maye stande guilty afore God and oure almes loase theyr fruite bycause oure almes they shall be entertayned in their vices and God abhorre vs for not seeing him obeyed So that if they bee poore and workeable let vs giue them nothing vnlesse they expresse a desire and wil to labour but if they will continue the occupation of nothing doing and so consequently to be nothing worth let the law examine their lewdenesse and the magistrate appoynt paynes to their ydlenesse if they finde nothing better than to trauell and know not now nor where let richmen by the example of the husbandman in the Gospell go seeke them in the publike place of the towne where all the poore ought to assemble and present themselues to trauell and so searching there and else euery where such as he findeth let him employ in labour giuing them somwhat more then the merite of their hyer in regarde of their pouertie wherein besides that they shall enure them to labor auoyde losse of time yet in this act they expresse doble almes and dutifull seruice to God in comforting their necessities and kéeping them from doing euill And where there are so many in one common weale that their numbers excéede their meanes to sustaine their lyfe by labour let euery able riche man be allotted by common counsell to a number for his seruice whome as daye labourers he may alwayes employ in something to auoyde ydlenesse And in cases of occupation and trade let the occupiers set them on woorke for the helpe of their sustenaunce But as in this businesse the wise prouidence of the gouernor is greatlye necessary to the prouision of the poore So touching suche as haue goodes and lacke foode for their necessitie the rest are bound to lend them vpon paune without vsury or publike excessiue interest which is vnworthy of Christians ¶ Compassion ought chiefelye to be shewed to poore maydes for the infirmitie of the kinde and not to suffer them to begge Exhortation to vvomen to take them into seruice for Gods sake for the vvhch they are assured to haue great revvardes according to the scriptures The maner hovv they ought to be prouided for vvhat vvas the auncient custome of the church for the releefe of the poore vvherin poore vviddovves and Orphanes vvere fyrst prouided for ¶ The .3 Chapter MVch greater compassion ought to be shewed vpon poore maydes but specially vpon Orphanes al others in whom is no other science Art or trade then to spin which being not sufficient to rayse theyr finding yet not finding worke inough to be imployed in the next coÌ„pulsion if thei be not succored by seruice in priuat houses is to go on begging which settes them in daunger of manye gréeuous inconueniences therfore as wée are bound by christian common pitty to succor aboue all other sortes of poore this fraile and weake womankinde so the most conuenient meane thervnto is if the vertuous and welthy Burgesse wiues vndertaking to prouide for them within their townes will in one common order take into their seruice so many as they may frame méete for their perticuler vses yea though the necessitie of their seruice require not yet for Godes cause let them receyue them into common discipline with their daughters instructing them in some trauell conuenient to their weake kinde And with this if in time they aduaunce them in mariage to some men of science besides the great and agréeable seruice they shall doe to God he shal make florish and prosper their house recompence them to the hundred folde and rewarde them in the ende with eternall lyfe If God requited the charitie of the wise women of Egipt for preseruing from death the little infantes of the Hebrues whome the tyrant Pharao had commaunded to kill what rewarde hath he layde vp for such good women by whome are preserued the bodyes and soules of those christian maydes from filthy polution and eternall destruction in the desire and will of Sathan If for sauing the corporall life of those small children God poured so many benifites vpon the sayde Egiptian woman what hope of lesse recompence remayneth to our good matrons of Cyties who haue protected young maydes from being dishonored an act more worthy then to kéepe them from being killed by impudicitie and defend their soules from perpetuall death what greater sacrifice of seruice can be offred to GOD then to kéepe the sacred temple of the holye ghost which is the bodye of a mayde from prophanation by impuritye and to protect the holye members of Iesus Christ from being soyled in that vncleane sinke of villany and whoredome wherein they shoulde be slaues to the diuell obeying him in all filthinesse and sinnes wherein if the honest and vertuous dames of their cytie eyther by negligence or couetousnesse should giue liberty of corruption and slaunder to these poore maydes applying neyther care nor succor to their wants I doubt whether in the iudgment of God