sentence in golden letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If thou loue learning thou shalt attaine to much learning which counsell his Scholler Demosthenes embraced so earnestly that he shaued the one side of his head to impose vpon himselfe a necessitie of staying within dores and so spent more Oyle in studying by candle light then wine in drinking by which diligence it came to passe that the cunning of his mind did surmount the mightie armour of King Phillip of Macedonia wherefore the Athenians gaue him this Epigramme agreeing with the word of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Robora simenti Demosthenis aequa fuissent Non Macedûm Graias Mars populâsset opes If strength equall to will and wit Dâ—mosthenes had had The Macedonian Mars with spoiles of Greeks had not bin clad After these and a great many other renowined Orators not farre differing in time was Menander the Poet whome the Kings of Egypt held in so high estimation that they sent vnto him Ambassadours with many giftes inuiting him to come vnto them and whom S. Paule reuerenced so farre that he hath registred in the holy Bible that verse of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Many other famous Doctors were there some Philosophers as Speâ—sippus Theophrastus Theodorus Demetrius Zeno Cleanthes and Eratosthenes Zeno for his passing learning was adoÌ„rned by the Athenians with a Crowne of gold Agayn some Poets as Metasthenes Erasistratus and Aratus whose sentence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sanctified also by Saint Paule which diligence of the Apostle in reading these authors wee haue noted now three times In those daies being about three hundred yeres before the birth of Christ reigned Pâ—olomie Philadelphus King of Egypt who with great cost procured a Librarie in Alexandria to bee furnished with all stots of bookes gathered out of all Countries in the which he had as wee haue shewed afore the holy Bible that this schoole of humanitie might bee amended by the former schoole of Diuinitie Besides that this King mainteyned a great many learned men very liberally and tooke great pleasure and delight in their learning Now as this schoole of humanitie was well frequented in Egypt and Greece so in the meane time was it not neglected in Chaldea For in that Countrie long agoe liued Berosus a skilfull Astronomer and a diligent Historiographer of whose workes some part is yet to be seene Yea in Chaldea Daniel and his thrée fellowes were by the Kings stipend and prouision mainteyned at schoole to learne both the language and Philosophie of the Chaldeans And to be breefe these learned men which trauayled into Egypt for the bettering of their learning did for the same cause trauayle into Chaldea also because there was another great welspring of learning But as the schoole of humanitie was brought out of Egypt into Greece so at length some braunches thereof were transported ouer into Italie and there husbanded and trimmed with all diligence and industrie For to ouerpasse Pythagoras who hauing left Greeoe taughe in Italie a schoole of sixe hundred schollers and by whose precepts Numa the second King of the Romanes being instructed set the common wealth in good order there florished first Liuius Andronicus then Ennius and Plautus old Latin Poets neere about two hundred and sixtie yeeres before the comming of Christ Plautus being a seruant was so conetous of learning that he attended vpon his maisters businesse by day and wrote his cloquent Comedies by night Next were Neuius Statius Pacuuius Accius and diuers others among whom was Terence by whose Comedies the learned men then and our Schooles now haue great helpe for puritie and elegancie of the Latine tongue Then there began a schoole of Rhetorike in Rome which was first taught by Plotius Gallus At length there were aboue twentie Schooles at once so that learning abounded plentifully and that chiefly in the Nobilitie Of the which Maister Varro a noble Prince of his Countrie wrate most exquisitly of all parts of Philosophie of the mysteries of religion of the common wealth of the lawes and discipline both for warres and peace of the arte of Grammar and certeyne histories Iulius Caesar the first and greatest Emperour that euer liued with a most pure stile set foorth the histories of his times and certeyne bookes of Grammar and such like doctrine Pompey a grand seniour and actiue Captaine after he had subdued many Kingdomes and Countries both in the East and in the West when he came to the house of Posidonius a schoolemaister caused the maiesticall Mace borne before him to bee layd downe at the doore and so humbled that authoritie to the learning of this schoolemaister to the which authoritie almost all the world East and West had submitted it selfe What great Magistrates in the common wealth were Cato Marcus Antonius and Brutus Yet from them flowed the examples and rules of eloquence But of all other for â—arietie in learning and paynfulnesse to set it foorth in writing Marcus Cicero a worthie Prince also hatÌ„h deserued most prayse Whose bookes as also the histories of Iulius Caesar Terences Comedies together with the bookes of the three Poets Virgil Ouid