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I will not name, for the honor I beare them, so without measure misordered, that I thinke my selfe in hell, till tyme cum, that I must go toM. Elmer, who teacheth me so ientlie, so pleasantlie, with soch faire allurementes to learning, that I thinke all the tyme nothing, whiles I am with him. And when I am called from him, I fall on weeping, because, what soeuer I do els, but learning, is ful of grief, trouble, feare, and whole misliking vnto me: And thus my booke, hath bene so moch my pleasure, & bringeth dayly to me more pleasure & more, that in respect of it, all other pleasures, in very deede, be but trifles and troubles vnto me. I remember this talke gladly, both bicause it is so worthy of memorie, & bicause also, it was the last talke that euer I had, and the last tyme, that euer I saw that noble and worthie Ladie. I could be ouer long, both in shewinge iust causes, and in recitinge trewe examples, why learning shold be taught, rather by loue than feare. He that wold see a perfite discourse of it,Sturmius// let him read that learned treatese, which my frende de Inst. //Ioan. Sturmiuswrotede institutione Principis, to Princ. // the Duke ofCleues. The godlie counsels ofSalomonandIesusthe sonne of Qui par- //Sirach, for sharpe kepinge in, and bridleinge of cit virgæ, // youth, are ment rather, for fatherlie correction, odit filium. // then masterlie beating, rather for maners, than for learninge: for other places, than for scholes. For God forbid, but all euill touches, wantonnes, lyinge, pickinge, slouthe, will, stubburnnesse, and disobedience, shold be with sharpe chastise- ment, daily cut away. This discipline was well knowen, and diligentlie vsed, among theGræcians, and oldRomanes, as doth appeare inAristophanes, Isocrates, andPlato, and also in the Comedies ofPlautus: where we see that children were vnder the rule of three persones:Præceptore, Pædagogo, Parente: the scholemaster 1. Schole- // taught him learnyng with all ientlenes: the master. // Gouernour corrected his maners, with moch 2. Gouer- // sharpenesse: The father, held the sterne of his nour. // whole obedience: And so, he that vsed to teache, 3. Father. // did not commonlie vse to beate, but remitted that ouer to an other mans charge. But what shall we saie, whan now in our dayes, the scholemaster is vsed, both forPræceptor
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in learnyng, andPædagogusin maners. Surelie, I wold he shold not confound their offices, but discretelie vse the dewtie of both so, that neither ill touches shold be left vnpunished, nor ientlesse in teaching anie wise omitted. And he shall well do both, if wiselie he do appointe diuersitie of tyme, & separate place, for either purpose: vsing alwaise soch discrete modera- tion as the scholehouse should be counted a sanctuarie against feare: and verie well learning, a // The schole common perdon for ill doing, if the fault, of it // house. selfe be not ouer heinous. And thus the children, kept vp in Gods feare, and preserued by his grace, finding paine in ill doing, and pleasure in well studiyng, shold easelie be brought to honestie of life, and perfitenes of learning, the onelie marke, that good and wise fathers do wishe and labour, that their children, shold most buselie, and carefullie shot at. There is an other discommoditie, besides crueltie in schole- masters in beating away the loue of learning from // Youth of children, which hindreth learning and vertue, and // England good bringing vp of youth, and namelie yong // brought vp ientlemen, verie moch in England. This fault // with to is cleane contrary to the first. I wished before, // much li- to haue loue of learning bred vp in children: // bertie. I wishe as moch now, to haue yong men brought vp in good order of liuing, and in some more seuere discipline, then commonlie they be. We haue lacke in England of soch good order, as the old noblePersiansso carefullie vsed: //Xen.7. whose children, to the age of xxi. yeare, were //Cyri Ped.brought vp in learnyng, and exercises of labor, and that in soch place, where they should, neither see that was vncumlie, nor heare that was vnhonest. Yea, a yong ientleman was neuer free, to go where he would, and do what he liste him self, but vnder the kepe, and by the counsell, of some graue gouernour, vntill he was, either maryed, or cald to beare some office in the common wealth. And see the great obedience, that was vsed in old tyme to fathers and gouernours. No sonne, were he neuer so old of yeares, neuer so great of birth, though he were a kynges sonne, might not mary, but by his father and mothers also consent.Cyrusthe great, after he had conqueredBabylon, and subdewed
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Riche kingCrœsuswith wholeAsia minor, cummyng tryumph- antlie home, his vncleCyaxerisoffered him his daughter to wife.Cyrusthanked his vncle, and praised the maide, but for mariage he answered him with thies wise and sweete wordes, asXen.8.Cy-// they be vttered byXenophon, o kuazare, tori. Pæd.// te genos epaino, kai ten paida, kai dora boulomai de, ephe, syn te tou patros gnome kai [te] tes metros tauta soi synainesai, &c., that is to say: VncleCyaxeris, I commend the stocke, I like the maide, and I allow well the dowrie, but (sayth he) by the counsell and consent of my father and mother, I will determine farther of thies matters. StrongSamsonalso in Scripture saw a maide that liked him, but he spake not to hir, but went home to his father, and his mother, and desired both father and mother to make the mariage for him. Doth this modestie, doth this obedience, that was in great kyngCyrus, and stouteSamson, remaine in our yongmen at this daie? no surelie: For we liue not longer after them by tyme, than we liue farre different from them by good order. Our tyme is so farre from that old discipline and obedience, as now, not onelie yong ientlemen, but euen verie girles dare without all feare, though not without open shame, where they list, and how they list, marie them selues in spite of father, mother, God, good order, and all. The cause of this euill is, that youth is least looked vnto, when they stand [in] most neede of good kepe and regard. It auail- eth not, to see them well taught in yong yeares, and after whan they cum to lust and youthfull dayes, to giue them licence to liue as they lust them selues. For, if ye suffer the eye of a yong Ientleman, once to be entangled with vaine sightes, and the eare to be corrupted with fond or filthie taulke, the mynde shall quicklie fall seick, and sone vomet and cast vp, all the holesome doctrine, that he receiued in childhoode, though he were neuer so well brought vp before. And being ons inglutted with vanitie, he will streight way loth all learning, and all good counsell to the same. And the parents for all their great cost Great mens // and charge, reape onelie in the end, the frute sonnes // of grief and care. worst // This euill, is not common to poore men, as God brought // will haue it, but proper to riche and great mens vp. //
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children, as they deserue it. In deede from seuen, to seuentene, yong ientlemen commonlie be carefullie enough brought vp: But from seuentene to seuen and twentie (the most dangerous tyme of all a mans life, and most slipperie to stay well in) they haue commonlie the reigne of all licens in their owne // Wise men hand, and speciallie soch as do liue in the Court. // fond fa- And that which is most to be merueled at, // thers. commonlie, the wisest and also best men, be found the fondest fathers in this behalfe. And if som good father would seick some remedie herein, yet the mother (if the house hold of our Lady) had rather, yea, & will to, haue her sonne cunnyng & bold, in making him to lyue trimlie when he is yong, than by learning and trauell, to be able to serue his Prince and his contrie, both wiselie in peace, and stoutelie in warre, whan he is old. The fault is in your selues, ye noble mens sonnes, and therefore ye deserue the greater blame, that // Meane commonlie, the meaner mens children, cum to // mens sonnes be, the wisest councellours, and greatest doers, // come to in the weightie affaires of this Realme. And // great au- why? for God will haue it so, of his prouidence: // thoritie. bicause ye will haue it no otherwise, by your negligence. And God is a good God, & wisest in all his doinges, that will place vertue, & displace vice, in those // Nobilitie kingdomes, where he doth gouerne. For he // without knoweth, that Nobilitie, without vertue and // wisedome. wisedome, is bloud in deede, but bloud trewelie, without bones & sinewes: & so of it selfe, without the other, verie weeke to beare the burden of weightie affaires. The greatest shippe in deede commonlie carieth the greatest burden, but yet alwayes with the greatest ieoperdie, not onelie for the persons and goodes committed vnto it, // Nobilitie but euen for the shyppe it selfe, except it be // with wise- gouerned, with the greater wisdome. // dome. But Nobilitie, gouerned by learning and wisedome, is in deede, most like a faire shippe, // | { Wisedom. hauyng tide and winde at will, vnder // | { the reule of a skilfull master: whan // | Nobilite with-{ contrarie wise, a shippe, caried, yea // | { Out wise- with the hiest tide & greatest winde, // | { dome.