they should stand cléere of their damnation hath not God giuen to euerye one a care and obseruation of his neyghbor who if he be lost by his fault himselfe can not be saued and because therefore it is not proper to a man to haue medling with this sex but more conuenient to graue matrons by a naturall proxâ—mity let the women then vndertake this act of piety and religion so commendable of the worlde and acceptable with God with recompence of immortal glory Here the burgesse dames must not alledge the number and charge of their owne daughters and so forbeare their christian compassion to others for that were the saying of Paganes who are ignoraunt in the benefit of our vnitie in Iesus Christ by the which we ought to holde all Christians aswell women as men in the estimation of our brothers and systers fauoring ayding and succoring them in true frindship in all their necessary wantes And euen as if we should leaue any man in pouerty without succours and his necessitye driue him into offence of the law and so to suffer sentence of death we should stand afore God as parties to his crime and guilty to his death euen so is it with women and riche matrons who much lesse that they can excuse themselues in the terrible iudgement of God but if for want of their ayde poore maydes fall to whoredome or other damnable vice they can not but be capable of hir fault and so merite communitie of payne with hyr Sure such surety of recompâ—nce standes in the true considâ—ration of Gods goodnesse that albeit eyther by their proper inhabiliâ—y or euercharge with their owne children they haue no great power at the beginning to aduauÌ„ce this poore maydes yet seeing it is familiar with God not to forget any good deede done in his name he will so prosper this good act of his lyberall charity that themselues in time will confesse that they féele an apparaunt and manifest blessing of God in more felicity and encrease of richesse then
Paul in many places pronounceth them abhominable before God the same agréeing with common experience wherein wée sée that in no Synne is more power of beastialitye ouer man nor more draweth him into thraledome yea it kéepes him in more subiection then the Wine that makes him Droncke or the King that commaundes him The Wise man sayeth that as Wine and Women doo make men Apostates and to abuse theyr honourable profession so all sinne is without man sauing this whiche corruptes effeminates defiles and dishonoureth euerye parte of the man yea it pollutes the sacred Temple of GOD and bringes to passe that the holye members of IESVS Christe are made infected members of a Whoore If the Lawe did so expreslye forbydde that there shoulde bée no whore in Israel which countreye was but a shadowe of Christendome and that the paine was no lesse then death Why should it be endured amongst Christians who being most cleare and holy by that holy and deuine profession ought to expresse as great power of perfection as the light hath ouer darknesse there is no sinne which bringes to man more miseries blindnesse and beastlynesse nor by whose occasion more controuersies and murders do rise if it did onely but make man lose the reputation of his honour and libertie of his minde that extreme wretchednesse ought to make it hatefull much more then is it detestable by howe much it leades him into the destruction of his soule which is the principall Besides that the sinne is monstrous to lose the séede which GOD hath ordeyned for the generation of man so precious in nature yea if there be encrease of children what shame and dishonour followeth their foule procreation and to howe many vices are they subiect for the contempt which the worlde hath of them in their education If then so generall slaunder hang ouer all Christendome by fornication if it make Realmes subiect to reproches of forreine Nations if in it be nourished the occasion of euyll doyng by wicked examples so manye secrete murders of Infantes without Baptisme and the enforced deliuerie of wretched maydes to auoyde sclaunder of the worlde If lastlye vnder the winges of fornication be hatched the Egges and broode of so many diuisions questions controuersies murders and warres why should there be sufferaunce of whoredome so reprobate and condemned and the onely Nurse of all miseries happening to Nations and men were it not better to condemne it to death or at the least to ioyne it to such gréeuous paynes that there might be no further wyll to followe such allurement the miserable cause of all wretched deathes Here if any wyl obiect the example and custome of the Gentils who to entertayne their pleasures in their brothell places helde opinion that man and woman consenting to suche Acte did no wrong to any séeing hauing libertie they stoode also in power to do what they woulde Let them be aunswered with this text of S. Paul Do you not knowe