see end of textIf thou wilt harken vnto me, or rather to Chrisippus, the sharpeste witted of Philosophers, yushalte prouide ytthyne infante and yonge babe be forthewyth instructed in good learnyng, whylest hys wyt is yet voyde from tares and vices, whilest his age is tender and tractable, and his mind flexible and ready to folowe euery thyng, and also wyl kepe fast good lessons and preceptes. For we remẽber nothynge so well when we be olde, as those thynges ytwe learne in yonge yeres.Diuision of ytconfutaciõCare not thou for those fooles wordes which chatter that thys age, partly is not hable inough to receiue discipline, & partlye vnmete to abyde the labours ofstudies. For fyrst, the beginninges of learning, stãd specially by memorie, which as I sayd, in yõg ones is very holdfast. Secondly because nature hath made vs to knowledge the study of ytthynge can not be to hasty, wherof yeauthor of al thyng her self hath graffed in vs yeseedes.Beside this some thinges be necessary to be knowẽ whẽ we be sũwhat elder, which by a certẽ peculier readines of nature, yetender age perceiueth both much more quickly, & also more esily thẽ doth yeelder, as yefirst beginnings of letters, yeknowledge of tõges, tales & fabels of poetes. Finallye, why shulde ytage be thought vnmete to lerning, which is apt to lerne maners? Or what other thinge shuld chyldrẽ do rather whẽ they be more able to speake, seyng nedes thei muste do sumwhat? How much more profite is it ytage to sporte in letters, then in trifles?Thou wilt say ytit is but of litle value ytis done in those fyrste yeres.Why is it dispised as a smal thing, which is necessary to a very greate matter? And why is ytlucre, be it neuerso litle, yet a lucre, dispised of purpose? Now if you oftẽ put a lytle to a litle, there riseth a greate heape. Herewith cõsider this also, if beyng an infant he lerne smaller thinges, he shalt lerne greter, growynge vpwardes in those yeres, in which those smaller shuld haue ben lerned. Finally whyle he doth these thinges, at yeleast he shal be kept frõ those fautes, wherwtwe se comẽly ytage to be infected. For nothynge doth better occupy yewhole mynd of man, thẽ studies. Verely this lucre ought not to be set light bi. But if we shuld graũte that by these labours yestrength of yebody is sumwhat diminished; yet thinke I this losse well recõpensed by winnynge of wyt. For the minde by moderate labours is made more quicke, & lustye. And if ther be any ieopardy in this pointe, it may be auoyded by our diligẽce. You must haue for this tender age a teacher to enter it by fayre meanes, & not discorage it by foule. And ther be also some things both plesaũt to be knowen, & as it wer sibbe to childrẽs wittes, whiche to lerne is rather a play thẽ a labour. Howbeit childehod is not soweake which euẽ for thys is yemore mete to take paynes & labour, because they fele not what labour is.Therfore if thou wylte remember how far vnworthy he is to be counted a mã which is void of learning, and how stirring the life of man is, how slypper youth is to myschiefe, and mans age howe it desyreth to be occupied, how baren olde age is, and further how few come vnto it, thou wylt not suffer thy yong babe in the whych thou shalte lyue styll as it were borne agayne, to let go any parte of hys tyme vnoccupied, in the whych any thynge maye be gotten that eyther maye do muche good to all yewhole lyfe afterwardes, or kepe it awaye from hurtes, and mischiefes.The selfe same matter enlarged by copye.
see end of text
If thou wilt harken vnto me, or rather to Chrisippus, the sharpeste witted of Philosophers, yushalte prouide ytthyne infante and yonge babe be forthewyth instructed in good learnyng, whylest hys wyt is yet voyde from tares and vices, whilest his age is tender and tractable, and his mind flexible and ready to folowe euery thyng, and also wyl kepe fast good lessons and preceptes. For we remẽber nothynge so well when we be olde, as those thynges ytwe learne in yonge yeres.Diuision of ytconfutaciõCare not thou for those fooles wordes which chatter that thys age, partly is not hable inough to receiue discipline, & partlye vnmete to abyde the labours ofstudies. For fyrst, the beginninges of learning, stãd specially by memorie, which as I sayd, in yõg ones is very holdfast. Secondly because nature hath made vs to knowledge the study of ytthynge can not be to hasty, wherof yeauthor of al thyng her self hath graffed in vs yeseedes.Beside this some thinges be necessary to be knowẽ whẽ we be sũwhat elder, which by a certẽ peculier readines of nature, yetender age perceiueth both much more quickly, & also more esily thẽ doth yeelder, as yefirst beginnings of letters, yeknowledge of tõges, tales & fabels of poetes. Finallye, why shulde ytage be thought vnmete to lerning, which is apt to lerne maners? Or what other thinge shuld chyldrẽ do rather whẽ they be more able to speake, seyng nedes thei muste do sumwhat? How much more profite is it ytage to sporte in letters, then in trifles?Thou wilt say ytit is but of litle value ytis done in those fyrste yeres.Why is it dispised as a smal thing, which is necessary to a very greate matter? And why is ytlucre, be it neuerso litle, yet a lucre, dispised of purpose? Now if you oftẽ put a lytle to a litle, there riseth a greate heape. Herewith cõsider this also, if beyng an infant he lerne smaller thinges, he shalt lerne greter, growynge vpwardes in those yeres, in which those smaller shuld haue ben lerned. Finally whyle he doth these thinges, at yeleast he shal be kept frõ those fautes, wherwtwe se comẽly ytage to be infected. For nothynge doth better occupy yewhole mynd of man, thẽ studies. Verely this lucre ought not to be set light bi. But if we shuld graũte that by these labours yestrength of yebody is sumwhat diminished; yet thinke I this losse well recõpensed by winnynge of wyt. For the minde by moderate labours is made more quicke, & lustye. And if ther be any ieopardy in this pointe, it may be auoyded by our diligẽce. You must haue for this tender age a teacher to enter it by fayre meanes, & not discorage it by foule. And ther be also some things both plesaũt to be knowen, & as it wer sibbe to childrẽs wittes, whiche to lerne is rather a play thẽ a labour. Howbeit childehod is not soweake which euẽ for thys is yemore mete to take paynes & labour, because they fele not what labour is.Therfore if thou wylte remember how far vnworthy he is to be counted a mã which is void of learning, and how stirring the life of man is, how slypper youth is to myschiefe, and mans age howe it desyreth to be occupied, how baren olde age is, and further how few come vnto it, thou wylt not suffer thy yong babe in the whych thou shalte lyue styll as it were borne agayne, to let go any parte of hys tyme vnoccupied, in the whych any thynge maye be gotten that eyther maye do muche good to all yewhole lyfe afterwardes, or kepe it awaye from hurtes, and mischiefes.