University of Virginia Library

To the Reader.

What age in Infantes is requirde,
or ere they should bee taught,
What sort of Teachers best agrees,
what Schooles bee good, what naught,
Dewe meanes also t'instruct them well,
all these good Readers here
Within this booke (though smal to vewe)
in largest wise appeare.
With other matters incident,
which to my simple skill,
For thy delite, I haue discourste
and written with good will.
My meaning doe accept for good:
but pardon thinges amisse.
So shall my penne for thy behoofe
write greater thinges then this.

A Compendious fourme of education, to be diligently obserued of all Parentes and Scholemaisters in the trayning vp of their Children and Schollers in learning.

The Speakers.

• Philopas.
• Chrisippus.

Philopas
Chrisippus , in these careles dayes
wherin the blinde are bolde
To force with wordes the truth of thinges:
wherin each man doth hold
His owne deuise for reasons rule,
his will for perfect lawe,
Wherein eache one accountes his words
for depthe of learned sawe:
What thinkst thou in this case of mine,
shoulde Infantes tender yeeres
Bee trained vp and taught in booke
care wanton Childhood weares,
Or staye til time of greater strength,
that they then better maye
Bee able to sustaine the toyle
that learning lookth for aye?
And whereby theyr so tender sence
more capable maye growe,
To bring foorth fruite of better thinges
which carefull skill shall sowe?
Of truth, it seemthe, twere best that I
my litle sonne at home
Should keepe a while in childishe race
and suffer him to rome,
To playe the wanton yet a while
vntill such time as hee
Through helpe of yeeres may labor beare
and more capatious bee.

Chrisippus
Philopas, I perceaue in you
as in eache father nowe:
You wishe for fruite of tender soyle
and yet forbeare the plowe.
At first, at first Philopas, when
the minde is voyde of cares,
When heape of vice for want of place
the witte of wanton spares,
While tender age is tractable
while minde is apte to take
Eache good precept, and it retaine,
then then your entraunce make.
For olde men nought remember but
suche thinges they learnde in youth:
If good therefore bee graft in time,
good fruite thereof ensuthe.
Esteeme for naught the wordes of suche,
as holde that infantes age
Hath neyther strength to wade with pain
ne witte for learning sage.
For first of all, thentraunce vn-

Memory chiefly regarded to the obtaining of learning.

to learning doeth consist
In memorye aboue the rest:
and all men well it wiste
That Children haue the aptest wittes
both to retaine and holde.
To supple waxe the seale doth sticke,
not so to waxe that's olde.
And for so muche as nature hath
to learning vs begotte,
Why should wee thinke ye learnde to sone
that nature thinketh not?
Why should we deeme the study rashe
of that same thing to bee
Whereof by Nature seedes are sowne
in eache yong Babe we see?
Dame Nature in our mindes hath sowne
the knowledge of eache thing:
Why shoulde wee then make nice those bloomes
to better state to bring?
Besides al this some thinges there bee
though needeful to bee knowne
Of elder sort, yet those in Babes
more easilye are sowne
And soner setled than in such
as are of riper time
As Christcrosserowe the skill of tongues
fine tales and Catoes rime.
For briefe, why is that age esteemde
for learning so vnfitte
Whiche all men see so apte and prone
good nourture for to gette?
Naye, what wyl children sooner doe
which once haue power to chatte
When as they see no remedye,
than styll to thincke on that?
Howe much more profitable ist
that that same age shoulde bee
Stirde vp with learning than with toyes,
so meane haue his degree?
For if the Childe haue sense to learne
lewde thinges and trifles vaine,
Then thinck the same hath sense likewise
to learning so againe
For as vpon newe white lymde walles
Men painte what likes them best
(Beet good or ill:) so sure it standes
with Infantes tender brest.
At first (I saye) eare cares come on,
eare vice beginne to growe,
Let children learne. Such seedes encrease
as men in time shall sowe.
Unto the sheepes newe shorne fleese
whereon no dye hath fall,
You maye such perfect collour cast
as likes you best withall.

