in one of his earliest pamphlets, called the reason of church government, he said this about himself: ‘after i had for my first years, by the ceaseless diligence and care of my father, whom god recompense, been exercised to the tongues and some sciences as my age would suffer, by sundry masters and teachers, both at home and at the schools, it was found that whether ought was imposed me by them that had the overlooking, or be taken to of mine own choice in english or other tongue, prosing or versing but chiefly by this latter, style by certain vital signs it had was likely to live.