that you are not of your selues but that you are redeemed with a great price vvhich is the blood of Iesus Christe therfore glorifie God and carye him both in your bodies and in your spirites for so doth it appertaine to him the body was not made to play the whoremonger but to serue God who in the resurrection wyll geue it an immortall glory where some may obiect that the sinne is naturall I confesse it as touching a nature corrupted which beyng the more daungerous ought so much the more to be eschewed and corrected So much may be sayde also af naturall choller procéeding of nature vicious and so of all other vices but by the grace of Iesus Christ that vicious or corrupt nature by studie and exercise of doctrine may be reformed and by vertue chaunged by force tamed so by constraint brought to God. Socrates confessed that the Philosophie of Zophyrus was true as who saye his iudgemente by naturall coniecture vpon the lineaments of his body pronounced him to be a great whoremonger which being reprehended in Zophyrus by Socrates friendes he tolde them that Zophyrus had not iudged amisse as touching his inclination but Philosophie made him another man so that when it is sayd that this sinne is common throughout the worlde we must conclude that there is no feare of God no exercise of true doctrine nor any vse of vertue no not so much as Moral by the which thinges the Philosophers Gentiles eschewed sinnes and wonne the reputation of honest people Let vs feare that the worlde be not fallen into the like estate of wretchednesse as when God powred the generall flood ouer all the earth that as the Scripture saith All fleshe had corrupted his vvay meaning that man euen from his youth ranged after the delyte of his fleshly pleasure the same being one signe of the ende of the worlde wherein S. Paul saith that men shal be more louers of them selues then of god Let these terrors be warnings to vs to correct our vnbridled lustes after filthy and fowle pleasures Let youth restraine their inclination by good discipline continuall labours and perpetuall study of vertue Let them learne to beare the Yoke of the Lorde from the beginning mortifiyng their passions and frayle desires by meditation of death and the iudgement of god Let Parentes according to the counsell of Chrisostome rather vse a ripe care in oportunitie to mary their children then to leaue them in the handes of daunger to offende God and damne their Soules ⧠Continuaunce of the punishment of this sinne according to his other kindes ⧠The .9 Chapter TOuching Incestes amongest néere Parentes or with religious women or rauishmentes of maydes the Law hath alwayes condempned them to death The Positiue Lawe hath alwayes iudged worthye of the fire Inceste with the maides cōsecrated to god At Rome the Vestal Virgines Pagans beyng defiled with Inceste were buryed quicke and so dyed miserablie The auncient Church receiued not the incestuous religious man or woman to the Communion vntyl death In all times the lawe of nature hath condemned adulterie to extreame punishment Pharao and Abimelech iudged it one of the greatest sinnes that coulde be as by whose occasion death did not onely followe such as had commited it but also it drewe infinite miseries vppon houses Courtes and Kingdomes Amongst the Hebrues the offendour was stoned to death At Rome by the Cornelian Lawe it was lawfull to kyll the adulterer without reprehension and also for a man to refuse his wife for the suspicion of that vice euen as for the sinne beyng notorious and prooued the Christian may dissolue mariage touching cohabitation In many places men cut of the nose of the adulterer and sometimes the eares as in Egypt they pluckt out both the eyes of Locres that was the cause why Zalence King of that people pulled out owne of his owne eyes and another from his sonne who was taken with the acte which he did to accomplishe the Law notwithstanding the importunitie of
corporall death is decréed in the Lawe of nature and other seuere iudgement of God inferred to the wicked as to Cayn for kyllyng his brother by the tremblyng of his bodye to the murtherers by the sworde to the worlde for his delightes glorie and whordome by the flood to them of Sodome and Gomorrhe for sinnes against nature by the fire of heauen to the adulterers and rauishers of women by terrible vengeaunce and to the chidren of Iudas who had done abhominable actes by paynes of suddaine deathes which they sawe euen by a naturall iudgement pronounced or inflicted as to Thamar for committing whordome and to the Sichimites for the Rape of Dina the daughter of Iacob If gouernours punishe not suche faultes by like paynes at the least let them ordaine others either conformable or neare approching them alwayes considering that corporall paines in the lawe bée figures and foreshowes of the eternall death which sinne