smarting gréefes of the stripes and partly for contumelies reproches and nipping tauntes But praise and dispraise amongs ingenious children are farre more better and commodious thaÌ„ any other chastisemeÌ„t For commendations and prayses stirre and inuite them to honest things and discommendations doth call them away restraine and terrifie them from filthie dishonest and vicious things And somtime againe diuers wayes they must be dispraised and chidden and sometime commended that after they shall nothing set by chidings and chaffings shame may restraine them and againe be made glad and reduced from the same with prayses and commendations imitating nourses and mothers which after their babes sucklings haue cried giue and offer them the pappe to still and aslake their cryes And heere it behoueth Parents and good fathers to be circumspect and diligently take héede that aboue measure they doe not auaunce and extol with praises their children least they become too insolent proud arrogant and headie For dismeasured and too much praise doth infatuate and make them more fierce and leuder I haue known certain fathers which with too much loue haue lost and marred their sonnes While parents make posthast to haue their children excell and surmount very festinely in all things they lay such burdens vppon their shoulders as they cannot beare nor sustaine wherwith being too muche burdened and forefrushed they fal down vnder them when as being hindered and stopped with other passions molestations and gréeues they are not able rightly to coÌ„ceyue discipline and learnings lore * They would haue them learned the first day and perfite men the first houre such too hastie Parents there be who thinking to haue out of hande surpassing children make them fooles dullardes through their hot festination ✚ Euen as yong plants are norished with the sprinkling of moderate water but suffocated and choked with dismeasured liquors poured vpon them Likewise a childes tender yong wit with moderate labors is augmented but with superfluous paines and immoderate toiles extinguished ouerwhelmed and drowned Wherefore some recreation breathing and refreshing from their continuall labors muste be permytted Children * which banisheth and dryueth away irksomnesse gotten by serious toyle and doth restaurate and repaire againe their bodyes and mindes to laboure For euen as too muche bending breaketh the bow so to bée perpetually addicted to seryous things and neuer to refreshe and solace the mynde wyth honeste oblectations causeth that mannes mynd can not long endure in earnest studyes For this cause in olde tyme were solempnities and Festiuall dayes ordayned that menne béeyng called from laboures myght take delyghte in seruyng GOD whych delight without all controuersie is the moste honest of all other So studentes least they fall into the detestable vice of drunkennesse and contamynate them selues wyth filthie pleasures had their delightes musike and other bodily exercises wherewith theyr mynde being tired with study myght be moste pleasantly recreated ✚ Then Parentes ought to remember those I meane which so burden their Childrens tender mindes with suche too heauie burdens that our life consisteth of remission recreation studie labour and paine And therefore not onely wakings but sléeping is founde out not only warre but also tyme of peace not sommer and serâ—nitie but wynter blustryng blastes chillie colde and impetuous Tempestes peries and stormes To laborous operations and paynefull busie woorkes as I sayd before are Holly dayes inuented a remedy And finally rest and cessation is the medicine and sauce of laboure and wearynesse and that not in lyuing creatures alone but in things deuoyde of life we by experience proue for we vnbend our bowes and let downe and slacke the Harpe and lutestrings that we may bend them agayne And generally the body is preserued wyth emptying and filling agayne and the mynde wyth remission recreation and studie And there be some Parentes worthy great blame and deserue seuere reprehension which after they haue once committed their childreÌ„ to the tutele and custodie of the master and gouernor neuer looke nor trie howe their children hanâ— profited and gone for warde in good litterature vnfatherly neglecting their dueties for it behoueth them a fewe dayes after to be inquisitiue and to make triall vpon the studies and increasings of theyr childrens learning and not to affie their hole hope and trust in him that teacheth for reward and gaine In so doing theyr children may euilly without any profiting waste and contriue their precious time and dissipate their