Tudor Books, Roger Ascham's Books

[Around 1550 Before I went into Germany,¹ I came to Broadgate]

Note 1. This discourse with this excellent lady, he thus expresses in a letter to his friend Sturmius²: "In this last summer, when I was in Leicestershire, to take my leave of that noble lady Lady Jane Grey (age 14). Jane Grey, to whom I was exceeding much beholding. Her parents, the duke [Henry Grey 1st Duke of Suffolk (age 33)] and duchess [Frances Brandon Duchess of Suffolk (age 32)], with all the household, gentlemen and gentlewomen, were hunting in the park. I found her in her chamber, reading Phædo Platonis in Greek, and that with as much delight as some gentlemen would read a merry tale in Boccace. After salutation, and duty done, with some other talk, I asked her, why she would leese such pastime in the park 1 Smiling, she answered me; " I wist, all their sport in the park is but a shadow to that pleasure that I find in Plato. Alas! good folk, they never felt what true pleasure meant." "And how came you, madam," quoth I, "to this deep knowledge of pleasure? and what did chiefly allure you unto it, seeing not many women, but very few men, have attained thereunto1?" " I will tell you," quoth she, "and tell you a truth, which perchance ye will marvel at. One of the greatest benefits that ever God gave me, is, that he sent me so sharp and severe parents, and so gentle a schoolmaster. For when I am in presence either of father or mother; whether I speak, keep silence, sit, stand, or go, eat, drink, be merry, or sad, be sewing, playing, dancing, or doing any thing else; I must do it, as it were, in such weight, measure, and number, even so perfectly, as God made the world; or else I am so sharply taunted, so cruelly threatened, yea presently some times with pinches, nips, and bobs, and other ways (which I will not name for the honour I bear them) so without measure misordered, that I think myself in hell, till time come that I must go to Mr Elmer; who teacheth me so gently, so pleasantly, with such fair allurements to learning, that I think all the time no-visiting my friends in the York region, and from there I was summoned by the letters of John Checi to the Court, that I might journey here, I turned aside to Leicester, where thing whiles I am with him. And when I am called from him, I fall on weeping, because whatsoever I do else but learning, is full of grief, trouble, fear, and whole misliking unto me. And thus my book hath been so much my pleasure, and bringeth daily to me more pleasure and more, that in respect of it, all other pleasures, in very deed, be but trifles and troubles unto me."

Note 1. This discourse with this excellent lady, he thus expresses in a letter to his friend Sturmius²: "In this last summer, when I was visiting my friends in the York region, and from there I was summoned by the letters of John Checi to the Court, that I might journey here, I turned aside to Leicester, where Jane Grey was living with her father. Immediately I was admitted into the room: I found a noble girl, Good gods! reading Greek the Phaedo of Plato; whom she understands in such a way that she inspired the highest admiration in me. Thus she speaks and writes Greek, that to the one reporting it, scarcely any belief can be given. She has found a teacher, John Elmarus, very skilled in both languages; because of his kindness, wisdom, experience, correct religion, and many other very proper bonds of the most excellent friendship, most closely connected to me."

Note 2. Original Latin: "Hac superiore æstate, quum amicos meos in agro Eboracensi viserem, et inde literis Joannis Checi in Aulam, ut hue proficiscerer, accitus sum, in via deflexi Leicestriam, ubi Jana Graia cum patre habitaret. Statim admissus sum in cubiculum: inveni nobilem puellam, Dii boni! legentem Græce Phædonem Platonis; quern sic intelligit, ut mihi ipsi summam admirationem injiceret. Sic loquitur et scribit Græce, ut vera referenti vix fides adhiberi possit. Nacta est præceptorem Joannem Elmarum, utriusque linguæ valde peritum; propter humanitatem, prudentiam, usum, rectam religionem, et alia multa rectissimæ. amicitise vincula, mihi conjunctissimum."