And _Pallas_, was no more feared, in weering _ægida_, than she was praised, for chosing _Oliva_: whereby shineth // Learning the glory of learning, which thus, was Gouernour // rewleth & Mistres, in the noble Citie of _Athenes_, both of // both warre warre and peace. // and peace. Therefore, to ride cumlie: to run faire at the tilte or ring: to plaie at all weapones: to shote faire in bow, or surelie in gon: to vaut lustely: to runne: to leape: to wrestle: // The pas- to swimme: To daunce cumlie: to sing, and playe // times that of instrumentes cunnyngly: to Hawke: to hunte: // be fitte for to playe at tennes, & all pastimes generally, which // Courtlie be ioyned with labor, vsed in open place, and on // Ientlemen. the day light, conteining either some fitte exercise for warre, or some pleasant pastime for peace, be not onelie cumlie and decent, but also verie necessarie, for a Courtlie Ientleman to vse. But, of all kinde of pastimes, fitte for a Ientleman, I will, godwilling, in fitter place, more at large, declare fullie, in my booke of the Cockpitte: which I do write, to // The Cok- satisfie som, I trust, with som reason, that be // pitte. more curious, in marking other mens doinges, than carefull in mendying their owne faultes. And som also will nedes busie them selues in merueling, and adding thereunto vnfrendlie taulke, why I, a man of good yeares, and of no ill place, I thanke God and my Prince, do make choise to spend soch tyme in writyng of trifles, as the schole of shoting, the Cockpitte, and this booke of the first Principles of Grammer, rather, than to take some weightie matter in hand, either of Religion, or Ciuill discipline. Wise men I know, will well allow of my choise herein: and as for such, who haue not witte of them selues, but must learne of others, to iudge right of mens doynges, let them // A booke of read that wise Poet _Horace_ in his _Arte Poetica_, // a lofty title, who willeth wisemen to beware, of hie and loftie // beareth the Titles. For, great shippes, require costlie tack- // brag of o- ling, and also afterward dangerous gouernment: // uergreat a Small boates, be neither verie chargeable in // promise. makyng, nor verie oft in great ieoperdie: and yet they cary many tymes, as good and costlie ware, as greater vessels do. A meane Argument, may easelie beare, the light burden of a small faute, and haue alwaise at hand, a ready excuse for 218 _The first booke teachyng_