soule hee formed thée into a right shape and nourished thée miraculously euen in thy mothers wombe He gaue vnto thy parents after thy birth a tender louing care ouer thée to cherish thée in thy helplesse infancie he hath giuen and still giueth vnto things growing from the earth vertue and power to nourish and sustaine thée He maketh thy hands and diuers parts of thée delighted with féeling thy mouth with tasting thy nose with smelling thyne eyes with séeing and thine eares with hearing Thy hart also he maketh full of ioy and gladnes and that which passeth all the residue hee giueth vnto thy soule if thou walke in his feare a taste in this life of the endlesse and vnspeakeable ioyes of heauen Consider with the aforesaid benefites how he hath reléeued thée from time to time and made thée grow stronger and stronger and wiser and wiser and still assureth thée thorough hope that he will daily more more multiply his graces in thée if thou endeuor to doo well If then thou meditate wel on Gods wonderfull wisedome and power shewed in hys benefites bestowed vppon thee thou shalt finde in thy selfe as it were a little beautifull world of Gods glorious workmanship To God therefore to whom thou art most bound nay to whom thou owest thy selfe and all that thou hast yeeld all dutie studying to liue according to his lawes so as thou maist best please him that is best manners But forasmuch as thou must learne in euerie particular action how to liue godly partly by hearkening to good instructions of parents and teachers partly by hearing reading and meditating on Gods word chiefly by the inspiration and direction of Gods holy spirit which must daily bee craued for by earnest praier all which cannot be sufficiently handled in this short Treatise I will now hasten to my purposed instruction touching thy manners and behauiour among men Vnderstand therefore O childe that by reason of original sin corrupting thy nature thou art but as an vntilled péece of ground apt to bring forth nothing that is good Daily experience sheweth thée how the Earth yéeldeth itselfe a most bountifull and kinde mother in bringing forth brambles and vnprofitable wéedes nourishing the same most liberally but corne and hearbes best for mens vse and necessitie it hardly reléeueth nourisheth after much painfull plowing or digging diligent and carefull sowing setting or planting and continuall wéeding showing it selfe vnto them an vnkinde and cruell stepmother Euen so thy corrupt nature most plentifully bringeth forth willingly nourisheth and cockereth in thée all vices and euill manners but vertuous and right commendable manners it hardly admitteth to be planted in thée and practised of thée after much carefull tilling and digging vp by the rootes of the weedes of wickednes and ill behauiour and the diligent sowing setting and planting of ciuill and good behauiour endeuoured by thy tender parents and vigilant teachers Let then thy industrious diligence concurre with the sage instructions of thy teachers and knowing thy selfe to be ignorant of manie things which they know be readie to heare and diligent to practise what good they shall propose so shall theyr documents doo thee good and thou shalt bee delighted in that which is good and seemely forsaking filthie rude and corrupt manners and fashions The chiefest cause that hindereth manie Children from the practise of good manners is for that they esteeme themselues to know sufficiently how to behaue themselues when as indeed they know not at all or at least regard not to obserue that which for their tender yeres is comely or to flye that which in them is most vnseemely in anie poynt But reiecting such head-strong carelesnesse suspend thou thine owne iudgement and submit thy selfe dutifully to the good direction of thy discreets aduised Gouernours and skilfull learned Teachers and still bee sure to eschue with all diligence whatsoeuer thou shalt be admonished to be ill beséeming thee or hearest or seeest to be noted vnseemely in other And see thou marke héedfully and imitate rightly all good manners taught thée or whatsoeuer behauiour praise-worthie that thou shalt sée in another Beware therefore of vngodly and ill mannered children how thou accompanie thy selfe with them but with the vertuous and well nurtured let thy fellowship bee for of a vertuous and industruous yong age commeth an honourable or at least a commendable olde age But now to our purpose The tung is called the interpreter of the minde and the behauiour may bee rightly tearmed the true image of a man for by the manners are liuely represented the habit of the minde and disposition of man And according to the behauiour so is the partie iudged of and by the same he getteth either credite or discredite Learne thou then in childhood so to behaue thy selfe as with the best thou maist winne praise Which manners although they cannot bee so largelye taught by preceptes in each perticular as by an industrious practise of him that will bee diligent to obserue they maye bee learned perfectly yet for the instruction of those that haue willing mindes to learne and small meanes to attaine I haue thought good to set downe these few rules to be followed In méeting with anie person that is thy better as thou art to estéeme all thine Elders thy betters sée thou giue him the way and putting off thy hat vse a reuerent show in countenance or maner