Positions

by Richard Mulcaster

Necessity.

As for necessitie, when the parent is ouer charged with defect in circumstance, though desire carie him on, it then restraineth most, and lesseneth this number when desire would encrease it, and straines to the contrary. You would haue your childe learned, but your purse will not streatch, your remedy is pacience, deuise some other way, wherein your abilitie will serue. You are not able to spare him from your elbow, for your neede, and learning must haue leysure, a scholers booke must be his onely busines, without forreine lettes, you may be bold of your owne, let booking alone, for such as can entend it, from being called away by domesticall affaires, and necessarie busines, for the scholers name will not be a cypherlike subiect, as he is termed of leasure, so must he haue it. And that they cannot spare their children so, must forebeare their scholing, by the olde Persian[54] ordinance, bycause leasure is the foregoer to liberall profession: necessitie compelleth and bastardeth the conceit, a venom to learning, whom freedom should direct. You haue no schole neare you, and you cannot pay for teaching further of, let your owne trade content you: keepe your childe at home. Your childe is weake tymbred, let scholing alone, make play his physician and health his midle end. Which way soeuer neede driues you perforce, that way must ye trot, if he will not amble, and bid Will thinke that well. He that gouerneth all seeth what is your best, your selfe may be misseled either by ignorance in choice, or affection in blood. In these and the like cases lacke is the leader, which way soeuer she straineth. Whereby if the restrained childe cannot get the skil to write and read: I lament that lacke, bycause I haue allowed him somuch before, vpon some reasonable perswasion euen for necessary dealings. For these two pointes concerne euery man neare, bycause they submit themselues to euerie mans seruice: yea in his basest busines and secretest affaires. I dare not venture to allow so many the lattine tongue nor any other language, vnlesse it be in cases, where their trades be knowne, and those toungues be founde to be necessarie for them. For all the feare is, though it be more then feare, where it still falleth out so, least hauing such benefits of schole, they will not be content with the state which is for them, but bycause they haue some petie smake of their booke, they will thinke any state be it neuer so high to be low ynough for them. Which petie bookemen do not consider, that both clounes in the countrie, and artificers in townes be allowed lattine in well gouerned states, which yet rest in their calling, without pride or ambition, for that small knowledge, whereby they be better able to furnish out their trades, without further aspiring. Neither measure they the meaner qualities, as the thinges be in nature, but as themselues be in conceit: neither can they consider that at this daye it is not the toungue, but the treasure of learning and knowledge, which is laid vp in the toungue whereunto they neuer came, which giueth the toungue credit, and the speaker authoritie. For want of this right iudgement there ensueth in them a miscontentment of minde, not liking their owne state, and a cumbersome conceit, still aspiring higher, that disquieteth the whole state. Wherefore necessitie is a good meane to preuent this in many, which would if they could, now may not, bycause they cannot.

Lawe.

The second point of necessitie I do assigne to lawe and ordinaunce vpon consideration to cut of this flocking multitude, which will needes to schoole. Whereupon two great goods must needes ensue. Contentment of minde in the partie restrained, when he shall perceiue publike prouision to be the checke to his fantsie: and timely preuenting, eare conceit take roote, and thinke it selfe wronged. Bycause it is much better to nip misorder in the verie ground, that it may not take hold, then when it is growen vp, then to hacke it downe. He that neuer conceiued great thinges maye be helde there with ease, but being once entred in the waye to mount, and then throwne backward, he will be in some greife and seeke how to returne gaule, whence he receiued greife, if he chaunce to proue peuish, as repulse in great hope is a perillous grater. Yet in both these cases of necessarie restraint, I could wish prouision were had to some singular wittes, found worthy the auauncement: either by priuate patronage, or publike: and yet againe if they passe on, and bewtifie some other trade: that also is verie good, seeing they serue their countrey, whersoeuer they be loated, and in those also whom libertie of circunstance doth set to schoole pouertie will appeare, and towardnesse call for helpe: and yet the number will neuerthelesse proue still with the most.

Two obiections against restraint by lawe.

