Chapter 2

¶ The saying of Alexander is muche spoken of: excepte I were Alexander, I wold wishe to be Diogenes. But very worthely doth Plutarch rebuke it, because that so much the more he shuld haue wyshed to haue had Diogenes philosophye, howe muche the greater hys dominion was. But muche more shameful is theyr sluggardy, whyche not onely bryng not vp their chyldr[en] aright, but also corrupte them to wyckednesse. When Crates the Thebane dyd perceiue thys abhominacion, not without a cause he wolde go in to y^e hyest place of the citye, & there crie out as loud as he could, & caste them in the teeth wyth theyr madnesse in this wyse. You wretches what madnesse driueth you? Take you suche thought to gette money and possessions, & take you no care for your children for whom you get these thynges? As they be scante halfe mothers whych onlye bringe forth, and not vp their chyldren, so be they scante halfe fathers, which when they prouide necessaries for theyr chyldrens bodies, eu[en] somuch that they maye ryot wythall, prouide not that their myndes maye be garnyshed wyth honest disciplines. Trees paradu[en]ture wyl grow though eyther baren, or wyth wild fruite: horses are foled, though perchaunce they be good for nothyng: but menne (truste me) be not borne, but fashioned. Menne in olde tyme which by no lawes, nor good order ledde theyr lyues in woodes, in wãderynge lustes of bodye, were rather wylde beastes then men. Reason maketh a man: that hathe no place where all thynges are gouerned after affection. If shape and fashion shulde make a man, Images also shulde be counted among men. Elegantly sayde Aristippus when a certen ryche man axed him what profite learnyng shuld brynge to a yong man: & it be no more but this quod he, y^t in the playing place one stone sytte not vpon an other. Very properly another Philosopher Diogenes I trowe, bearynge in the mydday a candle in his hand, walked aboute the market place that was full of men: beinge axed what thynge he sought: I seeke quod he, a man. He knewe that there was a greate company, but of beastes, and not men. The same man on a daye, when stãding on an hye place he had called a great sort together, and sayde nothing else but come hither men, come hyther men. Some halfe angrye cryed agayne: we are here men, say what thou hast. Th[en] quod he: I wold haue men come hyther & not you whych are nothyng lesse then men, and therwyth draue them away wyth his staffe. Surely it is very trewe, that a man not instructed wyth Phylosophye nor other good sciences, is a creature somewhat worse then brute beastes. For beastes folowe onely the affectes of nature, a manne except he be fashioned wyth learning, and preceptes of philosophy, is rawght into affeccions more th[en] beastlike. For there is no beast more wylde, or more hurtefull then a manne, whom ambicion dryuethe, desyre, anger, enuye, ryot, and luste. Therfore he that prouideth not that his sonne may by and by be instructed in the beste learnyng; neyther is he a manne, nor the sonne of a man. ¶ Were it not an abhominable sight that the mynde of a man shulde be in a beastes body? As we haue read that Circes when she had encha[un]ted men wyth her wytchcraft, dyd turne them into Lions, beares and swyne, so that yet ther shuld be stil in them the mynde of a man, which thyng Apuleus wrote to haue happened to hym selfe, and Austin also hathe beleued that men haue bene turned into wolues. Who could abyde to be called the father of such a monster. But it is a more merueylous monster that a beastes mynde shulde be in a mans bodye, and yet do very many please them selues in suche chyldren, and bothe the fathers seme, and the common people thynke suche to be verye wise.

¶ It is sayde that beares caste oute a lumpe of fleshe wythout anye fashion, whych wyth longe lyckyng they forme and brynge into a fashyon, but there is no beares yonge one so euyll fauored as a manne is, borne of a rude mynde.

