pains diligence both in citie countrey Now bicause our Sauior Christ at 12. yeares of age shewed great note of his towardlines amongst wise men and spake manie things earnestlie and to purpose vvhen he vvas asked aâ—â—e question would ansvver mildlie and modestly without any shewe of arrogancie or pride which vices are wont to bee in the ouerhastie foolhardie and rashe wits of youth I interpret Christ to haue great reason in this action to do it to the end our yong men following his example should shew some sign of their towardlines in their youth giue some hope to their parents and others that they are like to become vertuous But because they haue need of a conductor which as a guide may shew them the vvaie I wil shew them the path wherin they shal go what examples of life they shal follow and to what authors they shall addict themselues wherby they may come to perfect knowledge or at leastwise come neare vnto it What Authors we may best vse to file the toung and instruct the mind and what artes ought most especiallie to be learned Chap. 12. TAke vnto thee such choice Authors that thou mayst set them before thee as most honest to read and profitable to follow For it is a verie foolish thing in imitation or emulation not to follow the best patternes Sowing hath taught vs that in the verie nature of it in which we are vvont to commit the best and finest vvheat to the furrovves of the earth The same also is vviselie regarded in grafting in vvhich vve take the best and fruitfullest siens or shootes and graft them on another tree Yea and which is also wont to be obserued and kept in painting Musick Poetry Oratorie in al which the curious aemulator doth desire to imitate the perfectest patterns such as are don at an inch 1 Cor. 12 And this doth Paul also teach vs to obserue in those things that belong to godlinesse and the giftes of the spirit that wee might attaine and come to those things that are most powerfull and excellent For vvhosoeuer frameth either his studie or course of life after this sort shall neuer repent himselfe of his labour paines bestovved theron This also is a common practise amongste them that addict themselues to anie kind of superstitious liuing and of such also as are â—ude of speech which because it is not in vse among the learned are forced to take great pains to vnlearn their Barbarisme In which practise methinkes the mother and nurse of good learning Italie and the learned Greece are much to be praised vvhose custome France the Low countries cease not to follovve in that they laie before their youth the best patterns of learning For by this means it falleth out theâ—r youth are not onely indued with puritie of vvords and elegancie of speech but also quicklie attaine to the knovvledge of the matter The Authors iudgement on Heathen writers Chap. 13. ALbeit there bee manie vniust iudgers of causes vvhich doe exclude and hisse out of al schooles prophane Authors as they improperlie call them and will not that any examples either to file the toung or frame a good life to bee fetched out of them yet are there Poets and Orators both comical tragicall and historicall which may helpe the studious youth to the knovvledge of vvords and matter to the noble and liberall Sciences and to sounde and perfect discipline yea they doe open a speedie and easie passage to all of them Deseruedlie therefore and for great cause are these studies renowmed vvith the names of humanitie and more excellent learning because they doe indue our tender and young youths with curtesy meeknesse and pleasing conditions From these studies also men of more yeares and riper discretions do gather honest delightes and shake off the troubles of this life vvhich are readie to ouervvhelme them in their businesse And hence it came that Saint Basil surnamed the great inuited and willed his cousins not onelie to read holie and sacred writers but also earnestlie to peruse the vvorkes of Orators and Poets Of Poets and what profit youth and age get by reading them Chap. 14. HOvv exact an instructer of toung maners an Orators kinsmanne a Poet is by which name is meant a teacher of the liberall artes and of good life Horace in these verses follovving shevveth Os tenerum pueri balbumque poeta figurat Lib. 2. â—d August Torquet ab obsoenis iam nunc sermonibus aurem Mox etiam pectus praeceptis format amicis Asperitatis inuidiae corrector irae Recte fact a refert orientia tempora notis Instruit exemplis inopem solatur aegrum which is The Poet frames the tender mouth of euery stutting child He turns his cares â—â—oÌ„ silthy words makes his speech more And after that he frames hâ—s hart with precepts aâ— a friend mild His churlish speech his enuious looks and angry heart amends His good deeds tels his youth instructs w e patterns that be plain He comforteth the needie man and him that pines vvith paine And after he repeateth certain profitable precepts as not to vse youth too seuerelie not with threatnings or imperiouslie least they be weary of wel dooing but rather with that moderation art that horse keepers and breakers doe their stout horses whoe by gentle handling and stroking of them doe bring them to mount and reare vnder them and with a kinde of artificiall playe Vir. gecâ—g 3 as Virgil saith Insultare sâ—lo ac gressum glâ—merare superâ—um which is To prance on ground and amble out aveâ—â—â— statelie