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Full text of "Roger Ascham Toxophilus 1545"


Satyr, defender of pipinge, doth well declare, where
Marfyas had his Ikine quite pulled ouer his head for
his labour.

Muche mufike marreth mennes maners, fayth Galen,
although fome man wil faye that it doth not fo, but
rather recreateth and maketh quycke a mannes myncle,
yet me thinke by reafon it doth as hony doth to a
mannes ftomacke, whiche at the firfl receyueth it
well, but afterwarde it maketh it vnfit, to abyde any
good flronge norifhynge meate, or els anye holfome
lharpe and quicke drinke. And euen fo in a maner
thefe Inftrumentes make a mannes wit fo fofte and
frnoothe fo tender and quaifie, that they be leffe able
to brooke, ftrong and tough ftudie. Wittes be not
fharpened, but rather dulled, and made blunte, wyth
fuche fweete foftenelfe, euen as good edges be blonter,
whiche menne whette vpon fofte chalke ftones.

And thefe thinges to be true, not onely Plato Ariftotle
and Galen, proue by authoritie of reafon, Herodotus
but alfo Herodotus and other writers, inCho.
Ihewe by playne and euident example, as that of
Cyrus, whiche after he had ouercome the Lydians,
and taken their kinge Crefus prifoner, yet after by
the meane of one Pactyas a verye headie manne
amonges the Lydians, they rebelled agaynfte Cyrus
agayne, then Cyrus had by an by, broughte them to
vtter deftruction, yf Crefus being in good fauour with
Cyrus had not hertelie defyred him, not to reuenge
Pactyas faulte, in Ihedynge theyr blood. But if he
would folowe his counfell, he myght brynge to paffe,
that they Ihoulde neuer more rebel agaynil hym, And
yat was this, to make them weare long kyrtils, to ye
foot lyke woomen, and that euerye one of them ihoulde
haue a harpe or a lute, and learne to playe and fmg
whyche thinge if you do fayth Crefus (as he dyd in dede)
you fhall fe them quickelye of men, made women.
And thus lutinge and finginge take awaye a manlye
ftomake, whiche fhulde enter and pearce depe and
harde fludye.