Oh that our prelates would be as diligent to sow the corn of good doctrine, as Satan is to sow cockle and darnel! . . .

Roger Ascham

1515-1568

ASCHAM EXPLAINS THE PURPOSE OF
HIS BOOK

(From the Preface to The Schoolmaster, pub.
1570)

But in the meantime the prelates take their pleasures. They are lords, and no labourers, 5 but the devil is diligent at his plough. He is no unpreaching prelate: he is no lordly loiterer from his cure, but a busy ploughman; so that among all the prelates, and among all the pack of them that have cure, the devil shall go for 10 my money, for he still applieth his business. Therefore ye unpreaching prelates, learn of the devil: to be diligent in doing of your office, learn of the devil: and if you will not learn of God nor of good men for shame learn of the 15 devil. Howbeit there is now very good hope that the king's majesty, being by the help of good governance of his most honourable counsellors, he is trained and brought up in learning, and knowledge of God's word, will 20 think well of this my doing. And of other,

shortly provide a remedy, and set an order herein; which thing that it may so be, let us pray for him. Pray for him, good people: pray for him. Ye have great cause and need to pray for him.

DESCRIPTION OF HIS FATHER

(From First Sermon preached before King Edward VIth, March 8th, 1549)

My Father was a yeoman, and had no lands

Yet some men, friendly enough of nature, but of small judgment in learning, do think I take too much pains and spend too much time in setting forth these children's affairs. But those good men were never brought up in Socrates' school, who saith plainly, that no man goeth about a more goodly purpose, than he that is mindful of the good bringing up both of his own and other men's children.

Therefore, I trust, good and wise men will

that think otherwise, I will think myself, they are but men to be pardoned for their folly and pitied for their ignorance.

In writing this book, I have had earnest 25 respect to three special points, truth of religion, honesty in living, right order in learning. In which three ways, I pray God, my poor children may diligently walk; for whose sake, as nature would and reason required and necessity also 30 somewhat compelled, I was the willinger to take these pains.

For, seeing at my death I am not like to leave them any great store of living, therefore in my lifetime I thought good to bequeath unto

Testament, the right way to good learning: which if they follow with the fear of God, they shall very well come to sufficiency of living.

of his own, only he had a farm of three or four 35 them in this little book, as in my Will and pounds by year at the uttermost, and hereupon he tilled so much as kept half a dozen men. He had walk for a hundred sheep; and my mother milked thirty kine. He was able and did find the king a harness, with himself and 40 his horse, while he came to the place that he should receive the king's wages. I can remember that I buckled his harness when he went unto Blackheath field. He kept me to school, or else I had not been able to have preached 45 specially this my Schoolmaster was provided.

I wish also, with all my heart, that young Mr. Rob. Sackville1 may take that fruit of this labour, that his worthy grandfather purposed he should have done; and if any other do take either profit or pleasure hereby, they have cause to thank Mr. Robert Sackville, for whom

THE TRAINING OF CHILDREN

(From the same)

before the king's majesty now. He married my sisters with five pounds, or twenty nobles apiece; so that he brought them up in godliness 'and fear of God. He kept hospitality for his poor neighbors, and some alms he gave to the 50 poor. And all this did he of the said farm, where he that now hath it payeth sixteen pounds by year, or more, and is not able to do anything for his prince, for himself, nor for his children, or give a cup of drink to the 55 not so true as some men ween: for, the matter

poor.

• Parish.

Ti. c. I'll stake my money on the devil.

A sheep-walk in a pasture.

Yet, some will say, that children of nature1 love pastime, and mislike learning: because, in their kind, the one is easy and pleasant, the other hard and wearisome, which is an opinion

lieth not so much in the disposition of them

1 Second Earl of Dorset (1561-1609), whose education was entrusted to Ascham by his grandfather, Sir Richard Sackville.

1 Naturally.

allured from innocency, delighted in vain sights, filled with foul talk, crooked with wilfulness, hardened with stubbornness, and let loose to disobedience, surely it is hard with 5 gentleness, but unpossible with severe cruelty, to call them back to good frame again. For, where the one perchance may bend it, the other, shall surely break it; and so instead of some hope, leave an assured desperation, and shame

point in all mischief, as Xenophon doth most truely and most wittily mark.

