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A07793
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An apology for schoole-masters tending to the aduauncement of learning, and to the vertuous education of children. By Thomas Morrice, Master of Artes.
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Morrice, Thomas, fl. 1617-1619.
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1619
(1619)
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STC 18170; ESTC S120701
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12,649
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60
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telleth vs that we can neuer giue enough notwithstanding in this age it is thoght by som that to Schoolemasters there can neuer be giuen too litle Such scandalous aspersions are cast vpon theÌ„ by the proud ignorant A wise man hearing an vnlearned Gallant speake absurdly and nothing to the purpose sayd En ex aurea vagina plumbeum educit gladium Behold this braue Gallant out of his golden sheathe draweth a leaden sword Diogenes seeing an ignorant fellow sitting vpon a stone affirmed That one stone there did sit vpon another The more a man is with vertuous knowledge beautifyed the more he approacheth to God and the more hee is with ignorance blemished the more neer he resembleth a Beast The heathen men induced therunto by the law of nature highly regarded their Professours of learning The Indians their Gynnosophists The Aegyptians their Semnothei The Persians their Magi The Gaules now called the French their Druydes The Grecians their Philosophers Philip King of the Macedonians intending to conquere and subdue the Athenians not long after he had proclaimed and made war against them sent Embassadours with an offerture of peace vpon condition they would put from them Demosthenes and other learned men Demosthenes a most famous Orator smelling the stratageme in an eloquent Oration wherein hee disswaded the people from imbracing such a Peace told them this tale On a time there was great warre between the Wolues the Sheepe at length the Wolues politikely and fraudulently promised the Shepheards and the Sheepe to ioyne in firme friendshippe with them so that they would put their Dogges from them The credulous Shepheards simple sheepe yeelded thereunto As soone as the Dogges were gone which protected them the Wolues assaulted the sheepe and deuoured them Euen so sayd the Oratour my deare Athenians the Macedonians if you condiscend vnto them will make hauocke of you presently after the departure of the Learned men which instruct and direct you Our life as sacred Scripture sheweth is here a warfarre wee wage warre against the World the Flesh and the Deuill These three mortall enemies tempt and sollicite the vnlearned pretending to linke themselues in league and loue with them so that they would disgrace put or pull downe their Schoolemasters which are indeed the first instrumentall causes and ordinary meanes ordayned by God to furnish and fortify them with diuine and humane knowledge If these subtile aduersaries could compasse effectually their plotte and proiect heerein they would no doubt deale with the vnlearned hauing none of reputation or account to teach them as the rauenous Wolues did with the silly sheep hauing none to defend them Gerson a famous Doctor relinquished and gaue ouer the office of the Chauncellourship of Paris being a place of high credite and for the good of the weak publike became an instructor or teacher of children Theodosius that right noble wise Christian Emperor when his sonne Arcadius was sixe yeers of age aduauncing him to the Empire and taking an especiall care to haue him furnished with vertue and leaming requisite for imperiall rule and dignitie vsed most exact diligence in the searching out and prouiding of Arsenius a graue honest and well learned Schoole-master for him At the time he deliuered his sonne to be taught and did commit the charge of him to Arsenius he spake in this manner Postbac tu magis pater eius quam ego hereafter you are being his Schoole-master rather a father vnto him then I. This wise and discreet Emperour not long after coÌ„ming into the schoole and finding Areadius his sonne sitting and Arsenius standing and reading vnto him blamed them both telling the one that hee did not performe the office of a Master and the other that hee did not shewe the dutie of a Scholler and caused Arsenius to sit downe and reade and Arcadius to stand vp bare-headed to giue attentiue eare to his lecture Adding these wordes that then his sonne would bee fitte for the Empire when by humilitie obedience hee had attained vnto sufficient knowledge Nicholas Frigantius in his description of the Prouinces Kingdomes and manners of the people subiect to that puissant Monarch the King of China among other discourses declared what reuerend dutifull and gratefull respect the inhabitaÌ„ts of those countries beare to their Schoolmasters For albeit saith he