Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/401

Rh 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, and but very few men have attained thereunto?"—"I will tell you," said she, "and tell you a truth, which perchance you will marvel at. One of the greatest benefits that God ever gave me, is, that he sent me so sharp and severe parents, and so gentle a schoolmaster; for when I am in presence of either father or mother, whether I speak, keep silence, sit, stand, or go, eat, drink, be merry or sad, be sewing, 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 sometimes, with pinches, nips, and bobs, and other ways (which I will not name for the honour I bear them) without measure misordered, till the 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 nothing 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 to me daily more pleasure, and more that in respect of it, all other pleasures in very deed, are but trifles and very troubles unto me." I remember this talk very gladly, (says Mr. Ascham), both because it is so worthy of memory, and because also it was the last talk that ever I had, and the last time that ever I saw that noble and worthy lady."

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