parents money For vndoubtedly those masters would be more diligent and painefull in instructing their schollers if they knewe they should render accompt of their institution and progression in good lerning And certainly that that of horses is spoken meriteth no small grace bicause nothing do so sone fatteÌ„ and bring into good liking a horse as his owners eie * Some parents I know in England very careful in thys behalfe and such in dede be parentes and loue their children interly which daily enquire and trie their children thoughe they be wholy persuaded in the painefull diligence of the Master Such must néedes haue toward lerned and obedient children and worthy of great coÌ„mendation they be for the care and trauell they take in the vertuous instruction of their children But some other I haue heard of that are altogither vncarefull and nothing regarde the good successe of their sonnes not once in a whol yere demaunding how his child hath profited Such parents be not worthy the name of parents since they so temerously neglect their childrens good education whom nature hath bounde them and God commaundeth them to season with vertue and to trayne them vp in feare godlynesse Nay the more is the pitie there be some which altogither neglect at all to put theÌ„ to schole but permit them dissolutely ydelly and vaynely to contriue and spende their time thinking learning and vertue to be of no value supposing good institution to be a thing of nought so that they resemble their fathers euill wayes if they learne to sweare and to rent God in a thousande morsels then haue they learnyng enoughe and then they be their white sonnes What be theseâ— the wicked parents of vicious children vnprofitable members worthy to be extirped out of a christian common weale and as one sayd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An infertile masse of molde But I leaue such to their owne follies and turne to my purpose wishing that there were none such remayning ✚ Before all things a childs memorie must be exercised for memory is as it were the buttry or pantry of all good learning and therfore haue poets in their poemes fayned and imagined memory to be the mother of the muses and nine sisters of learning thereby priuily interpreting obscurely reueling that nothing is better thaÌ„ fertile pregnant redy memory which all children must exercise both they which naturally be endued with the beautiful benefite of the same also those which be obliuious enioy a very hard and
neuer haue holdeÌ„ the gouernmet of theyr empire so many yeres with so great wisedome and fortitude in such mightie great perils of tempestuous times and impetuous seasons Wherfore Thales Milesius one of the sages of Grece sayth faciem componere non praeclarum est sea bonarum artium studijs animun excolere longè praeclarius not to trim deck and dye the face is an excellent thing but to garnysh a dorne the minde with good artes is a far more precious beautifull thing who also being asked who was happie said qui corpore sanus est animo vero eruditus He that in body is helthful and whole and wel instructed in his mind with good learning giue me leaue once againe to name Alphonsus so ofteÌ„times of me repeated who was wont to say that the dead were very good counsailoures signifying books wherin he herd those things which he desired without feare and fauor Then how can it be but most necessary to be diligent in getting and diligent in studying that monumeÌ„ts bokes of worthy authors out of which so many coÌ„modities so many fruites so many aduises so many good couÌ„sails lerned lessons prudent exhortatioÌ„s may be gathered And now I think it not expedient to passe ouer and dispise the exercises of the body but most conuenient I déeme it to send children to the houses scholes of those that be cunning and expert teachers that sufficiently by labor they may obtain the same put them in practise both for the agilitie nimblenesse of the body And also to strengthen and corroborate the same for the foundation of good honest old age is in childreÌ„ the fit disposition and habitude of the body Children therfore which are liberally brought vp are not so dishonestly and vnciuillie to be handled to be driueÌ„ from the exercises which childehoode and adolescencie mannes age ought to be practised in much auail to the health of the body While the streÌ„gth of heat accensed with mouing doth more strongly disgest the meat drinke and sendeth liuely pure bloud into al the meÌ„bers of the body * If the takest away moderate exercises sluggish luskishnesse drowsinesse lasinesse filthy idlenesse shall possesse thy children