A booke called the Foundacion of rhetorike because all other partes of rhetorike are grounded thereupon, euery parte sette forthe in an oracion vpon questions, verie profitable to bee knowen and redde: made by Richard Rainolde Maister of Arte, of the Uniuersitie of Cambridge. 1563.

¶ The cause.

AND seyng that of our owne nature, all men are en∣clined from their tender yeres and infancie, to the ex∣tirpacion of vertue, folowyng with all earnest studie and gréedie, the free passage to vice, and specially children, whose iudgementes and reason, are not of that strengthe, to rule their weake mindes and bodies, therefore, in them chief∣lie, the roote of learning is bitter, because not onely many ye∣res thei runne their race, in studie of arte and science. With care and paine also, with greuous chastisment and correcciō, thei are compelled by their teachers and Maisters, to appre∣hende the same: the parentes no lesse dreaded, in the educaciō of their children, in chastisement and correction, so that by all meanes, the foundacion and roote of all learnyng, in what sort so euer it is, is at the firste vnpleasaunte, sower, and vn∣sauerie. To folowe the times and seasons, appoincted for the same, is moste painfull, and in these painfull yeres: other greate pleasures, as the frailtie of youth, and the imbecilitie of nature iudgeth, dooeth passe by, but in miserable state is that childe, and vnfortunate, that passeth the flower of his youth and tender yeres, instructed with no arte or Science, whiche in tyme to come, shalbe the onelie state, helpe, the pil∣ler to beare of the sore bront, necessitie, and calamities of life. Herein the noble Romaines, laied the sure foundacion of their mightie dominion, in the descrite prouidente, and poli∣tike educacion of children: to whom the Grecians gaue, that necessarie bulwarke and faundacion, to set vp all vertue, all arte and science. In Grece no man was knowen, to liue in that common wealth, but that his arte and science, gaue ma∣nifest probacion and testimonie, how and after what sorte he liued. The Romaines in like sorte, the sworde and aucthori∣tie

of the Magistrate, executyng the same, did put forthe, and draw to the attainment of learnyng, art or science, all youth hauyng maturitie and ripenesse to it, and why, because that in a common wealth, where the parentes are vndescrete and foolishe, as in all common wealthes, there are not a fewe, but many, thei not ponderyng the state of the tyme to come, bringing vp their children without all ciuilitie, vnframed to vertue, ignoraunt of all arte and science: the children of their owne nature, vnbrideled, vntaught, wilfull, and heddie, doe run with free passage to all wickednes, thei fall into al kinde of follie, oppressed with all kinde of calamitie, miserie, and vnfortunate chaunces, whiche happen in this life. Nothyng doeth soner pulle doune a kyngdome, or common wealthe, then the euill and leude educacion of youth, to whom neither substaunce, wealth, riches, nor possessions doe descende, from their auncestours and parentes, who also of themselues wāt all art, science and meanes, to maintain them to liue, who of themselues are not able to get relief, for onely by this mea∣nes, life is maintained, wealth and riches ar possessed to ma∣ny greate siegniorics, landes, and ample possessions, left by their parentes, and line of auncetours, haue by lacke of ver∣tuous educacion, been brought to naught, thei fell into ex∣treme miserie, pouertie, and wantyng learnyng, or wealth, to maintaine their state and delicate life, thei haue robbed, spoiled, murthered, to liue at their owne will. But then as rotten, dedde, and putride members frō the common wealth thei are cutte of by the sworde, and aucthoritie of the Magi∣strate. What kyngdome was more mightie and strong, then the kyngdome of Lidia, whiche by no other meanes was brought to rume and destruccion, but by idlenes: in that thei were kepte from all vertuous exercise, from the studie of ar∣tes and sciences, so longe as thei meditated and liued in the schoole of vertuous life: no nacion was hable to ouerthrowe them, of themselues thei were prone and readie, to practise all excellencie. But Cyrus the kyng of Persians, by no other

