The education or bringinge vp of children, translated oute of Plutarche by syr Thomas Eliot knyght

¶Of the exercises of memorye / and of the thre excellent continences of the tounge, wrathe, and the handes. Cap. x. (Book 10)

ABoue all thynges the memorie of chylderne is to be exercised and kepte in vsage: for that is as hit were the store house of lernynge. wherfore in aunciente fables, Me∣morie is named the mother of Muses (whiche as poetes write, were fynders of all sciences libe∣ralle) therby declarynge, that nothynge nexte

to nature may bringe fourth so moche as memo∣rie. Therfore that is to be exercised in euery part wether the childe be retentife of memorie or ob∣liuious. And if it shall happe that some be more excellēt than other, we ought to corroborate the habundaunce of nature: And where they be op¦pressed with dulnes, to amende and supply the defaulte or lacke. And therfore the poete Hesio∣dus marueilously well sayth:

If to a lytell thou addest a lyttell more In space of tyme thou shalle haue mykell store.

Let not this be forgoten of parentes, that the parte of doctrine concernynge memorie, is not onely a great porcion of lernynge, but also of o∣ther necessaries to mans lyfe apperteignynge. And verily remembraunce of a••••aires done in tyme passed, is an example and myrrour the bet∣ter to consider thynges to come. Children more ouer ought to be refrayned from dyshonest & re∣baulde cōmunicaciō. For as Democritus saith: Speche is the shadowe of dedes. Also it muste be forseen, that children be made in answeringe curteise, and swete in salutinge. For as stourdie and soure facion in spekinge / maketh a man odi∣ous & disdayned: so childrē gete the loue of theyr companiōs, if whan they be demanded, they be not in theyr answeres strange and vncurteise. It is not cōmendable to vanquishe & subdue other, but also to knowe howe to be vanquished, speci∣ally in these thynges, wherin victory is cause of detrimēt or losse. Suche was the victory of Cad∣mus

(whiche was in this wise as some men sup∣pose. Cadmus the sonne of Agenor kynge of E∣gypte was the fyrst founder of the citie of The∣b••s, of whom by succession came Edipus, whiche maried Iocasta his owne moder, and had by her two sonnes Etheocles and Polynices, betwene whome was mortall warre for the kyngedome of Thebes: Polynyces the yonger brother, ha∣uynge in his ayde the Arg••u••s. But fynally the Thebanes, of the part of Eth••ocles had the vi∣ctorie, whiche was with small profite or honour. For Polinices hath wounded Eth••ocles his bro¦ther to dethe: But moued with cōpassion, as he stoped downe to releue his sayd brother who of∣fered to kysse hym, Eth••ocles incontinent slewe his said brother. And so was the ende of the ba∣tayle myserable and despiteous. And by reason that Cadmus was h••ed & chiefe of their lynage, it was called Cadmus victorie, & vsed for a pro∣uerbe, where domage groweth by victorye. Of that I haue spoken is wytnesse the wyse Euripi∣des, whiche sayth in this maner:

where 〈◊〉〈◊〉 do ••raule, and the one is in fury He that refrayneth, the wy••er is truely.

Other exercises there be, which are no lesse to be estemed of yonge men, than they, whiche be re∣bersed: that is to lay, no•• to lyue to delicately / to refrayne the tonge, subdue wrathe, conteyne the handes, & what apperteyneth to euery of these, It is to be sene and occlared / not withstandynge they shall ••e••te appere by example, & to begynne

at the last. Dyuers that haue put theyr handes to vnlaufull gaynes, haue, loste all er they dyed. Bilippus a noble Lacedemon, onely for bycause he dyd vnknyt certeine bagges of money, he was banisshed ••or euer out of his countre. It is the {pro}∣pertie of a wyse man, not to be vanquisshed with anger. On a tyme a wanton and presumptuous yonge man, with his hele strake Socrates (whi∣che was in his tyme the wysest man of Grece) & whan Socrates {per}ceyued, that they whiche were in his company toke it d••••plesantly, & were ther∣with soore chaufed, in so moche that they wolde haue reuenged hym, he sayd vnto them: what if an asse had bytte me with her bele / thynke you it were mete I shulde kyke ageyne at her: wher∣fore he wold not suffre them to folowe the person that strake hym. In conclusion the yonge man, whan men had longe tyme rebuked hym, and e∣uery where called him a kiker, for pure shame at the laste ••ynge hym selfe. whan Aristophanes in his enterlude, whiche he called the Cloudes, had spoken many rebukes o•• Socrates, & one be¦inge present redynge it, sayd: Socrates, art not thou herewith angry. No on my faith said So∣crates, it greueth me no more to be scoffed at in the hall, where playes be accustomed to be, than if it were at a feast or banket. Semblably did Ar∣chitas & Plato the philosophers. Architas re∣turnyng from batayle (for he was moche part in warres, soūde his lande out of tilth & disfigured, he called forth his baylife of husbandrie & sayd

vnto hym: If I were sure that I shuld not be an∣gry, thou shuldest repēt the. Plato being moued with his seruant, that was a riot••ous person, cal∣led Speusippus his neuewe, & sayd to hym: Go beate this ••••low, for I am to moch chaufed & an∣gry. Perchance some wyl say, that these be great & difficult matters to folowe: & I knowe well so they be, but yet we muste with all our myght en∣force vs, that vsing these & other lyke ensamples, at the laste we may withdrawe a great parte of inordinate and vengeable angre. For where in o∣ther thynges we may not cōpare with these wyse men, in doctrine nor vertue / yet neuer the lasse let vs with al our power endeuour our ••elfes (which be the seruantes of god, & expounders of his wyl berynge lyght in our handes / folowe or at the lest scrape of some frute of theyr examples.

Nowe remayneth to declare the refraynyng of the tonge, accordynge as I purposed.