Roger Ascham Toxophilus 1545

, 31

a manne fhould were his hoofe vpon his head, or a
woman go wyth a fworde and a buckeler euery man
would take it as a greate vncumlyneffe although it be
but a tryfle in refpedte of the other.

Thys peruerfe iudgement of men hindreth no thynge
fo much as learnynge, bycaufe commonlye thofe whych
be vnfitteft for learnyng, be cheyfly fet to learnynge.

As yf a man nowe a dayes haue two fonnes, the one
impotent, weke, fickly, lifpynge, ftuttynge, and
flamerynge, or hauynge any miffhape in hys bodye:
what doth the father of fuche one commonlye faye ?
This boye is fit for nothynge els, but to fet to
lernyng and make a preft of, as who would fay, yat
outcafles of the worlde, hauyng neyther countenaunce
tounge nor wit (for of a peruerfe bodye cummeth com-
monly a peruerfe mynde) be good ynough to make
thofe men of, whiche mail be appoynted to preache
Goddes holye woorde, and minifler hys bleffed
facramentes, befydes other mooft weyghtye matters in
the common welthe put ofte tymes, and worthelye to
learned mennes difcretion and charge: whan rather
fuche an oiryce fo hygh in dignitie, fo godlye in ad-
miniflration, fhulde be committed to no man, whiche
fhulde not haue a countenaunce full of cumlyneffe to
allure good menne, a bodye full of manlye authoritie to
feare ill men, a witte apte for al learnynge with tongue
and voyce, able to perfwade all men. And although
fewe fuche men as thefe can be founde in a common
wealthe, yet furelye a godly difpofed man, will bothe
in his mynde thyncke fit, and with al his ftudie labour to
get fuch men as I fpeke of, or rather better, if better
can be gotten for fuche an hie adminiftration, whiche
is moil properlye appoynted to goddes owne matters
and bufmeffes.

This peruerfe iugement of fathers as concernynge
the fitneffe and vnfitneffe of theyr chyldren caufeth the
common wealthe haue many vnfit miniflers: And
feyng that miniflers be, as a man woulde fay, inftru-
mentes wherwith the common wealthe doeth worke
all her matters withall, I maruayle howe it chauncetb