Positions vvherin those primitiue circumstances be examined, which are necessarie for the training vp of children, either for skill in their booke, or health in their bodie. VVritten by Richard Mulcaster, master of the schoole erected in London anno. 1561. in the parish of Sainct Laurence Povvntneie, by the vvorshipfull companie of the merchaunt tailers of the said citie

Chapter 40. Of the generall place, and time of education. Publike places, E∣lementarie, Grammaticall, Collegiate. Of bourding of childrē abroad from their parentes houses, and whether that be best. The vse and commoditie of a large, and well situate training place. Obseruations to be kept in the generall time.

THese two circunstances for the generall place, and the ge∣nerall time, concerne both the exercise of the bodie, and the training of the minde iointly, bycause they both are to be put in execution in the same place, & at the same time, though not at the same howres. For the particular times, and places I will deale in myne other treatises, where I will accomodate the particular circumstance to the particular argument. Pri∣uate places, where euery parent hath his children taught with∣in his doares, haue but small interest in this place: bycause such a parent, as he may take or leaue of the generall traine, what it shall please him, his owne liking being the measure to

leade him: so for exercise, or any other thing he is the appoin∣ter of his owne circumstance, and his house is his castle.

Publike places be either elementarie,* 1.1 grammaticall, or col∣legiate. For the collegiate places, whether they be in the vni∣uersities, or without, they be lightly well situate, and for both the traines resonably well builded, specially such as haue a cloysture or galerie for exercise in foule weather, and the open fieldes at hand for the faire. If there be any fault in that kinde, it may be set downe, in hope sooner to haue it amended in new erections, when such founders shalbe found: then to be redres∣sed in those which be erected already: bicause these buildinges be restrained to the soile, where on they stand. Yet wish for the better may take place, when the want is found, though the ef∣fect do follow a long while after, if it euer do at all.

The elementarie places admit no great counsell,* 1.2 bycause such as enter the yong ones, do prouide the rowmes of them selues, and the litle people be not as yet capable of any great exercise: so that there is no more to be said herein but this, that the Ele∣mentarie teachers prouide their rowmes as large as they may, & that the parētes domesticall care supply: where the maisters prouision is not sufficient. For as the collegiate yeares must di∣rect themselues most, bycause they are after a certaine degree set ouer to their owne gouernment: so the elementarie, bycause of their weakenes and youth must be ioyntly helpt betwene the maister and the parent, this point for the petie ones being altogither priuate, and vpon priuate charge, as the other col∣legiate is altogither publicke and vpon publicke erection though alway proceeding from some priuat meane. But if any well disposed wealthie man for the honour that he beareth to the murthered infantes, (as all our erections haue some respect that way,) would beginne some building euen for the litle yong ons, which were no encrease to schooles, but an helpe to the elementarie degree, all they would pray for him, and he himselfe should be much bound to the memorie of the yong infantes, which put him in remembraunce of so vertuous an act. And rich men which haue much more then necessary e∣nough, though none of them thinke he haue simply enough, would be stirred forward by all good & earnest people, which

fauour the publicke weale, whose foundation is laide in these petie infantes, to spend the supererogation of their wealth that waie, where it will do most good to other, and least harme to themselues.

3 1.3The places where the the toungues be taught, by order and art of grammer, require more obseruation, bycause the yeares that be or at the least ought to be emploied that way be fittest, both for the fashioning of the body, and for framing of the minde: most subiect to the maisters direction, and consist of a compound care, publicke erection, which prouideth them pla∣ces wherein to learne: and priuate maintenaunce which fur∣nisheth out the rest. The scholers either come daily from their fathers houses to schoole, or be bourded at their charges somewhere verie nigh to the schoole.

* 1.4Where there riseth a question whether it be better for the childe to boord abroad with his maister, or some where else: or to come from home daily to schoole. If the place where the parentes dwell, be neare to the schoole, that the nighnes of his maisters house can be no great vantage: or but so sarre of, as the very walke may be for the boyes health: and the parent himselfe be carefull and wise withall, to be as good a furthe∣rer in the training, as he is a father to the being of his owne chield: certainely the parentes house is much better, if for no∣thing else, yet bycause the parent may more easily at all times entend the goodnes of his owne, being but one or few, then the maister can, at such extraordinarie times as the bourding with him, doth seeme to begge his diligence, being both tired before, and distracted among many. Further, all the con∣siderations which do perswade men rather to haue their chil∣dren taught at home, then among the multitude abroad, for the bettering of their behauiour, do speake for their bourding at home, if the parentes will consider the thing well: Bycause the parent may both see to the entertainement of his childe, when he is from schoole, and withall examine, what good he doth at schoole. For vndoutedly the maisters be wearied with trauelling all the day, so that the priuate help within their hou∣ses, can be but litle, without both ouertyring the maister, and shortening his life, and the dulling of the childe, if he still pore