deserueth In like sort where they sée in the Lawe of Moises certaine sinnes to bée punished by the body let them iudge them right sore displeasing and hateful to God who loueth his creature so dearelye as hée hath geuen him his owne image and likenesse and for whome he hath made the inferiour heauens the earth and the Elements with all thinges conteyned in the same and for whose cause hée sent his proper sonne vpon the earth to suffer all miseries yea most cruel and sclaunderous death And therfore being thus instructed bothe by the lawe whiche punisheth certaine sinnes with death specially suche as bée against the ten coÌ„maundements of the Moral Lawe or directly against Gods honour our neighbour or a wholâ— common weale and also by the Gospell to whom certeine sinnes are so abhominable as it condemnes them to eternall death and perpetual tormentes where is gnashing of téeth and lamentable sighinges they maye conclude suche offences to bée worthy of death specially where a whole common weale is iniured or offended For touching secréete sinnes wherein is no meane of proofe let them refer them to the iudgement of God and to the repentaunt Men sayeth the Scripture haue no power nor facultie to iudge but in matters apparant to the eye God séeing into the heart discernes the secréet things wherof hée defendes the iudgement to al others But where God is offended the coÌ„mon weaâ—e iniured there let theÌ„ follow the iudgement of god which we know to be thundred vpon sinners committing such faultes Therefore let Iudges bee well aduised and geue no libertye of life to suche whom God hath already condemned in heauen both to corporal and eternall death Let them acknowledge that they are here erected as imitatours executours of his iudgement Let them remember Saul who pardoned Agag whom God had condemned to death and Saul for his indulgencye was reproued depriued of his kingdom Let them not also forget the grace which Helias shewed to his dissolute children who for that they were abhorred of god were the cause of his death I meddle not with the reproches which God gaue to the gouernours of Israell because they suffered sinne with impunitye suffering suche to liue who had defiled the earth with theyr wickednes people abhominable to God and worthy so many deathes as they had committed horrible vices And therefore hee condemneth those Iudges euen so often to eternal death as they gaue sufferaunce to others to commit suche faultes without inflicting vpon them corporall death To this let them adioyne this aduertisement that as one member corruptes the rest so the rotten part disposing continuall infection into the rest of the body deserues to bée cut of euen as the good Surgeon not suffering a Canker to encrease cuttes it of so soone as it beginnes to appeare Let them not doubt but that according to the Gospel al euil wicked men which the Law of nature and Moises condemne yea the humane lawe also according to reason do adiudge to death ought to die For as the Gospel so aloweth al those lawes as is before prooued S. Paul aduiseth the Corinthians by them all others to take awaye the wicked man who being corrupt in maners corruptes others for which cause he compares them to the leuine aduising notwithstanding that the punishmeÌ„t come from the magistrate who hauing the sworde is a iust terror to the offeÌ„dor for that he carieth it not in vain being the minister of god executour of his law which euen in the gospel condemneth the man that hath done euil Wherefore al men disposed into the action of wickednes must be punished by the magistrate otherwaies he should bring abuse to his estate Is it not the magistrate by whom S. Paul willeth that all such in a coÌ„mon weale should be cut of by death which vexe the church and are mutinus sedicious iniurious false prophetes wherin because it may be douted to what vices the scripture appointeth punishment specially by death I meane to declare by order the paines of such as the law coÌ„demneth to the ende the magistrate leaue theÌ„ not vnpunished in his coÌ„mon weale nor iustifie such by which he should draw malediction as god hath already condemned by the scripture Heare we must not winke at an error of our time receiued almost thorow al christeÌ„dom which is that we obserue no better the imitacion so often recoÌ„mended to vs of the iudgements of God to leade vs being also commaunded in the scripture according to the same in the punishment of sinnes which is a kinde of infidelitye and ignorance of God or presumptuous boldnes or at least an inseÌ„sible dulnes This error deriueth partly from the humane lawes made by the Pagans whose gouernment being led for the most part by fleshly reason suffred impunity for many sinnes which God by his law condemneth to death as diuinations sorceries diuers sorts of magike with whoredomes sauing women whoremongers