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haue dronke in vyces, euen wyth the mylke? But I hear some men defendynge theyr folye thus, and saie that by thys pleasure whiche is taken of the wantõnes of infantes, the tediousnes of noursyng is recõpẽsed. What is this? Shuld it be to the verye father more pleasaunt if the chylde folowe an euyll deede, or expresse a leude worde, thẽ if wyth his lytle stuttyng tonge, he spake a good sentence, or folowe any deede that is wel done? Nature specially hathe geuen to the fyrste age an easines to folowe and do after, but yet thys folowyng is somewhat more prone to naughtynesse then to goodnes. Is vyce more plesaunte to a good man then vertue, specially in hys chrldren? If anye fylthe fall vpon the yonge chyldes skyn, thou puttest it away, and dost thou infect the mynd wyth so foule t bewitche their childrẽ, or hurt their weake bodies with poisons: what do thei deserue which corrupt ye chiefe parte of the infãt wt most vngracious venome? t infecciõ: but in dede fautes of the mind crepe vpon vs more priuely, & also more quickely, & settel deper. The apostle Paul worthily gaue this honor vnto the verse of Menãder, yt he wold recite it in his epistels: Euyl comunicaciõ, corrupteth good maners: but this is neuer truer thẽ in infantes. Aristotle whẽ he was axed of a certen mã by what meanes he myghte bringe to pas, to haue a goodly horse: If he be brought vp quod he, among horses of good kynde. And yt if neyther loue nor reason can teach vs howe greate care we ought to take for ye first yeres of our children, at ye least waies let vs take example of brute beastes. For it oughte not to greue vs to learne of thẽ a thynge yt shall be so profitable, of whome mãkinde now long ago hath lerned so many fruitful things: sence a beast called Hippopotamus hath shewed ye cutting of veines, & a bird of egipt called Ibis hath shewed ye vse of a clister, which ye phisiciõs gretly alow. t Iuy helpeth sickenesses. t nature hathe shewed vs an example in brute beastes, that they that haue not learned philosophy and other sciences, maye be warned at the least waye by them what they shulde do. Do we not se howe that euery beaste, not only doth beget yonge, but also fashion them to do their natural office? The byrde is borne to flye.
