"_Of the Duty of Masters_," and "_Of the
Duty of Parents_," are valuable upon many accounts: inasmuch
as they afford curious anecdotes of the system of academic
and domestic education then pursued, and are accompanied
with his own sagacious and candid reflections. Peacham was
an _Aschamite_ in respect to lenity of discipline; as the
following extracts, from the foregoing work, (edit. 1661)
will unequivocally prove. Peacham first observes upon the
different modes of education: "But we see on the contrary,
out of the master's carterly judgment, like horses in a
team, the boys are set to draw all alike, when some one or
two prime and able wits in the school, [Greek: auto
didaktoi] (which he culs out to admiration if strangers
come, as a costardmonger his fairest pippins) like fleet
hovnds go away with the game, when the rest need helping
over a stile a mile behind: hence, being either quite
discouraged in themselves, or taken away by their friends
(who for the most part measure their learning by the form
they set in), they take leave of their books while they
live," &c. p. 23. "Some affect, and severer schools enforce,
a precise and tedious strictness, in long keeping the
schollers by the walls: as from before six in the morning,
till twelve or past: so likewise in the afternoon. Which,
beside the dulling of the wit and dejecting the spirit (for,
"otii non minus quam negotii ratio extare debet") breeds in
him, afterwards, a kind of hate and carelessness of study
when he comes to be "sui juris," at his own liberty (as
experience proves by many, who are sent from severe schools
unto the universities): withall over-loading his memory, and
taking off the edge of his invention, with over heavy tasks,
in themes, verses," &c., p. 25. "Nor is it my meaning that I
would all masters to be tyed to one method, no more than all
the shires of England to come up to London by one highway:
there may be many equally alike good. And since method, as
one saith, is but [Greek: odopoietike], let every master, if
he can, by pulling up stiles and hedges, make a more near
and private way to himself; and in God's name say, with the
divinest of poets,

_deserta per avia dulcis
Raptat amor. Juvat ire iugis, qua nulla priorum_