Musike.
Musicke is much vsed, where it is to be had, to the parentes delite, while the daughters be yong, more then to their owne, which commonly proueth true, when the yong wenches become yong wiues. For then lightly forgetting Musicke when they learne to be mothers, they giue it in manifest euidence, that in their learning of it, they did more seeke to please their parentes, then to pleasure themselues. But howsoeuer it is, seeing the thing is not reiected, if with the learning of it once, it may be retained still (as by order it may) it is ill let go, which is got with great paines, and bought with some cost. The learninge to sing and plaie by the booke, a matter soone had, when Musike is first minded, which still preserue the cunning, though discontinuance disturbe. And seeing it is but litle which they learne, and the time as litle wherein they learne, bycause they haste still on toward husbandes, it were expedient, that they learned perfitly, and that with the losse of their pennie, they lost not their pennieworth also, besides the losse of their time, which is the greatest losse of all. I medle not with nedles, nor yet with houswiferie, though I thinke it, and know it, to be a principall commendation in a woman: to be able to gouerne and direct her houshold, to looke to her house and familie, to prouide and keepe necessaries, though the goodman pay, to know the force of her kitchen, for sicknes and health, in her selfe and her charge: bycause I deale onely with such thinges as be incident to their learning. Which seeing the custome of my country doth permit, I may not mislike, nay I may wish it with warrant, the thing being good and well beseeming their sex. This is the most so farre as I remember, which they commonly vse in youth, and participate with vs in. If any parent do priuately traine vp his children of either sex in any other priuate fantsie of his owne, I cannot commend it, bycause I do not know it, and if it fortune to die within his priuate walles, I cannot giue it life by publike rehearsall. The common and most knowne is that, which I haue saide.
How much.
The next pointe how much, is a question of more enquirie, and therefore requireth aduised handling. To appoint besides these thinges, which are already spoken of, how much further any maide maye proceede in matter of learning and traine, is a matter of some moment, and concerneth no meane ones. And yet some petie lowlinges, do sometimes seeke to resemble, where they haue small reason, and will needes seeme like, where their petieship cannot light, vsing shew for a shadow, where they haue no fitter shift. And therfore in so doing, they passe beyond the boundes both of their birth, and their best beseeming. Which then discouereth a verie meere follie, when a meane parent traineth vp his daughter hie in those properties, which I shall streight waye speake of, and she matcheth lowe, but within her owne compasse. For in such a case those ouerraught qualities for the toyousnesse therof being misplaced in her, do cause the young woman rather to be toyed withall, as by them giuing signe of some idle conceit otherwise, then to be thought verie well of, as one wisely brought vp. There is a comlynesse in eche kinde, and a decentnesse in degree, which is best obserued, when eche one prouides according to his power, without ouerreaching. If some odde property do worke preferrement beyond proportion, it commonly stayes there, and who so shootes at the like, in hope to hit, may sooner misse: bycause the wayes to misse be so many, and to hit is but one, and wounders which be but onse seene, be no examples to resemble. Euery maide maye not hope to speede, as she would wishe, bycause some one hath sped better then she could wishe.
Where the question is how much a woman ought to learne, the aunswere may be, so much as shall be needefull. If that also come in doubt, the returne may be, either so much as her parentes conceiue of her in hope, if her parentage be meane, or prouide for her in state, if her birth beare a saile. For if the parentes be of calling, and in great account, and the daughters capable of some singular qualities, many commendable effects may be wrought therby, and the young maidens being well trained are verie soone commended to right honorable matches, whom they may well beseeme, and aunswere much better, their qualities in state hauing good correspondence, with their matches of state, and their wisedoms also putting to helping hand, for the procuring of their common good. Not here to note, what frute the common weale may reape, by such witts so worthily aduaunced, besides their owne priuate. If the parentes be meane, and the maidens in their training shew forth at the verie first some singular rarenesse like to ensue, if they florish but their naturall, there hope maye grow great, that some great matche may as well like of a young maiden excellently qualified, as most do delite in brute or brutish thinges for some straunge qualitie, either in nature to embrase, or in art to maruell. And yet this hope may faile. For neither haue great personages alwaye that iudgement, nor young maidens alwaye that fortune, though the maidens remaine the gainers, for they haue the qualities to comfort their mediocrity, and those great ones want iudgement to set forth their nobilitie.
