Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Rhodes, Hugh
RHODES, HUGH (fl. 1550), author of the ‘Book of Nurture,’ ‘born and bred in’ Devonshire, was a gentleman of the king's chapel. For the benefit of the children of the chapel he prepared his ‘Boke of Nurture, or Schoole of good Maners. For Men, Servants, and Children, with Stans puer ad mensam.’ This was printed by Thomas Petit, probably about 1550. There is a copy (imperfect) in the Bodleian Library. It deals with (1) ‘The Duties of Parents and Masters; (2) The Manner of serving a Knight, Squire, or Gentleman; (3) How to order your Mayster's Chamber at night to bed-warde; (4) The Book of Nurture and Schoole of good Manners for Man and for Chylde; (5) For the Wayting Servant; (6) The Rule of Honest Living.’ A new edition is dated in 1577, and this edition was reprinted in 1868 for the Early English Text Society by Dr. F. J. Furnivall.
Rhodes was also author of ‘The Song of the Chyld-byshop, as it was songe before the Queenis Majestie in her privie Chamber at her manour of Saynt James in the Feildis on Saynt Nicholas Day and Innocents Day this year nowe present, by the Chyld-byshope of Paules Churche with his Company’ (1555) (Warton, ed. Hazlitt, 1871, iv. 237). This poem consists of thirty-six octave stanzas and is a fulsome panegyric on Queen Mary.
[Preface to the Early English Text Society's reprint of the Boke of Nurture in the Babees Book, edited by F. J. Furnivall, 1868.]