The book was written in a heavy, stilted style, and in rather prolix English, and awakened but little interest. The ideas which Mulcaster advanced, though, were so far in advance of his age that, as Quick well says, educational progress would have been advanced materially had the world listened to this London schoolmaster. The most remarkable ideas of the book are contained in chapters 4-6, 36-38, and 41. The table of contents of the volume give a rather good idea as to the reforms he proposed. Summarized, these are: CHAPTER 13. The occasion of the discourse; why it was penned in English; "wherefore these Positions serve"; introductory material. 4. What time were best for the childe to begin to learne. What matters some of the best writers handle eare they determine this question. Of letes and libertie, whervnto the parentes are subiect in setting their children to schoole. Of the difference of wittes and bodies in children. That exercise must be ioyned with the booke, as the schooling of the bodie. 5. What thinges they be, wherin children are to be trained, eare they passe to the Grammar. That parentes, and maisters ought to examine the naturall abilities in children, whereby they become either fit, or vnfit, to this, or that kinde of life. The three naturall powers in children, Witte to conceive by, Memorie to retaine by, Discretion to discerne by. That the training vp to good manners, and nurture, doth not belong to the teacher alone, though most to him, next after the parent, whose charge that is most, bycause his commaundement is greatest, ouer his owne childe, and beyond appeale. Of Reading, Writing, Drawing, Musicke by voice, and instrument: and that they be the principall principls, to traine vp the minde in. A generall aunswere to all obiections, which arise against any, or all of these. 6. Of exercises and training the body. How necessarie a thing exercise is. What health is, and how it is maintained: what sicknesse is, how it commeth, and how it is preuented. What a parte exercise playeth in the maintenaunce of health. Of the student and his health. That all exercises though they stirre some one parte most, yet helpe the whole bodie. 7. The braunching, order, and methode, kept in this discourse of exercises. 8- 9. On exercise. 10-12. On lowde speaking and singing. 12. On lowde and soft reading. 13-19. On talking, silence, laughing, weeping, holding breath, dancing, wrestling, fencing, top, and scourge. 20-27. On walking, running, leaping, swimming, riding, hunting, shooting, and play of ball. 28-34. On nature, quality, time, place, manner, and quantity of exercise. 35. On the master. Importance of good teachers in the beginning years. 36. That both yong boyes, and yong maidens are to be put to learne. Whether all boyes be to be set to schoole. That tɔ many learned be burdenous: to few to bare: wittes well sorted ciuill: missorted seditious. That all may learne to write and reade without daunger. The good of choice, the ill of confusion. The children which are set to learne hauing either rich or poore freindes, what order and choice is to be vsed in admitting either of them to learne. Of the time to chuse. 37. The meanes to restraine the ouerflowing multitude of scholers. The cause why euery one desireth, to haue his childe learned, and yet must yeilde ouer his owne desire to the disposition of his countrie. That necessitie and choice be the best restrainThat necessitie restraineth by lacke and law. Why it may be admitted that all may learne to writ and reade that can, but no further. What is to be thought of the speaking and vnderstanding of latine, and in what degree of learning that is. That considering our time, and the state of religion in our time law must needes helpe this restraint, with the aunswere to such obiections as are made to the contrarie. That in choice of wittes, which must deale with learning, that wit is fittest for our state which aunswereth best the monarchie, and how such a wit is to be knowne. That choice is to helpe in schooling, in admission into colledges, in proceding to degrees, in preferring to liuings, where the right and wrong of all the foure pointes be handled at full. ers. 38. That yong maidens are to be set to learning, which is proued by the custome of our countrie, by our duetie towardes them, by their naturall abilitie, and by the worthie effectes of such, as haue bene well trained. The ende whereunto their education serueth, which is the cause why and how much they learne. Which of them are to learne. When they are to beginne to learne: What and how much they may learne. Of whom and where they ought to be taught. 39-40. Of the training of young gentlemen; public and private education; travel; types of schools. 41. Of teachers and trainers in generall: and that they be either Elementarie, Grammattical, or Academicall. Of the elemen tarie teachers abilitie and entertainement: of the grammar maisters abilitie and his entertainement. A meane to haue both excellent teachers and cunning professours in all kindes of learning: by the diuision of colledges according to professions: by sorting like yeares into the same rowmes: by bettering the studentes allowance and liuing: by prouiding and maintaining notable well learned readers. That for bringing learning forward in her right and best course, there would be seuen ordinarie ascending colledges for tounges, for mathematikes, for philosophie, for teachers, for physicians, for lawyers, for diuines. And that the generall studie of law, would be but onc studie. Euery of these points with his particular proufes sufficient for a position. On the admission of teachers. 42-45. The elementarie years; school management; school faults; parent and teacher coöperation; and peroration. 