this accurssed meate cleaued to close to the same that force nor strength could beat the same away The maide crying to her young maister with a shriking voice caused him quicklie to discerne the matter who assaying by stripes to repulse the same away wrought by Gods iust iudgement his owne punishment for this filthie Tode contrarie to natures temeritie which hath taught the same to flie the sight of man with forcible strength reuerted from the meate and respringing from the same leapt suddenlie into the face of this Lordlie sonne cleauing so fast therevnto that no art nor councell no force nor fortitude could driue the same from his accurssed fleshe but that sticking thus vnto his face many yéeres punished the wickednesse of this vngratious impe that contrarie to lawe nature disdayned the duetie due to his withered Parents But that which is most myraculous when any man touched any part of this hateful monster or endeuored to driue the same from of his face the terror of torment so assaulted his heart that it pinched the same with most vntollerable paines The fame of this woonder was spread throughout all the vttermost endes of Normandie and Fraunce the straungenesse whereof did amaze as many as heard the same causing in many children some feare and duetie to theyr Parentes and in many Fathers more carefull regard of theyr children Yet as there is no offence so bainous but by contrition auoideth Gods vengeaunce so is there no sinne so gréeuous but is pardoned by repentaunce for though the fire of Gods wrath be often kindled against our transgression yet the waterie teares of submission quencheth the consuming coles of his anger and obteineth present remission and so though this obstinate sonne had both offended his earthly Father and also incensed his heauenlie Creator yet his minde melting in humility prouoked the Lord to accustomable pittie so that after long patient and sufficient sufferaunce the Lord sent vnto him spéedy delyueraunce Drawe néere you dallying Daddes that marre the mindes of your children by excessiue and ouermuch cockering beholde the iudgementes of God that punisheth you in those thinges that you chéefely loue because you make them your Gods who ought to be theyr guides you adore them lyke Saintes which should serue you lyke Sonnes you let them run at lybertie which you ought to kéepe in straightly you minister to theyr néedlesse youth which should labour for your néedfull age you giue them all things and deny them nothing and yet you complaine that your children are gracelesse when you your selues are not therein blamelesse O Fathers remember you haue béen children remember that in your childhood the flesh did assayle yée letchery dyd burne yée lust dyd inflame yée the world dyd prouoke yée and the deuill dyd tyse yée and sith thou art a Father and hast béene a sonne sith thou art olde and hast béene young let not thy chylde liue so in youth as maye make thée wéepe in age neyther let him so follow his affection as maye cause thee wayle thy want of discretion Harke what the Wise man sayth If thou bring vp thy sonne delycatelie he shall make thee afraide and if thou playe with him he shall bring thee to heauinesse laugh not with him least thou weepe with him also and least thou gnash with thy teeth at the last giue him no lybertie in his youth and excuse not his follie bowe downe his necke whyle he is young hye him on the sydes whyle lie is but a childe least he waxe stubborne and giue no more force of thee and so shalt thou haue heauinesse of soule Saint Augustine reciteth a notable example of Cyrillus a Cittizen of Hiponenses who hauing a Sonne which he superfluously loued for that he was his onely sonne he possessed he brought him vp so delicately that he wanted nothing but had it of him willinglie denying nothing that he demaunded but graunting him all things that he requyred being as slowe to correct him as he was loth to displease him this youth consumed a great part of his fathers goodes in luxurious lyuing as a number doo with vs in these dayes which frequent the Tauerne before the Temple visite theyr harlottes with letters before theyr redéemer with teares delyte rather to sippe the cuppe of theyr concubine then to taste of the comfortable cuppe of Communion but beholde the glorie of foolish Fathers and marke the fruite of vnbridled children for being one day dronken with as much wine as his Syre was with superfluous loue he kylled his Father weake with age oppressed his Mother great with childe would haue defyled his sisters and wounded two of them vnto death O myserable and detestable impe of the deuill but sée héere O fathers what cōmeth of your too too foolish affection superfluous loue which blindeth your iudgement that you cannot will not correct the faultes of your children as the Philosopher sayth Amor et odium sepe faciunt iudicium non cognoscere Loue and hatred oftentimes peruert iudgement The cause of which maketh you to nussel them in such nicenes that they are vnfit for labor or study through corruption of idlenes the Emperor Octauian set his sonnes daughters to labor to the end y t they might if fortune failed obtaine a meane to liue in honest behauior he taught his sonnes the exercise of chiualrie his daughters to worke in wooll painefully Licurgus taught his yong children to suffer harme patientlie to doo good willingly Many examples may be héerin inserted in which I should