Certain Precepts of the Instruction of Youth, Aphorisms 2
The Aphoriſmes of the ſeconde preceptes.
After that the minde / whyche muſt be appointed vntounto ſubſtanciall vertue / ſhalbe rightly inſtructed by faith / the next thī ge is / that he decke ande furniſh him ſelfe all wholy within purely. For if with hym ſelfe all thinges be in a right ordre / than ſhall he very ſone gyue good counſell vntounto other.
And he can not more lightly ſett his mī de in due order / than if he hauehave in hand / ād labour both night ande daye in the worde of God. The whiche thinge he ſhall do very well / if he vnderſtande the hebrue and greke toūgues rightly / becauſe without the one of them / the olde Teſtament / and without the other / the newe can not without difficulte purely be knowen.
And for as moch as we hauehave taken vppō vsus to teache thoſe / that hauehave nowe paſſed ouer the trauaile of their firſt rudimē tes. And the Latin tongue being had in vſe amongeſt all men / yet do we not think it mete vtterly to leaue it. For albeit that it do conduce leſſe vntounto the vnderſtanding of holy ſcriptures / then eyther the Greke or Hebrue tongue / yet for the reſt vſe of our life it proficeth very mothe… and ſometimes it cometh to paſſe / that we hauehave to do in the buſynes of Chriſt amō geſt thoſe that are onelyonly latyn men. But to abuſe the tongues for againe / that truly ought to be farre of frō a Chriſten mā. For truly the tongues are the gifte of the ſpyryte of God.
The next vntounto this / vntounto whome we ſhall giuegive our diligence / ſhalbe the Greke tongue / becauſe of the newe Teſtaments as it is ſaide (for ſpeaking the thinge / that I thinke offending no man wyllingly) The doctryne of Chriſte euen from the beginning (not as the thinge required) ſo rightly to hauehave bene handled of the latin men / as of the grekes. Wherfore this our dearling muſt be ſent vntounto the fyrſt fountaynes.
Albeit this in them both is to be obſerued / that the ſame hauehave his harte ſtrongly walled aboute with faith ande innocency. For there are many thinges that wolde be learned not withoute daunger / wa…t… nes / the deſyre of Empire ād to liue in cō tention of battaill / intertaine frowardnes / vaine Philoſophy ād ſuche like thinges. All the which thinges / a minde being moniſſhed of them before / may paſſe ouer not touchīg them / like vntounto Vliſſes. Whē at the fyrſt voice or hearing of thē / he hath thus moniſſhed him ſelfe / Theſe thinges thou heareſt to beware and not to be entā gled with them / or to take them. We giuegive the laſt place to the hebrue tongue for this cauſe ſpecially / becauſe as we hauehave ſaid a litle before / the latin tongue is growen in knowledge amongeſt all men. And the Greke tōgue ſhall mooſt cōueniently followe the ſame or elles wolde we of iuſt right hauehave geuen the firſt place vntounto the hebrue tongue / becauſe without the phraſe of that tongue / yea in the greke tongue he ſhall ſweate who ſoeuer will vnderſtād or ſearche out the right ſence of the ſcripture. But to ſpeake of the vtilité of the tongues to the full / it aparteyneth not to this purpoſe.
Who ſoeuer commeth with an humble and thurſty minde / with theſe armours / he maye breake into this heauenly wiſdome vntounto whome no wiſdome of mā maye be compared / nor yet of right matched.
VntoUnto the which / when he hath broken in / he ſhall finde all kindes of formes to liue well / that is to witte Chriſt him ſelfe the mooſt abſolute exemple of all vertue / whome / when by worde and dede he ſhall aſſuredly or plainly knowe / he ſhal ſo embrace / that in eueryevery acte or counſell / he ſhal endeuour to expreſſe ſome parte of his vertues / as moch as by right the tenuyté or weakenes of man wyll ſuffre to be done.
He ſhal learne of him as the oportunité of time ſhall require both to ſpeake and to holde his peace. It ſhalbe a ſhame for him to tymely to ſpeake of thoſe thinges whyche require none but ſoche as are come to a parfectripenes / becauſe he may ſee Chriſte to hauehave layde vp this ſcātly at the lēgth in the thurtieth yere of his age. Albeit that he did giuegive ſome experiment of him ſelfe vntounto the doctours of the lawe alſo when he was twelue yeares olde. By the whych exēple we are not ſo moch taught to come forth in tyme / as we are to endeuoure euen from our tender age thynges that are great / but worthy vntounto God.
For like as the greateſt ornament or commendacion vntounto a woman through oute all her life is ſcylence. So nothing doth make a yongman more cōmendable thā the ſtudy of ſcilēce for a c…r…eine time / vntyll the mynde and the tonge as well a parte / as amongeſt them ſelues can agre well. And we require not here the Pythagoricall ſcylence / but we do onelyonly ſuppreſſe the deſyre to ſpeake. Ande except the yongman ſhall ſpeake tymely / we do forbyd him to ſpeake at all.
