The first part of the elementarie vvhich entreateth chefelie of the right writing of our English tung, set furth by Richard Mulcaster.

Cap. VIII. That this Elementarie riddeth the course of the after learning from all difficultie and hardnesse.

THe fourth prouf of a good Elementarie was, in place of hardnesse to plant facilitie, and to lighten the course of studie by making of it plane. For what thing is it but hardnesse alone which most appalleth young mens courages, and abateth their diligence, in a maner fraing them to go anie * 1.1 further, when theie are verie well minded, towards the obtai∣ning of sound, and substanciall knowledge? And what but hard∣nesse is the chefe and originall cause, why so manie rest con∣tent with simple and superficiall skill, being vnwilling to toill themselues with the difficulties of studie, and that ear theie com to fele, that small learning will serue well enough to com by a great liuing? which might haue bene alledged for a verie great impediment to greater learning, if it had gone before the feling of hardnesse: but the course is this. Young men desire to get learning to liue by, and while theie are in place of learning, as in vniuersities, by cause there theie se learning in best credit, theie ar in dede desirous to be noted for learning, which when theie cannot com by, being chekt thorough hardnesse, in the matter of studie, as theie think, but in dede thorough weak∣nesse in their first train, as I know, then theie deuise, how to turn that litle, which theie haue, to the best commoditie that theie can, and so in seking of preferment, theie ioyn great prac∣tises with som simple learning, as their best mean to obtain greater liuing. Whereas in verie dede if difficultie had not cros∣sed them, theie wold haue ioyned worthinesse in themselues, with admiration in others, and so haue bene called by others, and not haue craued themselues. This hardnesse certainlie com∣meth by cause such students haue not bene brought vp in the knowledge of these Elements, which being well laid while children ar yet vnder the rod, and learn as it were more by rote then by reason, without feeling themselues, either much pains or anie profit, will cause an easie and a pleasant course in the further learning, when theie can iudge what theie do, tho theie did it not in doing.

For childern as theie be still in doing, so theie know not * 1.2 what theie do, much lesse wherefor theie do, till reason do grow vnto som ripenesse in them. And therefor the matter of their train is such, as theie profit more by practis, then by know∣ing

why, till theie fele the vse of reason, which teacheth them to know considerations and causes. The foresight for their well doing in the mean time remains in their parents, teachers, and frinds, who prouide so for them in youth, as theie maie praise them again, and praie for them in age. But when theie them∣selues do grow to iudgement, hauing bene so brought vp, then theie do find what a great deall of good theie haue all∣redie don, and how beneficiall their frinds haue bene vnto them, for helping them so much. Then theie se, where other not so trained do proue stark blind. Then make theie no bones, where euerie litle let, is a verie great log to anie of the other: then march theie one at pleasur, like soldiers of courage, whose waie is made plane by pioners sent before, where the other, which ar not so well prouided for, will rather cast awaie their armor, then wrastle with the difficulties of vnknown and vn∣easie passages.

I cannot compare the foredeall by which childern ar at, their first education to anie thing better, then to the pictur of Timo∣theus * 1.3 son to Conon the Athenian captaine, and his victories, as som his ill willers did cause them, and him to be painted out, as Plutarch reporteth. For theie made Timotheus himself lying fast a slepe, and fortun bringing cuntries, towns, and victories vnto him in a net, meaning thereby; that he became such a con∣queror; more by hap then by cunning, more by his enemies wāt, then by his own wit. Childern which be well trained in their youth be like to sleping Timotheus, preferred by their frinds, ear themselues can perceiue it: and their frinds like to fortun, which furnish them so well, ear themselues can discern, what good is don vnto them. But when theie com to years, and ar once awaked, then with open eies theie behold, their frinds care, their own conquest, and fortun fishing for them, naie Gods prouidence verie carefull for them, by the ministerie of parents, masters, and frinds, while theie were fast a slepe, and could not themselues, either help themselues, or iudge right of their helpers. If this Elementarie then be the great benefit of foreseing frinds, the great conquest of frindlie fortun, naie the great munificence of a louing God, who wold haue his litle ones go thorough stitch where ignorance makes hirs stik, is the

thing of small regard, which hath so great patrons? is it of small importance, which foileth such a fo, as ignorance is?

