What thinges they be, wherin children are to be trained, eare they passe to the Grammar. That parentes, and maisters ought to examine the naturall abilities in their children, wherby they become either fit, or vnfit, to this, or that kinde of life. The three naturall powers in children, Witte to conceiue by, Memorie to retaine by, Discretion to discerne by. That the training vp to good manners, and nurture, doth not belong to the teacher alone, though most to him, next after the parent, whose charge that is most, bycause his commaundement is greatest, ouer his owne child, and beyond appeale. Of Reading, Writing, Drawing, Musick by voice, and instrument: and that they be the principall principles, to traine vp the minde in. A generall aunswere to all obiections, which arise against any, or all of these.

Now that I haue shewed mine opinion concerning the time, when it were best to set the child to schoole, the next two questions seeme to be, what he shall learne and howe he shalbe exercised, when he is at schoole. For seeing he is compound of a soule and a bodie: the soule to conceiue and comprehend, what is best for itselfe, and the bodie to: The bodie to waite, and attend the commaundement and necessities of the soule: he must be so trained, as neither for qualifying of the minde, nor for enabling of the bodie, there be any such defecte, as iust blame therfore may be laide vpon them, which in nature be most willing, and in reason thought most skilfull, to preuente such defaultes. For there be both in the body, and the soule of man certaine ingenerate abilities, which the wisedom of parentes, and reason of teachers, perceiuing in their infancie, and by good direction auancing them further, during those young yeares, cause them proue in their ripenesse very good and profitable, both to the parties which haue them, and to their countries, which vse them. Which naturall abilities, if they be not perceiued, by whom they should: do condemne all such, either of ignorance, if they could not iudge, or of negligence, if they would not seeke, what were in children, by nature emplanted, for nurture to enlarge. And if they be perceiued, and either missorted in place, or ill applyed in choice, as in difference of iudgementes, there be many thinges practised, which were better vnproued, to the losse of good time, and let of better stuffe, they do bewray that such teachers, and trainers, be they parentes, be they maisters, either haue no sound skill, if it come of infirmitie, or but raw heades, if it spring of fansie. If they know the inclination, and do not further it rightely, it is impietie to the youth, more then sacrilege to the state, which by their fault be not suffered to enioy those excellent benefits, which the most munificent God, by his no niggardishe nature, prouided for them both. If they found them, and followed them, but not so fully, as they were to receiue: if for want wherwith, it deserues pardon, if for want of will, exceeding blame: and cryeth for correction of the state by them hindred, and small thankes of the parties, no more furthered.

Wherfore as good parentes, and maisters ought to finde out, by those naturall principles, whervnto the younglings may best be framed, so ought they to follow it, vntil it be complete, and not to staie, without cause beyond staie, before it come to ripenesse, which ripenesse, while they be in learning, must be measured by their ablenes to receiue that, which must follow their forebuilding: but when they are thought sufficiently well learned, and to meddle with the state, then their ripenesse is to be measured, by vse to themselues, and seruice to their countrey, in peace, as best and most naturall, in warre, as worse, and most vnnatural, and yet the ordinarie ende of a disordered peace. For when the thinges, which be learned do cleaue so fast in memorie, as neither discontinuaunce can deface them, nor forgetfulnesse abolishe them: then is abilitie vpon ascent, and when ascent is in the highest, and the countrey commaundes seruice, then studie must be left, and the countrey must be serued.

Seeing therfore in appointing the matter, wherin this traine must be employed, there is regard to be had first to the soule, as in nature more absolute, and in value more precious: and then to the bodie, as the instrument and meane, wherby the soule sheweth what is best to be done in necessity of fine force, in choice of best shew: I will remitte the bodie to his owne roome, which is peculiarly in exercises, sauing where I cannot meane the soule, without mention of the bodie, and in this place I wil entreat of the soule alone, how it must be qualified. And yet meane I not to make any anatomie, or resolution of the soule his partes and properties, a discourse, not belonging to this so low a purpose, but onely to pick out some natural inclinations in the soule, which as they seeme to craue helpe of education, and nurture, so by education, and nurture, they do proue very profitable, both in priuate and publicke. To the which effect, in the litle young soules, first we finde, a capacity to perceiue that which is taught them, and to imitate the foregoer. That witte to learne, as it is led, and to follow as it is foregone, would be well applyed, by proprietie in matter, first offered them to learne: by considerate ascent in order, encreasing by degrees: by wary handling of them, to draw them onward with courage. We finde also in them, as a quickenes to take, so a fastnesse to retaine: therfore their memorie would streight waye be furnished, with the verie best, seeing it is a treasurie: exercised with the most, seeing it is of receite: neuer suffered to be idle, seeing it spoiles so soone. For in defaulte of the better, the worse will take chaire, and bid it selfe welcome: and if idlenesse enter, it will exclude all ernest, and call in her kinsfolkes, toyes and triffles, easie for remembraunce, heauy for repentaunce.

