Positions

by Richard Mulcaster

This pointe is so plaine as many of the best learned, and of the best teachers also oftimes complaine of it, and wish the redresse, though they still draw backe, and spare their owne pains for any thing they publish: perhaps not hauing the oportunitie and leasure which so great an enterprise craueth: perhaps being induced by hope that some other will start vp, and publish the amendment. Whereby all the youth of this whole Realme shall seeme to haue bene brought vp in one schoole, and vnder one maister, both for the matter and manner of traine, though they differ in their owne inuention which is priuate and seuerall to euery one by nature, though generall and one to euery one by art. Which thing must needes turne to the profit of the learner, whose straying shalbe straited, that he cannot go amisse: to the ease of the teacher whose labour shalbe lightened, by the easinesse of his curraunt: to the honour of the countrey, which thereby shall haue great store of sufficient stuffe: and the immortall renown of that carefull Prince which procured such a good. Which benefit say I must proceede from some vniforme kinde of teaching set downe by authoritie, that one waye to supplie all wantes, and no one to disdaine, where obedience is enioyned. And wheras difference in iudgement worketh varietie: consent in knowledge will plant vniformitie. Which consent, as it must be enforced by authoritie, so must it proceede from some likenesse of abilitie in teachers, namely in that thing wherof they are teachers: though both in executing the same, and for some other qualities they may differ much.

Now the onely waye to worke this likenesse or rather samenesse in abilitie, where otherwise the oddes is so odde, were to set downe in some certain plat, the best that may seeme to be, if that which is best in deede may not be had, as why not? both what and how to teach, with all the particular circunstances, so farre forth as they ordinarily do fall within common compasse, and may best be seeme the best ordered schooles, which both the meane teacher may wel attaine vnto, and the cunning maister may rest content with, and so they both in that pointe proue equall, while the meaner mounting vpword with fethers made for him, and the cunninger comming downward at the shew of the lure, they both meete in the middle waye, and flying forward like freindes, pay their price with their pastime, and mend their faire with their praye, no dishonour offered him, whom mo qualities do commend: and a great helpe to him that cannot swimme without. In whom diligence borne vp, will worke no lesse wonder, nay may fortune more, then greater learning in the other, whom either ouer weyning may make insolent, or loytering negligent. And sure as I may be deceiued herein, so haue I some reason very fauourable to my seeming, that it were more fitting for the common profit, to prouide a certaine direction to helpe the meane teacher, which will continue in the trade without either any or very late changing of his course, and so a long time do much good, then to leaue it at random to the libertie of the more learned, who commonly vse teaching, but to shift with for a time, and be but pilgrimes in the profession, still minding to remoue to some other kinde of life either of more ease, which allureth soone, or of more gaine, which enforceth sore. So that in the meane time the scholers cannot profit much, while the maisters deale like straungers, which entending one day to returne to their countrey, as nature calleth homeward, though profit bid tary, cannot haue that zealous care, which the naturall countrieman, and continuall trauellour of nature hath, and of duetie sheweth. And though conscience cause some odde honest man to worke well, and discharge his duetie in that rowling residence: yet neither be priuiledges generall, nor lawes leuelled after some few, and that foolish fellow was fretished for cold, which followed the fond swallow, that flew out to timely, and to farre before her fellowes. An order must be generall to the liking of the better, who should alwaye wishe it, and the leading of the weaker, who shall alway neede it.

If when this order for matter and manner of teaching shalbe set downe, the executor proue negligent, and prolong the effect, or else quite defeat it, by ill handling of that, which was well ment, the surueiors and patrones of schooles, must ouerlooke such teachers, of themselues if they can, if not they may call for the assistaunce of learning, which for cunning can, and of curtesie will seeke to further such a thing. Our preceptes be generall, the particular must perfourme, and amend his owne accident. I haue but sleightly noted the surface of vniformitie in teaching, and the disioynting of skill by misordered varietie, and yet who is so blinde as he may not thereby discerne, that the one strips away the euilles, which the other bringes in, and thereby cuttes of many encumbraunces from schooles?

Dispatch in learning.

Now vniformitie in teaching once obtained, doth not dispatch in learning incontinently follow? which consisteth in choice of the best and fittest authours at the first, and continuaunce in the same: in the best exercises and most proper to the childes ascent in learning: and generally in the maisters orderly proceeding, and methode in teaching: whereby the child shall not learne any thing, which he must or ought to forget, vpon his maisters better aduise: nor leaue any needefull thing vnlearned till his maister grow to better aduise. The maister himselfe shall not neede to chaunge his course, as he chaungeth his skill, now coursing on to fast by to much rashnes: now retiring to late by to louse repentaunce: finally neither the maister nor the scholer shall busie themselues to long about a litle, and neuer the better, nor hast to fast on, and neuer a whit the further. The best course being hit on at the first, as appointment may procure it, one thing helpeth an other forward naturally, without forcing: that which is first taught maketh way for that which must follow next, and continuall vse will let nothing be forgot, which is once well got, and the rising vp by degrees in learning will succede in proportion, with out losse of time or let of labour, either by lingring to long, or by posting to fast, which cannot now possibly be brought about, while thinges be left to the teachers discretion, whereof, as the most be not alway the best, so euen the verie best cannot alway hit those thinges, which in deede are best, while the customarie education is helde for a sanctuarie: alteration to the better is esteemed an heresie: allowance is measured by priuate liking: vnthankefulnes is made harbour to desert: and the very bookes which we vse be not appropriate to our vse. I touch no mo stoppes then may easily be remoued, if authoritie take the matter in hand. Priuate lettes must haue priuate lessons, and personall circumstance shall haue rowme to pleade in, at an other time.