séeme too tedious if I should prosecute them with prolixitie but because I will not be too long I will therefore conclude with breuitie shewing how this want of correction and this too fond affection hath caused Parents to be punished in theyr children Dauid for as much as he was too slacke in correcting his childrens abuses was therefore plagued in theyr oppressions how was he expulsed by Absalon How was he shamed in Amon And to be short Hely for his negligence in not correcting the offences of his children was punished of God so that in one day his sonnes were slaine he brake his necke and his daughter in lawe for sorrowe thereof trauailed with childe and died Boetius reciteth a History of Lucretius that was nourished vp of his father without discipline and correction vntyll mans state who consumed his money at dice and harlottes and being many times redéemed by his Father out of prison fell notwithstanding to ill company and conuersation tyll on a time being taken for some great offence and led vnto the gallowes his father folowing him he requested at the place of execution that he might speake with his father and that he might but kisse him before his departure and fayning the same most sharplie bitte of his fathers nose saying Father iustlie by thy meanes doo I suffer this for hadst thou but corrected me I neuer had come to this miserie Beholde héere
superior element the inferior creature But as the Mole vnto whome the whole meddowe is scarcelie sufficient rooting vp euerie furrowe of the féeld to satisfie her gréedie nature therein destroying the earth hindering the owner of the grounde and lyttle profiting her selfe except in contenting her wastfull minde So this couetous father not content with aboundaunce hauing his minde as much vppon gathering money as the Mole in rooting the meddowe increasing his ritches peraduenture by the decay of others hauing no profite thereby except in beholding the same to suffise his couetous hart was incensed against his sonne in that he condiscended not to the conclusion of his choise which he had made as much and more to the pleasure of himselfe then the affection of his sonne considering he had determined the same with the father of the Maiden the consent of the virgin but most especiallie the agréement of her dowrie the quantitie whereof so tickled his hoording heart that vppon the refusall thereof he cast his sonne out of his fauour willing him to auoide his sight with most bytter threates of his displeasure losse of his heredetaments but chéefelie the lacke of his blessing Yet this sober youth giuing place to the passions of his Father and ouercomming his anger with quiet sufferaunce knewe that though the impatience of his Father was for a time somewhat troublesome yet time might both appease the same and yéeld better fortune vnto him that his Fathers couetous minde did wishe He well remembred that the herbe Scamone although it be venemous yet it purgeth coller though Southernwoodde be vnsauorie yet it expelleth venime and though Rew be bitter yet it cleanseth the braine cleareth the sight purgeth fleame and bringeth many commodities to the body So thought he that albeit the auoyding of this match and the abiding of this brunt be bitter yet future profite may repaye the same with double pleasure and therfore to auoide the coller of his Father to dissipate and make voide the deuise of his braine and to accommodate vnto himselfe some better fortune he fled the sight of his aged Syre And tracing his iourney through many a wilde wildernesse walking through vnknowne woods vncouth pathes and wearie wayes the Sunne withdrawing his lyghtsome beames and the night approching with his duskishe clowdes he declined into the house of an aged man to rest himselfe after his taken trauaile And entring into the doores thereof he found the daughter of the olde man being his onely childe with lyfted handes bended knées and open mouth yéelding prayse vnto the Lord for his great benefites bestowed vpon her and making her prayers vnto him from the bottome of her heart to graunt her his grace to liue in his feare to the reuerence of her Father the discharge of her duetie and the quiet contentation of her owne conscience A woorthy president to fire before the face of all modest Maidens shée was not héere occupied neither in trimming her head in glaring in the glasse in fingering her Lute in singing of Sonnets in denising of Letters in daunsing with her Louers nor in any such lewde and vnséemelie pastimes but like a chaste Virgin a milde Maiden and a good Christian was occupied in heauenly contemplation This routh musing at the rare exercise and no lesse admyring at the godly praiers stepped vnto her with fréendlie salutations requesting to know whether these diuine orations were her continuall study and frequentations and considering her pouertie which appeared in outward showe how and for what cause she yéelded such thankes vnto God for great receyued benefites The Maiden méekely beholding him a while although at first abashed with his suddaine sight yet at last she wiselie and discretelie framed vnto him this aunswere Syr I see you meruaile that my pouertie should not be an obstacle to my prayers for as much as to your iudgement it conteineth few worldly benefites consider with your selfe that as a simple medicine dooth more often cure great diseases then large compoundes curiously framed so pouertie