We finde in them further an ability to discern, what is good, and what is ill, which ought foorthwith to be made acquainted with the best, by obedience and order, and dissauded from the worse, by misliking and frowne. These three thinges, witte to take, memorie to keepe, discretion to discern, and moe if ye seeke, though but braunches to these, which I chuse for my purpose, shall ye finde pearing out of the litle young soules: when you may see what is in them, and not they themselues. Whose abilitie to encrease in time, and infirmitie to crawle at that time is commended to them, which first begot them, or best can frame them. Now these naturall towardnesses being once espied, in what degree they rise, bycause there is ods in children by nature, as in parentes by purchase, they must be followed with diligence, encreased by order, encouraged by comfort, till they come to their proofe. Which proofe trauell in time will perfourme, hast knittes vp to soone, and vnperfit, slownesse to late, and to weake.

But for the best waie of their good speede, that witte maie conceiue and learne well, memorie retaine and hold fast, discretion chuse and discerne best, the cheife and chariest point is, so to plie them all, as they may proceede voluntarily, and not with violence, that will may be a good boye, ready to do well, and lothe to do ill, neuer fearing the rod, which he will not deserue. For wheresoeuer will in effecting, doth ioyne with abilitie to conceiue, and memorie to retaine, there industrie will finde frute, yea in the frowne of fortune. By discretion to cause them take to that, which is best, and to forsake that, which is worst, in common dealinges is common to all men, that haue interest in children, parentes by nature, maisters by charge, neighbours of curtesie, all men of all humanitie: whom either priuate care by custome, or publike cure by commaundement of magistrate and lawe, doth compell in conscience to helpe their well doing, and to fray them from ill, wheresoeuer they meete them, or when so euer they see them do that, which is naught. And therfore that duetie to helpe them in this kinde for their manners, is incident to maisters but among others, though somwhat more then some others, as to whom it is most seemely, bycause of their authoritie, and most proper, bycause of their charge, whom knowledge best enfourmeth to embrew them with the best: and power best assisteth, to cause them embrace the best: euen perforce at the first, till acquaintaunce in time breede liking of it selfe.

But this mannering of them is not for teachers alone, because they communicate therin, as I haue said already, both with naturall parentes, to whom that point appertaineth nearest, as of most authoritie with them, and with all honest persons, which seing a child doing euill, are bid in conscience, to terrifie and check him as the quality of the childes offence, and the circunstance of their owne person doth seeme best to require.

Wherfore reseruing for the teacher so much as is for his office, to enstruct the child what is best for him in matter of manners, and to see to it, so much as in him lyeth: to set good orders in his gouvernment, to see them alwaye well, and one waye still executed and perfourmed, I referre the rest to those, whom either any vertuous consideration of them selues, or any particular duetie, enioyned by lawe, doth charge with the rest, either by priuate discipline at home, or by publike ordinaunce abroade, to see youth well brought vp that waye: to learne to discern that which is well from ill, good from bad, religious from prophane, honest from dishonest, commendable from blame worthy, seemely from vnseemely, that they may honour God, serue their countrey, comfort their freindes, and aide one an other, as good countreymen are bound to do. But how to handle their conceit in taking, and their memorie, in holding, bycause that appertaineth to teachers wholly: (for all that the parentes and freindes, wilbe medlers somtime, to further their young impes:) I will deale in that, and shew wherin children ought to be trained, till they be found fit for Grammer: wherin neuerthelesse, both the matters, which they learne: and the manners, which they are made to, serue for ground to vertue, and encrease of discretion.