These enormities then shew them selues, when children do chaunge both schooles and maisters: where alteration hindereth beyond all crie, the new maister either thinking it some discredit to himselfe to beginne where the old left, or misliking the choice which the former hath made, or in deede by dispraysing him to seeke to grace himselfe: or the order of his schoole not admitting the succession, as in deede they be all diuerse. Sometimes the boy being vngrounded, by his maisters ignorance if he could not, by his negligence if he did not the thing which he could, will not bende to be bettered, but must keepe the same countenaunce which he himselfe conceiueth of himselfe. And this commonly falles out so, when the parentes be peuish, and thinke their childe disgraced if he be once set backward (for so the tearme is) whereas in verie deede he is bidde but to looke backe, to see that which he neuer saw, and ought to haue seene verie substantially. Which disorder proceeding from the parentes ouerruleth vs all, causing great weakenes, and much mismatching in the fourmes of our schooles: so that we either cannot, or may not finde fault euen to amend it, whereas the order being one, and planted by authoritie, though the childe vse to chaunge often, yet his profiting is soone perceiued: and the parentes also wilbe well contented, when they suspect no partialitie by priuate passion, and see indifferencie in publicke prouision. Such be the frutes which varietie bringes foorth, perillous in great affaires, still gathering strength by traine in those petie principles: wheras to the contrarie vniformitie is full of contentment. Nothing continueth one in our schooles but the common grammar set furth by authoritie, which confirmeth mine opinion both by pollicie in the first setting out, and by profit in the long continuing, wherein we all agree perforce as in a case of higher countenaunce, and already ruled. Which booke whether it may stand still with some amendement, or of necessitie must be cast some other way, for better method, it shall then be seene when comparisons come in season, that the alteration may shew, whether there were cause to chaunge, or some iniurie offered to chaunge without cause. For both that booke, and all the like, which serue for direction and method must be fashioned to the matter which they seeme to direct by rule and precept, being not of themselues, but made to serue others. This we haue by it, that vniformitie out of al controuersie is best, but whether it selfe be best, that is yet in controuersie.

Sparing of expenses.

For sparing of expenses, the second commoditie which vniformitie bringes with her, this is my opinion: while it is left to the teachers libertie to make his owne choice, both for the booke which he will teach and the order how, betweene the varietie of iudgementes, and inequalitie of learning in teachers, which by order must be made one, by consent neuer will, the parentes purses are pretily pulled, and poore men verie sore pinched both with chaunge of bookes, the maister oft repealing his former choice: and also with number, while euery booke is commended to the buyer, which either maketh a faire shew to be profitable: or otherwise is sollicited to the sale, as in our dayes necessitie must sell, where such an ouerflush of bookes growes chargeable to the printer. For the old periode is returned, that Iuuenall found in his time, learned and vnlearned must needes write, he is marde that comes lag. Nay ordinarily some few leaues be occupied in the best chosen, and biggest booke, besides the oft leasing and much spoiling of them sachels and all, to their gaines it may be said that sell them, though to the parentes losse that buy them, and those of the meaner sort, whose children maintaine schooles most, and swarme thickest in all places and professions, which thing might be farre better vsed, if the best onely were bought, and with the losse of his bookes the childe lost no more. All which inconueniences may easily be remeadied, and with small adoe. For whatsoeuer is needeful to be vsed in schooles, may be verie well comprised in a small compasse, and haue all his helpes with him being gathered into some one pretie volume compounded of the marrow of many: neither will the charge be great, the ware being small, and our profession is not to perfit, but to enter. Neither yet hereby is any iniurie done to good writers, whose bookes may verie well tarie for the ripenes of the reader, and that place which is dew to them, in the ordinarie ascent of learning and studie, being no intruders into rowmes to meane for them, and content to take that place whereunto they are marshalled by their value, and degree: to their praise which made them, when the student can iudge: to the studentes profit, when he can vnderstand: and the fast retaining of them, when order maintanes memorie.

