A Sermon Preached at Paules Crosse on Barthelmew Day, being the 24 of August 1578, Wherein, besides many other profitable matters meet for all Christians to follow, is at large prooved, that it is the part of those that are fathers, householders, and Scholemaisters, to instruct all those under their government, in the word and knowledge of the Lorde. By John Stockwood, Scholemaister of Tunbridge # * Lond. 1578. 12mo.

From the dedication to the Worshipful Company of Skinners in London thefollowing passage is taken:

Now concerning my purpose of offering this my simple labour and travail such as it is, unto your worships' favourable acceptation, there may be many causes and reasons moving me thereunto, but chiefly that this way I might leave unto the world a testimony of a dutiful and thankful mind for your Free School of Tunbridge, honourably founded by that worthy Knight Sir Andrew Judd, somtime Lord Mayor of your famous City of London, and worshipfully and liberally to your great costs and charges maintained against the bad attempts of those that went about to have made it their own private possession, which fact of him, the honourable founder and you the worthy maintainers and defenders, I trust the L. will use as good examples, to move others to do the like, for the training up of youth in the fear of God.

Schoolmasters and religious teaching.

But because I am thus far entered into this large and fruitful field of children's education and household government, of fathers and householders generally neglected, whilst where they should daily and continually teach their chil

dren and families out of the word of the Lord to fear him, many of them daily and nightly are occupied in Dicing, Carding and Gaming, and yet must needs be counted Protestants. Give me leave, I beseech you a little to direct my speech unto those, whom in respect of their office it chiefly concerneth, to bring up youth, I mean schoolmasters. For among all the diseases that these our days and times are grievously sick withal, there is none wherewith they are either more generally or more dangerously infected, than with this, that the most part of schoolmasters, like as fathers and householders, think it no part of their duty to meddle with instructing their scholars and pupils in the word of the Lord and principles of Christian religion.

A ring of gold in a swine's snout.

Whereas without the fear of the Lord, there is no wisdom, neither is it possi ble for youth to go well forward in virtue and good manners, things as necessary as learning, which, without these, is but a ring of gold in a swine's snout, if they be not trained up in the knowledge of the word. * * Hearken, hearken all

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you that be Schoolmasters, there is no other means to have your youth to profit in virtue and godliness, but by taking heed to the word of the Lord.

Youths to be godly as well as learned.

And what parent is he that setteth his son to school, but that he would have him as well godly as learned? as well a virtuous child as a toward scholar? as well instructed unto salvation as furthered in profane learning? For if there be any that have other ends in putting their children to school, these being contemned, your schools were better to be without them, than cumbered with them. From whence come the general complaints of the ungraciousness and unhappiness of scholars but from this, that you never teach them their duties out of the book of the Lord?

Methods of over-much gentleness and over-much flogging.

Some of you think over-much gentleness to be the way, and others continual and tyrannical scourging and whipping to be the way, whereas indeed you are both sorts far and wide out of the way. For the one with too much lenity encourageth them to a lewd licentiousness and looseness of manners: the others thinking by cruel and butcherly beating to win reformation, engender in them such a mislike and loathing of learning that they abhor with as deadly hatred the school-house, as we do those things which are most loathsome and noisome unto us. I like well of gentleness, if it be such as by it manners be not corrupted and spilled, and on the other side I allow of reasonable correction, so as it be used as the last remedy, that is, when no other will serve. But the first, the best and the chiefest way, is to begin with teaching your youth the fear of the Lord. For that is, as Solomon saith, the beginning of wisdom. Children and religion.

But you fear peradventure that it should be to little profit to speak unto children, of religion. I hear you, and think of that you say, as a cloak to hide your fault and cover for your slothfulness, rather than a true cause to stay this duty. He that hath said, Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for unto such belongeth the kingdom of heaven, will no doubt bless your labours, taken in hand in his fear. Begin therefore at length and try: you shall I warrant you, to your comfort, see your youth profit in virtue and godliness.

Religion and the profane authors.

man.

I would have you that, setting aside all care of religion in your schools, do make it your only profession to read them profane authors, show me the example but of one person, whom, either Tully his Offices, or Aristotle his Ethics, or Plato his Precepts of Manners, ever yet made a godly and a virtuous I am not against the teaching of profane writers: I know they have their use. But I utterly mislike your preposterous, backward, and earthward care in labouring chiefly about these, omitting that which should be foremost, namely instruction out of the word. Take heed that in respect ye worthily run not into the reprehension that our saviour Christ useth towards the Scribes and Pharisees, for touching mint and annis and cummin, and leaving the weighty matters of the law, as judgment, mercy and fidelity: that is, for taking much pains about trifles, and dealing slenderly and slightly in matters of great importance. Let the name of God and of his Christ be heard often in your schools: let it be familiar unto your scholars by continual beating it into their heads.