As I might verie well be esteemed inconsiderate, if I should force any farre fet diuises into these my principles, which neither my countrey knew, nor her custome cared for, so dealing but with those, and resting content with those, which my countrey hath seuered to her priuate vse, and her custome is acquainted with of long continuaunce, I maye hope for consent, where my countrey commendeth, and looke for successe, where custome leades my hand, and feare no note of noueltie, where nothing is but auncient.

Amongst these my countreys most familiar principles, reading offereth herselfe first in the entrie, chosen vpon good ground continued vpon great proofe, enrowled among the best, and the verie formost of the best, by her owne effectes, as verie many so verie profitable. For whether you marke the nature of the thing, while it is in getting, or the goodnesse therof when it is gotten, it must needs be the first, and the most frutefull principle, in training of the minde. For the letter is the first and simplest impression in the trade of teaching, and nothing before it. The knitting and iointing wherof groweth on verie infinitely, as it appeareth most plainely by daily spelling, and continuall reading, till partely by vse, and partely by argument, the child get the habit, and cunning to read well, which being once gotten, what a cluster of commodities doth it bring with all? what so euer any other, for either profit or pleasure, of force or freewill, hath published to the world, by penne or printe, for any ende, or to any vse, it is by reading all made to serue vs: in religion to loue and feare God, in law to obey and please men: in skill to entertaine knowledge, in will to expell ignorance, to do all in all, as hauing by it all helpes to do all thinges well. Wherfore I make reading, my first and fairest principle of all other, as being simply the first in substaunce, and leaning to none, but leading all other, and growing after so great, as it raungeth ouer all, being somwhat without other, other nothing without it: and a thing of such moment, as it is vainely begon, if it be not soundly goten, and being once sound it selfe: it deliuereth the next maister from manifest toile, and the childe himselfe from maruellous trouble, from feare where he failes not, from staggering, where he stops not, with comfort where he knowes, with courage, where he dare, a securitie to the parent, a safty to eche partie. I wishe the childe to haue his reading thus perfect, and ready, in both the English and the Latin tongue verie long before he dreame of his Grammar.

Of the which two, at whether it were better to begin, by some accident of late it did seeme somwhat doubtful: but by nature of the tongues, the verdit is giuen vp. For while our religion was restrained to the Latin, it was either the onely, or the onelyest principle in learning, to learne to read Latin: as most appropriate to that effect, which the Church then esteemed on most.

But now that we are returned home to our English abce, as most naturall to our soile, and most propter to our faith, the restraint being repealed, and we restored to libertie, we are to be directed by nature, and propertie, to read that first, which we speake first, and to care for that most, which we euer vse most: bycause we neede it most: and to begin our first learning there, where we haue most helpes, to learne it best, by familiaritie of our ordinarie language, by vnderstanding all usuall argumentes, by continuall company of our owne countreymen, all about vs speaking English and none vttering any wordes but those, which we our selues are well acquainted with, both in our learning and living.

There be two speciall, whether ye will call them rules, or notes, to be obserued in teaching, wherof the first is: That thinges be so taught, as that which goeth before, may induce that, which followeth by naturall consequence of the thing it selfe, not by erronious missorting of the deceiued chuser, who like vnto an vnskilfull hoste oftimes misplaceth euen the best of his guestes, by not knowing their degrees.

The second is, that those thinges be put vnto children, which being confessed to be most necessarie, and most proper to be learned in those yeares, haue lest sense, to their feeling, and most labour, without fainting. For can any growne man so moile him selfe, without to much cumber, with either the principles of Grammer, or cunning without booke, as a child will, the ones memorie being empty, the other being distracte with diuersitie of thoughtes? Reason directes yeares, and roate rules in youth, reason calls in sense and feeling of paine, roate runnes on apase and mindeth nothing else but either play in the ende, or a litle praise for a great deale of paines. Now praise neuer wearies, nor paine euer but wearies, and play pleaseth children with any, yea the greatest iniquitie of circunstance, whether the weather lowre, or the maister frowne, so he will giue them leaue to go. Though the Latin tongue be already discharged of all superfluities, exempt from custome, to chaunge it, and laid vp for knowledge, to cherish it: and of long time hath bene smoothed both to the eye, and to the eare: yet in course of teaching it doth not naturally draw on the English, which yet remaineth in her lees vnrackt and not fined, though it grow on verie faire. Our spelling is harder, our pronouncing harsher, our syllabe hath commonly as many letters, as the whole Latin word hath. So that both consequence, and hardnesse preferre the English. Euen here must memorie begin her first traine, and store her selfe with such stuffe, as shall laie the best foundation to religion and obedience, which beginning in these yeares, will crepe on very strongly and no lesse soundly: so that the child cannot but proue very good in age, which was so consideratly entred in his youth. What the thinges shall be, wherin both reading must trauell, and memorie must make choice, I will shew in mine Elementarie wherin the whole education before Grammer shalbe comprised.