and Horace and also of Quintilian the Rhetorician and the only Latin schoolemaisters to all good students euen at this day Of Virgil it is reported that when he did reade some part of his booke in the assemblie the people did no lesse reuerence vnto him then if it had been to the Emperour himselfe And that for the making of sixe and twentie verses he was rewarded by Octauia the Emperours sister with no lesse than 1137. pound to wit aboue thrée and fortie pounds for euery verse Both he and Horace for their learning and passing wit were the only darlings to Augustus the Emperour and to Mecenas a noble man two mightie supporters of learned men but especially the latter insomuch that all mainteyners of learning are called by his name Mecenates Ouids learning like Orpheus musicke perswaded euen the Getes a wilde and barbarous people to vse great humanitie towards him while he liued and afterwards to burie him with great pompe Quintilian was the first that receiued the honor of a publike stipend for teaching of a publike schoole in Rome To these may be added Callidius Caluus Cornificius Salust Sceneca T. Liuius Persius Lucan and many more worthie to be named which if I should do Icaria numerum dicere coner aquae Generally therefore let vs remember how this second Schoole hath béene erected and mainteyned by the liberalitie of Kings Princes grand captaines and other noble men and then frequented and exercised by men of great estimation and wisedome in France in England in Germanie in Egypt in Chaldea in all the Countries of Greece and last of all in Italie But what Must we fetch examples of schooling either of the Hebrewes that liued so long ago or els of the Heathen which besides that they liueâ— long ago were also of a contrarie religion
if wee search the Schooles of all ages and all places we shall finde that from time to time they were men of great renowne great honour and vertue Therefore that we may the more orderly view their traces throughout these schooles first let vs enter into the olde schoole of Gods people which we will call the schoole of the Hebrewes secondly let vs step aside into the schoole of the Gentiles which wee may call the schoole of humanitie thirdly we will come néere to our owne schoole comprehending in it the schoole of Christianitie In the first schoole therefore though Adam be conteyned who no doubt did his duetie in teaching his children yet for that we finde no euidence thereof in writing wee will passe by him and come to his sonne Seth a very godly and learned schoolemaister as I may terme him For besides that it is recorded that in his daies men began to worship God and to call vpon his name Iosephus witnesseth that he was a singular man giuen to the studie of wisedome and taught the same to his Nephewes and they agayne to their posteritie in y e which was Enoch that walked with God prophecying and teaching the old world as appeareth by the testimonie of Iude and at length was taken vp into heauen aliue Moreouer the same Iosephus writeth that when they vnderstoode that the world should bee twice destroyed once with water and agayne with fire they engraued their learning in two pillers the one of bricke the other of stone that if the bricke piller should be dasht in peeces with the flood the stone piller might remayne and if the stone piller should bee consumed with the fire the bricke piller might remayne to teach men this ancient knowledge Then both before and likewise after the flood Noe is chronicled for a famous Doctor of righteousnesse and godly knowledge not only by the holy Ghost but also by prophane men For whereas Socrates affirmeth that learning being the gift of the Gods was by Prometheus the repayrer of mankind after the flood fet out of heauen and brought vnto men in very trueth it must bee vnderstood of Noe who was the author of this reparation Another most reuerend teacher in this schoole was Abraham of whom GOD himselfe testifieth that he taught his children and familie the way of the Lord. Who also is both for learning and teaching commended by Iosephus and Berosus The like is to be vnderstood of Abrahams posteritie as Isaack Iacob and the rest which wee will passe ouer together with Melchisedec that auncient Priest seeing there is no mention made of their teaching Thus wee haue in this schoole Seth Enoch Noe and Abraham foure most auncient Patriarkes of blessed memorie celebrated by name to be Doctors and maisters besides many others vnnamed But what Some will say touching their bookes wee heare yet nothing nothing of writing nothing of reading No doubt these ages were adorned with such heroicall spirits and golden wittes that they did conceiue and keepe in minde without the helpe of letters a great deale better than the ages following could do so that their letterlesse and vnwritten doctrine did bring that fruite and commoditie which ours doth now being written Howbeit by Iosephus report we see that they had the vse of letters euen before the flood wherewith these two pillers were engrauen as two famous bookes set forth to all the world But behold the next renowmed Doctor in this schoole commeth forth with his pen and inke and writeth the lawes and precepts of the liuing