it selfe manifestlye and the tongue to speake publikelye what other thing is it to put on a visor and resolue the speach to whispering but to deface the deuine ordinaunce do contrary to God If it bée so seriously forbidden by the law that men should not bée disguised in other kinde then they are much more iust and necessary is this restraint not to take an habit by the whiche the face is deformed and séemes monstrous And séeing the most fayre and noble part whiche God naturally hath geuen to man or woman is the face can there be a greater vice then by counterfeit visors to disfashion it contrary to the aucthor of nature If Saint Ciprian hold painting so wicked which by so much is a great offence to nature by howe much they séeke not onely to correct nature But also God the aucthour pretending also by theyr painting some vaine glory or to entice men to wickednes What may bée sayd of the Maske which bréeding suspitioÌ„ vnder the visor bringes forth oftentimes effectes of much mischiefe Here if any man saye there is no thought of euil they may be aunswered that which is wicked of it selfe is inexcusable Touching Musicke séeing it is a science liberall it is then necessarily the gift of God working oftentimes holy effectes as the sounde of the Harpe tuned to Psalmes and deuout songes by Dauid chased away the deuyll from the spirite of Saul And so without speaking of the Musicall instruments in the olde Testament we reade in the Apocalips howe S. Iohn in an Allegory approoueth the Harmonie of the Harpe And the Lacedemonians vsed commonly in the beginning of their assaultes Musicall instrumentes to moderate their furious courages ⧠Minstrels are vnworthy of the state and felowship of Townes men as also Puppet Players and such as are called shovves and sightes VVhat Harmonie ought to be vsed Players vvere cast out of the Church tyl they had done penaunce such people corrupt good moralities by vvanton shevves and Playes they ought not to be suffred to prophane the Sabboth day in such sportes and much lesse to lose time on the dayes of trauayle All dissolute playes ought to be forbidden All comicall and Tragicall shovves of schollers in Morall doctrines and declamations in causes made to reprooue and accuse vice and extoll vertue are very profitable ⧠The .7 Chapter MYnstrels or common Players of Instrumentes being men vnprofitable to a coÌ„mon weale were neuer in olde time paste holden worthy of Priuiledge or place of Townes men but with Puppet players and Enterluders were reputed infamous because they are Ministers of vaine pleasures enchaunting mens eares with poysoned songes and with idle and effeminate pastimes corrupt noble wittes For which cause as they are called of Aristotle the suppostes of Bacchus whose dronkennesse making them the slaues of their bellyes restraines them from all ability and capacity of good doctrines So it belonges néedefully to the gouernours pollitike to drawe them into rule not suffering the youth of their Citie to be eftsoones corrupted with the soft and delicate Musicke of Lydia but rather to accustome their eares with graue Musicke sturryng to vertue or such as was in vse with the Lacedemonians and Phrygians to moderate the furie of their affections Or like to that of the Pythagorians wherewith at their going to bed they put in rest all the passions of their mindes But that sounde aboue the rest is best which was familer to Dauid singing holy and spirituall songes when he chassed away or at least restrayned the inuasions of the wicked spirite in Saul wherein in déede the holy Ghost by an inwarde vertue sturred vp by the faith and feruent prayer of Dauid did worke more then the Harmonie of the Musicall Instrument But because our common Minstrels by their Arte can not be members profitable to a common weale It were good they learned some necessary science wherein according to good example they might by compulsion be employed not so much to gaine the reléefe of their priuate life as to cut of the example of their abuses to others by a quality vnprofitable where they are bounde to an office of honest and paynefull trauayle according to Gods ordinaunce All Stage Playes and Enterluders Puppet shewes and carelesse Boyes as wée call them with all other sortes of people whose principall ende is in féedyng the worlde with sightes and fonde pastimes and Iuggling in good earnest the money out of other mennes purses into their owne hande haue béen alwayes noted of infamie euen in Rome where yet was libertie enogh to take pleasure in publike sportes In the primitiue Church they were cast out from the communion of Christians and neuer remitted vntyll they had performed publike penaunce And therfore S. Ciprian in an Epistle counselleth a Bishop not to receiue a Player or Minstrell into the pension of the Church by which the poore were noryshed tyl there was expresse act of penance with protestation to