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lacking a skilfull master, most commonlie, doth either, sinck itselfe vpon sandes, or breake it selfe vpon rockes. And euen so,Vaine plea- // how manie haue bene, either drowned in vainesure, and // pleasure, or ouerwhelmed by stout wilfulnesse,stoute wil- // the histories of England be able to affourde ouerfulnes, two // many examples vnto vs. Therfore, ye great andgreatest // noble mens children, if ye will haue rightfullieenemies to // that praise, and enioie surelie that place, whichNobilitie. // your fathers haue, and elders had, and left vntoyou, ye must kepe it, as they gat it, and that is, by the oneliewaie, of vertue, wisedome, and worthinesse.For wisedom, and vertue, there be manie faire examples inthis Court, for yong Ientlemen to folow. But they be, likefaire markes in the feild, out of a mans reach, to far of, to shoteat well. The best and worthiest men, in deede, be somtimesseen, but seldom taulked withall: A yong Ientleman, maysomtime knele to their person, smallie vse their companie, fortheir better instruction.But yong Ientlemen ar faïne commonlie to do in the Court,as yong Archers do in the feild: that is take soch markes, as beIll compa- // nie them, although they be neuer so foule tonie marreth // shote at. I meene, they be driuen to kepeyouth. // companie with the worste: and what force illcompanie hath, to corrupt good wittes, the wisest men knowbest.And not ill companie onelie, but the ill opinion also of theThe Court // most part, doth moch harme, and namelie ofiudgeth // those, which shold be wise in the trewe de-worst of the // cyphring, of the good disposition of nature, ofbest natures // cumlinesse in Courtlie maners, and all rightin youth. // doinges of men.But error and phantasie, do commonlie occupie, the placeof troth and iudgement. For, if a yong ientleman, be demeureand still of nature, they say, he is simple and lacketh witte: ifhe be bashefull, and will soone blushe, they call him a babisheXen. in1. // and ill brought vp thyng, whenXenophondothCyr. Pæd.// preciselie note inCyrus, that his bashfulnes inyouth, was y^e verie trewe signe of his vertue &The Grace // stoutnes after: If he be innocent and ignorant ofin Courte. // ill, they say, he is rude, and hath no grace, so
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vngraciouslie do som gracelesse men, misuse the faire and godlie word GRACE. But if ye would know, what grace they meene, go, and looke, and learn emonges them, and ye shall see that it is: First, to blush at nothing. And blushyng in youth, saythAristotleis nothyng els, but feare to do ill: which feare beyng once lustely fraid away from youth, then foloweth, // Grace of to dare do any mischief, to contemne stoutly any // Courte. goodnesse, to be busie in euery matter, to be skilfull in euery thyng, to acknowledge no ignorance at all. To do thus in Court, is counted of some, the chief and greatest grace of all: and termed by the name of a //Cic.3.devertue, called Corage & boldnesse, whanCrassus//Or.inCiceroteacheth the cleane contrarie, and that most wittelie, saying thus:Audere, cum bonis// Boldnesetiam rebus coniunctum, per seipsum est magnopere// yea in afugiendum. Which is to say, to be bold, yea // good mat- in a good matter, is for it self, greatlie to be // ter, not to exchewed. // be praised. Moreouer, where the swing goeth, there to follow, fawne, flatter, laugh and lie lustelie at other mens liking. // More To face, stand formest, shoue backe: and to the // Grace of meaner man, or vnknowne in the Court, to // Courte. seeme somwhat solume, coye, big, and dangerous of looke, taulk, and answere: To thinke well of him selfe, to be lustie in contemning of others, to haue some trim grace in a priuie mock. And in greater presens, to beare a braue looke: to be warlike, though he neuer looked enimie in the face in warre: yet som warlike signe must be vsed, either a slouinglie busking, or an ouerstaring frounced hed, as though out of euerie heeres toppe, should suddenlie start out a good big othe, when nede requireth, yet praised be God, England hath at // Men of this time, manie worthie Capitaines and good // warre, best souldiours, which be in deede, so honest of // of conditi- behauiour, so cumlie of conditions, so milde of // ons. maners, as they may be examples of good order, to a good sort of others, which neuer came in warre. But to retorne, where I left: In place also, to be able to raise taulke, and make discourse of euerie rishe: to haue a verie good // Palmistrie. will, to heare him selfe speake: To be seene
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in Palmestrie, wherby to conueie to chast eares, som fond orfilthie taulke:And if som Smithfeild Ruffian take vp, som strangegoing: som new mowing with the mouth: som wrinchyngwith the shoulder, som braue prouerbe: som fresh new othe,that is not stale, but will rin round in the mouth: som newdisguised garment, or desperate hat, fond in facion, or gaurishin colour, what soeuer it cost, how small soeuer his liuing be,by what shift soeuer it be gotten, gotten must it be, and vsedwith the first, or els the grace of it, is stale and gone: sompart of this gracelesse grace, was discribed by me, in a littlerude verse long ago.
{To laughe, to lie, to flatter, to face:{Foure waies in Court to win men grace.{If thou be thrall to none of thiese,{Away good Peek goos, hens Iohn Cheese:{Marke well my word, and marke their dede,{And thinke this verse part of thy Crede.
