His Oratour Isocrates, was an Athenian borne,
Lusimachus[.] who florished in the time of Lusimachus the chief
gouernor of Athens: this Isocrates was brought
vp in all excellēcie of learning, with the moste fa-
Prodicus.
Gorgias Le-
ontinus. mous and excellent Oratour Prodicus, Gorgias Leontinus
indued him with all singularitie of learnyng and eloquence.
The eloquēce of Isocrates was so famous, that Aristotle the
Demosthe-
nes learned
eloquence of
Isocrates. chief [Pholosopher], enuied his vertue & praise therin: Demo-
sthenes also, who emong the Grecians chieflie excelled, lear-
ned his eloquence, of the Oracions whiche Isocrates wrote,
to many mightie and puisaunt princes and kinges, do shewe
his wisedome, & copious eloquēce, as to Demonicus the king
to Nicocles, Euagoras, against Philip the king of the Mace-
doniās, by his wisedome and counsaill, the Senate and vni-
uersal state of Athens was ruled, & the commons and multi-
tude thereby in euery part florished: chieflie what counsaill,
what wisedome, what learnyng might bee required, in any
man of high fame and excellencie: that fame was aboundant[-]
ly in Isocrates, as in all his Oratiōs he is to be praised, so in
this sentence, his fame importeth like commendacion.
¶ The exposicion.
N that he saieth, the roote of learnyng is bitter, and
the fruictes pleasaunt: he signifieth no excellent qua-
All excellen-
cie with labor
is attained. litie or gift, vertue, arte or science can bee attained,
except paine, labour, diligence, doe plant and sette thesame:
but when that noble gift, either learnyng, or any excellente
qualitee, is lodged and reposed in vs, then we gather by pain-
full labours, greate profite, comforte, delectable pleasures,
wealth, glorie, riches, whiche be the fruictes of it.
¶ The cause.
ND seyng that of our owne nature, all men are en-
clined from their tender yeres and infancie, to the ex-
tirpacion of vertue, folowyng with all earnest studie
and gréedie, the free passage to vice, and specially children,
whose iudgementes and reason, are not of that strengthe, to
rule their weake mindes and bodies, therefore, in them chief-
lie, the roote of learning is bitter, because not onely many ye-
res thei runne their race, in studie of arte and science. With
care and paine also, with greuous chastisment and correcciō,
thei are compelled by their teachers and Maisters, to appre-
hende thesame: the parentes no lesse dreaded, in the educaciō
of their children, in chastisement and correction, so that by all
The roote of
learnyng bit-
ter. meanes, the foundacion and roote of all learnyng, in what
sort so euer it is, is at the firste vnpleasaunte, sower, and vn-
sauerie. To folowe the times and seasons, appoincted for the
same, is moste painfull, and in these painfull yeres: other
greate pleasures, as the frailtie of youth, and the imbecilitie
of nature iudgeth, dooeth passe by, but in miserable state is
Who is a vn-
fortunate
childe. that childe, and vnfortunate, that passeth the flower of his
youth and tender yeres, instructed with no arte or Science,
whiche in tyme to come, shalbe the onelie staie, helpe, the pil-
ler to beare of the sore brent, necessitie, and calamities of life.
Good educa-
cion the foun-
dacion of the
Romaine
Empire. Herein the noble Romaines, laied the sure foundacion of
their mightie dominion, in the descrite prouidente, and poli-
tike educacion of children: to whom the Grecians gaue, that
necessarie bulwarke and [faundacion], to set vp all vertue, all
arte and science. In Grece no man was knowen, to liue in
that common wealth, but that his arte and science, gaue ma-
nifest probacion and testimonie, how and after what sorte he
liued. The Romaines in like sorte, the sworde and aucthori-
tie of the Magistrate, executyng thesame, did put forthe, and
draw to the attainment of learnyng, art or science, all youth
hauyng maturitie and ripenesse to it, and why, because that
in a common wealth, where the parentes are vndescrete and
foolishe, as in all common wealthes, there are not a fewe,
but many, thei not ponderyng the state of the tyme to come,
bringing vp their children without all ciuilitie, vnframed to
vertue, ignoraunt of all arte and science: the children of their
owne nature, vnbrideled, vntaught, wilfull, and heddie, doe
run with free passage to all wickednes, thei fall into al kinde
of follie, oppressed with all kinde of calamitie, miserie, and
Euill educa-
cion bringeth
to ruine migh[-]
tie kingdoms[.] vnfortunate chaunces, whiche happen in this life. Nothyng
doeth soner pulle doune a kyngdome, or common wealthe,
then the euill and leude educacion of youth, to whom neither
substaunce, wealth, riches, nor possessions doe descende, from
their auncestours and parentes, who also of them selues wāt
all art, science and meanes, to maintain them to liue, who of
them selues are not able to get relief, for onely by this mea-
nes, life is maintained, wealth and riches ar possessed to ma-
ny greate siegniories, landes, and ample possessions, left by
