Cambridge English Classics. English Works: Toxophilus, Report of the Affaires and State of Germany, the Scholemaster

Roger Ascham was an English humanist writer, teacher, scientist, didactic. It is considered the most prominent representative of the early English Renaissance. Roger Ascham's first published work, and probably the only one to appear in his lifetime, Toxophilus (Lover of the Bow) in 1545 was dedicated to Henry VIII. The objectives of the book were twofold: to praise the practice of archery and to show an example of a higher style of composition than ever attempted in the English language. Toxophilus was the first archery book in English. The work is a platonic dialogue between Toxophilus and the Philologist. In 1563, Ascham began the Sholemaster, published posthumously in 1570, which secured his later reputation. While not a general treatise on teaching methods, the book concentrates on the teaching of Latin; and it was not intended for schools, but "specially prepared for the private education of youth in the homes of gentlemen and nobles." Along with suggestions for educational practice, Ascham's book includes a famous warning about the dangers of Italy, which he calls "inchantementes of Circes." Report and Discourse of the Affairs and State of Germany was written in 1553, around the time of the death of Edward the Sixth (see p. 138), but it does not appear to have been printed until Ascham's death by John Day without a date, probably around 1570.