Philopas
Alas Chrisippus, small it is
(God wotes) that Children can
By helpe of tender sence obtaine:
and (praye) what bootes it than
Therfore the same into theyr heades
which they can not retaine?
Nowe in good soothe, it seemth to mee
but trauaile spent in vaine.

Chrisippus
Sweete licour may preserued bee
as well in brittle glasse
As in the pot framde out of stone
or vessell made of Brasse.
And why should sclender gaine bee lost?
to little geue you more:
And so shall litle gaine in time
increase aboundant store.
At least this profite shall ensue
to them through studies toyle,
Theyr mindes shal haue no place for vice
which tender skill doeth foyle.
For nothing better occupieth
the busye minde of man
Then earnest studye wrought with toyle
though happing now and than.
And sure, this gaine ought not to bee
contempnde in any wise:
For what though weake the body bee?
the witte to strength shall ryse.
And then the losse is counteruailde,
who would not rather craue.
Some losse of strength than losse of witte,
if wishing hee might haue?
Nayth'lesse it is not ment to make
tough Champions of the same:
But only for the common weale,
good gouernours to frame.
Whereto their childish strength wil serue
and well suffisaunt be:
Far weaker state then Milos strength,
will therevnto agree.
And yet if daunger ought appeare,
through pressing of the minde:
Why should not such as haue the charge,
some present easement finde?
Let nothing stoppe the care of skill,
and learning to be hadde:
It forceth not for lacke of game,
let little childe be sadde.
But parents fondely fray their sonnes,

Abuse of fonde Parentes.

from toyle that study craues:
Though vilely they neglect such things,
as bring them to their graues.
As filthy surfets in their meate,
wherethrough to them doe grow
Not only in the body hurt,
but in the minde also.
They bring their infantes vnto feastes
of straunge and diuers foode:
In banquets that tyll midnight last,
their presence doth them good.
With salt and fresh they fill their gorge
with hote and colde aleeke,
Untill the stomacke ouerchargde,
through vomite ease doth seeke.
They pinche and crooke their bodies in,
the little corps they straine
With garments far vnmeete such age,
and to be thought as vaine.
They cocke them vp with coates of pryde
they vse them for their squires,
They make them Cockneies in their kind
and Apes in their attires.
Not any wayes more tenderly
they doe mistrust their strength,
Then when they should be set to schoole,
and brought to booke at length.
Moreouer parents there be some
which when (in tender age)
They heare their children likde for ought,
they streight their state presage.
This child saith one wil proue wel learnd:
then sayth the father, sure,
I will for him some Prebende or
some Prouostship procure.
Or else I trust to see him rise
to tipe of high degree:
To be some Iudge, some man of lawe,
or man of dignitie.
This childe sayth one will make a man,
see how his limmes be pight?
The father straight way saith: this childe
shall be a courtly knight.
Thus thus, to wish in swathing bands
before the childe can speake,
They thinke it not to soone at all:
yet if a man man should breake
With them to haue that child brought vp,
and traind in learning so,
As he with skill might vse such thinges
as vnto him might gro,
They aunswere that he is to young,
though wordes be vtter plaine:
Of truth of truth (Philopas) I
adiudge these men but vaine.
As for the wordes that mothers vse,
my childe hath how to liue,
He shall (I trust) a liuing get
although he neuer giue
Himselfe vnto such needelesse toyle
and trauell at his booke:
I force them not, they are but fonde,
good grounde they neuer tooke.
But let me see? to aunswere here,
(for so I thinke it best)
These foolish wordes whereon their fond
opinion is increast.
Shee sayth hir childe hath how to liue:
what, how to lyue right well?
Naye, there a strawe. I toulde you I
the mother cannot tell.
What needeth lawe or logicque ought,
(sayth shee) er else such like?
My sonne hath landes whereon to liue:
hee needth no learning seeke.
And hath he so in deede good wife?
what, shall he haue such staye?
So much the more he learning needth,
to shield him from decaye.
The larger that the ship is framde,
and frayghted vp with wares:
So much the more vndoubtedly
should be the shipmans cares.
Yea, and so much the more it needth,
a Steers man hauing skill:
Thorow want of whom ye frayghted ship,
falth into daunger still.
Farre, far, therefore more bountifull
is he that learning giues,
Then he that yeldeth heapes of coyne
whereon the body liues.
Which Alexander great declares,
if I were not (quoth hee)
King Alexander, then I wish,
Diogenes to bee.
Wherefore, to fine this long discourse,
lette infancy be taught:
And euen such for whome great wealth
hath great preferment wrought.

