Roger Ascham
born
1515?, Kirby Wiske, near York, Eng.
died Dec. 30, 1568, London
British humanist, scholar, and writer, famous
for his prose style, his promotion of the
vernacular, and his theories of education.
As a boy of 14, Ascham entered the University of
Cambridge, where he earned his M.A. (1537) and
one year later was elected a fellow of St.
John’s and appointed reader in Greek. The new
Renaissance enthusiasm for the classics,
especially Greek, was at its height.
Ascham’s
Toxophilus (“Lover of the Bow”), written in the
form of a dialogue, was published in 1545 and
was the first book on archery in English. In the
preface Ascham showed the growing patriotic zeal
of the humanists by stating that he was writing
“Englishe matter in the Englishe tongue for
Englishe men.” He became Princess Elizabeth’s
tutor in Greek and Latin (1548–50), then served
as secretary to Sir Richard Morison (1550–52),
English ambassador to the Habsburg emperor
Charles V, traveling widely on the European
continent. Thereafter, he was appointed Latin
secretary to Queen Mary, a post he held until
her death in 1558. He continued in this position
for Queen Elizabeth I until his death. He served
her by composing her official letters to foreign
rulers and by helping her pursue the study of
Greek.
The
Scholemaster, written in simple, lucid English
prose and published posthumously in 1570, is
Ascham’s best-known book. It presents an
effective method of teaching Latin prose
composition, but its larger concerns are with
the psychology of learning, the education of the
whole person, and the ideal moral and
intellectual personality that education should
mold. His success in tutoring three females—Lady
Jane Grey, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth—has
led some to consider Ascham an early proponent
of education for girls.
