give so much as one pleasant look, till he perceived that he had wounded Apollyon with his two-edged sword; then indeed he did smile and look upward! But it was the dreadfullest fight that ever I saw. So when the battle was over, Christian said, I will here give thanks to Him that hath delivered me out of the mouth of the lion, to Him that did help me against Apollyon. And so he did, saying, "Great Beelzebub, the captain of this fiend, Design'd my ruin: therefore to this end into the pursuance of some other assertions, the knowledge and the use of which cannot but be a great furtherance both to the enlargement of truth and honest living with much more 5 peace. Nor should the laws of any private friendship have prevailed with me to divide thus, or transpose my former thoughts; but that I see those aims, those actions, which have won you with me2 the esteem of a person sent 10 hither by some good providence from a far country to be the occasion and incitement of great good to this island, and as I hear you have obtained the same repute with men of most He sent him harness'd out; and he with rage approved wisdom and some of the highest 15 authority among us, not to mention the Then there came to him an hand with some of the leaves of the tree of life; the which Christian took, and applied to the wounds that he had received in the battle, and was healed immediately. He also sat down in that place 25 to eat bread, and to drink of the bottle that was given to him a little before: so, being refreshed, he addressed himself to his journey, with his sword drawn in his hand; for, he said, I know not but some other enemy may be at hand. 30 what you require from me in this point, I But he met with no other affront from Apollyon quite through this valley. 35 neither ought nor can in conscience defer beyond this time both of so much need at once, and so much opportunity to try what God hath determined. I will not resist, therefore, whatever it is either of divine or human obligement that you lay upon me; but will forthwith set down in writing, as you request me, that voluntary idea, which hath long in silence presented itself to 40 me, of a better education, in extent and comprehension far more large, and yet of time far shorter and of attainment far more certain, than hath been yet in practice. Brief I shall endeavour to be; for that which I have to say, assuredly this nation hath extreme need should be done sooner than spoken. To tell you, therefore, that I have benefited herein among old renowned authors I shall spare; and to search what many modern Januas and Didactics,3 more than ever I shall read, have projected, my inclination leads me not. But if you can accept of these few observations which have flowered off, and are, as it were, the burnishing of many studious and contemplative years I am long since persuaded that to say and do aught worth memory and imitation, no purpose 45 or respect should sooner move us than simply the love of God and of mankind. Nevertheless, to write now the reforming of education, though it be one of the greatest and noblest designs that can be thought on, and for the 50 want whereof this nation perishes, I had not yet at this time been induced but by your earnest entreaties and serious conjurements; as having my mind for the present half diverted 1 Samuel Hartlib was born in Prussia about the beginning of the 17th century and came to England about 1628. He believed in the new methods of instruction recently advanced by the educational reformer Comenius, and discussed these new views with Milton. Milton's tract on education was the outcome of these discussions, and was written in response to Hartlib's "earnest entreaties." i. e., which have made you in my estimation "a person sent hither," etc. 3 Januas either those books which serve as entrances or introductions to a subject (Lat. Janua, a door, an entrance) or, more probably, the authors of such books. Didactics either works of a didactic, or teaching, character, or, preferably, the authors of such works. altogether spent in the search of religious and civil knowledge, and such as pleased you so well in the relating, I here give you them to dispose of. chosen short book lessoned thoroughly to them, they might then forthwith proceed to learn the substance of good things and arts in due order, which would bring the whole language quickly 5 into their power. This I take to be the most rational and most profitable way of learning languages, and whereby we may best hope to give account to God of our youth spent herein. And for the usual method of teaching arts, I deem it to be an old error of universities, not yet well recovered from the scholastic grossness of barbarous ages, that instead of beginning with arts most easy (and those be such as are most obvious to the sense), they present their young unmatriculated novices, at first coming, with the most intellective abstractions of logic and metaphysics; so that they having but newly left those grammatic flats and shallows, where they stuck unreasonably, to learn a few words with lamentable construction, and now on the sudden transported under another climate, to be tossed and turmoiled with their unballasted