vpon his booke. Times of recreation must be had, and are as requisite to doe thinges well any long time, as study∣ing is necessarie to do any thing well at anytime. For can any man but thinke it a great deale more, then a sufficient time for the maister to teach, and the scholer to learne dayly from six in the morning till eleuen, and from one in the afternoone till wellnigh six at night, if these houres be well applied? nay if they were a great deale fewer? And may not the residew be well enough bestowed vpon solace and recreation in some chaunge to the more pleasant for either partie? In the maisters house, I graunt children may keepe schoolehowers better, and be lesse subiect to loytering and trewantrie. The maisters care in his generall teaching may eye them nearer, bycause they be in his so neare tuition, and in place of his owne children, being committed vnto his priuate care by their owne parentes and friendes, he may more easily dispence with their howers, if they fortune to minde many elementarie pointes at one time: and sooner finde out their inclination, then in the generall multitude. And if any particular preferment be incident to his house, without the common wearying both of the scholer and maister, some thing may be done. There be also many pri∣uate considerations, which some parentes follow in the displa∣cing of their children from their owne houses, which I remit to their thoughtes, as I reserue some to myne owne. If the maister do entend onely such scholers as he bourdeth, and haue both in himselfe abililie to performe, what is needefull for the best traine: and haue such a conuenient number as will rise to some hight in the traine, I know none better, so the place where he dwelleth, and teacheth do answere in conuenientnes, and situ∣ation & some circumstances, else. But while he careth to haue his bourders learne, sure some slow paying parentes will keepe him leane, if he looke not well to it, & his gaine will go backe∣ward, besides the continuall miscontentmentes. At home spoi∣les, soilthes, twentie things, are nothing in the parentes heauēly eye, which selfe same be death abroad, where the parent hath another eye: and yet the things misliked not auoidable euen at home. But what if sickenes, nay what if death cōe in deede, thē all things be constrewed to the worst, as if death did not know

where the parent dwells. And though the maister doe that which the ciuill law requireth in deposing, and vse not onely so much diligence to preserue, but much more then in his owne, yet all that is nothing. Wherefore as parentes must be∣ware of boording out for their owne good: so maisters must be warie of admitting any for their owne harme. And sure to set downe my resolution, me thinke it enough for the maister to take vpon him the traine alone, being so great both for ex∣ercise and learning, as I wish him well considered, that can do both well. If parentes dwell not neare the schoole, let some neighbours be hostes, which may and will entend it, and de∣liuer the maister of the parentes care, whom euen they will fauour more, if they find profit by his schooling. They be distinct offices, to be a parent and a maister, and the difficulties in training do eager sore enough, though the same mā be trou∣bled with no more. Boording, that is the vndertaking of both a fathers and a maisters charge requireth many circumstances of conuenientnes in place, of prouision for necessities, of trustie and diligent seruauntes, & a number moe: besides indifferencie in the parent to be armed against accidentes, where there is no euident default, and to content truely where there is great desert: as the maister is to giue a great account of two seuerall cures, a personage for his teaching, & a vicarage for his boor∣ding. The maisters charge is great of it selfe, but this compo∣sition of a duble office is a meruelous matter. If the maister minde his boorders eitheer only or most, where his charge is ouer moe, where then is his dutie? if not, what gaine haue those boorders, by their maisters priuate? If he teach but boorders let him looke to himselfe, for his charge will proue chargeable moe wayes then one: & those that be best able to put forth to boord, are alway most strait in making all audittes, and to amplifie offences before they be proued, without eitheir con∣ference or contentment. I wish parentes therefore to be warie, ear they set ouer their owne person for more then the training: and the maisters to be as warie for feare of had I wist. But to the grammer schooles. As the elementaries of force must be neare vnto their parentes bycause of their youth, and there∣fore are not to be denied the middle of cities and townes: so

I could wish that grammer schooles, were plāted in the skirtes and suburbes of townes, neare to the fieldes, where partely by enclosure of some priuate ground, for the closer exercises both in couert and open: partely for the benefit of the open fieldes for exercises of more raunge, there might not be much want of roome, if there were any at all. To haue a faire schoole house aboue with freedome of aire for the toungues, and an other be∣neth for other pointes of learning, and perfiting or continuyng the Elementarie entrances, which will hardly be kept, if they be posted ouer to priuate practising at home: to haue the mai∣ster and his familie though of some great number conuenient∣ly well lodged: to haue a pretie close adioyning to the schoole walled round about, & one quarter if no more couered aboue cloisture like, for the childrens exercise in the rainie weather, as it will require a good minde and no meane purse: so it needs neither the conference of a countrey, as Lacedemon did in A∣thenaeus, and Plato, as Athens did in Pausanias, Suidas and Philo∣stratus, as Corinth did in Diogenes Laertius▪ nor yet the reuenue of a Romain Emperour, whose buildinges in this kinde, were most sumptuous and magnificent, as Adrian the Emperours Athenaeum, Hermaeum and Panathaenaicum at Tibur, and Neroes Thermae at Rome, which in one building furnished out both learning & exercise as it appeareth by the discriptions of their places called, Gymnasia, xysta, and Palaestrae.

