Page:A short history of social life in England.djvu/176

156 dinner, whereas they be content with a penny piece of beef among four, having pottage made of the broth of the same beef with salt and oatmeal, and nothing else. After this slender diet, they be either teaching or learning until five of the clock in the evening; whereas they have supped not much better than their dinner. Immediately after which they go either to reasoning in problems or to some other study, until it be nine or ten of the clock; and then being without fires, are fain to walk or run up and down half an hour to get a heat on their feet when they go to bed." Another glimpse of unhappy childhood is afforded us by Ascham. He found Lady Jane Grey indoors one day diligently reading Plato's "Phædo," in Greek, at the age of thirteen, while her parents, together with the gentlemen and women of the household, were hunting in the park. In answer to a question why she was not hunting with the others, she replied smiling, with a wisdom beyond her years, "I wis all their sports in the park is but a shadow of that pleasure that I find in Plato. Alas, good folk, they never felt what true pleasure meant!"

"And how came you, madam," asked Ascham, "to this deep knowledge of pleasure?" "I will tell you," said the girl. "One of the