Next to reading followeth writing, in some reasonable distance after, bycause it requireth some strength of the hand, which is not so soone staied nor so stiffe to write, as the tongue is stirring and redy to read. And though writing in order of traine do succede reading, yet in nature and time it must needes be elder. For the penne or some other penlike instrument did carue and counterfeat the letter or some letterlike deuise first rawly and rudely, neither all at once: then finely and fully, when all was at once: and therby did let the eye beholde that in charact, which the voice deliuered to the eare in sounde, which being so set downe to vtter the power and knitting of the articulate voice, and afterward obserued to expresse them in deede, caused writing be much vsed as interpreter to the minde, and reading be embrased as expounder to the penne, and expressing that in force, which the penne set downe in fourme. Wherby it must needes follow, that raw and rude charactes, were the primitiue writing, which being expressed what they did signifie brought forth reading: and that experience vpon triall of their vertues made so much of them both, as she recommended them to profit, to haue them appointed for principles in the training vp of youth. So that reading being but the expresser of the written charactes must needes acknowledge and confesse her puniship to writing, of whom she tooke both her being and her beginning.

To limite any one cause how writing began, or to runne ouer the inuentours of thinges to finde out who deuised it first, were to gesse at some vncertaine, though probable coniecture, without any assuraunce, to build on, as the thing it selfe is of small importaunce, for any to tarie on. It is more then likely, wherof so euer the first charact came, that necessitie caught hold of it, to serue her owne tourne, and so enlarged it still, till it came to that perfection which we see it now in. I will neither paint out reading with such ornamentes, as it needes not, neither praise writing with such argumentes, as it craues not. For it is praise enough to a good thing to be confessed good, and what so euer is said more, is doubtfully to ground that, which is determinatly graunted, and to seeke for defence when the forte is surrendred. After that reading was reduced into forme, and brought to her best, she fined her foundresse, and is therfore aboue all praise, bycause she makes the eye, the paragon sense, by benefit of that obiect. And writing it selfe hath profited so much, since it hath bene perfited, as it now proues the proppe to remembraunce, the executour of most affaires, the deliuerer of secretes, the messager of meaninges, the enheritance of posteritie, whereby they receiue whatsoeuer is left them, in lawe to liue by, in letters to learne, in euidence to enioye. To come by this thing so much commended, so, as it may bring foorth all her effectes redily, and roundly, these notes must be kept.

That the maister learne himselfe and teach his scholer a faire letter and a fast, for plainesse and speede: That the matter of his example be pithie, and proper, to enrich the memorie with profitable prouision: and that the learning to write be not left of, vntil it be verie perfit: bycause writing being ones perfectly goten doth make a wonderful riddance in the rest of our learning. For the master may be bould to charge his child with writing of his geare, when he findes him able, to dispatch that with ease, what so euer is enioyned him. Neither shall that child euer complaine of difficultie after, which can read and write perfectly before. For first he hath purchased those two excellent faire winges, which will cause him towre vp to the top of all learning, as Plato in the like case of knowledge, termeth Arithmetick and Geometrie2 his two wings wherwith to flie vp to heauen, from whence he doth fetch the true direction of his imprisoned ignorant. Secondly he hath declared eare he came to that cunning, that his wit would serue him, to proceede on further, as his winges will helpe him, to flie on faster. For in deede during the time, of writing and reading, his witte will bewraie it selfe, whether it may venture further vpon greater learning, or were best to stay at some smaller skil, vpon defect in nature. But if the child can not do that redily, which he hath rather looked on, then learned, before he remoue from his Elementarie, while his maister conceiues quickly, and he perceiues slowly, there is verie much matter offered vnto passion, wheron to worke. Which commonly brusteth out into much beating, to the dulling of the childe, and discouraging of the maister: and bycause of the to timely onset, to litle is done in to long a time, and the schoole is made a torture, which as it bringes forth delite in the ende, when learning is helde fast, so should it passe on verie pleasantly by the waye, while it is in learning: And generally this I do thinke of perfiting, and making vp, as children go on: (seing the argument it selfe doth draw my penne so forcibly forward,) that it must needes be most perfectly good. For what if oportunitie either to go any further at all, or at least to go so on, as their freindes did set them in, be suddenly cut of, either by losse of freindes, or lacke in freindes, or some other misfortune? were it not good that they had so much perfectly, as they are practised in? which being vnperfectly had, will either stand them in very small steede, or in none at all. To write and read wel which may be iointly gotten is a prety stocke for a poore boye to begin the world with all.

