The Scholemaster Part 5

_Quant rectius hic, qui nil molitur inepte. etc._

Meening _Homer_, who, within the compa.s.se of a smal _Homers_ // Argument, of one harlot, and of one good wife, wisdom in // did vtter so moch learning in all kinde of sciences, choice of // as, by the iudgement of _Quintilian_, he deserueth his Argu- // so hie a praise, that no man yet deserued to sit ment. // in the second degree beneth him. And thus moch out of my way, concerning my purpose in spending penne, and paper, & tyme, vpon trifles, & namelie to aunswere some, that haue neither witte nor learning, to do any thyng them selues, neither will nor honestie, to say well of other.

To ioyne learnyng with c.u.mlie exercises, _Conto Baldesaer_ The Cor- // _Castiglione_ in his booke, _Cortegiano_, doth trimlie tegian, an // teache: which booke, aduisedlie read, and dili- excellent // gentlie folowed, but one yeare at home in booke for a // England, would do a yong ientleman more good, ientleman. // I wisse, then three yeares trauell abrode spent in _Italie_. And I meruell this booke, is no more read in the Court, than it is, seying it is so well translated into English by a worthie Syr _Tho._ // Ientleman Syr _Th. Hobbie_, who was many wayes _Hobbye._ // well furnished with learnyng, and very expert in knowledge of diuers tonges.

And beside good preceptes in bookes, in all kinde of tonges, this Court also neuer lacked many faire examples, for yong Examples // ientlemen to folow: And surelie, one example, better than // is more valiable, both to good and ill, than xx.

preceptes. // preceptes written in bookes: and so _Plato_, not in one or two, but diuerse places, doth plainlie teach.

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If kyng _Edward_ had liued a litle longer, his onely example had breed soch a rase of worthie learned ientlemen, // _King Ed._ 6.

as this Realme neuer yet did affourde.

And, in the second degree, two n.o.ble Primeroses of n.o.bilitie, the yong Duke of Suffolke, and Lord // The yong _H. Matreuers_, were soch two examples to the // Duke of Court for learnyng, as our tyme may rather wishe, // Suffolke.

than looke for agayne. // _L. H. Mar-_ // _treuers._ At Cambrige also, in S. Iohns Colledge, in my tyme, I do know, that, not so much the good statutes, as two Ientlemen, of worthie memorie Syr _Iohn Cheke_, // _Syr John_ and Doctour _Readman_, by their onely example // _Cheke._ of excellency in learnyng, of G.o.dlynes in liuyng, of diligencie in studying, of councell in exhorting, of good order in all thyng, did breed vp, so many learned men, in // _D. Read-_ that one College of S. Iohns, at one time, as I // _man._ beleue, the whole Vniuersitie of _Louaine_, in many yeares, was neuer able to affourd.

Present examples of this present tyme, I list not to touch: yet there is one example, for all the Ien- // _Queene_ tlemen of this Court to folow, that may well // _Elisabeth._ satisfie them, or nothing will serue them, nor no example moue them, to goodnes and learning.

It is your shame, (I speake to you all, you yong Ientlemen of England) that one mayd should go beyond you all, in excel- lencie of learnyng, and knowledge of diuers tonges. Pointe forth six of the best giuen Ientlemen of this Court, and all they together, shew not so much good will, spend not so much tyme, bestow not so many houres, dayly orderly, & constantly, for the increase of learning & knowledge, as doth the Queenes Maiestie her selfe. Yea I beleue, that beside her perfit readines, in _Latin, Italian, French_, & _Spanish_, she readeth here now at Windsore more Greeke euery day, than some Prebendarie of this Chirch doth read _Latin_ in a whole weeke. And that which is most praise worthie of all, within the walles of her priuie chamber, she hath obteyned that excellencie of learnyng, to vnderstand, speake, & write, both wittely with head, and faire with hand, as sca.r.s.e one or two rare wittes in both the Vniuersities haue in many yeares reached vnto. Amongest all the benefites y^t G.o.d hath blessed me with all, next the

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knowledge of Christes true Religion, I counte this the greatest, that it pleased G.o.d to call me, to be one poore minister in settyng forward these excellent giftes of learnyng in this most excellent Prince. Whose onely example, if the rest of our Ill Exam- // n.o.bilitie would folow, than might England be, ples haue // for learnyng and wisedome in n.o.bilitie, a spectacle more force, // to all the world beside. But see the mishap of then good // men: The best examples haue neuer such forse examples. // to moue to any goodnes, as the bad, vaine, light and fond, haue to all ilnes.