Philopas.
Of truth Chrisippus, worthyly
you haue dilated this.
Now tell me whether priuate schoole
or publicke better is.

Chrisippus.
Philopas to discourse this poynt,
what scooles were best to bee:
Fewe wordes shal neede the case is cleere:
all men may plainely see
That many sooner are refor-
med by the feare of one,
Then one instructed perfitly,
by onely one alone.
Wherefore I thinke there eyther ought
to be no schoole at all.
Or else that that same scoole should be
a scoole ingenerall.
Saue first to tell you by the way,
that common scooles require:
Such onely as haue gaind their grounds,
and greater things desire.
For why, where sundry sortes of wits,
are linckt in scooles degree,
There generall teaching must be vsde,
wherewith all though we see
Some speciall wittes to profit well
and gather skill thereby,
Yet common sorte cannot therewith
the sondry poyntes espie.
But as the mayster holdeth on,
as needes he must his course,
So doth the scholler still sticke fast
and growe from ill to worse.

Philopas.
Declare this one thing more I pray.
if greater profit growe
Through many teachers to a childe,
or greater else through fewe.

Chrisippus
As parents ought most carefully
herein to make their choyse:
And as they ought most earnestly
to heare the common voyce,
And knowe report of him whome they
doe choose t'instruct their childe:
Euen so (no lesse) their heede shoulde be,
(least hope be soone beguilde)
That many teachers they refuse:
for (as the prouerbe is)
The country Caria was destroyd
in such a case as this.
So many men, so many wittes,
younge infantes are dismayde
When that the thing they learne to daye
to morrow are vnlayde.
To seeke for reasons in this case,
no reason vrgeth so:
Suffiseth me to haue that proofe
that practizde parents know.
Yet one thing needely must I ope:

Tradendi ratio.