Whyles he ſtudieth the preceptes of eloquence / beyng vnderunder hys maſters / he ſhall not deforme or bring it oute of faſſhyon / becauſe he wyll followe theyr exemple if it hauehave any faute. Ande let no man thinke this precept to be of a lyght force. For it is to be learned by the olde auncient hiſtories / that certayne Auditours or learners hauehave not onelyonly followed by imitations the vices or fautes of theyr teachers tongue / but alſo of theyr bodyes.
The fautes of the tōgue / maye be ſone knowe vntounto eueryevery body. For truly the forme of an Oratiō beſydes the worckmanſhip or ha…oe…ing of it / is corrupted / if the ſame be ſpoken to faſt or to ſlowly. If the accēt or pronoūcing of it / be to baſe or faire / or to vehement / as if in eueryevery cauſe / and in eueryevery kinde of thinge there be but one forme of countenannce / ande one maner of geſture / or faming as mē do call it / that is done with inſolencie.
It is obſerued / that Elephātes / whē they are alone / are carefull ande ſtudious to call to minde thoſe thinges / for the whiche they hauehave bene beaten. So a yongmā ſhall often ſtudy with him ſelfe / howe to compoſe his tonge or countenaūce / howe to vſe his handes / like vntounto one that may where nede ſhall require / with cōuenient ſhame faſtnes be as a loadeſman / ſhewīg thinges vntounto other / ande to procede ande not to rowe backe againe. And all theſe thinges he ſhal ſo moderate / that they maye ſerue the truth / and not to ſerue in flatterie vntounto other. For the cōdicions or maners of ſome that are like vntounto the condicions of an harlot howe can they be indured or ſuffred of a Chriſtiā harte? Wherfore by this exerciſe that we do here require / we do intēd none other thing / thā that eueryevery man maye learne with him ſelfe / to rule the exteriour vices / the which are the mooſt certeine tokens of a corrupte minde. Wherfore it is fyrſt neceſſarie that the minde of it ſelfe be parfect / the which / if it ſo be / ſhall ſone moderate the raging tempeſt of the exteriour membres / that we do not frowne to moche / or alter our mouth or contenaunce / or ſhake our heade / or caſt abroade our handes / but that we tempre all theſe thinges / with a certeine modeſté / not affected / but plaine and ful of ſymplycité. Theſe thinges are of the Oration or ſpeakyng / and of ſcilence.
He ſhall flye the ſaturité or fulnes of wine / as moch as he wolde homlocke. Forlike as it doth driue this tender bodie or yonge Carcas (the which of his owne nature is prone vntounto vehemency) vntounto madnes / euē ſo doth it (without doubte) corrupt our olde age / that as yet tarieth for vsus / euen in the firſt ſpringing of vsus. Wherby it commeth to paſſe / that when by chaunce we come vntounto it / we finde infirmité and ſicknes / and no reſt. For it cā no otherwiſe be / but thoſe that hauehave to buſily vſed to waſſhe them ſelues with wine / but that they muſt fall into ſome greuous and daungerous ſickenes / as the fallinge ſickenes / a palſie / a dropſie / the leprie / ande ſoch other. Wherfore couet not to ſone to be an olde man / if thou wilt be an olde mā longe.
Let the reſt of his diet be ſoch thinges as may be ſone gottē. For what doth it cō duce to a yong mā (whoſe ſtomake by nature is prōpte ād redy to parfect diſgeſtiō) to deſire to fede vppō partrig…s thruſſhes deintie byrdes / Capōs / of Roobuckes ād ſoch other deintie diſſhes? Let him laie vp thoſe in ſtore / tyll age come vppon hym / when his tethe ſhalbe dull or blunte / ande the palate of his mouth tendre or worne / and his throte / with longe continuaunce of time / growen to a certeine hardnes / ande his Stomake not beinge q…ycke or able to digeſte / ande his bodye half dead. For what hope ſhalbe to nouriſh the olde age yf the wanton youth / by intemperate dyet / hath made ſoch thynges lothſome / whiche the olde age ſhuld mooſt deſyre?
Hunger in the meane tyme / is onelyonly to be conuinced or ouercome / ande not to be put awaye. For men ſaye that Galen lyued hundreth and twenty yeres / becauſe he neuer departed full from the table. And I do not here require / that thou ſhuldeſt puniſh thy ſelf with famyn / but that thou ſhuldeſt not ſerue the inſatiable voracité or rauening / more than the vſe of the lyfe doth requyre. For I am not ſo ignoraunt but that I knowe / that a man maye offend in both partes. If that in rauenyng we make our ſelues lyke vntounto wolues / or by famine / make our ſelues vnproffytable or not able to do any good.