¶ Except wyth much studye y^u forme and fashion this, thou shalt be a father of a monster and not of a man. If thy sonne be borne wyth a copped head or crockeshuldred, or splay footed, or wyth syxe fingers in one hande, howe lothe woldest thou be for it, how arte thou ashamed to be called the father not of a man, but of a monster: and art thou not ashamed of so monstrous a mynde? ¶ Howe discoraged be the fathers in theyr hertes if their wyfe brynge forthe a naturall, & an infante of a brute mynde? For they thynke they haue begott[en] not a man, but a monster, and excepte feare of the lawe dyd let them, they wolde kyll that that is borne. Thou blameste nature whych hath denied the minde of a man to thy chylde, & thou causest by thyne own negligence, that thy sonne shulde be wythoute the mynde of a man. But thou wylte saye: Better it is to be of a brutishe rather th[en] of an vngracious mind. Naye better it is to be a swyne, th[en] an vnlearned and euyll man. Nature, when she geueth the a sonne, she geueth nothyng else, th[en] a rude lumpe of fleshe. It is thy parte to fashiõ after y^e best maner, that matter that will obey & folow in euery poynt. If thou wylt slacke to do it, thou hast a beaste: if thou take hede thou hast, as I myght saye, a God. Srayght waye assone as thy infãte is borne, it is apte to be taughte those thynges whych properlie belonge to a man. Therfore after the sayinge of Vyrgyll, bestowe diligente labour vpon hym, euen from hys tender age. Handle the waxe strayght way whyle it is very soft, fashion thys claie whle it is moist, season thys earthen vessel wyth verye good liquour, while it is newe, bye your wolle whyle it commeth whyte frome the fuller, and is not defiled wyth any spottes. Antisthenes dyd verye merilye shewe the same, whyche when he had taken a certen mans sõne to be taught, and was axed of hys father what thinges he had neede of: a newe booke quod he, a newe pensyle, and a new table. Verelye the philosopher requyred a rude and emptye mynde. Thou canst not haue a rude lumpe; but and if thou fashyonst not lyke a manne, of it selfe it wylt waxe naught, into monstruous formes of wylde beastes. Seynge thou doest owe this seruyce to God & nature, although there were no hope that thou shuldest haue any profite therby, count in thy mynd, how greate comforte, how greate profite, howe much worshyp the children that be well brought vp brynge to theyr fathers. [Sidenote: Chyldren euyl broughte vp, brynge shame to their par[en]tes] Agayne into what shames and greate sorowes they cast their parentes that bee euyll broughte vp. There is no nede to bryng here vnto the examples out of olde chronicles: do no more but remember in thy mind the housholdes of thine owne citye, howe many examples shalt y^u haue in eueri place? I know thou doest often hear such wordes. O happye man that I were, if my chyldren were buryed. O fortunate mother, if I hadde neuer broughte forth chylde. It is a wayghty matter to brynge vp chyldren well, I graunt: but no man is borne to him selfe, no man borne to be idle. Thou woldest nedes be a father, y^u muste be a good father; y^u haste gotten th[em] to the cõmon wealth, not to thy self only; or to speake more lyke a christen man, y^u hast begott[en] th[em] to god, not to thy selfe. Paul wryteth that so in dede women be saued, if they bryng forth childr[en], & so brynge th[em] vp that they continue in y^e study of vertue. God wil straitly charge the par[en]ts w^t the childr[en]s fautes. Therfore excepte y^t euen forthwith thou bryng vp honestly y^t, that is borne, fyrst y^u dost thy self wronge, which thorow thy negligence, gettest y^t to thy selfe, then the which no enemye could wyshe to an other, ether more greuous or paynful. Dionisius did effeminat w^t delyghtes of the court Dions yong son y^t was run awaye from him: he knew y^t this shuld be more carefull to y^e father, then if he had kylled hym w^t a swerde. A litel whyle after when the yong manne was forced of his father that was come to him, to returne agayne to his old vertue, he brake his necke out of a garret. In dede a certeyne wise hebriciõ wrot very wisely. A wise child maketh the father glad, & a folish son is sorow to y^e mother. But a wyse chyld not only is pleasure to hys father, but also worship and succoure, and finallye hys fathers lyfe. Contrarye a folyshe and leude chylde, not only bringeth heauynesse to hys parentes, but also shame and pouertye, and olde before the tyme: and at laste causeth death to them, of whom he had the begynnyng of lyfe. What nede me to rehearse vp? daily are in our eies the examples of citizens, whome the euyll maners of theyr chyldr[en] haue brought to beggarye, whome eyther the sonne beyng hanged, or theyr daughter an whoore of the stewes, haue tormented wyth intollerable shame and vylany. I know greate men, whych of manye chyldren haue scante one lefte alyue. ¶ One consumed wyth the abhominable leprie, called by diminucion y^e french pockes, beareth his death aboute wyth hym: another hathe burste by drynkynge for the beste game, an other goyng a whorehuntynge in the nyghte with a visar, was pitifullye kylled. What was the cause? Bycause theyr parentes thynkynge it enough to haue begotten them, and enryched them, toke no heede of theire bryngynge vp. ¶ They shall dye by the lawe, whych laye awaye theyr children, and cast them into some wood to be deuoured