tender tongue be seasoned with swéete songes and Psalmes 3 Weigh not down her necke with gold and precious stones 〈◊〉 beset her head with pearles neither curle nor bushe out her heare nor die it into any vnnaturall colour 4 Let her not eate openly that is to say in the feastes banquetes of her Parentes lest shée sée such meats as shée might desire and lust after Let her not learn to drinke wine wherein is all excesse and riotte 5 Let her not delight and take pleasure in the hearing of musicall instruments Shalmes Sytheâ—â—s Lutes Harps nor know wherefore they were inuented 6 Let her appoint her self some taske euerie day to read some speciall part of the holy scriptures chosen for the same purpose 7 Let her learne to carde spinne to make woollen cloth and to handle the whéele and distaffe to make her linnen cloth 8 Let her not set her minde on silkes as Taffata Damaske Satten and Vellet 9 Let her prouide and get such clothes wherewith colde may be defended not wherwith her bodie shalbe nakedly apparelled 10 Let her so eate as that shée may be alwayes an hungred that immediately after her meate shée may either reade or sing Psalmes 11 If it chaunce thée at any time to walke or ryde out of the Towne or Citie leaue not thy daughter at home without a godly gouernour for without thée shée knoweth not neither is shée able to liue and when shée shall chaunce to be left alone let her bée afraide 12 Let her not haue her secret méetings and fellowship with foolish and light maidens 13 In the stead of silkes pearles and precious iewels let her loue godly bookes not gaudely garnished and set out with gold but inwardly perfected and learnedly distinguished for the better increase of her faith 14 Let her first learne the Psalter or Psalmes of Dauid in méeter which may withdrawe her minde from light and vaine songues and baudie ballades And in the Prouerbes of Solomon which may instruct her to good and godly life And in Ecclesiasticus Let her exercise her self to seeke out things that apperteine to the world In Iob Let her folow the example of vertue and patience Prudens filia viro est vice haereditatis A wise daughter is to her husband in the stead of an inheritance Also a shamefast maid wil reuereÌ„ce her husband A daughter is another possessioÌ„ vnto her father If he get a good sonne in law than hath he found his daughter but if he chaunce of a wicked sonne in law thaÌ„ hath he vtterly lost cast away his daughter Besides this it apperteineth to the duetie of a godly maid which would séeke for true and euerlasting saluation that also before all things shée haue the knowledge of the doctrine religion which hath béene set forth and deliuered vnto vs from the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and which is conteined in the bookes of the holy scriptures It is necessary that shée know the lawe which may teach her not only what workes please ordisplease almightie God but also therby shée may learne to know her owne sinnes and be put in minde to seeke for the remission of the same And therefore it is also néedfull that shée know the Gospell of the sonne of God the cleanser washer away of our sinnes and the pacifier of Gods wrath that shée shewe her selfe faithfull herein and giue credite hereunto Theophilus These be good lessons for daughters in deed But if a young man haue vngodly parents infidels and altogether ignorant of Gods lawes is it not the sonnes duetie to teach instruct his father and mother Theodidactus Yea alwayes albeit it be not an vsuall or common thing For if a young man being a Christian haue vngodly Parentes in whoÌ„ hée would wish and desire to haue sowne the séedes of vertue true knowledge of God hée ought to endeuour him by all meanes possible gently and reuerently to admonish them that hée might draw them vnto pietie and the true knowledge of Christ that at the last being instructed in the will of God of wicked and vngodly ones he might make them godly and vertuous Theophilus What young men at this day are to be deemed and iudged most happie Theodidactus Certes none are more happie than those which truely performe their duties to whoÌ„ it is giueÌ„ froÌ„ their childhood to repose al hope in one y â— true god with sure coÌ„fideÌ„ce to depeÌ„d of his only goodnes prouidence which thing appeareth to haue chaunced vnto Dauid Psal 71. Where most faithfully hée speaketh vnto God saying thus Quoniam tu es expectatio mea domine Domine spes mea à iuuentute mea For thou O Lord God art the thing that I long for thou art my hope euen from my youth As though hée should say not now only but hitherto alwayes through my whole life thou art the thing I long for and my hope that is to say Séeing that I haue had none other God from my youth vp but thée alone howe shall I now not call vpon thée