wits in fathomless and unquiet deeps of controversy, do, for the most part, grow into hatred and contempt of learning, mocked and deluded all this while with ragged notions and babblements, while they expected worthy and delightful knowledge; till poverty or youthful years call them importunately their several ways, and hasten them, with the sway of friends, either to an ambitious and mercenary, or ignorantly zealous divinity: some allured to the trade of law, grounding their purposes not on the prudent and heavenly The end, then, of learning is, to repair the ruins of our first parents by regaining to know God aright, and out of that knowledge to love him, to imitate him, to be like him, as we may the nearest by possessing our souls of true virtue, which, being united to the heavenly grace 10 of faith, makes up the highest perfection. But because our understanding cannot in this body found itself but on sensible things, nor arrive so clearly to the knowledge of God and things invisible, as by orderly coming over the visible 15 and inferior creature, the same method is necessarily to be followed in all discreet teaching. And seeing every nation affords not experience and tradition enough for all kinds of learning, therefore we are chiefly taught the 20 languages of those people who have at any time been most industrious after wisdom; so that language is but the instrument conveying to us things useful to be known. And though a linguist should pride himself to have all the 25 tongues that Babel cleft the world into, yet if he have not studied the solid things in them, as well as the words and lexicons, he were nothing so much to be esteemed a learned man, as any yeoman or tradesman competently wise in his 30 mother-dialect only. Hence appear the many mistakes which have made learning generally so unpleasing and so unsuccessful. First, we do amiss to spend seven or eight years merely in scraping together so much miserable Latin and 35 contemplation of justice and equity, which Greek as might be learned otherwise easily and delightfully in one year. And that which casts our proficiency therein so much behind, is our time lost partly in too oft idle vacancies1 given both to schools and universities; partly in a 40 in virtue and true generous breeding, that preposterous exaction, forcing the empty wits of children to compose themes, verses, and orations, which are the acts of ripest judgment, and the final work of a head filled by long was never taught them, but on the promising and pleasing thoughts of litigious terms, fat contentions, and flowing fees; others betake them to state affairs, with souls so unprincipled flattery and court-shifts, and tyrannous aphorisms appear to them the highest points of wisdom; instilling their barren hearts with a conscientious slavery; if, as I rather think, it reading and observing, with elegant maxims 45 be not feigned: others, lastly, of a more deli cious and airy spirit, retire themselves, knowing no better, to the enjoyments of ease and luxury, living out their days in feast and jollity; which indeed is the wisest and safest and copious invention. These are not matters to be wrung from poor striplings, like blood out of the nose, or the plucking of untimely fruit; besides the ill habit which they get of wretched barbarising against the Latin and Greek idiom 50 course of all these, unless they were with with their untutored Anglicisms, odious to be read, yet not to be avoided without a wellcontinued and judicious conversing among pure authors, digested, which they scarce taste. Whereas, if after some preparatory grounds of 55 speech by their certain forms got into memory, they were led to the praxis hereof in some 4 Too frequent vacations. Use, practice; discipline for some specific end. more integrity undertaken. And these are the errors, and these are the fruits of misspending our prime youth at the schools and universities, as we do, either in learning mere words, or such things chiefly as were better unlearnt. I shall detain you now no longer in the demonstration of what we should not do, but • Pleasure-loving and light, or lively. 5 grammar, either that now used, or any better; and while this is doing, their speech is to be fashioned to a distinct and clear pronunciation, as near as may be to the Italian, especially in the vowels. For we Englishmen, being far northerly, do not open our mouths in the cold air wide enough to grace a southern tongue, but are observed by all other nations to speak exceeding close and inward; so that to smatter straight conduct you to a hillside, where I will point you out the right path of a virtuous and noble education; laborious indeed at the first ascent, but else so smooth, so green, so full of goodly prospect, and melodious sounds on every side, that the harp of Orpheus was not more charming. I doubt not but ye shall have more ado to drive our dullest and laziest youth, our stocks and stubs," from the infinite desire of such a happy nurture, than we have 10 Latin with an English mouth is as ill a hearing now to hale and drag our choicest and hopefullest wits to that asinine feast of sow-thistles and brambles, which is commonly set before them as all the