And one example, though out of the compas of learning, yet not out of the order of good maners, was notable in this Courte, not fullie xxiiij. yeares a go, when all the actes of Parlament, many good Proclamations, diuerse strait commanude- mentes, sore punishment openlie, speciall regarde priuatelie, cold not do so moch to take away one misorder, as the example of one big one of this Courte did, still to kepe vp the same: The memorie whereof, doth yet remaine, in a common prouerbe of Birching lane.

Take hede therfore, ye great ones in y^e Court, yea though Great men // ye be y^e greatest of all, take hede, what ye do, in Court, // take hede how ye liue. For as you great ones by their // vse to do, so all meane men loue to do. You be example, // in deed, makers or marrers, of all mens maners make or // within the Realme. For though G.o.d hath placed marre, all // yow, to be cheife in making of lawes, to beare other mens // greatest authoritie, to commaund all others: yet maners. // G.o.d doth order, that all your lawes, all your authoritie, all your commaundementes, do not halfe so moch with meane men, as Example // doth your example and maner of liuinge. And in Religion. // for example euen in the greatest matter, if yow your selues do serue G.o.d gladlie and orderlie for conscience sake, not coldlie, and somtyme for maner sake, you carie all the Courte with yow, and the whole Realme beside, earnestlie and orderlie to do the same. If yow do otherwise, yow be the onelie authors, of all misorders in Religion, not onelie to the Courte, but to all England beside. Infinite shall be made cold in Religion by your example, that neuer were hurt by reading of bookes.

And in meaner matters, if three or foure great ones in

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Courte, will nedes outrage in apparell, in huge hose, in mon- strous hattes, in gaurishe colers, let the Prince Pro- // Example clame, make Lawes, order, punishe, commaunde // in apparell.

euerie gate in London dailie to be watched, let all good men beside do euerie where what they can, surelie the misorder of apparell in mean men abrode, shall neuer be amended, except the greatest in Courte will order and mend them selues first. I know, som greate and good ones in Courte, were authors, that honest Citizens of London, shoulde watche at euerie gate, to take misordered persones in apparell. I know, that honest Londoners did so: And I sawe, which I saw than, & reporte now with some greife, that som Courtlie men were offended with these good men of London. And that, which greued me most of all, I sawe the verie same tyme, for all theis good orders, commaunded from the Courte and executed in London, I sawe I say, c.u.m out of London, euen // Masters, vnto the presence of the Prince, a great rable of // Vshers, & meane and light persons, in apparell, for matter, // Scholers against lawe, for making, against order, for facion, // of fense.

namelie hose, so without all order, as he thought himselfe most braue, that durst do most in breaking order and was most monsterous in misorder. And for all the great commaunde- mentes, that came out of the Courte, yet this bold misorder, was winked at, and borne withall, in the Courte. I thought, it was not well, that som great ones of the Court, durst declare themselues offended, with good men of London, for doinge their dewtie, & the good ones of the Courte, would not shew them- selues offended, with ill men of London, for breaking good order. I fownde thereby a sayinge of _Socrates_ to be most trewe that ill men be more hastie, than good men be forwarde, to prosecute their purposes, euen as Christ himselfe saith, of the Children of light and darknes.

Beside apparell, in all other thinges to, not so moch, good lawes and strait commaundementes as the example and maner of liuing of great men, doth carie all meane men euerie where, to like, and loue, & do, as they do. For if but two or three n.o.ble men in the Court, wold but beginne to // Example shoote, all yong Ientlemen, the whole Court, all // in shoo- London, the whole Realme, wold straight waie // tyng.

exercise shooting.