they haue been their schollers but for a short space notwithstanding per vitam deinceps vniuersam eos magistros appellant pro magistris colunt In all their life time after they call them masters and doe reuerence them as their masters There is a contagious disease wherewith horses are infected called the Fashions I feare lest the name thereof exteÌ„deth to reasonable creatures insomuch that some of them also may truly be said to be affected to or infected with the fashioÌ„s There is a fashion lately start vp to haue a French-man to teach If he speak broken and not pure and perfect English with the right accent distinctly pronounced and truely write it there is danger lest hee hurt the Childrens english being farre more necessary for them then the French and so pul downe with one hand more then hee can build with the other I haue had conference with diuers French men whom I like loue I haue not heard any one of them to speake and pronounce english as perfectly as an English-maÌ„ doth They in whom intellectuall reason ouerswaâ—eth sensuall appetite do well discerne and perceiue that a French-man is not able so much to profite nor is so fitte to teach children in England to reade vnvnderstand speake and write perfect english latine and greeke as an English-man is albeit hee bee as skilfull in the latine the greeke as the English-man the reason is because he is to make the children to vnderstaÌ„d the learned tongues by a laÌ„guage which they theÌ„selues vnderstand already as in the exposition of the latine if he keepe due methode he is to giue to euery latine worde the true proper significant Englishe thereof to declare the variety of wordes and sentences which are proper which are figuratiue To deliuer the peculiar phrases of euery Dialect To cause them to obserue Orthography to translate English into Latine Latine into Greeke and againe Greeke into Latine Latine into English The Frenchman therefore being not so perfect in the English as the Englishman fayleth in that Language which directeth the children to the knowledge of the other and consequently is neither so fit to teach nor so well able to profite them Now it remaineth that I briefly refute an errour of some of our Countreymen who stiffely hold that the French tongue is better then the Latine That Noblemen Gentlemen and Ladies ought rather to learne it then the Latine This is a most absurd Paradox seeing that the Latine being the Carholike or vniuersall Language of Christians who are learned is commonly taught both priuately in houses publikely in Schooles and Vniuersities throughout all Nations in Christendom A good thing the more generall it is the better it is There are but three learned Tongues the Latine Greek and Hebrew The French was neuer reckoned to be any It is peculiar to that particular Countrey as English is to England Irish to Ireland so French to France The French themselues especially the Nobilitie Gentry disburse large expences for the trayning vp of their children in the studie of the Latine Who hath the knowledge thereof may trauell therewith throughout all Christian Kingdomes In this tongue all learned Bookes for the most part are written wherein the conferences disputes and exercises of the Learned are performed which promoteth to the degrees of Schoole whereby Worshipfull Honourable and gracious preferments are obtayned and is of that sacred estimate by the lawes of our Land that the very reading thereof saueth many Malefactors from vntimely death I doe not discommend the French but for the causes before mentioned I prefer the Latine before it by many degrees There hath beene an ancient and laudable custome still obserued by the wiser and better sort that after their sonnes can vnderstand the Latine perfectly and speake it readily to send them to trauell into France Germany Italy and Spaine to the intent that they may there learne their Languages which they shal sooner with more facilitie and iudgement accomplish and attaine vnto hauing the Latine Tongue before because the Italian French and Spanish borrow very many words of the sayd Latine albeit they doe clippe choppe and change diuers letters and sillables therein VVhere they trauell they may see the people conuerse and conferre with the better sort perceiue their natures dispositions and manners know their orders lawes and customes behold the scituations of the Cities the flourishing Academies the courses of the Riuers the Castles Fortresses and Hauens the fruitfulnesse and barrennesse of the Soile And so further furnish themselues not only with the Languages but also with the Geographical knowledge of those countries If the gainsayers cannot produce any law or alleadge sufficient authoritie to the contrary of that which is here deliuered I hope they will yeeld and not shutte their eyes against the clâ—ere light of truth as it euidently appeareth And I trust they will not perseuere obstinately in errours remaining therein not illuminated by God to tally eclipsed and silenced FINIS