1. It is no obiection to alleadge against such a lawful restraint, the abilitie of good wittes, and great learning in men, that either now be, or heretofore haue bene, which we might haue lackt if so strait a lawe had bene then: 2. or that it were pitie by seueritie of an vnkinde lawe to hynder that excellencie, which God commonly giues to the poorer sort. To the first I aunswere, besides that, which euen lawe to that ende will aunswere for it selfe. As in time to come we know not, who shall serue the state, if the lawe be made straite, and yet we know well, that he which defendes states will prouide sufficient persons, by whom they shalbe serued: so in time past or present, if these were not, or those had not bene, whom we now see or of whom we haue heard, God would haue raised vp other, whose benefites in seruing gouernmentes may not be restrained to any degree of men, as they be men, but to the appointment of a ciuill societie, which hath direction ouer men: as a thing which God doth most cherish, both in respect of this Church which is of number, and in regard of societie it selfe, which is the naturall ende of mans being here, and not to liue alone. And I warrant you whensoeuer such an orderly restraint shalbe put in practise that there wilbe as good foresight had to haue necessarie functions serued, as there will be regard to draine away the vnnecessarie ouerflow. A thing not new faingled, but euer in vse, where the common weales, had an eye to distribute their multitude to the best and easiest proportion of their owne state: which otherwise improportionate would breade an aposteme. And therefore if the generall iudgement appoint it so, it is best to yeelde. And priuate opinion in politike cases will proue an errour, if the generall liking contrarie it flat. I do not now meane, where the generall is blinded by common errour, but where priuate conceit can take no exception, sauing that, which he bredeth from out of his owne braine. If the state of my countrey take order, that my child shall not go to schoole, sure I will obay, and prouide some other course, though I like learning exceeding well, and be verie farre in loue with it, besides the affection to my child, bycause the squaring with the generall, is to farre out of square for any particular. And I pray you may it not be, that for want of such an ordinance we mist better wittes, then those were, or are, which we either had or haue, though we thinke very well of both the sortes, whether now liuing with vs, or tofore parted from vs? And doth not negligence for want of looking to, ouerthrow as gaie and gallant heades, as diligence by doing euen her verie best, hath euer brought to light? Aduised and considerate planting is like enough to receiue verie good encrease and euentes in such cases, by authoritie and testimonie of two the greatest oratours in both the best tongues, be but foolish maisters, and febler argumentes.

As for pytying the poore, it is no pitie, not to wish a begger to become a prince, though ye allow him a pennie, and pitie his needefull want. Is he poore? prouide for him, that he may liue by trade, but let him not loyter. Is he wittie? why? be artificers fooles? and do not all trades occupie wit? sometimes to much, and thereby both straine their owne heades to the worse, and proue to suttle for a great deale their betters. Is he verie likely to proue singuler in learning? I do not reiect him, for whom I prouide a publike helpe in common patronage. But he doth not well to oppose his owne particular, against the publike good, let his countrie thinke of him enough, and not he of him selfe to much. If nobilitie and gentlemen would fall to diligence, and recouer the execution of learning, where were this obiection? The greatest assurers of it affirme, that learning was wont to be proper to nobilitie, and that through their negligence it is left for a pray to the meaner sort, and a bootie to corruption, where the professours neede offereth wrongfull violence to the liberalitie of the thing. Do they not therein confesse, where the right of the thing lyeth and themselues to be vsurpers, if they should enter vpon their owne, whose the interest is, and whom in so many discourses of nobilitie, they themselues blame so much for their so great negligence? They must needes here yeelde without law to their owne confession. But we see God hath shewed himselfe meruelous munificent and beneficiall this way to the poorer sort. I grant, yet that proues not, but that he bestowed as great giftes of them which shewed not. And that as diligence in the one did shew that they had, to the glorie of the giuer, and their owne praise: so negligence in the other, did suppresse that they had to their owne shame, who neither honoured the giuer, nor honested themselues, nor profited their countrie. So that here not the gift, but the shew is brought in allegation. And why not the greater talent hid seeing it is no noueltie? But the other shew. Nomore then that they haue. And the other shew not. No argument that they haue not. Take order then, that they shew, which haue and hide, and then make comparisons. Be great giftes tied to the meane, or banished from the mighty? be there not as good wittes in wealth, though oftimes choked with dissolutenes and negligence, as there be in pouertie appearing thorough paines and diligence? Nay be there not as vntoward poorelinges, as there be wanton wealthlinges? I know yes, and when vntowardnes and an ill inclynation hittes in a base condition, it proues more vile. So that this thing turnes about to my other conclusion, that neither pouertie is to be pitied more then the countrey, if pitie must needes take place: neither riches more to be esteemed then the common weale, if wealth must needes be wayed: but that the value in wittes must be heelde of most worth, which hath her hauen already appointed, where to harbour her selfe, in maintenaunce to studie, either by priuate helpe, if the parents be wealthy, or by publike ayde, if pouertie praie for it.