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What praise shold they wynne to themselues, what com- moditie shold they bring to their contrey, that would thus deserue to be pointed at: Beholde, there goeth, the author of good order, the guide of good men. I cold say more, and yet not ouermuch. But perchance, som will say, I haue stepte to farre, out of my schole, into the common welthe, from teaching Written not // a yong scholer, to monishe greate and n.o.ble men: for great // yet I trust good and wise men will thinke and men, but for // iudge of me, that my minde was, not so moch, great mens // to be busie and bold with them, that be great children. // now, as to giue trewe aduise to them, that may be great hereafter. Who, if they do, as I wishe them to do, how great so euer they be now, by blood and other mens meanes, they shall bec.u.m a greate deale greater hereafter, by learninge, vertue, and their owne desertes: which is trewe praise, right worthines, and verie n.o.bilitie in deede. Yet, if som will needes presse me, that I am to bold with great men, & stray to Ad Philip. // farre from my matter, I will aunswere them with _S. Paul, siue perc ontentionem, siue quocunqe modo, mod Christus praedicetur, &c._ euen so, whether in place, or out of place, with my matter, or beside my matter, if I can hereby either prouoke the good, or staye the ill, I shall thinke my writing herein well imployed.

But, to c.u.m downe, from greate men, and hier matters, to my litle children, and poore scholehouse againe, I will, G.o.d willing, go forwarde orderlie, as I purposed, to instructe Children and yong men, both for learninge and maners.

Hitherto, I haue shewed, what harme, ouermoch feare bringeth to children: and what hurte, ill companie, and ouer- moch libertie breedeth in yougthe: meening thereby, that from seauen yeare olde, to seauentene, loue is the best allurement to learninge: from seauentene to seauen and twentie, that wise men shold carefullie see the steppes of yougthe surelie staide by good order, in that most slipperie tyme: and speciallie in the Courte, a place most dangerous for yougthe to liue in, without great grace, good regarde, and diligent looking to.

Syr _Richard Sackuile_, that worthy Ientlemen of worthy Trauelyng // memorie, as I sayd in the begynnynge, in the into Ita- // Queenes priuie Chamber at Windesore, after he lie. // had talked with me, for the right choice of a good

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witte in a child for learnyng, and of the trewe difference betwixt quicke and hard wittes, of alluring yong children by ientlenes to loue learnyng, and of the speciall care that was to be had, to keepe yong men from licencious liuyng, he was most earnest with me, to haue me say my mynde also, what I thought, concernyng the fansie that many yong Ientlemen of England haue to trauell abroad, and namely to lead a long lyfe in Italie.

His request, both for his authoritie, and good will toward me, was a sufficient commaundement vnto me, to satisfie his pleasure, with vtteryng plainlie my opinion in that matter.

Syr quoth I, I take goyng thither, and liuing there, for a yonge ientleman, that doth not goe vnder the kepe and garde of such a man, as both, by wisedome can, and authoritie dare rewle him, to be meruelous dangerous. And whie I said so than, I will declare at large now: which I said than priuatelie, and write now openlie, not bicause I do contemne, either the knowledge of strange and diuerse tonges, and namelie the // The Ita- Italian tonge, which next the Greeke and Latin // lian tong.

tonge, I like and loue aboue all other: or else bicause I do despise, the learning that is gotten, or the experi- ence that is gathered in strange contries: or for any priuate malice that beare to Italie: which contrie, and // Italia.

in it, namelie Rome, I haue alwayes speciallie honored: bicause, tyme was, whan Italie and // Roma.

Rome, haue bene, to the greate good of vs that now liue, the best breeders and bringers vp, of the worthiest men, not onelie for wise speakinge, but also for well doing, in all Ciuill affaires, that euer was in the worlde. But now, that tyme is gone, and though the place remayne, yet the olde and present maners, do differ as farre, as blacke and white, as vertue and vice. Vertue once made that contrie Mistres ouer all the worlde. Vice now maketh that contrie slaue to them, that before, were glad to serue it. All men seeth it: They themselues confesse it, namelie soch, as be best and wisest amongest them. For sinne, by l.u.s.t and vanitie, hath and doth breed vp euery where, common contempt of G.o.ds word, priuate contention in many families, open factions in euery Citie: and so, makyng them selues bonde, to vanitie and vice at home, they are content to beare the yoke of seruyng straungers abroad. _Italie_ now, is not that _Italie_, that it was wont to be: and therfore now, not so

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fitte a place, as some do counte it, for yong men to fetch either wisedome or honestie from thence. For surelie, they will make other but bad Scholers, that be so ill Masters to them selues.