of wylde beastes. But there is no kynde of puttynge them awaye more cruell, then to geue vp that to beastlye affeccions, whych nature hath geuen to be fashioned by very good waies. If ther wer ani witch could wyth euyl craftes, and wold go about to turne thy sonne into a swyne or a wolfe, woldest thou not thynke that ther were no punyshemente to sore for her myscheuouse deede? But that whych thou abhorrest in her, thou of purpose doest it thy selfe. How huge a beaste is lechery? how rauenous and insaciable is ryot? howe wylde a beast is dronkenshyp? how hurtfull a thing is anger? how horrible is ambicion? To these beastes dothe he set ouer hys sonne, whosoeuer from his tender youthe doth not accustume hym to loue that, that is honeste: to abhorre synne: yea rather not onlye he casteth hym to wyld beastes, whych the most cruel casters away are wonte to do, but also whych is more greuouese, he norisheth this greate and perilous beaste, euen to hys owne destruccion. It is a kind of men most to be abhorred, which hurteth the body of infantes wyth bewitchyng: and what shal we say of those parentes whiche thorowe their negligence and euyll educacion bewitch the mynd? They are called murtherers that kyll their children beynge newe borne, and yet kyll but the body: howe great wyckednes is it to kyll the mynde? For what other thynge is the deathe of the soule, then foly and wickednes. And he doth also no lesse wrong to his contrey, to whom asmuch as lyeth in hym, he geueth a pestilente citiz[en]. He is naught to godwards, of whom he hath receyued a chylde for thys purpose, to brynge hym vp to vertue. Hereby you may se, how greate and manifolde mischiefes they committe whych regarde not the bryngynge vp of tender age. ¶ But as I touched a lytle before, they synne more greuouslie then do these, whych not onely do not fashion them to honestye, but also season the tender and soft vessel of the infante to myschiefe and wyckednesse, and teacheth hym vyce before he knowe what vice is. How shuld he be a modeste man and dyspyser of pride, that creepeth in purple? ¶ He can not yet sound his fyrste letters, and yet he nowe knoweth what crimosine and purple sylke meaneth, he knoweth what a mullet is, and other dayntie fyshes, and disdainfullye wyth a proude looke casteth away cõmon dyshes. How can he be shamefast wh[en] he is growen vp, which being a litel infãt was begon to be fashioned to lecherye? How shall he waxe liberal wh[en] he is old, which being so litel hath lerned to meruell at money & gold? If ther be ani kynd of garment lately fo[un]d out, as daili y^e tailers craft, as in time paste dyd Africa, bringeth forth some new mõster, y^t we put vpon our infãt. He is taught to stand in his own cõceite: & if it be tak[en] away, he angerly axeth for it again. Howe shall he beyng old hate dr[un]kennes, whych when he is an infãt is taught to loue wine? They teach them by lytle and lytle suche filthy wordes whych are scant to be suffered, as sayth Quintilian, of the delicious Alexandrians. And if the child speake any suche after them, they kysse hym for hys laboure. I warant you they know their yong, growynge nothynge out of kynde, when theyr owne lyfe is nothynge else then an example of naughtynes. Beynge an infant, he learneth the vnchaste flatterynge wordes of nurses, and as we saye, he is fashioned wyth the hand to wanton touchynge. He seeth hys father well whetteled wyth drynke, and heareath hym bablynge oute that, that shulde be kepte in. He sytteth at greate, and not very honest feastes, he heareth the house ful of iesters, harpes, mynstrels and daunsers. ¶ To these maners the chyld is so accustumed, that custume goeth into nature. There be nacions that fashion their chyldren to fiercenesse of warre whyle they be yet redde frõ the mother. They lerne to loke fierslie, the learne to loue the swearde, and to geue a strype. From such beginninges thei are deliuered to the master: and do we merueyle if wee fynde them vnapte to lerne vertue, whych haue dronke in vyces, euen wyth the mylke? But I hear some men defendynge theyr folye thus, and saie that by thys pleasure whiche is taken of the wantõnes of infantes, the tediousnes of noursyng is recõp[en]sed. What is this? Shuld it be to the verye father more pleasaunt if the chylde folowe an euyll deede, or expresse a leude worde, th[en] if wyth his lytle stuttyng tonge, he spake a good sentence, or folowe any deede that is wel done? Nature specially hathe geuen to the fyrste age an easines to folowe and do after, but yet thys folowyng is somewhat more prone to naughtynesse then to goodnes. Is vyce more plesaunte to a good man then vertue, specially in hys chrldren? If anye fylthe fall vpon the yonge chyldes skyn, thou puttest it away, and dost thou infect the mynd wyth so foule spottes? Nothynge stycketh faster then that that is learned in yonge myndes. I pray you what motherlye hertes haue those women, whiche dandle in their lap their chyldren tyl they be almost seuen yeres old, and in maner make th[em] fooles? If they be so much disposed to play why do they not rather get apes, and litle puppets to play wythall? O saye they: they be but chyldren. They be in deede: but it cã scant be told how muche those fyrste beginninges of our yong age do helpe vs to guide all our lyfe after, & howe hard & vntractable a wanton and dissolute bryngyng vp, maketh the chylde to the