renounce a science so sclanderous Be it that by such people somtimes may be expressed matter morrall and Christian doctrine yet their good instruction is so corrupted with Iestures of scurilitie enterlaced with vncleane and Whorelike speache that it is not possible to drawe any profite out of the Doctrine of their Spirituall moralities For that as they exâ—hibite vnder laughing that which ought to bée taught receyued seriouslye so of many that goo to assist them though some are made merye in minde yet none come awaye reformed in maners being also an order indecent and intollerable to suffer holy thinges to be handled by men so prophane and defiled by interposition of dissolute wordes which is as if you should suffer fayre and precious Iewels to bée set in quagmiers or fowle soyles For my part I doubt not but it is a sinne against the first table as well for that there is contempt of that that is good as also in place to honor God his name is taken in vaine many holye wordes recited without thought to dispose them once to edify Great then is the errour of the magistrate to geue sufferance to these Players whether they bée Minstrels or Enterludours who on a scaffold Babling vaine newes to the sclander of the world put there in scoffing the vertues of honest men as at Athens Aristophenes did by Socrates whom he called a worshipper of the Clowdes because oftentimes in contemplation of God celestiall causes hée raysed vp his eyes towardes Heauen there often times are blowen abroade the Publike and secréete vices of men sometimes shrowded vnder honourable Personage with infinite other offences What impietye can bée greater then thus to prophane the Sabboth daye which being dedicated to God ought to bée employed in holye vses And what worse example in a common weale then to turne other daies of honest trauel into exercises wherin is learned nothing but abuses yea what sumptuous preparation apeareth in those playes to doo honour to Satan what vaine expenses prodigally and
they hoped for The scripture is full of the greate benefits which hospitalytie or almes brought to suche as exercised it it makes prosper the house where it is vsed as appeareâ—h in the bookes of the Kings in the example of the two Ladies grea almes giuers and nourishers of the poore The one was a widdow who receyuing Helyas and by reason of the extreame dearth of Israell not hauing for the sustenaunce of her and her sonne for one day but onely one little Torteise imparted it notwithstanding with Helyas hir gest for recompence whereof shée receyued contrary to hir hope such abundance of vittels for hir hospitality that shee and hir houshold were fed with a happy fulnesse The other good woman was maried but harraine without children and poore she receiued Elizea for the which lodging this prophete ordinarily she became riche and contrary to the hope of nature had a childe I medle not here with the hospitalities of men as of Abraham and Lot who thinking to welcome men receiued Angels neither how God hath made happy all fathers of hospitality as hauing nowe to deale with the hospitality of women the rather to draw all honourable dames to liberall consyderatioÌ„ of desolate maydes yea though they be them selues poore for of that pouerty God wyll sturre vp plentifull riches of misery he wyll rayse felicity and out of harrennesse he wyll drawe fruite by this holy hospitality and almes So that if our Christian dames in this harde age would to the honour of Iesus Christ receyue into their houses and succors poore maydes destitute there is great suretie through the whole discourse of the scripture that all happie blissing and felicity of heauen will follow to the aduauncement of their families In what worldly thing can those vertuous dames be more honored than to giue impediment to poore abandoned maydes not to wander vp and downe countries townes as séelly errant shéepe ready for the Iawes of the woolfe to kéepe them that they begge not from doore to doore and so be solde as fleshe in the butchery and fall in praye and spoyle to whooremongers wherwith this miserable time swarmes yea what glory can be greater to them then in protecting virginitie from prostitution to preserue those sacred vessels of the holy ghost in holinesse and christian honesty and what greater prayse can they deserue afore God then to the vertuous education of perplexed soules to ioyne a disposition and meane to marye them to the which if they be vnhable of themselues let them call the ayde of others more welthy but specially of the Churchmen whose superfluities are dedicated to such vses and they dutifully bounde to be furthering instrumentes to aduaunce so holly and charitable actes wherein I thinke they will finde none so harde harted as to deny contribution to further a worke of suche Christian and common mercy Touching olde and poore widowes and other women in whose age is expressed