The Scholemaster Part 2

For verie greafe of harte I will not applie the similitude: but hereby, is plainlie seen, how learning is robbed of hir best wittes, first by the great beating, and after by the ill chosing of scholers, to go to the vniuersities. Whereof c.u.mmeth partelie, that lewde and spitefull prouerbe, sounding to the greate hurte of learning, and shame of learned men, that, the greatest Clerkes be not the wisest men.

And though I, in all this discourse, seem plainlie to prefer, hard and roughe wittes, before quicke and light wittes, both for learnyng and maners, yet am I not ignorant that som quicknes of witte, is a singuler gifte of G.o.d, and so most rare emonges men, and namelie such a witte, as is quicke without lightnes, sharpe without brittlenes, desirous of good thinges without newfanglenes, diligent in painfull thinges without werisomnes, and constant in good will to do all thinges well, as I know was in Syr _Iohn Cheke_, and is in som, that yet liue, in whome all theis faire qualities of witte ar fullie mette togither.

But it is notable and trewe, that _Socrates_ saith in _Plato_ to _Plato in_ // his frende _Crito_. That, that number of men is _Critone_. // fewest, which far excede, either in good or ill, in wisdom of folie, but the meane betwixt both, be

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the greatest number: which he proueth trewe in diuerse other thinges: as in greyhoundes, emonges which fewe // Verie are found, exceding greate, or exceding litle, // good, or exceding swift, or exceding slowe: And therfore/ verie ill I speaking of quick and hard wittes, I ment, the // men, be common number of quicke and hard wittes, // fewest in emonges the which, for the most parte, the hard // number.

witte, proueth manie times, the better learned, wiser and honester man: and therfore, do I the more lament, that soch wittes commonlie be either kepte from learning, by fond fathers, or bet from learning by lewde scholemasters.

And speaking thus moche of the wittes of children for learning, the opportunitie of the place, and good- // Hors.e.m.e.n nes of the matter might require to haue here // be wiser in declared the most speciall notes of a good witte for // knowledge learning in a childe, after the maner and custume // of a good of a good horsman, who is skilfull, to know, and // Colte, than hable to tell others, how by certein sure signes, a // scholema- man may choise a colte, that is like to proue an // sters be, in other day, excellent for the saddle. And it is // knowledge pitie, that commonlie, more care is had, yea and // of a good that emonges verie wise men, to finde out rather a cunnynge // witte.

man for their horse, than a cunnyng man for their // A good Ri- children. They say nay in worde, but they do so // der better in deede. For, to the one, they will gladlie giue // rewarded a stipend of 200. Crounes by yeare, and loth // than a good to offer to the other, 200. s.h.i.+llinges. G.o.d, that // Schole- sitteth in heauen laugheth their choice to skorne, // master.

and rewardeth their liberalitie as it should: for he suffereth them, to haue, tame, and well ordered horse, but // Horse well wilde and vnfortunate Children: and therfore in // broken, the ende they finde more pleasure in their horse, // children ill than comforte in their children. // taught.

But concerning the trewe notes of the best wittes for learning in a childe, I will reporte, not myne own opinion, but the very iudgement of him, that was counted the best teacher and wisest man that learning maketh mention of, // _Plato_ in 7.

and that is _Socrates_ in _Plato_, who expresseth // de Rep.

orderlie thies seuen plaine notes to choise a good witte in a child for learninge.

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{1 Euphues.

{2 Mnemon.

Trewe {3 Philomathes.

notes of a {4 Philoponos.

good witte. {5 Philekoos.

{6 Zetetikos.

{7 Philepainos.

And bicause I write English, and to Englishemen, I will plainlie declare in Englishe both, what thies wordes of _Plato_ meane, and how aptlie they be linked, and how orderlie they folow one an other.

1. Euphues.

Is he, that is apte by goodnes of witte, and appliable by Witte. // readines of will, to learning, hauing all other Will. // qualities of the minde and partes of the bodie, that must an other day serue learning, not trobled, mangled, and halfed, but sounde, whole, full, & hable to do their The tong. // office: as, a tong, not stamering, or ouer hardlie drawing forth wordes, but plaine, and redie to The voice. // deliuer the meaning of the minde: a voice, not softe, weake, piping, wommanishe, but audible, Face. // stronge, and manlike: a countenance, not werishe Stature. // and crabbed, but faire and c.u.mlie: a personage, not wretched and deformed, but taule and goodlie Learnyng // for surelie, a c.u.mlie countenance, with a goodlie ioyned // stature, geueth credit to learning, and authoritie with a c.u.m- // to the person: otherwise commonlie, either, open lie perso- // contempte, or priuie disfauour doth hurte, or nage. // hinder, both person and learning. And, euen as a faire stone requireth to be sette in the finest gold, with the best workmanshyp, or else it leseth moch of the Grace and price, euen so, excellencye in learning, and namely Diuinitie, ioyned with a c.u.mlie personage, is a meruelous Iewell in the world. And how can a c.u.mlie bodie be better employed, than to serue the fairest exercise of G.o.ddes greatest gifte, and that is learning. But commonlie, the fairest bodies, ar bestowed on the foulest purposes. I would it were not so: and with examples herein I will not medle: yet I wishe, that

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those shold, both mynde it, & medle with it, which haue most occasion to looke to it, as good and wise fathers shold do, and greatest authoritie to amend it, as good & wise magistrates ought to do: And yet I will not let, openlie to lament the vnfortunate case of learning herein.

