles of
triflyng womẽ? What a sũme of dreames, vaine ryddels,
and vnprofitable trifles of spirites, hobgoblines,
fayries, witches, nightmares wood men and gyauntes,
how manye naughty lies, how many euyll sayings
remember wee, yea euen when we be men, whych beyng
lytle chyldrẽ we lerned of our dadies, graũdmothers,
nurses, & maydens whyle they were spynnynge, and heard
thẽ when they kissed & plaied wyth vs? And what a
profite shuld it haue bene to lernynge, if in stede of
these moste vaine garringes, not only folyshe, but
also hurtfull, wee had lerned those thynges that we
rehearsed a litle before. Thou wylt saye, what lerned
man wyll lowly hys wyt to these so small thynges? Yet
Aristotle hym selfe beynge so greate a philosopher was
not greued to take vpon hym the office of a teacher,
to instruct Alexander. ¶ Chiron fashioned the infancy of
Achilles, and Phenix succeded hym. Hely the priest
brought vp y^e childe Samuell. And ther be now a daies
whych eyther for a lytle money, or for theyr plesure
take almost more payne in teachyng a pye or a
popiniay. There be some that for deuocions sake take
vpon them iourneys that both be farre of and
ieoperdeous, and other laboures besyde almost
intollerable. Why dothe not holynes cause vs to do
thys office seynge nothyng can please god better?
Howbeit in teachinge those thynges that we haue
rehearsed, the master must neyther be to much callyng
vpon, neither to sharpe: but vse a continuaunce rather
then be wythout measure. Continuaunce hurteth not so
it be mesurable, & spiced also wyth varietie and
plesaũtnes. Finally if these thynges be so taught,
that imaginaciõ of labour be awaye, and that the
chylde do thynk al thinges be done in playe. Here the
course of our talkyng putteth vs in remẽbraunce
briefely to shewe by what meanes it maye be brought to
passe that lernyng shuld waxe swete vnto the chylde,
[Sidenote: How learnyng may be made swete vnto y^e
chyld. ] which before we somwhat touched. To be able to
speake redely, as I told you is easely gotten by vse.
After thys cõmeth the care to reade and write whych
of it selfe is somwhat tedious, but the griefe is
taken awaye a great parte by the cũnyng handling of
the master, if it be sauced w^t some pleasaunt
allurementes. For you shall fynde some whych tarye
long and take great paine in knowyng & ioynynge their
letters & in those fyrst rudimẽtes of grammer, whẽ
they wyl quyckely lerne greater thyngs. The yrksõnes
of these thinges must be holpẽ by some pretie craft,
of the which y^e old fathers haue shewed certẽ
fashions. Some haue made the letters in sweete crustes
and cakes that chyldren loue well, that so in manner
they myghte eate vp their letters. ¶ When they tell
the letters name, they geue the letter it selfe for a
rewarde. Other haue made the fashion of iuorie, that
the chylde shulde playe wyth them, or if there were
any other thyng wherin that age is specially delited.
[Sidenote: The practise of a certen englishe man to
teache hys chyld hys letters by shootyng. ] The
englyshe mẽ delyte principally in shotynge, and teache
it their chyldren fyrst of all: wherefore a certen
father that had a good quicke wyt perceiuinge his
sonne to haue a greate pleasure in shotyng, bought hym
a prety bowe & very fayr arrowes, & in al partes both
of hys bowe & arrowes were letters painted. Afterwards
insted of markes, he set vp the fashiõ of leters,
fyrste of Greke, and after of latẽ: when he hyt,
& tolde the name of the letter, besyde a greate
reioysinge, he had for a reward a cherye, or some
other thynge that chyldrẽ delyte in. Of that playe
commeth more fruite, if two or thre matches playe
together. For then the hope of victorie and feare of
rebuke maketh them to take more heede, and to be more
chereful. By thys deuise it was broughte aboute that
the chylde wythin a fewe days playing, had perfitely
lerned to know & sound all hys letters whych ye cõmõ
sort of teachers be scarse able to brynge to passe in
thre whole yeres whyth their beatynges threatyngs, and
brawlynges. Yet do not I alowe the diligence of some
to painful, whych drawe out these thyngs by playinge
at chesses or dyce. For when the playes them selues
passe the capacitie of chyldren, how shal they lerne
the letters by them? ¶ This is not to helpe the
chyldrens wyttes, but to put one labour to an other.
As there be certen engins so full of worke and so
curious, that they hynder the doynge of the busines.
Of thys sorte commonly be all those thynges whych some
haue deuised of the arte of memorye for to gette
money, or for a vayne boastynge, rather then for
profite: for they do rather hurte the memorye.
[Sidenote: The beste craft for memmorie. ] The best
crafte for memorie, is thorowlye to vnderstande,
and then to brynge into an order, last of al oftẽ to
repete that thou woldest remember. And in litleons
there is a natural great desyre to haue the mastry
inespecially of suche as be of lustye courage, and
lyuely towardnes. ¶ The teacher shall abuse these
inclinacions to the profite of hys study. If he shall
profite nothing by prayers, and fayre meanes, neyther
by gyftes mete for chyldren, nor prayses, he shal make
a contencion with hys equales. Hys felowe shall be
praysed in the presẽce of the duller. Desyre to be as
good shall quicken forwardes, whom only adhortacion
coulde not do. Yet it is not meete so to geue the
mastrie to the victor, as thoughe he shulde haue it
for euer: but somtime he shall shewe hope to hym that
is ouercome, that by takyng hede he may recouer y^e
shame: whych thynge capteyns be wonte to dooe in
batayle. And sometyme we shall suffer that the chyld
shuld thynke he hadde gotten the better, when he is
worse in deede. Finally by enterchaungyng, prayse and
disprayse, he shall noryshe in them, as Hesiodus
sayth, a stryfe who shall do best. Perchaunce one of a
sadde wyt wyl be loth so to play the child among
chyldren. And yet the same is not greued, neyther yet
ashamed to spende a greate parte of the day in playing
wyth little puppies and marmesettes, or to babble wyth
a pie or popiniay, or to play the foole wyth a foole.
By these tryfles, a verye sadde matter is broughte to
passe, and it is meruell that good men haue litle
pleasure herein, seeing y^t natural loue of our
children, and hope of great profit is wunt to make
those thynges also pleasaũte, whyche of them selues be
sharpe, sowre and bytter. I confesse that the
preceptes of grammer be at the beginnynge somewhat
sowre, and more necessary then pleasant. But the
handsomnes of the teacher shal take from them also a
greate parte of the payne. The beste thynge and
playnest muste be taughte fyrste. ¶ But nowe wyth what
compasses, and hardenesse be chyldren troubeled whyle
they learne wythout the booke the names of the letters
before they knowe what manner letters they bee?
¶ Whyle they be compelled in the declinynge of nownes
and verbes to can by roote in howe manye cases, moodes
and tenses one worde is put: as muse in the genetiue
and datiue singuler, the nominatiue and vocatiue
plurel? Legeris of legor, and of legerim, and legero?
What a beatyng is thẽ in the schole, whẽ chyldren be
axed these thynges? ¶ Some light teachers to boast their
lerynge are wonte of purpose to make these thynges
somewhat harder. Whyche faute maketh the beginnynges
almost of all sciences in doute, and paynfull,
specially in logicke. And if you shewe them a better
waye, they answere they were brought vp after thys
fashion, and wyll not suffer that anye chyldren shulde
be in better case, then they them selues were when
they were chyldren. All difficultye eyther therefore
muste be auoided, whyche is not necessarye, or that is
vsed oute of tyme. It is made softe and easy, that is
done whẽ it shuld be. But when tyme is, that of
necessitie an harde doute muste be learned, than a
cunnynge teacher of a childe shall studye as muche as
he may to folowe the good and frendlye Phisicians,
[Sidenote: A good schol master in teachyng, muste
folow a phisicion in medicines. ] whych whan they shalt
gyue a bytter medicyne do anoyut, as Lucrecius faith,
the brimmes of their cuppes with honye, that the
chylde entised by pleasure of the swetenes shuld not
feare the wholesome bytternes, or else put suger into
y^e medicine it selfe, or some other swete sauoryng
thynge. Yea they wyl not be knowen that it is a
medicine, for the only imaginacion sometyme maketh vs
quake for feare. Finally thys tediousenes is sone
ouercome, if things be taught them not to much at
once, but by lytle and litle, and at sundrie times.
Howebeit we ought not to distrust to much chyldrens
strength, if perhaps they muste take some paines.
A chyld is not myghty in strength of bodye, but he is
stronge to continue, and in abilitie strong inough. He
is not myghty as a bull, but he is strong as an emet.
[Sidenote: Note the sentence. ] In some thinges a flye
passeth an elephant. Euerye thyng is mighty in that,
to the whyche nature hathe made hym. Do we not se
tender chyldren rũne merueylouse swyftlye all the daye
long, and feele no werinesse. What is the cause?