some suretye of chastity in their behauior no feare of slaunderous frailty if they haue no places proper to themselues nor meane to be receyued into perticuler houses it were good to bestow them amongst the impotent in an hospital S. Paul commaundeth the rich parents kindred and alies to nourish the poore widdowes of their race to the ende saith he the Church be not to much charged with the poore wherein may be gathered vpon s Paules meaning that the true poore without parents and frindes and power to gaine the sustenaunce of their lyfe are appoynted to the goods and reuenues of the Churchmen giuing also to vnderstande that the Church certaine dayes but specially the sundais contributed by collections monye for the succour of the poore which the Byshops and pastors gaue in charge to sée distributed by the deacons and other inferiour ministers yea such of the ecclesiasticall ministers as had no patrimony or other benefit of liuing tooke of this collection so much as was necessary for them leauing the rest to be shared amongst the other poore in general But here must be considered that pastours in those dayes hadde no other goodes nor reuenues then oblations first fruites almes not knowing so much as the name of tenths when Princes were not christened poore widdowes and orphanes but specially néedy straungers passengers people vnhable to gaine their conuenient sustenaunce as little children and weake olde men were fedde of those goods in a publicke place which since hath bene called an hospitall or Gods house for there for the honour of him were norished poore people which had no house to retyre vnto And where there was no Publike house to receiue theÌ„ many vertuous people tooke them into theyr proper houses but specially more amply the Bishops and pastors So that the perticular houses of good almes geuers were as litle hospitals and the houses of Bishops as great gods houses S. Paul commandeth Bishops to maintaine hospitalitye aboue al other sortes of people to be succourors of poore straungers For so we reade that in perticular houses they receyued Passangers washed their féete entertained them with no lesse humanitye then if they had béene theyr nearest Parentes Amongst whom if to the woman had not béene ioyned the custome to washe theyr féete vse them in due sort of hospitality she could not be receiued into the ministery of the Church as to haue estate to minister and serue vnder the Deacons at the table of the poore to prouide for their necessityes which holy custome Apostolical of the first Church is yet continued in many places where Maydes and religious Women professing the state of chastity are solemlye vowed to this office Wherein as may be séene what opinion of honour it was to serue the poore publikely So let it then in these dayes bee no shame to aske gather in Churches for this Christian pietye nor to visite hospitalles with diligent care to ayde them for it is one of the greatest honors that may be gotten a fore god an expresse estate and effect of true and Christian religion ¶ Hospitallitye and Almes in all times haue beene in sin ular estimation Howe hospitalles haue beene named By vvhat reasons the Scripture inuiteth vs to hospitality in calling vs al straungers Exhortacion to be housekeepers Examples of hospitalitye and the recompense thereof Obiections against the ayde of straungers in necessity and their confutacion ¶ The 4 Chapter IN all actes of pietie we finde that hospitalitye and Almes are most recommended in the olde and newe Testament Beue saith God to the stranger which is within thy gates meate to eate if he bée poore and sel to him if he haue to paye thée for thou art a people holy of the Lord God In another place he biddes vs nourishe the poore Leuit ministers of the Temple and cause to enter into our houses passangers Strangers Pilgrimes Orphanes Widowes poore people demanding almes at our gate and to breake breade vnto theÌ„
immortall purtraits of the diuinitie of God and in hospitalles only the corruptible and mortal bodies of decayed men are fed and cherished In Colleges also poore children may bee susteined if the houses haue liberal dowries the same ministring great cause to the gouernours to prouide Colledges séeing also it is a common interest to all men to sée to the good instruction and education of youth what course of science so euer they take as hauing no abilitie of them selues to know what is good honest profitable nor what is conducible to the safetie of their soules and much lesse to discerne God and searche out his wil yea they shal be ignorant in their rule and gouernment of humaine reason so wicked and obscure a nature carrie they by sinnes so ignorant is their spirit so peruersed their will and affections whereby those children folowing time without discipline and institution should fall into infinit errours and dissolute manners and as vice encreaseth as the