for men that made the lawes were exempted the virgins vestal or incestuous women with their adulterors condemning no more coÌ„mon vseries excessiue interestes with like sinnes which God abhorreth Gouernors of common weales ought in no wise to hold conformety with these Pagan iudgemeÌ„ts But reforme them making felt the grauitye of such sinnes by the rigour of worthy punishmeÌ„t Men were wont to haue regard only to punishe such sinnes as séemed to beare preiudice to a coÌ„mon weale and therfore sinnes common against god or which of their owne nature be common or Publike wherin the world delights without contradiction are left vnpunished the same being an occasion to prouoke the wrath of God vpon a whole nation destroye whole kingdomes If the auncient canons of the Church bée wel searched it wil be found that al such offences are punished by long straite penance as are also al othes yea the most execrable that men tooke in vaine of god or of the gods diuers opinions of religion although they were absurde wicked and lastly inuocation to the
God and as it were to deface him Besides man being the headde and ende of the workes of God for whome all thinges were created and subsist and for whose restitution God toke vpon him the qualety of man shedding his Blood in the same to whome the Aungelles serue in earth as his ministers and for whome God hath prepared so excellent a kingdome in heauen what offence then doeth the murderer to committe slaughter on a creature so dearelye estéemed of God and so artificiallye made that neyther the heauen the earth nor all the perticular creatures in them can not holde comparison with that incomprehensible workmanship hée that shoulde breake the Image or feiture of a King or raze or plucke downe one of his Castles which hée had erected with great pompe coste yea if the King had employed the life of his proper sonne to make it vp againe after it bee destroied would the King euer receiue this man into grace it is not therefore without cause that in the scripture there is neuer grace graunted to the murderer it is also forbidden to take the price of blood vniustlye spilt meaning that in the Iudge is no power to consent that the Parents of the dead should sell the death of him that was murdered but that life should bee rendered for life neyther doo I thinke that there had béene any paine sufficient to punish the effusion of blood if it had not beene ruled by the Lawe seeing that in true equitie it can not bée possible to satisfye so vile an acte yea though the partie endured straite and long fasting to praye incessantly to God to distribute all his goodes for Gods sake put on héere cloathe to suffer harde lodging and passe in effect thorowe euery pang and passion of a Martyre That is no satisfaction where restitucion is not made with the like who hath power to geue life in exchaunge for lyfe what iust recompence can bée offered to the parentes for the slaughter of theyr Childe or howe can the Sonne bee satisfied for the death of his Parentes euen so in other murders there can bée no iust satisfaction and muche lesse any equalitye So that if for razing or burning a materiall temple or sometimes a common house the offendour suffereth iustlye the torment of the fyre howe shoulde hée escape who pulleth downe to the earth the true and spirituall temple of God and his sacred house Dauid by whom was wrought the death of his Capitaine Vrias coulde neuer haue pardon of God notwithstanding his great penaunce in continuall teares wherewith hée sayde hée watered and bathed euerye night his couche before hée had proued infinite miseries and his sonne conceiued in adulterye dead Yea knowing the lawe to bée inuiolable hée would not graunt Pardon to the murderer Ioab his great Constable notwithstanding the merite of his many seruices and being the onelye meane by the which hée recouered his Kingdome so well did hee know the indignation that God bare to sette murder and suche as by malice spill blood which cryeth on earth continuall vengeance afore God against the murderer and against the Iudge that delaieth sharpe and spéedy iustice yea also against the inhabitauntes of the place if they bée carelesse to procure seuere punishment this is also one argument that the effucion of blood is of great displeasure with God for that who so killeth another by chaunce being frée from malice farre from any moode of grudge must of necessity withdrawe him selfe into a Toune of refuge assured by the lawe there to remaine vntil the death of the great Priest otherwaies there is no suretie of his life From thence comes the custome of our time to sue to the Prince for grace in cases of such murders For much lesse that the lawe geues pardon to the Traiterous or malicious murderer seeing shée giues power and commaundement to kill him yea euen afore the high Aulter of the Temple The