the onely meane to teache,
How neyther rough nor weery way
should tender mindes appeache,
For why, at first this infants age
with flattery shoulde be traynd,
Bycause it hath not skill to knowe
what proffite may be gaynd.
What honor, fruite, what dignity,
what pleasure in the ende
May happe to such as haue delyght
to learnings lore to bende.
Which both the maysters gentlenesse,
and eake the schollers witte,
For both their partes, may bring to passe,
and driue the paine from it.
For nothing is more profitlesse,
nought looseth labour more,
Than whan the maysters cruell trade
doth feare the childe before.
And make him hate or ere he know
wherefore it should be looude.
So loue to booke which should be first,
through feare is first remooude.
The first degree to lerning is,
the scoole mayster to loue:
Whereby it comes to passe in time,
as skilfull teachers proue,
That little childe which loued first
his booke for maysters sake:
In time through loue to learning doth,
like loue to mayster take.
For as those giftes are loued most,
which come from those we loue:
So babes that know not why to loue.
for maysters cause doe loue.
Isocrates hath rightly sayd,
that he doth learne most,
That hath the most desire to learne,
and thinkes no labour lost.
And as to learne, we learne best
of those we best doe loue:
So loue to mayster is the cause,
that loue to booke doth moue.
For parents euen themselues cannot
preuaile if they shall vse
To breake them all by feare and force
and gentle meanes refuse.
Much lesse the maister may through feare
through foule and froward meane,
Once worke a will vnto the booke,
but soone vndoe it cleane.
The chiefe regarde is to be looud,
then feately doth succeede,
No feare, but frindely reuerence,
which (to define indeede)
Hath greater charge then cause of feare,
hath care to shielde fro shame:
Hath doubt to drag and drawe behind,
not feare to suffer blame.
How yll therefore doe they foresee,
the safetie of their childe.
The bewtifying of his braines
with skill and maners milde
That tourne him in his tender age,
to gastly mazing scoole:
Where thronizd sits a mayster straunge
blunt, rude, and halfe a foole.
Oftetimes infected with disease,
inueterate and olde:
Which makes the waywarde testie foole
with little lambes to skolde.
And surely, we doe see there can
be none so abiect fooles
So base and voyde of sence, but now,
men vse them for their schooles.
And thinke them meete to bring vp youth,
to traine them at their bookes:
Where expert men at first doe iudge
them Asses by their lookes.
And they supposing to haue got
a kingdome in their kinde,
Aduaunce themselues with fearful lookes
and set aloft their minde:
Bycause they beare a rule, but not
in beastes (as Terence sayth)
But in that age which soone (god knowth)
a little terrour frayth.
A man woulde saye it were no schoole
but slaughter house in deede,
Whence sauing stripes and roaring out,
no learning doth proceede.
What else is this than soone to fraye,
the silly babes from booke,
who wanting pleasaunt flattering words
none other pleasure tooke?
And some a man shall sooner kill
then mende with cruell blowes,
Where he by fayre and quiet meanes
might bring to learning those.
But this lewde kinde of men (for truth)
ought not to heare the name
Of maysters, but of manquellors,
so brutish are the same.
And none more fell and frowarde are,
than those which nothing haue
Wherewith tinstruct and teache a childe:
whose doggishe deedes depraue
The due successe of forwarde wittes:
whose roughnesse doth deface
The golden sparkes of natures giftes
which in the childe hath place.
A gentle Horse is sooner rulde
with sticke or litle wande
Then with a whippe or digging spurre
within the side to stande.
The Oxe likewise beeing to much prickt,
doeth soone caste of his yoke,
And bringes to daunger him that driues,
through hap of heauie stroake.
So men must handle forward wittes
as Lyons do their whelpes:
The huige and heauie Elephant
the skilfull person helps.
What should I saye? no beaste there is,
no sauage beaste in fine,
Whom violence will not prouoke,
and skill to will incline.
But some perhappes will here alledge
theise scriptures for their turne:
VVho spares the rodde, doth hate the childe,
and vvho in love doth burne,

Eccless. 30

Doth vse the same vnto the vvhippe:
againe bovve dovvne in youth
His necke, and knocke him on the side
eare greater age accruthe.
And this correction might perhaps,
agree vnto the Iewes:
But christians to translate these wordes,
far otherwise doe vse.
That, if some one woulde binde vs now
vnto the letter bare:
What more absurdly can be sayd?
what wordes worse sounding are,
Than thus to bowe a downe the necke
of little children, and
To knocke and thumpe them on the sides
with sticke or with the hande?
What, thinkst thou ye we breake an Oxe
to frame him to the plowe?
Thinkst thou we teache an asse to beare?
or else that we seeke howe
The tender sence of silly babes
to bende to vertuous lore?
Whose slender handes with fearefull sute
Our fauour doth deplore.
Nay, let our roddes that we shall vse,
be admonitions mylde:
And if we chide, as chyde we must,
see bitternesse exilde.
This whippe, this whippe accustome wee
our children still vnto:
That they being wel brought vp & taught,
may learne what best to do.
Maye finde at home an honest forme
of life, and neuer neede
To hange vpon our neyghbours sleeue
for counsell and for reede.
Lycon, that olde Philosopher,
doth teache and well declare
How that to cheere vp childrens wits,
two spurres most sharpe there are.
The first is prayse, the seconde shame,
with which two spurs must wee
Toule on our children if we looke,
that learned they should be.
And now, if that you seeke to know
what thumps we ought to vse:
How we should knock our childrens sides
take these, the rest refuse.
Lets watchfull be ti'instruct them well,
no labour let vs spare,
To teache and traine them vp to good,
Let that be all our care.
Some times to reade, and of things redde
againe for to require
A iust account: loe these be thumpes
that tender wittes desire.
First lette them learne to loue, & haue
in admiration great,
Good letters and an honest lyfe.
Againe, with ardent heate
Fowle ignoraunce and filthy life
to hate with single eye:
The one to loue and still to seeke,
the other to defie.
And let their eares be tyckled vp
to beare some one for good
Tenioy great prayse, and other some
of whome is vnderstood
Some lewde offence, to haue reproche
and still enduring shame:
So teache them still dame vertues prayse
and vices fowle defame.
This man (say thou) through learning skil
is come to high degree:
This man to welth by learning, this
to power and dignity.
But this againe, through yll desert
through wante of learnings lore,
Reproche, contempt, and pouerty
hath gaind himselfe therefore.
These truely be the very battes,
these be the thumpes in deede,
That scollers of sweete Iesu Christ,
will take to them at neede.