in this trouble And howe shalt thou forsake mee Parentes are hereby admonished that they instruct their children from their youth in such godlines knowledge fayth and hope of God that they become not wicked vnhappie but continue blessed with God and all his holy Angels and Saintes in heauen for euer But this instruction as I said ought to be proponed and set foorth vnto children euen from their young and tender yeares Nam quod noua testa capit inueterata sapit For looke what licour at the first the newe vessell taketh The tast thereof when it is olde it hardly then forsaketh And out of question nothing sticketh more surely in the minds of young men than that that is taught them in their gréene and tender yeares And if wée will giue credite to Quintilian Natura tenacissimi eorum quae rudibus annis percepimus We are the surest keepers of those thinges by nature which we haue learned in our rude ignoraunt yeares If thou puttest strong wine into newe vessels the tast thereof will continue verie long And who can reduce dyed woolles into their pristinate colour Theophilus How happeneth it that so few inheritours left very wealthily by their Parentes And also so few men seruantes and maydes haue so litle happinesse and prosperitie in this life Theodidactus Because so fewe at this day regard to obserue and fulfill the fift commaundement the breach whereof hath a curse thereunto annexed hereof it commeth to passe that the great treasures and possessions left vnto the heires helpeth them nothing It auayleth seruauntes and maydes nothing at all to labour and toile and to proll filtch and steale all their life long For God doeth not blesse them for their contempt disobedience towards their Parentes Magistrates Maisters Mistresses and Dames Hither may bée referred the examples of this present time not to be numbred of those
which haue béene left heires of very great possessions are notwithstanding at this present poorer than Irus and liue in extreme miserie Theophilus Seeing that by many and diuers examples and also daily experience it selfe can teach vs that all Parents by a certaine guiding of nature do truly and with all their heartes loue their children which natural effect also appeareth in the wilde and sauage beastes Howe commeth this to passe that the children doe not loue their Parents againe neither reuerence nor obey them to whom neuerthelesse they are bounde for all thinges which they haue receiued yea the life it selfe Theodidactus For that I perceiue in al families y â— natural affectioÌ„s loue of children towards their parents for the most part are more cold weak faint this happeneth of two causes chiefly First the dispositions and inclinations of children are so corrupted with the faultes and â—innes of our old great Graundfather Adam that they more feruently desire to be beloued than their parents Secondly as y e Philosophers do iudge the parents are in the ascendent degrée but the children in the descendent degrée and so falleth out their loue Euen as a stone falleth more easily downwards than vpwards Wherefore most true is that common saying One father with a lesse care and more chearfull minde can nourish and bring vp ten children than ten children can comfort and cherish one father hereof it may easily be iudged how great the loue and readie good will of children is to helpe their parents in their necessities Therfore they do very foolishly which being poore and well striken in yeares doe looke for great aide succour froÌ„ their children wherefore if they couet desire to take good counsel for theÌ„selues they shal rather earnestly endeuour to settle repose al their whole coÌ„fidence trust in y â— which is the fountaine of all paternitie goodnes But yet more foolishly and vnaduisedly do they which through too fond affection loue being yet aliue do yéeld deliuer vp into the hands of their children their goods coyne all their inheritance wholly persuading them selues to liue more easily of the beneuolence loue of their children whom oftentimes they finde very foolish negligent and carelesse to their great losse hindrance and vtter vndoing with their intollerable sorrow and griefe all the dayes of their liues When neuertheles Eccle. 