of gréeting to him And if he bee some Man of authoritie a Minister of Gods word any of thy Parents thine Vncle or Aunt or thy Schoolemaster looke that thou boow also thy right knée somwhat in thy saluting of them Let it be farre from thée to reason thus What should I shew duetie or reuerence to one that I knowe not or to him that neuer did nor is like to doo me anie good For God by Salomon commaundeth thée to rise vp and make obeysaunce before thine Elders Age is honorable and commaunded of God to bee honoured nay it is a signe of Gods great lasting fauour and of euerlasting life in heauen To despise it is then to despise Gods fauorable mercie and louing kindnes toward thy selfe and others God by S. Paule commandeth also that double honour bee giuen to the Ministers of his Word And as for those in authoritie as Princes and all Magistrates c. S. Paule saith plainly that to despise thē is to despise Gods ordinance he speaking of heathen vnchristian Princes and Magistrates How much dutie then owe wee to those Princes Magistrates that indeuour to shewe themselues the faithfull lieuetenants of God on earth commanding and ruling according to Gods owne will and séeking our good both of soule and bodie The nerest dutie that thou in thy childhood owest priuately next vnto God is to thy parents which are the instrumentall causes of thy beeing without them thou hadst neuer been begotten nor borne without their tender loue and carefull prouiding for thée thou hadst neuer béen reléeued nor fostered in
THE Schoole of good manners OR A new Schoole of Vertue Teaching children youth how they ought to behaue themselues in all companies times and places Translated out of French By W. F. LONDON Printed by I. Danter for William Ihones and are to be sold at the signe of the Gun neere Holburne Conduit 1595. TO THE VERTVous and tovvardlie young Gentleman Master Edvvard Harington Sonne and heire to the Worshipfull Master Iames Harington of Ridlington in Rutland Esquier NOT without iust cause in my iudgement did that renoumed lawgiuer of the Lacedemonians amonge other things ordeine that all parents should not only frequent the publike banquets themselues but should alwayes bring with them their children thither that there they might the better learne to obserue what fashions manners and vsage were best beseeming and holden most praise worthy where the reuerent account of the presence of their betters might be as a bridle to hold them within the boundes of modestie and the beholding of the glorious rewards of such as deserued wel the open contempt reproches and shame with the sharpe punishment of dissolute and euill disposed children might terrifie them from vice and anymate them to labour greedylie to be holden vertuous If the like assemblies were now houlden among Christians where children with mirth might learne good manners and togither with the refreshing of their bodies might learne with quicke wise sayings to exercise their wits aswell as their mēbers with actiue feats I thinke it would prooue to youth a way very profitable For Example I hold to be the most forcible schoole-mistres that can be touching manners Now hauing of late happened vpon a litle book in French concerning childrens manners I hauing more laisure than I well liked thought good to expell my languishing ydlenes by translating and in places needfull correcting this treatise which I haue intituled an A. B. C. or the first schole of good manners Much more sufficiently I confesse this argument deserueth to be handled but all good vertuous manners be as most louing sisters who so is daily conuersant with some of them cannot long be vnacquainted with the residue And that childe that will lay fast hold on Diligent obseruation and be ruled thereby as by his Paedagogue he shall attaine in good tyme to the knowledge and vse of al good manners This treatise good master Edward I haue dedicated to you not as though you needed any such instructions for I am assured that you know and daily practise mo and better than here are prescribed But for that I esteeme you alreadie a patterne of vertuous good manners in the view of many other I haue thought good to make you a patrone of this little schole wher the rude ignorant may if they will lerne some forme of fashions by reading practising that here is proposed Now the Lord the Author fountaine of all goodnes vouchsafe so to powre his graces vpon you that you may profit and prosper in al your vertuous indeuors and so apply your self in husbanding this spring tyme of your Adolescencie as when you are growen to a perfect man you may gloriously reape the happie haruest of your labours to your owne good and the comfort of all your freends Your vvell-vviller VVilliam Fiston ¶ A Schoole of good manners for Children and youth THe feare of the Lorde is the beginning of wisedome saide Salomon the wise most truelie wherfore he iudged those to bee alreadie in a great forwardnes to knowledge and right vnderstanding that séeke diligently to learne how they may walke rightly in the feare of god For that feare doth not terrifie but teach it with holdeth not from weale but forewarneth howe to flie from euill yea it is a nurse that nurtureth but therewith giueth most holsome nourishment Let Children therefore first and principallie learne to walke in this feare and let them know that the first poynt of good manners is to shewe