food and entertainment of their as law French. Next, to make them expert in the usefullest points of grammar, and withal to season them and win them early to the love of virtue and true labour, ere any flattering tenderest and most docible age. I call, there- 15 seducement or vain principle seize them fore, a complete and generous education, that which fits a man to perform justly, skilfully, and magnanimously all the offices, both private and public, of peace and war. And how all this may be done between twelve and one-and- 20 twenty, less time than is now bestowed in pure trifling at grammar and sophistry, is to be thus ordered: wandering, some easy and delightful book of education should be read to them, whereof the Greeks have store, as Cebes,10 Plutarch, and other Socratic discourses; but in Latin we have none of classic authority extant, except the two or three first books of Quinctilian11 and some select pieces elsewhere. But here the main skill and groundwork will be, to temper them such lectures and explana First, to find out a spacious house and ground about it fit for an academy, and big 25 tions upon every opportunity as may lead and draw them in willing obedience, inflamed with the study of learning and the admiration of virtue, stirred up with high hopes of living to be brave men and worthy patriots, dear to enough to lodge a hundred and fifty persons, whereof twenty or thereabout may be attendants, all under the government of one, who shall be thought of desert sufficient, and ability either to do all, or wisely to direct and oversee it 30 God and famous to all ages: that they may despise and scorn all their childish and illtaught qualities, to delight in manly and liberal exercises; which he who hath the art and proper eloquence to catch them with, what done. This place should be at once both school and university, not needing a remove to any other house of scholarship, except it be some peculiar college of law, or physic, where they mean to be practitioners; but as for those 35 with mild and effectual persuasions, and what with the intimation of some fear, if need be, but chiefly by his own example, might in a short space gain them to an incredible diligence and courage, infusing into their young breasts general studies which take up all our time from Lillys to commencing, as they term it, master of art, it should be absolute. After this pattern as many edifices may be converted to this use as shall be needful in every city 40 such an ingenuous and noble ardour as would throughout this land, which would tend much to the increase of learning and civility everywhere. This number,' less or more, thus collected, to the convenience of a foot-company, or interchangeably two troops of cavalry, 45 should divide their day's work into three parts as it lies orderly-their studies, their exercise, and their diet. For their studies: first, they should begin with the chief and necessary rules of some good 50 Stocks and stubs are identical, both meaning lifeless, insensible blocks, or trunks. Cf. stocks and stones. si. e., from the time when he begins his studies with Lilly's Latin Grammar to commencing or Commencement Day, when he completes them as Master of Arts. "To commence M. A." (as Milton tells us) was the regular, or technical equivalent for "to take the degree of M. A.” i. e., this number of students (150, as above suggested) having been thus collected to about the convenience of a foot-company (the number of a foot-company when convened), or, what is the same thing, to the number of two troops of cavalry. There were about as many men in two cavalry troops as in one company of foot. not fail to make many of them renowned and matchless men. At the same time, some other hour of the day might be taught them the rules of arithmetic, and, soon after, the elements of geometry, even playing, as the old manner was. After evening repast till bed-time their thoughts would be best taken up in the easy grounds of religion and the story of Scripture. The next step would be to the authors of agriculture, Cato, Varro, and Columella,12 for the matter is most easy; and if the language be difficult, so much the better; it is not a difficulty 10 A Greek philosopher, author of a dialogue called The Picture, which aims to show that happiness is to be found in virtue, and in the cultivation of the mind. 11 The Roman rhetorician and teacher of oratcry. The reference is to his treatise on Oratory (De Institutione Oratoria). 