Then though my songs be somewhat plain, Blame but thyself thou hast misdone, And well deserved to have blame; Change thou thy way, so evil begone, And then my lute shall sound that same: By thy desert their wonted way, Two out of six stanzas. 47. Roger Ascham, 1515-1568. (Handbook, pars. 76, 78.) Preceptor of Queen Elizabeth and of Lady Jane Grey. He was a diligent promoter of the study of classical learning, and his tract on the best method of learning has been reprinted in our own day. His Toxophilus, a dialogue on archery, and his Schoolmaster, are his chief works. Occupations should be suited to Men's Faculties. If men would go about matters which they should do and be fitte for, and not suche thinges which willfully they desyre, and yet be unfitte for, verelye greater matters in the commonwealthe than shootinge should be in better case than they be. This ignorancye in men, which knowe not for what time and to what thing they be fitte, causeth some wyshe to be rich, for whom it were better a greate deale to be poore, other to be medlinge in everye man's matter, for whome it were more honestye to be quiete and still; some to desyre to be in the Court, which be borne and be fitter rather for the carte, some to be maisters and rule other, which never yet began to rule themselves; some always to iangle and taulk, which rather shoulde heare and kepe silence; some to teache, which rather should learne, some to be priestes, which were fitter to be clearkes. And this perverse judgemente of the world, when men measure themselves amisse, bringeth much disorder and great unsemelinesse to the whole body of the commonwealthe, as if a man should weare his hoose on his heade, or a woman go with a sworde and a buckler, everye man woulde take it as a great uncumlinesse, although it be but a tryfle in respecte of the other. This perverse judgement of men hindereth nothing so muche as iearninge, because commonly those that be unfitted for learninge be chieflye set to learninge. As if a man now-a-dayes have two sonnes, the one impotent, weke, sicklye, lispinge, stutteringe, and stameringe, or having any misshape in his bodye, what does the father of suche one commonlye saye? This boy is fitte for nothinge else but to set to learninge and make a prieste of, as who would say, the outcastes of the worlde, having neyther counte nance, tongue, nor witte (for of a perverse bodye commeth commonly a perverse minde), be good enoughe to make those men of, which shall be appointed to preache God's Holy Worde, and minister His blessed sacramentes, besydes other most weightye matters in the commonwealthe, put oft times and worthely to learned menne's dyscretion and charge; when rather such an office so highe in dignitye, so goodly in administration, should be committed to no man which should not have a countenaunce full of comelinesse to allure good men, a bodye full of manly authoritie to feare ill men, a witte apt for all learninge, with tongue and voyce able to perswade all men. And althoughe fewe such men as these can be founde in a commonwealthe, yet surelye a godlye disposed man will both in his minde thinke fit, and with all his studye labour to gette such men as I speake of, or rather better, if better can be gotten, for such an hye administration, which is most properly appointed to God's own matters and businesses. This perverse judgemente of fathers, as concerning the fitnesse and unfitnesse of their children, causeth the commonwealthe have manye unfit mynisters; and seinge that mynisters be, as a manne would say, instrumentes wherewith the commonwealthe doth worke all her matters withal, I marvel how it chaunceth that a poore shoomaker hath so much witte, that he will prepare no instrumente for his science, neyther knyfe nor aule, nor nothinge else, which is not verye fit for him. The commonwealthe can be contente to take at a fonde father's hande the rife-raffe of the worlde, to make those instrumentes of, wherewithal she woulde worke the hiest matters under heaven. And surely an aule of leade is not so unprofitable in a shoomaker's shoppe, as an unfit minister made of groose metell is unseemelye. in the commonwealthe. Fathers in olde time, among the noble Persians, might not do with theyr children as they thought good, but as the judgement of the commonwealthe alwayes thoughte best. This faulte of fathers bringeth manye a blot with it, to the great deformitye of the commonwealthe. And here surely I can prayse gentlewomen, which have alwayes at hand theyr glasses, to see if anything be amisse, and so will amende it; yet the commonwealthe having the glasse of knowledge in every man's hande, doth see such uncumlinesse in it, and yet wincketh at it. This fault, and many such like, might be soone wyped away, if fathers woulde bestowe