Neither is it enough to saye, that children wilbe stirring alwaie of themselues, and that therefore they neede not any so great a care, for exercising their bodies. For if by causing them learne so and sitting still in schooles, we did not force them from their ingenerate heat, and naturall stirring, to an vnnaturall stilnesse, then their owne stirring without restraint, might seeme to serue their tourne, without more adoe. But stilnesse more then ordinarie, must haue stirring more then ordinarie: and the still breding of ill humours, which stuffe vp the body for want of stirring, must be so handled, as it want no stilling to send them away. Wherfore as stilnesse hath her direction by order in schooles, so must stirring be directed by well appointed exercise. And as quiet sitting helpes ill humors to breede, and burden the bodie: so must much stirring make a waie to discharge the one, and to disburden the other. Both which helpes, as I most earnestly require at the parent, and maisters hand: so I meane my selfe to handle them both, to the helping of both.
In the meane while, for the entring time thus much. The witte must be first wayed, how it can conceiue, and then the bodie considered, how it can beare labour: and the consorte of their strength aduisedly maintained. They haue both their peculiar functions, which by mediocrities are cherished, by extremities perished, hast doing most harme, euen to the most, and lingring not but some, sometimes to the best. And yet haste is most harmefull, where so euer, it setts foote, as we that teache alwaie finde, and they that learne, sometimes feele. For the poore children when they perceiue their owne weaknesse, whereof most commonly they maye thanke haste, they both faint, and feare, and very hardly get forward: and we that teach do meet with to much toile, when poore young babes be committed to our charge, before they be ripe. Whom if we beat we do the children wrong in those tender yeares to plant any hatred, when loue should take roote, and learning grow by liking.
And yet oftimes seueritie is to fowre, while the maister beateth the parentes folly, and the childes infirmitie, with his owne furie. All which extremities some litle discretion would easely remoue, by conference before, to forecast what would follow, and by following good counsell, when it is giuen before. Which will then proue so, when the parent will do nothing in placing or displacing of his childe, without former aduise, and communicating with the maister: and the maister likewise without respecting his owne gaine, will plainely and simply shew the parent or freind, what vpon good consideration he thinketh to be best. Wherein there wilbe no error if the parent be wise, and the maister be honest.
CHAPTER 5.
What thinges they be, wherin children are to be trained, eare they passe to the Grammar. That parentes, and maisters ought to examine the naturall abilities in their children, wherby they become either fit, or vnfit, to this, or that kinde of life. The three naturall powers in children, Witte to conceiue by, Memorie to retaine by, Discretion to discerne by. That the training vp to good manners, and nurture, doth not belong to the teacher alone, though most to him, next after the parent, whose charge that is most, bycause his commaundement is greatest, ouer his owne child, and beyond appeale. Of Reading, Writing, Drawing, Musick by voice, and instrument: and that they be the principall principles, to traine vp the minde in. A generall aunswere to all obiections, which arise against any, or all of these.
Now that I haue shewed mine opinion concerning the time, when it were best to set the child to schoole, the next two questions seeme to be, what he shall learne and howe he shalbe exercised, when he is at schoole. For seeing he is compound of a soule and a bodie: the soule to conceiue and comprehend, what is best for itselfe, and the bodie to: The bodie to waite, and attend the commaundement and necessities of the soule: he must be so trained, as neither for qualifying of the minde, nor for enabling of the bodie, there be any such defecte, as iust blame therfore may be laide vpon them, which in nature be most willing, and in reason thought most skilfull, to preuente such defaultes. For there be both in the body, and the soule of man certaine ingenerate abilities, which the wisedom of parentes, and reason of teachers, perceiuing in their infancie, and by good direction auancing them further, during those young yeares, cause them proue in their ripenesse very good and profitable, both to the parties which haue them, and to their countries, which vse them. Which naturall abilities, if they be not perceiued, by whom they should: do condemne all such, either of ignorance, if they could not iudge, or of negligence, if they would not seeke, what were in children, by nature emplanted, for nurture to enlarge. And if they be perceiued, and either missorted in place, or ill applyed in choice, as in difference of iudgementes, there be many thinges practised, which were better vnproued, to the losse of good time, and let of better stuffe, they do bewray that such teachers, and trainers, be they parentes, be they maisters, either haue no sound skill, if it come of infirmitie, or but raw heades, if it spring of fansie. If they know the inclination, and do not further it rightely, it is impietie to the youth, more then sacrilege to the state, which by their fault be not suffered to enioy those excellent benefits, which the most munificent God, by his no niggardishe nature, prouided for them both. If they found them, and followed them, but not so fully, as they were to receiue: if for want wherwith, it deserues pardon, if for want of will, exceeding blame: and cryeth for correction of the state by them hindred, and small thankes of the parties, no more furthered.