pace Neither do the delights of these studies stirre vp the mindes and courages onlie of young men but is also of great vse vvith the ancient if at anie time they haue leisure to breath themselues from their busines abroad and to cease from their serious and waightie assayres elsewhere Cicero and Fabius doe vvitnesse that there were an ancient kinde of Poets renowmed in former ages before Theophrastus Iab 10. cap. 1 for it is manifest they vvere the first that brought the rude runnagate and wilde men liuing like beasts into a ciuill kind of life societie In arte Poâ— which Horace also finely expresseth in theseverses Syluestres homines sacer interpresque Deorum Caedibus victu foedo deterruit Orpheus Dictus ob hoc lenire tygres rabidosque leones DicÌ„tus Amphion Thebanae conditor arcis Saxa mouere sono testudinâ—s prece blan da Ducere quo vellet Fuit haec saptentia quondam Publica priuatis secernere sacra prophanis Concubitu prohibere vago dare iura maritis Oppida moliri leges incidere ligno Hic honor nomen diuinis vatibus atque Carminibus venit Good Orpheus thâ—nterpretor of all the gods did fear The sauage men frâ—m murdrous facts and liues that filthie were And for that cause was Lyons fierce and Tygers said to tame And Amphion that builded Thebes
â—ind of dice differing froÌ„ that which the Dutchman calles Terlinghe which is sixe square and the other but foure The abuse of this of sixe is so great and so vsed in all Europe that diuers haue spent their patrimonies with it and consuming their wealth haue brought themselues to beggeriâ— But those kind of fouresquare dice which our Dutche maides vse bringeth not the ouerthrowe of their housen because they play but to passe avvay the time and when it is lavvful for them to bee idle they playe for things of no great value as Chestnuts Filberds pins claspes or some kinde of pocketing stuffe But the whipping of a top and driuing of him in a circle till he sleep so that his motion cannot be perceiued nor seen yong men doe therein cheerfullie exercise themselues and that chieflie in the Winter time to catch them heate Which kind of exercise our forefathers vsed recreating themselues with it and manye other besides as Perseus witnesseth in these verses Iure etenim id summum Saâ— 3 quid dexter senio ferret Scire erat in votis damnosa canicula quantum Raderet angustae collo non fallier orcae Neu quis callidior buxum torquere flagello For rightlie this was al my care this did I desire to know What gain the luckie sife did bring what losse the ace did puâ— And might not be deceiud with necke of narrowe dicing boxe And none migâ—â— driue a top with sâ—ouâ—ge so skilfullye as I Virgil also maketh mention of this childish instrument comparing Lauinias minde troubled with the loue of Turnus to a top saying in excellent verse that she did no otherwise role and turne then a top driuen too and fro with whips and scourges The Dutchman calleth it also a top but thus dooth Virgill prosecute his purpose Tum vero infelix ingentibus excita monstris Immensum sine more furit lymphataper vrbem Virg. lib. 7 Aenâ—i Ceu quondam torto volitans sub verbere turbo Quem pueri magno in gyro vacua atria circum Intenti ludo exercent ille actus habena Curuatis fertur spatiis stupet insciaturba Impubisque manus mirata volubile buxum Dant animos plagae non cursu segnior illo Per medias vrbes agitur populosque feroces Vnhappy she prouoked on with great and monstrous rage Vnreasonably without delaie runs mad about the town As sometimes doth a top the flies with lashes of a scourge Which boies when they are bent to play do in a circle driue Vpon a plaine and emptie floore who forced with the whip Is caried vp and down the plaine the foolish boyes amaz'd And wondring at the rouling top do with their childish handes Apply their mindes to whip him stil so with as swift a course Shee 's caried all about the town among proud Citizens Children are wont to vse these kind of plaies for the most part but when they are older begin to grovve to be fourteene yeares of age they require more comlie exercises and pastimes For in all exercises wherin the minde and bodie reape any profite a great care and regard must bee had that they be comelie and honest For that cause onelie did Salâ—â—â— praise the commendable towardnes of Iugurth before the time hee vvas corrupted with ambition desire to rule for he when he began to be manlie strong beautifull wittie gaue not himselfe ouer to be corrupted with ryot and idlenesse but after the manner of his countrey to ride cast dartes and runne races with his equals and albeit he excelled them all for glorie and actiuitie yet vvas he beloued and esteemed of all because he would neuer brag of himselfe But flie thou from and eschue dice and cardes and all such exercises as delight idle folkes as most hurtfull and infamous because in these exercises art and skil preuailes not but deceit crafte subtletie guile for reason counsell and vvisedome beare no swaie in them but chance fortune and rashnes Moreouer vnder this word alea or dice is comprehended al playes subiect to mutabilitie of Fortune as tray trip mumchance nouum tables and all other wherein the casting of dice is vsed which are all disliked and blamed in vs though wee playe like boyes for pins and points if vve vse it often deceitfullie or contentiouslie For thus saith Martial