though in apparaunce simple yet to a contented minde the very schoolemaister of vertue and the perfect path vnto perpetual pleasure more excellent to y e godlie then the glistring state of golden ritches which though in outward appearance it séem glorious yet is it the hooke of hurtfull securitie couered with the baite of worldly felicitie a log to vertuous life a stop to quiet state and the verie blocke whereby worldlinges stumble into the pricking perils of choking cares And although I am not indewed with aboundaunce of worldly treasures yet doo I thinke that the Lord hath left vnto me great ritches in as much as he hath graunted me the onely company of my aged Syre vnto whome as in youth he shewed me loue so in age I may yéeld good will being vnto him in age a staffe that was to me in youth a staye And thinke you good Syr quoth she that I haue receiued but small benefites at the hands of God who hath made me a reasonable creature that might haue made me a sencelesse thing by nature who hath giuen to me a soule that might haue cōstituted me onely of a body who hath made me a christiā that might haue made me an infidel redéeming me by his blood that might haue perished in mine owne sanctifying me by his spirite that might haue béen possessed by the enimie These caused considered I doo twise euerie day make my praiers vnto y e Lord for my soule as I doo twise euerie day féed my body lest if I should cherish my body not nourish my soule the one might grow disdainful and the other sinfull and if I should not thus repay him with thankes that hath fed me with benefits I might appeare more vngratefull to him for his mercies then he beneficiall for mine vndeseruinges O myrror of maidenhood O glasse of true virginitie O mind endued with modesty O hart fraught with true humility Sée héere you gadding girles that gape after euery gaude and prease after ech peeuishe pastime you that can daunce with the daintiest smile with the smothest laugh with the leudest you that wāder to weddings thrust in at Theaters trip into Tauerns you that take more care to trick your bodies to the pleasure of men then to deck your soules to the will of God you that had rather spend two houres at y e glasse then a minute at the bible taking more delight to vew your faces then to behold your consciences rather hardning your héels with daūcing then your knées with praying Behold the exercise of this virgin note her life and follow her example begin in vertue end in the same be not like a number of foolish damselles that begin hotlie after a while are luke warme but in the end stark cold like to the monster Chimera whose vpper part was a Lion whose midle a Gote but her neather part a Serpent Be not like to the Jewes that bowed theyr knees vnto Christ
consider that your age requireth rest which you may take hauing once accomplished this thing then what ioy maye it be vnto your aged minde to beholde with your eies your sonne assured lie placed in your possessions who though he be your onely heire to succéede you in the same yet may be thereof preuented by death or by accident of aduerse fortune This simple man heard attentiuelie this sugred tale not considering that in smothest streames is most daungerous wading in shallowest waters most perillous sayling and in greatest places most hurtfull sléeping the Bée carrieth honny in her mouth and a sting in her tayle the Sirens sing swéetly but theyr song is the Saylers sorrow So this flattering Knight though in his spéeche appeared an outward showe of trueth yet was it but the hooke to catch this séelie fishe with all to the ende that his Daughter might come to the possession of his wealth And therefore I may liken the simplicitie of such men that cast not the disprofite of eche cause as well as the commoditie to the follie of the fishe Sargus whereof Aelianus speaketh which so vehementlie loueth the Goate that the fisherman when he purposeth to take her putteth on a Goates skin ouer his head with hornes prepareth his nettes the Sunne shining at his backe and dispearseth in the Sea Wheate sodden in porrage made with Goates fleshe the sauour thereof when the Fishe perceyueth she draweth nie delighting in the sight of the fained Goate and so is taken in the nette to her owne annoyaunce euen so these men delighted in the shaddowe of outward trueth are deceiued with substaunce of inward deceits Thus this olde man trusting to the glorious wordes of this wilie Fisher was caught in the nette of vaine beléefe that such ease and contentation should redounds to his desyre as should cause the small course of his future lyfe to be spent in fulnesse of all delyght and therefore though lothe to depart from that hee firmelie loued yet perswaded thereto by the professed fréendes of this glorious Gentleman was induced to condiscend to theyr desires The marriage daye therefore appointed the solemnities thereof were shortlie accomplished The Sonne and the Daughter the first yéere ministred to the necessitie of theyr aged Parentes plentie of all thinges the second more sparinglie but the thirde most vnshamefastlie the fowrth yéere through the suggestions of his Wife he prepared for his wofull Parents a lyttle lodging opposite against his statelie building where he might yéeld vnto them a bare scantling of necessary sustenaunce Thus these odious children as time increased beganne to immitate the nature of the Pellicanes younglings