The Governance of Virtue, Dedication
To the right honorable and moste vertuous young Lady Iane Semer, daughter to the highe and mightie Prince Edward Duke of Somerset his grace, Thomas Becon wisheth increase of godlye knowledge in Christe Iesu our Lord.
THere are no Parents (most godlye Ladye) that deserue better of the Christen publique weale, then they whiche thorow gods gift hauing Children, employ all their endeuours to traine them vp euen from theire verye cradels in good letters & in the knowledge of gods moste blessed wil, that with their young yeres, learning, vertue and godlines, may grow and encrease and the younglinges by this meanes be made at the last auncient and perfect schollers in the mistery of Christes schole. This careful study and studyous care for the vertuous bringing vp of youth, god in time paste earnestlye required of all Fathers and Mothers in the common weale of hys people the Israelites, and according to gods holy commaundement suche as vnfainedlye feared the Lorde their God, and wished wel to their countrey, refused no laboure, no paine, nor cost that their children might be made profitable members of the publique weale. As I may pas ouer the auncient and holye PatriarchesDe. 4. 6. … whiche were before the law of Moyses (of whose diligēce in the vertuous bringing vp of their yonglinges, it is more than double wickednesse to doubt, seing we hauehave this euident testimony of Abraham euen of gods own mouth. Shall I hide frō Abraham saith god, that thinge which I entend toGene▪ 1… do. Seing that Araham shalbe a great and a migh…ye people, and all the nations of the earth shalbe blessed in him? I know this also, that he wil commaund his Children and his housholde after him, that they keepe the way of the Lorde, and do after righte and conscience. What earnest diligence did the moste noble and vertuous King Dauid shew in the godly bringing vp of his Children, speciallye of Salomon, that he might become a Prince worthye both for his godlynes, learning, wisedome and pollicye, to rule in the common weale after him? What godly instructions also gaue he him, when he was at the point of deathe? Beholde (saieth he) I muste walk by the way of all the worlde, neuerthelesse be strong and quite thy sel… manfully, and se thou kepe the appointment of the Lorde thy god, that y• walke in his wayes▪ and kepe his commaundement, ordinaunces, lawes and testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moyses. &c.
Likewise rede we of the auncient Father Toby which taught his young Sonne Toby to f…are god from his infancye, and to abstaine from all sinne. His exhortations are to godly and so meete for all persons to learne, that I think it not conuenient to passe them ouer with silence. His wordes are these.
Herken my Sonne what I wil say, and lay my wordes in thy harte as a foundation. My Sonne when I am dead bury me and after despise not thy Mother, but honoure her all the dayes of her lyfe, and do to please her, and not to displease her. My Sonne remember howe greate perill she suffered bearing thee in her wombe, and when she is deade, bury her in the same graue by me. Sonne reuerēce our Lord God at all times, sinne not, nor break not his commaundements▪ but louelove vertue all the dates of thy life, and walk not in the waies of wickednes For while thou studiest for vertue, thou shalt hauehave good successe in all thinges that thou goest aboute, and so shall all they that louelove goodnes. Do almes of thy substance and be no …igard in doing of it.
Turne not thy face awaye from any poort man, as thou wouldest that God should not turne away his face from thee. Geue as thou shalt be able, if y• hauehave much, geue much, and if thou hauehave little, geue of that little. For thou shalt lay vp for thee a good treasure against the daye of necessitie. For almes deliuereth from death, and suffreth not the soule to come into darknes. Alms is a great comfort before the highest to all that vse it.
My Sonne beware, kepe thee from all whordom and vse no euil company besides thy wife, Suffer pride neuer to ryse in thy minde no not in word for death is ioyned to pride and muche trouble, and to hautines is ioyned displeasure and great pouertye, and she is mother of honger. Let no mans hire remaine with thee, whose seruice thou hast had, but forthewith pay his wages, for vntounto thee also seruing God, reward shalbe geuen.
