The Grammar School, Chapter 27
CHAP. XXVII.
Of gouernment and authoritie in schooles.
Phil.
COncerning the gouernment of the schoole,Gouernment the help of helpes. of which you so desire my sentence; I do indeed account it the helpe of helps: as it is in all kinde of societies; so principally in the schoole: out of which, all other good and ciuill societies should first proceed. To the end, that out of the schooles, and from the first yeares, children may learne the benefit and blessing of good gouernment, and how eueryevery one ought to doe his duetie in his place: and so from thence this good order and gouernment may be deriued into all places in som maner.Authority the top of gouernment.
This gouernment ought to bee, 1. By maintaining authoritie, which is the very top of all gouernment; and is indeed aspeciall gift of God.
This authority must be maintained,Authority how to be maintained. as in the Magistrate, by his so carying himselfe, as beeing a certaine liuing lawe, or rather as in the place of God amongst them;1. By being a liuing lawe. I mean, as one appointed of God, to see the most profitable courses to be put in practice painfully, and constantly, for the speediest furnishing his schollars with the best learning & manners, to the greatest good of the schollars, Gods Church, and their countrey.
2. It must bee maintained by a most strict execution of iustice,2. By most strict execution of iustice in praemio. poena. in rewards & punishments. As Solon said that the Common-wealth, was vpholden by two things; praemio & poena. That the painefull and obedient bee by all meanes countenanced, incouraged and preferred: the negligent, and any waie disobedient, be disgraced, and discouraged in all their euill manners, vntill they frame themselues to the diligence and obedience of the best.
Thus by the incouragement & commendation of vertue,Incouraging vertue. and discountenancing of vice; you shall in time ouercome the most froward nature,Discouraging vice. and bring all into a cheerefull submission:The euils of the contrary, or of partialitie. Wheras of the contrary, dealing partially, or making no difference betweene the good and the bad, and much more discountenancing the painful and toward, and countenancing or fauouring the idle and vngracious, you shall see all ouerturned:Obserue this and be warned. for who will not frame himselfe to the lewdest, when it is all one vntounto them, whatsoeuer they be? our corrupt natures being so prone vntounto the worst things.
3. That in all their gouernment there be a true demonstration of conscience and louelove,3. By a demonstration of conscience and louelove in all. to doe all as of conscience to God, and of louelove to the children, for the perpetuall good of eueryevery one; and in an indeuor & study to draw them on by louelove, in an honest emulation, with due praise and rewards; abhorring cruelty, & auoiding seuerity (as was said) more then of necessity.
4. By beeing Presidents of all vertue to their children;4. By being presidents to the children, of all vertue. and being as carefull in their owne places first, before the childrens eyes to do their dueties, as they would hauehave their children to be in theirs. And so finally, by their holy and faithfull cariage, to seeke that God may rule, and that the children may obey God: For then hee will both blesse all their labours, and maintaine their authority.
Spoud.
Surely si… these are worthy meanes to maintaine authority: which vnlesse it be preserued inuiolable, all gouernment goeth downe▪ But I perceiue, you vtterly dislike that extreame seueritie whereby all things are done in verie many schooles, and the whole gouernment maintained only by continuall and terrible whipping; because you hauehave so oft mentioned it as with griefe.
Phil.
You shall find that M. Askam doth as oft and more vehemently inueigh against it.Extreame seuerity and whipping to be auoyded in schooles, and all meanes vsed to preuent it. For mine owne part I doe indeed altogether dislike it, more then necessity inforceth: and I take it that I hauehave better grounds for my dislike, then any one can hauehave to the contrary; euen from those things which cannot be contradicted.
1 We are to imitate the Lord himselfe;1 By the example of God. who though he be iustice it selfe, yet is euermore inclined vntounto mercy, and doth not execute the seuerity and rigour of his iustice, when any other meanes can serue: who if he should smite vsus, euen the most vigilant of vsus all, so oft as wee offend, as many doe the children; which of vsus could liue?
2 What father is there;2 By the generall desire of all wise parents, hauing naturall affections. nay which of vsus is there who is a father, who would not hauehave our owne children rather trained vp by all louing meanes of gentle incouragement, praise and faire dealing, then with buffeting and blowes, or continuall and cruell whipping, scorning, and reuiling? Or which of vsus could but indure to see that indignity done to our owne children, before our faces?