Would to God, this taulke were not trewe, and that som mens doinges were not thus: I write not to hurte any, but to {Councell. | // proffit som: to accuse none, but to monish Ill{ | // soch, who, allured by ill counsell, and folowing { | // ill example, contrarie to their good bringyng vp, {Company. | // and against their owne good nature, yeld ouer- moch to thies folies and faultes: I know many seruing men, Seruinge // of good order, and well staide: And againe, I men. // heare saie, there be som seruing men do but illTerentius.// seruice to their yong masters. Yea, redeTerencePlautus.// andPlaut.aduisedlie ouer, and ye shall finde in those two wise writers, almost in euery commedie, no vn- Serui cor- // thriftie yong man, that is not brought there vnto, ruptelæ // by the sotle inticement of som lewd seruant. iuuenum. // And euen now in our dayesGetæandDaui,Gnatosand manie bold bawdiePhormiosto, be preasing in, Multi Ge- // to pratle on euerie stage, to medle in euerie tæ pauci // matter, whan honestParmenosshall not be hard, Parmeno- // but beare small swing with their masters. Their nes. // companie, their taulke, their ouer great experience
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in mischief, doth easelie corrupt the best natures, and bestbrought vp wittes.But I meruell the lesse, that thies misorders be emongessom in the Court, for commonlie in the contrie // Misordersalso euerie where, innocencie is gone: Bashful- // in the coun-nesse is banished: moch presumption in yougthe: // trey.small authoritie in aige: Reuerence is neglected: dewties beconfounded: and to be shorte, disobedience doth ouerflowe thebankes of good order, almoste in euerie place, almoste in eueriedegree of man.Meane men haue eies to see, and cause to lament, andoccasion to complaine of thies miseries: but other haueauthoritie to remedie them, and will do so to, whan God shallthink time fitte. For, all thies misorders, be Goddes iusteplages, by his sufferance, brought iustelie vpon vs, for oursinnes, which be infinite in nomber, and horrible in deede, butnamelie, for the greate abhominable sin of vn- // Contemptkindnesse: but what vnkindnesse? euen such // of Godsvnkindnesse as was in the Iewes, in contemninge // trewe Re-Goddes voice, in shrinking from his woorde, in // ligion.wishing backe againe forægypt, in committing aduoultrie andhordom, not with the women, but with the doctrine of Babylon,did bring all the plages, destructions, and Captiuities, that fellso ofte and horriblie, vpon Israell.We haue cause also in England to beware of vnkindnesse,who haue had, in so fewe yeares, the Candel of Goddesworde, so oft lightned, so oft put out, and yet //Doctrinawill venture by our vnthankfulnesse in doctrine //Mores.and sinfull life, to leese againe, lighte, Candle,Candlesticke and all.God kepe vs in his feare, God grafte in vs the treweknowledge of his woorde, with a forward will to folowe it, andso to bring forth the sweete fruites of it, & then shall hepreserue vs by his Grace, from all maner of terrible dayes.The remedie of this, doth not stand onelie, //Publicæin making good common lawes for the hole //Leges.Realme, but also, (and perchance cheiflie) //Domesticain obseruing priuate discipline euerie man care- //disciplina.fullie in his own house: and namelie, if speciall //Cognitioregard be had to yougth: and that, not so moch, //boni.
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in teaching them what is good, as in keping them from that,that is ill.Therefore, if wise fathers, be not as well waare in weedingIgnoratio// from their Children ill thinges, and ill companie,mali.// as they were before, in graftinge in themlearninge, and prouiding for them good schole-masters, what frute, they shall reape of all their coste & care,common experience doth tell.Here is the place, in yougthe is the time whan somSome // ignorance is as necessarie, as moch knowledge,ignorance, // and not in matters of our dewtie towardes God,as good as // as som wilful wittes willinglie against their owneknowledge. // knowledge, perniciouslie againste their owneconscience, haue of late openlie taught. In deedeS. Chryso-Chrisost. de//stome, that noble and eloquent Doctor, in aFato.// sermoncontra fatum, and the curious serchinge ofnatiuities, doth wiselie saie, that ignorance therein,is better than knowledge: But to wring this sentence, towreste thereby out of mens handes, the knowledge of Goddesdoctrine, is without all reason, against common sence, contrarieto the iudgement also of them, which be the discretest men, andIulia. Apo-// best learned, on their own side. I know,Iulianusstat.//Apostatadid so, but I neuer hard or red, that anyauncyent father of the primitiue chirch, eitherthought or wrote so.But this ignorance in yougthe, which I spake on, or ratherInnocency // this simplicitie, or most trewlie, this innocencie,in youth. // is that, which the noblePersians, as wiseXenophondoth testifie, were so carefull, to breede vp theiryougth in. But Christian fathers commonlie do not so. AndI will tell you a tale, as moch to be misliked, as thePersiansexample is to be folowed.This last somer, I was in a Ientlemans house: whereA childe ill // a yong childe, somewhat past fower yeare olde,brought // cold in no wise frame his tongue, to saie, a litlevp. // shorte grace: and yet he could roundlie rap out,so manie vgle othes, and those of the newest facion, as somgood man of fourescore yeare olde hath neuer hard namedIll Pa- // before: and that which was most detestable ofrentes. // all, his father and mother wold laughe at it. I
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moche doubte, what comforte, an other daie, this childe shall bring vnto them. This Childe vsing moche the companie of seruinge men, and geuing good eare to their taulke, did easelie learne, which he shall hardlie forget, all daies of his life here- after: So likewise, in the Courte, if a yong Ientleman will ventur him self into the companie of Ruffians, it is ouer greate a ieopardie, lest, their facions, maners, thoughtes, taulke, and deedes, will verie sone, be euer like. The confounding of companies, breedeth confusion of good maners // Ill compa- both in the Courte, and euerie where else. // nie. And it maie be a great wonder, but a greater shame, to vs Christian men, to vnderstand, what a heithen writer,Isocrates, doth leaue in memorie of writing, concerning the //Isocrates.care, that the noble Citie ofAthenshad, to bring vp their yougthe, in honest companie, and vertuous discipline, whose taulke in Greke, is, to this effect, in Englishe. "The Citie, was not more carefull, to see their Children "well taughte, than to see their yong men well // In Orat. "gouerned: which they brought to passe, not so // Ariopag. "much by common lawe, as by priuate discipline. "For, they had more regard, that their yougthe, by good order "shold not offend, than how, by lawe, they might be punished: "And if offense were committed, there was, neither waie to "hide it, neither hope of pardon for it. Good natures, were "not so moche openlie praised as they were secretlie marked, "and watchfullie regarded, lest they should lease the goodnes "they had. Therefore in scholes of singing and dauncing, and "other honest exercises, gouernours were appointed, more "diligent to ouersee their good maners, than their masters were, "to teach them anie learning. It was som shame to a yong "man, to be seene in the open market: and if for businesse, he "passed throughe it, he did it, with a meruelous modestie, and "bashefull facion. To eate, or drinke in a Tauerne, was not "onelie a shame, but also punishable, in a yong man. To "contrarie, or to stand in termes with an old man, was more "heinous, than in som place, to rebuke and scolde with his "owne father: with manie other mo good orders, and faire disciplines, which I referre to their reading, that haue lust to looke vpon the description of such a worthie common welthe.
