176 A Præface to the Reader.
more discretion were in many Scholemasters, in vsing correction, than commonlie there is. Who many times, punishe rather, the weakenes of nature, than the fault of the Scholer. Whereby, many Scholers, that might else proue well, be driuen to hate learning, before they knowe, what learning meaneth: and so, are made willing to forsake their booke, and be glad to be put to any other kinde of liuing. M. Peter, as one somewhat seuere of nature, said plainlie, M. Peter. // that the Rodde onelie, was the sworde, that must keepe, the Schole in obedience, and the Scholer M. Wotton. // in good order. M. Wotton, á man milde of nature, with soft voice, and fewe wordes, inclined to M. Secretaries iudgement, and said, in mine opinion, the Schole- Ludus li- // house should be in deede, as it is called by name, terarum. // the house of playe and pleasure, and not of feare Plato de // and bondage: and as I do remember, so saith Rep. 7. // Socrates in one place of Plato. And therefore, if a Rodde carie the feare of à Sworde, it is no maruell, if those that be fearefull of nature, chose rather to forsake the Plaie, than to stand alwaies within the feare of a Sworde in a fonde mans handling. M. Mason, after his maner, was M. Mason. // verie merie with both parties, pleasantlie playing, both, with the shrewde touches of many courste boyes, and with the small discretion of many leude Scholemasters. M. Haddon was fullie of M. Peters opinion, and said, that M. Haddon. // the best scholemaster of our time, was the greatest beater, and named the Person. Though, quoth I, it was his good fortune, to send from his Schole, The Author of // vnto the Vniuersitie, one of the best Scholers in this booke. // deede of all our time, yet wise men do thinke, that that came so to passe, rather, by the great towardnes of the Scholer, than by the great beating of the Master: and whether this be true or no, you your selfe are best witnes. I said somewhat farder in the matter, how, and whie, yong children, were soner allured by loue, than driuen by beating, to atteyne good learning: wherein I was the bolder to say my minde, bicause M. Secretarie curteslie prouoked me thereunto: or else, in such à companie, and namelie in his præsence, my wonte is, to be more willing, to vse mine eares, than to occupie my tonge.
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Syr Walter Mildmaye, M. Astley, and the rest, said verie litle: onelie Syr Rich. Sackuill, said nothing at all. After dinner I went vp to read with the Queenes Maiestie. We red than togither in the Greke tongue, as I well remember. // Demost. that noble Oration of Demosthenes against æschines, // peri pa- for his false dealing in his Ambassage to king // rapresb. Philip of Macedonie. Syr Rich. Sackuile came vp sone after: and finding me in hir Maiesties priuie chamber, he // Syr R. tooke me by the hand, & carying me to à // Sackuiles windoe, said, M. Ascham, I would not for à good // communi- deale of monie, haue bene, this daie, absent from // cation with diner. Where, though I said nothing, yet I gaue // the Author as good eare, and do consider as well the taulke, // of this that passed, as any one did there. M. Secretarie said very // booke. wisely, and most truely, that many yong wittes be driuen to hate learninge, before they know what learninge is. I can be good witnes to this my selfe: For à fond Scholemaster, before I was fullie fourtene yeare olde, draue me so, with feare of beating, from all loue of learninge, as nowe, when I know, what difference it is, to haue learninge, and to haue litle, or none at all, I feele it my greatest greife, and finde it my greatest hurte, that euer came to me, that it was my so ill chance, to light vpon so lewde à Scholemaster. But seing it is but in vain, to lament thinges paste, and also wisdome to looke to thinges to cum, surely, God willinge, if God lend me life, I will make this my mishap, some occasion of good hap, to litle Robert Sackuile my sonnes sonne. For whose bringinge vp, I would gladlie, if it so please you, vse speciallie your good aduice. I heare saie, you haue à sonne, moch of his age: we wil deale thus togither. Point you out à Scholemaster, who by your order, shall teache my sonne and yours, and for all the rest, I will prouide, yea though they three do cost me a couple of hundred poundes by yeare: and beside, you shall finde me as fast à Frend to you and yours, as perchance any you haue. Which promise, the worthie Ientleman surelie kept with me, vntill his dying daye. We had than farther taulke togither, of bringing vp of children: of the nature, of quicke, and hard wittes: // The cheife of the right choice of à good witte: of Feare, and // pointes of loue in teachinge children. We passed from // this booke.
