A New Discovery of the Old Art of Teaching School, Dedication 2 – To teachers
To his moſt Experienced, and truly Honoured Maſter, Mr. ROBERT DOVGHTY, Head Schoole-Maſter at Wakefield, C. H. wiſheth all health and happineſs.
SIR,
IT is yet a queſtion amongſt Schoole-boyes, and not likely to be haſtily by them decided, whether K. Alexander was more bound to Philip his Father, that begat him, or his Master Ariſtotle that inſtructed him? for of both he had received unrequitable Benefits. Should I therefore not acknowledge that laſting good, which with many co-partners I obtained by your care and induſtry, I ſhould indeed be worſe then ungatefull. And what token of thankfulneſſe can I tender, more welcome to your ſelf, then this ſmall Manual, which moſt nearly concernes the profeſſion of a Schoole-Maſter; a calling which hath all kinde of good attending it, to make it commendable, as well as others.
For 1. If we look at the benefitting of Church and Commonwealth; wherein can we better imploy our time and ſtudy, then in traing up of children to become ſerviceable inſtruments of much good in both? Nay, ſhould a man but barely reſpect himſelf, he may finde it very profitable to augment his learning, and not a little advantagious to the increaſe of his yearely Revenues.
2. What more pleaſing variety can there be, then that of childrens diſpoſitions and fanſies? what better Recreation, then to read and diſcourſe of ſo many ſundry ſubjects, as we meet with in ordinary Authours? Beſides, the delight which is to be taken by our Scholars ready progreſſe in a conſtant even way, will far exceed all care and toyle that can be beſtowed in helping them to profit.
3. Should I goe about by thoſe millions of Arguments that concurre (as Voluntiers) to maintain the lawfulneſſe of this calling, as commanded by God, continued in all ages, practiſed by the well-learned and truly vertuous, commended by all good men, maintained and encouraged by moſt noble Princes, and religiouſly diſpoſed people; oppoſed onelyonly by the enemies of Gods truth, and moſt diſeſteemed by perſons that are altogether (for want of breeding) either debauched, or ignorant. I might write a larger Volume, and to leſſer purpoſe.
Ob. But alas, we that wholly undergoe the burden of School-teaching, can tell by our own experience, how laborious it is both to minde and body, to be continually intent upon the work, and how irkſome it is (eſpecially to a man of a quiet temper) to have ſo many unwilling provocations unto paſſion; what good parts for learning, and right qualification in all points of behavour is required of us; how ſmall our yearly ſtipend is, and how uncertain all our other incomes are. Again, we call to minde the too much indulgency of ſome Parents, who neither love to blame their childrens untowardneſſe, nor ſuffer the Maſter to correct it; we remember their generall ingratitude for the Maſters well-doing, and their open clamour for his leaſt doing amiſſe; we obſerve their common indiſcretion in wholly imputing the Scholars leſſe profitting to the Maſters more neglect, and their happy thriving to their own onelyonly towardlineſſe; not to mention their fond Ambition, in haſtening them too faſt. Beſides, the ſmall account which the vulgar have, the too cenſorious eye which the more judicious caſt, and the ſlight regard which our young Academians (for the moſt part) carry towards a poor Schoole-Maſter, make us ſometimes judge our calling (as many do) too mean for a Scholar to undertake, or deſire to ſtick too many yeares. We let paſſe childrens imperfections and untowardneſſe, which are indeed our daily torture; ſo that we could rather wiſh, our ſelves might leave our charge, then adviſe any friends we have to undertake it.
Anſw. Theſe we muſt acknowledge are very great diſcouragements, yet ſuch as attend a moſt neceſſary calling, and therefore muſt with Fortitude be conquered, or reſolutely undergone. Should the Mariner, becauſe of danger, the Husband-man becauſe of toyle, the Souldier becauſe of hardſhip, the Magiſtrate becauſe of interruption, the Miniſter, becauſe of many mens diſordered converſations, abandon their profeſſions; it would then fare with a State, as (the Tale ſaith) it did once with the body, when the whole pin'd away, becauſe no member would diſcharge its proper function.
