her."

Neither did they; they were friends as long as they lived, and the one
came often to visit the other.

ROGER ASCHAM

(1515-1568)

This noted scholar owes his place in English literature to his pure,
vigorous English prose. John Tindal and Sir Thomas More, his
predecessors, had perhaps equaled him in the flexible and simple use of
his native tongue, but they had not surpassed him. The usage of the time
was still to write works of importance in Latin, and Ascham was master
of a good Ciceronian Latin style. It is to his credit that he urged on
his countrymen the writing of English, and set them an example of its
vigorous use.

He was the son of John Ascham, house steward to Lord Scrope of Bolton,
and was born at Kirby Wiske, near Northallerton, in 1515. At the age of
fifteen he entered St. John's College, Cambridge, where he applied
himself to Greek and Latin, mathematics, music, and penmanship. He had
great success in teaching and improving the study of the classics; but
seems to have had a somewhat checkered academic career, both as student
and teacher. His poverty was excessive, and he made many unsuccessful
attempts to secure patronage and position; till at length, in 1545, he
published his famous treatise on Archery, 'Toxophilus,' which he
presented to Henry VIII. in the picture gallery at Greenwich, and which
obtained for him a small pension. The treatise is in the form of a
dialogue, the first part being an argument in favor of archery, and the
second, instructions for its practice. In its pages he makes a plea for
the literary use of the English tongue.

After long-continued disappointment and trouble, he was finally
successful in obtaining the position of tutor to the Princess Elizabeth,
in 1548. She was fifteen years old, and he found her an apt scholar; but
the life was irksome, and in 1550 he resigned the post to return to
Cambridge as public orator,--whence one may guess as a main reason for
so excellent a teacher having so hard a time to live, that like many
others he liked to talk about his profession better than to practice it.
Going abroad shortly afterward as secretary to Sir Richard Morysin,
ambassador to Charles V., he remained with him until 1553, when he
received the appointment of Latin secretary to Queen Mary. It is said
that he wrote for her forty-seven letters in his fine Latin style, in
three days.

[Illustration: ROGER ASCHAM]

At the accession of Elizabeth he received