chyldren whome they moste loue, and suche do complayne
that they be not wel rewarded for their paynes. And
this tormentour wolde not once knoweledge he had done
amisse, but had rather playe the starke mad man, then
confesse his faute: and yet agaynst such is not taken
an accion of euyll handlyng, neither hath the rigoure
of the lawe anye power agaynste suche huge crueltie.
There is no anger worse to be pleased thẽ theirs that
be lyke to haue the fallynge sycknes. Howe many things
be crepte in, into the lyfe of christen men, not meete
neither for the Phrigians nor y^e Scithians, of y^e
which I wyl shew one much like this matter. The yong
gentlemã is send in to y^e vniuersitie to lerne the
liberall sciences. But w^t how vngentle despightes is
he begun in them? Fyrst they rub his chyn, as though
they wolde shaue his bearde: hereunto thei vse pisse,
or if ther be any fouler thyng. This liquour is dashed
into his mouth, & he may not spit it out. Wyth
paynfull bobbes they make as though thei drewe hornes
from him: sõtime he is cõpelled to drinke a great
deale of vinegre or salte, or whatsoeuer it listeth
y^e wyld cõpany of yong mẽ to geue him: for whẽ they
begin the play, thei make him swere y^t he shal obey
al that they cõmaund him. At last they hoyse him vp,
& dashe his backe against a post as oftẽ as they list.
After these so rustical despightes sũtime foloweth an
ague or a paine of y^e backe y^t neuer cã be remedied.
Certes this foolishe play endeth in a drõken bãket:
w^t such beginninges enter they into y^e studies of
liberal sciences. But it were mete that after this
sorte ther shuld begin a boucher, a tormẽtour a baud
or a bõde slaue or a botemã, not a child appointed to
y^e holy studies of lerning. It is a meruel that yong
mẽ geuen to liberal studies be mad after this fashiõ,
but it is more meruel y^t these things be alowed of
suche as haue the rule of youth. To so foule & cruel
folyshenes is pretẽsed the name of custume, as though
the custume of an euil thing wer any thing else thẽ an
old errour, whiche ought so much the more diligẽtly to
be pulled vp bicause it is crept among many. So
cõtinueth amõg the diuines y^e maner of a vesper, for
they note an euyl thynge w^t a like name, more mete
for scoffers thẽ diuines. But thei y^t professe
liberal sciẽces, shuld haue also liberal sports. But I
come againe to chyldren, to whome nothyng is more
vnprofitable, then to be vsed to stripes, whiche
enormittie causeth that the gẽtle nature is
intractable, and the viler driuen to desperacion:
and cõtinuaunce of thẽ maketh that both the bodye is
hardened to stripes, & the mynd to wordes. Nay we may
not oftentymes chyde thẽ to sharplye. A medicine
naughtelye vsed, maketh the sickenes worse, helpeth it
not, and if it be layde to continuallye, by litle and
litle, it ceaseth to be a medicine, and dothe nothinge
else then dothe stinkynge and vnwholesome meate. But
here some man wyl laye vnto vs the godlye sayings of
the Hebrues. He that spareth the rod hateth hys chylde
and he that loueth hys sonne, beateth hym muche.
Agayne: Bowe downe the necke of thy chylde in youth,
and beate hys sydes whyle he is an infante very yonge.
Suche chastisemente peraduenture was meete in tyme
paste for the Iewes. Nowe must the sayinge be
expounded more ciuilely. And if a man wil be hard to
vs wyth letters and sillables, what is more cruell
then to bend the necke of a chyld, & to beat the sides
of an infant? woldest thou not beleue that a bull were
taught to y^e plowgh, or an asse to bear paniars, and
not a mã to vertue? And what rewarde doth he promise
vs? That he grope not after other mẽnes dores. He is
afeard lest his son shulde be poore, as the greateste
of all mischiefe. What is more coldly spoken then thys
sentence? Let gentle admonicion be oure rodde, and
sometyme chydyng also, but sauced wyth mekenes, not
bitternes. Let vs vse thys whyp continuallye in our
chyldren, y^t beyng wel brought vp, they maye haue at
home a meanes to lyue well, and not be cõpelled to beg
counsell at their neighbours how to do their busines.