This how much consisteth either in perfiting of those forenamed foure, reading well, writing faire, singing sweete, playing fine, beyond all cry and aboue all comparison, that pure excellencie in things but ordinarie may cause extraordinarie liking: or else in skill of languages annexed to these foure, that moe good giftes may worke more wounder. “For meane is a maime where excellencie is the maruell.” To hope for hie mariages, is good meat, but not for mowers, to haue leasure to take delite in these gentlewomanly qualities, is no worke for who will: Nay to be a paragon among princes, to vse such singularities, for the singular good of the general state, and the wonder of her person, were a wish in dispaire, were not true proofe the iust warrant, that such a thing may be wished, bycause in our time we haue found it, euen then, when we did wish it most, and in the ende more maruellous, then at first we durst haue wished. The euentes in these wymen which we see in our dayes, to haue bene brought vp in learning, do rule this conclusion. That such personages as be borne to be princes, or matches to great peeres, or to furnish out such traines, for some peculiar ornamentes to their place and calling, are to receiue this kinde of education in the highest degree, that is conuenient for their kinde. But princely maidens aboue all: bycause occasion of their height standes in neede of such giftes, both to honour themselues, and to discharge the duetie, which the countries, conmitted to their hands, do daily call for, and besides what matche is more honorable, then when desert for rare qualities, doth ioine it selfe, with highnesse in degree? I feare no workmanship in wymen to giue them Geometrie and her sister sciencies: to make them Mathematicalls, though I meane them Musicke: nor yet barres to plead at, to leaue them the lawes: nor vrinalls to looke on, to lend them some Physicke, though the skil of herbes haue bene the studie of nobilitie, by the Persian storie, and much commended in wymen: nor pulpittes to preach in, to vtter their Diuinitie: though by learning of some language, they can talke of the lining: and for direction of their life, they must be afforded some, though not as preachers and leaders: yet as honest perfourmers, and vertuous liuers. Philosophie would furnish their generall discourses, if their leasure could entend it: but the knowledge of some toungues, either of substaunce in respect of deeper learning, or account for the present time may verie well be wisht them: and those faculties also, which do belong to the furniture of speache, may be verie well allowed them, bycause toungues be most proper, where they do naturally arme. If I should allow them the pencill to draw, as the penne to write, and thereby entitle them to all my Elementarie principles, I might haue reason for me. For it neither requireth any great labour to fraye young maidens from it, and it would helpe their nedle, to beautifie their workes: and it is maintainable by very good examples euen of their owne kinde. Timarete[59] the vertuous, daughter to Mycon: Irene the curteous, daughter to Cratinus: Aristarete the absolute, daughter to Nearchus: Lala the eloquent, and euer maide of Cyzicus: Martia the couragious, daughter to Varro the best learned and most loued of any Romain, and many mo besides, did so vse the pencill, as their fame therefore is so much the fairer, bycause the fact in that sex is so seldome and rare.
And is not a young gentlewoman, thinke you, thoroughly furnished, which can reade plainly and distinctly, write faire and swiftly, sing cleare and sweetely, play wel and finely, vnderstand and speake the learned languages, and those toungues also which the time most embraseth, with some Logicall helpe to chop, and some Rhetoricke to braue. Besides the matter which is gathered, while these toungues be either learned, or lookt on, as wordes must haue seates, no lesse then rayment bodies. Were it any argument of an vnfurnished maiden, besides these qualities to draw cleane in good proportion, and with good symmetrie? Now if she be an honest woman, and a good housewife to, were she not worth the wishing, and worthy the shryning? and yet such there be, and such we know. Or is it likely that her children shalbe eare a whit the worse brought vp, if she be a Lælia, an Hortensia, or a Cornelia, which were so endued and noted for so doing? It is written of Eurydice the Epirote[60] that after she began to haue children, she sought to haue learning, to bring then vp skilfully, whom she brought forth naturally. Which thing she perfourmed in deede, a most carefull mother, and a most skilfull mistresse. For which her well doing, she hath wonne the reward, to be enrowled among the most rare matrones.
Where and when.
Now there is nothing left to ende this treatise of young maidens, but where and vnder whom, they are to learne, which question will be sufficiently resolued, vpon consideration of the time how long they are to learne, which time is commonly till they be about thirtene or fouretene yeares old, wherein as the matter, which they must deale with all, cannot be very much in so litle time, so the perfitting thereof requireth much trauel, though their time be so litle, and there would be some shew afterward, wherein their trayning did auaile them. They that may continue some long time at learning, thorough the state and abilitie of their parentes haue also their time and place sutably appointed, by the foresight of their parentes. So that the time resting in priuate forecast, I can not reduce it to generall precept, but onely thus farre, that in perfitnes it may shew, how well it was employed.
The places.