Positions

by Richard Mulcaster

To knit vp this question therefore of priuate and publike education, I do take publike to be simply the better: as being more vpon the stage, where faultes be more seene, and so sooner amended, as being the best meane both for vertue and learning, which follow in such sort, as they be first planted. What vertue is private? wisedome to forsee, what is good for a desert? courage to defend, where there is no assailant? temperance to be modest, where none is to chaleng? Iustice to do right, where none is to demaunde it? what learning is for alonnesse? did it not come from collection in publike dealinges, and can it shew her force in priuate affaires, which seeme affraid of the publike? Compare the best in both the kinds, there the ods wil appeare. If ye compare a priuate scholer, of a very fine capacity, and worthy the open field, so well trayned by a diligent and a discreat maister as that traine will yeald: with a blockhead brought vp under a publike teacher, not of the best sort, or if in comparison ye march a toward priuate teacher with a weake publike maister, ye say somwhat to the persons but smallie to the thing, which in equalitie shewes the difference, in inequalitie deceiues the doubter, and then most, when to augment his owne liking, he wil make the conference odde, to seeme to auaunce errour, where the truth is against him. And to saye all in one, the publike pestring with any reasonable consideration, though it be not the best, yet in good sooth, it farre exceedeth the priuate alonenesse, though sometime a diligent priuate teacher shew some great effect of his maine endeuour.

That the circunstance is one in gentlemen and common mens children.

But to the education of gentlemen and gentlemanly fellowes. What time shal I appoint them to begin to learne? Their witts be as the common, their bodies oftimes worse. The same circunstance, the same consideration for time must direct all degrees. What thing shall they learne? I know none other, neither can I appoint better, then that which I did appoint for all. The common and priuate concurre herin. Neither shall the priuate scholer go any faster on, nay perhaps not so fast, for all the helpe of his whole maister, then our boyes shall, with the bare helpe, that is in number and multitude, euery boye being either a maister for his fellow to learne by, or an example to set him on, to better him if he be negligent, to be like him, if he be diligent.

Onely this, young gentlemen must haue some choice of peculiar matter, still appropriat vnto them, bycause they be to gouerne vnder their prince in principall places: those vertues and vertuous lessons must be still layd before them, which do appertaine to gouernement, to direct others well, and belong to obedience, to guide themselues wisely. For being in good place, and hauing good to leese, it will proue their ill, by vndiscrete attemptes to become prayes to distresse. And yet for all this, the generall matter of duetie being commonly taught, eche one may applie the generall to his owne priuate, without drawing any priuate argument into a schoole, for the priuitie not to be communicate but with those of the same calling: considering the property of that argument falleth as oft to the good of the common, whom vertue auaunceth, as the gentlemens credit, whom negligence abaseth. What exercises shall they haue? The verie same. What maisters? The same What circunstance else? All one and the same: but that for their place and time, their choice makes them priuate, though nothing the better for want of good fellowship. And if they proue so well trained, as the generall plat for all infancie doth promise, and so well exercised, as the thing is well ment them, they shall haue no cause, much to complaine of the publike, nor any matter at all why to couet to be priuate. For it is no meane stuffe, which is prouided euen for the meanest to be stored with.

These thinges gentlemen haue, and are much bound to God for them, which may make them proue excellent, if they vse them well: great abilitie to go thorough withall, where the poorer must giue ouer, eare he come to the ende: great leasure to vse libertie, where the meaner must labour: all oportunities at will, where the common is restrained: so that singularitie in them if it be missed, discommendes them, bycause they haue such meanes and yet misse: if it hit in the meaner, it makes their account more, bycause their meane was small, but their diligence exceeding. Whereby negligence in gentlemen is euer more blamed, bycause of great helpes, which helpe nothing: diligence in the meaner is alway more praised, bycause of great wantes, which hinder nothing: and those prefermentes, which by degree are due vnto gentlemen, thorough their negligence being by them forsaken, are bestowed vpon the meaner, whose diligent endeuour made meane to enioy them.

Riche men no gentlemen.