Certainly there is great reason (if euen the terme, great, be not to small, when the thing is more then needfull, and the time to preuent it, is almost runne to farre) why order should be taken, to restraine the number, that will needes to the booke. For while the Church was an harbour for all men to ride in, which knew any letter, there needed no restraint, the liuinges there were infinite and capable of that number, the more drew that waye, and found reliefe that way, the better for that state, which encroached still on, and by clasping all persons, would haue graspid all liuinges. The state is now altered, that book-maintenance maimed, the preferment that waye hath turned a new leafe. And will ye let the fry encrease, where the feeding failes? Will ye haue the multitude waxe, where the maintenance waines? Sure I conceiue of it thus, that there is as great difference in ground, betwene the suffring all to booke it in these dayes, and the like libertie to the same number, in the ruffe of the papacy amongst vs: as there is betwene the two religions, the one expelled and the other retained, in the grounds of their kinde. The expelled religion was supported by multitude, and the moe had interest, the moe stood for it: the retained must pitch the defence of her truth, in some paucity of choice: seeing the liuinges are shred, which should serue the great number. So that our time, of necessitie must restraine: if not: what you breede and feede not, the aduersarie part will allure by liuing, and arme by corrupting, against their vnwise countrey, which either bestowed them not at first, or despised them at last. Where your thankes shalbe lost, which brought vp, and forsooke their desert shall sinke deepe, which fed the forsaken. And is it not meere folly by sufferance to encrease your enemies force, which you might by ordinance supplant at ease? it is the booke, which bredes vs enemies, and causeth corruption to creepe, where cunning neuer came. The enemy state cared not so much for many well learned, as for the multitude though vnlearned, which backt much bould ignorance, with a gaie surface of some small learning: our state then must reiect the multitude, and rempare with the cunning. Our owne time is our surest touch, and our owne trouble our rightest triall, if wisedome in time do not preuent it, folly in triall will surely repent. It is to no purpose to alledge, when people see, that there is no preferment to be had for all learners, that then the number will decay, and abate of it selfe without any lawe: onelesse ye can worke so, as no moe may hope, though but one can hit: or els, if ye can appoint vs, how long the controuersie for religion is like to endure. For while hope is indifferent, eche one will croud: and while religion is in brake, eche one vnder hand, will furnish where he fauoreth. The aduersarie of our religion, as in deede he needed none, so dreamed he not of any defense, while he was rockt in ease, and his state vnassailed by any miscontentment: but now that he is skirmished with so much, and so sore gauled, he is driuen to studie, and seeketh by new coined distinctions to recouer, that credite and reputation which he lost by intruding: wherin as he dealeth more cunningly with the person of his aduersarie, so he bewrayeth still the great auantage, which his aduersaries cause hath wonne ouer his. For in disputing, good Logicians know that it is an euident shift, to auoide manifest foile, when the disputer in dispaire of his cause is forced to bend against his aduersaries person. And therefore prouision must be, to defend by a learned paucitie, where the flocking number by reason of ingenerate wantes, will proue but a scare crow, and by apparent defection doth encrease the embush, which lyeth still in waite to intercept our possession. Thus much of Necessitie, which stayeth the multitude of learners either by defect in circunstance, or by law in ordinance, when the parties be letted, either by lack that they can not, or by law that they may not, lay claime to the booke.

Choice.

Now are we come to a larger compasse, where libertie giues leaue to learne if he can, where forraine circumstances be free, and no let for any to be learned but either his wit, if he be dull, or his will, if he be stubborne. In this kinde, choise is a great prince, which by great reason and good aduice, abridgeth that which is to much, and culs owt the best. Which choice, as it begins at the entrie of the elementarie schole, so it proceedeth on, till the last preferment be bestowed, which either the state hath in store for any person, or any person can derserue, for seruice in the state. And therefore as it keepeth in an ordinate course, so it may full well be orderly handled, and by conuenient degrees.