FOrasmuch, as it is a meritorious
dede, to instruct youth
in vertuous thinges, which
youth, of it selfe, is prope~se,
and readye, withoute anye
teacher, to take, and embrace vice, vnthriftines,
and all maner noughtinesse,
it is thought good seyng of late daies,
the youth of this realme hath ben nouseled
with vngodlie Catechismes, and
pernicious euil doctrine, whiche is to be
feared, they wyl not forget, in as much,
as the new vessel lo~g doth kepe the sent
or sauoure, of the firste liquoure, wherwith
it was seasoned, accordinge to the
olde prouerbe: Quo semel est imbuta recens
seruabit odorem testa diu: And that
also the youthe muste haue some honest
introduction, and entrye in thinges co~uenient
for them to learne, that is to
saye: bothe to knowe the letters, with
ioyninge of them together, and thereby
the soner made apt to go further, bothe

A.ii.

in readynge, and also in wrytynge it is
thoughte good I saye, seynge the elder
age is prouided for in necessary doctrine
already set furthe, that the saide youth
should also haue some helpe herin. For
which purpose, here briefly is set furthe
for them, as well letters of diuerse sortes,
commonlye vsed in this realme, as
also syllables, and ioyninge of the sayde
letters together. And as for woordes,
sentences, and matters, suche is here in
this behalfe set also furth, as is iudged
to be most necessary, apte, and requisite
for the sayde youth to learne. As fyrste
to know how to blesse them selues mornynge
and euening: to say also the Pater
noster the Aue Maria, the Crede, the
Confiteor, with the rest to answere the
Priest at Masse: to saye grace at diner
and supper: To say the de profundis: To
know and learne vpon the boke, and by
harte, the ten commaundementes of almightie
God, geuen in the olde lawe:
The two co~maundementes of God, expressed
in the Gospel: The. vii. principal
vertues: The. vii. woorkes of mercye
bodely: The. vii. workes of mercy gostly,
or spiritual: The. vii. giftes of the holy
ghost: The. viii. beatitudes: The. vii.
sacramentes: To knowe by the boke, &
thereby to auoyde, the seuen deadly synnes.
All these thinges ioyntly, in Latin
and in Englishe, for the youth, to learne
therby to reade bothe the tounges are
set furth by the Bishoppe of London, to
be taught by all the scholemasters vnto
the youthe within his sayde Diocese of
London. Straytlie chargyng, and commau~ding,
al the said scholemasters, and
all maner of other persons, within hys
sayde diocesse, neither to teache, learne,
reade, or vse, any other maner of A B C
Catechisme, or rudimentes, then
this, made for the first instruction
of youth.