striplings whereby they shal be made vnfit to all that honest actioÌ„s of life AmoÌ„gs the old ancient Grecians while these honest exercises of youth flourished there was not so great store of sicknesse maladies as now amongs vs which folow none or very few exercises but drunkeÌ„nesse bellychéere filthie pleasures and all inteÌ„perancie So that when we come to that age wherein we should serue our Prince and Countrey in the offices of peace or feates of warre we are hindred with that gout for lacke of practise or one disease or other which we haue gotteÌ„ by intemperancie while we dispised to haue a regard of our body in exercising it with moderate and coÌ„uentent exercises Euen as therfore in Sommer tyme it is conueuenable to prepare lay vp those things that be necessarie agaynst winter so in tender youth it behoueth to prepare and hoorde vp good manners ryght order of life and modestie as a viandry and necessary prouision for olde age And so with labors voluntary to exercise their bodies least their strengthes being exhausted coÌ„sumed they may afterwards refuse to abide sustain the labors toyles pertaining to the conseruation of learning For as the péerlesse philosopher Plato affirmeth sléepe and labors be aduersaries to disciplines he that accustomes himselfe to voluntarye labours it shal not be greuous to him to perdure in the toiles which men often times must abide by reason of their office but he that dothe not exercise himselfe with willing labours but gyueth himselfe to be depraued with slouthfulnesse he shal neuer in necessary labors with glory perseuere But to what ende speake I vpon these and doe not rather hasten to purport that which is the most peculiar and chiefest thing of all these And that is this that children be instructed in practises of warre and feats of chiualry as in handling the speare casting of dartes in iustings bickerings and huÌ„ting of wilde beasts for the goods of them which are conquered in battaile fall to their lottes and guerdons which be conquerours and winners of the field but to warre the disposition and exercise of the body priuately practised doeth not auaile but a weake warriour and sillie Souldioure if he be trayned vp in martial practises and exercises of warre penetrateth and sperpleth the well garnished garrisons and orderly adorned armies of his ennimies so much it auaileth to be exercised in these practises which the worthy Gréeks knew wel enough who had commonly in vse games of exercise huntings leapings skippings dansings and other such esbatemeÌ„ts wherwith as with voluntarie exercises they sharpned exasperated youth to the true necessary labors of warre lest in idlenesse they should be sâ—outhfull spend their time luskishly and the goodes of cowardous fluggards as Demosthenes sayth doth fall to their lots that be laborous Likewise the renoumed Romains had their games and laboures at home wherewith they indurated hardened their bodyes to sustain the true labours in warre wherby their countrey might be defended and the territories of their Empire enlarged But what will some say and obiect You promised to wryte preceptes and rules concerning the education of frée children but nowe you séeme to neglecte the bringing vp of poore and néedy children and are only determined to giue and set forth instructions fit and congruent for rich and such as are discent from noble progenie Who may thus easely be answered truly I greatly wishe and desire that these my preceptes of education might be conducible and profitable to all in generall but if there be any hindred through pouertie and oppressed with penurie and indigencie shall not be able to vse al my admonitions let them bewaile and deplore their owne misfortune and calamitie and not accuse insimilate him that giueth these admonitions and holesome preceptes Therefore let the pore and indigent laboure endeuoure and assay as much as lyeth in them if they can attain to this chéefest and best education of children which we haue made manifest But if some shal not be able to vse it let them practise that which is lawfull and pâ—ssible for them These things haue I chefely touched that I might afterwardes anner interlace other things also which anayle muche to the ryght Institution of Children I thincke it a thing conuenyent to drawe and induce Children to honest studyes and to doe their dueties with admonitions persuasions and gentle intreaties and not wyth force violence stripes beating and bunching For these séeme rather more derent for seruauntes and bondslaues than for ingenious and fréeborne Children For sluggishe seruauntes hardened in idlenesse adread stripes and with these are incyted and dryuen to laboure partely for the