Licon the philosopher hath shewed .ii. sharpe spurres
to quicken vp chyldrens wyttes, shame, and prayse:
shame is the feare of a iust reproch, prayse is the
norysher of all verteous actes: wyth these prickes
lette vs quicken our chyldrens wyttes. Also if you
wyl, I wyl shewe you a club to beate their sides
wythall. Continuall labour vanquysheth all thynges
sayth the best of al poetes. Let vs wake, let vs
prycke thẽ forwardes, & styl call vpon them, by
requiringe, repetynge, and often teachyng: Wyth this
club let vs beate the sydes of our infantes. Fyrst let
them lerne to loue, and maruell at vertue and lernyng,
to abhor sinne and ignorance. Let them hear some
praysed for theyr well doinges, and some rebuked for
their euyl. Let examples be brought in of those men to
whom lernyng hath gottẽ hygh glorye, ryches, dignitie,
and authoritie. And againe of them to whom their euyll
condicions & wyt wythout all lernyng hath brought
infamie, contempt, pouertye and myschiefe. These
verely be the clubbes meete for christians, that make
disciples of Iesu. [Sidenote: Emulacion is an enuye
wythout malice, for desire to be as good as an other,
& to be as much praysed.] And if we cã not profite by
monicions, nor prayers, neyther by emulacion, nor
shame, nor prayse, nor by other meanes, euen the
chastenyng w^t the rod, if it so require, ought to be
gentle & honeste. For euen thys that the bodies of
gẽtle children shulde be made bare, is a kind of
despice. Howbeit Fabius vtterly cõdemneth al y^e
custume to beate gentle chyldrẽ. Some mã wil saye,
what shall be done to them if they can not be driuen
to study but by stripes? I answer roũdly, what wold ye
do to asses or to oxen if thei went to schole? Woldest
thou not driue them in to the contrey, & put the one
to the backhouse, the other to the plowe. For there be
men as well borne to the plowe and to the backehouse,
as oxen and asses be. But they wyll saye: then
decreseth my flocke. What then? Yea and myne
aduauntage to. Thys is an harde matter: thys maketh
them to weepe. They set more money then by the profite
of the chyldren. But suche are all the cõmon sorte of
folyshe teachers. I graunte. As the philosophers
describe a wyse mã, y^e rethoricians an oratour, such
one as scarse maye be foũd in anye place: So muche
more easye it is to prescribe what manner of man a
scholmaster shuld be, thẽ to find many y^t wil be as
you wold haue thẽ. [Sidenote: Ciuile officers and
prelates shuld se that ther wer good schole masters.]
¶ But this oughte to be a publyque care and charge, and
belongeth to the ciuyle officer, and chyef prelats of
the churches that as ther be men appointed to serue in
war, to singe in churches, so muche more there shulde
be ordeined that shuld teach citizens chyldren well
and gently. [Sidenote: Vespasian.] Vespasianus oute of
hys owne cofers gaue yerely sixe hũdred poũde to
Latine and Greke rethoricians. [Sidenote: Plinie.]
Plinie the nephew of his owne liberalitie bestowed a
great sũme of money to the same purpose. And if the
comẽty in thys poynt be slacke, certenly euerye man
ought to take hede at home for his owne house. ¶ Thou
wylt saye: what shall poore men do which can scarse
fynd their chyldren, muche lesse hyre a master to
teache them? Here I haue nothynge to saye, but thys
out of the comedie: We muste do as we maye do, when we
can not as we wolde. We do shewe the beste waye of
teachynge, we be not able to geue fortune: Saue that
here also the liberalitie of ryche men ought to helpe
good wyttes, whych can not shewe forthe the strength
of naturall inclinacion because of pouertye.
