And it is said in the best common weale,[76] not that no punishment is to be vsed, but that such an excellent naturall witte, as is made out of the finest mould would not be enforced, bycause in deede it needes not: neither will I offer feare, where I finde such a one: neither but in such a common weale shall I finde such a one. And yet in our corrupt states we light sometime vpon one, that were worthy to be a dweller in a farre better. And I will rather venture vpon the note of a sharp maister to make a boye learne that, which may afterward do him seruice, yea though he be vnwilling for the time, and very negligent: then that he shall lacke the thing, which maye do him seruice, when age commeth on, bycause I would not make him learne, for the vaine shadow of a curteous maister. It is slauish sayeth Socrates to be bet. It is slauish then to deserue beating sayeth the same Socrates. If Socrates his free nature be not found, sure Socrates his slauish courage must be cudgelled, euen by Socrates his owne confession. For neither is punishment denied for slaues, neither curtesie for free natures. This by the waye, neither Socrates nor Plato be so directly carefull in that place, for a good maister in this kinde, as the place required, though they point the learner. And in deed where they had Censores to ouersee the generall traine, both for one age and other, there needed no great precept this waye. If parentes might not do this, neither children attempt that, then were maisters disburdened: If all thinges were set in stay by publike prouision, priuate care were then mightily discharged. But Socrates findes a good scholer which in naturall relation inferreth a good maister. And yet Philippe of Macedonie, had a thousand considerations in his person, moe then that he was Alexanders father, and it is not enough to name the man, onelesse ye do note the cause why with all, and in what respect ye name him. A wise maister, which must be a speciall caueat in prouision, wil helpe all, either by preuenting that faultes be not committed, or by well vsing, when soeuer they fall out, and without exception must haue both correction and curtesie, committed vnto him beyond any appeal. Xenophon[77] maketh Cyrus be beaten of his maister, euen where he makes him the paterne of the best Prince, as Tullie sayeth[78] and mindes not the trueth of the storie, but the perfitnesse of his deuise, being him selfe very milde as it appeareth still in his iourney from Assyria after the death of Cyrus the younger.[79] For a soule there could not be one lesse seruile then he, which was pictured out beyond exception: for impunitie, there could not be more hope, then in a Prince enheritour, and that is more, set forth for a paterne to Princes. And yet this Princes child in the absolutenesse of deuise, was beaten by his deuise, which could not deuise any good traine exempt from beating beinge yet the second ornament of Socrates his schoole.
The case was thus, and a matter of the Persian learning. A long boye had a short coate, and a short boye had a long one: The long boye tooke awaye the short boyes coate, and gaue him his: both were fit: But yet there arose a question about it. Cyrus was made iudge, as iustice was the Persian grammer. He gaue sentence, that either should haue that which fitted him. His maister bette him for his sentence: bycause the question was not of fitnesse, but of right, wherein eche should haue his owne. His not learning, and errour by ignorance, was the fault, wherfore he was punished. And who soeuer shall marke the thing well, shall finde, that not learning, where there is witte to learne, buildeth vpon idlenesse, vnwilling to take paines, vpon presumption that he shall carie it awaye free, and in the ende, vpon contempt of them, from whom he learned to contemne, where he should haue reuerenced. Slight considerations make no artificiall anatomies, and therfore wil smart, bycause they spie not the subtilities of creeping diseases. It is easie for negligence in scholers, to pretend crueltie in maisters, where fauour beyond rime, lendes credit beyond reason. But in such choice of maisters where crueltie maye easily be auoided, nay in such helpe by Magistrate, where it may be suppressed: and in such wealth of parentes which may change where they like not, if I should here a young gentleman say he was driuen from schoole, he should not driue me from mine opinion, but that there was follie in the parentes, and he had his will to much followed, if his parentes had the training of him, or that his gardian gaue to much to his owne gaine, and to litle to his wardes good, if he were not himselfe some hard head besides, and set light by learning, as a bootie but for beggers. For gentlenesse and curtesie towarde children, I do thinke it more needefull then beating, and euer to be wished, bycause it implyeth a good nature in the child, which is any parentes comfort, any maisters delite. And is the nurse to liberall wittes, the maisters encouragement, the childes ease, the parentes contentment, the bannishment of bondage, the triumph ouer torture, and an allurement to many good attemptes in all kinde of schooles.