their parentes, and line of auncetours, haue by lacke of ver-
tuous educacion, been brought to naught, thei fell into ex-
treme miserie, pouertie, and wantyng learnyng, or wealth,
to maintaine their state and delicate life, thei haue robbed,
spoiled, murthered, to liue at their owne will. But then as
rotten, dedde, and putride members frō the common wealth
thei are cutte of by the sworde, and aucthoritie of the Magi-
strate. What kyngdome was more mightie and strong, then
Lydia. the kyngdome of Lidia, whiche by no other meanes was
brought to ruine and destruccion, but by idlenes: in that thei
were kepte from all vertuous exercise, from the studie of ar-
tes and sciences, so longe as thei meditated and liued in the
schoole of vertuous life: no nacion was hable to ouerthrowe
them, of them selues thei were prone and readie, to practise all
Cyrus. excellencie. But Cyrus the kyng of Persians, by no other
meanes was able to bring them weaker. He toke from thē al
furtherance to artes, destroied all occupaciōs of vertue wher-
vpon by commaundemēt [aud] terrour, wer driuen to practise
The decay of
a kyngdome. the vaine and pestiferous practise, of Cardes and Dice. Har-
lottes then schooled them, and all vnhoneste pastyme nurte-
red them, Tauernes an quaffyng houses, was their accusto-
med and moste frequented vse of occupacion: by this meanes
their nobilitie and strengthe was decaied, and kyngdome
made thrall. Ill educacion or idlenes, is no small vice or euill
when so mightie a prince, hauyng so large dominions, whō
all the Easte serued and obaied. Whose regimente and go-
uernemente was so infinite, that as Zenophon saieth, tyme
The mightie
dominions of
Cyrus. would rather want, then matter to speake of his mightie and
large gouernement, how many nacions, how diuerse people
and valiaunte nacions were in subieccion to hym. If this
mightie Prince, with all his power and populous nacions,
was not hable to giue the ouerthrowe, to the kyngdome of
Euill educa-
cion. Lidia, but by ill educacion, not by marciall attēptes, sworde
or battaill: but by giuyng them scope and libertie, to dooe as
he would. No doubt but that Cyrus sawe, by the like exam-
ple of other kyngdomes, this onelie pollicie to bee a ruine
Pithagoras. of that kyngdome. Pythagoras the famous and godlie Phi-
losopher, saued the kyngdome and people of Crotona, thei
leauyng all studie of arte, vertue and science. This people of
[Catona]. Crotona, was ouercome of the people of Locrus, thei left all
exercise of vertue, neclectyng the feates of chiualrie, whervpō
Pythagoras hauyng the profitable and godlie lawes of Ly-
curgus, which he brought from Lacedemonia: and the lawes
of Minos kyng of Creta, came to the people of Crotona, and
by his godlie teachyng and Philosophie, reuoked & brought
backe the people, giuen ouer to the neglectyng of all vertue,
declaryng to them the nobilitie and excellencie thereof, he li-
uely set foorthe the beastlinesse of vice. Pithagoras recited to
them, the fall and ruine of many regions, and mightie king-
domes, whiche tooke after those vices. Idlenes beyng forsa-
ken, vertue embrased, and good occupacions practised, the
kyngdome and people grewe mightie.
Lycurgus. Emong the godlie lawes of Lycurgus, Lycurgus omit-
ted not to ordaine Lawes, for the educacion of youthe: in the
whiche he cutte of all pamperyng of them, because in tender
yeres, in whose bodies pleasure harboreth, their vertue, sci-
ence, cunnyng rooteth not: labour, diligence, and industrie
Uertue.
Uice. onelie rooteth vertue, and excellencie. Uices as vnprofitable
weedes, without labour, diligence and industrie growe vp,
and thereby infecteth the minde and bodie, poisoneth all the
mocions, incensed to vertue and singularitie. Who euer at-
tained cunnyng, in any excellent arte or science, where idle-
nes or pleasure helde the swaie. Philosophie sheweth, plea-
Pleasure.
Idlenes.
Ignoraunce. sure to bée vnmete for any man of singularitie, for pleasure,
idlenes, and ignoraunce, are so linked together, that the pos-
session of the one, induceth the other. So many godlie monu-
mētes of learning, had not remained to this posteritie of ours
and of all ages: if famous men in those ages and tymes, had
hūted after immoderate pleasure. Thindustrie of soche, who
left to the posteritie of all ages, the knowlege of Astronomie
is knowen: the monumentes of all learnyng of lawes, and
of all other woorkes of antiquitie, by vertue, noble, by indu-
strie, labour, and moderacion of life in studie, not by plea-
sure and wantones, was [celebraied] to all ages. The migh-
tie volumes of Philosophers, bothe in morall preceptes, and
in naturall causes, knewe not the delicate and dissolute life
of these our daies. Palingenius enueighyng against the pā-
pered, and lasciuious life of man, vttereth a singulare sentēce
Qui facere et qui nosce, cupit quam plurima et altum,
In terris virtute aliqua sibi querere nomen:
Hunc vigilare opus est, nam non preclara geruntur,
Stertendo, et molles detrectat gloria plumas.