The fourth meane for readers.
4. Forreadersof yeares, of sufficiencie, of continuance, methinke I durst enter into some combat that it were beyonde all crie profitable, and necessarie, to haue whom to follow, and of whom to learne how to direct our studies, foryearesauncient fathers: forsufficienciemost able to enstruct: forcontinuancecunning to discerne persons, and circumstaunces: foraduiseskillfull to rule rash heades, which runne on to fast, being armed with some priuate opinion of their owne petie learning. What wasPlatoto theAcademikes?Aristotleto thePeripatetikes?Xenoto theStoiks?Epicureto theEpicurians?Aristippusto theAnicerianandCyrenaike? and other such fathers to the famulies of their professions, butreaders? It is a meruell to thinke on, how longe those fellowes continued in their profession asDiogenes Laertiusdoth note. It should seeme thatPlatotaught aboue fiftie yeares, reckening the time that he leftSpeusippushis deputie during his trauell intoÆgyptand that way: whereby both himselfe proued an excellent maister, and his hearers proued most excellent scholers. They that haue bene acquainted with cunningreadersany where will subscribe to this I know.
Priuate studie tied to one booke led by one braine: not alway the best (as what counsellour is commonly worse to ones selfe, then himselfe?) so proceeding as the first impression leads, be it what it can be, cannot compare for iudiciall learning with the benefit of hearing one, nay of repeating to one vpon interrogatories after reading, to trie his iudgement, his keeping, and remembrance: which one hath red, and digested all the best bookes, or at the least all the best bookes in that kinde, whereof he maketh profession: which hath a iudgement settled and resolute by the helpe of all those good braines: which hath dealte with thousandes of the pregnantest wittes, whom experience hath taught stay, whom the common weale by sufferance commendes as sufficient. He that is not acquainted with such an excellent reader or teacher (for both the names import one thing) and that with repetition, but pleaseth himselfe with his owne priuate studie, as he taketh more paines vndoutedly, so getteth he lesse gaine I dare assure him, hauing in one lecture the benefit of hisreadersvniuersall studie, and that so fitted to his hand, as he may streight way vse it, without further thinking on: wheras when he hath beaten his owne braines priuatly about a litle, for want of time to digest, being to forward to put foorth, he vttereth that which he must either amend vpon better aduice, or quite reuoke when he findes he is ouer shot. Wherfore suchreaders, or rather suchnursesto studie must needes be maintained with great allowance, to make their heauen there, where ye meane to vse them. Whose seruice, for the benefit that comes from them will saue their whole hier in very bookes, which the student shall not so much neede, when hisreaderis his librarie: neither must they be soules, as we tearme them, though of great reading, neither is it enough to haue read much, but they must be of great gouernment withall, which are to bring vp such a frie of gouerners. And therefore that great sufficiencie doth still call for great recompence to be tyed to a stake for it all ones life time.
That this wish is most profitable to the vniuersitie, and hurthfull no not to any particular.
But now I pray you by this wish of mine be the vniuersities in common sence any whit endammaged? if they were, so the harme were but some litle, and the good exceeding great, the dammage might be consumed by the greatnes of the good. I finde not any harme offered them, they lease no landes studentes be not put to pensions, they that be thought fit, finde better and fuller maintenaunce, better meane is made to proue learned, by such excellentreaders, which the cunninger they be, the more affable they be, and thereby the fitter to satisfie any studentes dout in that which they professe. And where yong men may staie vntill they be singular, and haue good meanes to make them singular, is not the thing to be wished, and he that wisheth it, not to be thought to wishthevniuersitieharme, where it is vniuersally holpen? If this transposing of houses to this vse were commaunded by authoritie, and by some helpe of wealthy patrones for the common good sake, were happily accomplished, thevniuersitieshould lease nothing, though they breake vp for a time, and the studentes gaue place, to masons, and carpenters, nay though the whole reuenew of all the colledges were for that time bestowed vpon the alteration. And yet all that trouble should not neede, if the first were first begune, and so particularly in order, neither should any student now well placed complaine of the chaunge if he would set himselfe to any certaine profession. This is but my conceit which the effect will confirme, and wise considerations will finde, that it carieth a good ground: besides that it is all ready in verie neare possibilitie, without any great charge, and with verie great good, as also certainetie, and greatnes of annuitie would streight way raise vpreaders, and afterward continew them. How good, and how easie a thing this were, the attempt by so many particularreaderswould shew, which being themselues excellently well learned in those argumentes, that I do appoint to colledges, and professing them in conuenient houses of their owne, would vndoutedly drawe as many into their priuate hostelles, as there be now studentes in publicke colledges. All this my wish offereth greater difficulty, in the maner, how to worke it: then dout of profit, in the thing, if we had it. Howbeit harder thinges haue bene easily accomplished, but any more profitable was neuer