Plato in his wished common weale, and his defining of naturall dignities, appointeth his degrees and honors, where nature deserueth by abilitie and worth, not where fortune freindeth by byrth and boldnes, though where both do ioyne singularitie in nature, and successe in fortune, there be some rare iewell. Hereupon I conclude, that as it necessary to preuent to great a number for the quantitie thereof: so it is more then necessarie, to prouide in the necessarie number for the qualitie thereof, wherein restraint it selfe will do much good for the one, and choice in restraint will do more for the other. Sure all children may not be set to schole, nay not though priuate circumstance say yea. And therefore scholes may not be set vp for all, though great good will finde neuer so many founders, both for the place wherein to learne, and for the number also which is for to learne: that the state may be serued with sufficiencie enough, and not be pestered with more than enough. And yet by the way for writing and reading so they rested there, what if euerie one had them, for religion sake, and their necessarie affaires? Besides that in the long time of their whole youth, if they minded no more, these two were easely learned, at their leasure times by extraordinary meanes, if the ordinarie be daintie and no schoole nigh. Euerie parish hath a minister, if none else in the parish, which can helpe writing and reading.
Of riche and poore children.
Some doubt may rise here betwene the riche and poore, whether all riche and none poore, or but some in both maye and ought to be set to learning. For all in both that is decided alreadie, No: bycause the whole question concerneth these two kindes, as the whole common weale standeth vpon these two kindes. If all riche be excluded, abilitie will snuffe, if all poore be restrained, then will towardnesse repine. If abilitie set out some riche, by priuate purses for priuate preferment: towardnesse will commende some poore to publike prouision for publike seruice: so that if neither publike in the poore, nor priuate in the riche do marre their owne market, me thinke that were best, nay that will be best, being ruled by their wittes to conceiue learning, and their disposition to proue vertuous. But how may the publike in the poore, and the priuate in the riche, make their owne market in the education of those whom they preferre to learning? I will tell ye how. The riche not to haue to much, the poore not to lacke to much, the one by ouerplus breadeth a loose and dissolute braine: the other by vnder minus a base and seruile conceit. For he that neuer needeth by supplie of freindes, neuer strayneth his wittes to be freind to himselfe, but commonly proues retchelesse till the blacke oxe tread vpon his toes, and neede make him trie what mettle he is made of. And he that still needeth for want of freindes being still in pinche holdes that for his heauen, which riddes him from neede, and serues that Saint, which serues his turne best, euen Neptune in shipwrackie. Wherby he maketh the right of his iudgement become bond for wealth: and the sight of his witte blinde for desire, such slauerie workes want, vnlesse Gods grace proue the staye, which is no line to common direction, though it be our onely hope, by waye of refuge. Now then if the wealthy parentes of their priuate patrimonie, and publike patrones of their supererogatorie wealth, will but driue to a meane in both these two mains, neither shall wealth make the one to wanton, nor want make the other to seruile: neither the one to leape to fast, for feare he loose some time, nor the other to hast to fast, for feare he misse some liuing. Sure to prouide for poore scholers but a poore patche of a leane liuing, or but some meane halfe, is more then halfe a maime, the desire to supplie that which wanteth, distracting the studie more by many partes, then that petie helpe, which they haue can possibly further it: bycause the charge to maintaine a scholer is great, the time to proue well learned, long, and when ripenesse is ready, there would be staye to chuse and time to take aduice, where neede turnes the deafe eare. The paterne of to prodigall wealth oftimes causeth the toward student to ouershoote himselfe by corrupt imitation, as brauerie and libertie be great allurers, where studie and staye pretend restraint. And therfore neither must to much be butte to allurementes, nor to litle a burden: to iudgement the one the meane to lewdnesse the other a maime to libertie. The midle sorte of parentes which neither welter in to much wealth, nor wrastle with to much want, seemeth fitteth of all, if the childrens capacitie be aunswerable to their parentes state and qualitie: which must be the leuell for the fattest to fall downe to, and the leanest to leape up to, to bring forth that student, which must serue his countrey best. Religion and learning will frame them in iudgement, when wealth and abilitie haue set them once on foote.
The choosing time.
