neyther is he a manne, nor the sonne of a man. ¶ Were it not an abhominable sight that the mynde of a man shulde be in a beastes body? As we haue read that Circes when she had enchaũted men wyth her wytchcraft, dyd turne them into Lions, beares and swyne, so that yet ther shuld be stil in them the mynde of a man, which thyng Apuleus wrote to haue happened to hym selfe, and Austin also hathe beleued that men haue bene turned into wolues. Who could abyde to be called the father of such a monster. But it is a more merueylous monster that a beastes mynde shulde be in a mans bodye, and yet do very many please them selues in suche chyldren, and bothe the fathers seme, and the common people thynke suche to be verye wise. ¶ It is sayde that beares caste oute a lumpe of fleshe wythout anye fashion, whych wyth longe lyckyng they forme and brynge into a fashyon, but there is no beares yonge one so euyll fauored as a manne is, borne of a rude mynde. ¶ Except wyth much studye y^u forme and fashion this, thou shalt be a father of a monster and not of a man. If thy sonne be borne wyth a copped head or crockeshuldred, or splay footed, or wyth syxe fingers in one hande, howe lothe woldest thou be for it, how arte thou ashamed to be called the father not of a man, but of a monster: and art thou not ashamed of so monstrous a mynde? ¶ Howe discoraged be the fathers in theyr hertes if their wyfe brynge forthe a naturall, & an infante of a brute mynde? For they thynke they haue begottẽ not a man, but a monster, and excepte feare of the lawe dyd let them, they wolde kyll that that is borne. Thou blameste nature whych hath denied the minde of a man to thy chylde, & thou causest by thyne own negligence, that thy sonne shulde be wythoute the mynde of a man. But thou wylte saye: Better it is to be of a brutishe rather thẽ of an vngracious mind. Naye better it is to be a swyne, thẽ an vnlearned and euyll man. Nature, when she geueth the a sonne, she geueth nothyng else, thẽ a rude lumpe of fleshe. It is thy parte to fashiõ after y^e best maner, that matter that will obey & folow in euery poynt. If thou wylt slacke to do it, thou hast a beaste: if thou take hede thou hast, as I myght saye, a God. Srayght waye assone as thy infãte is borne, it is apte to be taughte those thynges whych properlie belonge to a man. Therfore after the sayinge of Vyrgyll, bestowe diligente labour vpon hym, euen from hys tender age. Handle the waxe strayght way whyle it is very soft, fashion thys claie whle it is moist, season thys earthen vessel wyth verye good liquour, while it is newe, bye your wolle whyle it commeth whyte frome the fuller, and is not defiled wyth any spottes. Antisthenes dyd verye merilye shewe the same, whyche when he had taken a certen mans sõne to be taught, and was axed of hys father what thinges he had neede of: a newe booke quod he, a newe pensyle, and a new table. Verelye the philosopher requyred a rude and emptye mynde. Thou