Batman vppon Bartholome his booke De proprietatibus rerum, newly corrected, enlarged and amended: with such additions as are requisite, vnto euery seuerall booke: taken foorth of the most approued authors, the like heretofore not translated in English. Profitable for all estates, as well for the benefite of the mind as the bodie. 1582.

¶Of a Father. Cap. 15.

* 1.1A Father is the well and head of be∣getting and gendring: and naturally the father desireth to multiply his kind in children, to the ende to kéepe and saue in his children the kind, that he may not kéepe and saue in himselfe, as saith Con. Therefore by the office of kinde he de∣parteth and sheddeth out his substaunce to the generation of children: and yet for all this lyking and departing the sub∣staunce of kinde, he receiueth no diminu∣tion.* 1.2 And he gendereth children lyke to himselfe in kinde and in shape, and namely if the vertue in the fathers seede passeth the vertue in the mothers séed, as saith Aristotle. lib. 8. And therefore by procreation of children the father is di∣ligent and busie, and loueth kindly his childe, insomuch, that hée spareth his owne meate to feede his children. And that is generallye true in all kinde of beasts except fewe, in whom kinde goo∣eth out of kinde, and therefore they bée not busie and careful about their young, but they doe beate them awaye, as A∣ristotle libro. 6. sayth of the Eagle, that with his bill and wings beate and driue awaye their young. A man loueth his childe, and féedeth and nourisheth it, and setteth it at his owne boorde, when it is wayned, and teacheth him in his youth, with speach and words, & chasteth him w^t beating, & setteth him & putteth him to learne vnder ward & kéeping of war∣dens and tutours. And the father shew∣eth him no gladde chéere, least he were proud, and he loueth most the sonne that is like to him, and looketh ofte on him, and giueth to his children, cloathing, meate and drinke, as their age requireth, and purchaseth landes and heritages for his children, and ceaseth not to make it more and more, and fayleth his purcha∣ses, and leaueth it to his heires. And a fa∣ther is called Pater, and hath that name of Pascendo to féede, for he féedeth his children in their youth, and is fedde of them in his age:* 1.3 (Very fewe children feede their parents as they ought, but rather wish them awaye, and receiuing their goods, and little esteeming theyr persons: in which so doing, they pur∣chase highly the vengeaunce of God.) as it fareth in fowles of rauenous kind, as Aristotle saith, for of such fowles, the young féede the olde, when they maye not for age get their owne meate. Ther∣fore for their reward and meede, long life is graunted them that worship and sustaine father and mother, as saith Am∣brose. For it is written: Worship thou thy father and mother, and thou shalte liue long vpon the earth. Exod. 20. & Ecclesiast. 3.* 1.4 He that worshippeth his fa∣ther, shall haue long lyfe. Therefore the Glose sayth: To worshippe father and mother is the fayrest heste in commaun∣dement of the second Table, and so it is a great heste in méede and rewarde. And to trespasse agaynst that commaunde∣ment is greatly to be punished. Pro. 30.* 1.5 Who so laugheth his father to scorn, & setteth his mothers commandement at naught, the rauens of the vally or brook pick out his eyes, & deuouted be he of the young Eagles.

Therefore the Fathers cursse, grieueth the children, as it fared in Chams children, that were bonde and

thrall, for Cham offēded his father. Ge∣nesis. 9.* 1.6 And so children shall worshippe the father, and sustein and forbeare him, reioyce, defend, magnifie, praise him, and heare and follow him,* 1.7 Vt dicit Glo. ibi. If ye be Abrahams children, doe Abra∣ham: déeds and workes.

The child commeth of the substance of father and mother, & taketh of them feeding and nourishing, and profiteth not neither liueth without help of them. The more the Father loueth his child, the more busily he teacheth and chasti∣seth him, and holdeth him the more straight vnder chastising and lore, and when the childe is most loued of the father, it séemeth that he loueth him not: for he beateth and grieueth him oft, least he drawe to euill manners and taches, & the more the child is like to the father, the better the father loueth him. The fa∣ther is ashamed, if he heare anye foule thing told by his children. The Fathers hart is sore grieued, if his children rebell against him. In feeding and nourishing of their children standeth the most busi∣nesse & charge of the parents: Heritage is kept for children in hope of issue. Oft by lawe for grieuing and despising of the Father, the childe is punished and disherited, and none vnkindnesse is more then vnkindne••se of euill children, if they helpe not the father and mother in time of néede; as they holpe them some∣time. Oft for reuerence of the father and mother, men doe the childe great wor∣ship: and men giue them greate giftes. Lawe will that the eldest sonne haue the more parte of the heritage. But for wrong done to the Father, the ryght of the eldest sonne is taken from him, and giuen to another son, that is more wor∣thy to haue the heritage, & the name and right of the eldest sonne. As Hierome sayth in the Glosa Genesis. 49.* 1.8 Ruben mine eldest sonne, &c. Thou hast lost the right that thou shouldest haue. By right the first sonne of the birth shoulde haue the heritage, kingdome, and Priesthood Then children which should by kinde be noble, rich, and frée, as the Father and mother be, for their trespasse bee made vile and poore seruauntes and thralls. Séeke afore in the Chapter De malo puero.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pater. Genitor.
• * 1.2

  He is no vvhat the lesse in be die.
• * 1.3

  Addition
• * 1.4

  Exod. 20, Eccle. 3.
• * 1.5

  Pro. 30.
• * 1.6

  Gen. 9
• * 1.7

  James. 2.
• * 1.8

  Gen. 49