33. setteth foorth vnto these olde men most wholesome counsell Filio inquit Iesus Syrach mulieri fratri aut amico non des potestateÌ„ super te in vita tua non dederis alij possessioneÌ„ tuaÌ„ ne fortè poeniteat te depreceris pro illis DuÌ„ adhuc superes aspiras non immutabit te omnis caro Saith Iesus Syrach giue not thy sonne thy wife thy brother nor thy friend power ouer thee while thou liuest giue not away thy goods possession to another lest it repent thee and thou beest faine to beg therfore thy self As long as thou liuest and hast breath let no man chaunge thee Melius est enim vt filij tui te rogent quà m te respicere in manus filiorum tuorum For better it is thy children to pray and intreat thee than that thou shouldest be faine to looke into their handes saieth Syrach Yet it is not the wil of God y â— they should depart this life altogether without y e making preparing of their last wil and Testament But he would haue vs willing readie to dispose our goods lands possessions before our death saying after this maner In consummatione dieruÌ„ vitae tuae in teÌ„pore exitus tui distribue hâ—reditateÌ„ tuam At the time when thou shalt end thy dayes finishe thy life distribute thine inheritance possession and goods Theophilus How commeth it to passe that at this day there is almost no dutie performed vnto Magistrates Elders nor any reuerence or regard vnto Parents You haue taught vs afore that the infection of our corrupt nature is in fault doe you not thinke that there is some other thing that causeth this disobedience and rebellion in children and seruants Theodidactus Yes verely For another cause why children doo not obey honor their parents at this day is y â— filthy slothfulnes of pareÌ„ts the negligence too much carelesnes nothing beséeming without dout or méet for Christians For howe shall a childe kéepe performe the precepts of the second table which is ignorant of the precepts of the first table out of y â— which as out of a fountaine issueth procéedeth the dutie of parents Magistrates c. And all other works of loue obedience It were therfore to be wished nay rather to be performed that children subiects ought diligeÌ„tly to be instructed in the first preceptes to y e end they might learn to know God to trust in him to loue feare and worship him to call vpon him to giue him thankes to honor his holy name willingly to heare learne his word these such like if they were truely obserued then without doubt the good fruites of obedience should by by follow wherfore in these things the greatest care and diligence must be vsed Theophilus Notwithstanding albeit it is euideÌ„t that youth is depraued corrupted partly with the fault of our corrupt nature partly made worse through the negligeÌ„ce too much cockering of parents shal they not be vrged pricked forward with stripes admonished and stirred vp with examples reasons Theodidactus The loue reuereÌ„ce of young men towards their parents shal by no meanes neither more easily nor more aptly bee prouoked stirred vp theÌ„ if they acknowledge their pareÌ„ts to be the original cause of their birth if they acknowledge them to bée the shop of their life to be briefe the men by whom we begin to be men also we shall indeuour to honor reuerence them with al our harts if we weigh with our selues the greate and manifold charges the gréeuous sorrowes and cares which they haue byn compelled to suffer for our sakes for they haue ofteÌ„ spared froÌ„ their own bellies to féede ours brokeÌ„ many sléepes to quiet pleasure vs afflicted with many gréeuous cares and wéeried with labours to the ende that they might prouide get those things y â— might doe vs good are necessary to the furtherance of our life Besides this with their admonitions they haue procured vnto vs the true catholike faith in God and also the hope loue of euerlasting saluatioÌ„ y â— after this life ended we might liue with God for euer wheÌ„ we vnderstaÌ„d y â— these so great benefits are giueÌ„ vnto vs of our pareÌ„ts how shal we not loue them reuereÌ„ce theÌ„ with al our hearts at al times in al places this saying of Philo shal also stirre vp moue children very much vnto the reuerence of their parents which saith Quod
purposes Howe muche more a reasonable creature which is created to the Image of God Surely I wishe you shoulde weigh and consider this with your selfe if other mens children perceiue and vnderstande verie many thinges Why shoulde not yours vnderstande some thinges in the wayes of vertue and godlinesse Vndoubtedly if you will not teach them but still pamper them with too much cockering and delicate nicenesse you shall answere and beare the sinnes and offences of your children And howe sharpely and seuerely the Lorde God executeth punishment for the contemptuous bringing vp of children onely Heli the high Priest with his sonnes may be for an example as i◠saide before which miserably finished their liues Hée for that hée spoiled his children with too much libertie they for because they would not hearken to nor obey the counsels and admonitions of their father though verie gentle light and easie Theophilus Did Heli then the high Priest in Israel offende the Maiestie of God being so woorthie a man with too much cockering of his children And yet I remember hee did reproue them verie often Theodidactus The voyce of God testifieth otherwise which soundeth