wicked wéede groweth without culture or labor and euery minde by his proper nature caried to doe euill where vertues can not bee attained without discipline and instruction so these young forward plantes if thei should not be licorred with wholesome moysture and moderated by the industrie of skilfull workmen they would bring forth fruites of corruption and troubles to their common weales and in the end ouergrow them to their generall destruction Let it be therefore a principall care in chief Rulers to erect Colledges building them in places ayrie cleane and faire obseruing the commoditie of the Sunne and wind reflecting temperatly a thing very delightful to the wit and profitable to the health of the body foreséeing that they carrie such state in showe and buildinge that aswell the beauty of the workmanship as the serenitie of the place may draw children of noble houses to passe their youth there and inuite other good wittes to establishe and follow the studie of learning The romthes standing in such amplitude and the chambers so many that they may conueniently conteyne the nūbers of schollers within the house being very hurtfull by many reasons to make separation of studentes one from another and vnder the chambers to bee made formes to the ende the Regentes and maisters remaining in the said chambers and hauing vnder them the said fourmes may better kéepe their schollers in dutie then if their fourmes were elswhere bestowed if the place be commodious it is necessary to make libraries in the sayde chambers which would bée very requisite for good Studentes for to yonge children and such as beare no vehement will to studie they would be but occasion to hinder or disorder their exercise it were good they were bestowed in a mild swéete and softe aier if the place beare commodity for the recreation and pleasure of wittes the windowes of these ought to haue aspect towardes the East and West for the South resolueth the wit and dulleth it and filles the braine with hurtfull vapour and the wind of the North as in winter when it is cold hindreth the memory and is hurtfull to the lyuer and lightes because it stirres vppe defluxion Secondly a Colledge or schole ought to bee indued with reuenue sufficient to entertaine a principall and Regentes of singular vertue and knoweledge with wages accordinge to their order and qualitie and that with such iust payment that they haue no occasion to complaine of their common weale nor of such by whō they are called to the exercise of that profession Touching the reuenues of Colledges without the which the stately buildings should séeme as cages wherin the birdes died of hunger for want of prouision goodly to beholde but not to dwell there the Church in other tymes hath prouided for her part a principall Regent for which purpose shée leauied foure or fiue hundreth Frankes of estate in the Cathedrall Churches for the finding of a man of excellent learning and vertuous life who at this day retaynes the name called Scholemaister and the Bishops and common weales supplied the reste as thei saw necessitie require wherein for the default of some of our predecessours discontinuinge this good and holy institution I wish our Ecclesiastical prelates of this time to restore and recontinue so auncient and necessarie constitution would where neede is either erect newe Colledges and encrease their reuenew or at least repaire such as are towardes ruine and of their grosse reuenues superfluous for the countenance of a churchman compart some porcion to the fauour of learning honour of God seruice of their countrey and their owne perpetuall memorie and as those holy and graue prelates of the former tymes saw there were no better meanes to preuent heresies and correct vices then by laying a ground of good instruction in the first yeares of youth so if their successours had succéeded them aswel in example and imitation as in their huge and wealthie liuinges they had stopped the course to many sectes and opinions which only are the cause at this day that Christendome standeth deuided in religion and the kinges thereof drawen into actes of mutuall conspiracie In some places common weales and cities onely haue had the honor to builde endue Colleges with a reuenue of a thousand or xii C. Frankes at the least for the which they haue bene and are amongest all other cities most celebrated Others not hauing like abilitie in wealth but no lesse forward in affection to learning séeking not to be slow or negligent in that which they sawe raysed their common weale to benefite and them selues into immortall honor procured brotherheads to be annexed leuied generall and particular gatheringes to erecte and endue their Colledges and solicited Bishops to transferre the ayde of certaine benefices makinge by that industrie their colledges both faire and riche wherein in some places as the prince to helpe the want of some