1. As for riche men which being no gentlemen, but growing to wealth by what meanes soeuer, will counterfeat gentlemen in the education of their children, as if money made equalitie, and the purse were the preferrer, and no further regard: which contemne the common from whence they came, which cloister vp their youth, as boding further state: they be in the same case for abilitie, though farre behinde for gentilitie. But as they came from the common, so they might with more commendacion, continue their children in that kinde, which brought vp the parentes and made them so wealthy, and not to impatronise themselues vnto a degree to farre beyond the dounghill. For of all the meanes to make a gentleman, it is the most vile, to be made for money. Bycause all other meanes beare some signe of vertue, this onely meane is to bad a meane, either to matche with great birth, or to mate great worth. For the most parte it is miserably scraped to the murthering of many a poore magot, while liuely cheese is lusty cheare, to spare expenses, that Iacke maye be a gentleman. If sparing were the worst, though in the worst degree, that were not the worst, nay it hath shew of witte: The rest which I tuch not, be so shamefull and so knowen to be such, and deserue so great hatred as nothing more. Besides the insolencie of the people, triumphing ouer them in their cuppes, by whom they buy their drinke: which shiftes be shamefull to the world, and hatefull to heauen: and too too filthy to be honored vpon earth with either armes by harold, or honour by any. He that will reade but Aristophanes his blinde Plutus the God of richesse, and marke the old fellowes fashions shall see his humour naturally, as that poete was not the worst resembler though he were not the best man.

For to become a gentleman is to beare the cognisance of vertue, wherto honour is companion: the vilest diuises be the readiest meanes to become most wealthy, and ought not to looke honour in the face, bycause it ioynes not with iustice, which greate wealth by the Greeke verse, οὐδεὶς ἐπλοὐτησε ταχέως, δίκαιος ὤν, is noted to refuse, and commonly dare not name the meane right, whereby it groweth great. And though witte be pretended to haue made their way, it is not denied but that witte may serue euen to the worst effectes, and to wring many a thousand to make one a gentleman. It is not witte, that carieth the praise, but the matter, wheron, and the manner how it is, or hath bene ill or well employed. Witte bestowed vpon the common good with wise demeanour, deserueth well: the same holy giuen to fill a priuate purse, by any meane, so it be secrete: by any misdemeanour, so it be not seene: deserueth no prais for that which is seen, but is to be suspected, for that which is not seene. These people by their generall trades, will make thousandes poore: and for giuing one penie to any one poore of those many thousandes will be counted charitable. They will giue a scholer some petie poore exhibition to seeme to be religious, and vnder a sclender veale of counterfeat liberalitie, hide the spoile of the ransaked pouertie. And though they do not professe the impouershing of purpose, yet their kinde of dealing doth pierce as it passeth: and a thousand pound gaines bowelles twentie thousand persons. Of these kinde of folkes I entend not to speake, bycause their state is both casuall, and belongeth to the common: and their gentilitie bastardise: and yet while I frame a gentleman, if any of them take the benefit of my aduice, gentle men must beare with me, if my precepts be vsurped on, where their state is intruded on.

My purpose is to employ my paines vpon such as are gentlemen in deede, and in right iudgement of their vnbewitched countrie do serue in best place: neither will I rip vp what some write of nobilitie in generall, whether by birth or by discent: nor what other write of true nobilitie, as disclayming in that which vertue auaunceth not: nor what other write of learned nobilitie, as accounting that simply the best, where vertue and learning do beawtifie the subiect. One might talke beyond enough, and write beyond measure, that would examine what such a one saith of nobilitie in greeke, such a one in latin, such in other seuerall toungues, bycause the argument is so large, the vse of nobilitie streaching so farre, and so braue a subiect cannot chuse but minister passing braue discourses. There be so many vertues to commend it, all the brymmer in sight the clearer their subiect is: so many vices to assaile it whose disfiguring is foulest, where it falleth in the face, and must needes be sene.

All these offered occasions, to enlarge and amplyfie this so honorable an argument, I meane to forbeare, and giue onely this note vnto yong gentlemen: That if their calling had not bene of very great worth in deede, as it is of most shew in place, it could neuer haue wone so many learned workes, it could neuer haue perced so many excellent wittes, to reioyce with it in good, to mourn with it in ill, and to make the meditation of nobilitie, to be matter for them to maruell. And that therfore it doth stand nobilitie vpon, to maintaine that glorie in their families with prayse, which learned men in so many languages, do charge them with in precept. My friend to be carefull, that I keepe all well, and my selfe to be carelesse and consume all ill? an honest friend and an honorable care. But what am I? my auncetours to auaunce my howse to honour, my selfe to spoile it, and bring it to decaye? The auauncement vertuous, the aduauncer commendable. But what am I? a gentleman in birth and nothing else but brauerie. A sory shew which shameth, where it shapeth. It is value that giues name and note to nobilitie, it is vertue must endow it, or vice will vndoe it. The more high the more heynouse, if it fortune to faile: the more bruted the more brutish if it fatall vnder fame. Which seeing it is so, as I wish the race well, so I wish their traine were good, and if it were possible euen better then the common, but that cannot be. For the common well appointed is simply the best, and euen fittest, for them, bycause they may haue it full, where the meaner haue it maimed. Their sufficiencie is so able to wyn it with perfection, for leasure at will, for labour at ease, for want the least, for wealth the most, in all thinges absolute, in nothing vnperfit, if they faile not themselues.