What though it enter but softly, the water by often dropping pierceth into the hard stone by much heating the strong iron is made soft; by often putting into the fire the toughest steel is made pliant * * * The soft wax will receive any print, whereas the hard will take none; young sciences [scions (?)] will be bowed, which way you will have them, whereas the grown trees will rather break than bend. Look what liquor a vessel is seasoned withal, when it is new, it will keep a snack thereof when it is old. And teach a child while he is young what ways he shall walk, and he will not forget it when he cometh unto years.

Popish schoolmasters.

This thing do the papists of our time full well understand. And therefore have their picked schoolmasters privately to nousel up their children in their houses in the Pope's religion, that they may taste and smell thereof when their parents be dead and rotten. And great pity it is, that the Queen's enemies should be permitted such liberty. For by this means are many toward gentlemen otherwise, utterly marred and spoiled.

The instilling of popery: Stockwood's view.

How (I pray you) falleth it out, that you have at this day in this land, many young gentlemen not above 24 years old at the most, that are more obstinate and stubborn papists than their fathers: they will come at no Church, at no Sermons, whereas their parents will do both. And if at any time there be process out for them from her Majesty's high Commissioners, they find one means or other to have inkling of it, and then forsooth they must in post, over into France to learn the language, whereas indeed their voyage is not so much to learn the French tongue, as to withdraw themselves from punishment of law, and there at liberty to hear (when they please) a Latin mass. And for my part I wish that all the papists in England (without they repent) together with all the rest of her Majesty's enemies, were in France or some other place of banishment, without hope ever to return again, and so should our country be in more quiet and safety. But of this that I have said it evidently appeareth, that whereas in respect of their years, being not past 24 years they were at the beginning of the prince's reign capable of no religion, and now be stiff-necked papists, it cannot be chosen, but they must have it by the education of popish schoolmasters or popish parents or both together. And no marvel.

The "broom" of the universities, and "the sweepings."

For we have in many gentlemen's houses, and also in the houses of others in the country of higher calling, the sweepings of the universities, I mean, such rotten papists as by the broom of godly discipline, as unprofitable dust, have been sweeped out thence, are entertained in the country in private houses to teach their children. And then they be as safe as the fox in his borrow. For who dare be so bold as once to enquire wherein they instruct their scholars? Besides this, they are huddled together, old popish persecuting Mass Priests, in some houses four, in some three, in some two, in some one, and they (forsooth) under pretence of serving in several offices, as some stewards, some Caters, and so forth, pervert whole families. For can it possibly be otherwise, that themselves papists, and under papists, having the government of youth, as men chosen for the purpose, should teach any other than papistry?

The education of the children of Papists.

I wish that the children of our papists, so soon as they be capable of learning, might be taken from them (they notwithstanding paying for their education) and be committed unto the government of godly teachers, that would learn them the fear of the Lord: or if their education be permitted to be in the houses of their parents, that order may be taken, that none have the teaching of them, but such as be well known to be zealous in religion: for these papists howsoever they pretend love, they do indeed kill: howsoever they would seem to cherish, they do indeed corrupt and spill.

Stockwood's request to the high commissioners.

Wherefore I earnestly pray the honourable and worshipful of her Majesty's High Commission, to cause private popish teachers, to be sought after and sifted, as well to stay the present mischief, as also to meet with before hand, the hurt that may, by suffering them, grow hereafter. And to end this matter (in which albeit I have been long, I hope the necessity and profit of it shall easily with the godly procure my pardon) I likewise heartily desire all teachers of youth,

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not to suffer themselves to be found less diligent in a good cause, than the papists in a bad ** *; not to be less mindful to teach the scholars the true religion than the papists to learn theirs the false.

1590.

A plaine and casie Laying open of the Meaning and understanding of the Rules of Construction in the English Accidence, appointed by authoritie to be taught in all Schooles of his Majesties dominions, for the great use and benefit of young beginners. By John Stockwood, sometime Schoolmaster of Tunbridge. Imprinted at London by the Assignes of Francis Flower. 1590. 8vo. (86 pp.)

On the back of the title-page is:

THE BOOK TO THE YOUNG PUNIES AND PETITS OF THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

When painful Master hath no time

In plainest sort your rules to teach,
Or clubbish fellows shall refuse,

Their friendly help herein to reach:
Because you come with empty hand,

And proffer not thrice welcome fee,
(Which thing some scholars much desire)
Then boldly make resort to me.

I will you help, make proof who list,
And set you down the easy way,
Your English rules to understand,
Their meaning open for to lay.
For each example to his rule,

I teach you aptly how to fit:

Thus may you laugh, where others cry,
When up they go for missing it.

Now, as for fee I none do crave,

I ask no other recompence,

The plan is mine, the profit thine,
Using this book with diligence.