Of eloquence and ciuill lavves that she hir children thē might teach O that there were many suche mothers as Eurydices or but a few like fathers to the zealous minde of this surmountyng woman What mother at this day wold take such paine what parent wold so cōsume hir selfe with studie for their childrens erudition though they loue theyr children well and desire to haue them learned but they séeke not the way No not the father which were the fittest for such a purpose A rare Phaenix was Eurydices whose example if any wold folow then should they vndoubtedly haue suche vertuous sonnes as Eurydices had Therfore to imbrace all these our institutions and wholsome preceptes is rather the work of prayer than of admonition how be it it is no small felicitie industrie to follow many of them Let all true parēts which desire to bring vp their children vertuously trie and proue how muche it auaileth to folow these precepts no hard matter it passeth not that power nor reache of mā If they be diligent if they be careful if they be vigilant in the good instruction of their children let them imbrace these precepts folow them practise them and vndoutedly they shall be worthis Parents and haue vertuous godly honest modest discrete and painful childrē endued with all good qualities and adorned with all ciuil behauior and good conditions They shall haue at last the guerdon of theyr trauell they shall haue the hire of their paine and reward of theyr diligence When they are olde and run ouer many a yeare the vertues which they espie in their well instructed children shall prolong their dayes and comfort theyr heartes wyth great delight Héere let Parentes learne to be Parents and in the pruning of their yeares looke diligently to the good education of theyr children For those children which in the beginning be well nurtered instructed and brought vp and whose foūdation of good education is well and vertuously layd shall easily vnderstand and folow the other things which flow from the beginning But what chylde soeuer is not taught to knowe the principles of good institution shal be ignorant in al the other duties of life which flow from the beginnings He that is seasoned with the wholesome precepts of adolescencie and after them exerciseth the course of hys lyfe he shall after wardes easily vnderstand and perceyue what rules may be anornament and furniture to all the folowing ages Ioseph in his childehode and adolescencie was so taught the scare of God and so geuerned bothe those two ages according to the feare of God that when he was well stroken in yeares he also knewe what dueties were decent and most méete for an olde mannes grauitie Therefore as his childehode and adolescencie so also was his olde age famous and passing in those dueties which euery age requireth Semblably whosoeuer shall honestly direct his youth stall be able to lead the action of his manhode and olde age most orderly decently and plausibly Be which in his youthe shall followe temperance and learne what conuenient meates and potions and other good exercises are to be offered to thys age shall knowe what order of lyuing he ought to vse when he is a man and an olde man and what duetyes he ought to practise So that parēts in the beginning must be careful for this if they will be parents of good children Yet not with standing I know if they do all these things and practise all these fruteful lessons yet shal they hardly ouercome and vtterly eradicate the naughtinesse and prauitie of humane nature For our nature by that fall of our first Parentes was so depraued and corrupted and hiddē vnder the vaile of al vices so that it can hardly be made sound vices being abandoned although thou leauest nothing vndon and no wayes precepts vntride in the good and true education of thy child But if that fault and crime had not so imbroyned and defiled vs the issue of our first parentes and also had not oblitterated and obscured in vs that fotesteps of vertue peraduenture we myght haue with greater facilitie bene called againe to the path of vertue in it to perseuer Euen as the Esopicall fable admonysheth so standeth humane state although there be neuer so much labor trauel and pame exhausted and consumed in our education and institution A certaine Cat sayth Esope was the only delight of a certayne yongman which yongman desired Venus to change hir into a womā the goddesse pitiyng the desire of the yongman conuerted hir into a beutifull woman with whose beuty the yong man accēsed and enflamed caried hir with him home and whē they wer