Yet, if a ientleman will nedes trauell into _Italie_, he shall do well, to looke on the life, of the wisest traueler, that euer traueled thether, set out by the wisest writer, that euer spake with tong, G.o.ds doctrine onelie excepted: and that is _Vlysses_ in _Vlysses._ // _Homere_. _Vlysses_, and his trauell, I wishe our _Homere._ // trauelers to looke vpon, not so much to feare them, with the great daungers, that he many tymes suffered, as to instruct them, with his excellent wisedome, which he alwayes and euerywhere vsed. Yea euen those, that be learned and wittie trauelers, when they be disposed to prayse traueling, as a great commendacion, and the best Scripture they haue for it, they gladlie recite the third verse of _Homere_, in his first booke of _Odyssea_, conteinyng a great prayse of _Vlysses_, for odys. a. // the witte he gathered, & wisdome he vsed in his traueling.

Which verse, bicause, in mine opinion, it was not made at the first, more naturallie in _Greke_ by _Homere_, nor after turned more aptlie into _Latin_ by _Horace_, than it was a good while ago, in Cambrige, translated into English, both plainlie for the sense, and roundlie for the verse, by one of the best Scholers, that euer S. Iohns Colledge bred, _M. Watson_, myne old frend, somtime Bishop of Lincolne, therfore, for their sake, that haue l.u.s.t to see, how our English tong, in auoidyng barbarous ryming, may as well receiue, right quant.i.tie of sillables, and trewe order of versifiyng (of which matter more at large here- after) as either _Greke_ or _Latin_, if a cunning man haue it in handling, I will set forth that one verse in all three tonges, for an Example to good wittes, that shall delite in like learned exercise.

Homerus. pollon d anthropon iden astea kai noon egno.

Horatius. _Qui mores hominum multorum vidit & vrbes._ M. Watson. _All trauellers do gladly report great prayse of Vlysses, For that he knew many mens maners, and saw many Cities._

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And yet is not _Vlysses_ commended, so much, nor so oft, in _Homere_, bicause he was polytropos, that is, // {polytropos.

skilfull in many mens manners and facions, as // _Vlyss._ { bicause he was polymetis, that is, wise in all // { polymetis.

purposes, & ware in all places: which wisedome and warenes will not serue neither a traueler, except _Pallas_ be // _Pallas_ from alwayes at his elbow, that is G.o.ds speciall grace // heauen.

from heauen, to kepe him in G.o.ds feare, in all his doynges, in all his ieorneye. For, he shall not alwayes in his absence out of England, light vpon a ientle _Alcynous_, and walke in his faire gardens // _Alcynous._ od. 2.

full of all harmelesse pleasures: but he shall // sometymes, fall, either into the handes of some // cruell _Cyclops_, or into the lappe of some wanton // _Cyclops._ od. 1.

and dalying Dame _Calypso_: and so suffer the // _Calypso._ od. e.

danger of many a deadlie Denne, not so full of // perils, to distroy the body, as, full of vayne // pleasures, to poyson the mynde. Some _Siren_ // _Sirenes._ } shall sing him a song, sweete in tune, but // } sownding in the ende, to his vtter destruction. // _Scylla._ } od.

m.

If _Scylla_ drowne him not, _Carybdis_ may fortune // _Caribdis._ } swalow hym. Some _Circes_ shall make him, of // _Circes._ od. k.

a plaine English man, a right _Italian_. And at length to h.e.l.l, or to some h.e.l.lish place, is he likelie to go: from whence is hard returning, although one _Vlysses_, and that by _Pallas_ ayde, and good counsell of _Tiresias_ once // od. l.

escaped that horrible Den of deadly darkenes.