who after theyr mother hath brought them vppe to some bygnesse beginne to strike and pecke her in the face for which she being vexed in her furie kylleth them and afterward being sorie therefore she pearceth her sides with her boysterous beake tyll the warme blood issuing from her breast renueth her younglinges to newnesse of life In which similitude is comprehended the entyre affection of a mother to her children and the small requitall of children to theyr Parentes This aged and vnfortunate Father with his croaked olde Wife suffered in this state no lyttle néede and necessitie yea scarselie durst they set foote within the doores of theyr vngodlie Sonne but commaunded those things yea and requested the same which they could not want from the handes of a household seruant O myserable seruitude nay O vntollerable slauerie that he which had aucthoritie to commaund the sonne was now at the pleasure of a seruaunt In this case these two croked Creatures passed a great part of theyr toylesome time vntyll it fortuned the aged Mother out of her cottage windowe espied one daye in the house of her Sonne meate spitted and layde to the fyre ready to be roasted the sight whereof procured vnto her some hope of better fare then accustomable vse did yéelde vnto her But séeing that delaye of eyther sending for her or to her did driue her in doubt of the least parte thereof shée came vnto her aged husbande the onelie copartner of all her gréefe saying vnto him O my well beloued husbande the auncient companion of all my paines thou séest in what hungerie state we spend our withering time which requireth greatest sappe of nourishment as for me I am but a myserable mother and an vnhappy woman whome fortune hath taught to be with fewest things content But goe thou to the house of our Sonne where it may hap thou shalt fyll thy hungerie bodie with part of that meate which mine eyes by chaunce espied The olde man hearing these wordes of his fréendlie Wife leauing his aged lymmes vppon his staffe hasted to the house of his vnnaturall childe hoping to finde that fare that his hungerie heart did wishe But this wretched and accurssed childe hauing intelligence of his Fathers approche caused the meate to be taken from the fyre and priuilie conuaide the same into a secrete place least the eyes of his aged Syre should but be fedde with the sight thereof and hastelie running to méete his croaked Father in steede of reuerent spéech gaue him froward language and for honour to his siluer heaires obstinatelic shewed him a frowning countenaunce Which when the séelie simple man perceyued how frustrate he was of his longed hope dissembling the matter he presentlie returned to his former abode whose sorrowfull heart I referre to the milde consideration of euerie lenious and gentle Parent that haue felt the discourtesie of such bastards and vnnaturall slips which degenerate from the vertue of theyr auncient roote from whence they tooke theyr off-sppring Sée héere the nature of a dunghill byrd once matched in alyaunce with the noble Eagle beholde the nature of this crabtrée slippe being once grafted into the daintie Pearetrée stocke Marke well the nature of this carren Kite being entred in societie with the fléeing Faulcone consider the quallitie of this vpstart Gentleman matcht in affinitie with this new alyaunce Set a begger on horsebacke and he will gallope set a foole on a bench and he will knocke his héeles make a cobler a Courtier and who more scornefull make a iauell a Gentleman and who more disdainefull This yong youth aduaunced to this state forgot the place from whence he had his originall disdaining his Father contemning his Mother and withholding from them sustenaunce and reuerence which had giuen vnto him substaunce essence But behold the punishment of God vpon disobedience how seuerelie he reuenged this lacke of earthlie duety which by his word he hath commaunded and let it be a myrror to all vertuous chyldren that they withholde not from theyr aged parents that loue and affection which nature hath required This haggard sonne his father being gone commaunded the meate to be laide againe to the fyre the which was no sooner doone but suddenlie a monstrous â—uglie Tode violently leaping vp and downe the Chamber approched the fire side and hastelie shipping vpon
O fathers the fruite of slacke correction what foolishe pittie procureth in gracelesse children what lyttle lacke of vice and what great want of vertue corruption hath sowne in the hearts of your younglinges bring not your selues therefore vnder the yoake of your children for your shall finde it a painefull burthen The Wise man sayth Trust not to their lyfe nor regard not their labours For common experience teacheth vs in these dayes that the loue of Fathers to theyr children is verie great but the affection of children to theyr Parents verie small we sée what care Fathers haue ouer the state of theyr children and what negligence children haue euer theyr Fathers and therefore it may be saide verie well that loue by nature dooth descend but not ascend it descendeth from the Father to the Sonne but it ascendeth not from the sonne to the Father wherein the loue of the Father appeareth more and the loue of the childe lesse but what is the cause that the loue of the Father is more effectuall to the childe then the childes good will to the Father the reason is Quia radix citius putresceret quamque