most dutifulnes vnto him who is most of Maiestie honour and worthinesse and to whome for benifits receiued they are most bound Consider then O Childe that in regard of honour and maiestie all Nobles Princes and greatest Emperours are but inferiour vnderlings in comparison of God Almightie holding their states but during his pleasure yea in respect of his excellencie they are but as the shadowe of a man is in respect of the man himselfe and all the pompe and glorie that thou canst sée in this world is but as a thing of naught in comparison of Gods perfect true honor and eternal glorie in heauen whereof thou shalt be partaker in the life to come if walking in his feare thou indeuourest to doe well If thou also consider how infinitelie thou art bound vnto God Almightie for benefits receiued thou shalt haue iust cause to desire that thy whole life might bee nothing els but a continuall praysing and glorifiyng of Gods name For what good thing hast thou or euer hadst thou which thou hast not fréely receiued of his bounteous liberalitie Nay what good thing could be wished whereof he hath not most gratiously made thée partaker Hée hath not onlie made thée a liuing creature whereas thou hadst no béeing but hath made thée a reasonable and euerliuing soule euen a Semblance or Image of his owne excellent Maiestie a partaker of reason diuine knowledge in heauenly things with the Angels Hee hath also ordained thée if thou walke in his feare to bée an heire of his euerlasting kingdome and a fellow heire with his owne Son Christ Iesus where shall bee ioy without ceasing true glorie neuer failing plenty without wanting and all happines without harme for euermore God hath also sent his Son Iesus Christ to redéeme thée by his merits and suffrings hee hath accepted him as a Sacrifice for thy sins and for all those that shall be saued whereas otherwise thou wast accursed and like to haue bin damned for euer This did hée of méere mercie and loue wherefore thou art most bound to feare and loue him God hath also giuen thée the comfortable vse enioying of his holy spirite if by earnest and faithfull praier thou craue the same That spirit regenerateth thée and yéeldeth thée alwaies present comfortes against all feares safetie against dangers strength against assaults warranteth thee harmlesse against all thy wauering doubts and is to thée a sure Bulwarke of defence against all the sleightes of Sathan the malice of enemies and whatsoeuer might hurt or trouble thée Séeke diligently then for the aid of this holy spirit by daylie fearing and obeying God If thou wouldst weigh thy dutie toward God by consideration of the outward benefits that thou receiuest of him in this life I saie it againe what hast thou or euer hadst thou but thou receiuest the same of Gods frée benefit He conioyned thy Parents together in wedlocke afterward gaue them both will and power to beget and conceiue thée that done he powred into thée a liuing and reasonable
and placed them in their beings and which gouernest all thy creatures according to thy good plesure Looke mercifully I beseech thee on mee that am the work of thine own hands And as it hath pleased thee of thy great louing kindnes to keepe saue and defend me from the manifold dangers of this night past for the which I yeeld vnto thine excellent Maiestie all due humble and heartie thankes so let it bee thy good pleasure to keepe and defend me this daye and euermore from all euils both of soule and bodie Be thou my protector my guide and my soueraigne Lord and Gouernor Graunt O Lord that as the night of darknes is now past and the cleare day-light doth appeare so I maie by thy gracious assistaunce learne to cast off all darknes of wickednes error and ignorance and haue my soule and vnderstanding more and more lightned with true faith wisedome godlie knowledge Let thy holie spirite bee my instructer and chiefe teacher which is able to lead me into all truth Make mee deere father apt to conceiue and diligent to practise whatsoeuer good and vertuous documents shall be taught me by my parents schoolmasters or wise elders Keepe stubbornnes and disobedience farre from me but make me delighted in that which is good that I maie with all patience and dutifulnes be readie to encline my heart to all wise and godlie precepts And forasmuch as both naturall dutie bindeth me to be mindfull of the weale and prosperitie of the Prince and Magistrates vnder whose protection I liue in safetie as also for my parents and frends whome thou hast giuen to be the authors of my life nourishment and maintenance and for that also Christian charitie bindeth me to be carefull of the good of all Christians in generall yea and to praie that still moe maie dailie be added to the Church I therfore for them all euen as for my selfe doo beseech thee to extend forth thine aboundant mercies to euerie one in his place that they maie liue die to thy glorie their owne saluation concluding with that holie and perfect praier which thine onelie sonne Christ Iesus hath taught vs saying Our Father c. A praier to be said of children at euening before they goe to bed O Lord God our most gracious heauenly Father I most humbly thanke thee for thine vnspeakable mercies bountie shewed me at al times hitherto and namely for keping me this daie past in thy fatherly protection defending me from all euills and bestowing on me cōforts necessarie