that be young, as in the order and manner of bringing up, by them that be old, nor yet in the difference of learning and pastime. For, beat a child, if he dance not well, and cherish him though he learn not well, ye shall have him unwilling to go to dance, and glad to go to his book. Knock him always, when he draweth his shaft ill, and favour him again, though he fault at his book, ye shall have him very loth to be in the field, and very willing to be in the 10 less contempt of all goodness, the farthest school. Yea, I say more, and not of myself, but by the judgment of those, from whom few wise men will gladly dissent, that if ever the nature of man be given at any time, more than other, to receive goodness, it is in innocency of 15 young years, before that experience of evil have taken root in him. For, the pure clean wit of a sweet young babe is like the newest wax, most able to receive the best and fairest printing: and like a new bright silver dish never occupied, 20 to receive and keep clean any good thing that is put into it.

Therefore, to love or to hate, to like or contemn, to ply this way or that way to good or to bad, ye shall have as ye use a child in his youth.

And one example, whether love or fear doth work more in a child, for virtue and learning, I will gladly report: which may be heard with some pleasure, and followed with more profit. Before I went into Germany, I came to Brodegate in Leicestershire, to take my leave of that noble Lady Jane Grey, to whom I was exceeding much beholden. Her parents, the Duke and Duchess, with all the household, Gentlemen and Gentlewomen, were hunting in the Park: I found her, in her chamber, reading Phædon Platonis in Greek, and that with as much delight, as some gentlemen would read a merry tale in Bocace. After salutation, and duty done, with some other talk, I asked her why she would lose such pastime in the Park? Smiling she answered me: I wisse,7 all their sport in the Park is but a shadow to that pleasure, that I find in Plato: Alas good folk, they never felt

And thus, will in children, wisely wrought withal, may easily be won to be very well willing to learn. And wit in children, by 25 nature, namely memory, the only key and keeper of all learning, is readiest to receive, and surest to keep any manner of thing, that is learned in youth: this, lewd3 and learned, by common experience, know to be most true. 30 For we remember nothing so well when we be old, as those things which we learned when we were young: and this is not strange, but common in all nature's works. Every man sees (as I said before) new wax is best for printing: 35 what true pleasure meant. And how came you

new clay, fittest for working: new shorn wool, aptest for soon and surest dying: new fresh flesh, for good and durable salting. And this similitude is not rude, nor borrowed of the larder house, but out of his schoolhouse, of 40 whom the wisest of England need not be ashamed to learn. Young grafts grow not only soonest, but also fairest, and bring always forth the best and sweetest fruit: young whelps learn easily to carry: young poppinjays learn quickly 45 to speak: and so, to be short, if in all other things, though they lack reason, sense, and life, the similitude of youth is fittest to all goodness, surely nature, in mankind, is most beneficial and effectual in this behalf.

Madame, quoth I, to this deep knowledge of pleasure, and what did chiefly allure you unto it: seeing, not many women, but very few men have attained thereunto? I will tell you, quoth she, and tell you a truth, which perchance ye will marvel at. One of the greatest benefits, that ever God gave me, is that he sent me so sharp and severe parents, and so gentle a schoolmaster. For when I am in presence either of father or mother, whether I speak, keep silence, sit, stand, or go, eat, drink, be merry, or sad, be sewing, playing, dancing, or doing anything else, I must do it, as it were, in such weight, measure, and number, 50 even so perfectly as God made the world, or else I am so sharply taunted, so cruelly threatened, yea presently sometimes with pinches, nips, and bobs, and other ways, which I will not name, for the honour I bear them, so without measure misordered, that I think myself in

Therefore, if to the goodness of nature be joined the wisdom of the teacher, in leading young wits into a right and plain way of learning, surely, children, kept up in God's fear, and governed by His grace, may most 55 casily be brought well to serve God and country both by virtue and wisdom.

