[Sidenote: Of the Elementary teachers entertainment.]
But to say somwhat concerning the teachers reward, which is the encouragement to good teaching, what reason is it, though still pretended, and sometimes perfourmed, to encrease wages, as the child waxeth in learning? Is it to cause the maister to take more paines, and vpon such promise, to set his pupille more forward? Nay surely that cannot be. The present payment would set that more forward, then the hope in promise, bycause in such varietie and inconstancie of the parentes mindes, what assurance is there, that the child shall continue with the same maister: that he maye receiue greater allowance with lesse paines, which tooke greater paines, with lesse allowance? Besides this if the reward were good, he would hast to gaine more, which new and fresh repare of scholers would bring, vpon report of the furthering his olde, and his diligent trauell. What reason caryeth it, when the labour is lesse, then to enlarge the allowance? the latter maister to reape the benefit of the formers labour, bycause the child makes more shew with him? why? It is the foundacion well and soundly laid, which makes all the vpper building muster, with countenaunce and continuaunce. If I were to strike the stroke, as I am but to giue counsell, the first paines truely taken, should in good truth be most liberally recompensed: and lesse allowed still vpward, as the paines diminish, and the ease encreaseth. Wherat no maister hath cause to repine, so he maye haue his children well grounded in the _Elementarie_. Whose imperfection at this day doth marueilously trouble both maisters and scholers, so that we can hardly do any good, nay scantly tell how to place the too too raw boyes in any certaine forme, with hope to go forward orderly, the ground worke of their entrie being so rotten vnderneth. Which weaknes if the vpper maister do redresse, when the child commeth vnder his hand, he cannot but deserue triple wages, both for his owne making, and for mending that, which the _Elementarie_ either marred with ignoraunce, or made not for haste, which is both the commonest, and the corruptest kinde of marring in my opinion. For the next maisters wages, I do conceiue, that the number in ripenesse vnder him, will requite the _Elementarie_ allowance, be it neuer so great. For the first maister can deale but with a few, the next with moe, and so still vpward, as reason groweth on, and receiues without forcing. For the inequalitie of children, it were good a whole companie remoued still togither, and that there were no admission into schooles, but foure times in the yeare quarterly, that the children of foresight might be matched, and not hurled hand ouer head into one forme as now we are forced, not by substaunce, but by similitude and coniecture at the sudden, which thing the conference betwene the maisters in a resolued plat will helpe wonderfully well forward, when the one saith this haue I taught, and this can the child do: the other knoweth this ye should teach, and this your childe should do. Thus much for the _elementarie_ maister, that he be sufficiently appointed in himselfe for abilitie, and sufficiently prouided for, by parentes for maintenaunce. Now whether one man, or moe shalbe able to perfourme all the _elementarie_ pointes, at diuers houres, or of force there must be more teachers, that shalbe handled in the _elementarie_ it selfe hereafter. Once fore all good entertainement by way of reward, will make very able men to leane this way, and one course of training will breed, a meruelous number of sufficient trainers, whose insufficiencie may now be obiected, that such cannot presently be had, though in short time they may. And if there must be moe executours, entertainement will worke that to, and conuenientnes of rowme will bring all togither.