after this manner I haue tolde him that I will iudge his house for euer because his children did curse God and followed Beliall and hée would not chasten and correct them Therefore haue I sworne vnto the house of Heli that the wickednesse of Helies house shall not be purged with sacrifice and burnt offringes for euer Theophilus Verely this voice of God ought greatly to bee feared of all Parentes For if the iniquitie of Heli so woorthie a man and of so hygh calling could not be purged for euer which notwithstanding sometymes corrected his sonnes and seemed willing to cleanse and purge their sinnes and offences with certaine sacrifices and oblations What shal bee done with them which scarcely at any time haue chastened their children neyther in worde nor deede neither doe they once beleeue that God wil execute punishment of so great wickednesse it is so farre from them that they are willing to bewayle and lament this so great a faulte with true sorow and vnfayned teares Theodidactus Wée deny not that Heli the Priest reprooued his sonnes dooing wickedly but yet hée reprooued them not earnestly and sharply but lightly and tenderly as many Parentes vse to doe now adayes the more to be lamented And therefore that good and godly father suffred payne for the iniquitie of his sonnes by which example suche negligent Parentes ought with good cause to bée moued or if this doe not moue them yet mée thinkes this saying of Paule shoulde rowse them vp and shake of all their drowsinesse which saieth Si quis suorum maximè domesticorum non agit curam fidem denegauit est deterior infideli If a man haue no care of his owne and specially those of his own houshold and familie hee hath denied the faith and is worse than an Infidel Theophilus If you haue any more such like examples by the which you might sti◠vp and moue those negligent Parents from their fluggishnesse bring them foorth I pray you Theodidactus I haue many other examples of whiche you shall heare this one because it is worthie the noting Marcus Tul. Cicero in the Oration which hée made against Verres in his first booke among many other thinges whiche hee obiected vnto him by way of reproch this is one and the chiefest that hée had so trayned vp his sonne that hée had neuer séene chast shamefast or sober feast or banquet for the space of thrée yeares togethers but was euer conuersaunt and in company with wanton Harlottes and vnchast women and with riotous Kuffians and intemperate men so that if hée had any desire to be good yet could hée not escape from them either wiser or better By meanes whereof saith hée thou hast not only wrought greate iniurie to thy sonne but also to the common wealth Susceperas enim liberos non solum tibi sed etiam patriae For thou hast begot children not only for thy selfe but also for thy countrie Which should not only bée to thy selfe a ioy and pleasure but also profitable and commodious afterwarde vnto the common wealth And thou oughtest to instruct and traine them vp in the knowledge and vnderstanding of graue and waightie matters as the quiet gouernment of people in publike assemblies of Ciuile gouernment in Cities Townes and other affaires of the common wealth that loue and neighbored might bée mainteined and not after their owne lewde lustes and wantonnesse and licentious libertie Thus muche of Cicero to Verres touching his sonne A very Christian saying of an Heathen man and meete for all men to bée set on the outwarde postes of their doores in their bed Chambers and closets or rather after the maner of the Hebrewes that all fathers and mothers should haue them on their philacteries skirtes of their vestures and to bée written in golden letters Theophilus I doe not so much maruel that such corrupters of youth were found amongst the Heathen which liued without the light of the Gospel and true knowledge of God but that this chaunceth very often amongest those men which boast themselues to bee good and perfect Christians this is much rather to bee maruelled at and by no meanes to bee suffered At this day as it is manifest to all men our children are brought vp with such libertie and boldnes that a man cannot sufficiently bewaile the same with abundance of teares heere is no shame heere is no reuerence no regard of duetie parents vtterly spoyle their children with cockering and wantonnesse and seekes to refraine them with no feare or correction Mothers take no regarde no care of their daughters but winke at their faultes suffer them to rome abrode seeke their amendment by no milde nor moderate correction neither doe they perswade them vnto sobrietie mildnesse nor modestie with their wholesome admonitions and motherly counsels Wee haue greater care and will take more paines a great deale about any thing els then about the