227. Locke on the Teaching of Latin (Locke, John, Some Thoughts concerning Education. London, 1693) In the Introduction to Reading 216 we gave a statement as to the origin of Locke's Thoughts, which see. The following selection, on the teaching of Latin, gives a good idea as to the reforms Locke proposed in the teaching of the secondary-school subjects of his time. § 162. As soon as he can speak English, 't is time for him to learn some other Language. This no body doubts of, when French is propos'd. And the reason is, because People are accustomed to the right Way of teaching that Language, which is by talking it into Children in constant Conversation, and not by grammatical Rules. The Latin Tongue would easily be taught the same Way, if his Tutor, being constantly with him, would talk nothing else to him, and make him answer still in the same Language. § 164. Latin I look upon as absolutely necessary to a Gentleman; and indeed Custom, which prevails over every thing, has made it so much a Part of Education that even those Children are whipp'd to it, and made spend many Hours of their precious Time uneasily in Latin, who, after they are once gone from School, are never to have more to do with it as long as they live. Can there be any thing more ridiculous, than that a Father should waste his own Money and his Son's Time in setting him to learn the Roman Language, when at the same time he designs him for a Trade, wherein he having no use of Latin, fails not to forget that little which he brought from School, and which 't is ten to one he abhors for the ill Usage it procured him? Could it be believed, unless we had every where amongst us Examples of it, that a Child should be forced to learn the Rudiments of a Language which he is never to use in the Course of Life that he is designed to, and neglect all the while the writing of a good Hand and casting Accounts, which are of great Advantage in all Conditions of Life, and to most Trades indispensably necessary? But though these Qualifications, requisite to Trade and Commerce and the Business of the World, are seldom or never to be had at Grammar-Schools, yet thither not only Gentlemen send their younger Sons, intended for Trades, but even Tradesmen and Farmers fail not to send their Children, though they have neither Intention nor Ability to make them Scholars. If you ask them why they do this they think it as strange a Question as if you should ask them, Why they go to Church. Custom serves for Reason, and has, to those who take it for Reason, so consecrated this Method, that it is almost religiously observed by them, and they stick to it, as if their Children had scarce an orthodox Education unless they learned Lilly's Grammar. § 165. But how necessary soever Latin be to some, and is thought to be to others to whom it is of no manner of Use and Service; yet the ordinary Way of learning it in a Grammar-School is that which having had Thoughts about I cannot be forward to encourage. The Reasons against it are so evident and cogent, that they have prevailed with some intelligent Persons to quit the ordinary Road, not without Success, though the Method made use of was not exactly what I imagine the easiest, and in short is this. To trouble the Child with no Grammar at all, but to have Latin, as English has been, without the Perplexity of Rules, talked unto him; for if you will consider it, Latin is no more unknown to a Child, when he comes into the World, than English: and yet he learns English without Master, Rule, or Grammar; and so might he Latin too, as Tully did, if he had somebody always to talk to him in this Language. 228. The Bible as a Reading Book (Locke, John, Some Thoughts concerning Education. London, 1693) In this selection Locke describes the course of study and the textbooks for the elementary education of children in his day, and sets forth some very sensible advice, for the time, regarding the common practice of using the Bible as a school reading-book for children. $157. The Lord's Prayer, the Creeds, and Ten Commandments, 't is necessary he should learn perfectly by heart; but, I think, not be reading them himself in his Primer, but by somebody's repeating them to him, even before he can read. But learning by heart, and learning to read, should not I think be mix'd, and so one made to clog the other. But his learning to read should be made as little Trouble or Business to him as might be. What other Books there are in English of the Kind of those abovementioned, fit to engage the Liking of Children, and tempt them to read, I do not know: But am apt to think, that Children being generally delivered over to the Method of Schools, where the Fear of the Rod is to inforce, and not any Pleasure of the Employment to invite them to learn, this Sort of useful Books, amongst the Number of silly ones that are of all Sorts, have yet had the Fate to be neglected; and nothing that I know has been considered of this Kind out of the ordinary Road of the Horn-Book, Primer, Psalter, Testament, and Bible. § 158. As for the Bible, which Children are usually employ'd in to exercise and improve their Talent in reading, I think the promiscuous reading of it through by Chapters as they lie in Order, is so far from being any Advantage to Children, either for the perfecting their Reading, or principling their Religion, that perhaps a worse could not be found. For what Pleasure or Encouragement can it be to a Child to exercise himself in reading those Parts of a Book where he understands nothing? And how little are the Law of Moses, the Song of Solomon, the Prophecies in the Old, and the Epistles and Apocalypse in the New Testament, suited to a Child's Capacity? And though the History of the Evangelists and the Acts have something easier, yet, taken altogether, it is very disproportional to the Understanding of Childhood. I grant that the Principles of Religion are to be drawn from thence, and in the Words of the Scripture; yet none should be propos'd to a Child, but such as are suited to a Child's Capacity and Notions. But 't is far from this to read through the whole Bible, and that for reading's sake. And what an odd jumble of Thoughts must a Child have in his Head, if he have any at all, such as he should have concerning Religion, who in his tender Age reads all the Parts of the Bible indifferently as the Word of God without any other Distinction! I am apt to think, and this in some men has been the very Reason why they never had clear and distinct Thoughts of it all their Lifetime. 229. Two of the Earliest "Spellers " Under the general name of "Spellers" the first of the schoolbooks which departed from the religious Primer type were classified. On the opposite page the title-pages of two of these early books are given. The book by Edmund Coote, first issued in 1596, was a schoolmaster's general manual and guide. Its very general nature may be seen from the following statement as to its contents. |