Neither can I ſay to whom I ſhould more properly dedicate this Subject, then to your ſelfe, who have now (as I ſuppoſe) for at leaſt fifty yeares together, and with general applauſe, performed the Taske of a Schoole-Maſter, notwithſtanding much oppoſition, and many diſcouragements of every kinde; who have had continually in your charge many ſcores of Scholars, and have yearly ſent abroad, both to Trades, and Univerſities, great ſtore of ſuch as have been thorowly accompliſhed in their places. Nay, (give me leave to ſpeak it) to commend your knowne Dexterity in this excellent calling, there have been (I think) as many, and thoſe, as well-approved Schoole-Maſters your quondam Scholars, as have been trained up by any one man in England. Amongſt others I help onelyonly to fill up the number, who have ſometimes in publick, and ſometimes in private, for nigh thirty years together, been exerciſed in teaching Scholars, and have at laſt for mine own eaſe, and the ſatisfaction of ſome friends, printed what Method and Order you once ſaw I had writ out, and which upon your approbation, and my own further experiment, I have thought meet to obſerve conſtantly, reſerving ever the liberty of varying in matters of of circumſtance, as occaſion ſhall require. And for ſome things (it may be) you may rightly ſay (as I am ever bound moſt thankfully to acknowledge, that I was your Scholar, ſeeing in them I have ſo nearly ſeemed to track that method, according to which I was inſtructed by your ſelf.
Daigne (I beſeech you) to accept this ſmall offer of a willing minde, and if you finde it helpful to you or yours, in any kinde, to uſe it freely; where you ſhall eſpie the leaſt defect, I hope you will pleaſe to cenſure it with impartial mildeneſſe▪ This Petition alſo I prefer to them of better judgement, as it happeneth to come into their hands.
The Lord continue you long in your eminent place, to doe the Church and Common-wealth moſt acceptable ſervice, and to reap to your ſelf much comfort thereby, that when at laſt you ſhall have finiſhed your courſe, you may receive at Gods hands an immortal Crown, through Jeſus Chriſt our Saviour, in whom I reſt
Yours, in all obſervancy, Charles Hoole. Dec. 24. 1659.
To all favourers of good learning, but more eſpecially, to the Teachers of GRAMMAR.
THere is no calling more ſerviceable to Church and Common-wealth, then this of a Schoole-Maſter; none then it more perplexingly toyleſome, where Art and Diſcretion, the two eſſentials of a Schoole-Maſter, are wanting. Seeing we have eſpecially to deale with childrens imperfections, which are warily to be obſerved and helped, not ſtrictly to be cenſured.
That Conſtancy in a good Method is the mean to make a Scholar is by all affirmed; but which Method, of many that are uſed, is the beſt, is not eaſily determined. Sure we are, that the neareſt, eaſieſt, and plaineſt is moſt grateful, and the rather if it lye along with the common-rode, which men are generally loth to foregoe, though it be not alwayes the readieſt way.
It hath therefore been mine endevour to ſet on and proceed in ſuch a courſe o… teaching Grammar, and moſt uſeful and uſually received Authours, with continued Exerciſes; ſo as children might from the beginning underſtand their preſent Taske, and that alſo further to the ſucceeding work. I labour ſo (ever as they learne) to acquaint them with the main matters, that in caſe of changeing Maſters, they may not ſuſtain ſuch diſcouragement and loſs of time, as uſually betides, when children are not grounded in what they learn.
This I ſubmit to more gentle cenſures, requeſting where I miſtake to receive ſome better directions, not enjoyning any man to tread in my ſteps, though poſſibly ſome may like to follow me in this way, which I am reſolved to keep (whether in more publick, or my private courſe of teaching) till I know a readier; which who ſo hath gone it, may do well to deſcribe. Now the Lord of heaven give a bleſſing to theſe weak endevours, which if any man profit by, let him give God the Glory, whoſe alone power it is, that hath thus far enabled me to perform, (what from a child) I have ſeriouſly deſired. Et v…niam per laude peto▪ &c.