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

¶Thomas Eliot to his only entierly beloued syster Margery Puttenbam.

AS in this tēporall lyfe no thing is to naturall man so desyrous as to haue by lefull encrease procrea∣cion and frute of his body / sembla∣bly to a man of honestye or gentyl corage, there is no disease or grefe so intollerable as chyldren of theyr disposicion abiecte or vici∣ous: whiche declynynge from all vertue, in vo∣luptuous and inordinate lyuinge not onely con∣sume the goodes of theyr parentes and frendes, but also deface the good opiniō and fame, which perchance their auncetours, by some vertuous acte or studye haue acquired: whiche moste com¦munly hapneth by the remysse educacion or brin¦ginge vp of them. wherfore good syster, for as moche as I do consyder, with what fertilite al∣mighty god hath endued you, to my great com∣forte, if your chyldren do prospere in vertue and lernynge, I therfore in tymes vacant from busy∣nes & other more serious study, as it were so: my solace & recreation, haue translated for you this lytell treatise entitled the Education of chyldren, and made by Plutarch the excellent philosopher and mayster to Tra••ane, moost vertuous & noble of all Emperours: wherby ye shall be maruay∣lously instructed, or at leste waye•• b••t shall admi¦••iculate your wysedome (whiche I dare affirme

is ryght laudable) in ordrynge and instructy••ge your children, circumspectely and discretly. For as god shall iuge me, the lacke of children shuld nat be to me so payneful, as feare of hauinge suc¦cession of heires, in whom shulde be lacke of ve••¦tue & lerning. wherfore good sister ēdeuour your selfe to adapte & forme in my lyttel neuewes incl••¦naciō to vertue & doctrine, acording to min expec∣tatiō: which ye shall with more facilite performe if ye beare the contentes of this litell boke in your remembrance: Aduertysynge you, that I haue not onely vsed therin the office of a translatour, but also haue declared at lengthe dyuers histo∣ries, onely touched by Plutarch: to thentēt that difficultie of vnderstandinge shall not cause the matter to be to you fastidious, as it often tymes hath hapened to other. Also of pourpose I haue omitted to translate some parte of this matter, conteyned as well in the Greke as in the Latin•• partly for that it is strange frome the experience or vsage of this present tyme, partly that some vices be in those tonges reproued, whiche ought rather to be vnknowen, than in a vulgare tonge to be expressed. Nor I wolde not that any man sh••ulde exacte of me the exquisite diligence of an interpretour, syns I wryte not to clerkes, ne de∣sire not to haue my boke cōferred with the del••c∣table styles of Grekes or Latines: but as I haue ••ayde, I haue this done for my pastyme without moch studie or trauaile. And it shall only suffic•• me, if by this littel labour I may cause you myn

entierly beloued syster, to folowe the intent of Plutarche in brynginge & inducynge my litell ne∣uewes into the trayne and rule of vertue, where by they shall fynally attayne to honour (god so disposinge) to the inestimable comforte of theyr naturall parentes, and other theyr louynge fren∣des•• and moste specially to the high pleasure of god, commoditye and profite of theyr countray.

Thus hartily fare ye well, and kepe with you this token of my tender loue to you, which with the vertue and toward••es of your children shall be contynually augmented.

From London the .xxvii. day of Nouēbre.