godly education of our children I am perswaded that God is greatly offended with vs euen for this one fault that wee deale so negligently with our children and cast the raines of al libertie and loosenesse into their owne necks after this maner For as wee woulde haue them proue when they shal bee men and women so muste wee deale with them and instruct them in their greene and tender yeeres So that whereas many things fall out amongest vs christians so vntowardly and peruersly touching the disobediēce of our youth nowe adayes I iudge one chiefe cause to come growe and proceede from this that there are so few which take such paines and diligent care as they ought to doe for their godly and vertuous training vp And albeit better is to bee hoped for yet certainely this is still to bee expected and looked for from Children that they wyll growe worse
and worse except Godly instruction bee ioyned with moderate correction Theodidactus Without all doubt a horrible punishment remaineth to suche Parents which so negligently contemne and despise their owne naturall children besides that it is a very great negligence or rather a horrible mischiefe either to cast the bridle into the neckes of young men or to corrupt and spoyle them with wicked instruction or their owne lewde and naughtie examples Neuerthelesse how common these thinges are in mans life it is too manifest when Parents or Teachers are either Epicures or otherwise lewde and licentious liuers and doe not exercise their children and seruants vnto the knowledge and feare of God but oftentimes doe nourish and confirme them in wicked erronious and detestable opinions these mischiefes are to bée punished no doubt as God hymselfe saith Contemnentes me reddam contemptos I will make my contemners contemned and despised Theophilus O twise yea thrise happie are those parents which doe not vainely negligently heere these and such like threatnings but proceede and go forward I pray to recite other places wherin God doth threateÌ„ lither slouthful and negligent parents Theodidactus Fathers and maisters which withholde their children and families from hearing and learning the worde of God by commanding and appointing them in the meane time some other busines or els by reason of their ignorance or impietie haue no care or regarde to bée taught and trayned vp in true godlinesse are not only wicked and iniurious to themselues but also to their whole families so that suche shall receiue double the greater condenination It is set downe in the Decalogue or tenne Commaundementes That children woulde honour their Parents but with what face dare that Father exact of his child the honour commaunded of God in the second Table when as hée himselfe doth not perfourme his owne duetie which in the first Table of the Commaundements is required of him touching the due honour of God and the sanctifying of the Sabboth day Children are not borne of their parents at auenture but they bée the gift and blessing of God The Scripture saith God blessed them said Crescite multiplicamini Encrease and multiplie And the Psalmograph saith Filii tui sicut nouellae Oliuarum in circuitu mensae tuae Ecoe sic benedicetur homo qui timet dominuÌ„ Thy children shalbe like the Oliue branches round about thy Table Beholde thus shall the man bee blessed that feareth the Lord. Children are giuen vnto Parents by the diuine and Almightie power of God and are committed vnto them as an heaueÌ„ly treasure not to the end that they shoulde bée prophaned and brought vp only to the vse of this terreine and earthly Citie but that they should bée sanctified hallowed vnto the vse of the heauenly Ierusalem wée haue lost in our first Parent the right of our heauenly life inheritance and wée are borne the children of Gods wrath death and hell Therefore what is more cruell what is more horrible or moÌ„strous then such a father which after he hath children doth not apply all his whole studie and indeuour to this ende chiefly that hée may recouer againe the right of that Heauenly inheritaunce before loste as is said For except this bée brought to passe what other thing doe children gaine by their Parents but hell and euerlasting death But these are the maners and conditions of many Parentes in these our dayes in the gouerning and ordering of theyr families that they haue a farre greater care about their Horses and Swyne as wee haue often sayde then about their Children and family For twise in one day at the least they giue Meate and Water vnto their hogges and Horses to eate and drinke to refreshe and comfort them and to kéepe them in good liking and plight of their bodies but in a whole wéeke they will scarscely spare so muche time as once or twice to haue their mindes refreshed and their soules fed with the wholesome foode