For the choice of wittes definitely, till they come to the time, or verie neare to it, when they are themselues naturally and for ripenesse of yeares to chuse their owne kinde of life, how so euer circunstance free, or binde their choice, I cannot say much, though I do see what other haue said in that behalfe. A quicke witte will take soone, a staid memorie will hold fast, a dull head may proue somwhat, a meane witte offers faire, praise bewrayeth some courage, awe some, in eche kinde there is likelyhood, and yet error in eche. For as there be faire blossomes, so there be nipping frostes. And till the daunger of reuolt be past, the quicke must be helde in hope, the dull without dispaire, the meane the meetest, if the sequele do aunswere. I can limit no one thing, though I see great shewes, where there is such vncertaine motion, both in soule and body, as there is in children. The maisters discretion in time and vpon triall, may see and say much, and in a number there will some leaders appeare of themselues, as some speciall deare in the whole heard. Where great appearance is, there one may prophecie, and yet the lying spirite may sit in his lippes. For God hath reserued, his calling and discouering houres, as all other future euentes to his owne peculiar and priuate knowledge: probabilities be our guides, and our coniectures be great, though not without exception. What kinde of witte I like best for my countrey, as most proper to be the instrument for learning, it shall appeare herafter. But for the first question of the two, it seemeth to me verie plaine that all children be not to be set to schoole, but onely such as for naturall wittes, and sufficient maintenance, either of their naturall parentes, or ciuill patrones, shall be honestly and wel supported in their study, till the common weale minding to vse their seruice, appoint their prouision, not in hast for neede, but at leasure with choice.
CHAPTER 37.
The meanes to restraine the ouerflowing multitude of scholers. The cause why euerie one desireth to haue his childe learned, and yet must yelde ouer his owne desire to the disposition of his countrie. That necessitie and choyce be the best restrayners. that necessitie restrayneth by lacke and lawe. Why it may be admitted, that all may write and read that can, but no further. What is to be thought of the speaking and vnderstanding of Latine, and in what degree of learning that is. That considering our time and the state of religion in our time, lawe must needes helpe this restraint: with the answere to such obiections as are made to the contrary. That in choice of wittes, which must deale with learning, that wit is fittest for our state, which aunswereth best the monarchie, and how such a wit is to be knowne. That choice is to helpe in scholing, in admission into colledges, in proceeding to degrees, in preferring to liuinges, where the right and wrong of all the foure pointes be handled at full.
In the last title we haue concluded, that there must be a restraint, and that all may not passe on to learning which throng thitherward, bycause of the inconueniences, which may ensue, by want of preferment for such a multitude, and by defeating other trades of their necessarie trauellours. Our next labour therefore must be, how to handle this restraint, that the tide ouerflow not the common, with to great a spring of bookish people, if ye crie come who will, or ring out all in. Euerie one desireth to haue his childe learned: the reason is, for that how hardly soeuer either fortune frowne, or casualtie chastice, yet learning hath some strength to shore vp the person, bycause it is incorporate in the person, till the soule dislodge, neither lyeth it so open for mischaunce to mangle, in any degree, as forren and fortunes patrimonie doth. But though euerie parent be thus affected toward his owne child, as nature leades him to wish his owne best, yet for all that euerie parent must beare in memorie that he is more bound to his country, then to his child, as his child must renounce him in countermatch with his countrie. And that country which claymeth this prerogatiue of the father aboue the child, and of the child aboue the father, as it maintained the father eare he was a father, and will maintaine the child, when he is without a father: so generally it prouideth for all, as it doth require a dutie aboue all. And therefore parentes in disposing of their children may vpon good warrant surrender their interest to the generall consideration of their common countrie, and thinke that it is not best to haue their children bookish, notwithstanding their owne desire, be it neuer so earnestly bent: if their countrie say either they shall serue in this trade, without the booke: or if shee say I may not allow any more booke men without my to much trouble. I pray thee good parent haue pacience, and appoint some other course for thy childe, there be many good meanes to liue by, besides the booke, and I wilbe thy childes friend, if thou wilt fit in some order for me. This verie consideration of the countrie, vttered with so milde a speach, spoken by her that is able to performe it, may moue the reasonable parent, to yealde to her desire as best, as she can tell the headstrong in plaine termes, that he shall yeelde perforce, if he will not by entreatie, for priuate affection though supported by reason of strength whatsoeuer, must either voluntarily bend, or forcibly breake, when the common good yeeldeth to the contrary side.
Seeing therefore the disposition of wittes according to the proportion of ech state is resigned ouer to the countrie: and she sayth all may not be set to schole, bycause ech trade must be furnished, to performe all duties belonging to all parts: it falleth out in this case of restraint which bridles desire, that two speciall groundes are to be considered, which strip away excessiue number, necessitie and choice, the one perforce, the other by your leaue.