God with diuers histories full of noble examples conteyning the doctrine of all diuine and humane matters I meane Moses who also propounded and interpreted this doctrine to a great multitude of people and by the commaundement of God ordeyned a continuall order of Priestes and promised a succession of Prophets that should bee teachers and expounders of the same charging withall all parents and housholders to do the like to their children and housholders as we see the Patriarkes before time had done This Doctor being brought vp in the King of Egypts Court was euen from the cradle instructed in learning and wisedome as also by al likelihood was Aaron the eloquent Priest his sonnes and others of the Israelites though not brought vp in the Court yet instructed in learning for that if they had been vnlettered they could not haue serued in that calling neither had it been to any purpose to write these lawes vnto them Next was Iosua an actiue Captaine and a teacher of the people who made vnto them many pithie Orations and diuided to euery man the portion of his inheritance which thing also required knowledge in the Mathematicall Artes. After him succéeded many Judges and Prophets beautified with learning as appeareth otherwise and also by the learned and Poeticall Song of Debora in the time of the Judges Furthermore we reade that the holie woman Anna hauing dedicated her child Samuel to the seruice of the Lord so soone as he was wained committed him to Elie the Judge and Preest to be trained vp in learning wherefore let Elie be added to the former maisters of teaching Hitherto we haue had worthy examples of Patriarks Prophets Préests and Judges that taught Children priuatly at home and all sorts of persons publikely in the congregation Now Scholers increase and Parents being either otherwise busied or else not sufficiently for this purpose furnished send their Children to the common Schoole which as we reade was first instituted in Naioth whereof Samuel the Lords Judge and Prophet was moderator and Maister Such an honorable man was the first publike Schoolemaister in this Schoole whose Schollers then as the Schollers a long time after him were called the Sonnes of the Prophets because the benefit of their good instruction which they receiued of the Prophet their Maister was estéemed at no lesse price then the benefit of their begetting and birth which they had of their Parents Immediatly heerevpon learning began to flourish by reason that there were store of Prophets and Preests to teach the same Of the Prophets two were famous Kings Dauid and Salomon two Diamonds of art and gratious eloquence which they haue plentifully expressed in the Psalmes Prouerbs Ecclesiastes and other their workes but because their hands were occupied with the royall Scepter they could not also be publike Schoolemaisters to youth howbeit they instructed not onely their housholds priuatly as Salomon sayth that he was taught of his Father but also the assembly publikely and therefore Salomon calleth himselfe the Preacher The other Prophets in those dayes were Gad Nathan Heman Elcana Ahias and Iedo after in the dayes of Roboam Abias Asa and Iehosaphat Kings of Iuda were Semias Iddo Azarias and Iehu all the which besides that they were Maisters of the Schooles and Colledges wrote also seuerall Bookes excepting one or two as is mentioned in the Scripture Next vnto
these followed Elias and Eliseus Prophets Iehoiada the Préest and his Sonne Zacharias a Prophet Elias was subiect to such worldly affections as we are yet by the spirit of God he so subdued them that he triumphed ouer them in a glorious Chariot ascending like Enoch to heauen aliue but knowing thereof before he went from place to place with his successor Eliseus and visited the Schooles of Gilgal Bethel Iericho and another place beyond Iordan of the which place there are fiftie Schollers mentioned And concerning Eliseus there is mention made of an hundred Schollers that were vnder him in Gilgal and of the poore diet wherewith they were susteined Further how studious he himselfe was we may perceiue in that the Sunamit built a chamber and furnished it with necessaries of purpose for the Prophet that he might lodge and studie there when he trauailed that way so that he did not intermit his studie no not in his iourney Iehoiada besides other Schollers taught also verie diligently Ioash the King euen from his infancie and holp him to his kingdome Which King notwithstanding after the death of Iehoiada fell to Idolatrie so diuelishly that for the defense thereof he murthered Zacharias the Prophet being the sonne of his great friend and godly Schoolemasster Iehoiada Which I note by the way partly that parents may see how good Schoolemaisters haue now and then lewde and vnthriftie Schollers and partly that Schoolemaisters meditating aforehand with what vnthankefulnes yea with what malitious crueltie their diligence and good will shall be sometime requited may the more strongly arme themselues with patience to indure it From the dayes of this Zacharias vnto Malachi we haue sixteene Prophets verie famous for their paines in teaching all sorts of people both yong and old by their liuely voyce whilest they liued