The same reasons which moued me to haue the child read English before Latin, do moue me also, to wishe him to write English before Latin, as a thing of more hardnesse, and redier in vse to aunswere all occasions. Thus farre I do thinke that all my countreymen will ioyne with me, and allow their children the vse, of their letter and penne. For those that can write and read may not gainsaie, least I aske of them why they learned themselues? If they that cannot, do mislike that they haue not, I will aske of them, why they wishe so oft for them?

Some controuersie before the thing be consideratly thought on, but none after, may arise about this next, which is to draw with penne or pencill, a cosen germain to faire writing, and of the selfe same charge. For penne and penknife, incke and paper, compasse and ruler, a deske and a dustboxe will set them both vp, and in these young yeares, while the finger is flexible, and the hand fit for frame, it will be fashioned easely. And commonly they that haue any naturall towardnesse to write well, haue aknacke of drawing to, and declare some euident conceit in nature bending that waye. And as iudgement by vnderstanding is a rule to the minde to discern what is honest, seemly, and sutable in matters of the minde, and such argumentes as fall within compasse of generall reason exempt from sense: so this qualitie by drawing with penne or pencill, is an assured rule for the sense to iudge by, of the proportion and seemelines of all aspectable thinges. As he that knoweth best, how to kepe that himselfe, which is comely in fashion, can also best iudge, when comelinesse of fashion is kept by any other. And why is it not good to haue euery parte of the body: and euery power of the soule to be fined to his best? And seing that must be looked vnto long afore, which must serue vs best alwaye after, why ought we not to ground that thoroughly in youth, which must requite vs againe with grace in our age? If I or any else should seeme to contemne that principle, which brought forth Apelles, and that so knowen a crew of excellent painters, so many in number, so marueilous in cunning, so many statuaries, so many architectes: nay whose vse all modelling, all mathematikes, all manuaries do finde and confesse to be to so notorious and so needefull: both I and that any else might well be supposed to see very litle, not seing the use of that, which is laboured for sight, and most delitefull to see. Neither is the deuise mine, as if it were, repentance hath repulse. For what so euer I do allow in others, which for the deuise do deserue wel, I deserued not ill, in mine opinion, if I were my selfe the first deuiser therof. That great philosopher Aristotle in the eight booke and third chapter of his Politikes, and not there onely, as not he alone, ioyneth writing and reading, which he compriseth vnder this worde, ??aat???, with drawing by penne or pencill, which I translate his ??af???, both the two of one parentage and petigree, as thinges peculiarly chosen to bring vp youth, both for quantitie in profit, and for qualitie in vse. There he sayeth, that as writing and reading do minister much helpe to trafficque, to householdrie, to learning, and all publicke dealinges: so drawing by penne or pencill, is verie requisite to make a man able to iudge, what that is which he byeth of artificers and craftes men, for substaunce, forme, and fashion, durable and handsome or no: and such other necessarie seruices, besides the delitefull and pleasant.

For the setting of colours I do not much stand in, howbeit if any dexterity that waye do draw the child on, it is an honest mans liuing and I dare not condemne that famous fellowship: which is so renowned for handling the pencill. A large field is here offered to praise the praiseworthy, and to paint them out well, which painted all thinges so well, as the world still wondereth at the hearing of their workes. But the praise of painting is no part of my purpose at this time, but the appointing of it among the training principles, being so aunciently allowed, so necessarie in so many thinges, so great a ground to so gallant a misterie, as that profession is, wherof Apelles was: and last of all, so neare a cosen to the fairest writing, whose cradlefellow it is.

