Positions

by Richard Mulcaster

Schoole choice.

Wherfore when sufficient abilitie in circunstances bids open the schoole dore, the admission and continuaunce be generall, till vpon some proofe the maister, whom I make the first chuser of the finest, and the first clipper of the refuse, begin to finde and be able to discerne, where abilitie is to go on forward, and where naturall weaknesse biddes remoue by times. For if negligence worke weaknesse, that is an other disease, and requires an other medecine, to heale it withall. Now when the maister hath spied the strength or infirmitie in nature, as by lightsomnesse or heauinesse in learning, by easinesse or hardnesse in retaining, by comparing of contrarie or the like wittes, he shall easely sound both, then as his delite wilbe to haue the toward continue, so must his desire be, how to procure the diuerting and remouing of the duller and lesse toward, to some other course, more agreeing with their naturall, then learning is: wherin they are like to go forward verie litle, though their fortune be to go to schoole very long: but here two considerations are to be had: neither to soone to seeke their diuerting, till some good ripenesse in time, though with some great paines to the teacher in the meane time, wish them to be weined from booking: neither yet before their bodies be of strength to abide the paines of some more laborious prenticeship. For it may so proue, that those wittes, which at the first were found to be exceeding hard and blunt, may soften, and proue sharp in time and shew a finer edge, though that be not to be made a generall caution, to cover dullardes with all. For the naturall dulnesse will disclose it selfe generally in all pointes, that concerne memorie and conceit: that dulnesse which will once breake out sharp, will shew it selfe by glaunces, as a clowdy day vseth, which will proue faire, when all shrews haue dined. Wherefore peremptorie iudgement to soone, may proue perillous to some: and againe he that is fit for nothing else, for the tendernesse of his bodie, may abide in the schoole a litle while longer, where though he do but litle good, yet he may be sure to take litle harme.

Moreouer if the parentes abilitie be such, as he may, and his desire such, as he will maintaine his child at schoole, till he grow to some yeares, though he grow to small learning, the maister must haue pacience, and measure his paines by the parentes purse, where he knowes there is plentie, and not by the childes profit, which he seeth will be small. Wherein yet he must impart his opinion continually with the parent both for his duetie sake, and for auoiding of displeasure. But in the meaner sorte the case altereth, for that as a good witte in a poore child, deserues direct punishment, if by negligence he for slow the obtaining of learning, which is the patrimonie to wittie pouertie: so a dull witte in that degree would not be dalyed with all to long, but be furthered to some trade, which is the fairest portion to the slow witted poore. Now bycause the maister to whose iudgement I commend the choice, is no absolute potentate in our common weale, to dispose of wittes, and to sorte mens children, as he liketh best, but in nature of a counsellour, to ioine with the parent, if he will be aduised: therfore to haue this thing perfectly accomplished, I wish the parentes and maisters to be freindly acquainted, and domestically familiar. And though some parentes neede no counsell, as some maisters can giue but litle, yet the wise parent will heare, and can iudge: and the skilfull maister can iudge, and should be heard. Where neither of these be, neither skill in the teacher to tell it, nor will in the parente to heare it, and lesse affection to follow it, the poore child is wrung to the worse in the meane while, and the parent receiues small comfort in conclusion.

This course for the maister to keepe in iudging of his scholer, and the parent to follow in bestowing of his child, according to his wit, continueth so long as the child shalbe either vnder maistership in schole, or tutorship in colledge. During the which time, a great number may be verie wisely and fitly bestowed, vnlearned trades sufficiently appointed, the proceding in letters reserued to them, to whom for wit and iudgement they seeme naturally vowed: and finally the whole common weale in euery braunch well furnished with number, and the number it selfe discharged of to much. Bycause this tyme vnder the maisters gouerment, is the time wherin youth is to be bestowed by forraine direction: for afterward in a more daungerous age, and a more ieoperdouse time, they grow on to their owne choice, and these vnfitnesses in nature, or frailtes in maners, being not foreseene to, may cause the friendes forthinke it, and the parties sore rue it. And though the maister shall not allway haue his counsell followed in this case, yet if he do signifie his opinion to the parent, his dutie is discharged, and that which I require is orderly performed. For if the parent shew himselfe vnwilling to be directed that way, which the maister shall allow, vpon great ground, and be blynded by affection, measuring his childes wit to learning, by his doing of some errand, or by telling of some tale, or by marking of some pretie toy, as such argumentes there be vsed, which yet be no argumentes of a towarde learner, but of a no foolish obseruer: in this case though the maister to his owne gaine draw on vnder his hand a desparate wit, the fault is his that would not see, if he that saw did honestly tell it. Whereby it still proueth true, that parentes and maisters should be familiarly lynked in amitie, and contynual conference, for their common care, and that the one should haue a good affiance of iudgement in the thing, and of goodwill towards himselfe, reposed in the other. Which will proue so, when the maister is chosen with iudgement, and continued with conference, and not bycause my neighbours children go to schole with you, you shall haue myne to. A common commendation among common coursiters, which post about still to suruey all scholes, and neuer staie in one: and reape as much learning, as the rowling stone doth gather mosse.

But concerning scholes, and such particularities, as belong thereunto I will then deale, when I shall take in hand the peculiar argumentes, of schooles and schooling, both for the elementarie and the grammarian. Wherein we are no lesse troubled with number and confusion in our petie kingdomes, then the verie common weale is molested with the same in greater yeares, and larger scope.

