For the second point. The duetie which we owe them doth straitly commaund vs to see them well brought vp. For what be young _maidens_ in respect of our sex? Are they not the seminary of our succession? the naturall frye, from whence we are to chuse our naturall, next, and most necessarie freindes? The very selfe same creatures, which were made for our comfort, the onely good to garnish our alonenesse, the nearest companions in our weale or wo? the peculiar and priuiest partakers in all our fortunes? borne for vs to life, bound to vs till death? And can we in conscience but carefully thinke of them, which are so many wayes linked vnto vs? Is it either nothing, or but some small thing, to haue our childrens mothers well furnished in minde, well strengthened in bodie? which desire by them to maintaine our succession? or is it not their good to be so well garnished, which good being defeated in them by our indiligence, of whom they are to haue it, doth it not charge vs with breache of duetie, bycause they haue it not? They are committed and commended vnto vs, as pupilles vnto tutours, as bodies vnto heades, nay as bodies vnto soules: so that if we tender not their education duetifully, they maye vrge that against vs, if at any time either by their owne right, or by our default, they winne the vpper roome and make vs stand bare head, or be bolder with vs to.
They that write of the vse of our bodies, do greatly blame such parentes, as suffer not their children to vse the left hand, as well as the right, bycause therby they weaken their strength and the vse of their limmes: and can we be without blame, who seeke not to strengthen that, which was once taken from vs, and yet taryeth with vs, as a part of vs still: knowing it to be the weaker? Or is there any better meane to strengthen their minde, then that knowledge of God, of religion, of ciuil, of domesticall dueties, which we haue by our traine, and ought not to denie them, being comprised in bookes, and is to be compassed in youth?
That some exercise of bodie ought to be vsed, some ordinarie stirring ought to be enioyned, some prouision for priuate and peculiar trainers ought to be made: not onely the ladies of _Lacedæmon_ will sweare, but all the world will sooth, if they do but wey, that it is to much to weaken our owne selues by not strengthning their side. That cunning poet for iudgement in matter, and great philosopher for secrecie in nature, our well knowen _Virgill_, saw in a goodly horse that was offered vnto _Augustus Cæsar_ an infirmitie vnperceaued by either looker on or any of his stable, which came as he said by some weaknes in the damme, and was confessed to be true. _Galene_ and the whole familie of Physicians ripping vp our infirmities, which be not to be auoided, placeth the seminarie and originall, engraffed in nature, as our greatest and nearest foes. And therfore to be preuented by the parentes, thorough considerate traine, the best and fairest meane, to better weake nature: so that of _duety_ they are to be cared for. And what care in _duetie_ is greater, then this in traine?