[71] Philo. περὶ τῆς εἰς τὰ προπαιδεύματα συνόδου.
HOW LONG THE CHILDE IS TO CONTINUE IN THE ELEMENTARIE EAR HE PASSE TO THE TOUNGUES, AND GRAMMER. THE INCURABLE INFIRMITIES WHICH POSTING HAST WORKETH IN THE WHOLE COURSE OF STUDIE. HOW NECESSARIE A THING SUFFICIENT TIME IS FOR A SCHOLER.
Hastie preasing onward is the greatest enemie, which any thing can haue whose best is to ripe at leasure. For if ripenes be the vertue, before it is greene, after it is rotten: and yet the excesse is the lesse harme: bycause it may ioyne, and be compounded with the vertue, and be called rotten ripe: and at the least be cast away, without any more losse, then of the thing it selfe, as it appeareth in frutes. The defect to plucke before ripenes, breedes ill in the partie which tasteth therof, and causeth the thing after a bite or two to be cast away to: vnlesse it be in longing wymen, whose distemperate delite vpon a cause not common, doth giue vs to iudge, that too timely taking, is but for some disordered humours. This plucking before ripenes in my position tendeth to this ende. I haue appointed in my elementarie traine, _reading_, _writing_, _drawing_, _singing_, _playing_: now if either all these be vnperfitly gotten, where all be attempted, or some, where some: when the childe is remoued to the grammer schoole, what an error is committed? The thinges being not perfit, to serue the consequence, either die quite if they be not seuearly called on: or come forward with paine, where the furtherance is in feare. How many small infantes haue we set to _grammer_, which can scarecely reade? how many to learne _latin_, which neuer wrate letter? And yet though some litle one could doe much better then all his fellowes, it were no harme for him to be captaine a good while in his _elementarie_ schoole, rather then to be a meane souldier in a captaine schoole. The displeasoures be beyond all proportion pernicious, beyond all multitude many, which this posting pulles after it. And if moning could amend them, I would not onely mone them, that they be so many, but also mourne for them, that they be so helpeles. It is a world to see the weakenes of children, and the fondnes of friendes in that behalfe. It is to much, that may be vnderstood, where so much is said: the fault is generall, and the onely cause, which both makes children loth to learne, and the maisters seeme to be tormenters in their teaching. For the maister hasting on to the effect of his profession, and the scholer drawing backe, as not able to beare the burden: there riseth a conflict in the maister, with passion, if it conquere him: against passion if he conquere it. If the maister be verie sharp witted in deliuering, and the boy slowheaded in receiuing, then the passion will lightly conquer. Which it cannot doe, where wisedome and consideration in the maister be armed aforehand with pacience, or where experience, and wearines of extremitie haue wrought a calmenes. And as in the maister passion breedes heat, so in the childe infirmitie breedes feare, and so much the more, if he finde his maister somwhat to fierce. Whereupon neither the one nor the other can do much good at all, and all through this hastie imperfection being the matter of heat in the one, and of feare in the other. Whereof if the boy were not in daunger how peart would he be, and what a pleasure would the maister take in such a perfit perteling? but when the childe is so weake, as both he himselfe feeles it in his learning, and the maister findes it in his teaching, tell the parent so he will not beleeue it. So blynde is affection in the parent which cannot see: and in stoore of teachers, he shall finde some which will vndertake, and condemne the misliker. Whereby chaunge feedes his humour for the time, and repentance his follie long after, when the default proues vncurable, and the first maister is admitted among the prophetes. Such a thing it is to preuent illes in time, and when warning is giuen not to mocke the intelligence, nor to blame the watchman.