The Educational Writings of Richard MulcasterMulcaster, Richard
History
The Educational Writings of Richard Mulcaster
Mulcaster, Richard
Education -- History
Those powers of reasoning and understanding in man, therefore,
being handled in a workmanlike fashion and applied to their best
uses by such devices and means as are thought fittest, direct the
natural appetites so as to secure the health of the parts appointed
for them, and of the whole body, which is compounded of those
parts. They develop the senses and their organs to their best
perfection and longest endurance. They restrain desire to the rule
of reason and the advice of foresight. They enrich the mind and
the soul itself by laying up in the treasury of remembrance all
arts and imaginations, all knowledge, wisdom, and understanding, by
which either God is to be honoured or the world is to be honestly
and faithfully served; and this heavenly benefit is begun by
education, and confirmed and perfected by continuous exercise,
which crowns the whole work.
Education of Girls.
In naming the persons who were to receive the benefit of education
I did not exclude young maidens, and, therefore, seeing I made them
one branch of my division, I must now say something more about
them. Some may think that the matter might well enough have been
passed over in silence, as not belonging to my purpose, seeing
that my professional concern is with the education of boys. But
seeing that I begin as low as the first elementary training, in
which young maidens ordinarily share, how could I seem to take no
notice of them? And to prove that they ought to receive education I
find four special reasons, any one of which--therefore surely all
together--may persuade their greatest adversary, much more then
myself, who am for them tooth and nail. The first is the custom of
the country, which allows them to learn. The second is the duty we
owe to them, charging us in conscience not to leave them deficient.
The third is their own aptness to learn, which God would never have
bestowed on them to remain idle or to be used to small purpose. The
fourth is the excellent results shown in them when they have had
the advantage of good upbringing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account