[Sidenote: Pouertie hurteth good wittes.] I wyll that
the gentlenes of the master shulde be so tempered,
that familiaritie, the companion of contempte, put not
away honeste reuerence, suche one as men say Sarpedo
was, tutour to Cato of Vtica, which thorowe hys gentle
maners gat greate loue, and by hys vertue as lyke
authoritie, causynge the chylde to haue a greate
reuerence, and to set much by him wythout anye feare
of roddes. But these y^t can do nothynge elles but
beate, what wolde they do if they had taken vpon them
to teache Emperoures or kynges chyldren, whome it were
not lefull to beate? They wyll saye that greate mens
sonnes muste be excepted from thys fashion. What is
that? Be not the chyldren of citizens, men as well as
kynges chyldren be? Shulde not euerye manne as wel
loue hys chylde as if he wer a kynges sonne? If his
estate be sũwhat base, so much the more neede hath he
to be taught, and holpen by lernynge, that he maye
come vp, from his pore case. But if he be of hye
degre, philosophy & lernyng is necessary to gouerne
hys matters well. Further not a fewe be called frome
lowe degre to hye estate, yea sometyme to be great
byshops. All men come not to thys, yet oughte al men
to be brought vp to come to it. I wil braule no more
with these greate beaters, after I haue tolde you this
one thing: How that those lawes & officers be
condemned of wyse men, whych can no more but feare men
wyth punyshement, & do not also entyse men by
rewardes: and the whych punyshe fautes, and prouide
not also y^t nothyng be done worthy punishmẽt. The
same must be thought of the cõmon sort of teachers,
whych only beate for fautes, and do not also teache
y^e mynd that it do not amysse. They straitlie require
their lesson of them: if the chylde fayle, he is
beaten: and whẽ this is done daily because the child
shuld be more accustumed to it, thei thinke they haue
plaied the part of a gaye scholemaster. But the chyld
shulde fyrste haue ben encoraged to loue lernyng, and
to be afeared to displease hys teacher. But of these
thynges peraduenture some man wyl thynke I haue spoke
to much & so myght I worthely be thought, except that
almoste all men dyd in this poynte so greatly offende,
that hereof a mã cã neuer speke inough. Furthermore it
wyll helpe verye muche, if he that hathe taken vpon
hym to teache a chylde, so sette hys mynd vpon hym,
that he bear a fatherly loue vnto hym. By thys it
shall come to passe, y^t both the child wil lerne more
gladly, & he shal fele lesse tediousnes of his
laboure. [Sidenote: A sentence to be marked.] For in
euery busines loue taketh away y^e greatest part of
hardnes. And because after the olde prouerbe: Lyke
reioyseth in lyke, y^e master muste in maner play the
childe againe, that he may be loued of the chylde. Yet
this lyketh me not, y^t men set theyr children to be
taught their fyrst beginnings of letters vnto those
that be of extreme and dotyng olde age, for they be
chyldren in verye deede, they fayne not, they
coũterfait not, stuttinge, but stutte in deede.