Sonne be circumfpect and ware in all thy deedes and in all that thou doost, while thou liuest, be wise and do not to any man that thou wouldest not to be done vntounto thee. Drink not wine vntil thou be drōk nor cary it not with thee by the way, geue thy bred to the hungry, and with thy clothes couer the naked. What soeuer thou hast more then is sufficient geue it to the poore, and neuer grudg to be liberall, set thy bread vponupon the Sepulcres of the iuste▪ and bestow it not vponupon the noughty, Aske councel alwayes of the wise, and despise no good councel. Be alwayes praying vntounto the Lord, and beseeche hym that he willorder thy footesteppes and wayes, and prosper thy deuises, for no people are wise, but the Lord him selfe is the geuer of all good thinges, and thrusteth down whome, and who hee listeth. My Sonne be not afrayde, we leade a poore life in this world, notwithstanding if thou feare god, and studye to please him, thou shalt hauehave goodes inoughe. Therefore my sonne remember my preceptes, and put them not out of thy minde. Againe being redye to dye, he called vntounto him his sonne and his sonnes Children, and among all other things he spake vntounto him on this wise: kepe thou the law and cōm…un dements, and shew thy selfe merciful and iust, that thou mayest prosper. HaueHave god euer in thy remembrance, and praise him at all times wt all thy might
In like maner reade we of the Parentes of thatTob. 14 most godly and chast woman Susanna, whiche be ing righteous thē selues, taught their yong daugh ter to feare the Lord her god, euen from her verye cradle, and diligently brought her vp, according to the law of MoysesDan. 18
Luke also in his boke of the Apostles, maketh mē Act. 2….cion of the foure daughters of Phillip the euangelist, whiche did Prophecy (that is to saye) were so godly brought vp in the knowledge of gods moste blessed lawe, that they were able to declare and expounde the holy Scriptures and misteries of GodIoel. 2 according to this prophecy. I wil poure out of my spirit vponupon all flesh, and your sonnes & your daugh ters shall prophecye, Dooth not blessed Paule also commende Timothe because he had knowen the holy scriptures euen of a childe.
Diuers histories mo mighte be alledged out of the holy Scriptures to declare the carefull studies and earnest labours which the holyfathers in time past tooke for the godly and vertuous bringing vp of theyr younglinges, that they mighte be fathers not onelyonly of the bodye but also of the minde and for theyr power satisfy the good will of God which re quireth of all parents, an earnest diligence & a watching ye in bringing vp theyr children in his nou… ture and feare, in his word and doctrine, but these for this present may seme aboundauntlye to suffice. Furthermore as touchinge the heathen, whiche of them all euen from the lowest both amongest the Romaines and the Greekes, with diuers other na tions although hauing respecte not vntounto the glorye of God, wherunto the end of all studies oughte to be directed, but only vntounto the auauncement of thē selues vntounto the maintenaunce of good politique ciuill and honest orders, vntounto the hability of rulinge in a comom weal vntounto the polishing of their wit vn to eloquence, vntounto immortality of their name: Enforced not both them selues to bee learned, but also soughte all meanes possible to hauehave their children brought vp in good letters. That their yonglings might become learned, what paynes or costes refu sed the parentes? They sente theyr children from country to country, from one learned man to an other. Many of them called learned men home vntounto theyr houses, gaue them honorable intertainmente great giftes and large stipendes for teaching theyr children. There was no burthen to heauy, no laboure to paineful, no cost to charge able for them so that theyr children might proue learned. If they obtayned that, they thoughte themselues worthye and righteous parents, and to deserue well both of theyr children and of the publike weale. And as eueryevery one of them excelled in worthines and auctority, so laboured they that both themselues & their children should excell and passe the baser sort in lear ninge, iin knowledge, in vertue & honest behauiour in so much that if any wer vnlearned, and wanted the godlye qualities of the minde, albeit he wer of an honourable parentage, he was counted of no re putation, & called a stone, a blocke, a beast, a golden slaue, a sheepe with a golden Flcese, an horse trapped with siluer, an asse couered with purple with suche other despytefull names, so little regarded (euen amonge the Heathen) was noble bloude, worldly substaunce, sumptuous apparell, gorgious buildyng, delicate fare, and what soeuer besydes the foly she worlde wondereth at, and moste highlye extolleth, if learning and vertue were absent. By this meanes, came it to passe that Philip king of the Macedonians, and his sonne Alexander, Iulius Cesar, Darius, Antonius Philosophus the Emperour, Hieron, Attalus, Magones, I…, Dion Siracusanus, Thebanus Epaminondas, Pompeius, Augustus, Traianus, Antonius Pius, Claudins▪ Tiberius, Titus Uespasianus, Domicianus, Aelius, Adrianus: Galerius, Maximus▪ the sonues of Tiberius Gracchus, with other innumerable, became both learned, and the vnfayned fauourers of learning, yea and the diligent promoters of learned men. Many of them which were right excellent Emperours and noble kinges thought themselues more noble and more worthy of renowne for their learning and vertue then for their imperiall dignitie and princelike authoritie. When king Alphonsus heard a certayne man say, that learning was not semely for a prince, or for a noble mā, he cryed out and sayd, vox bouis non hominis. Thys is the voyce of an oxe and not of a man: When a certaine man demaunded of Isocrates whether he thought the kyng of the Persians happie and blessed or not, he answered, I know not howe much learning and vertue he hath, meaning that the true felicitie, happines, and wealth consisteth not in the flitting and vncertain