Wherfore as good parentes, and maisters ought to finde out, by those naturall principles, whervnto the younglings may best be framed, so ought they to follow it, vntil it be complete, and not to staie, without cause beyond staie, before it come to ripenesse, which ripenesse, while they be in learning, must be measured by their ablenes to receiue that, which must follow their forebuilding: but when they are thought sufficiently well learned, and to meddle with the state, then their ripenesse is to be measured, by vse to themselues, and seruice to their countrey, in peace, as best and most naturall, in warre, as worse, and most vnnatural, and yet the ordinarie ende of a disordered peace. For when the thinges, which be learned do cleaue so fast in memorie, as neither discontinuaunce can deface them, nor forgetfulnesse abolishe them: then is abilitie vpon ascent, and when ascent is in the highest, and the countrey commaundes seruice, then studie must be left, and the countrey must be serued.
Seeing therfore in appointing the matter, wherin this traine must be employed, there is regard to be had first to the soule, as in nature more absolute, and in value more precious: and then to the bodie, as the instrument and meane, wherby the soule sheweth what is best to be done in necessity of fine force, in choice of best shew: I will remitte the bodie to his owne roome, which is peculiarly in exercises, sauing where I cannot meane the soule, without mention of the bodie, and in this place I wil entreat of the soule alone, how it must be qualified. And yet meane I not to make any anatomie, or resolution of the soule his partes and properties, a discourse, not belonging to this so low a purpose, but onely to pick out some natural inclinations in the soule, which as they seeme to craue helpe of education, and nurture, so by education, and nurture, they do proue very profitable, both in priuate and publicke. To the which effect, in the litle young soules, first we finde, a capacity to perceiue that which is taught them, and to imitate the foregoer. That witte to learne, as it is led, and to follow as it is foregone, would be well applyed, by proprietie in matter, first offered them to learne: by considerate ascent in order, encreasing by degrees: by wary handling of them, to draw them onward with courage. We finde also in them, as a quickenes to take, so a fastnesse to retaine: therfore their memorie would streight waye be furnished, with the verie best, seeing it is a treasurie: exercised with the most, seeing it is of receite: neuer suffered to be idle, seeing it spoiles so soone. For in defaulte of the better, the worse will take chaire, and bid it selfe welcome: and if idlenesse enter, it will exclude all ernest, and call in her kinsfolkes, toyes and triffles, easie for remembraunce, heauy for repentaunce.
We finde in them further an ability to discern, what is good, and what is ill, which ought foorthwith to be made acquainted with the best, by obedience and order, and dissauded from the worse, by misliking and frowne. These three thinges, witte to take, memorie to keepe, discretion to discern, and moe if ye seeke, though but braunches to these, which I chuse for my purpose, shall ye finde pearing out of the litle young soules: when you may see what is in them, and not they themselues. Whose abilitie to encrease in time, and infirmitie to crawle at that time is commended to them, which first begot them, or best can frame them. Now these naturall towardnesses being once espied, in what degree they rise, bycause there is ods in children by nature, as in parentes by purchase, they must be followed with diligence, encreased by order, encouraged by comfort, till they come to their proofe. Which proofe trauell in time will perfourme, hast knittes vp to soone, and vnperfit, slownesse to late, and to weake.