townes vnable but well disposed to plant such foundacion of a common weale hath wisely appointed the Cathedrall and Collegiall churches to bestow Cannon prebendes to the reliefe of Colledges specially in their capitall Townes where ought to bee the residence of learned men to teach the whole Diocesse So in many townes specially in Fraunce where they haue so ready meane and either will not or dare not applie it to vse what great offence doe they to their Countrey and pitiefull wrong to their vniuersall youth for where their cities are poore and haue chapters and riche churches to supplie their prouision with the reuenue of prebendes whilest they are voyde yet they leaue the care and prouidence of their prince without execution and are negligent in the instruction of their poore frayle youth for the which they stande not onely condemned afore God but also subiecte to reproche in all posteritie yea euen of the youth them selues to their perpetual dishonor young wittes being by their negligence abandoned to vices ignorance and all sortes of dissolution where if they had ben trained in a colledge they
them If to men vsing great estates and offices be reserued an vniuersall reuerence What lesse honour is due to him that makes them worthy of it and by his industry brings them into the merit of such high calling If wise and learned men be famous through the world for the benefites that growe by their counsell commaūdement and authoritie is there lesse dutie of renoume and immortall praise to such as are the authors of those benefites by their learning If men learned in the lawes profite so much common weales If Phisitions be so necessary for that in them resteth the cure of bodies If lastly by the deuines wée finde comfort to our heauie soules how much are we bound to such as are the first causes of these deuine fruites who are the schoolemasters without whom and the foundation by them layed in those doctrines they had neuer ascended to those seates of honour when we sée a goodly building so excellent in beautie that the worlde giues it singuler estimation what can we ascribe lesse to him who laied the foundation and raised the worke to that excellencie then the principall praise For if faire delitefull and profitable workes be so generally praysed nothing lesse is due to the hand that fashioned them Who delites to behold a goodly picture doth great wrong to the painter if he ascribe not much to the commendation of his skill yea if there were layd on but the first coollers yet the beholder ought to be thankfull to his industrie and labour But if such as nourish our mortall bodies deserue great affection memorable renoume much more are we bound both in loue and perpetuall dutie to them that minister foode to the immortall spirites of little children if so great reuerence be reserued to Phisitions for helping the health of bodies which one day must die notwithstanding Is there not more merit of honour to such as cure our soules of immortal diseases The scripture pronounceth many textes to the shame of those which despise scholemasters of which profession Christ séemed to make his Apostles when he spake to Peter if thou louest mée féede my Lambes What other thing is it to féede then to nourish teach in good doctrine and the Lambes of the flocke of Iesus Christ according to the natural propertie of speaking are young children whom he holdes no lesse deare then his proper fleshe I saye not that vnder that name are ment all sortes of people and yet it can not be denied but that those littleones deserue chief instruction For S. John after he had taught in diuers countreys being compelled to leaue them for a time and go elswhether by speciall writing sayd to the little ones comfort your selues O ye young ones in that you are by the grace word of God strong and vertuous for that the woord of God remaynes in you and that you haue vanquished the wicked spirit through the grace and merit of Iesus Christ Yea Christ him selfe caused the little children to come into his schoole blaming the Apostles being yet of the flesh by cause they let those littleones for comming to him as though he would not haue taught and holpen them aswell as euen the greatest but he commaunded to bring them to him and pronounced them in that instruction and imposition of hands which hée gaue them worthy of the kyngdome of GOD saying that to those and such like the euerlasting worlde belongeth Then such as receiue little children into discipline exercise the office of Iesus Church the same sturring vp the Bishops in old time to take into charge of discipline and teaching little children as also did both the one and the other S. Iohn and the Prophets had many disciples who otherwayes were called the children of the Prophets it is written that many holy men went thorough the world to teach schollers with this intention that with the rules of learning they should