Hērō-paideia, or The institution of a young noble man by James Cleland.

Chap. 6. The Description of a young Noble-mans Tutor.

SOcrates who was (according to the Diuine Ora∣cle) the wisest man liuing, esteemed a good Tu∣tor to be as necessarie for a Scholler, as a skilfull midwife for a woman in childbirth; and therfore called Institution it selfe, Midwife-craft, by vvhich mens mindes were holped in bringing forth as it were, a birth of true and vertuous knowledge. Philip king of Macedon seemed also to bee of this opinion, who said that he reioiced more that hee had Aristotle to be his Sonnes Tutor, then that hee had Alexander to be his Sonne; yea Alexander himselfe would often confesse that he was more indebted to Aristotle his Master, then to King Philip his Father, because the one was the cause of life onlie, and thē other of a ver∣tuous & happy life. A good Tutor is one of the prin∣cipal Pillars in a Common-wealth, which Maecenas verie wel knew, when he councelled Augustus, that the young Nobles of Rome should be instructed on▪ lie by such Tutors as affected most the Monarchicall Gouernment, which was establishing at that time, to the subuersion and downfall of Democratie. For

quoth he, when children are wel instructed in their childhood, they busie not their braines afterwardes with innouations, they plott, nor cōspire not against their Contrie, but submit themselues and cleaue to the gouernment of the higher power, as the Bees, to their honny-combs in winter. Therfore I first coūcel Parents to be assured that the Tutor be godly, & free from al erroneous opinions in Religion (which is the true foundatin of al wel established States) that hee maie informe his Pupil according to Gods worde & the law of the Contrie. Next that he be wise and de∣scended of honest Parents; that he be of a gentle and milde nature, hauing his head noe lesse fraughted with Mother wit (as we cal it) then Schole-learning. For a dram of the first, for our purpose, is worth a pound of the latter. Magis magniclerici nō sunt sēper magis magnos sapientes, the greatest clarkes are not e∣uer the wisest men.

To haue such a Tutor who shal be as wise as lear∣ned, you must seek him abroad, & not in the Schools. Nam qui in Scholis habitant, non magis saperepossūt, quam benè olere, qui in culina habitant. He is conuer∣sant with the world, not locked vp in a studie. Hee is a man who delighteth in honest companie, and not one who is as astonished to frequent other men, as the Owle is to behold the light. He holds more of Iu∣piter thē of Saturne. And to describe him more parti∣cularlie, al his civilitie is not in his hood; Nor is hee a freshman newlie cast in Tullies or Aristotles moulde, but on who hath purified the grosser aier of Schools, which maketh the daie light so darke to manie, that

their eies are not able to indure it. Quia nihil ex ijs quae in vsu habētur, aut audiūt, aut vidēt, et cū in forū ve∣nerint, putāt se in aliū orbē terrarū delatos. Nether is he a whipping Orbilius, or a mourning Heraclitus, but a milde Agaraspides, more ready to pardō thē to beat; not furious or chollerick, but meek and gentle. In his actions he is aduised, in his discourses modest, not contentious, prowde arrogant, or full of babling words.

Be well aduised therefore in your choice, that for sauing of charges, or such like consideration, you ad∣mit not a Pedaunt, a simple Schoolemaster to be a pat∣terne of your Sonnes behauiour al his life time. For children fashion themselues more by example then by reason; as they see their Tutor demeane or carrie himselfe, so wil they euer studie to imitate him.

It was Aristotles stammering, that caused many of his Schollers to stutter in their speech, as it was Pla∣toes example that made his followers to hang downe their shoulders: & the Historiographers testifie, that the hearers of Portius Latro vsually rubbed their fa∣ces with Cummin seed, only to make them pale like their Instructour, who was so by studying. Alexander learned his drunkennesse of Leonides, and Nero his cruelty of the Barber. Read only the liues of Vitellius, Commodus, and Heliogabalus, and I am of opiniō you wil thinke it superfluous for me to alleadge more ex∣amples, or vse more reasōn to proue, that you should be very circumspect in choosing a godly, a wise, & a vertuous Tutor for your Sonne, and withal a learned man: because it is impossible,

Cum sibi semitā non sapiunt, alteri monstrent viā. A blinde man borne cannot point out the waie to an other. Who wil craue of poore Codrus the riches of Craesus? Or beg a good suit of apparell, of one more naked thē L••berides? No more can you looke or ima∣gine, that an ignorant Tutor, is able to make a learned Pupill. There came neuer an eloquent Orator from Sabinaeus, or Rufus his Schoole: Chaerilus never made good Poet, nor Volusius a skilful historian, nor Cronus a quicke Logician, nor Philonides a profound Philo∣sopher.

I woulde haue our Noble Pupill instructed in all Arts and Sciēces. And therefore can I not marvaile enough at the impudēcie of manie, who dare vnder∣take the office of a Tutor, and to teach that which themselues neuer learned. O miram impudentiam! & quibus os est adeo durū, vt vel pugiles esse possint! How pittifull a thing is it, to see a young Noble-man loose the flower of his age vnder such Coraces, and ignorāt Tibia's? After they haue both deceiued the expecta∣tion of the Parents, and caused the Son to consume the best of his yeeres for learning, then must he in all haste, be sent to some Timotheus; or a Perseus must be found out, to free and deliuer him from this Medusa, his ignorant Pedaunt. Howe much better is it to pro∣uide in time such a one, as is able to instruct him in al kinde of good Letters? And as learned Politianus re∣quireth that a Po••t should watch at Aristophane's lampe, and drawe at Cleanthes his bucket, so wish I, that our young Noblemans Tutor were profounde as∣wel in lāguages as in Sciēces: especiallie in the Frēch

tongue, (next the Latin & Greeke) because it is most vsed now vniuersallie. Albeit some hold that in the beginning it forceth not, that the Tutor be so absolut as I haue required; yet I am of Quintilians minde, that it is best to be first instructed by thē that are lear∣ned, by reason it is a hard matter to put out of minde that which we haue learned in yonger years. Jf a mā desire to make his sonne a Tayler, wil hee first binde him prentise to a Botcher? or if he wil haue him a cū∣ning Goldsmith, wil he first set him to a Tinker? Others saie, when we waue founde out such a one as you haue described, shal we bestowe so much vpon on Schoolmaster, as wil wel maintaine two Seruing men? Aristippus answeres thē thus. Hier you two Ser∣uing men with that monie, and be assured you shal haue three. Jt is pittie that men should more regard their Horse-boy▪ then their sonnes Tutor, they denie it in∣words but confirme it in deeds. For to the one they wil allow a pension of twentie or thirtie pounds year∣lie, to the other they wil not so easilie afford so manie shillings. But this their liberality is worthilie reward∣ed, when they haue horses wel broken, and vnrulie sonnes. Therfore I wish al Noble Parents that haue happelie found such a Tutor as I haue discribed, that they entertaine and esteeme of him according to his office.

Notes

• D. Laert. in Socrat.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• Fabius inst it. orat. 12. c••. 1.
• Plut. de Educ.
• Petron. Arbit.
• Idem.
• Plut. in Alex. Sueton. in Neron.
• Inmiscell. cōt▪ 1. cap. 4.
• Institut. orat. 2.
• D. L••••rt. 8