I ſuppoſe nothing to be more folyſh / than to covet to be taken as a gentelman / becauſe of ryche and gaye apparell. For by that meanes / the Byſſhoppes Mules maye chalēge nobilitié / ād be moch bruted. For they / for as moch as they be ſtronges are able to cary more gold and ſyluer / and more pretious ſtones / than euer any Milo coulde. And who can not be aſhamed of his proude apparell / that heareth the ſōne of God / borne of a vyrgyne / to ligh crying in an oxe ſtalle? being wrapped aboute onelyonly with ſo many bandes / as the virgin / not being prepared to her deliuerie / bare wyth her?
Thoſe that daily do fynde oute ſtraunge ande newe ſhapes of garmentes / do declare / a mooſt certaine token of an inconſtaunt (or if that be to moche) of an effeminate or tender minde. Thoſe are not of Chriſte / for they ſuffer the poore in the meane whyle to periſh wyth colde ande hunger. Wherfore a man muſt as moche abſtaine from the ſuperfluité of garmentes or apparell / as of any other kynde of evell.
While the yongman beginneth to be in louelove / he muſt exhibit ſome beginninge of exerciſe of his minde. And while other do trie their armes / where a tumulte is / with ſtrength and armours / this our dearling ſhall cōuert all his ſtrēgth to this purpoſe / that he maye defend him ſelfe from the madnes of louelove. And when he ſhall parceaue vtterly that he muſt louelove in dede / to beware that he doate not / ād to choſe ſoche a one to his louelove / whoſe cōdicions he truſteth to be able to endure in perpetuall matrymonie / and ſo vndefyledly or chaſtly to kepe their congreſſe or meting to gether / vntill the time of Mariage / that beſydes her / amongeſt all the numbre or multitude of women ād virgines he knowe none.
For what purpoſe or nede / doth it ſerue in this caſe to forbidde the deſire of money and glory / when euen amōgeſt the Gentiles / this kynde of miſchefe / is euell ſpokē of? And this our dearling ought not to be taken hereafter as a Chriſtian / yf he ſhall become ſeruaunt vntounto that / the whiche hath troden vnderunder foote / not one or two / but hath ſubuerted the mooſt floryſſhyng kyngdomes / hath deſtroyed the myghtye ſtronge Cities / and what ſoeuer publyke weale it hath inuaded / it hath vtterly vndone the ſame. This when it hath in poſſeſſyon the pryncypall towre of mannes mynde or ſoule / it permytteth nothyng to be well done / ande is the mooſt hurtefull plage of all the woorlde / but / alas / it is of a great power / which we ſhall kyll or deſtroye by Chryſt alone / if we ſhalbe the dylygent or buſy followers of hī. For what other thynge dyd he here elles / than to remedy thys evell?
We thynke the Mathematicall diſcyplines / vntounto the which alſo / men do numbre Muſike / not lyghtly to be touched / albeit not dwellyng longe in them. For lyke as they beyng knowē are very moche frutefull or neceſſarye / ande beyng not regarded / are no ſmall impediment / euen ſo if a man ſhall ſpend all his time in them / evē to his old age / he ſhall hauehave none other frute by it / then thoſe hauehave / whiche / becauſe they wyll not be ydle / walkinge vp ande downe / chaunge nowe ande than theyr place.
The exercyſe of contencyon or of armours / we do not ſo moche condempne / as wyllyng notwithſtanding to pronoū ce otherwiſe in this matter / yf we did not ſee certeyne great ryche men conſtauntly to abhorre from that labour / which doth helpe the commone lyfe. Yet ſhall it be the parte of a chriſtian man vtterly to abſtayne from weapons as moche as maye be laufull by the ſtate and tranquillyté of the publike weale. For GOD / who brought home Dauid as a conqurour / being rude in the handelinge of weapons / goying forthwith his ſlinge agaynſt Coliath / and preſerued the Iſraelites / bryng vnarmed from their preſent ennemy / will preſerue vsus alſo vndoubtedlye / ande if it ſhall otherwyſe pleaſe him. He ſhall harnas ande make ſtronge oure handes / He trulie doth teach our handes vntounto the conflict or fight. But if it be Vtterly determined / to put in experience / this exerciſe of weapons / let this onelyonly be the chefe intent of it / that we will defend our natiue contrey ande thoſe whome GOD commaundeth to be defended.
I wolde therfore every man (ande chefely / not withſtandinge thoſe that are to be appointed vntounto the office of the worde of GOD) to thīke no otherwiſe than that howe they may attayne vntounto the only Citie / ad in that alone / of the olde …aſſylyans the whiche dyd accompte no…e to be in the nombre of theyr Cytezens, that knewe no crafte howe to gett his liuyng. For by that meanes / it ſhuld come to paſſe that ydlenes (the cauſe or mainteyner of al diſſolute behaueour) or wātōnes / ſhuld be banniſhed / and our bodies ſhuld moch longer be preſerued in health ſhuld lyve longer and br of greater ſtrength.