Positions

by Richard Mulcaster

But now if he liue, with all these infirmities, of decaying witte, decreasing wonder, puling bodie, he liues with small comfort, in such a world of weaknesse, which vsually commeth of to much moisture, the corrupter of such carcasses, the most vile, and violent massacrer, of the most, and best studentes, generally for want of trauell, sauing onely to their braine, which the more it is occupyed, the sorer it stilleth, and the sorer it stilleth, the sooner it killeth, the moe the more pitie. Wherfore I could wishe the wittier child, the lesse vpon the spurre, and either the longer kept from learning, for turning his edge, as a to sharpe knife: or the sklenderer kept at it, for feare of surfait, in one hungring to haue it. Yet must not this quickling be suffered to do nothing at all, for feare he grow reasty, if that nothing be dumpishe, and heauie: or passe beyond reclaime, if it be dissolute, and wanton.

The meane conceiuer, in some strength of bodie, is the best continuer, and as he serues all places best, in his height of learning, so in all respectes, ye may venture on his schooling, when it shall please you, with but ordinarie regard.

A dull witte in a strong body, if ye like to haue it learne, as by learning ye finde it: so till some degree, it may well learne, for necessarie seruice in the rest of his life: and may be hastened on boldly. For the bodie can beare labour, it is so well boaned, and the witte will not cloye, it so hardly receiueth. The sharpenesse of witte, the maister will sound by memorie, and number: the strength of the bodie, the mother will marke, by complaint, and cause.

A weake witte and as weake a bodie, is much to be moaned, for the great infirmity, and can hardly be helpt, bycause nature is to weake: and therefore it must be thought on, as in a case of despaire, againe against hope: if any thing be goten, a greife to the freindes, which cannot amend it: small ioye to him selfe, which cannot auoide it.

A strong witte, in as strong a bodie, is worthy the wishing, of the parentes to bring foorth, of the teacher to bring vp. For as it is a thing of it selfe not ordinarie, so where it lighteth, it giues vs the gaze, and bides all beginninges, but that which is to soone, bycause God hath prouided that strength in nature, wherby he entendes no exception in nurture, for that which is in nature. Such spirites there be, and such bodies they haue, if they will, and may so keepe them, with orderly regard, which is extreme hard vnto them. For that oftimes they will not do so, but distemper their bodies with disordinate doinges, when pleasures haue possessed them, and rashenesse is their ruler. Oftimes they maie not, thorough varietie and weight of important affaires, which commaundeth them too farre in some kinde of calling. But where so euer they light, or what so euer waye they take, they shewe what they be, and alwaye proue either the verie best, or the most beastly. For there can scantly be any meane in those constitutions, which are so notably framed, and so rarely endued. And therefore those parentes which haue such children must take great heede of them, as the tippes of euill, if they chuse that waye, or the toppes of good, if they minde that is best. For the middle and most moderate wittes, which commonly supplie eche corner in eche countrey, and serue most assaies, some ordinary meane will serue to order them: but where extraordinarie pointes begin to appeare, there common order is not commonly enough.

This is my opinion concerning the time, when the child shall begin to learne: which I do restraine to the strength of witte and hardnes of body: the one for to receiue learning, the other not to refuse labour: and therfore I conclude thus that the parent himselfe ought in reason to be more then halfe a iudge of the entrie to schooling, as being best acquainted with the particular circunstance of his owne child. Yet I do not allow him to be an absolute iudge, without some counsell, vnlesse he be a very rare father, and well able to be both a rule to himselfe, and a paterne to others. Bycause mostwhere men be most blinded: where they should see best, I meane in their owne: such a tyrant is affection, when she hath wonne the field, vnder the conducte of nature, and so imperious is nature, when she is disposed to make affection her deputie.

Exercises.

But now for so much as in setting our child to schoole, we consider the strength of his bodie, no lesse then we do the quicknesse of his witte, it should seeme that our traine ought to be double, and to be applyed to both the partes, that the body may as well be preserued in his best, as the minde instructed in that, which is his best, that the one may still be able to aunswere the other well, in all their common executions. As for the training vp of the minde, the waye is well beaten, bycause it is generally entreated on in euery booke, and beareth the honour and title of learning.

But for the bettering of the body, is there not any meane to maintaine it in health, and cheifly in the student, whose trade treads it downe? Yes surely, A very naturall and a heathful course there is to be kept in exercise, wherby all the naturall functions of the body be excellently furthered, and the body made fit for all his best functions. And therfore parentes and maisters ought to take such a waie, euen from the beginning, as the childes diet, neither stuffe the bodye, nor choke the conceit, which it lightly doeth, when it is to much crammed. That his garmentes which oftimes burden the bodie with weight, sometimes weaken it with warmth, neither faint it with heat, nor freese it with cold. That the exercise of the body still accompanie and assist the exercise of the minde, to make a dry, strong, hard, and therfore a long lasting body: and by the fauour therof to haue an actiue, sharp, wise and therwith all a well learned soule. If long life be the childes blessing for honoring his parentes, why should not the parentes then, which looke for that honour, all that in them lyeth, forsee in youth that their children may haue some hope of that benefit, to ensue in their age, which cannot take effect, vnlesse the thing be begon in their youth? Which if it be not by times looked vnto, they afterwardes become vncapable of long life, and so not to enioye the reward of their honour, for any thing that their parentes helpe to it, though God will be true, and perfourme that he promiseth, how so euer men hault in doing of their duetie. And yet tempting is pernicious, where the meane to hit right, is laid so manifest: and the childes honour to his parentes beginnes at obedience in his infancie, which they ought to reward, with good qualities for honour, and may worke them like waxe, bycause they do obey. This negligence of the parentes for not doing that, which in power they might, and in duetie they ought, giues contempt in the children some colour of iustice, to make their requitall with dishonour in their age, were it not that the Christian religion doth forbid reuenge: which in presidentes of prophanisme we finde allowed, where both curtesie to such parentes, as failed in education of their children is countercharged by lawe: and dissolute parentes by entreating ill, are well entertained of their neglected children: the vnfortunate children much moaned for their chaunce, that they came to so ill an ende: and the vndiscrete parentes more rated for their charge, which they looked so ill to, wherby themselues did seeme to haue forced such an ende.

The minde wilbe stirring, bycause it stirres the body, and some good meane will make it to furnish very well, so the choice be well made, wherin: the order well laid, wherby: and both well kept, wherwith: it shalbe thought best trained. The body which lodgeth a restlesse minde by his owne reste is betrayed to the common murtherers of a multitude of scholers, which be vnholesome and superfluous humors, needelesse and noysom excrementes, ill to feele within, good to send abroad.