and also by their writing continually sithence their death of whome nine to wit Ionas Osee Esaias Obadias Amos Micheas Naum Ioel and Habacuck were before the Babylonicall captiuitie foure Ieremias Zophanias Ezechiel and Daniel in and about the captiuitie This captiuitie lasted seauentie yeeres in the which as vpon the ouerthrowe of the estates both ecclestasticall and ciuill of necessitie followed the ruine of the Schooles and Colledges so doubtlesse the Schooles were repaired againe together with the repairing of the policie and Priesthood In which renewed estate God stirred vp the three other Prophets Haggeus Zacharias the latter and Malachi to occupie the Doctors chaire in y e congregation and also in the Schooles To these adde Ezra beth a Priest and an excellent Doctor of the Lawe that obteined great fauour for his nation of Artaxerxes the King and by whose industrie the old Testament was worthely augmented and preserued in writing for all nations in his time also was Nehemias a noble Courtier of great learning and holynes and a passing good member in furthering the seruice of God and the welfare of his Countrey And thus the race of the Prophets is come to an ende which thing brought an end also to the goodliest beawtie of this Hebrewe Schoole For the Priests and Leuites neyther in this point nor in doing their duetie otherwise were so diligent but that they are reprehended by the Prophets many times for their slack and corrupt behauiour Neither were the Schollers euer called the children of the Priests but the children of the Prophets because the Prophets were their best maisters and yet in those dayes God sent some other good maisters that were Priests and learned men as Ioachim the Priest who as Philo saith wrote the histories of Iudith and Hester and the seauentie learned Doctors whome Eleazar the Priest sent to Ptolome Philadelphus King of Egypt to translate the Hebrewe Bible into the Greeke tongue by which meanes the word of God came into the Kings Librarie at Alexandria and so was set open to the Gentiles also With these may Iesus the some of Syrach be sorted and his grandfather likewise men of great reading and learning as their doctrine in the booke called Ecclesiasticus doth witnesse All this while the Judges and Captaines by whom the Iewes were gouerned after their captiuitie were of the stock of Dauid in which order Ianna Hyrcanus was the last In whose dayes the itch of ambition and couetousnesse had so infected the Priesthood that whereas it should go by succession to the posteritie of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron now it was who might buy it for money of the Kings of Syria which then held them in miserable subiection Iason was the first that attempted this way to get the Priesthood who to shoulder out his brother Onias gaue for it to Antiochus King of Syria three hundred and sixtie talents and a rent of eightie talents moreouer he gaue an hundred and fiftie talents for libertie to erect a Colledge wherein he might exercise the schollers after the prophane fashion of the Gentiles Thus the ciuill pollicie being sore defaced and the Priesthood wholly corrupted the Schooles likewise degenerated from their ancient integritie bringing forth not the true children of the Prophets but the bastards of very wicked and heathenish Sophisters Hereof it came to passe that within fortie yeeres there sprang vp the sects of the Pharisies of the Essenes and of the Saduces which corrupted the sinceritie of Gods word and broched very detestable and wicked opinions Notwithstanding they had their Sinagogues and Colledges abroad in diuers cities and townes but chiefly in Ierusalem And of the Pharisies was one Gamaliel a Doctor of great estimation at whose feete and in whose discipline was nourished vp the Apostle Saint Paule afterwards a singular instrument in the Church of God But to redresse the foresayd corruption was sent the holy man of God Iohn Baptist replenisht with the spirit of Elias who taught publikely both the congregation and also many Schollers that continually attended vpon him Let vs acknowledge therefore this man to be a visiter and a reformer of the Colledges and also the last Doctor in this Schoole of the Hebrewes So now for the dignitie of Schooling in this first Schoole we haue verie worthie examples of teachers first the Patriarks that taught their housholds then the Prophets and Priests that taught not only their housholds priuatly but also the congregation of the people and companies of Schollers publikly and for amplifying the honor and estimation of these offices it pleased God that sometimes Kings and Princes should partly serue the turne therein But héere some will obiect that all this teaching was for Diuinitie and therefore necessarie but for a few now séeing that most men neither will nor may make their children Diuines Were none then trained vp in learning but such as were Prophets or Priests none but ecclesiasticall persons yes no doubt Kings Judges Captaines and all Magistrates haue néede of the same education Yea though all men can not be learned Doctors yet learning is necessarie for all sorts and all
