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Secondary sourceBook1570

The Scholemaster

Roger Ascham · 1570

A treatise on education by Roger Ascham, Elizabeth I's tutor, published after his death, praising her learning and skill with languages.

Written by her own tutor, this book is a principal source for understanding Elizabeth I's famous education.

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Front cover of a dark black cloth-bound book with gold-stamped title 'Roger Ascham' and 'The Scholemaster' in decorative blackletter type, framed by black ornamental borders. A library barcode label reading UC-NRLF and a yellow call-number label are attached, with handwritten call numbers LB 1638 L3A7 1870 in the top left.
Roger Ascham, The Scholemaster, published 1570. Library binding shown; text later digitized.

About this source

What it is

The Scholemaster is a book by Roger Ascham about teaching children, especially the sons and daughters of gentlemen and nobles, to read, write and speak Latin well. Ascham wrote it near the end of his life and it was published in 1570, after his death.

Why it matters

Ascham was Elizabeth I's tutor, and this book is one of the main sources historians use to understand how she was educated and how highly her learning was regarded. It shows the Renaissance belief that a ruler's mind should be carefully trained, and gives insight into the ideas behind the education of noble children in Tudor England.

Look closer

  • Why might a tutor's book about teaching Latin matter for understanding a queen's reputation?
  • What does it tell us that this book was published only after the author's death?
  • What parts of Elizabeth's education might this book leave out?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Elizabeth I on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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