Lawe forbidding murders and distributing as hath béene sayd seuere punishmentes hath also a meaning to restraine and defend the causes motions propratiues to such sinnes as iniuryes choller 's inimities wicked cousayls false reports detractiōs diffamations enuies desire of reuenge couetousnesse debates quarels factions warres The which causes for that they were not wel vnderstoode in the lawe Christ toucheth expresseth some of them when he saith vvho is angrye vvith his brother vvithout cause is vvorthy of condemnation but more hée the speakes an iniury to him thirdly who with the hart of an enemy accomplisheth the iniurie if hée that calles his brother or neighbor foole bée of hel what punishmēts are due to contencions detractiōs vniust violences if he that beareth hate to his brother in his heart bée a murderer afore God expressing this damnable grudge by outward signes by which the magistrate may bée induced to certainty of iudgement is he not bound to put in execution the sentence of the scripture specially if they bée propratiues to the murder such as séeme to geue apparant motion to the facte But if the doctrine of god were rightly preached vnderstoode how could there bee any assault or acte of murder when euen to bée angry hate or speake euil of our neighbor brings with it the paine of eternal damnation Let vs loue one another yea beare such affectiō to our enemies as to die for them according to the example of Iesus Christ who loued prayed and did many benefits and dyed also euen for his enemies ¶ Diuers punishmentes of whoredome according to the diuersitie of kindes of the same sinne ¶ The .8 Chapter THE thirde commaundement forbiddes whordom of what kind soeuer it be fornicatiō which wée call simple as betwéene a man a woman not maried hath béene alwaies in the law of nature condemned to the fire as witnesseth Iudas who condemned Thamar his moare being accused of whoredome aftershée had béene the Widdowe of twoo of the dead Children of Iudas by succession of death as the Lawe and custome of that tyme did beare yea hée had committed her to the fire if hee had not béene guiltie in the fact In the law of Moyses if the Daughter had defiled the house of her Father with actes of lust and that hée knewe of it shee was stoned to death with her whoremonger yea if she cryed not out in open voyce in what place soeuer the violence was vsed shée dyed by the Lawe and her rauisher also the most excusable fornication was condemned to infamye and gréeuous correction of fines Moyses forbadde that there shoulde bee no whoore nor stewes and in respect of the grauetye of that sinne the lawe receyued the offering of a whoore no otherwaies then as money for the sale of a dogge In the new testament such whoredoms are pronounced worthy of eternal death then nothing lesse doo they merite corporall death according to God Christ sayeth They do transforme and defile a man and Saint
speaking as when negligent children drawing to too much play and losse of time do mutuall iniuries with corruption of maners Where God is offended as in malice and wicked spéech and worke correction must not be dissembled euen from their infancie in which age aboue all other thinges they must be instructed to pray to God and by little little accustomed to feare and serue him as much as the state of their age wil beare Saint-Ierome holdeth it wel done that the childe be taught euen from his infancy to beare the yoke of the lord with whom Salomon agréeth saying Remember thy selfe O young man of thy creator in thy youth learne euen from thy youngest age to feare honour loue and serue thy God And Dauid is of opinion that there is nothing wherein a young man correcteth better his life then in considering and kéeping the commaundements of god Touching common doctrine it must be ministred gently familiarly easely and if it be possible without the rod according to the surname of scholes being called a play or exercise of learning where young wittes must be induced as to a pleasant play giuing to the young scholler some smal thing of pleasure to encourage him after the trauell of his lesson And for his better societie in studie it is good to ioyne him to a companion as a spurre to his Booke Proponing to him that merites some price commending the victor and blaming him that is ouercome yea sometimes driuing him to teares and yet afterwards recomfort him applying to the slow witte for aduauntage some what more labour of the Master to the end he dispaire not in study being alwaies ouercome This emulation in studie must be continued euen in great schollers for one of the greatest spurres to studie is mutuall enuie among companions as glory to winne and reproch to be surmounted if there be any young children malicious melancholly spitefull or negligent let the commaundement of Salomon be applied Restraine sayth he no