Riche king _Crœsus_ with whole _Asia minor_, cummyng tryumph-
antlie home, his vncle _Cyaxeris_ offered him his daughter to
wife. _Cyrus_ thanked his vncle, and praised the maide, but for
mariage he answered him with thies wise and sweete wordes, as
_Xen._ 8. _Cy-_ // they be vttered by _Xenophon_, o kuazare, to
_ri. Pæd._ // te genos epaino, kai ten paida, kai dora
boulomai de, ephe, syn te tou patros gnome
kai [te] tes metros tauta soi synainesai, &c., that is to say:
Vncle _Cyaxeris_, I commend the stocke, I like the maide, and
I allow well the dowrie, but (sayth he) by the counsell and
consent of my father and mother, I will determine farther of
thies matters.
Strong _Samson_ also in Scripture saw a maide that liked him,
but he spake not to hir, but went home to his father, and his
mother, and desired both father and mother to make the
mariage for him. Doth this modestie, doth this obedience,
that was in great kyng _Cyrus_, and stoute _Samson_, remaine in
our yongmen at this daie? no surelie: For we liue not
longer after them by tyme, than we liue farre different from
them by good order. Our tyme is so farre from that old
discipline and obedience, as now, not onelie yong ientlemen, but
euen verie girles dare without all feare, though not without
open shame, where they list, and how they list, marie them
selues in spite of father, mother, God, good order, and all.
The cause of this euill is, that youth is least looked vnto, when
they stand [in] most neede of good kepe and regard. It auail-
eth not, to see them well taught in yong yeares, and after whan
they cum to lust and youthfull dayes, to giue them licence to
liue as they lust them selues. For, if ye suffer the eye of a
yong Ientleman, once to be entangled with vaine sightes, and
the eare to be corrupted with fond or filthie taulke, the mynde
shall quicklie fall seick, and sone vomet and cast vp, all the
holesome doctrine, that he receiued in childhoode, though he
were neuer so well brought vp before. And being ons inglutted
with vanitie, he will streight way loth all learning, and all good
counsell to the same. And the parents for all their great cost
Great mens // and charge, reape onelie in the end, the frute
sonnes // of grief and care.
worst // This euill, is not common to poore men, as God
brought // will haue it, but proper to riche and great mens
vp. //
_the brynging vp of youth._ 205
children, as they deserue it. In deede from seuen, to seuentene,
yong ientlemen commonlie be carefullie enough brought vp: But
from seuentene to seuen and twentie (the most dangerous tyme of
all a mans life, and most slipperie to stay well in) they haue
commonlie the reigne of all licens in their owne // Wise men
hand, and speciallie soch as do liue in the Court. // fond fa-
And that which is most to be merueled at, // thers.
commonlie, the wisest and also best men, be found the fondest
fathers in this behalfe. And if som good father would seick
some remedie herein, yet the mother (if the house hold of our
Lady) had rather, yea, & will to, haue her sonne cunnyng &
bold, in making him to lyue trimlie when he is yong, than by
learning and trauell, to be able to serue his Prince and his
contrie, both wiselie in peace, and stoutelie in warre, whan he
is old.
The fault is in your selues, ye noble mens sonnes, and
therefore ye deserue the greater blame, that // Meane
commonlie, the meaner mens children, cum to // mens sonnes
be, the wisest councellours, and greatest doers, // come to
in the weightie affaires of this Realme. And // great au-
why? for God will haue it so, of his prouidence: // thoritie.
bicause ye will haue it no otherwise, by your negligence.
And God is a good God, & wisest in all his doinges, that
will place vertue, & displace vice, in those // Nobilitie
kingdomes, where he doth gouerne. For he // without
knoweth, that Nobilitie, without vertue and // wisedome.
wisedome, is bloud in deede, but bloud trewelie, without bones
& sinewes: & so of it selfe, without the other, verie weeke to
beare the burden of weightie affaires.
The greatest shippe in deede commonlie carieth the greatest
burden, but yet alwayes with the greatest ieoperdie, not onelie
for the persons and goodes committed vnto it, // Nobilitie
but euen for the shyppe it selfe, except it be // with wise-
gouerned, with the greater wisdome. // dome.
But Nobilitie, gouerned by learning and wisedome, is
in deede, most like a faire shippe, // | { Wisedom.
hauyng tide and winde at will, vnder // | {
the reule of a skilfull master: whan // | Nobilite with-{
contrarie wise, a shippe, caried, yea // | { Out wise-
with the hiest tide & greatest winde, // | { dome.