Roger Ascham Toxophilus 1545

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Euen fuchean other ftorie doeth Nympho-
dorus an olde greke Hifloriographer write, ymp ° '
of one Sefoftris kinge of Egypte, whiche ftorie becaufe
it is fomewhat longe, and very lyke in al poyntes to the
other and alfo you do well ynoughe remembre it, feynge
you read it fo late in Sophoclis commen- comment.
taries, I wyll nowe paffe ouer. Therefore 'm Antig-
eyther Ariftotle and Plato knowe not what was good
and euyll for learninge and vertue, and the example
of wyfe hiflories be vainlie fet afore vs or els the min*
flrelfie of lutes, pipes, harpes, and all other that flandeth
by fuche nice, fine, minikin fingering (fuche as the
moofte parte of fcholers whom I knowe vie, if they vfe
any) is farre more fitte for the womannimneffe of it to
dwell in the courte among ladies, than for any great
thing in it, whiche fhoulde helpe good and fad ftudie,
to abide in the vniuerfitie amonges fcholers. But per-
haps you knowe fome great goodneffe of fuche muficke
and fuche inflrumentes, whervnto Plato and Ariftotle
his brayne coulde neuer attayne, and therfore I will
faye no more agaynft it

•pfjf. Well Toxophile is it not ynoughe for you to
rayle vpon Mufike, excepte you mocke me to ? but to
fay the truth I neuer thought my felfe thefe kindes of
muficke fit for learninge, but that whyche I fayde was
rather to proue you, than to defend e the matter. But
yet as I woulde haue this forte of muficke decaye
amonge fcholers, euen fo do I wyffhe from the
bottome of my heart, that the laudable cuftome of
Englande to teache chyldren their plainefong and
prikfong, were not fo decayed throughout all the
realm e as it is. Whiche thing howe profitable it was
for all fortes of men, thofe knewe not fo wel than whiche
had it moft, as they do nowe whiche lacke it mofle.
And therfore it is true that Teucer fayeth in Sophocles.

Seldome at all good thinges be knowen how good to be Sophocles
Before a man fuche thinges do miffe out of his handes. m &&£t.

That milke is no fitter nor more naturall for the