But now for so much as in setting our child to schoole, we consider the strength of his bodie, no lesse then we do the quicknesse of his witte, it should seeme that our traine ought to be double, and to be applyed to both the partes, that the body may as well be preserued in his best, as the minde instructed in that, which is his best, that the one may still be able to aunswere the other well, in all their common executions. As for the training vp of the minde, the waye is well beaten, bycause it is generally entreated on in euery booke, and beareth the honour and title of learning.
But for the bettering of the body, is there not any meane to maintaine it in health, and cheifly in the student, whose trade treads it downe? Yes surely, A very naturall and a heathful course there is to be kept in exercise, wherby all the naturall functions of the body be excellently furthered, and the body made fit for all his best functions. And therfore parentes and maisters ought to take such a waie, euen from the beginning, as the childes diet, neither stuffe the bodye, nor choke the conceit, which it lightly doeth, when it is to much crammed. That his garmentes which oftimes burden the bodie with weight, sometimes weaken it with warmth, neither faint it with heat, nor freese it with cold. That the exercise of the body still accompanie and assist the exercise of the minde, to make a dry, strong, hard, and therfore a long lasting body: and by the fauour therof to haue an actiue, sharp, wise and therwith all a well learned soule. If long life be the childes blessing for honoring his parentes, why should not the parentes then, which looke for that honour, all that in them lyeth, forsee in youth that their children may haue some hope of that benefit, to ensue in their age, which cannot take effect, vnlesse the thing be begon in their youth? Which if it be not by times looked vnto, they afterwardes become vncapable of long life, and so not to enioye the reward of their honour, for any thing that their parentes helpe to it, though God will be true, and perfourme that he promiseth, how so euer men hault in doing of their duetie. And yet tempting is pernicious, where the meane to hit right, is laid so manifest: and the childes honour to his parentes beginnes at obedience in his infancie, which they ought to reward, with good qualities for honour, and may worke them like waxe, bycause they do obey. This negligence of the parentes for not doing that, which in power they might, and in duetie they ought, giues contempt in the children some colour of iustice, to make their requitall with dishonour in their age, were it not that the Christian religion doth forbid reuenge: which in presidentes of prophanisme we finde allowed, where both curtesie to such parentes, as failed in education of their children is countercharged by lawe: and dissolute parentes by entreating ill, are well entertained of their neglected children: the vnfortunate children much moaned for their chaunce, that they came to so ill an ende: and the vndiscrete parentes more rated for their charge, which they looked so ill to, wherby themselues did seeme to haue forced such an ende.