both for my soule bodie O Lord now that the darke night is come which is a signe of horrour death and woe and that I am to lye sleepe on my bed which is an image of the graue wherein my bodie after thys life is like to rest let thy holye spirite so guard protect direct and comfort me that neither terrours of conscience assaults of Sathan suggestions to sin fleshly concupiscence idle sloathfulnes nor fearfull dreames may trouble me but that sleeping waking my soule minde and spirit may wholly be meditating on thy precepts and maye still awaite to attend to doo thy will that I may learne to die vnto sinne and liue vnto righteousnes my rising in the morning may put me in hope of the rising to euerlasting life Grant this to mee and to all thy Church for Christes sake In whose name c. Euerie creature of God is made holie vnto vs by his word and praier 1. Ti. 4.5 A Praier before meate WE humbly beséech thée O heauenlie Father to forgiue vs all our sinnes and to blesse vs and these thy good giftes which we receiue from thée through Iesus Christ VVhen thou hast eaten art full thou shalt blesse the Lord thy God A praier or a grace after meate O Lord we beséech thée to make vs thankfull for these and all other thy benefites bestowed vppon vs miserable sinners but specially for thy holy word and our redemption by Iesus Christ Amen Tvvo other praiers for morning and euening made by a zealous and learned minister of Gods word Morning praier VVatche and pray least yee enter into temptation Mat. 26.41 O Most mightie God our heauenly merciful father we most wretched sinners humbly confesse vnto thy Maiestie that all good things we haue do come from thy onely mercy that we are most vnworthy of them yet altogether vnable heartily to pray for the continuance thereof yet seeing thy deare sonne Iesus Christ hath commaunded vs in his name to pray and that with assurance to speede and to be heard we beseech thee for his sake to prepare our hearts by thy holy spirite to put out of our mindes all wordly things and vaine fansies and to stirre vs vp earnestly to consider what great neede we haue of thy continuall help both in our soules and bodies O Lorde we haue through our manifolde sinnes deserued thy wrath and eternall damnation of body and soule yet by the vertue of the great sufferings of Iesus Christ and the shedding of his precious bloud forgiue wash away al our offences we are vnworthy of thy fauour either in this life or in the life to come yet through his holinesse receiue vs vnto mercy and make vs heires of thy blessed kingdome and so increase in our hearts euery day vnfained repentance for our former wickednesse in that we haue neither worshipped thy Maiestie nor liued towards others according to thy worde Strengthen our faith O Lord in Iesus Christ for the forgiuenes of our sinnes and for thy tender mercy sake powre into our hearts the grace of thy holy spirite which may stir vp in vs a more hartie loue vnto thee and thy blessed word that by it we may learne to worship thee aright to liue faithfully and truly towards all men in our callings striuing continually against all sinne chiefly in our selues and then also in others so that whensoeuer it shall please thee to call any of vs out of this short and sinfull life we may willingly deliuer vp our soules into thy blessed kingdome and may come with ioy as louing children to thee our heauenly and mercifull father O Lord make vs thankefull for all thy corrections giuing vs grace by them to feare thee more carefully and to sorrow for our sinnes more hartily Make vs also thankefull for all thy benefits namely for the sweete sleepe and quiet rest whereby thou hast this night refreshed vs we beseech thee now in like maner O gracious God for Christes sake to receiue vs this day into thy blessed keeping preserue vs from all perils and dangers from sinne from the wicked cares of this life and the vaine desires of the flesh shining into our hearts by the grace of thy holy spirit and the true knowledge of Iesus Christ the true light of the world that we may guide all our thoughts words and deeds according to the same and walke painefully and truely in our callings to the
thy infansie when thou wast of thy self quite helples they still prouide thée of all necessaries and labour so to mainteine thée and bring thée vp in learning and knowledge of good arts that thou maiest be able heareafter to lyue in credit as a man among men Which benefits receiued of thy parents thou canst neuer be able in any sort to recompence them Bee then diligent to please and readye to be ruled by them of whome thou hast thy being and all thou hast whom God hath made so able and willing to bring forth to helpe and doo thée good and whose kindenes so farre excedeth all that thou canst deserue Next to thy parents thou art nearely bound in duetie to thy Schole-maisters and teachers who are as spirituall Parents to beget and bring forth in thée vertues and all Godlines and who indeuor to nourish thée and to make thée grow vp stronger stronger in knowledge learning and wisedome vntill thou become a perfect man A certain duetie and reuerence saint Paul also willeth to be vsed to equals thou then beeing a childe must bee carefull to vse good behauiour in manners and curtesie euen towardes thy equals and companions And know that hee that sheweth himselfe most curteous and well mannered among his