Positions

by Richard Mulcaster

This question for the bringing vp of yong gentlemen offereth the deciding of an other ordinarie controuersie, betwene publike education and priuate, which verie name in nature is enemy to publike, as inclosure is to common, and swelling to much ouerlayeth the common, not onely in education, where it both corrupteth by planting a to priuate habit, and is corrupted it selfe by a degenerate forme, but also in most thinges else. Yet do I not deny both personall properties and priuate realities, which law doth allow in priuate possessions, euen there, where friendship makes thinges to be most common by participation. I will therefore speake a litle of this priuate traine, before I passe to the education of gentlemen. What doe these two wordes import, priuate education? Priuate is that, which hath respect in all circumstances to some one of choice: as publike in all circumstances regardeth euery one alike. Education is the bringing vp of one, not to liue alone, but amongest others, (bycause companie is our naturall cognisaunce) whereby he shall be best able to execute those doings in life, which the state of his calling shall employ him vnto, whether publike abrode, or priuate at home, according vnto the direction of his countrie, whereunto he is borne, and oweth his whole seruice. All the functions here be publike and regard euery one, euen where the thinges do seeme to be most priuate, bycause the maine direction remaineth in the publike, and the priuate must be squared, as it will best ioyne with that: and yet we restraine education to priuate, all whose circumstaunces be singular to one. As if he that were brought vp alone, should also euer liue alone, as if one should say, I will haue you to deale with all, but neuer to see all: your end shalbe publike, your meane shalbe priuate, that is to say, such a meane as hath no minde to bring you to that end, which you seeme to pretend: Bycause naturally priuate is sworne enemy to publike in all euentes, as it doth appeare when priuate gaine vndoeth the common, though publike still pretend friendship to all that is priuate in distributiue effects, as it is plainely seene when the publike care doth helpe ech priuate, and by cherishing the singuler maintaineth the generall, whereas the priuate letteth the publike drowne, so it selfe may flete aboue. For in deed they march mostwhat from seuerall groundes to seuerall issues by most seuerall and least sutable meanes, the one in nature a rowmy pallace full of most varietie to content the minde, the other a close prison, tedious to be tied to, where the sense is shackled: the one in her kinde, a libertie, a broade feild, an open aire, the other in the contrarie kinde, a pinfold, a cage, a cloister: Neither do I take these tearmes to make a fit diuision, where the end is still common and the abuse priuate. For how can education be priuate? it abuseth the name as it abuseth the thing. If they will say education is either good or ill, and vse the naturall name, then methinke the disembling which is shadowed in the tearme priuate would soone appeare: though there can be no worse name then priuate, sauing where the publike doth appoint it, which in education it will not, thereby to foster her owne foe: though in possessions it do, to haue subsidies to sustaine, and paiements to maintaine her great common charge.

And though in communities of kinde which naturally is deuided into spieces, nature engraffe priuate differences for distinction sake, as reason in man to part him from a beast, yet that difference remaineth one still, bycause there is none better: which countenaunce of best cannot here be pretended, bycause in education priuate is the worst. This priuate renting in sunder of persons, for a pretended best education, which must passe on togither after education is verie daungerous in all daies, for many priuate pushes, while euery parent can serue his owne humour, be it neuer so distempered: by the secrecie of his owne house, not to be discouered: by the choyce of his teacher, which will be ready to follow, if he forgoe not in folley: by the obedience of his child, which must learne as he is led, or else be beaten for not learning: which must obey as he is bid, or else lease his parent blessing. In publicke schooles this swaruing in affection from the publicke choice in no case can be. The master is in eye, what he saith is in eare: the doctrine is examined: the childe is not alone, and there must he learne that which is laid vnto him in the hearing of all and censure of all. Whatsoeuer inconueniences do grow in common schooles, (as where the dealers be men, how can there be but maimes?) yet the priuate is much worse, and hatcheth moe odde ills. Naturally it is not built vpon vnitie, brad by disunion, to seeme to see more then the common man doth, to seeme to preuent that by priuate wit, which the common doth incurre by vnaduised follie: to seeme to gaine more in secrecie, then the common giues in ciuilitie. By cloistering from the common it will seeme to keepe a countenaunce farre aboue the common, euen from the first cradle. Wherby it becomes the puffer vp to pride in the recluse, and the direction to disdaine, by dreaming still of bettership: the enemie to vnitie, betwene the vnequall: the ouerwayning of ones selfe, not compared with others, the disiointing of agreement, where the higher contemneth his inferiour with skorne, and the lower doth stomacke his superiour with spite: the one gathering snuffe, the other grudge.