set togither in a chamber Venus desirous to proue whither the cat had altred with hir body hir maners sēt a mouse into the middest of the chamber but she hauing forgotten those that wer present and hir nuptialles rifing vp ranne after the mouse desirous to catch hir eate hir so man howsoeuer he be trayned vp in vertue can neuer so belche oute the olde poyson and venim of vices that when occasion is ministred and offered he feleth not the prickings of vices and is not enflamed to syn of this we may take the Iudaicall people for a manifest example so intierly beloued of the Lord who although they had receiued fathers lawes grace fauor a land flowing with milke and honey and infinite other benefits of the Lorde and were subiect to many punishments could not bée brought to forget their corupt nature and aspire into a new mā in whō Adam was dead and Christ liued They always desired to go againe into Egipt and neglecting the worshipping of the lord toke againe the most vaine superstitions of the Gentiles The Bethlemeticall king and Prophet Dauid although God thought and spoke of him honorably for his godlinesse and pietie notwithstanding although he was excellently brought vp instructed in gods law he could not take heed to himself but fel into most filthie detestable adultrie which he impiously incresed by the slaughter of the stout mā Vrias not deseruing the same What speake I vpon Dauid Not Noah whom God spared when all other almost perished in the deluge and inundation could so warely walke before the Lord but he committed incest and not with incest alone but with drnkennesse polluted he himselfe Samuel in other things a godly and iust man notwithstanding he could not take heede but fel into that crime which to parentes bringeth great reproche and infamie He was blamed and rebuked bicause he instructed not his children in the Artes erudition and learning of the countrey And to come to Prophane examples what shall we say of Aristotle that péerelesse Prince of Philosophers He could not conquere his corrupt nature although without all controuersie he ascended the top and scaled the fort of Philosophie but fell into the moste filthy loue of a womā which enforced him like a brute
Bion. Philosophie is princesse among other diâ—â—iplines Philosophie is â—he curer and 〈…〉 medier of the 〈…〉 inde Philosophy tea â—heth vs hovve 〈…〉 behaue our 〈…〉 lues tovvarde 〈…〉 ll estates and â—egrees Gentlenesse the token of a honest man. They be perfect men which ioyne to the administration of the coÌ„mon wealth the studie of wisedom of philosophie Three kinds of lyfe The lyfe that is led in pleasures is brutish Contemplatiue life without actiue life is vnprofitable When bokes of Philosophie must be red The worthy bokes of lerned authors must bee bought kept and red as a treasure of learning Philosophie in the tyme of the â—agâ—â— of Greece was contained in senteÌ„ces for their direction Lucretius Hovv Socrates and other taught children The great care of king Alexandee in reading of Homers workes How Demetrius Phaleri us exhorted king Ptolome to prepare hys bookes Alphonsus was restoted to health by the reading of Quintus Curtius The great loue of Carolus Caesar to learning Lerning was the cauâ—eâ—hat Carolus the fifth August and Ferdinandes Caesar gouerned in most pearillous seasons Alphonsus sayde that bokes were good counsailors wherin we learne the things we desire without fear or fauour Childrens bodies must be exercised both for the agilitie of the bodye conseruatioÌ„ of health Exercises be neceslary for the bodies digestion The exercises vsed among the Grecians was cause of health and little sickenesle The lack of exercises at this day is cause there be so manye diseases If the body be not exercised it will hardly sustaine the toyles in learning It is expedient that children be trayned in martiall practises For what vse the Grecians inuented their games of exercise Why the Romaines founde out their exercises To whome these preceptes are wrytten Chyldren must be induced to studyes and other necessarie duetyes wyth gentlenesâ—e persuasion exhortation not with force violence and stripes Recreations must be giuen to tender age least beeing tired and weried with labors it be ouerwhelmed not able afterwardes to conceiue any good disciplines Festiuall dayes in olde tyme were inuented for recreation Quies laboris remediuÌ„ Parents after they haue put their children to schole must be inquisitiue hovve they profit The exerâ—y ses of a childes memory must not be neglected What chanced to hym that committed nothing to memory Children must be prohibited to speak filthy