¶ I wolde wyshe to haue one of a lustye yonge age,
whome the chylde myght delyght in, and which wold not
be lothe to playe euerye parte. [Sidenote: A lykenynge
of scholemasters and nurses together.] Thys man shulde
do in fashionyng hys wytte, that parentes and nurses
be wont to do in formynge the bodye. Howe do they
fyrst teache the infante to speake lyke a man? They
applye their wordes by lyspyng accordyng to the
chyldes tatlynge. How do they teach them to eat? They
chaw fyrst their milke soppes, and when they haue
done, by lytle & litle put it in to the chyldes
mouthe. Howe do they teache thẽ to go? They bowe downe
their owne bodies, and drawe in theyre owne strides
after the measure of the infantes. Neyther do they
fede them wyth euerye meate, nor putte more in then
they bee able to take: and as they increase in age,
they leade them to bigger thinges. First they seeke
for noryshemente that is meete for them, not differyng
much frõ mylke, whych yet if it be thrust into the
mouthe to muche, either it choketh the chylde, or
beynge caste oute defileth hys garmente. When it is
softelye and pretelye put in, it doth good. Whych
selfe thynge we se cõmeth to passe in vesselles that
haue narowe mouthes: if you pour in muche, it bubbleth
out agayne, but if you powre in a litle, and as it
were by droppes, in deede it is a whyle, and fayre and
softely erste, but yet then fylled. [Sidenote: The
fedyng of the bodye and mynd cõpared together.] So
then as by small morsels, and geuen now and then,
the lytle tender bodies are noryshed: in lyke manner
chyldrens wyttes by instruccions meete for them taught
easely, and as it were by playe by lytle & litle
accustume thẽ selues to greater thyngs: & the
wearynesse in the meane season, is not felte, because
that small encreasynges so deceyue the felynge of
labour, that neuerthelesse they helpe much to great
profite. As it is told of a certen wrestler, whych,
accustumed to beare a calfe by certein furlonges, bare
hym whẽ he was waxen a bull, wythoute anye payne: for
the encrease was not felt, whych euerye daye was put
to the burden. But there be some that looke that
chyldren shulde strayghtwaye become olde men, hauyng
no regarde of their age, but measure the tender
wittes, by theyr owne strengthe. ¶ Straightway they call
vpon them bytterly, straightway they straitly require
perfect diligence, by and by they frowne wyth the
forhead if the childe do not as wel as he wold haue
hym, and they bee so moued as thoughe they had to do
wyth an elder body, forgettyng you maye be sure y^t
they thẽ selues wer once children. How much more
curteouse is it that Pliny warneth a certen master
that was to sore. Remember saythe he, that bothe he is
a yonge man, and that thou hast ben one thi selfe.
But many be so cruel against the tender chyldren, as
though thei remẽbred not neyther them selues, neyther
their scolers to be menne. [Sidenote: What things
lytle yonge chyldrẽ shold be fyrste taughte.] Thou
woldest that I shulde shewe the those thynges that be
meete for the inclinaciõ of that age, and whiche shuld
by and by be taughte the lytle yongons. Fyrst the vse
of tonges whych commeth to them without any greate
studye, ther as olde folkes can scarse be hable to
learne them wyth great labour. [Sidenote: Chyldren
desyre naturally to folow & do as other do.] And here
to as we sayde, moueth the chyldrẽ a certen desyre to
folowe and do as they se other do: of the which thing
we see a certen lyke fashion in pies and popiniayes.
What is more delectable then the fabels of poetes,
which wyth their swete entisynge plesures to delight
childrens eares that thei profite vs very much whẽ we
be olde also, not only to y^e knowledge of the tong,
but also to iudgement and copye of elegant speche?
What wyll a chyld hear more gladlye then Esops fabels,
whyche in sporte and playe teache earnest preceptes of
philosophy? and the same fruite is also in the fabels
of other poetes. The chylde heareth that Vlisses
felowes were turned into swyne, and other fashions of
beastes. The tale is laughed at, and yet for al that
he lerneth that thing that is the chiefest poynte in
al morall philosophye: Those whyche be not gouerned by
ryght reason, but are caried after the wyll of
affeccions, not to be men, but beastes. ¶ What coulde
a stoycke saye more sagely? and yet dothe a merye tale
teache the same. In a thynge that is manifest I wyll
not make the tarye with many exãples. [Sidenote:
Bucolicall, where y^e herdmen do speke of nete and
shepe.] Also what is more mery conceited thẽ the
verses called Bucolicall? what is sweter then a
comedie, whych standing by morall maners, deliteth
bothe the vnlearned and chyldren? And heare how great
a parte of philosophye is lerned by playe? Adde vnto
thys the names of all thynges, in the whych it is
meruell to see howe now a dayes, yea euẽ they be blind
which are taken for wel lerned mẽ. Finally, shorte and
mery conceited sentences, as commonly be prouerbes,
and quicke shorte sayinges of noble men, in the whiche
onlye in tyme paste philosophie was wonte to be taught
to the people. Ther appeareth also in the very
chyldren a certen peculier redines to some sciences,
as vnto musicke, arithmetique, or cosmographie. For I
haue proued that they whych were very dull to lerne
the preceptes of grammer and rethorique, were found
verye apte to lerne the subtile artes. Nature therfore
must be holpen to that parte wherunto of it selfe it
is inclined. And down the hyll is very litle labour,
as contrary is great. Thou shalt nether do nor saye
anye thynge agaynst thy naturall inclinacion. I knewe
a child that could not yet speake whych had no greater
pleasure, than to open a booke, and make as thoughe he
read. And when he dyd that sometyme many houres, yet
was he not weery. And he neuer wept so bitterli, but
if you had offered hym a booke, he wolde be pleased.