But to go more particuiarlie, is the compassing of tungs hard? sure so it is, to one of no foretrain, that neuer learned grammer, that neuer red writer, that neuer proued his stile, that neuer vsed the tung. Be the mathematiks hard? sure so there be to one not prepared, that neuer did number, that neuer drew line, that neuer knew note, that neuer markt motion. Be the abilities of the bodie laborious and hard? sure that theie be, where no exercise goeth before, where the ioynts be stif, where it is painfull to proue, what the bodie can do, being ne∣uer put to it. But where foretrain is, there case will follow, where the bodie is prepared, the purgation worketh: where ex∣ercise leadeth, actiuitie will follow, both in those and the rest. Theie that haue these helps well grounded in their youth, as I said before, maie go forward with ease, and stand verie fast, where other must nedes stumble, which haue no such help. Which stumblers, tho by their own exceding great, and there∣for exceding commendable trauell, theie oftimes in the end excell those, which were better brought vp then theie were, yet the train was well appointed, whatsoeuer negligence dis∣appointed the effect in those, which hauing wings to fly vouch∣safed scant to flutter: and the blame resteth in them, which might haue don well and wold not, the praise in them, which did so well, tho theie wrastled sore for it.

Therefor the tender minde of the young infant being first embrewed with these principles as the best, for the first liquor: and then furnished with their store, as the most, for all helps, fa∣cilitie must nedes follow in all that doth succede.

The opinion mentioned in Platoes Phaedon, that all our learning is but a calling to remembrance of fore acquainted * 1.4 skill, the soull hauing in it naturallie, and from hir first being all maner of learning, tho neuer vttering it, but when it is moued by foren occasion, confirmeth this opinion of facilitie in lear∣ning, after these principles be once laid. For if the generall con∣ceit in natur by waie of principle do make all knowledge to seme of old acquaintance, and the things thimselues to be no sooner named, thē streight waie perceiued, as of no new famili∣aritie,

no sooner hard but streight cald to remembrance, as the known inhabitants of naturall memorie (which kinde of per∣ceiuing Aristotle calleth a knowledge within vs a forehand, which knowledge leadeth the strongest and the best demon∣stration * 1.5) sure when difficultie is past in the first planting, which is rightlie termed the better half of the hole, facilitie must nedes follow in all the residew, which seme to the principles, as of their acquaintance, theie follow so frindlie. So sharp an eie hath he to se further, whose sight is made steddie by such a pre∣paratiue. He that in his Elementarie train can read and write well, he that handling the pen or pencill can vse them both wel by nunber, and with line: and dealing with musik can iudge well of sounds, & handle instruments right, what can he think hard in his after studie, if studie be his choice? Naie what shall he find hard, tho handicraft be his end? for he maie well haue all these principles, yea and the mathematiks to, and yet aspire no higher, then the plane workman: bycause those helps be pe∣culiar to such peple, tho for som quiknesse to wit, and constant∣nesse in prouf, theie be vsed for book learning. Now if he be entred into language, so far as grammer goeth, which is the tip of the Elementarie, will there be question of difficultie? Then all hardnesse being remoued in the Elementarie, before the learner can discern, what a foredeall he is at, and facilitie being won, where the student might haue stumbled, if his waie had not bene planed, what a pleasant feild hath studie to rāge in, where nothing can hinder, if loytring do no harm? Which loytring and negligence is allwaie excepted, as a thing that thwarteth euen the best deuises, & commonlie cuts of all good successe, in euen the fairest attempts, tho it fre the thing from blame, whose furtherance it stoppeth, and cast the falt on him, whose hinderance it helpeth. For the thing remaineth one, tho the partie haue it not, the partie is the worse, bycause he hath not the thing, and so much the worse, bycause he is worse then him self, thorough his own negligence, which might haue passed himself, thorough his own diligence. * 1.6

I do oftimes se, and as oftimes pitie a great number of verie good students, which be more then half discouraged from their further proceding, when either theie find their own want, not

