It is a seruyle thynge to be chastened by feare,
and common custume calleth chyldren free men, because
liberall and gentle bringyng vp becommeth them, much
vnlike to seruile. Yet they that be wyse do thys
rather, that seruantes by gentelnes and benefites
leaue of their slauyshe condicions: remẽbryng that
they also be men, and not beastes. There be rehearsed
meruelous examples of seruauntes toward their masters,
whome verely they shulde not haue founde such if they
hadde kept them vnder only by strypes. ¶ A seruaunt if
he be corrigible is better amended by monicions, by
honestie, & good turnes, then by stripes: if he be
paste amendmente, he is hardened to extreme mischief
and eyther wyll runne awaye and rob hys master, or by
some craft go aboute his masters deathe. Sometime he
is reuenged on his masters crueltie, thoughe it coste
hym his lyfe. And there is no creature more fereful
thẽ man, whõ cruell iniurie hathe taught to dispyse
his owne lyfe. Therfore the commõ prouerb that sayth a
man hath as manye enemies as he hath seruauntes, If it
be true, I thynke it may be chiefly imputed to the
vnreasonablenes of the master: for it is a poynte of
arte, and not of chaunce to rule wel seruauntes. And
if the wyser masters go aboute thys thynge, so to vse
their seruauntes, that thei shuld serue them well and
gently, and in stede of seruantes had rather haue them
fre men, how shameful is it bi bryngyng vp, to make
seruantes of those that be gentle and free by nature?
Nor wythout cause dothe the olde manne in the comedie
thynke that there is greate difference betwixte a
master and a father. The master only compelleth,
the father by honestie and gentelnes accustumeth hys
sonne, to do well of hys owne mynde, rather then by
feare of an other: and that he shulde bee all one in
hys presence and behind hys backe. He that can not do
this sayth he, lette hym confesse that he can not rule
chyldren. But there oughte to be a litle more
difference betwyxte a father and the master, then
betwixt a kinge and a tirant. Wee putte awaye a
tiraunte from the common wealthe, and we chose
tirauntes, yea for oure sonnes, eyther we oure selfes
exercyse tirannye vpon them. Howebeit thys vyle name
of seruitude oughte vtterlye to be taken awaye oute of
the lyfe of chrysten menne. Sainte Paule desyreth
Philo to bee good to Onesimus, not nowe as a
seruaunte, but as a deere brother in steede of a
seruaunte. And wrytyng to the Ephesians, he monysheth
the masters to remitte theyr bytternesse agaynst theyr
seruauntes, and their threatnynges, remembrynge that
they are rather felow seruauntes then masters, because
they both haue a common master in heauen, whyche as
well wyll punyshe the masters if they do amysse, as
the seruauntes. The Apostle wolde not haue the masters
ful of threatning, muche lesse full of beatynge: for
he saythe not, pardonynge your strypes, but pardonynge
your threatenynges, and yet wee woulde haue oure
chyldren nothynge but beaten, whyche scarse the Galeye
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