That thynge made hys friendes hope that in time to
come he wolde be a well lerned manne. His name also
brought some good lucke: for he was called Hierome.
[Sidenote: That is a teacher of holye lernynge.] And
what he is now I can not tel, for I sawe hym not
beynge growẽ vp. To the knowledge of the tonge it wyll
helpe verye muche if he be broughte vp amonge them
that be talkatiue. Fabels and tales wyll the chylde
lerne so muche the more gladly, and remember the
better, if he maye see before his eyes the argumentes
properly paynted, and what soeuer is tolde in the
oracion be shewed him in a table. The same shall helpe
as much to lerne without boke the names of trees,
herbs, and beastes, and also their properties,
inespecially of these whych be not common to be seene
in euerye place, as is Rhinoceros, whyche is a beaste
that hathe a horne in hys nose, naturall enemye to the
Elephant: Tragelaphus, a goate hart, Duocrotalus,
a byrd lyke to a swã, whyche puttyng hys head into the
water brayeth lyke an asse, an asse of Inde and an
Elephant. The table maye haue an Elephant whom a
Dragon claspeth harde aboute, wrapping in his former
feete with his tayle. The litle chyld laugheth at the
syght of thys straunge paintynge, what shall the
master do then? He shall shewe him that ther is a
greate beaste called in Greeke an Elephante, and in
Latine lykewyse, saue that sometyme it is declined
after the latine fashion. He shall shewe, that that
whyche the grekes cal proboscida, or his snout, the
latines call his hande, because wyth that he reacheth
hys meate. He shall tell hym that that beaste doth not
take breath at the mouthe as we do, but at the snoute:
& that he hath teth standyng out on bothe sides, and
they be iuory, which rich mẽ set much price by, and
therwith shal shew hym an iuory combe. Afterwardes he
shall declare that in Inde ther be dragons as greate
as they. And that dragon is bothe a greke worde and a
latine also, saue that the grekes says dracontes in
the genitiue case. He shall shewe that naturallie
betwyxte the dragons and the Elephantes is great
fyghte. And if the chylde be somewhat gredy of
learnynge, he maye rehearse manye other thynges of the
nature of Elephantes and dragons. Manye reioyse to see
huntinges paynted. Here howe manye kyndes of trees,
hearbes, byrdes, foure footed beastes maye he lerne
and playe? I wyll not holde you longe wyth examples,
seynge it is easye by one to coniecture all. ¶ The
master shall be diligent in chosynge them oute, and
what he shall iudge moste pleasaunt to chyldren, most
mete for them, what they loue best, and is most
floryshyng, that inespecially let hym set before them.
The fyrste age lyke vnto the spring tyme, standeth in
pleasaunt sweete flowres, and goodly grene herbes,
vntyl the heruest time of ripe mans age fyll the barne
full of corne. ¶ Then as it were agaynst reason in ver
or springe tyme to seeke for a rype grape, and a rose
in autumne, [Sidenote: Autumne is the tyme betwyxt
somer and wynter.] so muste the master marke what is
mete for euerye age. Mery and plesaunte thynges be
conueniente for chyldehod, howbeit all sourenesse and
sadnes muste be cleane awaye from all studies.