equalls is so farre from sustaining anie discredite thereby that he getteth thereby the good-will and commendations of all his familiars In speaking to thy superiors vse not manie words and let those words thou speakest be vttered with reuerence both of speach and countenance When thou speakest to thine equalls let thy countenance be amiable and thy speach familiar and frendly Shamefastnes is a Vertue beséeming a childe so as it be moderate for as to be brazen-faced and shameles is a vice so to bee ouer bashfull and ashamed to shew his face is a fault also If anie honorable man or one of great account offer to take thée by the hand before thou deliuer him thy hand kisse lightly the fore-finger of thy right hand then deliuering him thy hand boow modestly first thy right knée after thy left and humblye boow thy bodie withall alwaies when he speaketh to thée or thou art about to aunswere him boow thy right knée once modestly If he continue talking with thée looke thou stil modestly on him not moouing thine eyes much but beware thou stare not too much in his face for that were a shameles and most vnmannerly part Neither let thy lookes be too much hanging downe for that were péeuish and a signe of one hauing a guilty conscience To looke askew with thine eyes cast aside were a signe of one imagining some mischiefe To tosse thy sight or turne thy face thys way and that way were a signe of a foolish and vnconstant minde It is also a fowle and vnséemely thing for thée to make faces in wrything thy visage into diuers formes or to rub one while thy nose another while thy forhead or one while to lift vp thine eye browes another while to pull them down too much or to patter with thy lips or one while to thrust out thy mouth too much another while to pul it in ouer-much or to shake thy head or to cough vnles thou be there too inforced or to spet oft or to scratch thy head to picke thine eares or to blow thy nose or to smoothe thy face with thine hand as if thou wouldest wype away shamefastnes from thée to bee picking or rubbing thy neck as if thou wert lowsie or to clyng in thy shoulders as some Italians vse All these are euill In standing thus before thy betters hold thy hat in thy left hand with both thy hands mannerly before thée for to hold thy hat or booke vnder thine arme-pit in standing so were clownish As thou art thus standing in talke thou maist not winke with thine eyes nod at anie bodie nor turne away thy head If were an ill fauoured thing thus standing to play with thine armes to vse apish toyes with thy fingers or to be short not to séeme for to speake with thy tung but with thy whole bodie Let thy voice be gentle and soft and therewith deliberate not too quicke nor too slow nor too high for that were clownish nor too low but it may easilie be vnderstood Let not thy spéech be too hastie as I said but let it goe with thy vnderstanding and be vttered so leysurely as it may well be vnderstood for manie are so rash in speaking that they make themselues soone windlesse and forget halfe of that which they should haue spoken besides that it bringeth them to an ill habit of stutting and stammering which might haue bin avoided if héedefull deliberation had béene vsed in their childhood In speaking to any Honorable or Worshipfull person it is good manners to repeat nowe and then the title of his Honour or Worship There is no name should bee of greater account nor more deare than that of Father and Mother nor none more louing and friendlie than the name of brother sister If thou be ignorant of the titles of dignities of each estate know that Lordes are honourable Knights chiefe Gentlemen worshipfull and vse to anie man séeming of anie good account this title Sir c. It is a most shamefull thing for a childe to bee heard sweare either in test or in earnest A like shame it is for them to vtter any word of ribandrie or filthie spéech nay they must not abide to heare anie such filthinesse But in manie places now a daies all feare of God and care of modestie set a side children euen from their infancie are delighted in these abhominable euils which they ought most of all things to abhorre If thou bee driuen to name anie vncleane or dishonest thing in spéech vse first this preamble sauing your honour sauing your worship or to meane persons sauing your reuerence Beware that thou once name not much les that thou shew any secret part of thy bodie which nature willeth to be kept hidden and secret Beware howe thou gainesay anie thing spoken by thy elders if thou hearest them affirme anie thing that thou knowest to bée contrarie to their saying if thou bee driuen to reply vnto their spéeches denie not flatlye their spéeches but curteouslie first say with your fauoure Sir I knowe the matter to stand thus or thus or I haue heard Sir that it is thus or so Nay it is euill and vnséemely for thée to giue the lye to thine equalls or fellowes A well mannered childe will neuer quarrell nor brabble with anie but will rather either put vp wrong or commit the matter to arbitrement Thou must not boast nor extoll thy self aboue other thou must not finde fault wyth the dooings of another Be not hastie to reproue other Tattle not abroad whatsoeuer thou hearest Backbite no bodie Disdaine not another for whatsoeuer infirmity or vncomelines Nature affoordeth him knowing that God could also haue made thée more vgly than a toad but