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¶ The duetie of Parents towardes their children. The first booke. (Book 1)
- Amusus,
- Theodidactus,
- Theophilus,
- Martina the mother.
GOD saue you with all my hearte most reuerend maister doctor: and God (which is the true light) send you good successe this day and euer.
And I (my good louing father) doe wish asmuch vnto you with all my heart. But heare I pray you, from whence come you so early? It is scarcely day as yet, hath any thing chaunced contra∣ry to your minde? Is your wife and children well, and in good health?
My wife, with my whole familie are in very good health (thankes bee vnto God) if you weigh and consider only their bodies. But if you in∣wardly beholde their soules (which is the most excellent part of man) then shall you finde nothing to bee more lamented, nothing more miserable, nothing (to bee short) more out of order, the Lorde God amend it when his will is.
Alas, why so? Let mée know it I pray you, kéepe it not secrete, bée not afraide, beléeue mée I say, I will helpe you either with my counsel, or otherwise with any thing that I may, to the vttermost of my power.
When I doe beholde the families in these our borders and partes* 1.1 euery where, I am exceedingly mooued with sorrowe: for I see the youth growe vp in euery place without any instruction of godlinesse, vertue or good manners, as if they were the children of the most barbarous nati∣ons, nay rather of the very Turkes and Infidels, so little regarde is there