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.

¶ yet of the same.

••Or bycause y^• this fayre mater is ryght couenable to be knowen / & also y^• euery mā hath not y^• boke of valere for togader out to theyr pleasaunce al y^• matters y^• he speketh of••••e lyketh me yet to speke of y^• good purpose y^• longeth to study / for bycause y^• I haue sayd here tofore y^• y^• studyentes ought to do grete d••l py••ce in y^• getynge of scyēce / as valere recyteth & she •••• eth how y^• dylygēce wel modred w^tout to grete exce••le shal bryn ge a mā in grete excersyse of cōnynge & alsygneth y^• cause why he sayth so. Scenola whiche was an excellent legystre at Ro∣me ••ōposed certayne lawes whiche other legystres vseth yet / & after his grete occupacyō & study wolde take recreacyō of dy∣uers playes / & y^• a mā sholde so do / valere theweth y^• it is reasō a sayth y^• y^• nature of thynges wyl not suffre a ma cōtynuelly to be in labour / y^• is to say he must nedes at somtyme haue re••t in ydlenes / but this ydlenes sholde not be y^• a man sholde scase fro al bodely labours / but it is to vnderstode y^• a mā sholde be occupyed in some Ioyful dysporte by y^• whiche his vnderston∣dynge may be y^• fressher / for by longe studyenge al y^• sensytyfe vertues of mā ••e made wery & dull / & also they be not brought agayne to theyr rest & trāquylyte by seasynge all maner wer∣kes / for they y^• be trauayled in study yf they be not occupyed w^t some gladnes they sholde be ful of malancoly for y^• spyryte whi che hath ben in so grete labours of study before / & yf they go to bed so they shall suffre payne in theyr slepe as in dremynge & otherwyse / & therfore y^• remedy of y^• trauayle is / for to reioyce his spyryte w^t some goodly play & dysporte / & in lyke wyse as y^• pleasaunt metes please more at some tyme when they be entr•• medled w^t groce metes•• lyke wyse y^• werke of study is y^• better nourysshed whā a man at some tyme applyed hym selfe to play & ••ysporto / & therfore ••atō sayth / entremedle thy werkes amō ge w^t dysportrd / also Arystotle sayth in y^•. iii. boke of Ethyques A man in his labour sholde vse vertuously as welplay as la bour / to whiche thynge s••ne•• accordeth •• his b••ke of trāqu••••••••

of courage•••• saythe y^• the lusty & well berynge feldes be soone hurte by cōtynuel fertylyte / w^tout they be otherwhyle refressh ed / lykewyse cōtynuel laboure •• ony seyence hurteth y^e courage of ony persone & engendreth frenesy / & therfore nature gyueth men inclynaeyon of dysporte & play otherwhyles / & for y^• cause also they y^t stablysshed y^e lawes in olde tyme ordeyned certayne feestes to y^• entente y^• all maner of people sholde assemble for to dysporte & playe & leue theyr laboure / & this purpose is sayd of Socrates / whiche no parte of scyēce was hyd fro / y^t he was not ashamed whan he was mocked of ••chypyades for bycause y^• he founde hym playenge w^t lytell chyldren / but he dyde so for bycause y^t the recreacyō whiche he had amōge thē sholde shar pe & refresshe his wyt & make it more quycke to y^e study / & for that cause as olde as he was he lerned to play on the harpe.