Positions

by Richard Mulcaster

The foure particular meanes.

There were a way in the nature of a seminarie for excellent maisters in my conceit, if reward were abroad, and such an order might be had within the vniuersitie: which I must touch with licence and for touching craue pardon, if it be not well thought of, as I know it will seeme straunge at the first, bycause of some difficultie in perfourming the deuise. And yet there had neuer bene any alteration to the better, if the name of alteration had bene the obiect to repulse. This my note but by the way, though it presently parhapes doe make some men muse, yet hereafter vpon better consideration, it may proue verie familiar to some good fantasies, and be exceeding well liked of, both by my maisters of the vniuersities them selues, and by their maisters abroad. Whereby not onely schoolemaisters, but all other professours also shalbe made excellently able to performe that in the common weale which she looketh for at their handes, when they come from the vniuersitie. But by the way I protest simply, that I do not tender this wish, as hauing any great cause to mislike the currant, which the vniuersities be now in: but graunting thinges there to be well done already, I offer no discourtesie in wishing that good to be a great deale better. My conceit resteth in these foure pointes: 1. what if the colleges were deuided by professions and faculties? 2. what if they of the like yeares, and the like profession, were all bestowed in one house? 3. what if the liuings by vniting were made better, and the colleges not so many: though farre greater? 4. what if in euery house there were great pensions, and allowances for continuall and most learned readers: which would end their liues there? what harme could our countrie receiue thereby? nay, what good were not in great forwardnes to be done, if this thing were done? And may not the state of the realme do this by authoritie, which gaue authoritie to founders to do the other, with reseruation of prerogatiue to alter vpon cause? or is not this question as worthy the debating to mend the vniuersities, and to plant sownd learning: as to deuise the taking away landes from colleges, and put the studentes to pension, bycause they cannot vse them without iarring among themselues? Were there any way better to cut away all the misliking, wherewith the vniuersities be now charged, and to bring in a new face of thinges both rarer and fayrer?

In the first erection of schooles and colleges, priuat zeale enflamed good founders: in altering to the better, publicke consideration may cause a commoner good, and yet keepe the good founders meaning, who would very gladly embrace any auauncement to the better in any their buildinges. The nature of time is vpon sting of necessitie, to enfourme what were best: and the dutie of pollicie is, aduisedly to consider how to bring that about which time doth aduertise. And if time do his dutie to tell, can pollicie auoide blame in sparing to trie? And why should not publike consideration be as carefull to thinke of altering to fortifie the state now, as priuat zeale was hoat then to strengthen that which was then in liking?

But I will open these foure interrogations better, that the considerations which leade me, may winne others vnto me, or at the least let them see, that it is no meere noueltie which moueth me thus farre.

Of the diuision of colleges.

The college of toungues.

Touching the diuision of colleges by professions and faculties, I alleege no president from other nations, though I could do diuerse, begining euen at Lycæum, Stoa, Academia, themselues, and so downeward, and in other nations east and southeast ascending vpwarde, where studentes cloystured them selues together, as their choice in learning lay: but priuate examples in their applying to our country may be controuled by generall exception. If there were one college, where nothing should be professed, but languages onely, (as there be some people which will proceede no further) to serue the realme abroad, and studies in the vniuersitie, in that point excellently and absolutelie, were it not conuenient? nay were it not most profitable? That being the ende of their profession, and nothing dealt withall there but that, would not sufficiencie be discried by witnes of a number? and would not dayly conference and continuall applying in the same thing procure sufficiencie? Wheras now euery one dealing with euery thing confusedly none can assuredly say, thus much can such a one do in any one thing, but either vpon coniecture which oftentimes deceiueth euen him that affirmes: or else vpon curtesie which as oft beguiles euen him that beleueth. These reasons hold not in this point for toungues onely: but in all other distributions, where the like matter and the like men be likewise to be matched. For where all exercises, all conferences, all both priuate and publike, colloquies, be of the same argument, bycause the soile bringeth foorth no other stuffe, there must needes follow great perfection. When toungues, and learning be so seuered, it will soone appeare, what ods there is betwene one that can but speake, and him that can do more, whereas now some few finish wordes, will beare away the glorie from knowledge without consideration, that the gate is without the towne as dismantling bewraies, though it be the entrie into it.

The colledge for the mathematikes.

If an other colledge were for the Mathematicall sciences, I dare say it were good, I will not say it were best, for that some good wittes, and in some thinges not vnseene, not knowing the force of these faculties bycause they neuer thought them worthey their studie as being without preferment, and within contempt, do vse to abase them, and to mocke at mathematicall heades, bycause in deede the studie thereof requireth attentiuenes, and such a minde, as will not be soone caried to any publike shew, before his full ripenes, but will rest in solitarie contemplation, till he finde himselfe flidge. Now this their meditation if they be studentes in deede: or the shadow of meditation, if they be but counterfettes, do these men plaie with all, and mocke such mathematicall heades, to solace themselues with.

Wherein they haue some reason to mocke at mathematicall heades, as they do tearme them, though they should haue greater reason, why to cherish, and make much of the mathematicall sciences, if they will not discredit Socrates his authoritie, and wisedome in Plato,[68] which in the same booke auaunceth these sciences aboue the moone, whence some learned men fetch his opinion, and force his iudgement, as the wisest maister against such as allow of correction in schooles: which they would seeme to banishe, till their owne rod beat them. The very end of that booke is the course that is to be kept in learning in the perfitest kinde, which beginneth at the mathematikes, and it dealeth more with the necessitie of them, then with the whole argument besides: as it is no noueltie to heare that Plato esteemed of them, who forbad any to enter his Academie, which was not a Geometrician, whereunder he contained the other, but specially her sister Arithmetike.