compassed: neither doth it repent me to wish that, which I would reioyce to see. If the hindring lie in cost, it is somwhat, and yet but small, considering what is ready: if in good will: that is all, and yet but ill, considering what it hindereth. For no learning is so well got, where her helping meanes be seuered, as where all be vnited, which those colledges would cause: a thing neither of nouelty, as of an old ground and elswhere practised: neither iniuriouse, to any offering profit to all. I do finde my selfe so armed in the point, as if there were any hope in the thing to be effected, I could answeare any obiection of difficultie, which might arise against it, either from without thevniuersitie, or from within, eitther for any communitie, or for any priuate, that it would be best for all, neither any breach of good now well laied, nor any hindraunce to any, which findes himselfe at ease, as the present is now appointed. But will ye haue euerie one rise through all these degrees of learning, ear he become a professour? yea surely I. but who moueth the question? either he that cannot iudge, who is therefore to be pardoned: or he that would be doing, who is therefore to be blamed: or he that doth not way it, which would be desired to do: or he whom neede hasteneth, whose case is to be pitied. And yet of all these foure, only he, that desireth to shew him selfe ripe in his owne, though raw in other mens opinion, will contrarie the conclusion: for ignoraunce, will yeeld vpon better instruction: iust consideration, wil relent after waing: good wittes oppressed with want, and yet waing the truth, will wish for more wealth to tarie their full time, and the cariage of their cunning: but the hastie heades, to whom any delaie is present death, which will be doing, eare they can do well, but in their owne conceites they will stand against it, and scrape all defences, though while they do scrape, they descrie them selues to be extreme ignorant. For if sufficiencie be the onely meane to perfit the professour, and to profit the publike, insufficiencie ouerthrowes both. And as he that meaneth to turne before, may lymit his ascent: so he that will be perfit in the end and last profession ought at the least to haue the contemplatiue knowledge of all that goeth before, though he practise but at pleasure. The generall gaine thereby is this, that while the studentes youth is wedded to honest, and learned meditation, the heat of that stirring age is cooled which might harme in publicke, and set all on fire: ripe iudgement is got, to stay, not to stirre: and all ambitiouse passions meruellously daunted through resolutenes of iudgement. It is no reason, where see ye the like? but it is a great reason, the like is worth seeing, and who so comes neare, is still better liked, then he that dowteth of it. The want of triall, is some shift for a time, but the triall that hath bene, may lead vs to the like, and procure good allowance. And sure till the yong professours be made to tarie longer, and studie sounder, neither shall learning haue credit, nor our countrie be but sicke. It is not my complaint, though I ioyne with the complainantes. If ye meane to take learning before you, you will neuer moue the question. It is not he that hath, and knoweth, which moueth the question, but he that knoweth not and should.What should adiuinedo with themathematikes? why wasMosestrained in all theÆgyptianslearning? Nay in one reason for all, why will ye condemne indiuinitie, or execute inlawe, the sciences which ye know not, but finde the name condemned? and I pray you with what warrant? what if that be not the name? or what if the thing be not such? a condemnation without euidence where the iudge presumeth, and knoweth not the skill, which he saith is naught. ThePhysicianshould haue all, and if he haue not, he is most to be blamed, bycause the parentes of his profession durst not professe without them, and make them vnder meanes. To be short I wish they had them, which mislike that they haue not, and giue ignorance the raigne. For if they had them, we should heare no speach, but praise and proufe, admiration and honour.
But to turne to my byace againe which was the mother, and matter to my wish, this colledge for teachers, might prooue an excellent nurserie for good schoolemaisters, and vpon good testimonie being knowne to so many before, which would vpon their owne knowledge assure him, whom they would send abroad. In the meane time till this come to passe, the best that we can haue, is best worthy the hauing, and if we prouide well for good teachers, that prouision will prouide vs good teachers.
The admission of teachers.
There remaineth now one consideration in the admitting not of these, whom I admit without any exception, for all sufficiencie in religion, in learning, in discretion, in behauiour: but of such as we daily vse, and must vse, till circumstances be bettered, which are in compasse of many exceptions. The admitter or chuser considering what the place requireth, must exact that cunning, which the place calleth for: the partie himselfe must bring testimonie of his owne behauiour, if he be altogither vnknowen: and the admission would be lymited to such a schoole in such a degree of learning, as he is found to be fit for. For many vpon admission and licence to teach in generall, ouerreach to farre, and marre to much, being vnsufficient at randon, though seruing well for certaine by way of restraint. Thus much for the trainer, which I know will better my patterne if preferment better him: with whom I shall haue occasion to deale againe in my grammer schoole: where I will note vnto him what my opinion is in the particularities of teaching.