of the worde vnto euerlasting saluation Theophilus I haue knowne many which very diligently haue taken great paynes and care how to teache their Parrats Popinieyes and Pyes to pratle and talke vnto them very timely while they are yet but young knowing this that the elder they are before they take it in hande the harder and more difficill can they bee taught according to the olde prouerbe Psittacum vâ—tulum negligere ferulam What maner watching and paines is there about a prading Parret or chattering Pye and what Lithernesse and negligence about the teaching of Children Men take great paines as wee see euery where and will refuse no labour or trauell that they might haue a faire dogge to hunt and pursue the chase a lustie and couragious horse to take a iourney runne his course and too fetch the carrier But about their children they seeme to haue very little or no care at al that they might become the seruants of God ornaments of his Church good members for the common wealth What answere shal these Parents make to GOD the moste iust Iudge when hee shall demaunde an account of them for their duetie so shamefully neglected Theodidactus Doe you desire to knowe of mee what maner an account the Lorde God will take and exact of such Surely none other than as hée required of Heli the high Priest of Israell which was most diuine and holy and shall bée to the ende of the worlde at which iudgement and account whosoeuer doeth not tremble and feare I iudge them to be more harde than the Adamant and such as vnto whom this vehement and horrible exclamation of Saint Augustine may bée very aptly and well applied saying O dolosa libertas O grandis filiorum perditio O paternus amor mortifer Ecce filios sedicunt diligere quos veraciter ingulari procurant dicunt eos amare quibus tam suspendia parant melius sanè fuisset eos nunquam fuisse natos quam sic miseros liberos suos extremis malis perdere tandem in aeterna Barathra conucere O lamentable libertie O greate perdition O fatherly affection the deadly destroyer of children beholde they say they fauour their Children whose destruction they rather procure they saye they loue them for whome ere it bee long they prepare the gallous and hanging Surely it had been much better they had neuer beene borne then so to cast away their miserable children into extreme punishment and at the last to throw them into the bottomelesse pit of hel for euer Theophilus O immortall God before this day I coulde neuer vnderstande the wickednesse of these parents which both by their negligence and vngodly examples spoile and vtterly cast away their children and bee not onely iniurious to themselues and theirs but also they striue and indeuour as much as in them is to extinguish the Church of God trouble disquiet and destroy the whole common wealth and so at the last vtterly extirpe and roote out all good loue
cause that we daylie suffer such innumerable plagues and mischiefes Is it not because wee are contented to behold see our children so wicked yet seeke no meanes to correct amend them And in an other place he saith Quemadmodum ager diu non proscissus sic iuuentus neglecta siluescit ac passim innumeras vepres producit addid etiam hanc similitudinem Sicut terra fructuosa est iuuentus quae si negligitur multas producit spinas As an Orcharde or field not weeded and proyned of long time bringeth foorth no fruites but bushes and brembles euen so fareth it with youth being negligently vsed and hereunto he addeth another Similitude As the earth without tillage and manuring bringeth foorth many thornes briers So youth without diligent and careful handling yeeldeth of it selfe no good fruites or commodities Theophilus What is it that Crates the Thebane was woont to exclaime against such Parentes as did neglect the instructing and right reformation of children which neuerthelesse in the meane time did studie and endeuour by al meanes possible if they might to leaue them as rich as Cressus Theodidactus Crates that Auncient Philosopher when hée had got him vp into the highest place hee coulde finde in the Citie Thebes on the market day was woont to crie out often vnto the people there assembled in this wise Whether throng yée after this manner O yée men of Thebes and to what end serueth al this your paines You will refuse no care studie or trauel whereby you may scrape together great summes of money and hoorde vp riches in greate abundance but of your children to whom you would leaue the same surely you take no regard or care at all Theophilus O Lamentable case what a preposterous care haue these men of their Children Without doubte they seeme vnto mee to doe none otherwise then those which vse great care and diligence about their shewes in the meane season care little or nothing for their foote sore