EXAMPLES ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE PROGRESS OF ENGLISH STYLE. SIR THOMAS ELYOT. (Died 1546.) A GENTYLMAN, er he take a cooke in his seruice, wyll fyrst examyne hym diligently, how many sortes of meates, pottages, and sauces he can perfectly make, and howe well he can seson them, that they may be both plesant and nourishynge ; yea, and yf it be but a fauconer, he wyll scrupulously enquire what skyll he hath in feedyng, called diete, and kepyng of his hauke from all sicknes, also how he can reclayme her, & prepare her to flight : and to suche a cooke or faulconer whome he fyndeth expert , he spareth not to geue muche wages, with other bounteous rewards. But of a scholemaister to whom he will commytt his chylde to be fed with learnynge and instructed in vertue, whose lyfe shalbe the principall monument of his name and honour, he neuer maketh further inquirie, but wher he may haue a schoole mayster, and wyth howe littell charge. And yf one per chance be founden well learned, whiche wyll not take а а paynes to teache wythout great salarye, he than speaketh nothyng more, orels sayeth, What, shall so muche wages be gyuen to a schoolemayster, which would kepe me two seruantes ? To whome may be sayd these wordes, that by his sonne beyng well learned, he shal receyue more commoditie, and also worshyp, then by the seruice of a hundred cookes and fauconers. The thyrde cause of thys hyndrance is neglygence of parentes, whyche I note specially in this point. There haue ben diuers, as wel mean gentylmen asof the nobilitie, whichedelityng to haue theyrsonnes excellente inlernyng, haue prouyded for them cunning maysters, whoe substantially haue taughte them grammer, & very well instructed them to speak Latin elegantly; wherof the parentes haue taken muche delectation, but when they haue had of grammer sufficient, and be comen to the age of xiiii yeares, and do approche or drawe 'towarde the astate of man, whych age is called mature or rype (wherein not onely the sayde learnynge, continued by muche experience, shall be perfectly digested and confirmed in perpetuall remembraunce, but alsoo more serious learnynge conteyned in other liberall sciences, and also philosophy would then be lerned) the parents this thing nothyng regardyng, but beyng sufficed that theyr children can onely speake Latin proprelye, or make verses withoute matter or sentence, they from thensforth do suffer them to lyue in idelnes, orels putting them to seruice doo as it were banyshe them from all vertuous study, and from exercyse of that which they before learned. So that we may behold dyuers yong gentylmen, whiche in theyr infancie and chylhoode were wondred at for theyr aptnes to learnyng, and prompte speakyng of elegant Latine, now beynge menne, haue not onely forgotten the congruitie (as the commune word is) and vneth can speake one hole sentence in true Latin, but, that wars is, haue all lernyng in derision, and, in scorne therof, wyll of wantonnes speake the moste barbarously that they can imagine. (The Boke named the Gouernour, f. 39. a. edit. Lond. 1565, 8vo.) SIR JOHN CHEKE (Born 1514. died 1557.) What say ye to the number of vagabonds and loytring beggers, which, after the ouerthrow of your campe and scattering of this sedicious number, will swarme in euerye corner of the realme, and not onely lye loytering vnder hedges, but also stande sturdely in cities, and begge boldly at euery dore, leauing labour which they like not, and folowing idlenesse which they should not. For euery man is easily and naturally brought from labour to ease, from the better to the worse, from diligence to slouthfulnesse ; and after warres it is commonly seene that a great number of those which went out honest, returne home againe like roisters, and as though they were burnt to the warres bottome, they haue all their lyfe after an vnsauery smack thereof, and smell still toward daysleepers, pursepickers, highwayrobbers, quarrelmakers, ye and bloudsheders to. Doe we not see commonly in the ende of warres more robbing, more begging, more murdering then before, and those to stande in the high way to aske their almes, whom ye be afraide to say nay vnto honestly, least they take it away from you violently, and haue more cause to suspect their strength than pittie their neede ? Is it not then daily heard, how men be not onely pursued, but vtterly spoyled, and fewe may ryde safe by the kings way, except they ryde strong, not so much for feare of their goodes, which men esteeme lesse, but also for daunger of their lyfe, which euery man loueth ? Worke is vndone at home, and loyterers linger in stretes, lurck in alehouses, raunge in highwayes, valyaunt beggers playe in townes, and yet complaine of neede, whose staffe if it be once hote in their hande, or sluggishnesse bred in their bosome, they wyll neuer be allured to labour againe, contenting themselues better with ydle beggary then with honest and profitable labour. And what more noysome beasts be in a common welth? Drones in hiues suck out the honie, a small matter, but yet to be looked on by good husbandes. Caterpillers destroy the fruite, an hurtefull thing, and well shyfted for by a diligent ouerseer. Diuers vermine destroye corne, kill polleine; engines and snares be made for them. But what is a loyteror? A sucker of honie, a spoyler of corne, a destroyer of fruite, naye a waster of money, a spoyler of vittayle, a sucker of bloud, a breaker of orders, a seeker of breakes, a queller of life, a basiliske of the common welth, which by company and sight doth poyson the whole countrie, and stayneth honest mindes with the infection of his venime, and so draweth the common welth to death and destruction. (The Hurt of Sedition, how grieuous it is to a Common welth, sig. H. ij. edit. Lond. 1569, 8vo.) |