discipline from a young childe for if thou strike him with a rod be shall not die of it beate him with a rod and thou shalt deliuer his soule from hell if malice be gathered in the heart of a child the rod of discipline will roote it out of him who spareth the rod to a young man hurteth him and sheweth no loue to the health of his soule but he that kéeps him familiar with the rod declareth his affection to him Therefore Masters that flatter their negligent leude children entertaining them in their vices for feare to loose the profite they get by them or to drawe a more number of schollers commit treble offence First against themselues being guiltie before God of all such offences together with other those faultes which their schollers shall euer commit Secondly they further the damnation of their disciples who such as they are nourished suffred such will they remaine sayth Salomon Lastly they do great wrong to their parents and common weales for that by the euils of those children the parents shall haue perpetuall sorrowe and the common weale continually vexed And in the end such Masters by the iust course of Gods iudgement shal be hated of their schollers and the gaine they shall get shall neuer rise to constant profite but perish before their eyes ¶ Masters ought to instruct their Disciples whome they receiue into commons touching the body with the same labour wherwith they institute their mindes prayses of Science Chapter viij WE must not forget here that euen as masters ought to feede the spirites of childrē with good learning forme them in ciuell mannors and kéepe them from corruption by euill example doctrine standing as condemned afore God deseruing so many eternall iudgmentes as their disciples by their negligence shall cōmit offences So they are bounde to no lesse care to norishe and to entertaine in health the tender bodies of their young scholers wher in it is chieflie necessary they vnderstande their perticuler natures together with the qualitie and operation of meates and so as phisitions prescribe their regiment touching the quantitie and qualitie of their féeding I mean that according to the naturs composicion of their children they muste varie in sorts measurs of meat and drinke geuing to some more and to others lesse As to great lampes where are great matches there muste be more infusion of oyle then to the little ones other waies where is great match and littell oyle and not often dropped in the fyer wil easely consume and put all to ashes Euen so young children whose nature bears a more ardent heat are more drye then others muste eate oftenner then such as are colde and moyst as are the flegmatike sort Let therfore masters entring in to the charge of children consider carfullye of their order of diet And as they ought to take héede not to traine them in intemperat or delicat féeding which makes them glottons and wanton and drawes both body and minde in to infirmities and corruptcion So let them no lesse beware to norishe them hardly and with meates of euill taste for great sobrietie in young children wekneth their bodyes in consumpcion of the roote humor through the naturall heat which is ardent in them by which default they fall in the end into a restraint of breth or tisycke and by the nature of euill meats they come to ill disgestion the worst of al lamentable and incurable disseases by these two extremities vnwise masters procure to their disciples expedicion of death and so are no other then the murderers of them wherin such aboue all other are most guiltie who taking children in to comons or pension for couetousnes doe eyther feede thē sparingly or by sluttishnes prepare them corrupt and vnholsom dyet wherin they merite sentence of cōdemnacion as traytors and suttel murderers of that simple youth abusing wickedly the truste of their parents who through their defaults are the proper deliuerers of their owne children to perill of death wine also being the instrument that leads them in to many sinns can not but shorten their life it burneth by his naturall heat the tender substāce of young men euen as the flame of fier consumes the oyle and so deuoureth the drye matter and wood alredy set on fier Then seing the young child is no other thing then fier to giue him wine is as to cast oyle in to a furnace to ēcrease the heat and burne all for which cause Plato in his comon weale restrained wine from youth till after xviij yeres and from those yeres till the beginning of olde age he suffered none to drinke wine but qualified with water and yet in great sobrietie Besides all these wine prouokes to whordom and engendreth coller adust which in the end by immoderat vse turneth into malencolie and so in the flower of their time makes them diseased with diuerse kindes of colde and incurable sicknes by which occasion the auncients in great reason called wine