hauing this foretrain: or being desirous to go forward ar en∣forced to trauell in these Elementarie minuts, somtimes with effect tho extreme painefull, oftimes with dispare and losse of all their labor. And tho theie do learn them, yet that their lear∣ning is nothing so sound, as vnder a teacher, bycause no one mans labor, in anie argument whatsoeuer, much lesse in these Elementarie principles, is comparable to the help that coms by a teacher, or a cunning reader. For is it not an incredible be∣nefit, to haue the verie flour and pith of another mans studie, naie of all the best writers, concerning that matter wherein your trauell lyeth, to be vttered vnto you in order, by one that hath digested it in time, beside his painfulnesse in studie, to ga∣ther it from the best, and most allowed writers? I will dwell no longer vpon this point, bycause I haue handled it in my book of Positions, where I shew what benefit an vniuersitie receiueth by excellent readers. To my present purpose therefor. While either tediousnesse by the waie doth terrifie good students, or vnskilfulnesse in the end giueth idlenesse a fair color, to cōtemn where it knoweth not, the most of our best learning which we ought to haue (tho som fresh heads do think themselues to know enough and enough, when theie can saie more then enough, how small enough so euer theie haue) is either suppressed by difficultie or oppressed by ignorance. I do not here tuch the want of reward, as being a foren tho a forcible let, to the furtherance of learning, but onelie such stops, as be within the parties, & students themselues, which were in good waie to proue excellentlie sufficient, if such lets were remoued, and themselues in loue with learning euen for learnings sake, tho theie lookt for no dowrie. Now difficultie is a fair pretence to diuert one from knowledge, whom either much trauell will toill sore, or verie litle will soon tire: and ignorance wilbe bold to set light by such things, as it doth not se, bycause it is stark blind.

Wherefor I must nedes commend this Elementarie, as most profitable for redinesse without difficultie in the rest of our stu∣dies, & the onelie mean to make a pleasant passage, where such students, as be not acquainted therewith, ar either miserablie tormented ear that theie can passe at all, or quite discomfited

without hope to passe.

For the triall hereof I do appeall to the iudgement of two sorts of men, whereof either hath good feling in this matter. The one is such, as haue bene verie well and perfithe brought * 1.7 vp in either all, or in most of all those things which I do require: Of whom I ask whether theie find not in themselues a comfor∣table encouragement to go forward in learning, thorough the help of their foretrain, and whether theie be not able, if theie will vse their abilitie, to go forward with great ease? The other sort is such, as haue bene brought vp either in none of these, or not in all, or but verie vnperfitlie in whatsoeuer, and be them∣selues verie willing to learn: Of whom I ask whether theie find not themselues either quite discouraged in their honest de∣sire, if theie haue had no train at all or not more then half lame, iftheie haue had it but by halues: or not both lame and discou∣raged to, being vnperfitlie, and therefor ill trained: and whether theie do not striue miserablie against the stream, when theie seke to go forward without these helps.

Dionysius the Siracusian tyran being at Lacedaemon and exer∣cising * 1.8 himself by the riuer of Eurotas, as other peple did, found his appetite still exceding good, and the relice of his meat ex∣ceding pleasant. Whereupon when he was to return to Syracu∣sae imputing the goodnesse of his stomak and the sauorinesse of his meat, to a wrong cause, as if theie had com of his cooks handling, & not of his own stirring, he took with him a Lacedae∣monian cook as liking of their diet, and allowing of their cook tie. But when he came home he took himself to ease, and vsed no more exercise, whereupon finding neither in his stomak such an appetite, nor in his meat such a relice, as he did at La∣cedaemon, he fell out with his cook, as if the falt had bene in him, not dressing the meat so, as he did at Lacedaemon. But the cook who wittilie espyed the cause of this change, told him that the falt was in himself, who neither vsing the exercise, which he did at Lacedaemon, neither bathing himself, as he did in Euro∣tas, could not haue that stomak which he had doing both. So must I saie by the difficultie in learning, that it will seme verie harsh and verie vnsauerie, to procede in depe studie, where this Elementarie help is not at all had; but exceding easie and

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verie delitefull, wheresoeuer it is. And tho som peple think that, there is no such nede of anie such train, by cause all roums be ser ued sufficiētlie without it: I must cōfesse the seruice, tho I cānot the sufficiencie, which is but sufficient, in comparison of the lesse but mere infirmitie, where it might be full, & perfitlie perfor∣med, ear the pains can be felt by train in young years. Thus much concerning the facilitie which this Elementarie promi∣seth to the course of studie, and therewithall encreaseth com∣mendation to it self.

Notes

• * 1.1

  That hard∣nesse is a chefe hindrer of learning.
• * 1.2

  In what ma∣ner and how this Elemen∣tarie expelleth ignorance.
• * 1.3

  The descrip∣tion of Timo∣theus the A∣thenians victo ries applied vnto childern.
• * 1.4

  The force of Platoes note, that all lear∣ning semeth to be of som fore acquaintance to vs.
• * 1.5

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.6

  VVhat a toill good students ar driuen vn∣to for want of their first train
• * 1.7

  VVho can best iudge of this question con∣cerning the difficultie in proces of stu∣die.
• * 1.8

  Dionysius and his cook.