wounded and ful of payne neither wil they suffer the same to bee helped and cured Theodidactus There is so greate blindnes and malice in mens mindes that they studie to care and prouide for all thinges sauing their children as Erasmus hath left vnto vs written very eligantly Immodico studio inquit paratur possessio possessoris autem nulla est cura Possessions are prepared saith he with vnmeasurable studie but of the inheritour or possessor there is no care at al. And againe hée saieth Nihil in omnibus possessionibus filio est preciosius at eo nihil est neglectius quod re ipsa ostendi potest nempe agrinitent nitet domus nitent vasa vestis ac tota suppellex Bellè docti sunt equi pulchrè instructi famuli solum filij ingenium squallet sordet horret Of al the possessions that a man hath there is nothing more precious then his sonne and yet is there nothing lesse regarded then he which may playnelie bee shewed by the thing it selfe for their groundes shalbee wel husbanded the house decent the vessel as bright as siluer their Garmentes fine and trimme and al the whole house in veryegood order The Horses welbroken the Family wel instructed onely the nature and witte of their Childe is stayned filthy vnfruitful and out of culture Saint Bernarde also doeth greatly bewayle the negligence of these Parentes Cadit inquit asinus est qui subleuet perit anima non est qui curet A mans Assefalleth downe saieth hee and straight way one or other lifteth him vp agayne and succoureth him but the soule perisheth and there is not one that careth for it Agayne hée saieth Dolent Parentes sibi ablatas oues a Lupo diglutas sed non dolent proprios filios a Lupo Diabolo scilicet soductos perditos Parents sorrowe excedingly if their sheepe bee stolne from them weeried with Dogges or deuoured of the Woolfe but they bewayle not their owne naturall Children seduced and destroyed of that insatiable and most rauenous Woolfe that is to say the Diuel Diogenes in his Apothegme teacheth very elegantly that Parentes haue more care of their beastes then of their Children For when amonge the Magarenses hée did beholde their shéepe well couered with wooll and fell against the iniurie of the sharpe nipping Frostes and cold but saw their Children naked Satius est inquit Magarensis esse arietem quà m filium It is a greate deale better saieth hee to bee a sheepe of the Magarenses then one of their Children Theophilus I cannot sufficiently woonder at the negligence or rather bruitishe drowsinesse and sluggishnesse of those men which so filthily do contemne and so wickedly doe destroy their children Theodidactus You saye you cannot leaue woondring and not without a cause neyther are you onelie holden with this admiration but all Godlye men in like manner doe maruell lament and detest this vngodly wickednesse of Parentes And namely Lucius Apuleus whose woordes are these Nihil equè miror quà m quum omnes cupiant optimè viuere sciant non alia reviui quà m animo nec fieri posse quin vt optimè viuas animus colendus sit tamen homines animum suum aut suorum non colunt I cannot so much maruel as seeyng all men doe desire and wishe to liue well and that they also know they liue by none other meanes but by the soule neither is it possible but that if thou woldest liue wel thy soule must be regarded fauoured esteemed al this notwithstanding men doe neither regard their owne soules nor the soules of those ouer whom they haue charge And verily those Parents are greatly to be detested and abhorred of all men which do neither teach them thēselues nor prouide that theyr Children be taught some profitable art eyther meete for publicke or priuate gouernement But yet muche more are they to bee abhorred and contemned and altogether vnwoorthy honor or estimation which not onely doe not teache and instruct their Children in the Arte and cunning to knowe God out of his word But also doe so corrupt and spoyle them with their lewde and wicked examples that they cast them away for euer Moreouer their seruauntes and families are so lightly regarded and looked vnto that chiefly on the Holy and Saboth dayes when they shoulde exercise them selues in the seruice of God and learne the dueties of humble obedience they suffer them to raunge héere and there from Alehouse to Lauerne gulling gurmandizing and bowsing tippling and quaffing dauncing and frisking that at the last they prooue as giddie as Géese and as wise as Woodcocks so that a man shall neuer heare to procéede from them any honest and profitable spéech woorthie the remembraunce but in steade thereof such lewde and Deuilish deuises such gibing and iesting cursing and rebauld talking filthie and blasphemous swearyng that it woulde gréeue any Christian eares to heare them or eyes to sée it So that I thinke the Deuill is