There is wealth enough in priuate possession, if there were will enough to publike education. And yet we haue no great cause to complaine for number of schooles and founders. For during the time of her Maiesties most fortunate raigne already, there hath bene mo schooles erected, then all the rest be, that were before her time in the whole Realme. My meaning is not to haue so many, but better appointed both for the maisters entertainment, and the commoditie of the places. Small helpe will make most of our roomes serue, and small studie with great good will and honest salarie to maintaine a sufficient man, will make our teachers able both to enstructe well and to exercise better. The places of learning and exercise, ought to be ioint tenementes, and neare neigbours capable of number, which must be limited by the neede of the countrey,

where the schoole standeth, and the maisters maintenaunce which way it must rise. For if it rise by the number, better for him few and choice, so they consider his paines accordingly. And sure experience hath taught me, that where the maister is left to the vncertaintie of his stipende to encrease or decrease with his diligence, that there he will do best, and the children profit most, allway prouided that he deale with no more, then he can bring vp vnder him selfe, and hasard not his owne cre∣dit, nor his childrens profit vpon any absolute vnderteacher. Whose vse is not, as we now practise it in schooles, where in∣deede vshers be maisters of them selues, but to assist the mai∣ster in the easier pointes of his charge, which ought to haue all vnder his owne teaching, for the cheife pointes, and the same vnder the vshers, for more vsuall and easie, as in the teaching of the Latin toungue, I will declare more at large. Where the ve∣ry practise wil confirme my wordes, & proue them to be true.

Againe, it is halfe a wonder euer to bring forth a good scho∣ler in the hart of a great towne: where there be chaunge of schooles, & many straunge circunstances to procure chaunge, as it shall please the child. Who notwithstanding he haue his will followed in the chaunge, yet seldome winneth very much by the chaūge: though the second maister oftimes make shew of the formers ground worke, which is made but light of, by∣cause it kepeth lowe.

If the maisters stipend do rise by foundacion, and standing payment, yet the place may not be ouercharged with number: nor the maister with care to prouide things needfull any other wayes then onely by his trade. For what reason is it to haue a mans whole labour, and to alow him liuing scant sufficient for a quarter? or what pollicie is it, to haue him that should teache well, to be enforced for neede, to medle with some trade, quite different from the schoole. In this pointe the Pope, and Canon lawe weare merueilous freindly to maisters, and helped them still with some Ecclesiasticall maintenaunce, as it appeareth in Gregories Decretales, and fifth title of the first booke, De Ma∣gistris. And the Glose ripping further then the text, is yet more freindly. And our owne countrey also, in benefit of priuiledge, by the common lawe at this day, doth not frowne vpon vs, and

for certaine immunities, letteth vs enioye that benefit, which the Canonist meant vs. And the good Emperour Frederick did further by his freindly and fauorable constitution, which he caused to be placed in the fourth booke of Iustinians new Co∣dex, the thirtenth title, Ne filius, pro patre, where the Glosse, making an anatomie of the Emperours meaning, and desirous to do vs good, helpeth vs particularly and properly to.

Among many causes which make schooles so vnsufficient∣ly appointed, I know not any, nay is there any? that so weak∣neth the profession as the very nakednesse of allowance doth. The good that commeth from and by schooles is great and infinite: the qualities required in the teacher many and reso∣lute: the charges which his freindes haue bene at in his brin∣ging vp much and heauy: and in the way of preferment, will ye wish any of any worth to set downe his staffe at some petie portion, which euen they that praise it, would not be content to haue their owne sit downe with, though the founder follow his president, and the time haue bene, when with the Church helpe some litle would haue serued? but the case now is quite altered. In these our dayes eche mā will enhaunce in his owne, without reason or remorse: but in professions of greatest neede and most account, they will yeelde no more allowance, then the auncient rent, where all thinges be improued. Yet oftimes they meete with bookmen in some kinds, which wil bite them coursdly. But those bookmen be neither Elementarie teachers, nor yet Grammarians. Our calling creepes low and hath paine for companion, stil thrust to the wall, though stil cōfessed good: Our comfort perforce is in the generall conclusion,* 1.5 that those thinges be good thinges, which want no praising, though they go a cold, for want of happing. For our schoole places, which I do know, the most are either commodiously situate already, or being in the hart of townes might easely be chopt for some field situation, farre from disturbaunce, and neare to all neces∣saries. It were no small part of a great and good erection, euen to translate roumes to more conuenient places, either by ex∣chaunge or by new purchace: and I do thinke that licences to that ende, will be more easely graunted then to build moe schooles. The inconueniences which I my selfe haue felt that

waye, both for mine owne, and for my scholers health, and the checking of that, which of long I haue wished for: I meane some traine in exercise, do cause me so much to commēd field roome. Though I my selfe be not the worst appointed within a citie for roome, thorough the great good will towardes the furtherance of learning, and the great cost, in the purchasing, and apparelling the roome to that vse, done by the worship∣full companie of the marchaunttailours in London. In whose schoole I haue bene both the first, and onely maister sence the erection, and their haue continued now twenty yeares.

