CLASSICAL ENGLISH READER. THE SCHOOLMASTER. He studieth his scholars' natures as carefully as they their books; and ranks their dispositions into several forms. And though it may seem difficult for him in a great school to descend to all particulars, yet experienced schoolmasters may quickly make a grammar of boys' natures, and reduce them all (saving some few exceptions) to their general rules. 1. Those that are ingenious and industrious. The conjunction of two such planets in a youth presages much good unto him. To such a lad a frown may be a whipping, and a whipping a death; yea, when their master whips them once, shame whips them all the week after. Such natures he useth with all gentleness. 2. Those that are ingenious and idle. in the fable, that, running with snails, their schoolfellows, they shall come These think, with the hare so they count the rest of soon enough to the post, O, a good rod though sleeping a good while before their starting. would finely take them napping! Many boys are 3. Those that are dull and diligent. Wines, the stronger they be, the more lees they have when they are new. muddy-headed till they be clarified with age, and such afterwards prove the best. Bristol diamonds are both bright and squared and pointed by nature, and yet are soft and worthless; whereas orient ones in India are rough and rugged naturally. Hard, rugged, and dull natures in youth acquit themselves afterwards the jewels of the country; and therefore their dulness at first is to be borne with, if they be diligent. That schoolmaster deserves to be beaten himself who beats nature in a boy for a fault. And I question whether all the whipping in the world can make their parts who are naturally sluggish rise one minute before the hour nature hath appointed. 4. Those that are invincibly dull and negligent also. Correction may reform the latter, not amend the former. All the whetting in the world can never set a razor's edge on that which hath no steel in it. Such boys he assigneth over to other professions. Shipwrights and boatmakers will choose those crooked pieces of timber which other carpenters refuse. Those may make excellent merchants and mechanics who will not serve for scholars. THOMAS FULLER: 1608-1661. ROGER ASCHAM AND LADY JANE GREY.1 Ascham. Thou art going, my dear young lady, into a most awful state; thou art passing into matrimony and great wealth. God hath willed it: submit in thankfulness. Thy affections are rightly placed and well distributed. Love is a secondary passion in those who love most, a primary in those who love least. He who is inspired by it in a high degree, is inspired by honour in a higher: it never reaches its plenitude of growth and perfection but in the most exalted minds. Alas! alas ! Jane. What aileth my virtuous Ascham? what is amiss? why do I tremble? Ascham. I remember a sort of prophecy, made three years ago: it is a prophecy of thy condition and of my feelings on it. Recol 1 Lady Jane Grey was the granddaughter of Mary Tudor, sister to King Henry the Eighth, and of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. Her parents were Frances Brandon and Henry Grey, Marquess of Dorset, who afterwards became Duke of Suffolk. Lady Jane was born in 1537, and pursued her studies along with her cousin, King Edward the Sixth, Roger Ascham being one of their teachers. On account partly of her nearness to the throne by birth, and partly of her holding the Reformed Faith, her life was thought dangerous to the government of Queen Mary; and so, entirely without fault of her own, she was put to death on the 12th of February, 1554. The year before, she had been married to Guilford Dudley, son to the Duke of Northumberland; and her husband was executed the same day with herself. She was one of the most learned and accomplished ladies of the time, as she was also among the gentlest and the loveliest. Skilful alike with the needle and the pen, she also played well on several instruments. Froude says of her: "At fifteen she was learning Hebrew, and could write Greek; at sixteen she corresponded with Bullinger in Latin at least equal to his own; but the matter of her letters is more striking than the language, and speaks more for her than the most elaborate panegyrics of admiring courtiers." Roger Ascham was born in 1515, and died in 1568. He was among the first scholars and wisest instructors of that age, and was also highly distinguished as an author. Queen Elizabeth was one of his pupils. ROGER ASCHAM AND LADY JANE GREY. 3 lectest thou who wrote, sitting upon the sea-beach the evening after an excursion to the Isle of Wight, these verses? Invisibly bright water! so like air, On looking down I fear'd thou couldst not bear And, hanging back, breathed each fresh gale aghast, Jane. I was very childish when I composed them; and, if I had thought any more about the matter, I should have hoped you had been too generous to keep them in your memory as witnesses against me. Ascham. Nay, they are not much amiss for so young a girl, and, there being so few of them, I did not reprove thee. Half an hour, I thought, might have been spent more unprofitably; and I now shall believe it firmly, if thou wilt but be led by them to meditate a little on the similarity of situation in which thou then wert to what thou art now in. Jane. I will do it, and whatever else you command; for I am weak by nature and very timorous, unless where a strong sense of duty upholdeth and supporteth me. There God acteth, and not His creature. Those were with me at sea who would have been attentive to me if I had seemed to be afraid, even though worshipful men and women were in the company; so that something more powerful threw my fear overboard. Yet I never will go again upon the water. Ascham. Exercise that beauteous couple, that mind and body, much and variously, but at home, at home, Jane! indoors, and about things indoors; for God is there too. We have rocks and quick-sands on the banks of our Thames, O lady, such as Ocean never heard of; and many (who knows how soon!) may be engulfed in the current under their garden-walls. Jane. Thoroughly do I now understand you. Yes indeed, I have read evil things of Courts; but I think nobody can go out bad who entereth good, if timely and true warning shall have been given. Ascham. I see perils on perils which thou dost not see, albeit thou art wiser than thy poor old master. And it is not because Love hath blinded thee, for that surpasseth his supposed omnipotence; but it is because thy tender heart, having always leant affectionately upon good, hath felt and known nothing of evil. I once persuaded thee to reflect much : let me now persuade thee to avoid the habitude of reflection, to lay aside books, and to gaze carefully and steadfastly on what is under and before thee. Jane. I have well bethought me of my duties: O, how extensive they are! what a goodly and fair inheritance! But tell me, would you command me never more to read Cicero and Epictetus and Plutarch and Polybius? The others I do resign: they are good for the arbour and for the gravel-walk: yet leave unto me, I beseech you, my friend and father, leave unto me for my fireside and for my pillow, truth, eloquence, courage, constancy. Ascham. Read them on thy marriage-bed, on thy sick-bed, on thy death-bed. Thou spotless undrooping lily, they have fenced thee right well. These are the men for men: these are to fashion the bright and blessed creatures whom God one day shall smile upon in thy chaste bosom. Mind thou thy husband. Jane. I sincerely love the youth who hath espoused me; I love him with the fondest, the most solicitous affection; I pray to the Almighty for his goodness and happiness, and do forget at times, unworthy supplicant! the prayers I should have offered for myself. Never fear that I will disparage my kind religious teacher, by disobedience to my husband in the most trying duties. Ascham. Gentle is he, gentle and virtuous: but time will harden him time must harden even thee, sweet Jane! Do thou, complacently and indirectly, lead him from ambition. Jane. He is contented with me and with home. Ascham. Ah Jane! Jane! men of high estate grow tired of contentedness. Jane. He told me he never liked books unless I read them to him I will read them to him every evening: I will open new worlds to him richer than those discovered by the Spaniard: I will conduct him to treasures, O, what treasures! on which he may sleep in innocence and peace. Ascham. Rather do thou walk with him, ride with him, play with him, be his fairy, his page, his every thing that love and poetry have invented; but watch him well; sport with his fancies; turn them about like the ringlets round his cheek; and if ever he |