But where be these wittes, which will not deserue, and that very much? and where much deseruing is, who is so shamles as to deny correction, which by example doth good, and helpes not the partie offender alone. Giue me meane dispositions to deserue, they shall neuer complaine of much beating: but of none I dare not say, bycause insolent rechelessenes will grow on in the very best, and best giuen natures, where impunitie profers pardon, eare the fault be committed. My selfe haue had thousandes vnder my hand, whom I neuer bet, neither they euer much needed: but if the rod had not bene in sight, and assured them of punishment if they had swarued to much, they would haue deserued: And yet I found that I had done better in the next to the best, to haue vsed more correction, and lesse curtesie, after carelessenesse had goten head. Wherfore I must needes say, that in any multitude the rod must needes rule: and in the least paucitie it must be seene, how soeuer it sound. Neither needeth a good boye to be afraid, seeing his fellow offender beaten, any more then an honest man, though he stand by the gallowes, at the execution of a fellon. This point for punishment must the maister set downe roundly, and so as he meaneth in deede to deale, bycause the pretence is generally, not so much for beating, as for to sore beating, which being in sight, the conclusion is soone made, and he that will preuent that sore, may see that set downe, which is thought sufficient. Whervnto if the parent submit himselfe in consent, and his childe in obedience the bargain is thorough, if not there is no harme done.
If the schoole rest vpon the maister alone, thus must he do if he meane to do well, and to continue freindship where he meanes to do good. If it be some free foundacion, the founders must ioyne with the maister, if they meane that the frute of their cost shalbe commodious to their cuntrey. Leaue nothing to had I wist where ye may aunswere ye wist it. When any extraordinary fault breaketh out, as Solon said of parricide, that he thought there was none such in nature, conference with the parent, and euident proofe before punishment, will satisfie all parties. And euer the maister must haue a fatherly affection, euen to the vnhappyest boye, and thinke the schoole to be a place of amendment, and therfore subiect to misses.
The maistres yeares and alonenesse.
For the maisters yeares, I leaue that to the admitters, as I do his alonenesse. Sufficiency of liuing wil make marriage most fit, where affection to their owne, worketh fatherlynesse to others: and insufficiencie of liuing will make a sole man remoue sooner, bycause his cariage is small. Most yeares should be most fit to gouerne, both for constantnesse to be an ancker for leuitie to ride at, which is naturally in youth: and for discretion and learning, which yeares should bring with them. But bycause there be errours I leaue this to discretion. The admitters to schooles haue a great charge, and ought to proue as curious as the very best Godfathers, whose charge yet is farre greater, then the account of it is made, among common persons. These thinges do I take to be very necessarie meanes, to helpe many displeasures wherwith schooling is anoyed, and to plant pleasure in their place. And yet when all is done the poore teacher must be subiect to as much, as the sunne is, to shine ouer all, and yet see much more then he can amend: as the diuine is, which for all his preaching, cannot haue his auditorie perfit: as the Prince is, who neither for reward nor penalty can haue generall obedience. The teachers life is painfull, and therfore would be pityed: it is euidently profitable, and therfore would be cherished: it wrastles with vnthankfullnesse aboue all measure, and therefore would be comforted, with all encouragement. One displeased parent will do more harme vpon a head, if he take a pyrre at some toy, neuer conferring with any, but with his owne cholere: then a thousand of the thankfullest will euer do good, though it be neuer so well deserued. Such small recompence hath so great paines, the very acquaintance dying when the childe departes, though with confessed deserte, and manifest profit: Such extreme dealing will furie enforce, where there is no fault, but that conceit surmiseth, vnwilling to examine the truth of the cause, and lother to reclame, as vnwilling to be seene so ouershot by affection. This very point wherby parentes hurte themselues in deede, and hinder their owne, though they discourage teachers, would be looked vnto by some publike ordinaunce, that both the maisters might be driuen to do well, if the fault rest in them: and the parentes to deale well, if the blame rest there: considering the publike is harmed, where the priuate is vncharmed, to ende it in meter as my president is.
But in the beginning of this argument I did protest against Philip Melanchthons miseries, and therefore I will go no further, seeing what calling is it, which hath not his cumbat against such discurtesies? The prouerbe were vntrue, if man should not be as well a wolfe to man, as he is tearmed a God and did not more harme, in vnkyndenesse, then good in curtesie: so maruelosly fraught with ill and good both, as Plinie, cannot iudge whether nature be to a man, a better mother, or a bitterer stepdame. But patience must comfort where extremitie discourageth: and a resolute minde is a rempare to it selfe, vpon whom as Horace saith, though the whole world should fall, it might well crush him perforce, but not quash him for feare.
CHAPTER 44.
That Conference betwene those which haue interest in children: Certainetie of direction in places where children vse most: and Constancie in well keeping that, which is certainely appointed, be the most profitable circumstances both for vertuous manering and cunning schooling.