[Sidenote: The meaning of y^e poetes deuise touching
the muses & Charites.] And I am deceyued except the
olde men ment that also, whyche ascribed to the muses
beynge virgins, excellent bewtye, harpe, songes,
daunses, and playes in the pleasaunt fieldes, and
ioyned to them as felowes the Ladies of loue: and that
increase of studies dyd stande specially in mutual
loue of myndes, and therefore the olde men called it
the lernyng that perteined to man. And ther is no
cause why profite maye not folowe pleasure, and
honestie ioyned to delectacion. [Sidenote: Wherfore
lernyng is called humanitie] For what letteth that
they shulde not lerne eyther a proper fable, arte of
poets, or a sentence, or a notable prety hystorie, or
a learned tale, as well as they lerne and can wythout
boke a piuyshe songe, and oftẽtimes a baudy one to,
& folishe old wiues tatlynges, & very trifles of
triflyng womẽ? What a sũme of dreames, vaine ryddels,
and vnprofitable trifles of spirites, hobgoblines,
fayries, witches, nightmares wood men and gyauntes,
how manye naughty lies, how many euyll sayings
remember wee, yea euen when we be men, whych beyng
lytle chyldrẽ we lerned of our dadies, graũdmothers,
nurses, & maydens whyle they were spynnynge, and heard
thẽ when they kissed & plaied wyth vs? And what a
profite shuld it haue bene to lernynge, if in stede of
these moste vaine garringes, not only folyshe, but
also hurtfull, wee had lerned those thynges that we
rehearsed a litle before. Thou wylt saye, what lerned
man wyll lowly hys wyt to these so small thynges? Yet
Aristotle hym selfe beynge so greate a philosopher was
not greued to take vpon hym the office of a teacher,
to instruct Alexander. ¶ Chiron fashioned the infancy of
Achilles, and Phenix succeded hym. Hely the priest
brought vp y^e childe Samuell. And ther be now a daies
whych eyther for a lytle money, or for theyr plesure
take almost more payne in teachyng a pye or a
popiniay. There be some that for deuocions sake take
vpon them iourneys that both be farre of and
ieoperdeous, and other laboures besyde almost
intollerable. Why dothe not holynes cause vs to do
thys office seynge nothyng can please god better?
Howbeit in teachinge those thynges that we haue
rehearsed, the master must neyther be to much callyng
vpon, neither to sharpe: but vse a continuaunce rather
then be wythout measure. Continuaunce hurteth not so
it be mesurable, & spiced also wyth varietie and
plesaũtnes. Finally if these thynges be so taught,
that imaginaciõ of labour be awaye, and that the
chylde do thynk al thinges be done in playe. Here the
course of our talkyng putteth vs in remẽbraunce
briefely to shewe by what meanes it maye be brought to
passe that lernyng shuld waxe swete vnto the chylde,
[Sidenote: How learnyng may be made swete vnto y^e
chyld.] which before we somwhat touched. To be able to
speake redely, as I told you is easely gotten by vse.
After thys cõmeth the care to reade and write whych
of it selfe is somwhat tedious, but the griefe is
taken awaye a great parte by the cũnyng handling of
the master, if it be sauced w^t some pleasaunt
allurementes. For you shall fynde some whych tarye
long and take great paine in knowyng & ioynynge their
letters & in those fyrst rudimẽtes of grammer, whẽ
they wyl quyckely lerne greater thyngs. The yrksõnes
of these thinges must be holpẽ by some pretie craft,
of the which y^e old fathers haue shewed certẽ
fashions. Some haue made the letters in sweete crustes
and cakes that chyldren loue well, that so in manner
they myghte eate vp their letters. ¶ When they tell
the letters name, they geue the letter it selfe for a
rewarde. Other haue made the fashion of iuorie, that
the chylde shulde playe wyth them, or if there were
any other thyng wherin that age is specially delited.