Therfore, if wise men will nedes send their sonnes into _Italie_, let them do it wiselie, vnder the kepe and garde of him, who, by his wisedome and honestie, by his example and authoritie, may be hable to kepe them safe and sound, in the feare of G.o.d, in Christes trewe Religion, in good order and honestie of liuyng: except they will haue them run headling, into ouermany ieoperdies, as _Vlysses_ had done many tymes, if _Pallas_ had not alwayes gouerned him: if he had not vsed, to stop his eares with waxe: to bind him selfe to // od. m.

the mast of his shyp: to feede dayly, vpon that // od. k.

swete herbe _Moly_ with the blake roote and // Moly Her- white floore, giuen vnto hym by Mercurie, to // ba.

auoide all the inchantmentes of _Circes_. Wherby, the Diuine

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Poete _Homer_ ment couertlie (as wise and G.o.dly men do iudge) Psal. 33. // that loue of honestie, and hatred of ill, which _Dauid_ more plainly doth call the feare of G.o.d: the onely remedie agaynst all inchantementes of sinne.

I know diuerse n.o.ble personages, and many worthie Ientle- men of England, whom all the _Siren_ songes of _Italie_, could neuer vntwyne from the maste of G.o.ds word: nor no inchant- ment of vanitie, ouerturne them, from the feare of G.o.d, and loue of honestie.

But I know as many, or mo, and some, sometyme my deare frendes, for whose sake I hate going into that countrey the more, who, partyng out of England feruent in the loue of Christes doctrine, and well furnished with the feare of G.o.d, returned out of _Italie_ worse transformed, than euer was any in _Circes_ Court. I know diuerse, that went out of England, men of innocent life, men of excellent learnyng, who returned out of _Italie_, not onely with worse maners, but also with lesse learnyng: neither so willing to liue orderly, nor yet so hable to speake learnedlie, as they were at home, before they went abroad. And why? _Plato_ y^t wise writer, and worthy traueler him selfe, telleth the cause why. He went into _Sicilia_, a countrey, no nigher _Italy_ by site of place, than _Italie_ that is now, is like _Sicilia_ that was then, in all corrupt maners and licenciousnes of life. _Plato_ found in _Sicilia_, euery Citie full of vanitie, full of factions, euen as _Italie_ is now. And as _Homere_, like a learned Poete, doth feyne, that _Circes_, by pleasant in- chantmentes, did turne men into beastes, some into Swine, som into a.s.ses, some into Foxes, some into Wolues etc. euen so Plat. ad // _Plato_, like a wise Philosopher, doth plainelie Dionys. // declare, that pleasure, by licentious vanitie, that Epist. 3. // sweete and perilous poyson of all youth, doth ingender in all those, that yeld vp themselues to her, foure notorious properties.

{1. lethen The fruits // {2. dysmathian of vayne // {3. achrosynen pleasure. // {4. ybrin.

The first, forgetfulnes of all good thinges learned before: Causes // the second, dulnes to receyue either learnyng or why men // honestie euer after: the third, a mynde embracing

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lightlie the worse opinion, and baren of discretion // returne out to make trewe difference betwixt good and ill, // of Italie, betwixt troth, and vanitie, the fourth, a proude // lesse lear- disdainfulnes of other good men, in all honest // ned and matters. _Homere_ and _Plato_, haue both one // worse ma- meanyng, looke both to one end. For, if a man // nered.

inglutte himself with vanitie, or walter in filthi- // _Homer_ and nes like a Swyne, all learnyng, all goodnes, is // _Plato_ ioy- sone forgotten: Than, quicklie shall he bec.u.m // ned and ex- a dull a.s.se, to vnderstand either learnyng or //pounded.

honestie: and yet shall he be as sutle as a Foxe, // A Swyne.

in breedyng of mischief, in bringyng in misorder, // An a.s.se.

with a busie head, a discoursing tong, and a factious harte, in // A Foxe.

euery priuate affaire, in all matters of state, with this pretie propertie, alwayes glad to commend the worse // aphrosyne, partie, and euer ready to defend the falser // Quid, et opinion. And why? For, where will is giuen // vnde.

from goodnes to vanitie, the mynde is sone caryed from right iudgement, to any fond opinion, in Religion, in Philosophie, or any other kynde of learning. The fourth fruite of vaine pleasure, by _Homer_ and _Platos_ iudgement, is pride // hybris.