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And to know, what worthie frute, did spring of sochGood sede, // worthie seade, I will tell yow the most meruellworthie // of all, and yet soch a trothe, as no man shallfrute. // denie it, except such as be ignorant in knowledgeof the best stories.Athens, by this discipline and good ordering of yougthe, didAthenes.// breede vp, within the circute of that one Citie,within the compas of one hondred yeare, withinthe memorie of one mans life, so manie notable Capitaines inwarre, for worthinesse, wisdome and learning, as be scarseRoma. // matchable no not in the state of Rome, in thecompas of those seauen hondred yeares, whan itflorished moste.And bicause, I will not onelie saie it, but also proue it, theThe noble // names of them be these.Miltiades, Themistocles,Capitaines //Xantippus, Pericles, Cymon, Alcybiades, Thrasybulus,of Athens. //Conon, Iphicrates, Xenophon, Timotheus, Theopompus,Demetrius, and diuers other mo: of which euerie one, maieiustelie be spoken that worthie praise, which was geuen toScipio Africanus, who,Cicerodouteth, whether he were, morenoble Capitaine in warre, or more eloquent and wise counceloræmil.// in peace. And if ye beleue not me, read dili-Probus.// gentlie,æmilius Probusin Latin, andPlutarchePlutarchus.// in Greke, which two, had no cause either toflatter or lie vpon anie of those which I hauerecited.And beside nobilitie in warre, for excellent and matchlesThe lear- // masters in all maner of learninge, in that onened of A- // Citie, in memorie of one aige, were mo learnedthenes. // men, and that in a maner altogether, than alltyme doth remember, than all place doth affourde, than all othertonges do conteine. And I do not meene of those Authors,which, by iniurie of tyme, by negligence of men, by crueltie offier and sworde, be lost, but euen of those, which by Goddesgrace, are left yet vnto us: of which I thank God, euen mypoore studie lacketh not one. As, in Philosophie,Plato, Aris-totle, Xenophon, EuclideandTheophrast: In eloquens and Ciuilllawe,Demosthenes, æschines, Lycurgus, Dinarchus, Demades,Isocrates, Isæus, Lysias, Antisthenes, Andocides: In histories,He-rodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon: and which we lacke, to our
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great losse,TheopompusandEph[orus]: In Poetrieæschylus,Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, and somwhat ofMenander,Demosthenessister sonne.Now, let Italian, and Latin it self, Spanishe, French,Douch, and Englishe bring forth their lerning, // Learnyng,and recite their Authors,Ciceroonelie excepted, // chiefly con-and one or two moe in Latin, they be all patched // teined incloutes and ragges, in comparison of faire wouen // the Greke,broade clothes. And trewelie, if there be any // and in no o-good in them, it is either lerned, borowed, or // ther tong.stolne, from some one of those worthie wittes ofAthens.The remembrance of soch a common welthe, vsing sochdiscipline and order for yougthe, and thereby bringing forth totheir praise, and leauing to vs for our example, such Capitainesfor warre, soch Councelors for peace, and matcheles masters,for all kinde of learninge, is pleasant for me to recite, and notirksum, I trust, for other to heare, except it be soch, as makeneither counte of vertue nor learninge.And whether, there be anie soch or no, I can not well tell:yet I hear saie, some yong Ientlemen of oures, // Contem-count it their shame to be counted learned: and // ners ofperchance, they count it their shame, to be // learnyng.counted honest also, for I heare saie, they medle as litle with theone, as with the other. A meruelous case, that Ientlemenshold so be ashamed of good learning, and neuer a whit ashamedof ill maners: soch do saie for them, that theIentlemen of France do so: which is a lie, as // IentlemenGod will haue it.Langæus, andBellæusthat be // of France.dead, & the nobleVidamof Chartres, that is aliue, and infinitemo in France, which I heare tell of, proue this to be most false.And though som, in France, which will nedes be Ientlemen,whether men will or no, and haue more ientleshipe in their hat,than in their hed, be at deedlie feude, with both learning andhonestie, yet I beleue, if that noble Prince, kingFrancisthefirst were aliue, they shold haue, neither place in // Franciscushis Courte, nor pension in his warres, if he had // I. Nobilis.knowledge of them. This opinion is not French, // Francorumbut plaine Turckishe: from whens, some Frenche // Rex.fetche moe faultes, than this: which, I praie God, kepe out of
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England, and send also those of oures better mindes, whichbend them selues againste vertue and learninge, to the con-tempte of God, dishonor of their contrie to the hurt of manieothers, and at length, to the greatest harme, and vtter destructionof themselues.Som other, hauing better nature, but lesse witte, (for illcommonlie, haue ouer moch witte) do not vtterlie dispraiseExperience // learning, but they saie, that without learning,without // common experience, knowledge of all facions, andlearnyng. // haunting all companies, shall worke in yougthe,both wisdome, and habilitie, to execute anie weightie affaire.Surelie long experience doth proffet moch, but moste, andalmost onelie to him (if we meene honest affaires) that is dili-gentlie before instructed with preceptes of well doinge. Forgood precepts of learning, be the eyes of the minde, to lookewiselie before a man, which waie to go right, and which not.Learning teacheth more in one yeare than experience inLearnyng. // twentie: And learning teacheth safelie. whenexperience maketh mo miserable then wise. HeExperience. // hasardeth sore, that waxeth wise by experience.An vnhappie Master he is, that is made cunning by manieshippewrakes: A miserable merchant, that is neither riche orwise, but after som bankroutes. It is costlie wisdom, that isbought by experience. We know by experience it selfe, that itis a meruelous paine, to finde oute but a short waie, by longwandering. And surelie, he that wold proue wise byexperience, he maie be wittie in deede, but euen like a swiftrunner, that runneth fast out of his waie, and vpon the night,he knoweth not whither. And verilie they be fewest ofnumber, that be happie or wise by vnlearned experience. Andlooke well vpon the former life of those fewe, whether yourexample be old or yonge, who without learning haue gathered,by long experience, a litle wisdom, and som happines: andwhan you do consider, what mischiefe they haue committed,what dangers they haue escaped (and yet xx. for one, doperishe in the aduenture) than thinke well with your selfe,whether ye wold, that your owne son, should cum to wisdomand happines, by the waie of soch experience or no.It is a notable tale, that old SyrRoger Chamloe, somtime
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cheife Iustice, wold tell of him selfe. When he was Auncient in Inne of Courte, Certaine yong Ientlemen // SyrRogerwere brought before him, to be corrected forChamloe.certaine misorders: And one of the lustiest saide: Syr, we be yong ientlemen, and wisemen before vs, haue proued all facions, and yet those haue done full well: this they said, because it was well knowen, that SyrRogerhad bene a good feloe in his yougth. But he aunswered them verie wiselie. In deede saith he, in yougthe, I was, as you ar now: and I had twelue feloes like vnto my self, but not one of them came to a good ende. And therfore, folow not my example in yougth, but folow my councell in aige, if euer ye thinke to cum to this place, or to thies yeares, that I am cum vnto, lesse ye meete either with pouertie or Tiburn in the way. Thus, experience of all facions in yougthe, beinge, in profe, alwaise daungerous, in isshue, seldom lucklie, is // Experience. a waie, in deede, to ouermoch knowledge, yet vsed commonlie of soch men, which be either caried by som curious affection of mynde, or driuen by som hard necessitie of life, to hasard the triall of ouer manie perilous aduentures.Erasmusthe honor of learning of all oure time, saide wiselie that experience is the common schole- //Erasmus.house of foles, and ill men: Men, of witte and // Experience, honestie, be otherwise instructed. For there be, // the schole- that kepe them out of fier, and yet was neuer // house of burned: That beware of water, and yet was neuer // Foles, and nie drowninge: That hate harlottes, and was // ill men. neuer at the stewes: That abhorre falshode, and neuer brake promis themselues. But will ye see, a fit Similitude of this aduentured experience. A Father, that doth let louse his son, to all experiences, is most like a fond Hunter, that letteth slippe a whelpe to the hole herde. Twentie to one, he shall fall vpon a rascall, and let go the faire game. Men that hunt so, be either ignorant persones, preuie stealers, or night walkers. Learning therefore, ye wise fathers, and good bringing vp, and not blinde & dangerous experience, is the next and readiest waie, that must leede your Children, first, to wisdom, and than to worthinesse, if euer ye purpose they shall cum there. And to saie all in shorte, though I lacke Authoritie to giue
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counsell, yet I lacke not good will to wisshe, that the yougthe How expe- // in England, speciallie Ientlemen, and namelie no- rience may // bilitie, shold be by good bringing vp, so grounded proffet. // in iudgement of learninge, so founded in loue of honestie, as, whan they shold be called forthe to the execution of great affaires, in seruice of their Prince and contrie, they might be hable, to vse and to order, all experiences, were they good were they bad, and that, according to the square, rule, and line, of wisdom learning and vertue. And, I do not meene, by all this my taulke, that yong Diligent // Ientlemen, should alwaies be poring on a booke, learninge // and by vsing good studies, shold lease honest ought to be // pleasure, and haunt no good pastime, I meene ioyned with // nothing lesse: For it is well knowne, that I both pleasant // like and loue, and haue alwaies, and do yet still pastimes, // vse, all exercises and pastimes, that be fitte for my namelie in a // nature and habilitie. And beside naturall dispo- ientleman. // sition, in iudgement also, I was neuer, either Stoick in doctrine, or Anabaptist in Religion, to mislike a merie, pleasant, and plaifull nature, if no outrage be committed, against lawe, mesure, and good order. Therefore, I wold wishe, that, beside some good time, fitlie appointed, and constantlie kepte, to encrease by readinge, the knowledge of the tonges and learning, yong ientlemen shold Learnyng // vse, and delite in all Courtelie exercises, and ioyned with // Ientlemanlike pastimes. And good cause whie: pastimes. // For the self same noble Citie of Athenes, iustlie commended of me before, did wiselie and vpon great considera- tion, appoint, the Muses,Apollo, andPallas, to be patrones ofMusæ.// learninge to their yougthe. For the Muses, besides learning, were also Ladies of dauncinge,Apollo.// mirthe and ministrelsie:Apollo, was god of shooting, and Author of cunning playing vpon Instrumentes:Pallas.//Pallasalso was Laidie mistres in warres. Wher- bie was nothing else ment, but that learninge shold be alwaise mingled, with honest mirthe, and cumlie exercises: and that warre also shold be gouerned by learning, and moderated by wisdom, as did well appeare in those Capitaines ofAthenesnamed by me before, and also inScipio&Cæsar, the two Diamondes of Rome.
