“A man’s ground is of itself good; yet, if it be not manured, it will contract barrenness; and the better it was naturally, so much the more is it ruined by carelessness, if it be ill-husbanded. On the other side, let a man’s ground be more than ordinarily rough and rugged; yet experience tells us that, if it be well manured, it will be quickly made capable of bearing excellent fruit. “

Plutarch, “The Training of Chldren,” from The Ancient History Sourcebook at Fordham University

© Paul Halsall, June 1998 halsall@murray.fordham.edu

“The next morning Antonius assembled the Senate, and called for Cicero by name. Cicero refused to goe, and kept his bedde, fayning that he was werie with his jorney and paines he had taken the day before : but in deede, the cause why he went not, was, for feare and suspicion of an ambushe that was layed for him by the way, if he had gone, as he was informed by one of his verie good frends.

“Antonius was marvelously offended that they did wrongfully accuse him, for laying of
any ambush for him : and therefore sent souldiers to his house, and commaunded them to bring him by force, or else to sette his house a fire.”

~~ Plutarch, Life of Cicero

Remember my Texas talk on Charlotte Mason and T.S. Eliot? Today and tomorrow, it’s downloadable through the AmblesideOnline website for US$.99.  You can also download two other plenaries, at the full price of US$5; and others will be coming. The special deal on these is partly to say Happy 15th Birthday to AmblesideOnline.

Isn’t that a pretty graphic? (Although I admit I am happy to see the snow all gone here now.)

It’s the creation of Brandy Vencel, and she’s come up with one for each of the plenaries and breakout sessions at the Deep in the Heart of AO Conference, this May in Waxahachie (near Dallas). There is still some space to register, if you’d like to join us.

Awhile back, I spent an hour chatting about Plutarch with Pam Barnhill,  the host of Your Morning Basket and other homeschool podcasts. The interview is now live on the Ed Snapshots website (Episode 13 of Your Morning Basket).

(Another recent Ed Snapshots interview I want to listen to features author Melissa Wiley.)