Roger Ascham Toxophilus 1545

53

II thinges the night, good thinges the daye doth haunt and vfe.

Iphi. in Tau,

Companions of moting, be prouidens, good heed
giuing, true meatinge, honeft comparifon, whyche
thinges agree with vertue very well. Cardinge and
dyfinge, haue a forte of good felowes alfo, goynge com-
monly in theyr companye, as blynde Fortune, {tumbling
chaunce, fpittle lucke,falfedealyng, crafty conueyaunce,
braynleffe brawlynge, falfe forfwerynge, whiche good
feloes wyll fone take a man by the fleue, and caufe
him take his Inne, fome wyth beggerye, fome wyth
goute and dropfie, fome with thefte and robbery, and
feldome they wyl leaue a man before he comme eyther
to hangyng or els fomme other extreme mifery. To
make an ende, howe moting by al mennes lawes hath
bene alowed, cardyng and dyfmg by al mennes iudge-
mentes condemned, I nede not mewe the matter is fo
playne.

Therfore, whan the Lydians mail inuentbetterthinges
than Apollo, when ilothe and ydlenes shall encreafe
vertue more than labour, whan the nyghte and lurking
corners, giueth leffe occafion to vnthriftineffe, than
lyght daye and opennes, than fhal fhotynge and fuche
gamninge, be in fumme comparifon lyke. Yet euen as
I do not mewe all the goodnes, whiche is in fhotynge,
whan I proue it ftandeth by the fame thinges that
vertue it felfe flandeth by, as brought in by God, or
Godlyelyke men, foftered by labour, committed to the
fauegarde of lyght and opennes, accompanied with pro-
uifion and diligens, loued and allowed by euery good
mannes fentence. Euen lykewyfe do I not open halfe
the noughtines whiche is in cardyng and difing, whan
I mewe howe they are borne of a defperate mother,
norifhed in ydlenes, encrefed by licence of nyght and
corners, accompanied wyth Fortune, chaunce, deceyte,
and craftines : condemned and banimed, by all lawes
and iudgementes.

For if I woulde enter, to defcrybe the monflruoufe-
pe§ of it, I fcoulde rather wander in it? it is fo b