from his booke, and becummeth after eyther student of Hard wits // the common lawe, or page in the Court, or proue best // seruingman, or bound prentice to a merchant, in euery // or to som handiecrafte, he proueth in the ende, kynde of // wiser, happier and many tymes honester too, than life. // many of theis quick wittes do, by their learninge. Learning is, both hindred and iniured to, by the ill choice of them, that send yong scholers to the vniuersities. Of whom must nedes cum all our Diuines, Lawyers, and Physicions. Thies yong scholers be chosen commonlie, as yong apples be The ill // chosen by children, in a faire garden about _S._ choice of // _Iames_ tyde: a childe will chose a sweeting, because it wittes for // is presentlie faire and pleasant, and refuse a Runnet, learnyng. // because it is than grene, hard, and sowre, whan the one, if it be eaten, doth breed, both wormes and ill humors: the other if it stand his tyme, be ordered and kepte as it should, is holsom of it self, and helpeth to the good digestion of other meates: Sweetinges, will receyue wormes, rotte, and dye on the tree, and neuer or seldom cum to the gathering for good and lasting store. For verie greafe of harte I will not applie the similitude: but hereby, is plainlie seen, how learning is robbed of hir best wittes, first by the great beating, and after by the ill chosing of scholers, to go to the vniuersities. Whereof cummeth partelie, that lewde and spitefull prouerbe, sounding to the greate hurte of learning, and shame of learned men, that, the greatest Clerkes be not the wisest men. And though I, in all this discourse, seem plainlie to prefer, hard and roughe wittes, before quicke and light wittes, both for learnyng and maners, yet am I not ignorant that som quicknes of witte, is a singuler gifte of God, and so most rare emonges men, and namelie such a witte, as is quicke without lightnes, sharpe without brittlenes, desirous of good thinges without newfanglenes, diligent in painfull thinges without werisomnes, and constant in good will to do all thinges well, as I know was in Syr _Iohn Cheke_, and is in som, that yet liue, in whome all theis faire qualities of witte ar fullie mette togither. But it is notable and trewe, that _Socrates_ saith in _Plato_ to _Plato in_ // his frende _Crito_. That, that number of men is _Critone_. // fewest, which far excede, either in good or ill, in wisdom of folie, but the meane betwixt both, be _the brynging vp of youth._ 193