Now our gouernement and correction ought to bee such, as which the very parent being present (I meane the wise parent) might approoue; and for which wee may euer hauehave comfort and boldenesse, euen before the holy God. To this we are to striue and contend alwayes, vntill at length we attaine vntounto it.
3 Which of vsus is there that would willingly liue vnderunder such a gouernement of any sort,3 By that which eueryevery one of vsus would hauehave done vntounto our selues. that our state should bee as the people, vnderunder their taske Masters in Aegypt, that we should bee smitten continually for eueryevery little fault? and labour we neuer so much to doe our duties, yet still we should be beaten.
4 Let eueryevery mans experience teach whether extreamity or excesse of feare4 For the mischiefes which follow excesse of …eare, taking away all vnderst…nding and sense from the wisest. (which must needes follow vponupon such cruell and continuall beating and dulling) doth not depriue and robbe the minde of all the helpes which reason offers. So as that the minde running about that which it feares so much, forgets that which it should wholly intend; whereby in timorous natures, you shall see some to stand as very sottes, and senselesse through an apprehension of some extreame euil, or by extremity of feare; wheras they are otherwise as wise & learned as the best. Insomuch as all deuices are to be vsed to rid children of that kinde of ouerwhelming feare; and sometimes correction for it, when this feare is without cause, and cannot be helped otherwise.
5 For the schollars themselues;5 For the schollars to worke in them a louelove of learning. because all things should be done in the Schoole, so as to worke in the children a louelove of learning, and also of their teachers: for that this louelove is well knowne to be the most effectuall meanes, to increase and nourish learning in them the fastest; and also that gouernement which consists in louelove, is euer the firmest.
Now this extreame whipping, all men know what a dislike it breedeth in the children, both of the schoole, and of all learning as that they will think themselues very happy, if the parents will set them to any seruille or toyling busines, so that they may keepe from schoole. And also it workes in them a secret hatred of their Masters; according to the sayings, Quem metuunt oderint: and, Quem quis que odit perijsse expetit; whom men doe feare with a slauish feare, them they hate, and wish in their hearts to see their death.
6 In regard of the Masters themselues;6 In regard of the Masters, to gaine hearts of children and parents. because by this milde and louing gouernement, they shall both hauehave the hearts & commendations of the children presently, when they see in the Masters the affections of fathers towards them; and also they will euer keepe a sweet and thankefull remembrance of them, all their life long: that euer when they hauehave occasion to speake of their Schoolemasters, they will doe it with reuerence, and praise God that euer they fell into the hands of such Masters: whereas of the contrary, they shall be sure of the secret hate and complaints of the poore children presently, where they dare speake: and euer after when they come at their owne liberty, they will then report as they hauehave found, and it may be farre worse. So that they can neuer speake of their Master, but as of a thing which they abhorre: his name is as a curse in their mouthes; many wishing they had neuer knowne him. For that then they had beene schollars, if they had not falne into the hands of so cruell Masters.
7 And finally,7 That Masters may euer hauehave boldnesse and comfort. because in this louing, equall, milde and tender gouernement, the Masters shall euer hauehave boldenes and comfort before the children, their parents, in their own consciences, and before God himselfe: whereas in the cruell and vnmercifull tyrannie, they shall hauehave nothing but feare; feare of the children, feare of their parents, feare in their owne consciences, feare for the Lord who hath said, that there shall be iudgement mercilesse for them who shew no mercy; and so the conscience being awaked, to hauehave nothing but feare round about, except the Lord doe graunt vnfained repentance to escape thereby.
Spoud.
I know not how to answere that which you say.It is hard for the Master striuing to do good, to moderate his passion. The Lord be mercifull vntounto vsus all who are in this calling, euen for this sinne: for it is no small matter to moderate our passion, and our correction. When the parents and others looke for great things at our hands, and we find little good, and oft-times those the worst, whom we would fainest hauehave to doe the best: which of vsus can herein iustifie our selues? But I pray you Sir, how would you hauehave our authority maintained, and iustice executed, which you so commend? You would hauehave correction vsed, and sometimes sharpness too; as I obserued in your speech for your Schoolemaster. How wold you hauehave the iustice, inpraemio & poena, in rewards and punishments? Set me downe shortly the meanes: and first for rewardes and incourageme…ts; after for punishments.