Erasmus writes sympathetically about play
in his famous " Colloquies." In the section on
" Various plays," the following dialogue takes
place : —

" Nicholas : ; ; ; This fine weather is a great
invitation to go to play.
" Jerome : Indeed it invites you, but the master
doesn't . . * you may as soon wrest Hercules'
club out of his hand as get a play day from him ;
yet time was when nobody loved play better
than he did.
" Nicholas : That is true, but he has forgot a
great while since that he was a boy himself. . ..
" Codes (to master) : Your whole school begs a
play day.
" Master : You do nothing else but play, even
without leave.