If ye consider, what is to be done in these roomes which I require, ye shall better iudge what roomes will serue. In the schoole the toungues be taught, and the Elementarie traine continued at times thervnto appointed, for those, two roomes will serue. An vpper, with some conuenient discharging the place from noysome ayre, which the verie children cause: and from to great noise if the place be vawted vnder, or enclosed with other building and an other beneath likewise appointed, to serue for what else is to be done. They that will haue their children learne all that I haue assigned them vpon good war∣rant of the best writers, and most commendable custome, if their capacities be according, may haue their turne serued so: & those that will not, need not, but the oportunity of the place, & the cōmoditie of such trainers, wherof a smal time wil bring forth a great meany, will draw many on, and procure good ex∣hibitours to haue the thing go forward. I could wish we had fewer schooles, so they were more sufficient, and that vpon cō∣sideration of the most conuenient seates for the countries, and shires, there were many put together to make some few good. Insufficiencie by distraction dismembers, and weakens: suffi∣ciencie by vniting strengthens, and doth much good. To con∣clude I wishe the roome commodious for situacion, which in training vp of youth hath bene an olde care, as it appeareth by Xenophon in the schooling of Cyrus and the Persian order: large to holde, and conuenient to holde handsomely. For as reading, and thinges of that motion do require small elbow roome: so writing, and her appendentes may not be straited. Musicke will cumber if it be confounded. Where writing wilbe allowed,

there drawing will not be driuen out. But exercise must haue scope. And such kinde of roomes, if the multitude be not to bigge, or the waye to schoole not to farre for the infant, with some litle distinctions, and parting of places, will serue conue∣niently both for the Elementarie, and the Grammarian, and so much the better.

For the time there is but litle to be said at this time:* 1.6 bycause in the Elementarie and so onward, I meane by the grace of God to apply all circunstances so neare, and so precisely to schoole vses, as the maister shalbe able streight way to exe∣cute: if he do but follow that which shalbe set before him, for matter wherin: for manner how: for time when to do eche thing best. For the generall exercising time. These two groundes of Hippocrates, must be still kept in remembraunce, to vse no exer∣cise when ye be very hungrie: neither yet to eate before ye haue vsed some exercise.

For the generall learning times: to begin, the strength of body, and conceit of minde were made the generall meanes: to continue, perfectnesse, and vse were appointed the limittes: for the midle houres this I thinke, that it were not good, to go to your booke streight after ye rise, but to giue some time to the clearing of your body. As also studie after meate, and fast be∣fore ye sleepe beareth great blame for great harmes to health, and to much shortning of life. From seuen of the cloke, though ye rise sooner, (as the lambe and the larke be the prouerbiale leaders, when to rise and when to go to bead) till tenne before noone, and from two till almost fiue in the after noone, be the best and fittest houres, and enough for children wherin to learne. The morening houres will best serue for the memorie & conceiuing: the after noone for repetitions, & stuffe for me∣morie to worke on. The reasons be the freenesse, or fulnesse of the head. The other times before meat be for exercises, as hath bene fully handled hertofore. The houres before learning, and after meate, are to be bestowed, vpon either neating of the bo∣die, or solacing of the minde, without to much motion: wherin as I said before the greatest part, and the best to be plaid con∣sisteth vsually in the trainers distretion, to apply thinges accor∣ding to the circunstances of person, place, and time. To con∣clude

we must be content with those places, which be already founded, and vse those houres which be already pointed to the best that we can, and yet prepare our selues towardes the bet∣ter, when soeuer it shall please God to send them. And by per∣swasion some maisters maye well enough bring wise parentes to yeelde vnto this note, and to giue it the triall. In the meane time some excellent man hauing the commoditie of a well si∣tuate house, and being able to commaund his owne circun∣stance, neither depending of other mens helpe, wherof he can∣not iudge, and so that way leasing some authoritie in direction, may put many excellent conclusions in triall.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Diuision of publike places. Collegiat.
• * 1.2

  Elemen∣tarie.
• 3 1.3

  Gramma∣ticall.
• * 1.4

  Of bour∣ding a∣broad.
• * 1.5

  Probitas laudatur & alget.
• * 1.6

  The time.