meanes was able to bring them weaker. He toke from thē al furtherance to artes, destroied all occupaciōs of vertue wher∣vpon by commaundemēt and terrour, wer driuen to practise the vaine and pestiferous practise, of Cardes and Dice. Har∣lottes then schooled them, and all vnhoneste pastyme nurte∣red them, Tauernes an quaffyng houses, was their accusto∣med and moste frequented vse of occupacion: by this meanes their nobilitie and strengthe was decaied, and kyngdome made thrall. Ill educacion or idlenes, is no small vice or euill when so mightie a prince, hauyng so large dominions, whō all the Easte serued and obaied. Whose regimente and go∣uernemente was so infinite, that as Zenophon saieth, tyme would rather want, then matter to speake of his mightie and large gouernement, how many nacions, how diuerse people and valiaunte nacions were in subieccion to hym. If this mightie Prince, with all his power and populous nacions, was not hable to giue the ouerthrowe, to the kyngdome of Lidia, but by ill educacion, not by marciall attēptes, sworde or battaill: but by giuyng them scope and libertie, to dooe as he would. No doubt but that Cyrus sawe, by the like exam∣ple of other kyngdomes, this onelie pollicie to bee a ruine of that kyngdome. Pythagoras the famous and godlie Phi∣losopher, saued the kyngdome and people of Crotona, thei leauyng all studie of arte, vertue and science. This people of Crotona, was ouercome of the people of Locrus, thei left all exercise of vertue, neclectyng the feates of chiualrie, whervpō Pythagoras hauyng the profitable and godlie lawes of Ly∣curgus, which he brought from Lacedemonia: and the lawes of Minos kyng of Creta, came to the people of Crotona, and by his godlie teachyng and Philosophie, reuoked & brought backe the people, giuen ouer to the neglectyng of all vertue, declaryng to them the nobilitie and excellencie thereof, he li∣uely set foorthe the beastlinesse of vice. Pithagoras recited to them, the fall and ruine of many regions, and mightie king∣domes, whiche tooke after those vices. Idlenes beyng forsa∣ken,

vertue embrased, and good occupacions practised, the kyngdome and people grewe mightie.

Emong the godlie lawes of Lycurgus, Lycurgus omit∣ted not to ordaine Lawes, for the educacion of youthe: in the whiche he cutte of all pamperyng of them, because in tender yeres, in whose bodies pleasure harboreth, their vertue, sci∣ence, cunnyng rooteth not: labour, diligence, and industrie onelie rooteth vertue, and excellencie. Vices as vnprofitable weedes, without labour, diligence and industrie growe vp, and thereby infecteth the minde and bodie, poisoneth all the mocions, incensed to vertue and singularitie. Who euer at∣tained cunnyng, in any excellent arte or science, where idle∣nes or pleasure helde the swaie. Philosophie sheweth, plea∣sure to bée vnmete for any man of singularitie, for pleasure, idlenes, and ignoraunce, are so linked together, that the pos∣session of the one, induceth the other. So many godlie monu∣mētes of learning, had not remained to this posteritie of ours and of all ages: if famous men in those ages and tymes, had hūted after immoderate pleasure. Thindustrie of soche, who left to the posteritie of all ages, the knowledge of Astronomie is knowen: the monumentes of all learnyng of lawes, and of all other woorkes of antiquitie, by vertue, noble, by indu∣strie, labour, and moderacion of life in studie, not by plea∣sure and wantones, was celebraied to all ages. the migh∣tie volumes of Philosophers, bothe in morall preceptes, and in naturall causes, knewe not the delicate and dissolute life of these our daies. Palingenius enueighyng against the pā∣pered, and lasciuious life of man, vttereth a singulare sentēce

Qui facere et qui nosce, cupit quam plurima et altum, In terris virtute aliqua sibi querere nomen: Hunc vigilare opus est, nam non preclara geruntur, Stertendo, et molles detrectat gloria plumas.

Who so coueteth to purchase fame by actes, or whose minde hunteth for aboundaunte knowledge, or by vertue in this life, to purchause good fame. He had not nede to slugge

and flepe in his doynges: for good fame is not vpholded by gaie Pecockes feathers. Of this, Demosthenes the famous Oratour of Athens, vttereth a worthie saiyng to the Athe∣nians in his Epistle: if any will iudge Alexander the greate, to be famous and happie, in that he had successe in all his do∣ynges, let this be his cogitacion, that Alexander the greate, alwaies did inure hymself to doe thynges, and manfullie to assaie that he enterprised. The felicitie of his successe came to hym not slepyng, or not cogitatyng thereof: Alexander the greate now dedde, Fortune seketh with whom she maie ac∣companie, and associate her self.

Thusidides comparyng the Lacedemonians, and the A∣thenians together, shewed a rare moderacion, and tempera∣ture of life, to be in the Athenians: wherupon thei are moste commended, and celebrated to the posteritie.

Notes

• The roote of learnyng bit∣ter.
• Who is a vn∣fortunate childe.
• Good educa∣cion the foun∣dacion of the Romaine Empire.
• Euill educa∣cion bringeth to rume migh¦tie kingdoms
• Lydi••.
• Cyrus.
• The decay of a kyngdome.
• The mightie dominions of Cyrus.
• Euill educa∣cion.
• Pithagoras.
• Eatona.
• Lycurgus.
• Vertue.
• Vice.
• Pleasure. Idlenes. Ignoraunce.
• Alexander the great, cō¦mended for diligence.