Musicke maketh vp the summe, and is deuided into two partes, the voice and the instrument, wherof the voice resembleth reading: as yealding that to the eare, which it seeth with the eye: and the instrument writing, by counterfeting the voice, both the two in this age best to be begon, while both the voice and the iointe be pliable to the traine. The voice craueth lesse cost to execute her part, being content with so much onely, as writing, and drawing did prouide for their furniture, when they began their houshold. The instrumente seemeth to be more costly, and claimes both more care in keping, and more charge in compassing. For the pleasauntnesse of Musick there is no man that doth doubt, bycause it seemeth in some degree to be a medicine from heauen, against our sorowes vpon earth. Some men thinke it to be too too sweete, and that it may be either quite forborne, or not so much followed. For mine owne parte I dare not dispraise it, which hath so great defendours, and deserueth so well, and I must needes allow it, which place it among those, that I do esteeme the cheife principles, for training vp of youth, not of mine owne head alone, but by the aduise of all antiquitie, all learned philosophie, all skilfull training, which make Musick still one of the principles, when they handle the question, what thinges be best, to bring youth first vp in. If I had sought occasion of raunging discours which I still auoide, but where the opening of some point, doth lighten the thing, and may delite the reader, whom flatte and stearne setting downe, by waye of aphorisme, would soone weary, (though many not of the meanest would allow of that kinde exceeding well:) I might haue found out many digressions long agoe, or if I had taken holde of that which hath bene offered, I haue mette with many such, since I began first to write: but of all, in all sortes I do finde any, wherin speeche might so spreede all the sailes, which she hath, and the penne might vse, all the pencilling, which she can: as in painting out the praise and ornamentes of Musick. The matter is so ample, the ground so large, the reasons so many, which sound to her renowne: the thing it selfe so auncient, and so honorable, so generall, and so priuate, so in Churches, and so without, so in all ages, and in all places, both highely preferred, and richely rewarded: the princesse of delites, and the delite of princes: such a pacifier in passion, such a maistres to the minde, so excellent in so many, so esteemed by so many, as euen multitude makes me wonder, and with all to staie my hand, for feare that I shall not easely get thence, if I enter once in. I will not therfore digresse: bycause there is better stuffe in place, and more fit for my purpose, then the praise of Musick is. The Philosophers, and Physicians, do allow the straining, and recoyling of the voice in children, yea though they crie, and baule, beside their singing, and showting: by the waie of exercise to stretche, and kepe open the hollow passages, and inward pipes of the tender bulke, whereby Musick will proue a double principle both for the soule, by the name of learning, and for the body, by the waye of exercise, as hereafter shall appeare.

But for the whole matter of Musick, this shalbe enough for me to say at this time, that our countrey doth allow it: that it is verie comfortable to the wearyed minde: a preparatiue to perswasion: that he must needes haue a head out of proportion, which cannot perceiue: or doth not delite in the proportions of number, which speake him so faire: that it is best learned in childehood, when it can do least harme, and may best be had: that if the constitution of man both for bodie and soule, had not some naturall, and nighe affinitie with the concordances of Musick, the force of the one, would not so soone stirre vp, the cosen motion in the other. It is wonderfull that is writen, and strange that we see, what is wrought therby in nature of Physick, for the remedying of some desperate diseases.