For, if a father haue foure sonnes, three faire and well formed both mynde and bodie, the fourth, // Deformed wretched, lame, and deformed, his choice shalbe, // creatures to put the worst to learning, as one good enoughe // commonlie to bec.u.m a scholer. I haue spent the most parte // set to lear- of my life in the Vniuersitie, and therfore I can // nyng.

beare good witnes that many fathers commonlie do thus: wherof, I haue hard many wise, learned, and as good men as euer I knew, make great, and oft complainte: a good horseman will choise no soch colte, neither for his own, nor yet for his masters sadle.

And thus moch of the first note.

2 Mnemon.

Good of memorie, a speciall parte of the first note euphues, and a mere benefite of nature: yet it is so // Memorie.

necessarie for learning, as _Plato_ maketh it a separate and perfite note of it selfe, and that so princ.i.p.all a note, as without it, all other giftes of nature do small seruice to learning. _Afranius_, that olde Latine Poete maketh // _Aul. Gel._ Memorie the mother of learning and wisedome, saying thus.

_Vsus me genuit, Mater peperit memoria_, and though it be the mere gifte of nature, yet is memorie well preserued by vse, and moch encreased by order, as our scholer must // Three sure learne an other day in the Vniuersitie: but in // signs of a a childe, a good memorie is well known, by three // good me- properties: that is, if it be, quicke in receyuing, // morie.

sure in keping, and redie in deliuering forthe againe.

3 Philomathes.

Giuen to loue learning: for though a child haue all the giftes of nature at wishe, and perfection of memorie at wil, yet if he haue not a speciall loue to learning, he shall neuer attaine to moch learning. And therfore _Isocrates_, one of the n.o.blest

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scholemasters, that is in memorie of learning, who taught Kinges and Princes, as _Halicarna.s.saeus_ writeth, and out of whose schole, as _Tullie_ saith, came forth, mo n.o.ble Capitanes, mo wise Councelors, than did out of _Epeius_ horse at _Troie_.

This _Isocrates_, I say, did cause to be written, at the entrie of his schole, in golden letters, this golden sentence, ean es philomathes, ese polymathes which excellentlie said in _Greeke_, is thus rudelie in Englishe, if thou louest learning, thou shalt attayne to moch learning.

4. Philoponos.

Is he, that hath a l.u.s.t to labor, and a will to take paines.

For, if a childe haue all the benefites of nature, with perfection of memorie, loue, like, & praise learning neuer so moch, yet if he be not of him selfe painfull, he shall neuer attayne vnto it.

And yet where loue is present, labor is seldom absent, and namelie in studie of learning, and matters of the mynde: and therfore did _Isocrates_ rightlie iudge, that if his scholer were philomathes he cared for no more. _Aristotle_, variing from _Isocrates_ in priuate affaires of life, but agreing with _Isocrates_ in common iudgement of learning, for loue and labor in learning, is of the same opinion, vttered in these wordes, in his Rhetorike 2 Rhet. ad // _ad Theodecten_. Libertie kindleth loue: Loue Theod. // refuseth no labor: and labor obteyneth what so euer it seeketh. And yet neuerthelesse, Goodnes of nature may do little good: Perfection of memorie, may serue to small vse: All loue may be employed in vayne: Any labor may be sone graualed, if a man trust alwaies to his own singuler witte, and will not be glad somtyme to heare, take aduise, and learne of an other: And therfore doth _Socrates_ very notablie adde the fifte note.

5. Philekoos.

He, that is glad to heare and learne of an other. For otherwise, he shall sticke with great troble, where he might go easelie forwarde: and also catche hardlie a verie litle by his owne toyle, whan he might gather quicklie a good deale, by an nothers mans teaching. But now there be some, that haue great loue to learning, good l.u.s.t to labor, be willing to learne of others, yet, either of a fonde shamefastnes, or else of a proud

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folie, they dare not, or will not, go to learne of an nother: And therfore doth _Socrates_ wiselie adde the sixte note of a good witte in a childe for learning, and that is.

6. Zetetikos.

He, that is naturallie bold to aske any question, desirous to searche out any doute, not ashamed to learne of the meanest, not affraide to go to the greatest, vntill he be perfitelie taught, and fullie satisfiede. The seuenth and last poynte is.