Because playe is fitte for that age, and they imagine
it a playe and no labour. And in euerye thynge the
gretest part of payne is imaginacion, whych somtyme
maketh vs feele harme, when there is no harme at all.
Therefore seynge that the prouidence of nature hath
taken awaye imaginacion of laboure from chyldren, And
howe muche they lacke in strengthe, so muche they be
holpen in thys part, that is, that they feele not
labour, It shal be the masters parte, as we sayde
before, to put away the same by as many wayes as he
can, and of purpose to make a playe of it. ¶ There be
also certen kindes of sportes meete for chyldren,
wherwyth theyr earnest studye must somwhat be eased
after they be come to that, they muste lerne those
higher thynges whyche can not be perceiued wythoute
diligence and laboure: as are the handling of Themes,
to turne latine into Greeke, or greeke into latine, or
to learne cosmographie wythout booke. But moste of all
shall profite, if the chylde accustume to loue and
reuerence hys master, to loue and make muche of
learnyng, to feare rebuke, and delyght in prayse.
[Sidenote: The last obieccion touching the profit of
y^e chyld in his young yeres. ] There remayneth one
doute, wonte to be obiected by those whych saye: The
profite that the chylde getteth in those thre or foure
yeres to be so lytle, that it is not worthe the
laboure, eyther to take so muche payne in teachynge,
or bestowe so much coste. And these in dede seme vnto
me, not so muche to care for to profite the chyldren,
as for the sparyng of theyr money, or the teachers
labour. But I wyl saye he is no father, whyche when
the matter is of teaching his child, taketh so greate
care for expenses. Also it is a folyshe pitie, to
thintent the master shuld saue his labour, to make his
sonne lose certen yeres. I graunt it to be true indede
y^t Fabius sayth, y^t more good is done in . i. yere
after, then in these . iii. or . iiii. why shuld we set
light by this litle y^t is won in a thyng far more
precious. Let vs graunt that it is but a very lytle,
yet were it better the chylde to do it, then eyther
nothyng at al, or lerne somewhat that after muste be
vnlerned. Wyth what businesse shall that age be better
occupied as sone as he beginneth to speake, whiche in
no wyse can be vnoccupied? Also how lytle soeuer it be
that the former age doth bringe, yet shal the chylde
lerne greater thynges, euen in the same yeres, when
smaller shuld haue ben lerned, if he had not lerned
them before. Thys sayth Fabius, euery yere furthered
and increased profiteth to a great summe and as much
tyme as is taken before in the infancie, is gotten to
the elder age. It nedeth not to rehearse that in those
first yeres certen thinges be easely lerned, which be
more hard to be lerned whẽ we be elder. For it is very
easely lerned, that is lerned in time conueniente. Let
vs graunt that they be small and litle thynges, so we
confesse them to be necessarye. Yet to me in deede it
semeth not so litle a furtheraunce to lerning to haue
gotten though not a perfit knowledge, yet at the least
waye a taste of bothe the tongues, besydes so many
vocables and names of thinges, and finally to haue
begun to be able to reade and write prõptly. It
greueth vs not in thinges much more vile, to gette all
the vauntage we can, be it neuer so lytle. A diligente
marchaunt setteth not light bi winning of a farthing,
thinkyng thus in hys mynde: it is in dede of it selfe
but a litle, but it groweth to a summe, and a litle
often put to a lytle, wyll quyckelye make a great
heape. The Smithes ryse before daye, to wyn as it were
parte of the day. Husband men vpon the holy daye do
some thynges at home, to make an ende of more worke
the other dayes. And do we regarde as nothyng the
losse of . iiii. yeres in oure chyldren, when there is
nothyng more costly then tyme, nor no possession
better thẽ lerning? It is neuer lerned tymely inoughe
that neuer is ended. For we muste euer learne as longe
as we lyue. ¶ And in other thyngs the lucre that is
loste by slackenes, maye be recouered by diligence.
Time whẽ it is once flowen awaye (and it flyeth
awaye very quickely) may be called againe by no
inchauntmentes. For the poets do trifle whyche tell of
a fountayne, wherby olde men do as it were waxe yong
agayne: and the phisicions deceiue you, whych promise
a gay floryshyng youth to old men thorowe a certeyn
folishe fyft essence I wote not what. Here therfore we
ought to be verye sparyng, because the losse of tyme
may by no meanes be recouered. Beside this the fyrst
part of our lyfe is coũted to be best, and therfore
shuld be bestowed more warelye. Hesiodus aloweth not
sparynge, neyther at the hyest, nor at the lowest,
because when the tunne is full it semeth to hasty, and
to late when it is spente: and therefore byddeth vs
spare in the myddes. But of tyme we muste nowher cast
away the sparing, and if we shuld spare when the tunne
is ful for thys cause that wyne is best in the
myddest, then shulde we most of all saue our yonge
yeres, because it is the best parte of the life, if
you exercise it, but yet y^t goeth swyftest awaye. The
husbande manne if he be anye thynge diligente, wyll
not suffer anye parte of hys lande to lye vacante,
and that that is not meete to brynge forthe corne, he
setteth it eyther wyth yonge graffes, or leaueth it to
pasture, or storeth it wyth potte hearbes. And shall
we suffer the beste parte of our lyfe to passe awaye
wyth oute all fruite of lerning? Newe falowed ground
must be preuented wyth some fruitfull thynge, leste
beynge vntylled, it brynge forthe of it selfe naughty
cockle. For needes muste it brynge forthe somewhat.
Lykewyse the tender mynde of the infante, except it
bee strayghte wayes occupyed wyth fruitefull
teachynges, it wyl be ouercoued wyth vyce. An earthen
potte wyll keepe longe the sauoure of the liquore that
it is fyrste seasoned wyth, and it wyll be long or it
go out. But as for an earthen vessell beynge newe and
emptye, you maye keepe it for what liquore ye wyll.
¶ The mynde eyther bryngeth forth good fruite, if you
caste into it good seede, or if ye regard it not, it
is fylled wyth naughtines, whych afterwardes must be
pulled vp. And not a litle hath he wonne whyche hathe
escaped the losse, neyther hathe he brought small
helpe to vertue, whiche hath excluded vyce. But what
nede many wordes? Wylt thou see howe muche it
auayleth, whether one be brought vp in learnynge or
not? Beholde how excellently lerned in the olde tyme
men were in their youth, and how in oure daies they
that be aged be hable to do nothyng in studie?
[Sidenote: Ouide. ] Ouide beyng a verye yonge man wrot
hys verses of loue. What olde man is hable to do lyke?
[Sidenote: Lucane. ] What maner of man Lucane was in
hys youth hys workes declare. Howe came thys? Because
that beynge but . vi. moneths old he was brought to
Rome, & strayght waie deliuered to be taught of two
the best gramarians, Palemõ, and Cornutus. [Sidenote:
Bassus. ] Hys companions in studye were Salcius Bassus,
and Aulus Persius: [Sidenote: Persius. ] that one
excellente in historye, that other in a Satyre.
Doubtles hereof cam that most perfite knoweledge that
he had in all the seuen sciences, & his so marueylous
eloquence, that in verse he was both an excellente
oratoure, & also a Poet. In thys our time ther wãteth
not exemples of good bringing vp (although thei be
veri few) & y^t as wel in womẽ as mẽ. Politiã praised
y^e wit of y^e maidẽ Cassãdra. ¶ And what is more
marueylous thã Vrsinus a childe of . xii. yeres olde?
for the remẽbraunce of him, he also in a very eligãte
epistle put in eternall memorye. How fewe men shal you
nowe fynd, whiche at one time be able to endite two
epistles to so manye notaries, that the sẽtence in
euerye one do agree, and that there shoulde happen no
inconueniente speache. That chylde did it in fyue
epistles & gaue the argumentes w^tout any study, & was
not prepared afore hãd to do it. Some men when they se
these things, thinking that thei passe al mens
strength, ascribe it to witchcraft. It is done in dede
by witchcrafte, but it is an effectual enchaũting,
to be set in time to a learned, good, and vigilant
master. It is a stronge medicine to learne the best
things of learned men, and emonge the learned.
[Sidenote: Alexander. ] By such wytchcrafte Alexander
the greate, whan he was a yonge man, besides
eloquence, was perfit in al the parts of Philosophie,
and except the loue of warres, & swetenes to raygne
had quite raught away his inclinaciõ, he might haue
bene counted the chiefe among the beste Philosophers.
