The Educational Writings of Richard Mulcaster — John Shaqi
The Educational Writings of Richard MulcasterMulcaster, Richard
History
The Educational Writings of Richard Mulcaster
Mulcaster, Richard
Education -- History
Carrying the education further may consist either in perfecting
the four studies already mentioned, reading well, writing neatly,
singing sweetly, and playing finely, to such an unusual degree,
that though the things are but ordinary, special excellence in them
may bring more than ordinary admiration, or else in acquiring skill
in languages in addition to the above, so that the abundance of
gifts may cause yet more wonder.
I fear women would have little turn for geometry or the sister
sciences, nor would I make them mathematicians, except in so far as
they study music, nor lawyers to plead at the bar, nor physicians,
though skill in herbs has been much commended in women, nor
would I have them profess divinity, to preach in pulpits, though
they must practice it as virtuous livers. Philosophy would help
them in general discourse, if they had leisure to study it, but
the knowledge of some tongues, either as the vehicle of deeper
learning, or for their immediate uses, may well be wished for them,
and all those powers also that belong to the furniture of speech.
If I should allow them the pencil to draw, as well as the pen to
write, and thereby entitle them to all my elementary studies, I
might have good reasons to give. For young maidens are ready enough
to take to it, and it would help to beautify their needlework.
And is not a young gentlewoman, think you, thoroughly well equipped
who can read distinctly, write neatly and swiftly, sing sweetly,
and play and draw well, understand and speak the learned languages,
as well as the modern tongues approved by her time and country,
and who has some knowledge of logic and rhetoric, besides the
information acquired in her study of foreign languages? If in
addition to all this she be an honest woman and a good housewife,
would she not be worth wishing for and worth enshrining? And is it
likely that her children will be one whit the worse brought up?
Who should be their Teachers.
The only other question in regard to young maidens is where, and
under whom, they should learn, and this depends on how long their
studies can extend, which is generally till they are about thirteen
or fourteen years old.
Those who are able to continue longer have their time and place
suitably appointed, according to the circumstances of their
parents. As for their teachers, their own sex were fittest in some
respects, but ours frame them best, and with good regard to some
circumstances, will bring them up excellently well, especially if
the parents co-operate by exercising a wise control over them. The
greater-born ladies and gentlemen, as they are to enjoy the benefit
of this education most, so they have the best means of prosecuting
it, being able to secure the best teachers, and not being limited
in time. And so I take my leave of young maidens and gentlewomen,
to whom I wish as well as I have said well of them.
The Education of Young Gentlemen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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