men as well borne to the plowe and to the backehouse, as oxen and asses be. But they wyll saye: then decreseth my flocke. What then? Yea and myne aduauntage to. Thys is an harde matter: thys maketh them to weepe. They set more money then by the profite of the chyldren. But suche are all the cõmon sorte of folyshe teachers. I graunte. As the philosophers describe a wyse mã, y^e rethoricians an oratour, such one as scarse maye be foũd in anye place: So muche more easye it is to prescribe what manner of man a scholmaster shuld be, thẽ to find many y^t wil be as you wold haue thẽ. [Sidenote: Ciuile officers and prelates shuld se that ther wer good schole masters.] ¶ But this oughte to be a publyque care and charge, and belongeth to the ciuyle officer, and chyef prelats of the churches that as ther be men appointed to serue in war, to singe in churches, so muche more there shulde be ordeined that shuld teach citizens chyldren well and gently. [Sidenote: Vespasian.] Vespasianus oute of hys owne cofers gaue yerely sixe hũdred poũde to Latine and Greke rethoricians. [Sidenote: Plinie.] Plinie the nephew of his owne liberalitie bestowed a great sũme of money to the same purpose. And if the comẽty in thys poynt be slacke, certenly euerye man ought to take hede at home for his owne house. ¶ Thou wylt saye: what shall poore men do which can scarse fynd their chyldren, muche lesse hyre a master to teache them? Here I haue nothynge to saye, but thys out of the comedie: We muste do as we maye do, when we can not as we wolde. We do shewe the beste waye of teachynge, we be not able to geue fortune: Saue that here also the liberalitie of ryche men ought to helpe good wyttes, whych can not shewe forthe the strength of naturall inclinacion because of pouertye. [Sidenote: Pouertie hurteth good wittes.] I wyll that the gentlenes of the master shulde be so tempered, that familiaritie, the companion of contempte, put not away honeste reuerence, suche one as men say Sarpedo was, tutour to Cato of Vtica, which thorowe hys gentle maners gat greate loue, and by hys vertue as lyke authoritie, causynge the chylde to haue a greate reuerence, and to set much by him wythout anye feare of roddes. But these y^t can do nothynge elles but beate, what wolde they do if they had taken vpon them to teache Emperoures or kynges chyldren, whome it were not lefull to beate? They wyll saye that greate mens sonnes muste be excepted from thys fashion. What is that? Be not the chyldren of citizens, men as well as kynges chyldren be? Shulde not euerye manne as wel loue hys chylde as if he wer a kynges sonne? If his estate be sũwhat base, so much the more neede hath he to be taught, and holpen by lernynge, that he maye come vp, from his pore case. But if he be of hye degre, philosophy & lernyng is necessary to gouerne hys matters well. Further not a fewe be called frome lowe degre to hye estate, yea sometyme to be great byshops. All men come not to thys, yet oughte al men