By the same meanes Caius Cesar beinge but a yonge man,
was so eloquent & wel sene in the mathematical
sciences. So well sene also were many Emperors: Marcus
Tullius, also Virgil, and Horace in their lusty youth
were so excellent in learninge and Eloquence, all
bycause they were strayght waye in their tender age
learned of their parentes & nourses the elegancy of
the tonges, and of the beste maisters the liberal
sciences: as Poetry, Rhetorique, Histories, the
knowledge of antiquities, Arithmetique, Geographye,
Philosophye, moral and political. And what do we I
praye you? wee kepe our children at home till they be
past fourtene or fiftene yere old, and whan they be
corrupted wyth idlenes, ryot, & delicatenes, with
muche worke at the laste we sende them to the cõmen
scholes. There to further y^e matter wel, they taste a
little grammer: after, whan they can declyne words, &
ioyne the adiectiue and the substãtiue togither, they
haue learned al the grammer, and thã be set to that
troubled Logike, wher they must forget againe if they
haue learned to speake anie thynge well. But more
vnhappye was the tyme whan I was a child whiche al to
vexed the youth with modes of signifiinge, and other
folyshe questions, & teching nothinge els then to
speake folishelye. Verely those masters bicause they
wold not be thought to teach folish thinges, darckened
grammer wyth difficulties of Logike and Metaphisike:
euen for this verelye, that afterwardes they shold
returne backwardelye to learne grammer, whã they were
olde, which we see happeneth nowe to some diuines that
be wyser, that after so manye hye degrees and all
their titles, wherby they maye be ignoraunte in
nothing, they be faine to come againe to those bookes,
which are wonte to be reade vnto children. I blame thẽ
not, for it is better to lerne late then neuer, that
thing which is necessary to be knowen.
Good Lorde what a world was that, whan wyth greate
boastynge Iohn Garlandes verses wer read to yonge men,
and that with longe and painefull commentaries? whã a
greate parte of tyme was consumed in folyshe verses,
in saying thẽ to other, repetynge them, and hearynge
theim agayne? whan Florista and Florius were learned
without booke? for as for Alexander, I thynke him
worthye to be receiued amonge the meaner sorte.
Moreouer howe muche tyme was loste in Sophistrye, and
in the superfluous mases of Logyke? And bicause I will
not be to longe, howe troublesomelye were all sciences
taughte? howe paynefully? whiles euerye reader to
auaunce him selfe, wolde euen straighte waye in the
begynninge stuffe in the hardest thynges of all, and
sometyme verye folyshe thyngs to. For a thyng is not
therfore goodly bycause it is harde, as to stand a far
of, and to caste a mustarde seede thorowe a nedles eye
& misse not, it is hard in dede, but yet it is a verye
trifle: and to vndo a payre of tariers, it is much
worke, but yet a vayne and idle subilltye.
Adde here vnto, that oftentymes these thynges be
taught of vnlearned men, and that is worse, of lewd
learned men, somtyme also of sluggardes and
vnthriftes, which more regarde takynge of money thã
the profite of their scholers. Whã the commune
bryngynge vp is suche, yet do wee maruayle that fewe
be perfitly learned before they be old. [Sidenote:
Nota.
newe come frome hys mother into that compani. He told
vs before that the chyld had a very good woman to hys
mother, and was earnestly committed of her vnto hym:
anon to haue an occacion to beate hym, he beganne to
laye to hys charge I wotte not what wãtonnesse: When
the chylde shewed hym selfe to haue nothyng lesse,
and beckened to hym to whome he committed the chyefe
rule of hys colledge, surnamed of the thynge,
a tormentoure, to beate, hym ne by and by caste doune
the chylde, and beate hym as thoughe he had done
sacrilege. The diuine sayde once or twyse, it is
inoughe, it is inoughe. But that tormentour deaffe
with feruentnes, made no ende of his bochery, tyl the
chylde was almost in a sounde: Anon the diuine
turninge to vs, he hathe deserued nothynge quod he,
but that he muste be made lowe. Who euer after that
maner hath taught hys slaue, or hys Asse? A gẽtle
horse is better tamed with puping of the mouth or
softe handlyng, then wyth whyp or spurres. And if you
handle hym hard, he wil whynche, he wyll kycke, he
wyll byte, and go backwardes. An oxe if you pricke hym
to harde wyth godes, wyl caste of his yocke, and run
vpon hym that pricked hym. So muste a gentle nature be
handled as is the whelpe of a Lion. Onlye arte tameth
Elephantes, not violence, neyther is there any beaste
so wylde, but that it wyl be tamed by gentlenes,
neyther any so tame, but immoderate cruelnes wil anger
it. It is a seruyle thynge to be chastened by feare,
and common custume calleth chyldren free men, because
liberall and gentle bringyng vp becommeth them, much
vnlike to seruile. Yet they that be wyse do thys
rather, that seruantes by gentelnes and benefites
leaue of their slauyshe condicions: remẽbryng that
they also be men, and not beastes. There be rehearsed
meruelous examples of seruauntes toward their masters,
whome verely they shulde not haue founde such if they
hadde kept them vnder only by strypes. ¶ A seruaunt if
he be corrigible is better amended by monicions, by
honestie, & good turnes, then by stripes: if he be
paste amendmente, he is hardened to extreme mischief
and eyther wyll runne awaye and rob hys master, or by
some craft go aboute his masters deathe. Sometime he
is reuenged on his masters crueltie, thoughe it coste
hym his lyfe. And there is no creature more fereful
thẽ man, whõ cruell iniurie hathe taught to dispyse
his owne lyfe. Therfore the commõ prouerb that sayth a
man hath as manye enemies as he hath seruauntes, If it
be true, I thynke it may be chiefly imputed to the
vnreasonablenes of the master: for it is a poynte of
arte, and not of chaunce to rule wel seruauntes. And
if the wyser masters go aboute thys thynge, so to vse
their seruauntes, that thei shuld serue them well and
gently, and in stede of seruantes had rather haue them
fre men, how shameful is it bi bryngyng vp, to make
seruantes of those that be gentle and free by nature?
Nor wythout cause dothe the olde manne in the comedie
thynke that there is greate difference betwixte a
master and a father. The master only compelleth,
the father by honestie and gentelnes accustumeth hys
sonne, to do well of hys owne mynde, rather then by
feare of an other: and that he shulde bee all one in
hys presence and behind hys backe. He that can not do
this sayth he, lette hym confesse that he can not rule
chyldren. But there oughte to be a litle more
difference betwyxte a father and the master, then
betwixt a kinge and a tirant. Wee putte awaye a
tiraunte from the common wealthe, and we chose
tirauntes, yea for oure sonnes, eyther we oure selfes
exercyse tirannye vpon them. Howebeit thys vyle name
of seruitude oughte vtterlye to be taken awaye oute of
the lyfe of chrysten menne. Sainte Paule desyreth
Philo to bee good to Onesimus, not nowe as a
seruaunte, but as a deere brother in steede of a
seruaunte. And wrytyng to the Ephesians, he monysheth
the masters to remitte theyr bytternesse agaynst theyr
seruauntes, and their threatnynges, remembrynge that
they are rather felow seruauntes then masters, because
they both haue a common master in heauen, whyche as
well wyll punyshe the masters if they do amysse, as
the seruauntes. The Apostle wolde not haue the masters
ful of threatning, muche lesse full of beatynge: for
he saythe not, pardonynge your strypes, but pardonynge
your threatenynges, and yet wee woulde haue oure
chyldren nothynge but beaten, whyche scarse the Galeye
masters or Sea robbers do agaynste theyr slaues and
rowers. But of chyldren, what dothe the same Apostle
commaunde vs?
¶ In somuch he wyll not haue them beaten slauyshely,
he cõmaundeth all crueltye and bytternes to be awaye
from our monicions and chydyng. You fathers saythe he,
prouoke not your chyldren to anger, but bring them vp
in discipline and chastisyng of the Lorde. And what
the discipline of the lorde is, he shal soone se that
wyll consider, wyth what gentlenes, what meekenes,
what charitie the Lord Iesus hath taught, suffered and
noryshed and brought vp by litle and lytle his
disciples. The lawes of man do temper the fathers
power: the same also permit vnto the seruauntes an
accion of euyll handlyng, and from whence then commeth
thys crueltye amonge christen men? In time paste one
Auxon a knight of Rome, whylest he wente about to
amende hys sonne by beatynge hyn vnmesurably, he
kylled him. That crueltye so moued the people, that
the fathers and chyldren haled hym in to the market
place, & al to be pricked hym, thrust him in with
theyr wrytyng pinnes, nothynge regarding the dignitie
of his knighthod, and Octauus Augustus had much a do
to saue hym. But now a daies howe many Auxons do we
see whiche thorowe cruell beatynge, hurte the
chyldrens healthe, make them one eyed, weaken them,
and sometyme kyll them. Roddes serue not to some mens
crueltie, they turne them and beate thẽ wyth the great
ende, they geue them buffettes, and stryke the yonge
ons wyth their fistes, or whatsoeuer is next at hand
they snatche it, and dashe it vpon them. It is told in
the lawe, that a certen sowter, when he layd one of
hys sowters vpon the hynder parte of the heade wyth a
laste, he stroke oute one of hys eyes, and that for
that deede he was punyshed by the lawe. What shall we
saye of them whyche beside their beatinges, do thẽ
shamefull despite also? I wolde neuer haue beleued it,
excepte both I had knowen the chylde, and the doer of
this crueltie perfitelye.