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AndPallas, was no more feared, in weeringægida, than she was praised, for chosingOliva: whereby shineth // Learning the glory of learning, which thus, was Gouernour // rewleth & Mistres, in the noble Citie ofAthenes, both of // both warre warre and peace. // and peace. Therefore, to ride cumlie: to run faire at the tilte or ring: to plaie at all weapones: to shote faire in bow, or surelie in gon: to vaut lustely: to runne: to leape: to wrestle: // The pas- to swimme: To daunce cumlie: to sing, and playe // times that of instrumentes cunnyngly: to Hawke: to hunte: // be fitte for to playe at tennes, & all pastimes generally, which // Courtlie be ioyned with labor, vsed in open place, and on // Ientlemen. the day light, conteining either some fitte exercise for warre, or some pleasant pastime for peace, be not onelie cumlie and decent, but also verie necessarie, for a Courtlie Ientleman to vse. But, of all kinde of pastimes, fitte for a Ientleman, I will, godwilling, in fitter place, more at large, declare fullie, in my booke of the Cockpitte: which I do write, to // The Cok- satisfie som, I trust, with som reason, that be // pitte. more curious, in marking other mens doinges, than carefull in mendying their owne faultes. And som also will nedes busie them selues in merueling, and adding thereunto vnfrendlie taulke, why I, a man of good yeares, and of no ill place, I thanke God and my Prince, do make choise to spend soch tyme in writyng of trifles, as the schole of shoting, the Cockpitte, and this booke of the first Principles of Grammer, rather, than to take some weightie matter in hand, either of Religion, or Ciuill discipline. Wise men I know, will well allow of my choise herein: and as for such, who haue not witte of them selues, but must learne of others, to iudge right of mens doynges, let them // A booke of read that wise PoetHoracein hisArte Poetica, // a lofty title, who willeth wisemen to beware, of hie and loftie // beareth the Titles. For, great shippes, require costlie tack- // brag of o- ling, and also afterward dangerous gouernment: // uergreat a Small boates, be neither verie chargeable in // promise. makyng, nor verie oft in great ieoperdie: and yet they cary many tymes, as good and costlie ware, as greater vessels do. A meane Argument, may easelie beare, the light burden of a small faute, and haue alwaise at hand, a ready excuse for
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ill handling: And, some praise it is, if it so chaunce, to beThe right // better in deede, than a man dare venture tochoise, to // seeme. A hye title, doth charge a man, withchose a fitte // the heauie burden, of to great a promise: andArgument // therefore saythHoraceverie wittelie, that, thatto write // Poete was a verie foole, that began hys booke,vpon. // with a goodlie verse in deede, but ouer proudeHor. in// a promise.Arte Poet.//
Fortunam Priami cantabo & nobile bellum,
And after, as wiselie.
Quantò rectiùs hic, qui nil molitur ineptè. etc.
MeeningHomer, who, within the compasse of a smalHomers// Argument, of one harlot, and of one good wife,wisdom in // did vtter so moch learning in all kinde of sciences,choice of // as, by the iudgement ofQuintilian, he deseruethhis Argu- // so hie a praise, that no man yet deserued to sitment. // in the second degree beneth him. And thus mochout of my way, concerning my purpose in spending penne, andpaper, & tyme, vpon trifles, & namelie to aunswere some, thathaue neither witte nor learning, to do any thyng them selues,neither will nor honestie, to say well of other.To ioyne learnyng with cumlie exercises,Conto BaldesærThe Cor- //Castiglionein his booke,Cortegiano, doth trimlietegian, an // teache: which booke, aduisedlie read, and dili-excellent // gentlie folowed, but one yeare at home inbooke for a // England, would do a yong ientleman more good,ientleman. // I wisse, then three yeares trauell abrode spent inItalie. And I meruell this booke, is no more read in the Court,than it is, seying it is so well translated into English by a worthieSyrTho.// Ientleman SyrTh. Hobbie, who was many wayesHobbye.// well furnished with learnyng, and very expert inknowledge of diuers tonges.And beside good preceptes in bookes, in all kinde of tonges,this Court also neuer lacked many faire examples, for yongExamples // ientlemen to folow: And surelie, one example,better than // is more valiable, both to good and ill, than xx.preceptes. // preceptes written in bookes: and soPlato, not inone or two, but diuerse places, doth plainlie teach.
