University of Virginia Library

A gentleman, that had two sonnes,
desirous was to see
Them both in learning traded up:
for which, great counsale hee,
Of diuers often did require,
what Tutors he might choose
To put these prety Puples too,
that rightly might them vse.
And vnder whom they likely were
their labours to haue lost.
Well: to be breefe, so many men
so many mindes there were:
Some would say this, some other that,
& som were here, som there.
Some sayd, they thought that liberty
was ill for Children:
Some other sayd, that lawfull twas
and needefull, now and then:
Some sayd, the rod should be the sword,
to keepe Children in awe:
And other some, such cruelty
counted not worth a strawe.
Some sayd, that Children should
surpressed be by feare:
Some thought, to rule by gentlenesse,
a better way it were.
Some said, that children were
by nature bent to play,
Which from their learning, in short space,
will drawe them soone away:
Fro which, by feare to keepe them still,
the rod should be the meane:
Least little smack of liberty
would quickly marre them cleane:
And vse would make great masteries,
for so, by keeping in
And harde applying of their bookes,
they profite would therein.
Some other then, that thorowly
this matter did discusse,
To that opinion contrary,
alleadged reason thus:
Children, by nature, are not bent
to any kinde of play;
Their minds are euē halfe made by thē
that gouerne them alway:
And that, to keepe their minds frō play,
the rod should be no meane;
And that by feare for to subdue,
that were not worth a beane.
As for examples sake, (quoth one)
at first, take me a Childe,
Who hath a prety ready wit,
although of nature wilde:
And let him learne to daunce,
to shoote, and play at ball,
And any other sporte: but put
him to his booke withall:
And when he is abroade,
if fayre he doo not shoote,
Or when he gins to daunce,
if false he chaunce to foote,
Then pay him, breech him thorowly,
favour him not at all:
And now and then correct him well,
though for a fault but small.
If that he trip, or misse his time,
vp with him, by and by:
Let him not slip with such a fault,
but pay him presently.
And you shall see that ofte, for feare,
his legges will quiuer so,
That he shall neuer learne to daunce,
nor scarcely well to go.
And when in feeld he drawes not cleane,
his arrow in his bowe,
Knock him vpon the fingers harde:
and you shall see, I trow,
That in a while his fyngers ends,
for feare will quiuer so,
That he will neuer learne aright,
to let his Arrow go.
Now if he be harde at his booke,
although he learne not well,
Either forget, or conster false:
at fyrst, doo gently tell
Him of his faulte, and if
that he do plye it harde,
Giue him an Apple or a Peare,
or some such childes rewarde:
And trust me, you shall see, the schoole
shall be his chiefe delight:
And from his booke he seeld will be,
or neuer, if he might.
Wherefore, by reason thus I prooue,
that children be not bent,
But that their natures much are made
by Tutors gouernment.
But this I graunt as requisite,
with reason to correct:
Lest children oft for lacke thereof,
their faults too much neglect.
But as a sworde, to set it vp
in schoole to open sight,
I like not that: for tis to some
at fyrst to great a fright.
Their eyes are so vpon the rodde,
they little minde their booke:
For childish feare will cause them still
upon the Rodde to looke:
And so their eyes quite from their bookes
not only drawes away,
But eke their minds, as much and more
then any kinde of play:
Wherefore a Rod I would in schooles
should be kept out of sight,
To make the Children to their bookes
to haue a more delight.

Another graue gray headed syre,
that harde them reason so,
Thus said: So many shrewd curst boyes,
& wāton wags I know,
And eke so many Schoolemaisters,
that lack good gouernment,
That many prety Boyes will mar,
that are of minds well bent:
That sure I know not what to say,
but, trust me, in my minde,
A good Tutor, whereto a child
is bent, can quickly finde;
And as he findes the nature of
the Childe, euen so he may,
By gentle meanes, euen as he list,
soone leade him euery way.
So, that to keepe him in good awe,
correction, now and than,
He iustly use with gentlenesse,
as a good Tutor can.
Well: at the last, this Gentleman,
when he had heard at large
Their true oppinions euery one,
at last, he gaue in charge
His two Sonnes to two sundry men:
whereof the one was milde,
And euer sought by gentle meanes
for to bring vp a Childe:
The other was of nature fierce,
and, therefore, rather sought
With store of stripes for to bring vp
such children as he taught.
The children both of nature like,
in time did differ much;
The difference of gouernment,
of Tutors, theirs was such.