In the Epistle Dedicatory to Master William Lewin, doctor of both laws, justice of the peace, and a high commissioner, Stockwood says:

If it shall of any be laid unto me for a fault, that I spend time in these small trifles, and Grammar matters, the which might better be employed about things more serious and of greater moment and importance, my defence is, that to have laid well the groundwork, and as it were, the foundation, whereupon the whole frame and building in a manner of the Latin tongue must be settled, is not in deed and in truth, to be deemed a light and toyish matter, but that shall bring great ease unto the master, and also good furtherance unto the young beginners, if with diligence and heedfulness they look unto the same.

He then quaintly adds:

Besides that I know not how it cometh to pass that as Narita de stellis, de bobus narrat arator, and every one as he hath been brought up, delighteth to be talking of those things for the most part wherein he hath been most exercised: so I having spent many years about the instructing of youth in the principles and rudiments of the Latin tongue, cannot choose but ever now and then be harping on those matters, with the which in former times I have been so long and well acquainted. If any benefit may grow thereby unto those little ones, for whose sake, as well to save them from the rod, as also to encourage them by this plain laying open of the meaning of their rules, with more willingness, and cheerfulness to go forward in their studies: I shall have obtained my desire.

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In an address To the friendly Reader concerning the profit of this book, Stockwood further writes:

Not being altogether ignorant (right gentle Reader) of the slender capacity of many young beginners in the Grammar Schools, having myself by the space of twenty years exercised the office of a poor Schoolmaster, during the which time I have had the trial of many wits, and finding by experience, that one and the selfsame thing being often repeated in teaching, and as it were by small drops instilled into the tender ears of the little Punies and Petits: yet by reason of the weakness of their wits in those young years, it hath quickly passed away without any great profit, I have wished many times, that some good

body would take pains for to lay open the rules of construction in our English accidence, in such a plain and ready manner, as that the little ones, might as it were by themselves easily conceive of the meaning of the same, by the apt applying of every example unto his several rule. For this being well performed, a ready way is opened to the more easy parsing through the examining and parsing of such lectures, as their teachers afterwards shall think good to read unto them.

Stockwood's “vacation time.”

Which labour, because none hitherto hath entered upon, I myself in the vacation time of the twelve days (as they call it) have taken upon me, and with God his help finished the same.

Why this labour hath been taken in the English rules.

And I have the rather made choice to deal with the English rules, because it is the first thing that the Accidentiaries do enter into, after they have learned their eight parts of speech, and as it were the foundation of all the rest of the Grammar building, the which being well laid, they shall be the better able to proceed to the understanding of Latin Authors. And forasmuch as there lieth a great weight in the manner of teaching the young beginners the understanding of these rules, which is chiefly to be attained by letting them familiarly and plainly see, how every example agreeth with his rule, I hope that I shall have in such sort performed this point, as that the child of meanest conceit, if he diligently read and mark this book, may almost without any help of his master, be able of himself, by the example, to show the meaning of every rule to every one that shall demand the meaning of the same.

Pains spared to the schoolmaster. Ease to the scholar.

The Schoolmaster then shall by this book be eased of much pains, that he was forced to use before to little purpose, because that the sound of his words striking their ears for the time, was straightways forgotten: and the scholar that carrying away many a stripe for his dulness and forgetfulness was much discouraged, and not daring for fear to ask his master again the thing which he told him twenty times before, may resort hither, and without any blows hear again and again the same thing even so often as he list, the which neither time nor tediousness will suffer his master to repeat unto him.

The use of the book to fathers.

Yea every loving and careful father for the profit of his son, the which hath sometimes in his youth been a smatterer in Grammar, and now through continuance of time, and other business almost clean forgotten the same, by using this book, and questioning at spare times with his child, when he cometh from the Grammar School, may partly increase his forlorn knowledge, and partly help forward by his riper wit, the tender understanding of his little child, and perceive how he profiteth, so far forth as concerneth the conceiving of the meaning of every rule, by applying every example unto the same, to which purpose I dare boldly pronounce, that nothing is omitted, that any way concerneth the fitting of every example to every rule throughout the whole rules of construction, having framed myself to be as it were dunstically plain, for the better understanding of the young ones, unto whom nothing can be made too plain.

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Stockwood proceeds to point out that his book will further the sale of the English Accidence" and that it will easily be seen to be advantageous to have the two bound together. He is at pains to state that he approves of the authorized Grammar. "I know," he says, none (all circumstances considered) to whom our Grammar, allowed by public authority, ought to yield one foot of ground in regard to plainness and easiness, if it be rightly understood and taught accordingly."

Stockwood wrote the following curious book of 100 pages:

1589.

A Bartholomew Fairing for Parentes, to bestow upon their sonnes and daughters, and for one friend to give unto another: Shewing that children are not to marie, without the consent of their parentes, in whose power and choice it lieth to provide wives and husbandes for their sonnes and daughters.