degrées of men whether they be high or lowe rich or poore rulers or subiects ecclesiasticall or ciuill For what haue others done héerein which knewe not this diuinitie which rightly embraced but humanitie haue they had no teachers no Schoole at all yes verely and that of great antiquitie for as we haue shewed afore Socrates vttering the opinion of the Gentiles affirmeth that Prometheus fet learning out of heauen and brought it vnto men And the Egyptians ere they had the vse of letters expressing their sentences with the images of beasts and figures of other things did vse y e figure of a deawing heauen to signifie discipline and learning so that aswell the Panims as the Hebrewes did acknowledge God to be the author of learning and that it was the deaw of heauen but this dewe among the Gentiles did fall in diuers Countreyâ— and vppon diuers people which we will recite in order one after another Berosus writeth that about the time of the death of Noe King Sarron amongst the Frenchmen ordeined publike Schooles of learning to represit the outragious behauiour of naughtie men and that King Ingenon for the like cause did the like among the Thuyscones a people of Germany Of which thing also Cornelius Tacitus maketh mention in his booke of the Germane manners Although we haue heere no Scholemaisters named yet let vs place in these examples a noble foundation of the Schoole of humanitie séeing we haue two vetie auntient Kings that erected Schooles for the expelling of barbaritie and intollerable manners Also the same Berosus recordeth that in the daies of Abrahams pilgrimage there reigned amongst the Frenchmen one Druyus a man of great knowledge and learning of whome the Philosophers of Fraunce and the Countreys thereabout taking their learning were a long time afterward called Druides according to the name of their patrone and first maister these were men of great estimation and authoritie for they did determine all causes and controuersies and as it were excommunicate him that would not â— and to their determination they were free from warres from paying of customes or any other dueues which preferments and rewards brought them a great number of Schollers which they reteined twentie yeares in the Schoole of their Philosophie which was chiefely of the power of the Gods of the immortalitie of the Soule of the course of nature as the Starres and their mouing the bignes of the world and the earth Iulius Caesar addeth that this discipline came out of England into Fraunce and those which would learne the same more exactly came hither for it which argueth that either the first founder Druyus himselfe was a Doctor heere in England or else some of his successors within a whiles brought hither their discipline where it was so well entertained that the fountaine thereof was esteemed to be heere But in Egypt were noble Students of Philosophy and wisedome neere about the same time with whome as writeth Iosephus Abraham disputed and in many things instructed them better These are they that were mainteined by the Kings of Egypt so that in the dayes of Amasis the King when all other people were through penurie enforced to sell their lands to Ioseph to the Kings vse they liuing by the Kings ordinarie kept their lands for themselues and their heires Of the three other Kings two namely Sarron and Ingâ—â—on caused their subiects to exercise themselues in learning the third was a teacher and patron thereof but what liberalitie any of them exhibited towards Students we knowe not wherefore let this Pharao Amasis be registred for the first benefactor in this Schoole towards learning whonie his sucoâ—ssors did diligently imitate therein whereby it came to passe that Egypt was a nourserie of learning for other Countreys for out of this Schoole came Atlas the learned Astronomer that inhabited in Mauritania Out of this Schoole came Osiris who when he had trauailed about all the world set vp a piller engraued with the experiments of his iourney Out of the same Schoole came Moses as I haue shewed afore a faithfull Prophet valiant Captaine and prudent Judge of the Lords people And about his time there florished in this Schoole Mercurie Trismegist the wonder of Philosophie whose writings yet in some part remaining declare the same Heerehence came Cecrops King of the Athenians who was skilfull in the toongs Heere flourished King Protheus with his diuine and Propheticall learning Nouit tamque omnia vates Quae sint quae fuerint quâ— mox ventura trahantur Phoenix and Cadmus from hence caried the vse of letters into Phoenice and thence Cadmus carted the same to Thebes in Greece which Citie he builded and ruled as King His letters were but sixteene to the which Palamedes in the warre of Troy added foure to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Finally many famous learned men of Greece and other Countries from time to time afterward for the bettering of their learning resorted into Egypt as to the head and spring thereof In which nomber are Thales Pythagoras and Plato of whom wee shall speake anone Now when learning had taken a little roote in Greece it spred foorth with farre and wide very wonderfully Here then a litle before the time of Debora Phemonoe commonly called Sybilla inuented the arte of Poetrie