theyr children always on that thinge alwayes whereunto nature hath ordayned them most apt and fitte. For if youth be grafted streighte and not awrye, the whole commonwealthe will floryshe thereafter. When this is done, thenne muste every man beginne to be more readye to amende himselfe than to checke another, measuringe theyr matters with that wyse proverb of Apollo, Knowe thyselfe, that is to saye, learne to knowe what thou art able, fitte, and apte unto, and folowe that. Torophilus. Ascham's English works, BENNET, 1761, p. 167. Love a mightier power than Fear. And one example, whether love or feare doth worke more in a child, for vertue and learning, I will gladlie report: which maie be hard with some pleasure, and folowed with more profit. Before I went into Germanie, I came to Brodegate in Lecetershire, to take my leave of that noble Ladie Jane Grey, to whom I was exceding moch beholdinge. Hir parentes, the Duke and the Duches, with all the houshould, gentlemen and gentlewomen, were huntinge in the parke: I founde her, in her chamber, readinge Phædon Platonis in Greeke, and that with as moch delite, as som jentleman wold read a merie tale in Bocase. After salutation, and dewtie done, with som other taulke, I asked hir, whie she wold leese soch pastime in the parke? Smiling she answered me: I wisse, all their sporte in the parke is but a shadoe to that pleasure, that I find in Plato: Alas good folke, they never felt, what trewe pleasure ment. And howe came you madame, quoth I, to this deepe knowledge of pleasure, and what did chieflie allure you unto it: seinge, not many women, but verie fewe men have atteined thereunto? I will tell you, quoth she, and tell you a troth, which perchance ye will mervell at. One of the greatest benefites, that ever God gave me, is, that he sent me so sharpe and severe parentes, and so jentle a scholemaster. For when I am in presence either of father or mother, whether I speake, kepe silence, sit, stand, or go, eate, drinke, be merie, or sad, be sowyng, plaiyng, dauncing, or doing anie thing els, 1 must do it, as it were, in soch weight, mesure, and number, even so perfitelie, as God made the world, or else I am so sharplie taunted, so cruellie threatened, yea presentlie sometymes, with pinches, nippes, and bobbes, and other waies, which I will not name, for the honor I beare them, so without measure misordered, that I thinke myselfe in hell, till tyme cum, that I must go to M. Elmer, who teacheth me so jentlie, so pleasantlie, with soch fair allurementes to learning, that I thinke all the tyme nothing, whiles I am with him. And when I am called from him, I fall on weeping, because, what soever I do else but learning, is ful of grief, trouble, feare, and whole misliking unto me. And thus my booke, hath bene so much my pleasure, and bringeth dayly to me more pleasure and more, that in respect of it, all other pleasures, in very deede, be but trifles and troubles unto me. I remember this talke gladly, both bicause it is so worthy of memorie, and bicause also, it was the last talke that ever I had, and the last tyme that ever I saw that noble and worthie ladie. The Schoolmaster. 48. Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, 1516-1547. (Handbook, pars. 67, 84, 117.) The first writer of blank verse, in translating part of the Eneid, and author of the earliest English sonnets. The Second Boke of Virgiles Aenais. I shold renew a woe cannot be told; How that the Grekes did spoile and ouerthrow The Phrygian wealth, and wailful realm of Troy : Those ruthful things that I myself beheld And whereof no smal part fel to my share. No Age content with his own Estate. Laid in my quiet bed, in study as I were, I saw, within my troubled head, a heap of thoughts appear; And every thought did show so lively in mine eyes, That now I sighed, and then I smiled, as cause of thoughts did rise. I saw the little boy, and thought how oft that he The rich old man, that sees his end draw on so sore, From boy to man, from man to boy, would chop and change degree. And musing thus, I think the case is very strange, That man from wealth to live in woe, doth ever seek to change. Thus, thoughtful as I lay, I saw my withered skin, How it doth show my dented chewes; the flesh was worn so thin. And eke my toothless chaps, the gates of my right way,b That show, like lines of true belief, that this life doth assuage, Bids thee lay hand and feel them hanging on thy chin, d And thou, that therein beaten art, the happiest life define:' Whereat I sighed, and said, 'Farewell, my wonted Toy, Spring. A Sonnet. The sweet season, that bud and bloom forth brings, • Or chaws, now written jaws; dented, indented. ▸ True philosophy. • Draw to a close. d Used like the Scripture phr 'stricken in years.' • Shed her horns. |