This kinde of traine which soweth the corne of dissension by difference, where the haruest of consent is the harbour of common loue, the indissoluble chaine of countriemens comfort, may very well be bettered, and much better be forborne, bycause by the way it tempereth still the poyson of a creeping spite. And certainly the nature of the thing doth tend this way, though chaunging bytimes to better choice, or the common check, which will not be controwled, do many and often times interrupt the course. And though the child in proces proue better, and shew himselfe curteous, contrarie to my note, and the verie nature of priuate education, thanke naturall goodnesse or experience seene abroad, not the kinde of education, which in her owne sternnesse alloweth no such curtesie, though the childe see it in his parentes, and finde it in his bookes. And somtimes also it maketh him to shepish bashfull, when he comes to the light: as being vnacquainted with resort: though generally he be somwhat to childish bold, by noting nothing, but that which he breedes of himselfe in his solitarie traine, where he is best himselfe, and hath none to controwle him, no not his maister himselfe, but vnder confession, how so euer the title of maister do pretend authoritie and the name of scholer, make shew of obedience in priuate cloistring. I neede not saie all, but in this short manner, I seeke to giue occasion for them to see all, which desire to sift more, both for the matter of their learning, and the manner of their liuing.

Do ye know what it is for one to be acquainted with all children in his childhood, which must liue with them being men in his manhood? Is the common bringing vp being well appointed good for the common man, and not for him of more height? and doth not that deserue to be liked on in priuate, which is thoroughly tryed being showed forth in common, and sifted by the seeing? which without any great alteration, for the matter of traine will be very well content to be pent vp within priuate dores, though it mislike the cloistring, in priuating the person. Sure that common which is well cast, must needes helpe the priuate, as one of her partes and feede one child very well being a generall mother to all: but priuate be it neuer so well cast in the sternnesse of his kinde, still drawes from the publike. I count not that priuate which is executed at home for a publike vse, in respect of the place, for so all doinges be priuate, but that which will be at home, as better so. And why? for the priuate parties good. But it should seeme generally that the question is not so much for the manner of education, nor for the matter, wherin, but for the place where, as if that, which is good for all in common, should not be good for some but in priuate. I must speake it vnder pardon. The effect commendes the common: for that the common education in the middest of common mediocritie bringeth vp such wittes to such excellencie, as serue in all degrees, yea euen next to the hyest, wheras priuate education in the middest of most wealth, if it maintaine it selfe with any more then bare mediocritie both of learning and iudgement, when it is at the hyest, let him that hath shewed more, giue charge to the chalenge. And yet some one young mans odnesse, though it be odde in deed, ouerthroweth not the question. And oftimes the report of that odnesse which we see not in effect, but heare of in speeche, falles out very lame, if the reporters iudgement be aduisedly considered, though for the authoritie and countenaunce of the man, skill giue place to boldnesse, and silence to ciuilitie: which otherwise would replie against it. There is no comparison betwene the two kindes, set affection apart. If the priuate pupill chaunce to come to speake, it falleth out mostwhat dreamingly, bycause priuitie in traine is a punishment to the tongue: and in teaching of a language to exclude companions of speeche, is to seeke to quenche thrist, and yet to close the mouth so, as no moysture can get in. If he come to write, it is leane, and nothing but skinne, and commonly bewrayes great paines in the maister, which brought forth euen so much, being quite reft of all helping circunstance, to ease his great labour, by his pupilles conference, with more companie. Which is but a small benefit to the child, that might haue had much more if his course had bene chaunged. He can but vtter that, which he heares, and he heares none but one, which one though he know all, yet can vtter but litle, bycause what one auditorie is two or three boyes for a learned man to prouoke him to vtteraunce? If he trauelled to vtter, and one of iudgement should stand behinde a couert to heare him, methinke he should heare a straunge orator straining his pipes, to perswade straunge people, and the boye if he were alone, fast a sleepe, or if he had a fellow, playing vnder the bourd, with his hand or feete, hauing one eye vpon his talking maister, and the other eye on his playing mate. If the nyne Muses and Apollo their president were painted vpon the wall, he might talke to them with out either laughing or lowring, they would serue him for places of memorie, or for hieroglyphicall partitions. If he that is taught alone misse, as he must often, hauing either none, or verie small companie to helpe his memorie, which multitude serues for in common scholes, where the hearing of many confirmes the sitter by, shall he runne to his maister? if he do that boldly, it will breede contempt in the ende: if he do it with feare, it will dull him for not daring. And though it be verie good for the child, not to be afrayd to aske counsell of his maister in that, where he doubteth, yet if he finde easie entertainment he will doubt still, rather then do his diligence, not to haue cause to doubt. If the priuate scholer proue cunninger afterward, then I conceiue he can be by priuate education, there was some forreine helpe which auaunced him abroad, it was not his traine within being tyed to the stake, which offereth that violence to my assertion.