And yet there groweth some miscontentment with it, though it be neuer so good, and that not only in personages of whom I make small account, but in some verie good, honest, and well disposed natures, though to stearnly bent, which neuerthelesse, for al their stearnnes, wil resigne ouer their sentence, and alter their opinion, sometimes of themselues vpon deeper meditation, what the thing in it selfe is, sometime by inducement, when they fal in with other which are better resolued: but most cheifly then, when Musick it selfe consideratly applyed, hath for a while obtained the fauorable vse of their listning eares. The science it selfe hath naturally a verie forcible strength to trie and to tuche the inclination of the minde, to this or that affection, thorough the propertie of number, wheron it consisteth, which made the Pythagorian, and not him alone to plat the soule out so much vpon number. It is also very pleasant for the harmonie and concent, wherby the hearer discouers his disposition, and lettes pleasure playe vpon the bitte, and dalye with the bridle, as delite will not be drowned, nor driuen to hidebare. For which cause Musick moueth great misliking to some men that waye, as to great a prouoker to vaine delites, still laying baite, to draw on pleasure: still opening the minde, to the entrie of lightnesse. And in matters of religion also, to some it seemes offensiue, bycause it carieth awaye the eare, with the sweetnesse of the melodie, and bewitcheth the minde with a Syrenes sounde, pulling it from that delite, wherin of duetie it ought to dwell, vnto harmonicall fantasies, and withdrawing it, from the best meditations, and most vertuous thoughtes to forreine conceites, and wandring deuises. For one aunswere to all, if abuse of a thing, which may be well vsed, and had her first being to be well vsed, be a sufficient condemnation to the thing that is abused, let glotonie forbid meat, distempering drinke, pride apparell, heresie religion, adulterie mariage, and why not, what not? Nay which of all our principles shall stand, if the persons blame, shal blemish the thing? We read foolish bookes, wherat to laugh, nay wherin we learne that, which we might and ought forbeare: we write strange thinges, to serue our owne fansie, if we sway but a litle to any lewde folly: we paint and draw pictures, not to be set in Churches, but such as priuate houses hide with curtaines, not to saue the colours, but to couer their owners, whose lightnesse is discouered, by such lasciuious obiectes. Shall reading therfore be reft from religion? shall priuate, and publike affaires, lease the benefit of writing? shall sense forgoe his forsight, and the beautifier of his obiect? Change thou thy direction, the thinges will follow thee more swifte to the good, then the other to the bad, being capable of both, as thinges of vse be, and yet bending to the better. Mans faulte makes the thing seeme filthie. Applie thou it to the best, the choice is before thee. It is the ill in thee, which seemeth to corrupte the good in the thing, which good, though it be defaced by thy ill, yet shineth it so cleare, as it bewraieth the naturall beautie, euen thorough the cloude of thy greatest disgracing. Musick will not harme thee, if thy behauiour be good, and thy conceit honest, it will not miscary thee, if thy eares can carie it, and sorte it as it should be. Appoint thou it well, it will serue thee to good purpose: if either thy manners be naught, or thy iudgement corrupt, it is not Musick alone which thou doest abuse, neither cannest thou auoide that blame, which is in thy person, by casting it on Musick, which thou hast abused and not she thee. And why should those people, which can vse it rightly, forgoe their owne good, or haue it with embasing to pleasure some peuishe, which will not yet be pleased? or seeke to heale sores, which will festure still, and neuer skinne, though ye plaster them daily, to your owne displeasure. But am I not to tedious? This therfore shall suffise now, that children are to be trained vp in the Elementarie schoole, for the helping forward of the abilities of the minde, in these fower things, as commaunded vs by choice and commended by custome. Reading, to receiue that which is bequeathed vs by other, and to serue our memorie with that which is best for vs. Writing to do the like thereby for others, which other haue done for vs, by writing those thinges which we daily vse: but most of al to do most for our selues: Drawing to be a directour to sense, a delite to sight, and an ornament to his obiectes. Musick by the instrument, besides the skill which must still encrease, in forme of exercise to get the vse of our small ioyntes, before they be knitte, to haue them the nimbler, and to put Musicianes in minde, that they be no brawlers, least by some swash of a sword, they chaunce to lease a iointe, an irrecouerable iewell vnaduisedly cast away. Musick by the voice, besides her cunning also, by the waye of Phisick, to sprede the voice instrumentes within the bodie, while they be yet but young. As both the kindes of Musick for much profit, and more pleasure, which is not voide of profit in her continuing kinde. All foure for such vses as be infinite in number, as they know best, which haue most knowledge and the parentes must learne, to lead their children to them: and the children must beleue, to winne their parentes choice, which may be in all, if they themselues liste, if they liste not, in no more then they like, their restraining conceite neither bridling, nor abbridging any other mans entent, which seeketh after more. And though all young ones be not thus farre trained, yet we may perceiue, that all these be vsed, in particular proofes, and not to be refused in generall trade, where all turnes be serued, by setting foor[t]h of all thinges that be generally in vse, though not generally used. Thus much of these thinges at this time, which I do meane by Gods grace to handle in their owne Elementarie, as precisely and yet, as properly, as euer I can.