12 Marcus Porcius Cato wrote De Re Rustica: Varro and Columella were also authors of books on agriculture. delight. Then also those poets which are now counted most hard will be both facile and pleasant, Orpheus, Hesiod, Theocritus, Aratus, Nicander, Oppian, Dionysius; and, in Latin, 5 Lucretius, Manilius, and the rural part of Virgil. By this time years and good general precepts will have furnished them more distinctly with that act of reason which in ethics is called ment contemplate upon moral good and evil. Then will be required a special reinforcement of constant and sound indoctrinating to set them right and firm, instructing them more amply in the knowledge of virtue and the hatred of vice; while their young and pliant affections are led through all the moral works of Plato, Xenophon, Cicero, Plutarch, Laertius, and those Locrian remnants;17 but still to be re above their years. And here will be an occasion of inciting and enabling them hereafter to improve the tillage of their country, to recover the bad soil, and to remedy the waste that is made of good; for this was one of Hercules' praises. Ere half these authors be read (which will soon be with plying hard and daily) they cannot choose but be masters of any ordinary prose: so that it will be then seasonable for them to learn in any modern author the use of the 10 Proairesis;16 that they may with some judgglobes and all the maps, first with the old names and then with the new; or they might then be capable to read any compendious method of natural philosophy; and, at the same time, might be entering into the Greek tongue, 15 after the same manner as was before prescribed in the Latin; whereby the difficulties of grammar being soon overcome, all the historical physiology of Aristotle and Theophrastus13 are open before them, and, as I may say, under 20 duced in their nightward studies wherewith contribution. The like access will be to Vitruvius, to Seneca's "Natural Questions," to Mela, Celsus, Pliny, or Solinus.14 And having thus past the principles of arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and geography, with a 25 general compact of physics, they may descend in mathematics to the instrumental science of trigonometry, and from thence to fortification, architecture, enginery, or navigation. And in natural philosophy they may proceed leisurely 30 from the history of meteors, minerals, plants, and living creatures, as far as anatomy. Then also in course might be read to them out of some not tedious writer, the institution of physic; that they may know the tempers, the 35 humours, the seasons, and how to manage a crudity, 15 which he who can wisely and timely do is not only a great physician to himself and to his friends, but also may at some time or other save an army by this frugal and expense- 40 less means only, and not let the healthy and stout bodies of young men rot away under him for want of this discipline, which is a great pity, and no less a shame to the commander. To set forward all these proceedings in nature and 45 be trusted, in those extolled remains of Grecian mathematics, what hinders but that they may procure, as oft as shall be needful, the helpful experience of hunters, fowlers, fishermen, shepherds, gardeners, apothecaries; and in the other sciences, architects, engineers, mariners, 50 anatomists, who, doubtless, would be ready, some for reward and some to favour such a hopeful seminary. And this would give them such a real tincture of natural knowledge as they shall never forget, but daily augment with 55 13 A Greek philosopher and scientist (b. c. 371 B. C.) who has been called the founder of botany. 14 Writers of works on architecture, biography, natural history, etc. 15 An attack of indigestion. they close the day's work under the determinate sentence of David or Solomon, or the evangelists and apostolic scriptures. Being perfect in the knowledge of personal duty, they may then begin the study of economics. And either now or before this, they may have easily learned, at any odd hour, the Italian tongue. And soon after, but with wariness and good antidote, it would be wholesome enough to let them taste some choice comedies, Greek, Latin, or Italian; those tragedies also that treat of household matters, as Trachiniæ, 18 Alcestis, 19 and the like. The next removal must be to the study of politics; to know the beginning, end, and reasons of political societies, that they may not, in a dangerous fit of the commonwealth, be such poor shaken uncertain reeds, of such a tottering conscience as many of our great councillors have lately shown themselves, but steadfast pillars of the State. After this they are to dive into the grounds of law and legal justice, delivered first and with best warrant by Moses, and, as far as human prudence can lawgivers, Lycurgus, Solon, Zaleucus, Charondas; and thence to all the Roman edicts and tables, with their Justinian; and so down to the Saxon and common laws of England and the statutes. Sundays also and every evening may be now 16 Aristotle uses this word in his Ethics to express a deliberate preference for one thing over another, as distinguished from a sudden or unpremeditated action, and declares that the exercise of this deliberate preference is "most intimately connected with virtue." 17 Probably, as much of the work of the philosopher Timæus of Locri, as has come down to us. A work On the Soul of the World and of Nature was formerly attributed to him, but his authorship of it is disputed. 18 Or, The Women of Trachis, a tragedy of Sophocles. 