Philopas.
Chrisippus I doe well allow,
eche worde that you haue sayd:
And sure I thinke that gentle wittes
through terrour are dismayde.
And yet to saye that ragged coltes,
that rude vnruely boyes
Wil be reclaimd through shame or praise
No no, they count them toyes.
That sauour not of smarting whippes,
which yet perhappes in some,
So neuer worckes, that they thereby prayse
to goodnesse sooner come.
Muche lesse through fawning flattering
for some much lesse doe waye
The losse of prayse, naye losse of skill,
than any losse of playe.

Chrisippus
To such Philopas, vnto suche,
whome neyther milde request
Nor rough rebuke, nor prayse nor shame
to learning will inuest,
The smarting rodde (if neede so be)
must now and then be hadde
But so, as we doe coldely fight,
and not as we were madde.
Yea, bashefully we shoulde lay bare
their bodies when we fight:
For nakednesse to gentle boyes
if many are in sight,
A kinde of great reproche doth seeme.
and Fabius doth deny
That body of a gentle boy
in nakednesse should lye.
But some perhaps will say to me,
what shall be done with those
Whome we to study cannot frame,
except it be with blowes?
To suche I aunswere in this wise:
what would you seeme to doe
To asses or to Oxen, if
they come the schoole into?
What? would you not soone driue them foorth
into the country soyle,
The one to'th milne, the other with
the plowe and cart to toyle?
And certainely, no lesse are men
vnto the plowstaffe borne,
Than is the Oxe: no lesse to'th milne,
than th' Asse with laboure worne.

Philopas.
But so the maysters flocke decayes,
and therewithall his gaine.