¶ A chylde yet scante . vii. yere olde, whose honeste
parentes had done good to his master, they handled so
cruellye, that scarse anye suche tiraunt as was
Mezencius or Phalaris coulde do more cruelly. They
caste so much mans donge into the childes mouth y^t
scarsely he coulde spit, but was cõpelled to swallowe
doune a great parte of it. What tiraunt dyd euer suche
kynde of despyght? After suche daynties, they
exercysed suche lozdelynes. The chylde naked was
hanged vp wyth cordes by y^e armeholes, as though he
hadde bene a stronge thyefe, and there is amonge to
Germanes no kynde of punishement more abhorred then
thys. Anone as he honge, they all to beat hym wyth
roddes, almoste euen tyll deathe. For the more the
chylde denyed the thynge that he dyd not, so muche the
more dyd they beate hym. Put also to thys, the
tormentour hym selfe almoste more to be feared then
the verie punyshemente, hys eyes lyke a serpente,
hys narowe and wrythen mouth, hys sharpe voyce like a
spirite, hys face wanne and pale, hys head roulyng
about, threatninges and rebukes suche as they lusted
in theyr anger: a manne wolde haue thought it a furie
out of hel. What folowed? anone after this punishement
the chyld fel sicke, with great ieopardye both of
mynde and lyfe. Then this tormentour began fyrst to
complayne, he wrote to hys father to take awaye hys
sonne as sone as could be, and that he had bestowed as
much phisicke vpon him as he coulde, but in vayne vpon
the chylde that was paste remedye. ¶ When the sicknes of
the body was somewhat put away by medicines, yet was
the minde so astonied, that we feared leste he wold
neuer come agayne to the olde strength of hys mynd.
Neither was thys y^e cruelty of one daye, as longe as
the childe dwelte wyth hym there passed no daye but he
was cruelly beatẽ once or twise. I know y^u suspectest
o reader, that it was an haynouse faute, wherunto so
cruell remedie was vsed. I wyl shew you in few words.
Ther was foũd both of hys y^t was beaten, and of two
others, theire bookes blotted wyth ynke, their
garmentes cutte, and their hose arayed wyth mannes
donge.
¶ He that played thys playe was a chylde borne to all
myschiefe, whiche by other vngracious deedes
afterwardes, made men beleue the other to be true that
were done before. And he was nephewe by the systers
syde to this mad docter: euẽ then playing a part
before to these thyngs whych souldiers are wont to do
in bataile or robbynge. At an hostes house of his, he
pulled oute the faucet, and let the wyne runne vpõ the
ground, and as one to shew a pleasure, he sayde that
he felt the sauour of the wyne: wyth an other of hys
felowes he daylye played at the sworde, not in sporte,
but in earnest, that euen then you myght wel perceyue
he wolde be a thyefe or a murtherer, or whych is very
lyke to them, that he wolde be an hyred souldier.
Although the teacher fauored hym, yet fearynge leste
they shulde one kyll an other, he sente awaye his
cosen. For he had for that other a good rewarde: and
he was of this sorte of gospellers, to whom nothing is
more swete then monei. His godfather was made surely
to beleue that the child was w^t a good and diligent
master, when in deede he dwelte wyth a boucher, & was
continually in company, and made drudge with a man
that was halfe mad, and continually sicke. Thus
fauoringe more his kynseman then hym by whom he had so
much profite, the suspicion was layde vpon the
harmeles, to whom they ascribed so muche malice that
he wolde teare and defile his owne garmentes to auoide
suspicion if any suche thyng had bene done. But the
child commyng both of good father and mother, dyd
neuer shewe any tokẽ of such a naughtie disposicion:
and at thys daye there is nothing farther from all
malice then are hys maners, whyche nowe free frome all
feare telleth all the matter in order as it was donne.
¶ To suche tutors do honest citizens committe their
chyldren whome they moste loue, and suche do complayne
that they be not wel rewarded for their paynes. And
this tormentour wolde not once knoweledge he had done
amisse, but had rather playe the starke mad man, then
confesse his faute: and yet agaynst such is not taken
an accion of euyll handlyng, neither hath the rigoure
of the lawe anye power agaynste suche huge crueltie.
There is no anger worse to be pleased thẽ theirs that
be lyke to haue the fallynge sycknes. Howe many things
be crepte in, into the lyfe of christen men, not meete
neither for the Phrigians nor y^e Scithians, of y^e
which I wyl shew one much like this matter. The yong
gentlemã is send in to y^e vniuersitie to lerne the
liberall sciences. But w^t how vngentle despightes is
he begun in them? Fyrst they rub his chyn, as though
they wolde shaue his bearde: hereunto thei vse pisse,
or if ther be any fouler thyng. This liquour is dashed
into his mouth, & he may not spit it out. Wyth
paynfull bobbes they make as though thei drewe hornes
from him: sõtime he is cõpelled to drinke a great
deale of vinegre or salte, or whatsoeuer it listeth
y^e wyld cõpany of yong mẽ to geue him: for whẽ they
begin the play, thei make him swere y^t he shal obey
al that they cõmaund him. At last they hoyse him vp,
& dashe his backe against a post as oftẽ as they list.
After these so rustical despightes sũtime foloweth an
ague or a paine of y^e backe y^t neuer cã be remedied.
Certes this foolishe play endeth in a drõken bãket:
w^t such beginninges enter they into y^e studies of
liberal sciences. But it were mete that after this
sorte ther shuld begin a boucher, a tormẽtour a baud
or a bõde slaue or a botemã, not a child appointed to
y^e holy studies of lerning. It is a meruel that yong
mẽ geuen to liberal studies be mad after this fashiõ,
but it is more meruel y^t these things be alowed of
suche as haue the rule of youth. To so foule & cruel
folyshenes is pretẽsed the name of custume, as though
the custume of an euil thing wer any thing else thẽ an
old errour, whiche ought so much the more diligẽtly to
be pulled vp bicause it is crept among many. So
cõtinueth amõg the diuines y^e maner of a vesper, for
they note an euyl thynge w^t a like name, more mete
for scoffers thẽ diuines. But thei y^t professe
liberal sciẽces, shuld haue also liberal sports. But I
come againe to chyldren, to whome nothyng is more
vnprofitable, then to be vsed to stripes, whiche
enormittie causeth that the gẽtle nature is
intractable, and the viler driuen to desperacion:
and cõtinuaunce of thẽ maketh that both the bodye is
hardened to stripes, & the mynd to wordes. Nay we may
not oftentymes chyde thẽ to sharplye. A medicine
naughtelye vsed, maketh the sickenes worse, helpeth it
not, and if it be layde to continuallye, by litle and
litle, it ceaseth to be a medicine, and dothe nothinge
else then dothe stinkynge and vnwholesome meate. But
here some man wyl laye vnto vs the godlye sayings of
the Hebrues. He that spareth the rod hateth hys chylde
and he that loueth hys sonne, beateth hym muche.
Agayne: Bowe downe the necke of thy chylde in youth,
and beate hys sydes whyle he is an infante very yonge.
Suche chastisemente peraduenture was meete in tyme
paste for the Iewes. Nowe must the sayinge be
expounded more ciuilely. And if a man wil be hard to
vs wyth letters and sillables, what is more cruell
then to bend the necke of a chyld, & to beat the sides
of an infant? woldest thou not beleue that a bull were
taught to y^e plowgh, or an asse to bear paniars, and
not a mã to vertue? And what rewarde doth he promise
vs? That he grope not after other mẽnes dores. He is
afeard lest his son shulde be poore, as the greateste
of all mischiefe. What is more coldly spoken then thys
sentence? Let gentle admonicion be oure rodde, and
sometyme chydyng also, but sauced wyth mekenes, not
bitternes. Let vs vse thys whyp continuallye in our
chyldren, y^t beyng wel brought vp, they maye haue at
home a meanes to lyue well, and not be cõpelled to beg
counsell at their neighbours how to do their busines.
