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CHAPTER IV

EDUCATION

At first the infant,

Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
And then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school.

§1. Child and parent

As You Like It, 11. vii. 143-147

Two views of childhood

(a) A humourist's

A child is a man in a small letter, yet the best copy of Adam before he tasted of Eve or the apple; and he is happy, whose small practice in the world can only write his character. He is nature's fresh picture newly drawn in oil, which time and much handling dims and defaces. His soul is yet a white paper unscribbled with observations of the world, wherewith at length it becomes a blurred note-book. He is purely happy because he knows no evil, nor hath made means by sin to be acquainted with misery. He arrives not at the mischief of being wise, nor endures evils to come by foreseeing them. He kisses and loves all, and when the smart of the rod is past, smiles on his beater. Nature and his parents alike dandle him, and tice him on with a bait of sugar to a draught of worm-wood. He plays yet, like a young prentice the first day, and is not come to his task of melancholy. All the language he speaks yet is tears, and they serve him well enough to express his necessity. His hardest labour is his tongue, as if he were loth to use so deceitful an organ; and he is best company with it when he can but prattle. We laugh at his foolish sports, but his game is our earnest and his drums, rattles, and hobby-horses but the emblems and mocking of men's business. His father hath

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writ him as his own little story, wherein he reads those day his life that he cannot remember; and sighs to see v innocence he has out-lived. The elder he grows, he is a lower from God, and like his first father much worse in breeches. He is the Christian's example, and the old relapse. The one imitates his pureness, and the other fal! his simplicity. Could he put off his body with his little he had got eternity without a burden, and exchanged b heaven for another.

JOHN EARLE, Micro-cosmographie 1 (b) A puritan's

Meditations of the misery of infancy

What wast thou being an infant but a brute, h shape of a man? Was not thy body conceived in t lust, the secret of shame, and stain of original sin? wast thou cast naked upon the earth, all imbrued in of filthiness, (filthy indeed when the Son of God, wh not to take on him man's nature and the infirmit yet thought it unbeseeming his Holiness to be con the sinful manner of man's conception): so that was ashamed to let thee know the manner the cause then hast thou to boast of thy birth, which pain to thy mother, and to thyself the entrance in some life? The greatness of which miseries, couldest not utter in words, thou diddest express (as couldest) in weeping tears.

Meditations of the miseries of youth What is youth, but an untamed beast? All are rash, and rude, not capable of good couns given; and ape-like, delighting in nothing but baubles? Therefore thou no sooner begannest strength and discretion, but forthwith thou wast rod and fear of parents and masters: as if thou } to live under the discipline of others, rather t1 position of own will. No tired horse willing t

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ir school) ancellor of ¡ Lord, the ; and lastly d Coventry, expect to end 10 graduate of much learning d advanced me, that was after a ister, whom (by

me a successor to

e and employment. unt Tabor 1639

gin at six....

C master and usher

ssarily be there to be w his own private study scholars do their dutie

flexible. And let them not too much apply themselves to the disposition of their children, as thinking they will take best to that, which they have most mind to. It is true that if the affection or aptness of the children be extraordinary, then it is good not to cross it. But generally the precept is good: optimum elige, suave et facile illud faciet consuetudo. Younger brothers are commonly fortunate, but seldom or never where the elder are disinherited.

FRANCIS BACON, Essays 1597—1625

§ 2. The Grammar school

Mrs Quickly. Mistress Ford desires you to come suddenly.

Mrs Page. I'll be with her by and by: I'll but bring my young man here to school. Look, where his master comes; 'tis playing-day, How now, Sir Hugh! no school to-day?

I see.

Evans. No; Master Slender is get the boys leave to play

Mrs Quick. Blessing of his heart!

Mrs Page. Sir Hugh, my husband says my son profits nothing in the world at his book: I pray you ask him some questions in his

accidence.

Evans.

Come hither, William; hold up your head; come.

Mrs Page. Come on, sirrah; hold up your head; answer your master, be not afraid.

Evans. William, how many numbers is in nouns ?

William. Two.

Evans. Show me now, William, some declensions of your pronouns. William. Forsooth, I have forgot.

Evans. It is qui, quae, quod; if you forget your quis, your quaes, and your quods, you must be preeches. Go your ways and play; go. Mrs Page. He is a better scholar than I thought he was. Evans. He is a good sprag memory. Farewell, Mistress Page. The Merry Wives of Windsor, Iv. i.

An interesting parallel

[Shakespeare was an exact contemporary of Willis. Like him, he is supposed to have received no education save that provided by a free grammar school. Like him, too, he found it quite sufficient for his needs in later life.]

It was not my happiness to be bred up at the university, but all the learning I had was in the free grammar school, called Christ's school in the city of Gloucester; yet even there it pleased God to give me an extraordinary help by a new school

master brought thither, one Master Gregory Downhale of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge, after I had lost some time under his predecessor. This Master Downhale having very convenient lodgings over the school, took such liking to me, as he made me his bedfellow (my father's house being next of all to the school). This bedfellowship begat in him familiarity and gentleness towards me; and in me towards him reverence and love; which made me also love my book, love being the most prevalent affection in nature to further our studies and endeavours in any profession. He came thither but bachelor of arts, a good scholar, and who wrote both the secretary and the Italian hands exquisitely well. But after a few years that he had proceeded master of arts, finding the school's entertainment not worthy of him, he left it, and betook himself to another course of being secretary to some nobleman, and at last became secretary to the worthy Lord Chancellor Ellesmere, and in that service (as I think) died. And myself, his scholar, following his steps, as near as I could, (though furnished with no more learning than he taught me in that grammar school) came at last to be secretary to the Lord Brooke, Chancellor of the Exchequer; and after that to my much honoured Lord, the Earl of Middlesex, Lord high Treasurer of England; and lastly to the most worthy, my most noble Lord, the Lord Coventry, Lord-keeper of the great seal, in whose service I expect to end my days. And this I note, that though I were no graduate of the university, yet (by God's blessing) I had so much learning as fitted me for the places whereunto the Lord advanced me, and (which I think to be very rare) had one that was after a Lord Chancellor's secretary to be my schoolmaster, whom (by God's blessing) I followed so close, that I became a successor to his successors in the like place of eminent service and employment. R. WILLIS (b. 1564), Mount Tabor 1639

The School Day

Philoponus. The school-time should begin at six.... Spoudeus. Would you then have the master and usher present so early?

Philoponus. The usher should necessarily be there to be present amongst them, though he follow his own private study that hour, yet to see that all the scholars do their duties

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