Chrisippus
Aha, there goeth the Hare away:
by this appeareth plaine,
That vnto such, farre dearer is
the fare of filthy meede,
Then is the care how they should make
their schollers good in deede.
But such no doubt, the common sorte
of Scholemaysters are now:
And yet as wise Philosophers,
doe flatly teache vs how
A wiseman we should well discerne,
as Rhetoriciens eke,
An Orator doth well discribe,
when as they say: go seeke
And scarcely finde whome thou mayst call
a rightwise man in deede,
Whome thou mayst call an Orator,
(thereto belongth such heede:)
So much, and farre more harde it is
that we should well attone
What he the mayster ought to be,
as who should say such one
As scarcely may be founde the lyke:
such one as hardely will
The due prescribed forme accorde
or can the same fulfill.
But such should be the publique charge
of ciuill magistrates
And of the Ecclesiasticall:
yea, of the high estates,
That as the Souldiour trayned is,
and fitted for the fielde,
As singing men are taught to tune
the counteruerse they yelde:
So, much more should they see that man
be taught, much more be traynde
That to the worthy teaching trade
hath any way attaynde.
Vespatian from his coffers gaue
a certaine yearely see
To lerned men: that learning so
might well maintayned bee.
And Plinius Nepos did the like.
But if the publique care
Should happe to cease, then euery man
at home must needes prepare
To haue a priuate teacher. But
thou sayst, how then should they
That are not able so to doe,
their children any way
Bring vp to learning? wherevnto
I nothing haue to saye
But this that Terence doth recorde:
when as we cannot doe
Euen as we woulde, then as we maye.
we shewe the trade vnto
Right teaching, as not able we
good fortune for to giue,
Except we wish the welthies ayde
to such as poorely liue.
Now to retourne, I doe mislyke
that mildenesse should expell
That feare and reuerence which a child
becommeth very well.
But these who nothing else doe know
saue fiercely how to fight,
How would they doe if they should teache
Kinges children whome they might
Not iercke nor strike withouten blame?
But haplie twill be sayde
That children borne of noble race
More neerely must be wayde.
And is thy sonne or mine in fayth
lesse man then any they?
Is not eache fathers childe thinkst thou
as deere to him, and gaye,
As if the same a Kinges sonne were?
If fortune be but base,
Then learning and good bringing vp
must helpe releeue his case.
Contrariwise if welthy porte
doe happen to his lotte,
Then wisdome helpth to guide his welth,
and shielde his name from blotte.
And though we haue not welth by birth
though so not honors glee
Nor office, nor renowme, yet sure
thereto brought vp we be.
And here I leaue to brawle and chyde,
with cruell maysters: here
I wholy ende that poynt: so as
this one thing may appere:
Namely, that lawes and magistrates
condemned are to be
Which euer seeke with paine to pinche,
and neuer doe agree
T'allure with pleasures and reward:
which ponish still but so,
As they ne warne the fault whereby
the ponishment doth growe.
Right so I thinke of that same sort,
that common sort I say,
Of schoolemaysters which onely seeke
their silly boyes to paye,
To beate and bounse them for their faults
and not t'instruct their minde
So as they may both see and know
from what offence to winde.
Wherein I ende remembring this,
that in eche excercise
Our mindes delight is chiefest cause
that we to skill arise.
Lo, here Philopas, you haue hearde,
what qualities are meete
For him that shall instruct a childe
againe, what thinges vnfeete,
Are wisely to be lookde vnto,
and in the same foreseene:
Whereby you may auoyde such faultes,
as heretofore haue beene
Neglected in that kinde of men.
the scoolemayster you see,
To winne the childe, should seeme a child
and childe againe shoulde be.
And yet I wholy doe mislyke
that that same crooked age
Wherein the second childhood dwelth,
should take the roome of sage
Instructors: for such men in truth
are children euery deale:
They faine not childehoode but in truth
they childehoode doe reueale.
They doe not seeme to stamber, but
they stamber plaine in deede.
I wish such men to be displast
and youngmen to succeede.
And howe this young man now shoulde deale
what forme the same should vse,
What meanes to teach he shoulde retaine
and what againe refuse,
This resteth here to be discust:
and as the proofe doth finde,
None otherwise the same should deale
in forming of the minde,
Then skilfull Nourse or parents deale
when they the body frame:
Which that he may so imitate,
Lo here insueth the same.
To teache the Babe to speake, they first
doe tattle foorth their wordes:
And lispingly they frame their tongue
to that the babe afordes.
Dad dad for father first they giue,
and beade they teache for breade:
And when they teach him drinke to aske,
then din to him is sayde.
