Here begynneth the booke whiche is called the body of polycye And it speketh of vertues and of good maners, and the sayd boke is deuyded in thre partyes. The fyrst party is adressed to prynces. The seconde to knyghtes and nobles: and the thyrde to the vnyuersal people. The fyrst chapytre speketh of the dyscrypcyon of the body of polycye.

¶ Ensamples of that / that foloweth after of the doctryne that the auncyentes gaue to they chyldren. Capitulo. xxxv.

••Owe haue we shewed how y^• Romaynes in old•• tyme enduced theyr chyldren in theyr youthe. •• Now must we shewe what foloweth after of this introduccyon y^• is to wete of the effectes of theyr worthynesses whan they came to age / where vp on Ualere amonge all other ensamples of chyldehode speketh to our purpose and sayth / that often tymes in chyldhode a mā shal vnderstonde by his inclynacyōs to what thynges he shal drawe to / where vpon he telleth of a noble chylde of the Cyte of Rome that was called Emulyus Lepydyus / whiche lerned the introduccyon of armes so hertely and delyted hym soo mo∣che therin / that when men wēte to batayle he wolde nedes be ar med / whiche was agaynst nature of chyldren / for y^• grete hor∣roure & fere in batayle. Neuertheles he dyde soo moche armes at that batayle that the prynces of the counsayle of Rome put hym in theyr regystres / and noble memoryes of the Cyte for a grete meruayle / ••lso the yonge men by the styrynge and exor tacyon of the noble auncyentes were more apte to naturall pyte to good condycyon / and to stedfast courage▪ Also Ualere speke th of another noble chyld•• that his mayster ledde towarde sco∣le And as he passed by one of the prynces of Rome whiche was •• cruell man whose name was called ••ylla / whiche had ma∣de smyte of the heedes of many men of Rome by his grete cru∣••ltye▪ ••he chylde asked of his mayster howe suche a tyraun••

myght be suff••••d & not slayne. 〈…〉〈…〉 mayster answered sayen∣ge in this wyse / that there were men ynowe y^• wolde sle hym & they myght. But he was so fortyfyed with mē of armes y^• the re coude no meane be founde therfore. Then sayd the chylde / yf so were that I had a knyfe I wolde ryght soone brynge y^• mat ter to a poynte ••or euery daye I am in his presence / wherfore I wolde not fayle to sle hym / where vpon the mayster consyde rynge the grete courage of the chylde wolde suffre hym to co∣me no more in the presence of Sylla / but he serched hym well before that he had no knyfe vpon hym. Also to y^• purpose of the grete courage of a chylde well manered / Ualere telleth of a no ble man of ••ome whiche kepte a chylde that he had in grete ry gour & without measure / in so moche y^• the chylde was gretly anoyed with his rudenesse / and durst not well come in his pre sence / It happened that another myghty man of Rome hated moche that chyldes fader / so I wote neuer what cause he foun de to the chyldes fader / but y^• he wolde nedes trouble hym / & dyde so moche therin y^• he caused y^• man to spende grete goodes and abated gretely of his rychesse. Then the good chylde whi∣che toke no hede of the rudenesse / nor the iniury that his fader dyde vnto hym / but on••ly to the naturall loue y^• he ought hym myght no lenger suffre the tourment that was done to his fa∣der / but toke a knyfe pryuely and wente thyder as his faders aduersary was / and sayd vnto hym that he wolde fayne spe∣ke with hym in counsayle. The other whiche was a wyse man of counsayle / lyke as we myght say a lerned man / supposed y^• y^• chylde wolde aske hym some aduyse of counsayle ayenst his fader / and was full glad of hym / and ledde hym secretely vn∣to a chambre. And when the chylde sawe that he hadde his fa∣ders enemy all alone / an one he shytte faste the dore and ranne to the olde man / and caste hym vnder hym / and forth withall to ke hym by the throte / and sware a grete othe that he wolde sle••

hym without that he wolde ••ette his fader he in peas / and that he wolde also make hym amendes of the greate charges that he hadde put hym to. And soo at fewe wordes he made hym so aferde that he made a promyse for to restore his fader all hys costes / and so he dyde.