[Sidenote: A meane to haue excellent teachers and professours generally.]
There were a way in the nature of a seminarie for excellent maisters in my conceit, if reward were abroad, and such an order might be had within the vniuersitie: which I must touch with licence and for touching craue pardon, if it be not well thought of, as I know it will seeme straunge at the first, bycause of some difficultie in perfourming the deuise. And yet there had neuer bene any alteration to the better, if the name of alteration had bene the obiect to repulse. This my note but by the way, though it presently parhapes doe make some men muse, yet hereafter vpon better consideration, it may proue verie familiar to some good fantasies, and be exceeding well liked of, both by my maisters of the vniuersities them selues, and by their maisters abroad. Whereby not onely schoolemaisters, but all other professours also shalbe made excellently able to performe that in the common weale which she looketh for at their handes, when they come from the vniuersitie. But by the way I protest simply, that I do not tender this wish, as hauing any great cause to mislike the currant, which the vniuersities be now in: but graunting thinges there to be well done already, I offer no discourtesie in wishing that good to be a great deale better. My conceit resteth in these foure pointes: 1. what if the colleges were deuided by professions and faculties? 2. what if they of the like yeares, and the like profession, were all bestowed in one house? 3. what if the liuings by vniting were made better, and the colleges not so many: though farre greater? 4. what if in euery house there were great pensions, and allowances for continuall and most learned readers: which would end their liues there? what harme could our countrie receiue thereby? nay, what good were not in great forwardnes to be done, if this thing were done? And may not the state of the realme do this by authoritie, which gaue authoritie to founders to do the other, with reseruation of prerogatiue to alter vpon cause? or is not this question as worthy the debating to mend the vniuersities, and to plant sownd learning: as to deuise the taking away landes from colleges, and put the studentes to pension, bycause they cannot vse them without iarring among themselues? Were there any way better to cut away all the misliking, wherewith the vniuersities be now charged, and to bring in a new face of thinges both rarer and fayrer?