and accustomed to vse affabilitie gentle salutation modesty temperance and shamefastnes Lasciuious poetes Musonius Menander affabilitie Marcus the Emperour was coÌ„mended for his affabilite Absolon Caesar Pompey Sylla for their affabilitie obtened muche fauour Pericles Roboam Cyrus was curteous in all his ages The force of affabilitie and gentle talke Cadmea victoria * Modestie Iosephs modesty Vereeundia virtutuÌ„ custos The shamefâ—â—â—nes in Pamphilus was a figne of goodnesse Pythias Aristotelis filia God must be feared Demonax YongmeÌ„ must obey their parents Coriolanue obedient to his mother Veturia Valerius Maximus Cimon his pie tie towards Miltiades his father Frends must be reuerenced No treasure is more precious than a frend Alexander YongmeÌ„ must liue frâ—gally bridle their tong represle anger keepe their hands froÌ„ vnlauful pray Gylippus Lacedemonius Socrates Aristophanes Archytas Tarentinus Plato The tong vntimely â—â—lking oringeth many iâ—â—ommod 〈…〉 Pauluâ— Monachâ—â— How Agatho learned to hold his peace Men haue repented speking but none holding theyr peace Solades for his tongue rotted in pryson Theocritus for his loquacitie was beheaded There bee two tymes wherâ—â— it is better too speake than to holde thy peace oâ— knowne things and neceslarie things Gorgias Leontinâ—â— was reproched of Socrates for his temeritie Zeuxis almonition to Megabyzus If necessitie enforce thee to speake talke is better than silence 〈◊〉 Zenot ' answer to the Legates of Antigonus Aeschines Children must be fiamed to speake truthes Of lying flow many mischeeues Demetrius Phalereus Lying was neuer more a flote than 〈◊〉 Sathan is the authoure of lying Yong men ought no to liue as they list and run at randon but vnder a gouernor the viewer of their studies and honest informer of their manners Yong men ought more narowly be loked to than children The transgressions of yong men The hope of honor and fear of punishment be the incitations to vertue The acquaintarce and familiantie of wicked persons is to be elchued Pythagora â—nigmata There is nothing worse than the coÌ„pany of flatterers chefly to yongmen The persuasion of parasites Si quis ait aio Si quis negat nogo Marcus tho rough parasites vvas corrupted This saying some attribute to Diogenes Parents must modestly apparell their children The answer of AlphoÌ„sus to one that exotted hin to weare gay garments Augustus Caesar hated excesse in apparell He that passeth the meane passeth honesties bonds Vertue and learning are by labour obtayned Pythagoras Plato Isocrates Scipio Children must be kept in doing their dune rather with lenity and gerdenesle than sharpnesse and importunity Parents must sometime conceale their childrens faults At what time yongmen must be giuen to mariage what wiues must be chosen for theÌ„ Parents must be a liuely paterne and as a glade of vertues to their yongmen and children of honest life The epiloge of the translator It muche auaileth to imbrace these preceptes Lessons for Parentes Ioseph Humane nature is corrupt The fable of Esope or the yong man and cat doth resemble mannes nature If a man bee neuer so verâ—oâ—slye brought vp yet be not the instigations of vice extinguished in him King Dauid fell through natures corraption Noah committed incest Samuell was negligent in the bringing vp of his children and rebuked of the Lord. Aristotle demosthenes C 〈…〉 o. The Translator of the bringing vp of children taken partly out of the .xxx. chapter of Iesus the sonne of Sirach WHo loues his child in teÌ„der yeres doth labor him to train To tread the trace of vertues lore in maÌ„ners grace pain Sometime he doth rebuke his faults and sometime doth exhort Him fatherly and prayseth him in good and godly sort He warneth him and forceth him to doe those things be due And those things that vndecent be he willeth to eschue That when to riper yeres his sonne and louing child shal grow He may then reap the sedes of grouÌ„d that he in youth did plow Euen the rewardes of al his paine which is an inward ioy To see his childe imbracing grace with vices sore annoy What more delite can parent haue than when he doth espie His children following vertues steps and wayes of pietie To be among the noblest men discent by lineall line Estemed and to beare the bell in grace because they shine Aboundant ioyes do fill the hart of such when at they die When in their sonnes their vertues rare yplanted they espie That though the fates haue losde the threde of their desired life Yet may their childreÌ„ aid their frends in doutful thingâ— of strife And may his child a â—ampier leaue vnto himselfe and his Against