178 A Præface to the Reader.
children and came to yonge men, namely, Ientlemen: we
taulked of their to moch libertie, to liue as they lust: of their
letting louse to sone, to ouer moch experience of ill, contrarie to
the good order of many good olde common welthes of the
Persians and Grekes: of witte gathered, and good fortune
gotten, by some, onely by experience, without learning. And
lastlie, he required of me verie earnestlie, to shewe, what I
thought of the common goinge of Englishe men into Italie.
But, sayth he, bicause this place, and this tyme, will not suffer
so long taulke, as these good matters require, therefore I pray
you, at my request, and at your leysure, put in some order of
writing, the cheife pointes of this our taulke, concerning the
right order of teachinge, and honestie of liuing, for the good
bringing vp of children & yong men. And surelie, beside
contentinge me, you shall both please and profit verie many
others. I made some excuse by lacke of habilitie, and weakenes
of bodie: well, sayth he, I am not now to learne, what you can
do. Our deare frende, good M. Goodricke, whose iudgement I
could well beleue, did once for all, satisfye me fullie therein.
Againe, I heard you say, not long agoe, that you may thanke
Syr John Cheke, for all the learninge you haue: And I know
verie well my selfe, that you did teach the Quene. And
therefore seing God did so blesse you, to make you the Scholer
of the best Master, and also the Scholemaster of the best
Scholer, that euer were in our tyme, surelie, you should please
God, benefite your countrie, & honest your owne name, if you
would take the paines, to impart to others, what you learned
of soch à Master, and how ye taught such à scholer. And, in
vttering the stuffe ye receiued of the one, in declaring the
order ye tooke with the other, ye shall neuer lacke, neither
matter, nor maner, what to write, nor how to write in this
kinde of Argument.
I beginning some farther excuse, sodeinlie was called to
cum to the Queene. The night following, I slept litle, my
head was so full of this our former taulke, and I so mindefull,
somewhat to satisfie the honest request of so deare à frend,
I thought to præpare some litle treatise for a New yeares gift
that Christmas. But, as it chanceth to busie builders, so, in
building thys my poore Scholehouse (the rather bicause the forme
of it is somewhat new, and differing from others) the worke
A Præf ace to the Reader. 179
rose dailie higher and wider, than I thought it would at the beginninge. And though it appeare now, and be in verie deede, but a small cotage, poore for the stuffe, and rude for the workemanship, yet in going forward, I found the site so good, as I was lothe to giue it ouer, but the making so costlie, outreaching my habilitie, as many tymes I wished, that some one of those three, my deare frendes, with full pursses, Syr Tho. Smithe, M. // {Smith. Haddon, or M. Watson, had had the doing of it. // M. {Haddon. Yet, neuerthelesse, I my selfe, spending gladlie // {Watson. that litle, that I gatte at home by good Syr Iohn // Syr_ I._ Cheke, and that that I borrowed abroad of my // Cheke. frend Sturmius, beside somewhat that was left me // I. Sturmius. in Reuersion by my olde Masters, Plato, Aristotle, // Plato. and Cicero, I haue at last patched it vp, as I could, // Aristotle. and as you see. If the matter be meane, and meanly handled, // Cicero. I pray you beare, both with me, and it: for neuer worke went vp in worse wether, with mo lettes and stoppes, than this poore Scholehouse of mine. Westminster Hall can beare some witnesse, beside moch weakenes of bodie, but more trouble of minde, by some such sores, as greue me to toche them my selfe, and therefore I purpose not to open them to others. And, in middes of outward iniuries, and inward cares, to encrease them withall, good Syr Rich. Sackuile dieth, that worthie Ientleman: That earnest // Syr R. fauorer and furtherer of Gods true Religion: // Sackuill. That faithfull Seruitor to his Prince and Countrie: A louer of learning, & all learned men: Wise in all doinges: Curtesse to all persons: shewing spite to none: doing good to many: and as I well found, to me so fast à frend, as I neuer lost the like before. Whan he was gone, my hart was dead. There was not one, that woare à blacke gowne for him, who caried à heuier hart for him, than I. Whan he was gone, I cast this booke àwaie: I could not looke vpon it, but with weping eyes, in remembring him, who was the onelie setter on, to do it, and would haue bene, not onelie à glad commender of it, but also à sure and certaine comfort, to me and mine, for it. Almost two yeares togither, this booke lay scattered, and neglected, and had bene quite giuen ouer of me, if the goodnesse of one had not giuen me some life and spirite againe. God, the
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mouer of goodnesse, prosper alwaies him & his, as he hath many times comforted me and mine, and, I trust to God, shall comfort more and more. Of whom, most iustlie I may saie, and verie oft, and alwaies gladlie, I am wont to say, that sweete verse of Sophocles, spoken by Oedipus to worthie Theseus.