verie vvel Alea parua â—â—b 1 4. nuces non damnosa videtur Sape tamen pueris abstulit illa nates To play at dice for nuts seemes nothing culpable Yet parents from their children take them oftentimes away Wherefore seeing that almost all things in this exercise is done couetouslie wickedlie and craftilie vve must vse this moderation rather to follow delight theÌ„ gaine For it often commeth to passe that the simple and such as are vnskilfull are wiped clean from al their money And albeit a great hope of gaine doth dravve the mindes of many men to haunt these exercises and gaine is a great comfort and delight to the winner yet ought we to goe about nothing with an ardent hope and desire of gaine because exercise was ordained and libertie to play licenced not for gaines sake but for bodilie health and delight and to the ende the vvearyed minde might be refreshed and recouer more strength to execute labours But such is the nature and condition of diceplayers that when once that itching scab hath possessed their minds it can hardlie be expelled because there are companions of the same stampe euerie where dravving them on and are euerie hour inticing them to those damnable pleasures which vice is also ingrafted in whoremongers Wherefore Ouid saith verie profitablie Sperne lucrum vexat mentes insana cupido Et reuocat trepidas alea sape manus Hate play because mad auarice so much torments thy mind And dice recals thy feareful hands oft times to play to losse Trulie in mine opinion no man ought to be blamed for laboring to increase and inlarge his vvealth but yet is it meet he follow after gain that is profitable and honest and gotten with the hurte and iniurie of no man Notable is Plautus his prouerbe It is requisite euerie one should be rather painful then craftie in getting his gain for goods got sinisterlie and wickedlie besides the ill name they bring they are also lesse permanent and stable but are quicklie consumed as goods gotten by craft deceit coosenage cauilling and subtletie or by Vsurie Tables and Cardes Therefore what companions soeuer thou haste in thy exercises labour by al good meanes to drawe them from wicked thinges and to stirre them vppe to honestie comelinesse and vertue For this is that dutie of humanitie vvhich not onelie is praised of wise menne but is also acceptable and pleasing to God Which hee vvitnesseth by Ieremie Cap. 15 saying He that seuereth the good from the bad shall be as mine ovvne mouth Whereby hee noteth that man to haue performed a notable exploite to approch neere vnto God and to deserue diuine
of faith and perfection in godlinesse commandeth vvomen to keepe silence in the presence of their husbands and assemblies of men and the reason is because the impotency that is the affectioÌ„s of their minds are altogether departed froÌ„ teÌ„perancy moderation and therefore wil neither permit theÌ„ to vsurp the place of a teacher to reason or dispute in any assembly to be present at the election of magistrates or to speake their minds in anie company if their husbands be present Moreouer such and so great is the imperfection frailty and weakenesse of a womans nature that Plato not without great reproch to the pride of some of that sexe doth almost deny them to haue any minde or to be any way worthy the names of women And yet least those that are vertuous in deed should be vnworthely scorned for the faultes of the vicious 1 Cor. 11 Paule in another place prouiding for the safty of houshold affaires doth with a fatherlie care incite vs to honour and highly esteeme of those that are vertuous because such are almost of the same nature and worthinesse that men are of themselues and almost partakers of the same benefits that man doth inioy onely to put hir in minde of hir obedience she was taken out of man by God who was the maker of them both Genes 2 that as man is the glorie and image of God as the Apostle witnesseth so the woman should be the glory of the man For man was not made of the woman but the woman of the man and man was not made for the womans sake but the woman for the mans sake Ephes 5 and yet neither the man without the woman nor the woman without the man in the Lorde who so ruleth the order of all thinges that he wil haue the woman to be obedient to the man though proude gossippes presume to resist his power Colos 3 For as the woman was of the man so the man is by the vvoman in the acte of begettinge and brynging foorth children So that both vvaies is shewed an assisting societie a mutuall helpe loue consent and agreement between them 1 Peter Cap. 3 Where Peter thought it meete that as Women ought to bee obedient to their husbands so on the other side husbands should be liberall and easilie intreated towardes their wiues as knowing them to be the weaker vessell not onelie pardoning simple faults and forgiuing light offences but also winking at and saying nothing to some open and manifest errors For it is not meete that a manne should be more cruell then is needful vnto so vveake a creature nor bee ouer imperious or too bitter to so sencelesse a sexe especiallie if they continue in their duties in any good sort and permit not themselues to transgresse the bounds of chastitie by playing the harlots Which reproch and discredit albeit it more anger a man when he knowes it then it can any way hurt him though he see or perceiue it yet shal the