also instruct them in the principles of faith and by that meane winne the Fathers mothers to Iesus christ amongest these Origen was not the least zealous and S. Gregorie the Pope refused not this vocation for certaine houres of the day For which considerations a certaine learned doctor of our time and chauncellor of a famous vniuersitie had no shame to go thorow the Colleadges of the vniuersities at certaine conuenient houres and teach little children in familiar doctrines which he did for the loue zeale of God And being oftentimes reproched by other doctors that he shewed an example vnworthy his place specially for that there were sufficient tuters to that purpose he aunswered that they were as fleshly doctors resembling the Apostles not yet in full libertie of the spirite who by glorious opinion forbad little children to approche neare to Iesus Christ alleadging that there was no dutie of accesse to him but by those that were graue I aske of those fleshly doctors whether the shepeheard that kéeps the Lambes of a Father of houshold do not as good and agréeable seruice to his Master as if he had in charge greater shéepe If a Father shew more deare loue to his little children then to those that haue riper age foloweth it not by congruent reason that such as giue succoures to those little ones and kéepe them from daunger deserue better recompence of the Father then if they had done seruice to his greater sonnes If the little plant in the garden of any Farmer be so much cherished that the eye of the owner is seldome from it hée then that watreth it prunes it and defends it from the cropping of beastes and other iniuries what seruice doth he to the owner Yea what greater pleasure can he do to the Farmer whose young plant without this industrie were subiect to spoyle without hope to yéeld any fruite euen as if the little Lambes of the flocke were lost and the young children corrupt there were no exspectation of restitution of that losse and corruption The schoolemaster then hauing in charge these little lambes of Iesus Christ and the preparing of this tender plant of his gardeine which is the Church and lastly the leading of these little children being the delites of the Lord how acceptable is his loyall and diligent seruice to his Lorde and to God And if such as sclaunder these little ones through wicked doctrine example deserue to haue fastened to their necke a milstone and drowned in the bottome of the déepest Sea What recompence or reward is due to those tutors scholemasters by whome those littleones are instructed and led in example of all holines Are they not worthy as Daniell sayeth to shine as the firmament and starres of heauen in euerlasting glory and to be called the greatest of the kyngdome of God Yea according to Iesus Christ euen the most happie of all And if euerie one ought to receiue the reward of his trauels as there is no estate of more hard laboures more great paines more perpetuall perplexeties and
péece of breade or other foode which they shot at out of a little cros bowe and if they brought it downe with their arrow it was the rewarde of their paynes so did they learne to forme their mindes in ciuill manners and fashion their bodies to painefull exercise for the warre wherein they became fierce executioners in their age of abilitie The oldest and of most auncient courage and vertue were instituted masters ouer the youth in whom if euery fault and error were not reprehended the maister was condemned to a fyne In this institution all the communaltie of Citizens specially the auncients wer bound to esteme all the youth as their proper children and therefore had authoritie of correction councell and perswasion no lesse then if they had naturall interest in them they had no libertie of conuersation with straungers for feare of corruption by their dissolute manners they had no handling of money nor other pleasure whiche might bring abuse so that they knew not what delites were Touching their reast they slept alwayes in the fieldes vpon straw waddes forbearing fether beddes as not to effeminate their bodies for intemperance or whordome much lesse that it was familiar amongest them but of the contrarie during the tyme of their auncient discipline there was none of their youth knewe what vice it was There was seldome Citizen of Lacedemonie accused for any quarrell and lesse to haue hurte or wrōged any mā by which seuere pollicie they brought such reputacion to their common weale that farre and straunge Regions sought their alliance yea the Jewes thought them selues assured against their enemies as is saied in the Machabees if they had confederation with the Lacedemonians much more then belonges to Christian common weales and specially to Noble houses touching the education and guiding of their youth séeing our law is infinitly more perfect expressing many commaundements with promises of fauour and eternall