teacher, callynge the same gentlenes, when in deede it is a marring. Might not an accion of euyl handlyng children meruelous iustli be laid against such mothers? For it is plainely a kynde of witchcraft & of murther. They be punyshed by the lawe, y^t bewitche their childr[en], or hurt their weake bodies with poisons: what do thei deserue which corrupt y^e chiefe parte of the infãt w^t most vngracious venome? It is a lighter matter to kyl the body then the mind? If a child shulde be brought vp amõg the gogle eied stutters, or haltyng, the body wold be hurt w^t infecciõ: but in dede fautes of the mind crepe vpon vs more priuely, & also more quickely, & settel deper. The apostle Paul worthily gaue this honor vnto the verse of Menãder, y^t he wold recite it in his epistels: Euyl comunicaciõ, corrupteth good maners: but this is neuer truer th[en] in infantes. Aristotle wh[en] he was axed of a certen mã by what meanes he myghte bringe to pas, to haue a goodly horse: If he be brought vp quod he, among horses of good kynde. And y^t if neyther loue nor reason can teach vs howe greate care we ought to take for y^e first yeres of our children, at y^e least waies let vs take example of brute beastes. For it oughte not to greue vs to learne of th[em] a thynge y^t shall be so profitable, of whome mãkinde now long ago hath lerned so many fruitful things: sence a beast called Hippopotamus hath shewed y^e cutting of veines, & a bird of egipt called Ibis hath shewed y^e vse of a clister, which y^e phisiciõs gretly alow. The hearbe called dictamum whiche is good to drawe out arrowes, we haue knowne it bi hartes. Thei also haue taughte vs that the eatinge of crabs is a remedy against the poyson of spyders. And also we haue learned by the teachyng of lysardes, that dictamum doth confort vs agaynst the byting of serpentes. For thys kynde of beastes fyghte naturally agaynste serpentes, of whom wh[en] they be hurt, they haue ben espyed to fetche theyr remedye of that herbe. Swallowes haue shewed vs salandine, and haue geuen the name vnto the hearbe. ¶ The wesyll hathe shewed vs that rewe is good in medicines. The Storke hathe shewed vs the herbe organye: and the wylde bores haue declared y^t Iuy helpeth sickenesses. Serpentes haue shewed that fenel is good for the eye syght. That vomite of the stomacke is stopped by lettise, the Dragon monysheth vs. And that mans donge helpeth agaynst poyson, the Panthers haue taught vs, and many mo remedies we haue learned of Brute beastes: yea and craftes also that be verye profitable for mannes lyfe. Swine haue shewed vs the maner to plow the land, and the Swalowe to t[em]per mud walles. To be short, there is in maner nothyng profitable for the lyfe of man, but y^t nature hathe shewed vs an example in brute beastes, that they that haue not learned philosophy and other sciences, maye be warned at the least waye by them what they shulde do. Do we not se howe that euery beaste, not only doth beget yonge, but also fashion them to do their natural office? The byrde is borne to flye. Doest thou not se how he is taught therunto & fashioned by his dãme? We see at home how the cattes go before their kytlynges, and exercyse them to catch myse and byrdes, because they muste lyue by them. ¶ They shewe them the praye whyle it is yet alyue, and teache them to catche it by leapyng, and at last to eate them. What do hartes? Do they not forth wyth exercise their fawnes to swyftnes, and teach th[em] howe to runne? they brynge them to hye stiepe doune places, & shewe them how to leap, because by these meanes they be sure agaynste the traines of the hunters. Ther is put in writing as it were a certen rule of techyng elephãtes and dolphins in brynginge vp their yonge. In Nyghtingales, we perceiue the offices of the techer and learner, how the elder goth before, calleth backe, and correcteth, and howe the yonger foloweth and obeyeth. And as the dogge is borne to huntyng, the byrde to flyinge, the horse to runnyng, the oxe to plowynge, so man is borne to philosophy and honeste doinges: and as euery liuing thing lerneth very easly that, to the whiche he is borne, so man wyth verye lytle payne perceiueth the lernyng of vertue and honestye, to the whiche nature hath graffed certen vehemente seedes and principles: so that to the readinesse of nature, is ioyned the diligence of the teacher. What is a greater inconuenience then beastes that be wythout reason to knowe and remember theyr duetye towarde theyr yong: Man whych is deuided from brute beastes by prerogatiue of reason, not to know what he oweth to nature, what to vertue, and what to God? And yet no kynde of brute beastes looketh for anye rewarde of theyre yong for their noursynge and teachynge, excepte we luste to beleue that the Storkes noryshe agayne they dãmes forworne wyth age, and bear them vpon their backes. But among men, because no continuance of time taketh awaye the thanke of naturall loue: what comfort, what worshyp, what succoure doth he prepare for hym selfe, that seeth hys childe to be well brought vp? Nature hathe geuen into thy handes a newe falowed fielde, nothynge in it in deede, but of a fruitfull grounde: and thou thorow negligence sufferest it to be ouergrowen wyth bryers and thornes, whyche afterwardes can not be pulled vp wyth any diligence. In a lytell grayne, howe greate a tree is hyd, what fruite will it geue if it spring oute.