ramus remitteret sibi influentiam Because the roote shall sooner rotte then the braunch shall send backe his influence vnto it But somewhat to amplifie as well the duetie of children as to quallifie the vaine affection of Parents I wish all children to print this passed patterne in theyr hearts and to write the same in the table of theyr thoughts that they may learne thereby to honour theyr Parents and to cherish them in theyr latter yéeres The Wise man saith My sonne make much of thy Father in his age greeue him not as long as he liueth And againe Honour thy Father from thy whole heart and forget not the sorrowfull trauaile thy Mother had with thee It is written in the booke of Tobias Honour thy Mother all the dayes of her lyfe for thou oughtest to remember what and howe great perilles she suffered for thee in her wombe This did that Heathen man Coriolanus remember of whome Valerius maketh mention who being Consull of Rome and depressed thereof being driuen into exile by the Romaines went vnto the Volscans of whome being fréendly entertained he was made theyr Captaine against the Romaines and after many Citties taken he approched vnto Rome and comming within a thousand paces thereof they sent vnto him Orators from the Senate to intreate of peace but he would not heare them againe they sent their Priests with their Insignes adorned but he refused them at the length his Mother named Veturia cōming to the campe being suddenly espied of her sonne he cried out O mater vicisti iram meā scio quid vis O mother thou hast sayth he ouercome my anger I knowe what thou wouldest haue wherof hapned peace onely through the loue of his mother insomuch as he said more hath the loue of my mother doon then the strength of the Romains The Philosopher Aristotle sayth Dijs parentibus et magistris non potest reddi equiualens To God to Parentes and masters no man can yeeld recōpence Valerius rehearseth a notable history of a mother in Rome which had a daughter married the mother had committed a fault for which she should be burned her daughter came to the Emperor with her little child bowed her knée desiring life for her mother the Emperor sayd the case committed required death that she was worthy the same the daughter replied O mightie Emperor Princes should be mercifull not suffering their suppliants to depart without comfort yet I beséech thée O Emperor let not my mother be publiquelis put to death for how filthy will that be how ful of confusion so to die before the people but if that no pardon may redéeme my mothers life yet graunt I beseech thée that she may be condemned to perpetual prisonment there to finish her last farewel The Emperor considering y e meeknes of the daughter gaue sentence that the mother should be condemned to die in prison without any nourishment to her giuen the daughter yet craued that she might naked descend vnto her mother in the dungeon which being graunted she visited her mother in this wise O mother I came naked out of thy wombe naked vnto thee I doo descend to bring thee bread or foode was not to me permitted but as I being young did sucke thy breast to maintaine me so thou being old sucke mine to sustaine thee thus liued the mother eight dayes with the milke of her mild daughter this being showne to y e Emperor how that she was yet liuing moued him to wrath in somuch y t he would haue slaine the Jayler for that he suffred not her to famish with hunger who sware that nothing was by him administred to her the Emperor therfore marked secretlie the egresse of this kinde and louing daughter and heard her sweet and mild cōmunication and séeing her giuing vnto her mother her breasts to sucke cōmaūded this daughter to be drawne foorth of prison naked wéeping séeing the compassion of the daughter to her mother said daughter I giue vnto thee thy mother whose tender intyre good will hath deserued her deliuerance A most worthy rare example for children in these daies to immitate and folow For as saith Rauen Auelle à sole solis radium et nō lucet rinum à fonte et arescit ramū ab arbore et exiccatur membrū à corpore et putrescit separa filium à deuotione paterna et iam non est filius sed frater et collega illorum de quibus dicitur vos ex patre diabolo estis Take away from the Sun his beames and it shineth not from the fountaine his riuer it waxeth dry from the tree his bough it wil wither from the body his member it will rot so seperate a sonne from fatherly loue and then is he no sonne but a brother and a fellowe of them of whome it is sayd Ye are of your father the deuill To conclude let all children or they of what age state or calling so euer which haue Parents thinke them worthy of all honor reuerence loue feare endonoring to requite as much as in them lyeth though fully they cannot the labor trauaile the cost and care the loue losse that theyr Parents haue passed for theyr preseruatiō that they may say they haue nourished vp no Woolues to worrie them but well-willers to cherishe them that beastes in theyr nature exceed not theyr loue whom reason hath framed to excell all creatures As the Storke◠that succour theyr parents in theyr aged time recouering them with theyr winges supporting them in flying and also administring to theyr noriture and necessitie Moreouer let them consider but the tender nature and kinde affection that they ought to beare vnto them being stronglie vrged thereto by reason of theyr being for by