7. Philepainos.

He, that loueth to be praised for well doing, at his father, or masters hand. A childe of this nature, will earnestlie loue learnyng, gladlie labor for learning, willinglie learne of other, boldlie aske any doute. And thus, by _Socrates_ iudgement, a good father, and a wise scholemaster, shold chose a childe to make a scholer of, that hath by nature, the foresayd perfite qualities, and c.u.mlie furniture, both of mynde and bodie: hath memorie, quicke to receyue, sure to keape, and readie to deliuer: hath loue to learning: hath l.u.s.t to labor: hath desire to learne of others: hath boldnes to aske any question: hath mynde holie bent, to wynne praise by well doing.

The two firste poyntes be speciall benefites of nature: which neuerthelesse, be well preserued, and moch encreased by good order. But as for the fiue laste, loue, labor, gladnes to learne of others, boldnes to aske doutes, and will to wynne praise, be wonne and maintened by the onelie wisedome and discretion of the scholemaster. Which fiue poyntes, whether a scholemaster shall worke soner in a childe, by fearefull beating, or curtese handling, you that be wise, iudge.

Yet some men, wise in deede, but in this matter, more by seueritie of nature, than any wisdome at all, do laugh at vs, when we thus wishe and reason, that yong children should rather be allured to learning by ientilnes and loue, than compelled to learning, by beating and feare: They say, our reasons serue onelie to breede forth talke, and pa.s.se a waie tyme, but we neuer saw good scholemaster do so, nor neuer red of wise man that thought so.

Yes forsothe: as wise as they be, either in other mens opinion, or in their owne conceite, I will bring the contrarie

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iudgement of him, who, they them selues shall confesse, was as wise as they are, or else they may be iustlie thought to haue small witte at all: and that is _Socrates_, whose iudgement in _Plato_ in 7. // _Plato_ is plainlie this in these wordes: which, de Rep. // bicause they be verie notable, I will recite them in his owne tong, ouden mathema meta douleias chre manthanein: oi men gar tou somatos ponoi bia ponoumenoi cheiron ouden to soma apergazontai; psyche de, biaion ouden emmonon mathema: in Englishe thus, No learning ought to be learned with bondage: For bodelie labors, wrought by compul- sion, hurt not the bodie: but any learning learned by compulsion, tarieth not long in the mynde: And why? For what soeuer the mynde doth learne vnwillinglie with feare, the same it doth quicklie forget without care. And lest proude wittes, that loue not to be contraryed, but haue l.u.s.t to wrangle or trifle away troth, will say, that _Socrates_ meaneth not this of childrens teaching, but of som other higher learnyng, heare, what _Socrates_ in the same place doth more plainlie say: me toinyn bia, o ariste, tous paidas en tois mathemasin, alla paizontas trephe, that is to say, and therfore, my deare frend, bring not vp your children in learning by compulsion and feare, but by playing and pleasure. And you, that do read _Plato_, as The right // ye shold, do well perceiue, that these be no readyng of // Questions asked by _Socrates_, as doutes, but they _Plato_. // be Sentences, first affirmed by _Socrates_, as mere trothes, and after, giuen forth by _Socrates_, as right Rules, most necessarie to be marked, and fitte to be folowed of all them, that would haue children taughte, as they should. And in this counsell, iudgement, and authoritie of _Socrates_ I will repose my selfe, vntill I meete with a man of the contrarie mynde, whom I may iustlie take to be wiser, than I thinke _Socrates_ Yong Ien- // was. Fonde scholemasters, neither can vnder- tlemen, be // stand, nor will folow this good counsell of _Socrates_, wiselier // but wise ryders, in their office, can and will do taught to // both: which is the onelie cause, that commonly, ryde, by com- // the yong ientlemen of England, go so vnwillinglie mon ry- // to schole, and run so fast to the stable: For in ders, than // verie deede fond scholemasters, by feare, do to learne, // beate into them, the hatred of learning, and wise by common // riders, by ientle allurements, do breed vp in Schole- // masters. //

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them, the loue of riding. They finde feare, & bondage in scholes, They feele libertie and freedome in stables: which causeth them, vtterlie to abh.o.r.e the one, and most gladlie to haunt the other. And I do not write this, that in exhorting to the one, I would dissuade yong ientlemen from the other: yea I am sorie, with all my harte, that they be giuen no more to riding, then they be: For, of all outward qualities, // Ryding.

to ride faire, is most c.u.melie for him selfe, most necessarie for his contrey, and the greater he is in blood, the greater is his praise, the more he doth excede all other therein.

It was one of the three excellent praises, amongest the n.o.ble ientlemen the old _Percians_, Alwaise to say troth, to ride faire, and shote well: and so it was engrauen vpon _Darius_ tumbe, as _Strabo_ beareth witnesse. // Strabo. 15.

_Darius the king, lieth buried here, Who in riding and shoting had neuer peare._

But, to our purpose, yong men, by any meanes, leesing the loue of learning, whan by tyme they c.u.m to their owne rule, they carie commonlie, from the schole with them, a perpetuall hatred of their master, and a continuall contempt of learning.

If ten Ientlemen be asked, why they forget so sone in Court, that which they were learning so long in schole, eight of them, or let me be blamed, will laie the fault on their ill handling, by their scholemasters.