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If kyngEdwardhad liued a litle longer, his onely examplehad breed soch a rase of worthie learned ientlemen, //King Ed.6.as this Realme neuer yet did affourde.And, in the second degree, two noble Primeroses ofNobilitie, the yong Duke of Suffolke, and Lord // The yongH. Matreuers, were soch two examples to the // Duke ofCourt for learnyng, as our tyme may rather wishe, // Suffolke.than looke for agayne. //L. H. Mar-//treuers.At Cambrige also, in S. Iohns Colledge, inmy tyme, I do know, that, not so much the good statutes, as twoIentlemen, of worthie memorie SyrIohn Cheke, //Syr Johnand DoctourReadman, by their onely example //Cheke.of excellency in learnyng, of godlynes in liuyng, ofdiligencie in studying, of councell in exhorting, of good order inall thyng, did breed vp, so many learned men, in //D. Read-that one College of S. Iohns, at one time, as I //man.beleue, the whole Vniuersitie ofLouaine, in manyyeares, was neuer able to affourd.Present examples of this present tyme, I list not totouch: yet there is one example, for all the Ien- //Queenetlemen of this Court to folow, that may well //Elisabeth.satisfie them, or nothing will serue them, nor noexample moue them, to goodnes and learning.It is your shame, (I speake to you all, you yong Ientlemenof England) that one mayd should go beyond you all, in excel-lencie of learnyng, and knowledge of diuers tonges. Pointeforth six of the best giuen Ientlemen of this Court, and all theytogether, shew not so much good will, spend not so much tyme,bestow not so many houres, dayly orderly, & constantly, for theincrease of learning & knowledge, as doth the Queenes Maiestieher selfe. Yea I beleue, that beside her perfit readines, inLatin, Italian, French, &Spanish, she readeth here now atWindsore more Greeke euery day, than some Prebendarie ofthis Chirch doth readLatinin a whole weeke. And thatwhich is most praise worthie of all, within the walles of herpriuie chamber, she hath obteyned that excellencie of learnyng,to vnderstand, speake, & write, both wittely with head, andfaire with hand, as scarse one or two rare wittes in both theVniuersities haue in many yeares reached vnto. Amongestall the benefites y^t God hath blessed me with all, next the
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knowledge of Christes true Religion, I counte this the greatest,that it pleased God to call me, to be one poore minister insettyng forward these excellent giftes of learnyng in this mostexcellent Prince. Whose onely example, if the rest of ourIll Exam- // nobilitie would folow, than might England be,ples haue // for learnyng and wisedome in nobilitie, a spectaclemore force, // to all the world beside. But see the mishap ofthen good // men: The best examples haue neuer such forseexamples. // to moue to any goodnes, as the bad, vaine, lightand fond, haue to all ilnes.And one example, though out of the compas of learning,yet not out of the order of good maners, was notable in thisCourte, not fullie xxiiij. yeares a go, when all the actes ofParlament, many good Proclamations, diuerse strait commanude-mentes, sore punishment openlie, speciall regarde priuatelie, coldnot do so moch to take away one misorder, as the example ofone big one of this Courte did, still to kepe vp the same: Thememorie whereof, doth yet remaine, in a common prouerbe ofBirching lane.Take hede therfore, ye great ones in y^e Court, yea thoughGreat men // ye be y^e greatest of all, take hede, what ye do,in Court, // take hede how ye liue. For as you great onesby their // vse to do, so all meane men loue to do. You beexample, // in deed, makers or marrers, of all mens manersmake or // within the Realme. For though God hath placedmarre, all // yow, to be cheife in making of lawes, to beareother mens // greatest authoritie, to commaund all others: yetmaners. // God doth order, that all your lawes, all your authoritie, all yourcommaundementes, do not halfe so moch with meane men, asExample // doth your example and maner of liuinge. Andin Religion. // for example euen in the greatest matter, if yowyour selues do serue God gladlie and orderlie forconscience sake, not coldlie, and somtyme for maner sake, youcarie all the Courte with yow, and the whole Realme beside,earnestlie and orderlie to do the same. If yow do otherwise,yow be the onelie authors, of all misorders in Religion, notonelie to the Courte, but to all England beside. Infinite shallbe made cold in Religion by your example, that neuer werehurt by reading of bookes.And in meaner matters, if three or foure great ones in
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Courte, will nedes outrage in apparell, in huge hose, in mon- strous hattes, in gaurishe colers, let the Prince Pro- // Example clame, make Lawes, order, punishe, commaunde // in apparell. euerie gate in London dailie to be watched, let all good men beside do euerie where what they can, surelie the misorder of apparell in mean men abrode, shall neuer be amended, except the greatest in Courte will order and mend them selues first. I know, som greate and good ones in Courte, were authors, that honest Citizens of London, shoulde watche at euerie gate, to take misordered persones in apparell. I know, that honest Londoners did so: And I sawe, which I saw than, & reporte now with some greife, that som Courtlie men were offended with these good men of London. And that, which greued me most of all, I sawe the verie same tyme, for all theis good orders, commaunded from the Courte and executed in London, I sawe I say, cum out of London, euen // Masters, vnto the presence of the Prince, a great rable of // Vshers, & meane and light persons, in apparell, for matter, // Scholers against lawe, for making, against order, for facion, // of fense. namelie hose, so without all order, as he thought himselfe most braue, that durst do most in breaking order and was most monsterous in misorder. And for all the great commaunde- mentes, that came out of the Courte, yet this bold misorder, was winked at, and borne withall, in the Courte. I thought, it was not well, that som great ones of the Court, durst declare themselues offended, with good men of London, for doinge their dewtie, & the good ones of the Courte, would not shew them- selues offended, with ill men of London, for breaking good order. I fownde thereby a sayinge ofSocratesto be most trewe that ill men be more hastie, than good men be forwarde, to prosecute their purposes, euen as Christ himselfe saith, of the Children of light and darknes. Beside apparell, in all other thinges to, not so moch, good lawes and strait commaundementes as the example and maner of liuing of great men, doth carie all meane men euerie where, to like, and loue, & do, as they do. For if but two or three noble men in the Court, wold but beginne to // Example shoote, all yong Ientlemen, the whole Court, all // in shoo- London, the whole Realme, wold straight waie // tyng. exercise shooting.
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What praise shold they wynne to themselues, what com- moditie shold they bring to their contrey, that would thus deserue to be pointed at: Beholde, there goeth, the author of good order, the guide of good men. I cold say more, and yet not ouermuch. But perchance, som will say, I haue stepte to farre, out of my schole, into the common welthe, from teaching Written not // a yong scholer, to monishe greate and noble men: for great // yet I trust good and wise men will thinke and men, but for // iudge of me, that my minde was, not so moch, great mens // to be busie and bold with them, that be great children. // now, as to giue trewe aduise to them, that may be great hereafter. Who, if they do, as I wishe them to do, how great so euer they be now, by blood and other mens meanes, they shall becum a greate deale greater hereafter, by learninge, vertue, and their owne desertes: which is trewe praise, right worthines, and verie Nobilitie in deede. Yet, if som will needes presse me, that I am to bold with great men, & stray to Ad Philip. // farre from my matter, I will aunswere them withS. Paul, siue perc ontentionem, siue quocunqe modo, modò Christus prædicetur, &c.euen so, whether in place, or out of place, with my matter, or beside my matter, if I can hereby either prouoke the good, or staye the ill, I shall thinke my writing herein well imployed. But, to cum downe, from greate men, and hier matters, to my litle children, and poore scholehouse againe, I will, God willing, go forwarde orderlie, as I purposed, to instructe Children and yong men, both for learninge and maners. Hitherto, I haue shewed, what harme, ouermoch feare bringeth to children: and what hurte, ill companie, and ouer- moch libertie breedeth in yougthe: meening thereby, that from seauen yeare olde, to seauentene, loue is the best allurement to learninge: from seauentene to seauen and twentie, that wise men shold carefullie see the steppes of yougthe surelie staide by good order, in that most slipperie tyme: and speciallie in the Courte, a place most dangerous for yougthe to liue in, without great grace, good regarde, and diligent looking to. SyrRichard Sackuile, that worthy Ientlemen of worthy Trauelyng // memorie, as I sayd in the begynnynge, in the into Ita- // Queenes priuie Chamber at Windesore, after he lie. // had talked with me, for the right choice of a good