vvoman neuer cleare her selfe of infamie and dishonor nor heal her wound again so long as she liues And yet if such a chance happen that their furde gownes should lack a little poking as it is reported they somtimes say they doe yet christian charitie and their husbandes loue should not be too rigorous and inexorable towardes them because reconciliation and remission is in the power of God who is wont to be appeased with praier and repentance though he bee prouoked to anger by wickednesse vngodlinesse and idolatrie pardoning the faults of the forepassed life so soone as a repentant minde doth despise and detest his wickednes and constantlie intendeth to liue better hereafter Another cause of vnquietnesse and troubles in this sex commeth with wearinesse of childbearing The cause of womens stubbornes and tediousnes of giuing suck and nursing of children But the greatest cause as is said ariseth from stopping the course of their monthlie disease the which if it issue at the certain and appointed time the rage of their anger and brauling is quicklie appeased by turning from their harts and braines the smoke and fumes of that pernicious humor and by auoiding the vapor mist of that troublesome excrement which for that it fumeth vp to their heads is most painefull for them to auoide When a woman is pleased But now on the contrarie parte hovve quiet and merrie a man shal finde his wife if he indeuour to satisfie that which Salomon in the 30 of his prouerbs saith hath neuer enough and with many and often imbracings desire to fill the vnsatiable gulfe of hir womb with endlesse copulations it is better known to them that finde it by practise in mariage then can be declared by wordes taken from art And althogh I may be thought to expound this paradoxe of the Wiseman somwhat more at large then it is commonlie vsed to be taken and vnderstood that is to giue it an interpretation vnlooked for and much differing from the common fence yet do I see I maye find out and giue vnto it another exposition so that it may also be taken to carie this meaning The wickednesse of a man is better then one that is now an honest woman but a little after is the cause of an ill name by dealing with vvhom thou gettest thee a reproch that it is better to bargaine and haue businesse to doe vvith a vvicked man then any way to deale with a woman vvho by nature is altogither deceitfull For albeit she seeme at the first sight and shew to be an honest Woman and of a good name and that in her outvvarde gesture she carrieth no shevv of crast or deceit yet afterward thou shalt finde her vnconstant crafty captious slipperie deceitful fraudulent and euerie vvaie bent to deceiue and beguile thee so that if one manne defraude or deceiue an other in his busines this fraud and deceit is iustice in men in comparison of the wickednesse and deceit in women To this purpose wee meet with manie such sayinges in the scriptures beeing argumentes taken from the lesse to the greater For after the same maner dooeth God by Ezechiell Ezâ—â— 16 amplifie the wickednes of the Ievves to the full pronouncing Sodome and Samaria to be iustified by her Whereby he sheweth the Iewes were more wicked and went beyond the gentiles for dishonestie naughtinesse and vvicked deeds so that the Sodomites and Samaritanes may seeme guiltlesse in comparison of them So in vvicked opinions and in setting abroche any pernicious sect or schisme one is more hurtful and dangerous then another insomuch that many heretikes may be thought to be true Christians and to professe true and vvholsome doctrine if thou compare them with others that publishe opinions which bee more absurd impious blasphemous and execrable as we commonlie saie Desee is een goddelick ende heilich man by den anderen That is A godlie and holie man in comparison of the other that is albeit both be wicked and vngodlie yet if thou measure al things by the rule of equitie and square them out with the squire of Iustice one may bee iudged innocent and vvorthie to be acquited if he be wel compared with the wicked deedes of an other After the same sort is one manne more superstitious then another and more estranged from true godlinesse and religion then another Sicplerumque agit at stultos inscitia veri Hor. lib. 1. sâ—â— et Palantes error certo de tramite pellit Ille sinistrorsum hic dextrorsum abit vnus vtrique Error sed variis illudit partibus omnes So for the most part ignorance doth vex fooles all their daies And error driues al wandring mates out of their ready waies That some on left hand some on right do alwaies go astraie And al is but one onelie vice deceiuing manie a waie So that though error wickednesse shame and dishonesty be both in man and woman yet that of the vvoman is moste detestable and accursed And thus you see howe the wickednesse of a man is better then the good deedes of a vvoman or as the Dutchmanne saith De dencht van een vrowe is ergher dan een manâ— bosheyt that is the vertue of a vvoman is a great deale worse then a mans wickednesse By which prouerbe they aggrauate the maâ—iciâ—â—â— naughtinesse of that sex that if one vice be compared with another and then fall to examining and balancing of deceiptes craftes guiles and subtleties thou shalt finde that they weigh heauier are of greater force which come from a woman then those which are wrought and attempted by man FINIS