Yea, I saie more, and not of my selfe, but by the iudgement of
those, from whom few wisemen will gladlie dissent, that if euer
the nature of man be giuen at any tyme, more than other, to
receiue goodnes, it is in innocencie of yong yeares, before, that
experience of euill, haue taken roote in hym. For, the pure
cleane witte of a sweete yong babe, is like the newest wax,
most hable to receiue the best and fayrest printing: and like a
new bright siluer dishe neuer occupied, to receiue and kepe
cleane, anie good thyng that is put into it.
And thus, will in children, wiselie wrought withall, maie
Will. } | // easelie be won to be verie well willing to
}in Children.| // learne. And witte in children, by nature,
Witte.} | // namelie memorie, the onelie keie and keper of
all learning, is readiest to receiue, and surest to kepe anie maner
of thing, that is learned in yougth: This, lewde and learned, by
common experience, know to be most trewe. For we remember
nothyng so well when we be olde, as those things which we
learned when we were yong: And this is not straunge, but
Yong yeares // common in all natures workes. Euery man sees,
aptest for // (as I sayd before) new wax is best for printyng:
learnyng. // new claie, fittest for working: new shorne woll,
aptest for sone and surest dying: new fresh flesh, for good and
durable salting. And this similitude is not rude, nor borowed
of the larder house, but out of his scholehouse, of whom, the
wisest of England, neede not be ashamed to learne. Yong
Graftes grow not onelie sonest, but also fairest, and bring alwayes
forth the best and sweetest frute: yong whelpes learne easelie
to carie: yong Popingeis learne quicklie to speake: And so, to
be short, if in all other thinges, though they lacke reason, sens,
and life, the similitude of youth is fittest to all goodnesse,
surelie nature, in mankinde, is most beneficiall and effectuall in
this behalfe.
Therfore, if to the goodnes of nature, be ioyned the
wisedome of the teacher, in leading yong wittes into a right and
plaine waie of learnyng, surelie, children, kept vp in Gods feare,
and gouerned by his grace, maie most easelie be brought well to
serue God and contrey both by vertue and wisedome.
But if will, and witte, by farder age, be once allured from
innocencie, delited in vaine sightes, filed with foull taulke,
crooked with wilfulnesse, hardned with stubburnesse, and let
_the brynging vp of youth._ 201
louse to disobedience, surelie it is hard with ientlenesse, but
vnpossible with seuere crueltie, to call them backe to good
frame againe. For, where the one, perchance maie bend it,
the other shall surelie breake it: and so in stead of some hope,
leaue an assured desperation, and shamelesse con- // _Xen._ 1. _Cy-_
tempt of all goodnesse, the fardest pointe in all // _ri Pæd._
mischief, as _Xenophon_ doth most trewlie and most
wittelie marke.
Therfore, to loue or to hate, to like or contemne, to plie
this waie or that waie to good or to bad, ye shall haue as ye vse
a child in his youth.
And one example, whether loue or feare doth worke more
in a child, for vertue and learning, I will gladlie report: which
maie be hard with some pleasure, and folowed with more profit.
Before I went into _Germanie_, I came to Brodegate in Leceter-
shire, to take my leaue of that noble Ladie _Iane
Grey_, to whom I was exceding moch beholdinge. // _Lady Iane_
Hir parentes, the Duke and Duches, with all the // _Grey._
houshould, Gentlemen and Gentlewomen, were huntinge in the
Parke: I founde her, in her Chamber, readinge _Phædon Platonis_
in Greeke, and that with as moch delite, as som ientleman wold
read a merie tale in _Bocase_. After salutation, and dewtie done,
with som other taulke, I asked hir, whie she wold leese soch
pastime in the Parke? smiling she answered me: I wisse, all
their sporte in the Parke is but a shadoe to that pleasure, that I
find in _Plato_: Alas good folke, they neuer felt, what trewe
pleasure ment. And howe came you Madame, quoth I, to this
deepe knowledge of pleasure, and what did chieflie allure you
vnto it: seinge, not many women, but verie fewe men haue
atteined thereunto. I will tell you, quoth she, and tell you
a troth, which perchance ye will meruell at. One of the
greatest benefites, that euer God gaue me, is, that he sent me
so sharpe and seuere Parentes, and so ientle a scholemaster.
For when I am in presence either of father or mother, whether
I speake, kepe silence, sit, stand, or go, eate, drinke, be merie,
or sad, be sowyng, plaiyng, dauncing, or doing anie thing els,
I must do it, as it were, in soch weight, mesure, and number,
euen so perfitelie, as God made the world, or else I am so
sharplie taunted, so cruellie threatened, yea presentlie some
tymes, with pinches, nippes, and bobbes, and other waies, which