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witte in a child for learnyng, and of the trewe difference betwixt quicke and hard wittes, of alluring yong children by ientlenes to loue learnyng, and of the speciall care that was to be had, to keepe yong men from licencious liuyng, he was most earnest with me, to haue me say my mynde also, what I thought, concernyng the fansie that many yong Ientlemen of England haue to trauell abroad, and namely to lead a long lyfe in Italie. His request, both for his authoritie, and good will toward me, was a sufficient commaundement vnto me, to satisfie his pleasure, with vtteryng plainlie my opinion in that matter. Syr quoth I, I take goyng thither, and liuing there, for a yonge ientleman, that doth not goe vnder the kepe and garde of such a man, as both, by wisedome can, and authoritie dare rewle him, to be meruelous dangerous. And whie I said so than, I will declare at large now: which I said than priuatelie, and write now openlie, not bicause I do contemne, either the knowledge of strange and diuerse tonges, and namelie the // The Ita- Italian tonge, which next the Greeke and Latin // lian tong. tonge, I like and loue aboue all other: or else bicause I do despise, the learning that is gotten, or the experi- ence that is gathered in strange contries: or for any priuate malice that beare to Italie: which contrie, and // Italia. in it, namelie Rome, I haue alwayes speciallie honored: bicause, tyme was, whan Italie and // Roma. Rome, haue bene, to the greate good of vs that now liue, the best breeders and bringers vp, of the worthiest men, not onelie for wise speakinge, but also for well doing, in all Ciuill affaires, that euer was in the worlde. But now, that tyme is gone, and though the place remayne, yet the olde and present maners, do differ as farre, as blacke and white, as vertue and vice. Vertue once made that contrie Mistres ouer all the worlde. Vice now maketh that contrie slaue to them, that before, were glad to serue it. All men seeth it: They themselues confesse it, namelie soch, as be best and wisest amongest them. For sinne, by lust and vanitie, hath and doth breed vp euery where, common contempt of Gods word, priuate contention in many families, open factions in euery Citie: and so, makyng them selues bonde, to vanitie and vice at home, they are content to beare the yoke of seruyng straungers abroad.Italienow, is not thatItalie, that it was wont to be: and therfore now, not so
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fitte a place, as some do counte it, for yong men to fetch either wisedome or honestie from thence. For surelie, they will make other but bad Scholers, that be so ill Masters to them selues. Yet, if a ientleman will nedes trauell intoItalie, he shall do well, to looke on the life, of the wisest traueler, that euer traueled thether, set out by the wisest writer, that euer spake with tong, Gods doctrine onelie excepted: and that isVlyssesinVlysses.//Homere.Vlysses, and his trauell, I wishe ourHomere.// trauelers to looke vpon, not so much to feare them, with the great daungers, that he many tymes suffered, as to instruct them, with his excellent wisedome, which he alwayes and euerywhere vsed. Yea euen those, that be learned and wittie trauelers, when they be disposed to prayse traueling, as a great commendacion, and the best Scripture they haue for it, they gladlie recite the third verse ofHomere, in his first booke ofOdyssea, conteinyng a great prayse ofVlysses, for odys. a. // the witte he gathered, & wisdome he vsed in his traueling. Which verse, bicause, in mine opinion, it was not made at the first, more naturallie inGrekebyHomere, nor after turned more aptlie intoLatinbyHorace, than it was a good while ago, in Cambrige, translated into English, both plainlie for the sense, and roundlie for the verse, by one of the best Scholers, that euer S. Iohns Colledge bred,M. Watson, myne old frend, somtime Bishop of Lincolne, therfore, for their sake, that haue lust to see, how our English tong, in auoidyng barbarous ryming, may as well receiue, right quantitie of sillables, and trewe order of versifiyng (of which matter more at large here- after) as eitherGrekeorLatin, if a cunning man haue it in handling, I will set forth that one verse in all three tonges, for an Example to good wittes, that shall delite in like learned exercise. Homerus. pollon d anthropon iden astea kai noon egno. Horatius.Qui mores hominum multorum vidit & vrbes.M. Watson.All trauellers do gladly report great prayse of Vlysses, For that he knew many mens maners, and saw many Cities.
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And yet is notVlyssescommended, so much, nor so oft, inHomere, bicause he was polytropos, that is, // | {polytropos.skilfull in many mens manners and facions, as // |Vlyss.{bicause he was polymetis, that is, wise in all // | { polymetis.purposes, & ware in all places: which wisedome and wareneswill not serue neither a traueler, exceptPallasbe //Pallasfromalwayes at his elbow, that is Gods speciall grace // heauen.from heauen, to kepe him in Gods feare, in allhis doynges, in all his ieorneye. For, he shall not alwayesin his absence out of England, light vpon aientleAlcynous, and walke in his faire gardens // |Alcynous.od. 2.full of all harmelesse pleasures: but he shall // |sometymes, fall, either into the handes of some // |cruellCyclops, or into the lappe of some wanton // |Cyclops.od. 1.and dalying DameCalypso: and so suffer the // |Calypso.od. e.danger of many a deadlie Denne, not so full of // |perils, to distroy the body, as, full of vayne // |pleasures, to poyson the mynde. SomeSiren// |Sirenes.}shall sing him a song, sweete in tune, but // | }sownding in the ende, to his vtter destruction. // |Scylla.} od.m.IfScylladrowne him not,Carybdismay fortune // |Caribdis.}swalow hym. SomeCircesshall make him, of // |Circes.od. k.a plaine English man, a rightItalian. And atlength to hell, or to some hellish place, is he likelie to go: fromwhence is hard returning, although oneVlysses, and that byPallasayde, and good counsell ofTiresiasonce // od. l.escaped that horrible Den of deadly darkenes.Therfore, if wise men will nedes send their sonnes intoItalie, let them do it wiselie, vnder the kepe and garde of him,who, by his wisedome and honestie, by his example andauthoritie, may be hable to kepe them safe and sound, in thefeare of God, in Christes trewe Religion, in good order andhonestie of liuyng: except they will haue them run headling,into ouermany ieoperdies, asVlysseshad done many tymes, ifPallashad not alwayes gouerned him: if he had not vsed, tostop his eares with waxe: to bind him selfe to // od. m.the mast of his shyp: to feede dayly, vpon that // od. k.swete herbeMolywith the blake roote and // Moly Her-white floore, giuen vnto hym by Mercurie, to // ba.auoide all the inchantmentes ofCirces. Wherby, the Diuine