In our grammer schooles we professe the toungues nay rather the entraunce of toungues. Euerie profession that is penned in any toungue ministreth to her student those wordes that be proper to her owne subiecte. Which wordes be then best gotten when they follow the matter, as they will do most willingly in the peculiar studie of the same profession. If a grammarian therefore be entred to write, speake, and vnderstande pretily in some well chosen argument best to follow for aptnes ech way, though he neither know all, nor most wordes in any toungue, which is reserued to further studie: yet our schooles be discharged of their dewtie, in doing but so much. They that assigne grammer maisters wherein to trauell, appoint them histories, and poetes, though they make some choice of men, and some distinction of matter in regard of vertuous maners and purenes of stile. In our schooles what time will serue vs to runne ouer all these? nay to deale but with some few of them throughly? how then? Is not some litle well pickt, and printed alone the praise of our profession and the parentes ease? And be not the maine bookes to be consigned ouer to the right place in their owne calling? Some vaines be rapt, and will needes proue poetes, leaue them the art of poetrie, and the whole bookes and argumentes of poetes. Some will commend to memorie, and posteritie such actes and monumentes, as be worthy the remembrance: Let them haue the rules, whereby the penning of histories is directed to write thereby with order: and the matter of histories to furnish out their stile. If men of more studie and greater learning haue leysure and list to reade, they may vse histories for pleasure, as being but an after meates studie: neither tyring the braine, nor tediouse any way: as they be not generally to build on for iudgement: bycause ignorance of their circumstances make some difficultie in applying, and great daunger in prouing. They may also runne ouer poetes, when they are disposed to laugh, and to behold what brauery enthousiasme inspireth. For when the poetes write sadly and soberly, without counterfeating though they write in verse, yet they be no poetes in that kinde of their writing: but where they couer a truth with a fabulous veele, and resemble with alteration. We are therefore to cull out some of the best, and fittest for our introductorie, and to send away the rest to their owne place, in the peculiar professions, and that not in poetes and histories alone, but also in all other bookes whatsoeuer, which be at this day admitted into our schooles. The poetes wordes be verie good, and most significant, as it appeareth by Platoes whole penning, whose eloquence is thought fit for sainctes, if any heauenly creature had a longing to speake greeke. And in the latin they haue the same grace, in his iudgement, which best vnderstoode what wordes were best, as being himselfe the best, and eloquentest oratour, speaking of them in that booke,[74] wherein he both sheweth his eloquence most, and vseth the personages of the most eloquent oratours, to deliuer his minde. The quantitie of syllabes is to be learned of them, to auoide mistiming, as the wise writer Horace pointeth the poet therfore first to frame the tender mouth of the yong learner.

Moreouer some verie excellent places most eloquently, and forcibly penned for the polishing of good manners, and inducement vnto vertue may be pickt out of some of them, and none more then Horace. We may therefore either vse them, with that choice: or helpe the pointe our selues if we thinke it good, and can pen a verse that may deserue remembraunce. Suche an helpe did Apollinarius offer vnto his time, as Sozomenus, and Socrates the scholer, report in their ecclesiasticall histories. For Iulian the renegate spiting at the great learning of Basil, Gregorie, Apollinarie, and many moe which liued in that time, which time was such a breeder of learned men, as in Christian matters and religion we reade none like, by decree excluded the christian mens Children from the vse of prophane learning wherin the christian diuines were so cunning as they stopt both his, and his fauorites mouthes with their owne learning, they passed them all so farre. Then Apollinarius conueighed into verses of all sortes, after the imitation of all the best prophane poetes diuine and holy argumentes gathered out of scripture whereby he met with Iulians edict, and furnished out his owne profession, with matter and argument of their owne. Now in misliking of profane arguments some such helpe may be had and appropriate to our youth. But there must be heede taken, that we plant not any poeticall furie in the childes habit. For that rapt inclination is to ranging of it selfe, though it be not helpt forward, where it is, and would not in any case be forced where it is not. For other writers, number and choice of wordes, smoothnes and proprietie of composition with the honestie of the argument must be most regarded. Quintilianes rule is very true and the verie best, and alway to be obserued, in chusing of writers for children to learne, to picke out such as will feede the wit with fairest stuffe, and fine the toungue with neatest speach. So that neither slight, and vnproper matters, though eloquentlie set foorth, neither weightie and wise being rudely deliuered be to be offered to children, but where the honestie and familiaritie of the argument is honored and apparelled with the finesse and fitnes of speach. Which thing if it be lookt vnto in planting vniformitie, and pointing out fit bookes, besides many and infinite commodities which will grow thereby to the whole realme, assuredly the multitude of many needelesse volumes, will be diminished and cut of. So that vniformitie in schooling may seeme very profitable seeing it will supplant so great defectes, as the likelyhood giues, and plant the redresse, which in nature it importeth: besides that which the common weale doth gaine by acquainting yong wittes euen from their cradeles, both to embrace and apply orderly vniformes, which in thinges subiect to sense is delitefull to behold: in comprehensions of the minde is comfortable to thinke on: in executions and effectes is the staie whereon we stand, and the steddiest recourse to correct errors by. I am led by these reasons and many the like, to thinke that either nothing in deede, or very litle in shew, can iustly be alleaged to the contrary but that such an order must needes be verie profitable, to giue schooles a purgation to voide them of some great inconueniences: as I take the thing also to be verie compassable, if authoritie shall like of it, without which an opinion is but shewed, and dieth without effect.