Licon the philosopher hath shewed . ii. sharpe spurres
to quicken vp chyldrens wyttes, shame, and prayse:
shame is the feare of a iust reproch, prayse is the
norysher of all verteous actes: wyth these prickes
lette vs quicken our chyldrens wyttes. Also if you
wyl, I wyl shewe you a club to beate their sides
wythall. Continuall labour vanquysheth all thynges
sayth the best of al poetes. Let vs wake, let vs
prycke thẽ forwardes, & styl call vpon them, by
requiringe, repetynge, and often teachyng: Wyth this
club let vs beate the sydes of our infantes. Fyrst let
them lerne to loue, and maruell at vertue and lernyng,
to abhor sinne and ignorance. Let them hear some
praysed for theyr well doinges, and some rebuked for
their euyl. Let examples be brought in of those men to
whom lernyng hath gottẽ hygh glorye, ryches, dignitie,
and authoritie. And againe of them to whom their euyll
condicions & wyt wythout all lernyng hath brought
infamie, contempt, pouertye and myschiefe. These
verely be the clubbes meete for christians, that make
disciples of Iesu. [Sidenote: Emulacion is an enuye
wythout malice, for desire to be as good as an other,
& to be as much praysed. ] And if we cã not profite by
monicions, nor prayers, neyther by emulacion, nor
shame, nor prayse, nor by other meanes, euen the
chastenyng w^t the rod, if it so require, ought to be
gentle & honeste. For euen thys that the bodies of
gẽtle children shulde be made bare, is a kind of
despice. Howbeit Fabius vtterly cõdemneth al y^e
custume to beate gentle chyldrẽ. Some mã wil saye,
what shall be done to them if they can not be driuen
to study but by stripes? I answer roũdly, what wold ye
do to asses or to oxen if thei went to schole? Woldest
thou not driue them in to the contrey, & put the one
to the backhouse, the other to the plowe. For there be
men as well borne to the plowe and to the backehouse,
as oxen and asses be. But they wyll saye: then
decreseth my flocke. What then? Yea and myne
aduauntage to. Thys is an harde matter: thys maketh
them to weepe. They set more money then by the profite
of the chyldren. But suche are all the cõmon sorte of
folyshe teachers. I graunte. As the philosophers
describe a wyse mã, y^e rethoricians an oratour, such
one as scarse maye be foũd in anye place: So muche
more easye it is to prescribe what manner of man a
scholmaster shuld be, thẽ to find many y^t wil be as
you wold haue thẽ. [Sidenote: Ciuile officers and
prelates shuld se that ther wer good schole masters. ]
¶ But this oughte to be a publyque care and charge, and
belongeth to the ciuyle officer, and chyef prelats of
the churches that as ther be men appointed to serue in
war, to singe in churches, so muche more there shulde
be ordeined that shuld teach citizens chyldren well
and gently. [Sidenote: Vespasian. ] Vespasianus oute of
hys owne cofers gaue yerely sixe hũdred poũde to
Latine and Greke rethoricians. [Sidenote: Plinie. ]
Plinie the nephew of his owne liberalitie bestowed a
great sũme of money to the same purpose. And if the
comẽty in thys poynt be slacke, certenly euerye man
ought to take hede at home for his owne house. ¶ Thou
wylt saye: what shall poore men do which can scarse
fynd their chyldren, muche lesse hyre a master to
teache them? Here I haue nothynge to saye, but thys
out of the comedie: We muste do as we maye do, when we
can not as we wolde. We do shewe the beste waye of
teachynge, we be not able to geue fortune: Saue that
here also the liberalitie of ryche men ought to helpe
good wyttes, whych can not shewe forthe the strength
of naturall inclinacion because of pouertye.
[Sidenote: Pouertie hurteth good wittes. ] I wyll that
the gentlenes of the master shulde be so tempered,
that familiaritie, the companion of contempte, put not
away honeste reuerence, suche one as men say Sarpedo
was, tutour to Cato of Vtica, which thorowe hys gentle
maners gat greate loue, and by hys vertue as lyke
authoritie, causynge the chylde to haue a greate
reuerence, and to set much by him wythout anye feare
of roddes. But these y^t can do nothynge elles but
beate, what wolde they do if they had taken vpon them
to teache Emperoures or kynges chyldren, whome it were
not lefull to beate? They wyll saye that greate mens
sonnes muste be excepted from thys fashion. What is
that? Be not the chyldren of citizens, men as well as
kynges chyldren be? Shulde not euerye manne as wel
loue hys chylde as if he wer a kynges sonne? If his
estate be sũwhat base, so much the more neede hath he
to be taught, and holpen by lernynge, that he maye
come vp, from his pore case. But if he be of hye
degre, philosophy & lernyng is necessary to gouerne
hys matters well. Further not a fewe be called frome
lowe degre to hye estate, yea sometyme to be great
byshops. All men come not to thys, yet oughte al men
to be brought vp to come to it. I wil braule no more
with these greate beaters, after I haue tolde you this
one thing: How that those lawes & officers be
condemned of wyse men, whych can no more but feare men
wyth punyshement, & do not also entyse men by
rewardes: and the whych punyshe fautes, and prouide
not also y^t nothyng be done worthy punishmẽt. The
same must be thought of the cõmon sort of teachers,
whych only beate for fautes, and do not also teache
y^e mynd that it do not amysse. They straitlie require
their lesson of them: if the chylde fayle, he is
beaten: and whẽ this is done daily because the child
shuld be more accustumed to it, thei thinke they haue
plaied the part of a gaye scholemaster. But the chyld
shulde fyrste haue ben encoraged to loue lernyng, and
to be afeared to displease hys teacher. But of these
thynges peraduenture some man wyl thynke I haue spoke
to much & so myght I worthely be thought, except that
almoste all men dyd in this poynte so greatly offende,
that hereof a mã cã neuer speke inough. Furthermore it
wyll helpe verye muche, if he that hathe taken vpon
hym to teache a chylde, so sette hys mynd vpon hym,
that he bear a fatherly loue vnto hym. By thys it
shall come to passe, y^t both the child wil lerne more
gladly, & he shal fele lesse tediousnes of his
laboure. [Sidenote: A sentence to be marked. ] For in
euery busines loue taketh away y^e greatest part of
hardnes. And because after the olde prouerbe: Lyke
reioyseth in lyke, y^e master muste in maner play the
childe againe, that he may be loued of the chylde. Yet
this lyketh me not, y^t men set theyr children to be
taught their fyrst beginnings of letters vnto those
that be of extreme and dotyng olde age, for they be
chyldren in verye deede, they fayne not, they
coũterfait not, stuttinge, but stutte in deede.
¶ I wolde wyshe to haue one of a lustye yonge age,
whome the chylde myght delyght in, and which wold not
be lothe to playe euerye parte. [Sidenote: A lykenynge
of scholemasters and nurses together. ] Thys man shulde
do in fashionyng hys wytte, that parentes and nurses
be wont to do in formynge the bodye. Howe do they
fyrst teache the infante to speake lyke a man? They
applye their wordes by lyspyng accordyng to the
chyldes tatlynge. How do they teach them to eat? They
chaw fyrst their milke soppes, and when they haue
done, by lytle & litle put it in to the chyldes
mouthe. Howe do they teache thẽ to go? They bowe downe
their owne bodies, and drawe in theyre owne strides
after the measure of the infantes. Neyther do they
fede them wyth euerye meate, nor putte more in then
they bee able to take: and as they increase in age,
they leade them to bigger thinges. First they seeke
for noryshemente that is meete for them, not differyng
much frõ mylke, whych yet if it be thrust into the
mouthe to muche, either it choketh the chylde, or
beynge caste oute defileth hys garmente. When it is
softelye and pretelye put in, it doth good. Whych
selfe thynge we se cõmeth to passe in vesselles that
haue narowe mouthes: if you pour in muche, it bubbleth
out agayne, but if you powre in a litle, and as it
were by droppes, in deede it is a whyle, and fayre and
softely erste, but yet then fylled. [Sidenote: The
fedyng of the bodye and mynd cõpared together. ] So
then as by small morsels, and geuen now and then,
the lytle tender bodies are noryshed: in lyke manner
chyldrens wyttes by instruccions meete for them taught
easely, and as it were by playe by lytle & litle
accustume thẽ selues to greater thyngs: & the
wearynesse in the meane season, is not felte, because
that small encreasynges so deceyue the felynge of
labour, that neuerthelesse they helpe much to great
profite. As it is told of a certen wrestler, whych,
accustumed to beare a calfe by certein furlonges, bare
hym whẽ he was waxen a bull, wythoute anye payne: for
the encrease was not felt, whych euerye daye was put
to the burden. But there be some that looke that
chyldren shulde strayghtwaye become olde men, hauyng
no regarde of their age, but measure the tender
wittes, by theyr owne strengthe. ¶ Straightway they call
vpon them bytterly, straightway they straitly require
perfect diligence, by and by they frowne wyth the
forhead if the childe do not as wel as he wold haue
hym, and they bee so moued as thoughe they had to do
wyth an elder body, forgettyng you maye be sure y^t
they thẽ selues wer once children. How much more
curteouse is it that Pliny warneth a certen master
that was to sore. Remember saythe he, that bothe he is
a yonge man, and that thou hast ben one thi selfe.
But many be so cruel against the tender chyldren, as
though thei remẽbred not neyther them selues, neyther
their scolers to be menne. [Sidenote: What things
lytle yonge chyldrẽ shold be fyrste taughte. ] Thou
woldest that I shulde shewe the those thynges that be
meete for the inclinaciõ of that age, and whiche shuld
by and by be taughte the lytle yongons. Fyrst the vse
of tonges whych commeth to them without any greate
studye, ther as olde folkes can scarse be hable to
learne them wyth great labour. [Sidenote: Chyldren
desyre naturally to folow & do as other do. ] And here
to as we sayde, moueth the chyldrẽ a certen desyre to
folowe and do as they se other do: of the which thing
we see a certen lyke fashion in pies and popiniayes.