And pretily they lispe their wordes
Whereto it prates againe:
And thus at length as proofe doth teache
the Baby speaketh playne.
To teache it how to eate, they put
the pappe within their lippes
And from the spoone oftsoones they seeme
to drawe foorth prettie sippes.
Which done therwith they feede the babe.
And when they teache to go,
They bende their corpse, and frame their pase
before their infants so.
As what therwith, and with such meanes
as they with pulpits vse,
In time the childe hath perfite pase,
he can none other chuse.
And this thing worthy noting is,
their childe they neuer feede
With all that comes to hande, but they
obserue with carefull heede
Both what to giue and howe to giue:
what quantity to vse:
And eke to feede it laysurely:
for if they should infuse
And poure it in with retchlesse handes,
they know they eyther should
Their baby choke, or at the least,
his cloathes woulde be fould.
Now therefore, as of lightest meates
and meates agreeing best,
They oft and little giue them, so
the infants tender brest
In teaching should be framed like:
your selfe (Philopas) may
Thexample best apply, for I
haue something else to say.
You looke (I know) that I shoulde teach
what things do best pertayne
To childrens wittes: what first to learne
which onelye doth remaine
At this time to be handeled here.
this brieflie therefore knowe,
That loue vnto the lattine tongue
in childehood first should growe,
With vse thereof, which easily
without great studies care
To children comes: but hardely when
the same more aged are.
Whereto (as hath bene sayde before)
the fables doe inuite
With morall sawes in couert tales:
whereto agreeeth rite
Fine Comedies with pleasure sawst,
which (as it were by play)
Doe teache vnto Philosophie
a perfit ready way,
Then sentences and prouerbs choyse
and Apothemes of men,
Wherin greate wisedome restes, wherin
great learning aye hath bene.
Which fables and which comedies
they better farre shall learne,
If once they know the arguments,
and summe thereof discerne.
The names of Trees, of plants also
and names of monsters straunge,
With natures of them finely taught,
doth cause their mindes to raunge,
To seeke abroade for farther sight
with longing mindes to know
Where this beast lives, where that birde breedes
where this straunge tree doth grow.
In fine, it helpeth very much
the lattin tongue t'attaine,
T'associate such with whome good skill
in lattine doth remaine.
Auoyding still as rockes and clyffes.
foule barbarous wordes to name
No latin rather lette them speake
than so to speake the same.
And here concluding, this I note,
that in the first degree
Of teaching, this aboue the rest
must well aduerted bee.
That, whatsoeuer pleasaunt is,
what thing so euer eake
Is easie to be vnderstoode,
that children best doe lyke.
For surely as it is absurde
to looke for grapes in spring,
In haruest else to looke for Rose
or such like blooming thing:
So schoolemaysters must well adapt
such thinges as they shall teache,
Unto their childes capacity:
so as the same may reache
And it conceyue, with firme delight:
for pleasure profites much,
And nothing else but pleasure may
allure to learning such:
So as na'thlesse we carefull be
to auoyde all bawdie rimes
And wanton iestes of Poets vayne
that teache them flithye crimes.
Good stories from the Bible chargde
and from some ciuil style,
As Quintus Curtius, and such like
to reade them otherwhile.
Where through by iust degree of skill
from reading shall succeede
As eke of congrue vse of speach
a seemely forme indeede
Of writing well: which naythelesse
is difficile: but so,
As by the maysters skill the same
may farre more easie grow.
Rewardes he must prescribe for such
as shall performe their charge:
But such as neyther mylde request,
nor prayse nor promise large
Can bring to better forme of skill,
with those, this practise he
Must put in vre: that is to weete
though they vnlearned be,
To make them thinke and yet beleeue
themselues to be of might
T'encounter with the better sorte,
and put the same to flight.
And euermore we must auoyd
t'enioyne them thinges to harde,
Or things not needefull to be taught
or things that may be sparde.
For (Lorde) how are their mindes perplext
how troubled will they be
When thinges they cannot vnderstande,
through much obscurity?
But though that something of it selfe
some hardenesse doth containe,
Yet may the maysters policie
make easie that againe.
For like as good phisitions that
doe bitter potions make,
With somthing sweete doe smeere the pot
that infauntes so may take
The Potion that they would haue drunke
whereby they are alurde
The same to drinke, which else to doe,
they coulde not be procurde:
Euen so the skilfull mayster ought
to deale in eche respect:
Thinges difficult with ease to teach
and leysure to direct.
And yet we may not too too much
mistrust our childrens strength:
