Specimens of English literature from the 'Ploughmans crede' to the ...

XXVII. E UPHUES AND HIS EPHCEBUS. 333God, feare God, loue God, and God will blesse you, as eitheryour hearts can wish, or your friends desire."This was his graue and godly aduise, whose counsel 1would haue you all to follow ; frequent lectures, vse disputacionsopenly, neglect not your priuate studies, let not degrees 19^be giuen for loue but for learning, not for mony, but forknowledge, and bicause you shall bee the better incouragedto follow my counsell, I wil be as it were an example myselfe,desiring you al to imitate me.'Euphues hauing ended his discourse, and finished those 195precepts which he thought necessary for the instruction ofyouth, gaue his minde to the continual studie of Philosophic,insomuch as he became publique Reader in the Vniuersitie,with such commendation as neuer any before him, in thewhich he continued for the space of tenne yeares, only 200searching out the secrets of Nature and the hidden misteriesof philosophy ;and hauing collected into three volumes hislectures, thought for the profite of young schollers to settethem foorth in print, which if he had done, I would also inthis his Anaiomie haue inserted; but he, altering his determi- 205nation, fellinto this discourse with himselfe.*Why Euphues, art thou so addicted to the studie of theHeathen, that thou hast forgotten thy God in heauen } shalthy wit be rather employed to the atteining of humaine wisedomethen diuine knowledge.'' Is Aristotle more deare to 210thee with his bookes, then Christ with his bloud 1 Whatcomfort canst thou finde in Philosophy for thy guiltie conscience} What hope of the resurrection ? What glad tidingsof the Gospell ?Consider with thy-selfe that thou art a gentleman, yea, and 21a Gentile ; and if thou neglect thy calling, thou art worsethen a lewe. INIost miserable is the estate of those Gentlemen,which thinke it a blemmish to their auncestours and a