Page "Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester" Paragraph 5

Robert Dudley was the fifth son of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland and his wife Jane, daughter of Sir Edward Guildford.

The Dudleys were a happy family with 13 children born, among whose tutors figured John Dee, Thomas Wilson, and Roger Ascham.

Roger Ascham thought that his pupil Robert had an uncommon talent for languages and writing, " exceed almost all other by nature ", and regretted that he had done himself harm by preferring " Euclid's pricks and lines " ( mathematics ).

The craft of the courtier Robert learnt at the courts of Henry VIII and Edward VI.

" My bringing-up has been too long about Princes to misuse anything towards them ", he would summarise his lessons.