The one did prooue a proper Youth,
and learned for his time:
And by his learning afterward,
to honour high did clyme.
This, was by him brought vp,
that was of nature milde,
And euer sought by gentle meanes,
for to bring vp a Childe.
The other prooued but a blocke,
a Dunsicus, an Asse:
Because, with too much cruelty,
he often dulled was.
This, was brought vp by him
that was so fierce of minde:
That thought the Rod should be the sword,
to rule a child by kinde.
The Father sory, afterward,
to see his Child so lost:
And seeing, that his other sonne,
did euer profite most:
Tooke him away from that fierce foole,
and put him presently
To him that was the mylder man,
praying him, earnestly,
To see if that he could in time,
quicken his dulled wit:
Desiring him thereto to vse
such meanes as he thought fyt.
Well: at the last, with much adoe
he tooke a little paine:
And tooke in hand to sharpen then,
his dulled braine againe:
And many maisteries did prooue,
but rigour none he vsde:
For that before he had so much
by thother ben abusde:
But euer sought, by gentle meanes,
to make him voide of feare;
And so in time did alter much,
his nature as it were.
He made him boulder to his booke,
therefore, more willing to
His study still: but yet, alas,
whateuer he could doe,
He could not make him like vnto
his brother any way:
Although he striu'de, and tooke great pains,
asmuch as in him lay:
Yet euery way he mended had,
his nature very much:
The gentle meanes, he euer vsde
in teaching him, were such.
Well: to be short, when that
this Gentleman did see,
The difference twixt his two sons:
There shall no more, quoth he,
Of children mine be put to Schoole
to such as still doo vse
To rule the Children by the rod:
I rather aie will chuse
To put my children vnto those,
that are of nature milde,
And know by loue and gentlenesse,
how to bringe vp a childe.
And thus the tale was at an ende.
and now, Sir, euen as he,
The Gentleman that had two sonnes,
desirous was to see
Them both in learning traded vp:
euen so, no lesse, am I
Desirous for to see these youthes,
bothe learnedly
And vertuously brought vp,
as much as if they were
The neerest kinsmen that I haue,
or brethren deere, I sweare.
Wherefore, good Syr, as I in you
my faithfull trust repose:
Vouchsafe to take such pains with them.
that they no time do lose:
And for correction, now and than,
to him that dooth not well,
I meane not to instruct you Sir:
your selfe can better tell
Then I, what longs thereto:
therefore, as you shall finde,
Vse your discretion Sir, therein
according to your minde.
Thus you haue heard the milder man
the better Scholler made:
And yet, a bridell must be had,
for a wilde brainesicke Jade.
But for your prety Coltes, I hope,
no bridle you shall neede:
I hope you easely shall them bende,
with a small twined threed.
My meaning is, I hope they will
themselues eche order so,
That you shall neede to take small care
almost which way they go.
Yet now and then, though without neede,
somwhat looke out, I pray:
Least that they hap by Company
for to be led astray.
For though their natures well be bent,
yet you know, now & than,
Ill company oft times, God wot,
dooth marre an honest man:
And they, you know, are all but young,
and youth delights in toyes,
And toyes frō learning quite & clean,
withdraweth wanton boyes.
Yet in good faith, I hope, good Syr,
your prety Puples three,
Will bothe in learning, and all things,
by you so ruled be:
And eke vnto their bookes, besides,
will haue so great desire:
That earnest more, or dilligent,
you cannot well require.
Well: I haue put them all to you,
you only must be he,
That as well to their learning, as
behauiour must see.
I sought not out three sundry men,
to put these children too,
To see which of them would doo best,
and which againe would do
Worst of the three: but all vnto
your charge I doo commit,
To teache and gouerne, by such meanes,
as you alone thinke fit.
And as I haue them giuen in charge
to you, euen so I craue
That you will see your Schollers so,
themselues each way behaue;
And bring them vp in learning so,
that when from you they part,
I to haue found a Tutor such,
first will be glad in heart:
And you your selfe another day,
may be full glad to see
Their vertuous life, & then may say,
these were brought vp by me.
Their Father then, whose tender care
is for to see them all,
In learning daily to succeede,
and further there withall
In good behaviour eke,
may well in hart reioyce:
That I in this behalfe haue made
so good and happy choice,
As to finde out, so fit a man,
to put his children too.
As vnder whom, they all in time,
so will are like to doe.
And I my selfe, the more for that,
may stande your bounden friend:
And he reward you for your paines:
and so I make an ende.