What is more delectable then the fabels of poetes,
which wyth their swete entisynge plesures to delight
childrens eares that thei profite vs very much whẽ we
be olde also, not only to y^e knowledge of the tong,
but also to iudgement and copye of elegant speche?
What wyll a chyld hear more gladlye then Esops fabels,
whyche in sporte and playe teache earnest preceptes of
philosophy? and the same fruite is also in the fabels
of other poetes. The chylde heareth that Vlisses
felowes were turned into swyne, and other fashions of
beastes. The tale is laughed at, and yet for al that
he lerneth that thing that is the chiefest poynte in
al morall philosophye: Those whyche be not gouerned by
ryght reason, but are caried after the wyll of
affeccions, not to be men, but beastes. ¶ What coulde
a stoycke saye more sagely? and yet dothe a merye tale
teache the same. In a thynge that is manifest I wyll
not make the tarye with many exãples. [Sidenote:
Bucolicall, where y^e herdmen do speke of nete and
shepe. ] Also what is more mery conceited thẽ the
verses called Bucolicall? what is sweter then a
comedie, whych standing by morall maners, deliteth
bothe the vnlearned and chyldren? And heare how great
a parte of philosophye is lerned by playe? Adde vnto
thys the names of all thynges, in the whych it is
meruell to see howe now a dayes, yea euẽ they be blind
which are taken for wel lerned mẽ. Finally, shorte and
mery conceited sentences, as commonly be prouerbes,
and quicke shorte sayinges of noble men, in the whiche
onlye in tyme paste philosophie was wonte to be taught
to the people. Ther appeareth also in the very
chyldren a certen peculier redines to some sciences,
as vnto musicke, arithmetique, or cosmographie. For I
haue proued that they whych were very dull to lerne
the preceptes of grammer and rethorique, were found
verye apte to lerne the subtile artes. Nature therfore
must be holpen to that parte wherunto of it selfe it
is inclined.
And down the hyll is very litle labour,
as contrary is great. Thou shalt nether do nor saye
anye thynge agaynst thy naturall inclinacion. I knewe
a child that could not yet speake whych had no greater
pleasure, than to open a booke, and make as thoughe he
read. And when he dyd that sometyme many houres, yet
was he not weery. And he neuer wept so bitterli, but
if you had offered hym a booke, he wolde be pleased.
That thynge made hys friendes hope that in time to
come he wolde be a well lerned manne. His name also
brought some good lucke: for he was called Hierome.
[Sidenote: That is a teacher of holye lernynge. ] And
what he is now I can not tel, for I sawe hym not
beynge growẽ vp. To the knowledge of the tonge it wyll
helpe verye muche if he be broughte vp amonge them
that be talkatiue. Fabels and tales wyll the chylde
lerne so muche the more gladly, and remember the
better, if he maye see before his eyes the argumentes
properly paynted, and what soeuer is tolde in the
oracion be shewed him in a table. The same shall helpe
as much to lerne without boke the names of trees,
herbs, and beastes, and also their properties,
inespecially of these whych be not common to be seene
in euerye place, as is Rhinoceros, whyche is a beaste
that hathe a horne in hys nose, naturall enemye to the
Elephant: Tragelaphus, a goate hart, Duocrotalus,
a byrd lyke to a swã, whyche puttyng hys head into the
water brayeth lyke an asse, an asse of Inde and an
Elephant. The table maye haue an Elephant whom a
Dragon claspeth harde aboute, wrapping in his former
feete with his tayle. The litle chyld laugheth at the
syght of thys straunge paintynge, what shall the
master do then? He shall shewe him that ther is a
greate beaste called in Greeke an Elephante, and in
Latine lykewyse, saue that sometyme it is declined
after the latine fashion. He shall shewe, that that
whyche the grekes cal proboscida, or his snout, the
latines call his hande, because wyth that he reacheth
hys meate. He shall tell hym that that beaste doth not
take breath at the mouthe as we do, but at the snoute:
& that he hath teth standyng out on bothe sides, and
they be iuory, which rich mẽ set much price by, and
therwith shal shew hym an iuory combe. Afterwardes he
shall declare that in Inde ther be dragons as greate
as they. And that dragon is bothe a greke worde and a
latine also, saue that the grekes says dracontes in
the genitiue case. He shall shewe that naturallie
betwyxte the dragons and the Elephantes is great
fyghte. And if the chylde be somewhat gredy of
learnynge, he maye rehearse manye other thynges of the
nature of Elephantes and dragons. Manye reioyse to see
huntinges paynted. Here howe manye kyndes of trees,
hearbes, byrdes, foure footed beastes maye he lerne
and playe? I wyll not holde you longe wyth examples,
seynge it is easye by one to coniecture all. ¶ The
master shall be diligent in chosynge them oute, and
what he shall iudge moste pleasaunt to chyldren, most
mete for them, what they loue best, and is most
floryshyng, that inespecially let hym set before them.
The fyrste age lyke vnto the spring tyme, standeth in
pleasaunt sweete flowres, and goodly grene herbes,
vntyl the heruest time of ripe mans age fyll the barne
full of corne. ¶ Then as it were agaynst reason in ver
or springe tyme to seeke for a rype grape, and a rose
in autumne, [Sidenote: Autumne is the tyme betwyxt
somer and wynter. ] so muste the master marke what is
mete for euerye age. Mery and plesaunte thynges be
conueniente for chyldehod, howbeit all sourenesse and
sadnes muste be cleane awaye from all studies.
[Sidenote: The meaning of y^e poetes deuise touching
the muses & Charites. ] And I am deceyued except the
olde men ment that also, whyche ascribed to the muses
beynge virgins, excellent bewtye, harpe, songes,
daunses, and playes in the pleasaunt fieldes, and
ioyned to them as felowes the Ladies of loue: and that
increase of studies dyd stande specially in mutual
loue of myndes, and therefore the olde men called it
the lernyng that perteined to man. And ther is no
cause why profite maye not folowe pleasure, and
honestie ioyned to delectacion. [Sidenote: Wherfore
lernyng is called humanitie] For what letteth that
they shulde not lerne eyther a proper fable, arte of
poets, or a sentence, or a notable prety hystorie, or
a learned tale, as well as they lerne and can wythout
boke a piuyshe songe, and oftẽtimes a baudy one to,
& folishe old wiues tatlynges, & very trifles of
triflyng womẽ? What a sũme of dreames, vaine ryddels,
and vnprofitable trifles of spirites, hobgoblines,
fayries, witches, nightmares wood men and gyauntes,
how manye naughty lies, how many euyll sayings
remember wee, yea euen when we be men, whych beyng
lytle chyldrẽ we lerned of our dadies, graũdmothers,
nurses, & maydens whyle they were spynnynge, and heard
thẽ when they kissed & plaied wyth vs? And what a
profite shuld it haue bene to lernynge, if in stede of
these moste vaine garringes, not only folyshe, but
also hurtfull, wee had lerned those thynges that we
rehearsed a litle before. Thou wylt saye, what lerned
man wyll lowly hys wyt to these so small thynges? Yet
Aristotle hym selfe beynge so greate a philosopher was
not greued to take vpon hym the office of a teacher,
to instruct Alexander. ¶ Chiron fashioned the infancy of
Achilles, and Phenix succeded hym. Hely the priest
brought vp y^e childe Samuell. And ther be now a daies
whych eyther for a lytle money, or for theyr plesure
take almost more payne in teachyng a pye or a
popiniay. There be some that for deuocions sake take
vpon them iourneys that both be farre of and
ieoperdeous, and other laboures besyde almost
intollerable. Why dothe not holynes cause vs to do
thys office seynge nothyng can please god better?
Howbeit in teachinge those thynges that we haue
rehearsed, the master must neyther be to much callyng
vpon, neither to sharpe: but vse a continuaunce rather
then be wythout measure. Continuaunce hurteth not so
it be mesurable, & spiced also wyth varietie and
plesaũtnes. Finally if these thynges be so taught,
that imaginaciõ of labour be awaye, and that the
chylde do thynk al thinges be done in playe. Here the
course of our talkyng putteth vs in remẽbraunce
briefely to shewe by what meanes it maye be brought to
passe that lernyng shuld waxe swete vnto the chylde,
[Sidenote: How learnyng may be made swete vnto y^e
chyld. ] which before we somwhat touched. To be able to
speake redely, as I told you is easely gotten by vse.
After thys cõmeth the care to reade and write whych
of it selfe is somwhat tedious, but the griefe is
taken awaye a great parte by the cũnyng handling of
the master, if it be sauced w^t some pleasaunt
allurementes. For you shall fynde some whych tarye
long and take great paine in knowyng & ioynynge their
letters & in those fyrst rudimẽtes of grammer, whẽ
they wyl quyckely lerne greater thyngs. The yrksõnes
of these thinges must be holpẽ by some pretie craft,
of the which y^e old fathers haue shewed certẽ
fashions. Some haue made the letters in sweete crustes
and cakes that chyldren loue well, that so in manner
they myghte eate vp their letters. ¶ When they tell
the letters name, they geue the letter it selfe for a
rewarde. Other haue made the fashion of iuorie, that
the chylde shulde playe wyth them, or if there were
any other thyng wherin that age is specially delited.