For what they cannot learne at first,
that learne they at length.
Though strength they haue not as an Oxe
yet as an Ant they haue:
And oft vnto the Elephant
the little Flye doth scath.
Conceypt doth chiefly hurt a childe,
where if you make but play
Of things that you shall teach him, then
Conceipt doth neuer fraye.
That one and onely scruple nowe
remaines to be discust,
Which many one full fondely doe
against all reason thrust.
They say the profite is so small,
that children doe obtaine
Before the same be fiue yeres olde,
that labour is in vayne,
And cost ill spent that is bestowde
to bring them vp to booke.
But these men which will this obiect.
these rather seeme to looke
More straightly to the parents purse,
and more to spare the paine
Of maisters, then to well respect
their little childrens gaine.
But graunt the profite be but small
admit it small in deede:
Take rather small than nothing yet,
for thats the wisemans reede,
And slender howsoeare it be
that that same age shall gaine,
Yet this aduauntage be you sure
shall thereunto remaine:
That greater thinges they shall atchiue
that yere, wherein if they
The smaller things had erst not learnd
they on the same shoulde stay.
I neede not here repeate againe
that certaine thinges we see
In infantes age farre better learnde
than when they greater bee.
And graunt we that they trifling are
and things of slender skill.
Yet they such tryfles first atcheeue
that greater thinges fulfill.
The painfull Crafts man makes account
euen of the smallest coyne,
For why in time, to that same small,
he greater store doth ioyne.
The Goldesmithes rise ere breake of day,
before they well can see,
To winne some time beforehand still,
(though nere so small it be)
The Plowman sometimes doth not stick
on dayes that holye seeme
To binde his sheaues, to shocke and oft
to set a worke his Teeme.
And shall we way for nothing then
the losse of fiue yeres time?
Shall we so hange on harder age,
that we neglect the prime?
When as thers nothing halfe so riche
as time, nor halfe so good
As learning is: oh nothing may
so high be vnderstood.
Here here Philopas, here should men
most neerely pinch and spare:
Euen here (I saye) for losse of time,
shoulde be their chiefest care.
The husbandeman hath good regarde
that no part of his grounde
Doe lye vntilde: for looke what peece
vnfit for grayne is founde,
That he with Osiers sets and plants,
Or else to pasture layes:
And one way or another still
he fruite thereof doth rayse
Shall we permit the best part then
of all our time to flytte
Without all learnings profite had?
without increase of witte?
New fallowd grounde must needes be sowne
with some one kinde of seede,
Or else (euen of it owne accorde)
it brings forth noisome weede.
Like so the tender Infants minde,
except the same be taught
With good precepts, it will bring foorth
the thing that's meerely nought.
The minde doth eyther good things yeelde,
if good therein be sowne,
Or if thou nothing sow therein,
with vice tis ouergrowne.
And surely he not smally gaynes,
that vice can well eschewe:
And he that shuts foorth vice doth not
to vertue least accrewe.
What? wilt thou know how much it helps
tinstruct a childe betime?
Why, then behold thou Ouid well:
marcke Lucan in his prime.
Vrsinus but eleuen yeres olde,
so wonderfull was founde,
That straunge it is to make report,
how farre he did abounde
Great Alexander in his youth,
euen all the partes attainde
Of wisedome and Philosophie:
and with the same had gaynde
Such perfite forme of eloquence,
that had not kingdomes pryde
Withdrawne his mind from studies care
no man could haue denyde
But that amongst Philosophers
(the chiefest of them then)
Not seconde but the very chiefe
accounted he had bene.
But here to fine this long discourse,
your selfe Philopas I
Will haue to witnesse all such thinges
as earst haue passed by.

Epilogus.
Consider well what portion and
what deere possession eeke
A sonne is: and how flittingly
mans minde doth knowledge seeke.
How wayghtie education is,
what hablenesse is founde
In tender childes capacity:
what quicknesse doth abounde.
How easily the same doth learne,
how Nature giues consent:
And how they profite most when they
to learned men are sent,
And vnto such as gentle are,
which teach them all by play:
Thinges easie first, and harder things
when harder thinges they may.
To these things adde how deere and of
what waight our time should be:
How much it helps to teache betimes,
what fruite thereof we see.
Hesiodus doth flytting call
the wandring age of man:
Whose youth is busy, and whose age
is quite from learning gon.
These thinges if thou shalt well obserue,
sixe yeres, shall not be seene
Nor yet three yeres before thy sonne
which heretofore hath beene
Neglected (as to this intent)
shall eyther learning gaine.
Or else be well preparde at least,
good learning to obtayne.