But bycause it were not orderly delt, to rip the faultes, and not to heale them, I wil post all these pointes ouer to their owne treatises, in my particuler discourses hereafter, where I will presently helpe, whatsoeuer I shall blame. The other meanes wherby choice lesseneth number, be admissions into colleges, prefermentes to degrees, aduauncement vnto liuings, wherein the common weale receiueth the greater blow, the nearer these thinges be to publike execution, and therefore the playner dealing to preuent mischiefe before it infect, is the more praiseworthy.

Admission into colleges.

As concerning colleges I do not thinke the liuinges in them to be peculiar, or of purpose ment to the poorer sort onely, whose want that small helpe could neuer suffice, though there be some prerogatiue reserued vnto them, in consideration of some great towardnes, which might otherwise be trod down, and that way is held vp: but that they be simply preferments for learning, and auauncementes to vertue, as wel in the wealthy for reward of wel doing, as in the poorer for necessarie support. And therefore as I giue admission scope to chuse of both the sortes, so I do restraine it to honest and ciuill towardnes. For if fauour and friendship not for these furnitures, but for priuate respectes, carie away elections though with some enterlarding of towardnes and learning, and some few to giue countenaunce to some equitie of choice, and theerby to maintaine the credit of such places, surely the scholers and heades which deuised the sleight, and conceiued they were not seene, shall repent without recouerie, and finde themselues bound, and their colleges bowelled, when they shal fele themselues ouerruled by their owne deuise: bycause such as come in so, will communicate the like with others, and neuer care for the common, which were helpt by the priuate. For where fauour bringes in almost in despite of order, there must fauour be returned with meruelous disorder, and yet I do not mislike fauour, which helpeth desert, which otherwise might be foiled, if fauour friended not. But when the ground wherupon fauour buildes is not so commendable, founders be discouraged, common prouision supplanted, learning set ouer to loytering, brauerie made enheritour to bookes. Stirringe wittes haue their will for the time, and repentance at leasure. The fault hereof commeth from scholers themselues, which first make way to sinister meanes, and afterward blame, the verie meane which they vsed themselues. For finding some ease at first in working their owne will, either more cunningly to hide some indirect dealing, or more subtilly to supplant some contrary faction: or in deede desiring rather by commaundement to force, and so to seeme somebodie, then of dutie to entreat, and so seeme abiect to honestie: they stumble at the last vpon the blocke of bondage, being bridled of their owne will, euen when they are in ruffe, by the selfe same meanes, which brought them vnto it, and thought so to staule them, as themselues would commaund where they caused the speed. These fellowes be like to Horaces horse, which to ouercome the stag, vsed man for his meane once, and his maister alway: neither refusing the saddle on his ridg, to be rid on, nether the bit in his mouth, to be bridled by. A braue victory so dearely bought, to the victours bondage, and perpetuall slauerie. Whereas if learning and those conditions which I did lymit to a ciuill wit in this state, were the end in elections, the vnfit should be set ouer to some other course, in conuenient time: the fittest should be chosen, the founders mynde fulfilled: some periurie for non perfourmaunce of statutes auoided: new patrones procured, religion auaunced, good studentes encouraged, and fauour vpon extreame and importunate sute disfranchised: which neuer will oppose it selfe to so honest considerations, so constantly kept: neither euer doth intrude, without some such sollicitours, as should be sorie for it, and vse no meane to haue it, which oftimes vse this meane, to do il by warrant, as if they were forced to that, which in deede they ment before, and sought fauour but for a shadow to hide their deuise. Now if you that are to chuse, yeeld so much to your selues, and your owne conceit to bring your deuises to passe, though ye wring by the waie, and your state in the ende, why should you not in good truth relent, and giue place your selues being in places, to your betters and bidders, which gaiue you the roome, and yet would haue left all to you, if you would haue left any place to reason: or haue bene led by right, as ye leaned all to the wronge? you had your will by them, and why not they haue theirs of you? requitall among equalles is of common curtesie, recompence in inequalities is enforced of necessitie.

If any metall be to massie, and way downe the ballance, or if any metallish meane, where money will scale, do enter that fort, where is small resistance, that is solde, which ought not, the enheritaunce of vertue: that is bought, which should not, the liuelihood of learning: that is betrayed, which neither should for feare, nor ought for freindship, the treasure of the state, and prouision of the countrey. And if there be neede, which enforceth such dealing, yet deale, where it is due, and let neede be remedyed, with her owne prouision, not by vnhonest intrusion. I do not blame any one, bycause my selfe know none, and I thinke well of most, bycause I know some sincere. But some thing there is that feedeth the generall complaint, and some contentious factions there be, that bring catchers into colleges. For both these two inconueniences, worse then mischeifes as our common law termeth them, I haue nothing to say more then to renue the memorie of two accidentes, which happened to the Romain common weale, and may be vnderstood by scholers that will marke and applie them. 1. The first is, that in Tullie,[55] when Pontius the Samnite wished that he either had not bene borne vntill, or but then borne, when the Romaines would haue receiued giftes and rewardes, Why? what if? I would not haue suffred them to haue reigned one day longer, by selling their libertie, they should haue become bond. The fellow said much, and that state felt more, when they fell to fingering.

The main rot of the Romaine empire.