[Sidenote: The practise of a certen englishe man to
teache hys chyld hys letters by shootyng. ] The
englyshe mẽ delyte principally in shotynge, and teache
it their chyldren fyrst of all: wherefore a certen
father that had a good quicke wyt perceiuinge his
sonne to haue a greate pleasure in shotyng, bought hym
a prety bowe & very fayr arrowes, & in al partes both
of hys bowe & arrowes were letters painted. Afterwards
insted of markes, he set vp the fashiõ of leters,
fyrste of Greke, and after of latẽ: when he hyt,
& tolde the name of the letter, besyde a greate
reioysinge, he had for a reward a cherye, or some
other thynge that chyldrẽ delyte in. Of that playe
commeth more fruite, if two or thre matches playe
together. For then the hope of victorie and feare of
rebuke maketh them to take more heede, and to be more
chereful. By thys deuise it was broughte aboute that
the chylde wythin a fewe days playing, had perfitely
lerned to know & sound all hys letters whych ye cõmõ
sort of teachers be scarse able to brynge to passe in
thre whole yeres whyth their beatynges threatyngs, and
brawlynges. Yet do not I alowe the diligence of some
to painful, whych drawe out these thyngs by playinge
at chesses or dyce. For when the playes them selues
passe the capacitie of chyldren, how shal they lerne
the letters by them? ¶ This is not to helpe the
chyldrens wyttes, but to put one labour to an other.
As there be certen engins so full of worke and so
curious, that they hynder the doynge of the busines.
Of thys sorte commonly be all those thynges whych some
haue deuised of the arte of memorye for to gette
money, or for a vayne boastynge, rather then for
profite: for they do rather hurte the memorye.
[Sidenote: The beste craft for memmorie. ] The best
crafte for memorie, is thorowlye to vnderstande,
and then to brynge into an order, last of al oftẽ to
repete that thou woldest remember. And in litleons
there is a natural great desyre to haue the mastry
inespecially of suche as be of lustye courage, and
lyuely towardnes. ¶ The teacher shall abuse these
inclinacions to the profite of hys study. If he shall
profite nothing by prayers, and fayre meanes, neyther
by gyftes mete for chyldren, nor prayses, he shal make
a contencion with hys equales. Hys felowe shall be
praysed in the presẽce of the duller. Desyre to be as
good shall quicken forwardes, whom only adhortacion
coulde not do. Yet it is not meete so to geue the
mastrie to the victor, as thoughe he shulde haue it
for euer: but somtime he shall shewe hope to hym that
is ouercome, that by takyng hede he may recouer y^e
shame: whych thynge capteyns be wonte to dooe in
batayle. And sometyme we shall suffer that the chyld
shuld thynke he hadde gotten the better, when he is
worse in deede. Finally by enterchaungyng, prayse and
disprayse, he shall noryshe in them, as Hesiodus
sayth, a stryfe who shall do best. Perchaunce one of a
sadde wyt wyl be loth so to play the child among
chyldren. And yet the same is not greued, neyther yet
ashamed to spende a greate parte of the day in playing
wyth little puppies and marmesettes, or to babble wyth
a pie or popiniay, or to play the foole wyth a foole.
By these tryfles, a verye sadde matter is broughte to
passe, and it is meruell that good men haue litle
pleasure herein, seeing y^t natural loue of our
children, and hope of great profit is wunt to make
those thynges also pleasaũte, whyche of them selues be
sharpe, sowre and bytter. I confesse that the
preceptes of grammer be at the beginnynge somewhat
sowre, and more necessary then pleasant. But the
handsomnes of the teacher shal take from them also a
greate parte of the payne. The beste thynge and
playnest muste be taughte fyrste. ¶ But nowe wyth what
compasses, and hardenesse be chyldren troubeled whyle
they learne wythout the booke the names of the letters
before they knowe what manner letters they bee?
¶ Whyle they be compelled in the declinynge of nownes
and verbes to can by roote in howe manye cases, moodes
and tenses one worde is put: as muse in the genetiue
and datiue singuler, the nominatiue and vocatiue
plurel? Legeris of legor, and of legerim, and legero?
What a beatyng is thẽ in the schole, whẽ chyldren be
axed these thynges? ¶ Some light teachers to boast their
lerynge are wonte of purpose to make these thynges
somewhat harder. Whyche faute maketh the beginnynges
almost of all sciences in doute, and paynfull,
specially in logicke. And if you shewe them a better
waye, they answere they were brought vp after thys
fashion, and wyll not suffer that anye chyldren shulde
be in better case, then they them selues were when
they were chyldren. All difficultye eyther therefore
muste be auoided, whyche is not necessarye, or that is
vsed oute of tyme. It is made softe and easy, that is
done whẽ it shuld be. But when tyme is, that of
necessitie an harde doute muste be learned, than a
cunnynge teacher of a childe shall studye as muche as
he may to folowe the good and frendlye Phisicians,
[Sidenote: A good schol master in teachyng, muste
folow a phisicion in medicines. ] whych whan they shalt
gyue a bytter medicyne do anoyut, as Lucrecius faith,
the brimmes of their cuppes with honye, that the
chylde entised by pleasure of the swetenes shuld not
feare the wholesome bytternes, or else put suger into
y^e medicine it selfe, or some other swete sauoryng
thynge. Yea they wyl not be knowen that it is a
medicine, for the only imaginacion sometyme maketh vs
quake for feare. Finally thys tediousenes is sone
ouercome, if things be taught them not to much at
once, but by lytle and litle, and at sundrie times.
Howebeit we ought not to distrust to much chyldrens
strength, if perhaps they muste take some paines.
A chyld is not myghty in strength of bodye, but he is
stronge to continue, and in abilitie strong inough. He
is not myghty as a bull, but he is strong as an emet.
[Sidenote: Note the sentence. ] In some thinges a flye
passeth an elephant. Euerye thyng is mighty in that,
to the whyche nature hathe made hym. Do we not se
tender chyldren rũne merueylouse swyftlye all the daye
long, and feele no werinesse. What is the cause?
Because playe is fitte for that age, and they imagine
it a playe and no labour. And in euerye thynge the
gretest part of payne is imaginacion, whych somtyme
maketh vs feele harme, when there is no harme at all.
Therefore seynge that the prouidence of nature hath
taken awaye imaginacion of laboure from chyldren, And
howe muche they lacke in strengthe, so muche they be
holpen in thys part, that is, that they feele not
labour, It shal be the masters parte, as we sayde
before, to put away the same by as many wayes as he
can, and of purpose to make a playe of it. ¶ There be
also certen kindes of sportes meete for chyldren,
wherwyth theyr earnest studye must somwhat be eased
after they be come to that, they muste lerne those
higher thynges whyche can not be perceiued wythoute
diligence and laboure: as are the handling of Themes,
to turne latine into Greeke, or greeke into latine, or
to learne cosmographie wythout booke. But moste of all
shall profite, if the chylde accustume to loue and
reuerence hys master, to loue and make muche of
learnyng, to feare rebuke, and delyght in prayse.
[Sidenote: The last obieccion touching the profit of
y^e chyld in his young yeres. ] There remayneth one
doute, wonte to be obiected by those whych saye: The
profite that the chylde getteth in those thre or foure
yeres to be so lytle, that it is not worthe the
laboure, eyther to take so muche payne in teachynge,
or bestowe so much coste. And these in dede seme vnto
me, not so muche to care for to profite the chyldren,
as for the sparyng of theyr money, or the teachers
labour. But I wyl saye he is no father, whyche when
the matter is of teaching his child, taketh so greate
care for expenses. Also it is a folyshe pitie, to
thintent the master shuld saue his labour, to make his
sonne lose certen yeres. I graunt it to be true indede
y^t Fabius sayth, y^t more good is done in . i. yere
after, then in these . iii. or . iiii. why shuld we set
light by this litle y^t is won in a thyng far more
precious. Let vs graunt that it is but a very lytle,
yet were it better the chylde to do it, then eyther
nothyng at al, or lerne somewhat that after muste be
vnlerned. Wyth what businesse shall that age be better
occupied as sone as he beginneth to speake, whiche in
no wyse can be vnoccupied? Also how lytle soeuer it be
that the former age doth bringe, yet shal the chylde
lerne greater thynges, euen in the same yeres, when
smaller shuld haue ben lerned, if he had not lerned
them before. Thys sayth Fabius, euery yere furthered
and increased profiteth to a great summe and as much
tyme as is taken before in the infancie, is gotten to
the elder age. It nedeth not to rehearse that in those
first yeres certen thinges be easely lerned, which be
more hard to be lerned whẽ we be elder. For it is very
easely lerned, that is lerned in time conueniente. Let
vs graunt that they be small and litle thynges, so we
confesse them to be necessarye. Yet to me in deede it
semeth not so litle a furtheraunce to lerning to haue
gotten though not a perfit knowledge, yet at the least
waye a taste of bothe the tongues, besydes so many
vocables and names of thinges, and finally to haue
begun to be able to reade and write prõptly. It
greueth vs not in thinges much more vile, to gette all
the vauntage we can, be it neuer so lytle. A diligente
marchaunt setteth not light bi winning of a farthing,
thinkyng thus in hys mynde: it is in dede of it selfe
but a litle, but it groweth to a summe, and a litle
often put to a lytle, wyll quyckelye make a great
heape. The Smithes ryse before daye, to wyn as it were
parte of the day. Husband men vpon the holy daye do
some thynges at home, to make an ende of more worke
the other dayes. And do we regarde as nothyng the
losse of . iiii. yeres in oure chyldren, when there is
nothyng more costly then tyme, nor no possession
better thẽ lerning? It is neuer lerned tymely inoughe
that neuer is ended. For we muste euer learne as longe
as we lyue. ¶ And in other thyngs the lucre that is
loste by slackenes, maye be recouered by diligence.