But if will and wit, by farther age, be once

hell, till time come, that I must go to M. Elmer,8 who teacheth me so gently, so pleasantly, with such fair allurements to learning, that I think all the time nothing, whiles I am with him. And when I am called from him, I fall on weeping, because, whatsoever I do else but learning, is full of grief, trouble, fear, and whole misliking unto me: and thus my book hath been so much my pleasure, and bringeth daily to me more pleasure and more, that in 10 once made that country mistress over all the respect of it, all other pleasures, in very deed, be but trifles and troubles unto me. I remember this talk gladly, both because it is so worthy of memory, and because also, it was the last talk that ever I had, and the last time that ever I 15 them. For sin, by lust and vanity, hath and saw that noble and worthy Lady.

honoured: because time was, when Italy and Rome have been, to the great good of us that now live, the best breeders and bringers up of the worthiest men, not only for wise speaking 5 but also for well doing, in all Civil affairs, that ever was in the world. But now, that the time is gone, and though the place remain, yet the old and present manners do differ as far, as black and white, as virtue and vice. Virtue

THE EVIL ENCHANTMENT OF ITALY

(From the same)

world. Vice now maketh that country slave to them that before were glad to serve it. All men seeth it: they themselves confess it, namely such as be best and wisest amongst

doth breed up everywhere common contempt of God's word, private contention in many families, open factions in every city: and so, making themselves bond to vanity and vice at 20 home, they are content to bear the yoke of serving strangers abroad. Italy now, is not that Italy that it was wont to be and therefore now not so fit a place, as some do count it, for young men to fetch either wisdom or honesty

but bad scholars, that be so ill masters to themselves. Yet, if a gentleman will needs travel into Italy, he shall do well to look on the life of the wisest traveller that ever travelled thither, set out by the wisest writer that ever spake with tongue, God's doctrine only excepted: and that is Ulysses in Homer. Ulysses and his travel I wish our travelers to look upon, not so much to fear them with the great dangers that he many times suffered, as to instruct them with his excellent wisdom which he always and everywhere used. Yea even those that be learned and witty travellers, when they be disposed to praise travelling, as a great commendation and the best Scripture they have for it, they gladly recite the third verse of Homer in his first book of Odyssey, containing a great praise of Ulysses for the wit he gathered and wisdom he used in travelling.

Sir Richard Sackville,1 that worthy gentleman of worthy memory, as I said in the beginning, in the Queen's privy Chamber at Windsor, after he had talked with me for the right choice 25 from thence. For surely they will make other of a good wit in a child for learning, and of the true difference betwixt quick and hard wits, of alluring young children by gentleness to love learning, and of the special care that was to be had to keep young men from licentious living, 30 he was most earnest with me to have me say my mind also, what I thought concerning the fancy that many young gentlemen of England have to travel abroad, and namely to lead a long life in Italy. His request, both for his 35 authority and good will toward me, was a sufficient commandment unto me to satisfy his pleasure with uttering plainly my opinion in that matter. Sir, quoth I, I take going thither and living there, for a young gentleman, that 40 doth not go under the keep and guard of such a man as both by wisdom can and authority dare rule him, to be marvelous dangerous. And why I said so then, I will declare at large now, which I said then privately and write now 45 openly, not because I do contemn, either the knowledge of strange and diverse tongues, and namely the Italian tongue, which next the Greek and Latin tongue I like and love above all other: or else because I do despise the learn- 50 ing that is gotten, or the experience that is gathered in strange countries: or for any private malice that I bear to Italy: which country and in it namely Rome, I have always specially

John Aylmer (1521-1594), was a tutor to Lady Jane Grey.

1 Under treasurer of the Exchequer, and who occupied many high places, was a most influential man of his time. It was he who encouraged Ascham to write The School

master.

John Fore

1516-1587

THE EXECUTION OF LADY JANE GREY1

(From Book of Martyrs, 1563)

When she first mounted the scaffold, she 55 spake to the spectators in this manner: Good people, I am come hither to die, and by a law I am condemned to the same. The fact against the queen's highness was unlawful, and See p. 134, note 4.

day the Lord Guildford, her husband, one of the Duke of Northumberland's sons, was likewise beheaded, two innocents in comparison of them that sat upon them. For they were 5 both very young, and ignorantly accepted that which others had contrived, and by open proclamation consented to take from others, and give to them.