and wrote her Oracles in hexameter verse whereof some peeces remayne to this day Then florished Orpheus the Thracian and Linus a Thebane two Poets that for their arte and passing wit were reputed to be the issue of the Gods which Virgils words do import making a supposed comparison of himselfe with theÌ„ as with the greatest that he could finde Non me carminibê° vincet nec Thracius Orpheus Nec Linus huic mater quamuis atque huic pater adsit Orphei Calliopea Lino formosus Apollo Orpheus with his cunning harmonie as Poets fayne taâ—â—ed wilde beastes and made stones to moue at his pleasure that is in very déede with his swéet eloquence and wisedome he mollisted the fierce manners of vnreasonable men and mooued their stonie hearts to embrace vertue Whose scholler Museus was a princely Poet also Medium nam plurima turba Hunc habet atque humeris extantem suscipit altis Linus wrote much of naturall Philosophie aswell touching celestiall as terrestriall creatures and had two noble Schollers Thamaras that wrote three thousand verses of their Diuinitie and Hercules who enterprised and atchiued such incomparable exploytes for the common profite of mankinde that he was taken for a God on earth After all these in the dayes of Elie Homer the prince of all Poets wrote his excellent workes by the which all good Schooles haue been much furthered euen vnto this day For all those that excelled in learning all those that were sage Lawmakers discreet rulers either at home or abroad either in peâ—â—e or in warre fet their precepts and examples of
instruction out of Homers workes His workes therefore made Lycurgus and Solon good Lawmakers the one to the Athenians the other to the Lacedemonians His works made Hesiodus Cynethon Cumelus Archimus Archilocus Sappho Alceus Tyrteus and Thespis cunning Poets To the which adde Stesichorus that found great liberalitie at the hand of Phalaris the tyrant and Epimenides out of whom Sainâ—t Paule alleageth this verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His workes made Thales Milesius Anaximander his scholler Pherecides Simonides and Pythagoras wise Philosophers Thales was the father of the Mathematicall artes in this schoole for some inuentions wherof he so reioyced and was so thankfull that he offered an Oxe to the Gods Simonides inuented foure letters more namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that now we haue the foure and twentie Greeke letters with their authors Pythagoras was the scholler of Pherecides and liued about the ende of the Babylonicall captiuitie who for singular learning order of studie and dexteritie in teaching was such a primrose of all Schoolemaisters that a long time after there were many famous schollers of his sect called Pythagoreans yea almost all students would be called Philosophers because Pythagoras first fantâ—fied that title who also for some singular inuentions in the Mathematicals offered to the Muses an Oxe like as Thales had done Then there followed a plentifull haruest of learned men and teachers of schooles as Hellanicus Democritus Anaxagoras Aristagoras Philosophers Pindarus Esthylus Sophocles and Euripides Poets Democritus to vnwrappe himselfe of all occasions that might hinder his studie gaue his ample possessions and riches to the common weale and laughed to scorne the foolish toyling of his Citizens that bestowed both wet and drie to purchase wealth and promotion the continuance whereof was vncerteyne and vnable to make them one iot the better Towards Euripides was Archilaus the King of Macedonia very bountifull and so was Artaxerxes the King of Persia towards Hippocrates the father of Phisitions In the dayes of Nehemias Socrates the ornament of schooling kept a great schoole of Phisosophers for order and discipline very excellent and a most perfect looking glasse wherein wee may beholde the image and state of a good schoole For first he taught how necessarie learning was for all sorts of people then who was fit to learne and what things were to be learned Further he opened the method and way of bringing the precepts into the forme of arte for the more easie teaching and learning of the same Finally though he admitted into his schoole all those that were willing yet of none did he exact wages for teaching the people neuerthelesse contending of their owne accord who should bestowe greatest giftes vpon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 insomuch that he reckoned it for a great wonder if any scholler should bee found not to exceede in thankfulnesse Do ye marueile how this came to passe Surely for that in old time as Plutarch recordeth men taught either their kinsfolke as children nephewes and brethren or their deere friends which without constraint of promise were sufficiently bound by naturall affection and the bands of friendship with all the dueties of thankfulnesse to recompence their teacher Howbeit there were some nigardly and vnthankfull persons in those dayes as there are now which refusing this way of recompensing freely commended by Socrates would needes haue hired teachers for wages which teachers very aptly he termeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sellers of themselues for saues and in