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PoeteHomerment couertlie (as wise and Godly men do iudge)Psal. 33. // that loue of honestie, and hatred of ill, whichDauidmore plainly doth call the feare of God:the onely remedie agaynst all inchantementes of sinne.I know diuerse noble personages, and many worthie Ientle-men of England, whom all theSirensonges ofItalie, couldneuer vntwyne from the maste of Gods word: nor no inchant-ment of vanitie, ouerturne them, from the feare of God, andloue of honestie.But I know as many, or mo, and some, sometyme mydeare frendes, for whose sake I hate going into that countrey themore, who, partyng out of England feruent in the loue ofChristes doctrine, and well furnished with the feare of God,returned out ofItalieworse transformed, than euer was any inCircesCourt. I know diuerse, that went out of England, menof innocent life, men of excellent learnyng, who returned outofItalie, not onely with worse maners, but also with lesselearnyng: neither so willing to liue orderly, nor yet so hable tospeake learnedlie, as they were at home, before they wentabroad. And why?Platoy^t wise writer, and worthytraueler him selfe, telleth the cause why. He went intoSicilia,a countrey, no nigherItalyby site of place, thanItaliethat isnow, is likeSiciliathat was then, in all corrupt maners andlicenciousnes of life.Platofound inSicilia, euery Citie full ofvanitie, full of factions, euen asItalieis now. And asHomere,like a learned Poete, doth feyne, thatCirces, by pleasant in-chantmentes, did turne men into beastes, some into Swine, sominto Asses, some into Foxes, some into Wolues etc. euen soPlat. ad //Plato, like a wise Philosopher, doth plainelieDionys. // declare, that pleasure, by licentious vanitie, thatEpist. 3. // sweete and perilous poyson of all youth, dothingender in all those, that yeld vp themselues to her, fourenotorious properties.{1. lethenThe fruits // {2. dysmathianof vayne // {3. achrosynenpleasure. // {4. ybrin.The first, forgetfulnes of all good thinges learned before:Causes // the second, dulnes to receyue either learnyng orwhy men // honestie euer after: the third, a mynde embracing
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lightlie the worse opinion, and baren of discretion // returne out to make trewe difference betwixt good and ill, // of Italie, betwixt troth, and vanitie, the fourth, a proude // lesse lear- disdainfulnes of other good men, in all honest // ned and matters.HomereandPlato, haue both one // worse ma- meanyng, looke both to one end. For, if a man // nered. inglutte himself with vanitie, or walter in filthi- //Homerand nes like a Swyne, all learnyng, all goodnes, is //Platoioy- sone forgotten: Than, quicklie shall he becum // ned and ex- a dull Asse, to vnderstand either learnyng or //pounded. honestie: and yet shall he be as sutle as a Foxe, // A Swyne. in breedyng of mischief, in bringyng in misorder, // An Asse. with a busie head, a discoursing tong, and a factious harte, in // A Foxe. euery priuate affaire, in all matters of state, with this pretie propertie, alwayes glad to commend the worse // aphrosyne, partie, and euer ready to defend the falser // Quid, et opinion. And why? For, where will is giuen // vnde. from goodnes to vanitie, the mynde is sone caryed from right iudgement, to any fond opinion, in Religion, in Philosophie, or any other kynde of learning. The fourth fruite of vaine pleasure, byHomerandPlatosiudgement, is pride // hybris. in them selues, contempt of others, the very badge of all those that serue inCircesCourt. The trewe meenyng of bothHomerandPlato, is plainlie declared in one short sentence of the holy Prophet of God // HieremiasHieremie, crying out of the vaine & vicious life // 4. Cap. of theIsraelites. This people (sayth he) be fooles and dulhedes to all goodnes, but sotle, cunning and bolde, in any mischiefe. &c. The true medicine against the inchantmentes ofCirces, the vanitie of licencious pleasure, the inticementes of all sinne, is, inHomere, the herbeMoly, with the blacke roote, and white flooer, sower at the first, but sweete in the end: which,Hesiodustermeth the study of vertue, hard and // Hesiodus irksome in the beginnyng, but in the end, easie // de virtute. and pleasant. And that, which is most to be marueled at, the diuine PoeteHomeresayth plainlie that this medicine against sinne and vanitie, is not found // Homerus, out by man, but giuen and taught by God. And // diuinus for some one sake, that will haue delite to read // Poeta.
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that sweete and Godlie Verse, I will recite the very wordes ofHomereand also turne them into rude English metre.
chalepon de t oryssein andrasi ge thnetoisi, theoi de te panta dynantai.
In English thus.
No mortall man, with sweat of browe, or toile of minde, But onely God, who can do all, that herbe doth finde.
Platoalso, that diuine Philosopher, hath many Godly medicines agaynst the poyson of vayne pleasure, in many places, but specially in his Epistles toDionisiusthe tyrant of Plat. ad //Sicilie: yet agaynst those, that will nedes becum Dio. // beastes, with seruyng ofCirces, the ProphetPsal.32 //Dauid, crieth most loude,Nolite fieri sicut equus et mulus: and by and by giueth the right medi- cine, the trewe herbeMoly, In camo & freno maxillas eorum constringe, that is to say, let Gods grace be the bitte, let Gods feare be the bridle, to stay them from runnyng head- long into vice, and to turne them into the right way agayne.Psal.33. //Dauidin the second Psalme after, giueth the same medicine, but in these plainer wordes,Diuerte à malo, & fac bonum. But I am affraide, that ouer many of our trauelers intoItalie, do not exchewe the way toCircesCourt: but go, and ryde, and runne, and flie thether, they make great hast to cum to her: they make great sute to serue her: yea, I could point out some with my finger, that neuer had gone out of England, but onelie to serueCirces, inItalie. Vanitie and vice, and any licence to ill liuyng in England was counted stale and rude vnto them. And so, beyng Mules and Horses before they went, returned verie Swyne and Asses home agayne: yet euerie where verie Foxes with suttle A trewe // and busie heades; and where they may, verie Picture of // wolues, with cruell malicious hartes. A mer- a knight of // uelous monster, which, for filthines of liuyng, for Circes // dulnes to learning him selfe, for wilinesse in Court. // dealing with others, for malice in hurting without cause, should carie at once in one bodie, the belie of a Swyne, the head of an Asse, the brayne of a Foxe, the wombe of a wolfe. If you thinke, we iudge amisse, and write to sore
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against you, heare, what theItaliansayth of the English man, what the master reporteth of the scholer: who // The Ita- vttereth playnlie, what is taught by him, and what // lians iudge- learned by you, saying,Englese Italianato, e vn// ment ofdiabolo incarnato, that is to say, you remaine men // Englishmen in shape and facion, but becum deuils in life // brought vp and condition. This is not, the opinion of one, // in Italie. for some priuate spite, but the iudgement of all, in a common Prouerbe, which riseth, of that learnyng, and those maners, which you gather inItalie: a good Scholehouse // The Ita- of wholesome doctrine: and worthy Masters of // lian diffa- commendable Scholers, where the Master had // meth him rather diffame hym selfe for hys teachyng, than // selfe, to not shame his Scholer for his learning. A good // shame the nature of the maister, and faire conditions of the // Englishe scholers. And now chose you, youItalianEnglish men, // man. whether you will be angrie with vs, for calling you monsters, or with theItalianes, for callyng you deuils, or else with your owne selues, that take so much paines, and go so farre, to make your selues both. If some yet do not well vnder- // An Eng- stand, what is an English man Italianated, I will // lish man plainlie tell him. He, that by liuing, & traueling // Italiana- inItalie, bringeth home into England out ofItalie, // ted. the Religion, the learning, the policie, the experience, the maners ofItalie. That is to say, for Religion, // | {1 Religion.} Papistrie or worse: for learnyng, lesse // | {2 Learn- } commonly than they caried out with // | { ing. } them: for pollicie, a factious hart, a // | {3 Pollicie. } discoursing head, a mynde to medle in // |The{ }gotten in all mens matters: for experience, // | {4 Experi- }Italie. plentie of new mischieues neuer // | { ence. } knowne in England before: for maners, // | {5 Maners. } varietie of vanities, and chaunge of // | filthy lyuing. These be the inchantementes ofCirces, brought out ofItalie, to marre mens maners in England: much, by example of ill life, but more by preceptes of fonde //Italianbookes, of late translated out ofItalianinto // bokes trans- English, sold in euery shop in London, com- // lated into mended by honest titles the soner to corrupt // English. honest maners: dedicated ouer boldlie to vertuous and honor-