felicitie if we institute our youth as wee ought where amongest the others was but onely a regarde to ciuill honestie and glorie to haue raised such an institution to their youth great wrong and dishonour doe we to God who sendes vs children to the ende wee frame them méete for his seruice whereby his glorie may shine if we abandon them to the world sathan the prince thereof to the common and eternall destruction aswell of them as of their posteritie ¶ Still touching the education of young children Chapter v. LEt vs eftsones retorne to the institucion ciuile of children suche as fathers and mothers ought to procure more then is conteined in the discourse of the other chapter they must first be entred in the knowledg of God and elementarie groundes of faith the commaundementes sacraments and principall pointes of saluation the same to be ministred in their first age and according to the mesure of their capacities expressing with all good example which as an eye of doctrine cōfirmes the other herein Agiselaus aunswered wisely to a father asking him how he ought to teache his children put into them sayth he at the beginning the best and most necessary doctrines such as may serue thy children for the grounde of their life Which foundation of pietie and religion ought to be first layed remaine in the building which is made of all the other doctrines Let fathers consider with wise masters by whome their children are instructed in these groundes where vnto they are most drawen by nature which if it carie them not to the zeale studie of learninge let them pushe them forward whether God séemes to call them for other wais with the vaine spending of their money they should be guiltie of the losse of time to their children if they should striue to chaunge their vocation naturall or rather deuine and bestowe them else where by their owne opiniō ioyned with some affection to some peculier trade perhappes more to their proper profite but lesse to the commoditie of their children wherein they shoulld séeme to resiste God and nature and attempte euen against the suggestion and ordenance of god who as he hath placed in a body naturall diuers members and apointed them to diuers functions with out chaunging their order and office so hath he bestowed in his church and comonweals sundrie sortes of people all members of both the one and the other body whether misticall or ciuill inspiring to euery one of them a will instinct as well of nature as of speciall grace to defier to followe some one certain profession for the seruice of his bodie as to the eye he hath giuen the facultie of sight to the eare propertie to heare to the nose the qualitie of smelling to the toung habyllitie to speake and taste to the hand power to dispose actions and to the feete agillitie to go and to runne euen so hath he yet done more which turnes to his glorie as hauing endued euery one with a peculiare affection to followe an estate most conducible to his proper sauluation and where in he shal be most seruiceable to his Lord God for the cause S. Paule puts vs often in remembrance that euerie one ought to followe his vocation with perseuerance and constancie wherin Aristotell séemed not to be ignorant saying that ther are some men whoe of nature are frée and as Lords borne to learning and to the welding of great affaiers and some others bond men and slaues and by their seruile and grosse condicion without all facultie either to rule or commaund amongest the Philosophers it was an opinion to doe nothing against nature as not to commaund the hand to go in place of the foote which if it were done by force could haue no continuance as also the foote hath no facilitie to do that belongs to the function of the hand By these we sée that in vaine do Fathers and Mothers put their children to religion if they haue no deuocion but haue rather the inclination of souldiers such becomes euill the habite and profession of Religion whose affections and hartes aspire to the office of valiant Captaines From which if they be restrayned they are not drawne too any other exercise but by force where in they haue neither thankes nor fauour of God but which worse is suffred to commit infinite offences which are like to be layd against them by whose couetousnes or supersticion they are intruded into suche profession great is the euill also in forcing maydes to be religious whose inclination had made them more méete for matrons of housholdes in whom for recompence are found many legerdemaines and pleasaunt partes played in their monasteries on the otherside many are the children now a dayes that professe studie to please their Fathers but they do euen as much as if they beat the water of the riuer aduauncing nothing to the common profite nor their honour Of that sort many in place to studie followe their pastimes to auoyde as they say melancholly And yet it is for such commōly as