deede they were not esteemed better but rather worse then slaues of those that hired them For when one of these money minded parents came to Aristippus asking him what he should giue to haue his sonne taught and Aristippus had answered a thousand drachmes he replyed that it was too much seeing he might buy a slaue with that money Yea quoth Aristippus so thou mayst and if thou like better of slaues then of learning by that meanes thou shalt haue two slaues both him that thou buyest and also thy sonne This so slauish a minde of parents caused Crates to go vp into the highest place of the citie and crye out O ye citizens what meane ye to bestowe all your care for the getting of riches and almost no care on your children to whom ye must leaue these riches But at length whether it were through this slauish couetousnesse of parents or els through the enuious stomackes of vile persons this good man Socrates was put to death by the sentence of the Judges pronounced vpon the false testimonie of suborned accusers Notwithstanding this ranckled enemie did not so preuayle agaynst the innocencie and good deedes of the man but that the authors of his death shortly after came to a shamefull ende and the fruit of his doctrine brought him perpetuall honor and renowne For out of his Schoole proceeded many noble Philosophers and learned men whose authoritie among their schollers while they luâ—ed was great but farre greater among all students euer since their death of whome the diuine Philosopher Plato being chiefe kept a Schoole in Academia a place by his meanes so famous that thereof not onely the Students a long time after were called Academikes but also our Universities at this day are called Academiae Dionysius otherwise a cruell and wicked King hauing heard of the fame of this Plato conceiued such a reuerent estimation of him that with many gifts and promotions he inuited him to come into his kingdome of Sicilie and caused fires and sacrifices to be made throughout his Realme at his comming therein as if some God had entered which King moreouer leauing his kingdome and kingly dignitie honored learning so farre that he refused not in his owne person to execute the office of a Schoolemaister in the Citie of Corinth Next to Plato was Aristotle a man surpassing no lesse in eloquence and all the liberall Artes then in multitude of Schollers among whome was Alexander the Great a King that for magnanimitie and amplitude of dominions had neuer his peere for ardent affection towards learning made his Bookes his pillow to sleepe on and for loue to his maister Aristotle restored his Countrey Stagira which he had wasted imitating in these things his Father King Phillip another mightie piller of learning also Many other notable Schollers had Socrates as Xenocrates Xenophon Eudoxus Euclide and Isocrates Euclide being a Citizen of Megara vpon paine of death might not come to Athens to heare Socrates by reason of publike hostilitie betweene the two Cities yet he longed so greedely for learning that to attaine it he hazarded his life comming and going to his maister in disguised apparell Isocrates was moderator of a Rhetorike Schoole from whence issued foorth troupes of noble Schollers which for the most part were not onely eloquent Orators but also wise Counsellers valiant Captaines yea famous Kings and Princes This Maister to animate his Schollers and giue them a sharper edge to learning wrate ouer his Schoolehouse dore this
Are there no examples thereof to be found in these latter ages and in our owne religion Yes verely such examples as one of them is enough to counterpâ—ise yea to weigh downe the heauiest examples of the two former though he lay them all together For in the former Schooles God was acknowledged to be the author of discipline and learning but man was the instrument and messenger by whose seruice God did put it in practise but this latter Schoole was not onely instituted by the authoritie of our gratious God but also the first Doctor therein was his only déere Sonne our Sauiour Jesus Christ and therefore of him is called the Schoole of Christianitie He as the Prophets had done before taught publikely both the people in the congregation and also was alwayes furnishing of his Disciples and Schollers with store of treasure that out of the same afterwards they might be able like good housholders to bring foorth vnto their audience things both new and old The noble actes and practises of which Schollers are in the new Testament set foorth to the viewe of all men so that it is néedlesse to say any thing thereof only I note briefely that they forsooke all their wealth and worldly promotions that they bare many times much trouble and bitter affliction to the end that they might become good Schollers in this Schoole These Schollers at length being Doctors to wit Apostles Euangelists Prophets and Ministers walked in the steps of Christ their maister and of the old Prophets their predecessors not only teaching the multitude in the congregation but also making their Schollers learned and fit for some function in preaching the Gospell As to passe by all the rest S. Paule instructed Timothy Titus Erastus Archippus Epaphroditus Denis Stephana