Why is priuate teaching so much vsed?

But what leades the priuate, and why is it so much vsed? There must needes be some reason, which alieneth the particular parente from the publike discipline, which I do graunt to very great ones, bycause the further they rise from the multitude in number, and aboue them in degree, the more priuate they grow as in person, so in traine: and the prince himselfe being one and singular must needes embrace the priuate discipline, wherin he sheweth great valure in his person, if by priuate meanes, he mount aboue the publike. And yet if euen the greatest, could haue his traine so cast, as he might haue the companie of a good choice number, wherein to see all differences of wittes, how to discerne of all, which must deale with all, were it any sacrilege?

But for the gentleman generally, which flyeth not so high, but fluttereth some litle aboue the ordinarie common, why doth he make his choice rather to be like them aboue, which still grow priuater, then to like of them below, which can grow no lower, and yet be supporters, to stay vp the whole, and liker to himselfe, then he is to the highest? To haue his child learne better maners, and more vertuous conditions? As bad at home as abroad, and brought into schooles, not bred there. To auoide confusion and multitude? His child shall marke more, and so proue the wiser: the multitude of examples being the meanes to discretion. Nay in a number, though he finde some lewd, whom to flie, he shall spie many toward, whom to follow: and withall in schooles he shall perceaue that vice is punished, and vertue praised, which where it is not, there is daunger to good manners, but not in schooles, where it is very diligently obserued, bycause in publike view, necessitie is the spurre. To keepe him in health by biding at home for feare of infection abroad? Death is within dores, and dainties at home haue destroyed more children then daunger abroad. Doth affection worke stay, and can ye not parte from your childes presence? That is to fond. And any cause else admittes controwlement, sauing onely state in princes children, and princelike personages, which are to farre aboue the common: by reason of great circunstance. And yet their circunstance were better, if they saw the common, ouer whom they command, and with due circumspectnesse could auoid all daungers, whervnto the greatest be commonly subiect, by great desires, not in themselues to haue, but in others that hope, which make the greatnesse of their gaine their colour against iustice, where they iniurie most. It is enough that is ment, though I say no more: besides that by a Persian principle, the seldome seing in princes, workes admiration the more, when they are to be seene.

Send your priuate M. with your child to the common schoole.

Vse common scholes to the best, ioyne a tutor to your childe, let Quintilian be your guide, all thinges will be well done, where such care is at hand, and that is much better done, which is done before witnes to encourage the childe. Comparisons inspire vertues, hearing spreads learning: one is none and if he do something at home, what would he do with company? It is neuer settled, that wanteth an aduersarie, to quicken the spirites, to stirre courage, to finde out affections.

For the maisters valew, which is content to be cloistered, I will say nothing, entertainement makes digressions euen to that, which we like not. But if it would please the priuate parent, to send his sonne with his priuate maister to a common schoole, that might do all parties very much good. For the schole being well ordered, and appointed for matter and maner to learne, where number is pretended to cumber the maister, and to mince his labour so, as ech one can haue but some litle, though his voice be like the Sunne, which at one time with one light shineth vpon all: yet the priuate scholer, by the helpe of his priuate maister in the common place hath his full applying, and the whole Sunne, if no lesse will content him. The common maister thereby will be carefull to haue the best: the priuate teacher willbe curiouse to come but to the very best: wherby both the priuate and publike scholers shall be sure to receiue the best. And if the publike maister be chosen accordingly, as allowance will allure euen the principall best, priuate cunning will not disdaine to be one degree beneth, where he knoweth himselfe bettered. And thereby disagreement betwene the two teachers will be quite excluded which onely might be the meane to marre both my meaning and Qintilianes counsell. Sure my resolution is, which if it winne no liking abroade may returne againe homeward, and be wellcome to his maister, that that which must be continued and exercised in publike, the residue of ones life, were best to be learned in publike, from the beginning of ones life. And if ye will needes be priuate, make your priuate publike, and drawe as many to your priuate maister, for your priuate sonnes sake, seeing you are able to prouide rowme, bycause that will proue to be best for your child, as shalbe able to keepe some forme of our multitude, that he may haue one companie before him to follow and learne of, an other beneth to teach and vaunt ouer, the third of his owne standing, with whom to striue for praise of forwardnes. Whereby it falleth out still, that that priuate is best, which consisteth of some chosen number for a priuate ende: and that multitude best, where choice restraines number, for the publike seruice: for in deede the common scholes be as much ouercharged with too many, as any priuate is with to few. Which how it may either be helpt, or in that confusion be better handled, I will hereafter in my priuate executions declare, seeing I haue noted the defect.