England, and send also those of oures better mindes, which
bend them selues againste vertue and learninge, to the con-
tempte of God, dishonor of their contrie to the hurt of manie
others, and at length, to the greatest harme, and vtter destruction
of themselues.
Som other, hauing better nature, but lesse witte, (for ill
commonlie, haue ouer moch witte) do not vtterlie dispraise
Experience // learning, but they saie, that without learning,
without // common experience, knowledge of all facions, and
learnyng. // haunting all companies, shall worke in yougthe,
both wisdome, and habilitie, to execute anie weightie affaire.
Surelie long experience doth proffet moch, but moste, and
almost onelie to him (if we meene honest affaires) that is dili-
gentlie before instructed with preceptes of well doinge. For
good precepts of learning, be the eyes of the minde, to looke
wiselie before a man, which waie to go right, and which not.
Learning teacheth more in one yeare than experience in
Learnyng. // twentie: And learning teacheth safelie. when
experience maketh mo miserable then wise. He
Experience. // hasardeth sore, that waxeth wise by experience.
An vnhappie Master he is, that is made cunning by manie
shippewrakes: A miserable merchant, that is neither riche or
wise, but after som bankroutes. It is costlie wisdom, that is
bought by experience. We know by experience it selfe, that it
is a meruelous paine, to finde oute but a short waie, by long
wandering. And surelie, he that wold proue wise by
experience, he maie be wittie in deede, but euen like a swift
runner, that runneth fast out of his waie, and vpon the night,
he knoweth not whither. And verilie they be fewest of
number, that be happie or wise by vnlearned experience. And
looke well vpon the former life of those fewe, whether your
example be old or yonge, who without learning haue gathered,
by long experience, a litle wisdom, and som happines: and
whan you do consider, what mischiefe they haue committed,
what dangers they haue escaped (and yet xx. for one, do
perishe in the aduenture) than thinke well with your selfe,
whether ye wold, that your owne son, should cum to wisdom
and happines, by the waie of soch experience or no.
It is a notable tale, that old Syr _Roger Chamloe_, somtime
_the brynging vp of youth._ 215
cheife Iustice, wold tell of him selfe. When he was Auncient
in Inne of Courte, Certaine yong Ientlemen // Syr _Roger_
were brought before him, to be corrected for _Chamloe._
certaine misorders: And one of the lustiest saide:
Syr, we be yong ientlemen, and wisemen before vs, haue
proued all facions, and yet those haue done full well: this they
said, because it was well knowen, that Syr _Roger_ had bene a
good feloe in his yougth. But he aunswered them verie wiselie.
In deede saith he, in yougthe, I was, as you ar now: and I
had twelue feloes like vnto my self, but not one of them came
to a good ende. And therfore, folow not my example in yougth,
but folow my councell in aige, if euer ye thinke to cum to this
place, or to thies yeares, that I am cum vnto, lesse ye meete
either with pouertie or Tiburn in the way.
Thus, experience of all facions in yougthe, beinge, in profe,
alwaise daungerous, in isshue, seldom lucklie, is // Experience.
a waie, in deede, to ouermoch knowledge, yet
vsed commonlie of soch men, which be either caried by som
curious affection of mynde, or driuen by som hard necessitie of
life, to hasard the triall of ouer manie perilous aduentures.
_Erasmus_ the honor of learning of all oure time, saide
wiselie that experience is the common schole- // _Erasmus._
house of foles, and ill men: Men, of witte and // Experience,
honestie, be otherwise instructed. For there be, // the schole-
that kepe them out of fier, and yet was neuer // house of
burned: That beware of water, and yet was neuer // Foles, and
nie drowninge: That hate harlottes, and was // ill men.
neuer at the stewes: That abhorre falshode, and neuer brake
promis themselues.
But will ye see, a fit Similitude of this aduentured experience.
A Father, that doth let louse his son, to all experiences, is most
like a fond Hunter, that letteth slippe a whelpe to the hole
herde. Twentie to one, he shall fall vpon a rascall, and let
go the faire game. Men that hunt so, be either ignorant
persones, preuie stealers, or night walkers.
Learning therefore, ye wise fathers, and good bringing vp,
and not blinde & dangerous experience, is the next and readiest
waie, that must leede your Children, first, to wisdom, and than
to worthinesse, if euer ye purpose they shall cum there.
And to saie all in shorte, though I lacke Authoritie to giue