and Tychicus with others At Ephesus he taught dayly for the space of two yeares in the Schoole of one Tyrannus And what a diligent Student he was himselfe it may appeare in that he sent from Rome to Troas aboue a thousand miles for his papers and bookes the instruments of studie After the Apostles time was a famous Schoole of Diuinitie institutâ—â— at Alexandria in Aegypt in the which Panteâ—us was the first teacher then Clemens then Origen a Doctor of no lesse learning then fame And about this time flourished Cyprian the Bishop of Carthage Now the Emperout Constantine the Great being the sonne of Helene a woman borne and brought vp in this land in all the countries and prouinces of his large Empire set vp Schooles of all good Artes but especially of Diuinitie not only with liberall stipends mainteining them but also with honorable priuiledges and exemptions defending them So therâ— began to arise the great starres of Christianitie as Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria Gregorie Nazianzene Chrysostome Bishop of Constantinople Basile the great Bishop of Cesarea whome his Father instructed multáque insignem reddidit arte S. Hierome the eloquent Doctor Ambrose Bishop of Milan and Austin his Scholler Bishop of Hippo with many others of the which some were brought vp in the Schoole of humanitie and afterwards conuerted to Christianitie and some from their infancie were trained vp in the Schoole of Christ But what should I staâ—â— in rehearsing the names of a few men of a two or three Countries when as in euery parish of innumerable Countries and Kingdomes throughout all the world not only learned men are ordeined to preach the Gospell and haue seuerall stipends publikly allowed for their maintenance but also Schooles Colledges Uniuersities and other places of studie are euery where erected for the increasing and nourishing of learned men to furnish these vocations as to name some the Colledges and Uniuersities at Paris in the dayes of Charles â—he Great at Bononia and Pauie in Italy at Brâ—ges by Charles King of Bohemia at Craconia Colen Erford in Thuringia at Lipsia at Vienna in Austria at Friburge Basile Ingolstade Tubinga Wittemberge Francford Marpurge S. Andrewes in Scotland and at Maguntia by Ditherus the Bishop where the Arte of Printing the preserger of all Artes was inuented in the yeare of our Lord 1466. But if any man will be rather moued with home examples of his Ancesters then with forraine examples of Strangers this our Countrey of England aswell for embracing Christianitie and all godly learning as also for liberalitie emploied to mainteine the same Tantum alias inter caput extulit vrbes Quantum lenta solent inter viburna cupressi For as the Schoole of humanitie was heere planted when it was yet tender and young so was the Schoole of Christianitie insomuch that our Countreyman Gyldas writeth that the Gospell was receiued heere euen from the comming of Christ in the dayes of Tiberius by the preaching of Ioseph of Arimathea as others declare whome Phillip the Apostle sent hither out of Fraunce Then in the time of the valiant King Arthur the exercise and studie of learning was diligently applied in Southwales The like is recorded to be done an hundred and twenty yeares after in the dayes of Sigebert King of the Eastangles who set vp Schooles of the Gréeke and Latin toong And Egbert King of Kent fortie yeares after followed the same steps of his predecessors King Ethelstane was not only a founder of Schooles for learning but also a profound learned Astronomer himselfe Yet of all our auncient Kings none may be preferred no nor compared to that most vertuous King Alfred either for knowledge in the Artes and all good letters or for loue and diligence to aduance the same For besides that he translated diuers bookes into the vulgar toong and wrote many new of his owne he also instructed all his Children Sonnes and Daughters in the liberall Artes and did shut the dore of climing to any dignitie in the Court against such as wanted the furniture of learning Furthermore he procured with great charges learned men some to be his Counsellers as the godly Diuine Iohn Scot afterwards martired by his Schollers at Malmesburie some to teach the Schooles and Colledges whereof he ordeined diuers in Oxford Therefore now we haue the blessed founder of that famous Uniuersitie of Oxford founded aboue seauen hundred yeres agone whether before or after the founding of the Uniuersitie of Cambridge it is not materiall but in either of them at this day are sixteene goodly Colledges and moreouer in Oxford eight Haules builded by Kings Queens Princes Bishops and other good men and enriched with lands reuenewes stipends as also established and fortified with lawes ample priuiledges and immunities for the maintenance and commoditie of Students and learned men These are two bright fountaines of learning whose wholesome streames runne plentifully abroade watering not only this Realme but also forraine Countries to the great benefit of the Church of God Also by the like good Authors after the same manner and for the same cause were instituted many other houses of learning Colledges and free Schooles as partly we see in this Towne