goods of fortune, but in the constant & immortall treasures of the minde. The bringing vp of youth in learning and honest qualities, was so much regarded among the Lacedemonians, that they made a law, who soeuer dyd not studie for the honest & vertuous trayning vp of their children in good letters and other necessarie artes profitable for a common wealth: the same should be depriued of all such priuiledges and liberties, as were due to true and faithfull Citizens. Our auncetors both amonge the people of God, and among the heathen, did consider, that the health, prosperitie, & safegard of the cōmon weale, …th principally consiste in the godly and vertuous bringing vp of youth. If they be learnedly & fruitfully brought vp, then shall they afterward proue, … …ble Magistrates, some wyse and faythfull counsellours, some godly spirituall ministers, some learned scholemaisters, some diligent labourers, some cunning artificers, some, yea and ail obedient subiectes to the high powers, and profitable members of the common weale. Contrariwyse, if they be brought vp in barbarous rudenes and wt out any ciuilitie or knowledge of good letters & such other necessarie artes: it must nedes come to passe yt they shal be rather pestilēces thē preseruers of y• cōmon weale. Therfore dyd our elders aboue all thinges shewe earnest diligence about y• godly trayning vp of their youth, in honest & vertuous exercises, euer setting before their eyes, that learnyng to a noble man, is a ioyful iewel, to the baser sort, a sure defence and a mightye bulwarke, against the stoute stormes of froward fortune, & to a common weale a precious preseruatiue. In like maner my Lords grace your father a prince of noble renoune in whō …s in a true mirror liuelye shyneth ye beautifull bea mes of right nobility, considering that the office of a worthye Parent appeareth in nothing so manyfestly as in the Godlye bringing vp of youthe in heauenlye mysteryes, that is to say, in the knowledge of good letters and in the studye of Godes moste blessed woorde, hath with my Ladyes grace your mother a Ladye of a notable godlynesse, and of singulere pity toward y• poore mēbers of Christ euen from your cradels studyed to trayne & bring vp both my Lordes your brothers, and my Ladies your Sisters and you likewise his graces children in good literature, and in the knowledge of Gods most holye lawes, that ye maye learne from your infancye to feare the Lord your God, and to walk in his godly ordinaunces, and so be come truely noble, not onelyonly for birthes sake, but also for learning and vertue, and for the Godly qualities of the mynde. In the whiche Godly exercises ye hauehave so profited euen in these your tender yeares, that ye …aue not only answered but also ouercome the expectation of many. If ye goe forth accordyng to your beginnings, I doubt not, but that ye shall get to my Lordes grace, and to my Ladies grace your most honourable Parents, much renoune, and to your selfe noble fame and glorious immortalitye. And albeit your good Ladiships brest is so furnished withal godly doctrine, that ye nede not my simple and homely exhortations to moue you vntounto godlynes and vertue, whereunto of your owne disposition ye are moste willinly bente and enclined, yet to declare some parte of my good wil toward your Ladishippe I thought it not good to let go the occasion offred vntounto me. Certayn wekes past considering the miserable face of this to much wretched and lamentable worlde, and weighinge with my selfe that the next and most ready way to redresse our miseries, is to flye vntounto God wyth continual & harty prayer. I made a boke intituled: The Floure of Godly prayers, dedicated to my ladies grace your mother, wherin ar contained pray yers not only for al degrees and states of men, but also for all other thinges necessarye to be asked of God, eyther for the bodye or for the soule, which prayers I woulde with daylye as occasion shall serue, to bee vsed of the faythfull. Immedyatly after the setting forth of these prayers, certayn of my frends came vntounto me, and earnestly requyred of me to peruse and correcte the Gouernaunce of Vertue, which aboute viij. yeares paste, euen in the bloudye wysterous burning time, when the reading of the holye Bible, the worde of oure soules health, was forbidden the poore lay people, I gathered out of the holy scriptures, and caused to bee printed for the edifiyng of the simple and vnlearned Christians. Yet suppressinge my name which at that time was odious to those ou…s that could not abide the glorious lighte of gods blessed word, that the boke might hauehave the better successe, and be the more free frō Antichristes thonderbolt… I knowinge my self debter to all good men and to all their godly requestes, perused the boke, wherin I found so many fautes thorowe the negligence o the hongry printers, that very pitie without anye request of frendes, might hauehave bene thought sufficient to hauehave geuen me occasion to correct the boke which hitherto hath bene so greatly desired and gre dely red almoste of all men, yea and that not wt out great profite, as the often printing of the boke doth rightwell declare. I hauehave diligentlye perused the boke corrected the faultes chaunged diuers things and added many necessari instructions with diuers godly prayers for the edifiyng of the readers. This little boke recognised and augmented (moste vertuous Lady) I geue vntounto your Ladyship as a testimony of my good will towarde you desiring you to take this my poore gifte in good part. And I shall moste humbly beseeche the Lorde our God to preserue my Lords grace and my Ladyes grace your honourable parentes in good health longe life and encrease of honoure, and to geue my Lordes, youre Brothers and my Ladies youre Sisters, and you also grace to go forth in your godly enterprises and Christen studies, that ye may tru ly know the Lord your God & the saluation whiche ye hauehave by his sōne Iesus our alone Sauiour, who euer preserue your good Ladyship in cōtinuall helth and prosperous felicitie.
Amen.