Time whẽ it is once flowen awaye (and it flyeth
awaye very quickely) may be called againe by no
inchauntmentes. For the poets do trifle whyche tell of
a fountayne, wherby olde men do as it were waxe yong
agayne: and the phisicions deceiue you, whych promise
a gay floryshyng youth to old men thorowe a certeyn
folishe fyft essence I wote not what. Here therfore we
ought to be verye sparyng, because the losse of tyme
may by no meanes be recouered. Beside this the fyrst
part of our lyfe is coũted to be best, and therfore
shuld be bestowed more warelye. Hesiodus aloweth not
sparynge, neyther at the hyest, nor at the lowest,
because when the tunne is full it semeth to hasty, and
to late when it is spente: and therefore byddeth vs
spare in the myddes. But of tyme we muste nowher cast
away the sparing, and if we shuld spare when the tunne
is ful for thys cause that wyne is best in the
myddest, then shulde we most of all saue our yonge
yeres, because it is the best parte of the life, if
you exercise it, but yet y^t goeth swyftest awaye. The
husbande manne if he be anye thynge diligente, wyll
not suffer anye parte of hys lande to lye vacante,
and that that is not meete to brynge forthe corne, he
setteth it eyther wyth yonge graffes, or leaueth it to
pasture, or storeth it wyth potte hearbes. And shall
we suffer the beste parte of our lyfe to passe awaye
wyth oute all fruite of lerning? Newe falowed ground
must be preuented wyth some fruitfull thynge, leste
beynge vntylled, it brynge forthe of it selfe naughty
cockle. For needes muste it brynge forthe somewhat.
Lykewyse the tender mynde of the infante, except it
bee strayghte wayes occupyed wyth fruitefull
teachynges, it wyl be ouercoued wyth vyce. An earthen
potte wyll keepe longe the sauoure of the liquore that
it is fyrste seasoned wyth, and it wyll be long or it
go out. But as for an earthen vessell beynge newe and
emptye, you maye keepe it for what liquore ye wyll.
¶ The mynde eyther bryngeth forth good fruite, if you
caste into it good seede, or if ye regard it not, it
is fylled wyth naughtines, whych afterwardes must be
pulled vp. And not a litle hath he wonne whyche hathe
escaped the losse, neyther hathe he brought small
helpe to vertue, whiche hath excluded vyce. But what
nede many wordes? Wylt thou see howe muche it
auayleth, whether one be brought vp in learnynge or
not? Beholde how excellently lerned in the olde tyme
men were in their youth, and how in oure daies they
that be aged be hable to do nothyng in studie?
[Sidenote: Ouide. ] Ouide beyng a verye yonge man wrot
hys verses of loue. What olde man is hable to do lyke?
[Sidenote: Lucane. ] What maner of man Lucane was in
hys youth hys workes declare. Howe came thys? Because
that beynge but . vi. moneths old he was brought to
Rome, & strayght waie deliuered to be taught of two
the best gramarians, Palemõ, and Cornutus. [Sidenote:
Bassus. ] Hys companions in studye were Salcius Bassus,
and Aulus Persius: [Sidenote: Persius. ] that one
excellente in historye, that other in a Satyre.
Doubtles hereof cam that most perfite knoweledge that
he had in all the seuen sciences, & his so marueylous
eloquence, that in verse he was both an excellente
oratoure, & also a Poet. In thys our time ther wãteth
not exemples of good bringing vp (although thei be
veri few) & y^t as wel in womẽ as mẽ. Politiã praised
y^e wit of y^e maidẽ Cassãdra. ¶ And what is more
marueylous thã Vrsinus a childe of . xii. yeres olde?
for the remẽbraunce of him, he also in a very eligãte
epistle put in eternall memorye. How fewe men shal you
nowe fynd, whiche at one time be able to endite two
epistles to so manye notaries, that the sẽtence in
euerye one do agree, and that there shoulde happen no
inconueniente speache. That chylde did it in fyue
epistles & gaue the argumentes w^tout any study, & was
not prepared afore hãd to do it. Some men when they se
these things, thinking that thei passe al mens
strength, ascribe it to witchcraft. It is done in dede
by witchcrafte, but it is an effectual enchaũting,
to be set in time to a learned, good, and vigilant
master. It is a stronge medicine to learne the best
things of learned men, and emonge the learned.
[Sidenote: Alexander. ] By such wytchcrafte Alexander
the greate, whan he was a yonge man, besides
eloquence, was perfit in al the parts of Philosophie,
and except the loue of warres, & swetenes to raygne
had quite raught away his inclinaciõ, he might haue
bene counted the chiefe among the beste Philosophers.
By the same meanes Caius Cesar beinge but a yonge man,
was so eloquent & wel sene in the mathematical
sciences. So well sene also were many Emperors: Marcus
Tullius, also Virgil, and Horace in their lusty youth
were so excellent in learninge and Eloquence, all
bycause they were strayght waye in their tender age
learned of their parentes & nourses the elegancy of
the tonges, and of the beste maisters the liberal
sciences: as Poetry, Rhetorique, Histories, the
knowledge of antiquities, Arithmetique, Geographye,
Philosophye, moral and political. And what do we I
praye you? wee kepe our children at home till they be
past fourtene or fiftene yere old, and whan they be
corrupted wyth idlenes, ryot, & delicatenes, with
muche worke at the laste we sende them to the cõmen
scholes. There to further y^e matter wel, they taste a
little grammer: after, whan they can declyne words, &
ioyne the adiectiue and the substãtiue togither, they
haue learned al the grammer, and thã be set to that
troubled Logike, wher they must forget againe if they
haue learned to speake anie thynge well. But more
vnhappye was the tyme whan I was a child whiche al to
vexed the youth with modes of signifiinge, and other
folyshe questions, & teching nothinge els then to
speake folishelye. Verely those masters bicause they
wold not be thought to teach folish thinges, darckened
grammer wyth difficulties of Logike and Metaphisike:
euen for this verelye, that afterwardes they shold
returne backwardelye to learne grammer, whã they were
olde, which we see happeneth nowe to some diuines that
be wyser, that after so manye hye degrees and all
their titles, wherby they maye be ignoraunte in
nothing, they be faine to come againe to those bookes,
which are wonte to be reade vnto children. I blame thẽ
not, for it is better to lerne late then neuer, that
thing which is necessary to be knowen.
Good Lorde what a world was that, whan wyth greate
boastynge Iohn Garlandes verses wer read to yonge men,
and that with longe and painefull commentaries? whã a
greate parte of tyme was consumed in folyshe verses,
in saying thẽ to other, repetynge them, and hearynge
theim agayne? whan Florista and Florius were learned
without booke? for as for Alexander, I thynke him
worthye to be receiued amonge the meaner sorte.
Moreouer howe muche tyme was loste in Sophistrye, and
in the superfluous mases of Logyke? And bicause I will
not be to longe, howe troublesomelye were all sciences
taughte? howe paynefully? whiles euerye reader to
auaunce him selfe, wolde euen straighte waye in the
begynninge stuffe in the hardest thynges of all, and
sometyme verye folyshe thyngs to. For a thyng is not
therfore goodly bycause it is harde, as to stand a far
of, and to caste a mustarde seede thorowe a nedles eye
& misse not, it is hard in dede, but yet it is a verye
trifle: and to vndo a payre of tariers, it is much
worke, but yet a vayne and idle subilltye.
Adde here vnto, that oftentymes these thynges be
taught of vnlearned men, and that is worse, of lewd
learned men, somtyme also of sluggardes and
vnthriftes, which more regarde takynge of money thã
the profite of their scholers. Whã the commune
bryngynge vp is suche, yet do wee maruayle that fewe
be perfitly learned before they be old. [Sidenote:
Nota.