[Sidenote: The practise of a certen englishe man to
teache hys chyld hys letters by shootyng.] The
englyshe mẽ delyte principally in shotynge, and teache
it their chyldren fyrst of all: wherefore a certen
father that had a good quicke wyt perceiuinge his
sonne to haue a greate pleasure in shotyng, bought hym
a prety bowe & very fayr arrowes, & in al partes both
of hys bowe & arrowes were letters painted. Afterwards
insted of markes, he set vp the fashiõ of leters,
fyrste of Greke, and after of latẽ: when he hyt,
& tolde the name of the letter, besyde a greate
reioysinge, he had for a reward a cherye, or some
other thynge that chyldrẽ delyte in. Of that playe
commeth more fruite, if two or thre matches playe
together. For then the hope of victorie and feare of
rebuke maketh them to take more heede, and to be more
chereful. By thys deuise it was broughte aboute that
the chylde wythin a fewe days playing, had perfitely
lerned to know & sound all hys letters whych ye cõmõ
sort of teachers be scarse able to brynge to passe in
thre whole yeres whyth their beatynges threatyngs, and
brawlynges. Yet do not I alowe the diligence of some
to painful, whych drawe out these thyngs by playinge
at chesses or dyce. For when the playes them selues
passe the capacitie of chyldren, how shal they lerne
the letters by them? ¶ This is not to helpe the
chyldrens wyttes, but to put one labour to an other.
As there be certen engins so full of worke and so
curious, that they hynder the doynge of the busines.
Of thys sorte commonly be all those thynges whych some
haue deuised of the arte of memorye for to gette
money, or for a vayne boastynge, rather then for
profite: for they do rather hurte the memorye.
[Sidenote: The beste craft for memmorie.] The best
crafte for memorie, is thorowlye to vnderstande,
and then to brynge into an order, last of al oftẽ to
repete that thou woldest remember. And in litleons
there is a natural great desyre to haue the mastry
inespecially of suche as be of lustye courage, and
lyuely towardnes. ¶ The teacher shall abuse these
inclinacions to the profite of hys study. If he shall
profite nothing by prayers, and fayre meanes, neyther
by gyftes mete for chyldren, nor prayses, he shal make
a contencion with hys equales. Hys felowe shall be
praysed in the presẽce of the duller. Desyre to be as
good shall quicken forwardes, whom only adhortacion
coulde not do. Yet it is not meete so to geue the
mastrie to the victor, as thoughe he shulde haue it
for euer: but somtime he shall shewe hope to hym that
is ouercome, that by takyng hede he may recouer y^e
shame: whych thynge capteyns be wonte to dooe in
batayle. And sometyme we shall suffer that the chyld
shuld thynke he hadde gotten the better, when he is
worse in deede. Finally by enterchaungyng, prayse and
disprayse, he shall noryshe in them, as Hesiodus
sayth, a stryfe who shall do best. Perchaunce one of a
sadde wyt wyl be loth so to play the child among
chyldren. And yet the same is not greued, neyther yet
ashamed to spende a greate parte of the day in playing
wyth little puppies and marmesettes, or to babble wyth
a pie or popiniay, or to play the foole wyth a foole.
By these tryfles, a verye sadde matter is broughte to
passe, and it is meruell that good men haue litle
pleasure herein, seeing y^t natural loue of our
children, and hope of great profit is wunt to make
those thynges also pleasaũte, whyche of them selues be
sharpe, sowre and bytter. I confesse that the
preceptes of grammer be at the beginnynge somewhat
sowre, and more necessary then pleasant. But the
handsomnes of the teacher shal take from them also a
greate parte of the payne. The beste thynge and
playnest muste be taughte fyrste. ¶ But nowe wyth what
compasses, and hardenesse be chyldren troubeled whyle
they learne wythout the booke the names of the letters
before they knowe what manner letters they bee?