19 A tragedy by Euripides. understandingly spent in the highest matters of theology and church history, ancient and modern: and ere this time the Hebrew tongue at a set hour might have been gained, that the Scriptures may be now read in their own original; whereto it would be no impossibility to add the Chaldee and the Syrian dialect. When all these employments are well conquered, then will the choice histories, heroic poems, and gestures, and stuff otherwise wrought, than what we now sit under, oft-times to as great a trial of our patience as any other that they preach to us. These are the studies wherein 5 our noble and our gentle youth ought to bestow their time in a disciplinary way from twelve to one-and-twenty, unless they rely more upon their ancestors dead than upon themselves living. In which methodical course it is so Attic tragedies of stateliest and most regal 10 supposed they must proceed by the steady argument, with all the famous political orations, offer themselves; which, if they were not only read, but some of them got by memory, and solemnly pronounced with right accent pace of learning onward, as at convenient times for memory's sake to retire back into the middle ward, and sometimes into the rear of what they have been taught, until they have con and grace, as might be taught, would endue 15 firmed and solidly united the whole body of them even with the spirit and vigour of Demosthenes or Cicero, Euripides or Sophocles. their perfected knowledge, like the last embattling of a Roman legion.22 Now will be worth the seeing what exercises and recreations may best agree and become these studies. THEIR EXERCISE The course of study hitherto briefly described is, what I can guess by reading, likest to those ancient and famous schools of Pythagoras, out of which were bred such a number of renowned philosophers, orators, historians, poets, and princes all over Greece, Italy, and Asia, besides the flourishing studies of Cyrene And now, lastly, will be the time to read with them those organic arts which enable men to discourse and write perspicuously, elegantly, 20 and according to the fittest style of lofty, mean, or lowly. Logic, therefore, so much as is useful, is to be referred to this due place, with all her well-couched heads and topics, until it be time to open her contracted palm into a grace- 25 Plato, Isocrates, Aristotle, and such others, ful and ornate rhetoric, taught out of the rule of Plato, Aristotle, Phalereus, Cicero, Hermogenes, Longinus. To which poetry would be made subsequent, or, indeed, rather precedent, as being less subtile and fine, but more 30 and Alexandria. But herein it shall exceed simple, sensuous, and passionate. I mean not here the prosody of a verse, which they could not but have hit on before among the rudiments of grammar, but that sublime art which in Aristotle's Poetics, in Horace, and the Italian 35 commentaries of Castlevetro, Tasso, Mazzoni,21 and others, teaches what the laws are of a true epic poem, what of a dramatic, what of a lyric, what decorum is, which is the grand masterpiece to observe. This would make them soon 40 afterwards; but the time for this may be enperceive what despicable creatures our common rhymers and play-writers be; and show them what religious, what glorious and magnificent use might be made of poetry, both in divine and human things. them, and supply a defect as great as that which Plato noted in the commonwealth of Sparta. Whereas that city trained up their youth most for war, and these in their academies and Lycæum all for the gown, this institution of breeding which I here delineate shall be equally good both for peace and war. Therefore, about an hour and a half ere they eat at noon should be allowed them for exercise, and due rest larged at pleasure, according as their rising in the morning shall be early. The exercise which I commend first is the exact use of their weapon, to guard, and to strike safely with edge or 45 point. This will keep them healthy, nimble, strong, and well in breath; is also the likeliest means to make them grow large and tall, and to inspire them with a gallant and fearless courage, which being tempered with seasonable lectures and precepts to them of true fortitude and patience, will turn into a native and heroic valour, and make them hate the cow From hence, and not till now, will be the right season of forming them to be able writers and composers in every excellent matter, when they shall be thus fraught with an universal insight into things: or whether they be to speak 50 in parliament or council, honour and attention would be waiting on their lips. There would then also appear in pulpits other visages, other 20 Arts which are not an end in themselves, but instrumental to the attainment of some further end. 21 Ludovico Castlevetro (1515-1571), Italian scholar and commentator, translated Aristotle's Ethics. Torquato Tasso (1541-1595), one of the greater Italian poets, discussed the epic in his Discourses on the Art of Poetry. Giacomo Mazzoni (1548-1598) was an Italian critic, and a friend of Tasso. He wrote a book on Dante. 22 A reference to the Roman custom in battle, according to which the division in the front rank (hastati) would retire through openings left for that purpose, the division immediately in the rear (principes) advancing to take their place. If the principes had to retire, then, by a similar movement, the third division, originally at the extreme rear, would come to the front. In the last embattling those who had originally been in advance would thus be in the rear. |