Roger Ascham Toxophilus 1545

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by your leue, doth admitte holfome, honefl
and manerlie paflimes to be as neceffarie ' m
to be mingled with fad matters of the minde, as eating
and fleping is for the health of the body, and yet we
be borne for neither of bothe. And Arif- Anst.de mo-
to tie him felfe fayth, yat although it were rlbus>Ia 6-
a fonde and a chyldifh thing to be to erneft in paftime
and play, yet doth he affirme by the authoritie of the
oulde Poet Epicharmus, that a man may vfe play for
erneft matter fake. And in an other place, Arist. Pol.
yat as reft is for labour, and medicines for 8-s-
helth, fo is paftime at tymes for fad and weightie
ftudie.

3@lji. How moche in this matter is to be giuen to
ye auctoritie either of Ariftotle or Tullie, I can not
tel, feing fad men may wel ynough fpeke merily for a
merie matter, this I am fure, whiche thing this faire
wheat (god faue it) maketh me remembre, yat thofe
hufbandmen which rife erlieft, and come lateft home,
and are content to haue their diner and other drinck-
inges, broughte into the fielde to them, for feare of
lofing of time, haue fatter barnes in harueft, than
they whiche will either flepe at none time of the daye,
or els make merie with their neighbours at the ale.
And fo a fcholer yat purpofeth to be a good hufband,
and defireth to repe and enioy much fruite, of learn-
inge, mufte tylle and fowe thereafter. Our befte feede
tyme, which be fcholers, as it is verie tymelye, and
whan we be yonge : fo it endureth not ouerlonge, and
therefore it maye not be let ilippe one houre, oure
grounde is verye harde, and full of wedes, our horfe
wherwith we be drawen very wylde as Plato fayth.
And infinite other mo lettes whiche wil inphedro
make a thriftie fcholer take hede how he
fpendeth his tyme in fporte and pleye.
- SCflX. That Ariftotle and Tullie fpake erneftlie, and
as they thought, the erneft matter which they entreate
vpon, doth plainlye proue. And as for your huf-
bandrie, it was more probablie toldc with apt woides