De disciplinis by Joannes Ludovicus Vives

Didactica magna by Johannes Amos Comenius

   I. A short biography of Joannes Ludovicus Vives

Joannes Ludovicus Vives( Juan Luis Vives) was born in Valencia on 6. March 1492 (as it is traditionally held by literature) in Spain “in the making”. He was son of convert Jew parents from Catalonia. According to Miguel de la Pinta y Llorente and José Maria Palacio y Palacio^[i] this year of birth coincinding with “annus mirabilis” (founded upon the fallacy by Gregorio Mayans y Siscar^[ii], publisher of Vives´ works in the age of Enlightenment), should be revised and corrected to 1493. To support this concept they quote from the minutes of Inquisition of Decem-ber 1491 where his mother referred as “Blanquina March doncella, filla de Jaume March “ at that time she was still maiden. The authors intend to prove the fact (hardly accepted by the Spanish literature) that the deeply catholic humanist was a convert Jew (converso). Vives himself mentioned his mother in one of his best known writing, De institutione feminae Christianae^[iii] who passed away in plague in fifteenth year of marriage in 1508. The father of  the philosopher, Luis Vives Valeriola appeared in court of the Inquisition three times and was commited to the flames in September 1524 after 703 days of imprisonment and he was burnt at the stake very probably in the same month. Blanquina March y Almenara also came from a Jewish family. Her tribulations by the Iquisition^[iv] had not ended with her death for a trial, it  was raised against her memory and fame in 1528. Vives left his homeland in 1509 and he did not escape from the plague, but pushed by the history of his family and by ist permanent conflict with the Inquisition. Certainly this was the reason why he had not returned either to his beloved Valencia or to Alcalá de Henares when he was offered the chair after Antonio Nebrija´s death^[v]. Vives attended Montaigú  College in Paris between 1509 and 1512^[vi]. He moved to Bruges in 1514. Both the bustling trade of the town and a colony of merchants having resettled from Spain^[vii] could be attractive for him. Besides, at that time Bruges was “ a real centre of scientific activities” as Erasmus has it. Vives became a private tutor of the Valdaura family who had come from Valencia and were his relatives on the mother´s spindle. Subsequently he married on one of the daughters, Margarita. In Bruges he had made acquaintance with people of renown of the age like Mark Laurin (1488-1540), dean of Saint Donat School, or Franciscus Craneveldius^[viii] playing important role in the public life of the town and subsequently becoming his intimate friend. It was here that he was introduced to Erasmus by Mark Laurin in 1516. According to Vives´ biographer, Carlos G. Noreña^[ix] this is supported by the fact that in the following year he became tutor to William (Guillermo) de Croy, archbishop of Toledo, upon a recommendation by Erasmus. William de Croy came from a family related to the royal family: he was brother-in-law of Chièvres, tutor to Charles V. It should be mentioned that the Croys have considered themselves of Hungarian origin, descendants from the Árpád dynasty^[x]. In order to fulfill his tasks Vives resettled to Louvain and dedicated himself to the sciences, to the education of Guillermo de Croy and to literary activities in co-operation with Erasmus. The correspondence between the two humanists evidences to a curious relationship. Vives had cherished his appreciation toward Erasmus right till the end, whilst Erasmus friendly emotions had got cool^[xi]. Moreover between 1522 and 1536, the year when Erasmus died, no works on Vives came out in Basle, apparently under Erasmus´ pressure upon the publishers. A flow of publications by Vives started only from 1552, when he ranked third with ten volumes after Aristotle and Ciceron^[xii]. A commission by Erasmus, to make the Commentaries on Sanct Augustine´s Civitate Dei^[xiii]  was areal torture for the humanist from Valencia. In his correspondence^[xiv] he complained about the difficulties with the work and problems with his health, all because of having been urged by the Basle printer Johannes Frobenius and Erasmus^[xv]. The first joint venture with the latter ended with fiasco. After that Erasmus was sending messages to Vives through their acquaintances in common.

The unexpected death of cardinal Croy^[xvi] at the age of 23 years was a real blow for Vives. The Augustine-Comments^[xvii] dedicated to Henry VIII and his participation at celebrations to honour cardinal Wolsey in Bruges resulted in personal acquaintance with the King of England and with the famous humanist Thomas More, and he was attached to the Corpus Christi College at Oxford in 1523. However, he did not feel really well in England, at least his letters written to Cranevelt^[xviii] testify to this. His deteriorating position was associated with his opposing the royal divorce from Catherine of Aragon and Vives had fallen out of grace both with the king and the queen. He forfeited Henry´s favour not having taken his side whilst the queen disfavoured Vives for his trying to persuade her about the hopelessness of the resistance. After six weeks of imprisonment (38 days lasting from 25. February to 1. April 1528, his  “custodia mea Britan-nica”) returned to his cherished Bruges; his sentiments are reflected in a treatise De subventione pauperum^[xix] dedicated to the town.

Another encounter of Vives related to Bruges should be mentioned, altough no written evidence have survived. In the scientific literature it is widely accepted that he became acquainted with Iñigo de Loyola^[xx], when the latter paid a visit to him in 1529. Loyola had attended college in Paris since 1528 and according to the contemporary custom of Spanish students he visited the Spanish colony in Flanders to raise money for pursuing his studies. The influence of Vives upon the Jesuit school system and the Ejercicios espirituales^[xxi] by San Ignacio and Ejercicios^[xxii]   are obvious if comparing. The latter is a collection of wise precepts of on the right method of praying in each time of the day. Nevertheless, there is a fundamental difference between the two works. Vives had never expected a complete subjection or subservient humility which were the starting points with loyola. In spite of their various character and according to Jesuit documents it should be stated that no laws or regulations constued by Loyola banned the reading of Erasmist books. The prohibition of such works was ordered by the fourth general of the Jesuits, Everardo  Mercurián (1573-1580). In 1557 was  by Pope Paul IV. two books of Vives, De sub-ventione pauperum and the Comments to Augustine put on the “index purgatorio”.

   In the last 12 years of his life Vives enjoyed the support of Jorge Halewyn and Doña Mencia de Mendoza. From 1537 he lived in Bruges, Nassau and Brussels until his death on 6. May 1540.

II. Vives´s life work

 In Europe of  the 16- and 17th centuries the name of Vives become immortal due to his works dealing with the issues of pedagogy: De institutiones feminae Christianae^[xxiii], De officio mariti^[xxiv]  and De subventione pauperum^[xxv]; the latter raising not only the problem of the organisation of support to people living in poverness but also with the education of children of the poverty. His De disciplinis^[xxvi] is considered the most widely read scientific “manual” of that time. As far as the influence of his works is regarded it should be noted, that some of his pedagogical ideas were put into practice first by Johann Sturm^[xxvii] (1507-1587), who was born  in  Strasbourg. Sturm has founded an academy in Strasbourg^[xxviii] in 1538, and organised the popular education and assistance to the poverty^[xxix].  He has studied in 1524 in Louvain, and he was probably  a disciple of Vives, who teached there at that time. The first translation of De subventione pauperum^[xxx]  into German was published in Strasbourg, in 1533, then in the following year.

The academy founded in conformity of Vives´ ideas at Strasbourg was a model for the Hohe Schule or Johannea^[xxxi] at Herborn. John VI, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg^[xxxii] had it planned by Caspar Olevian (dead 15 March, 1587). Olevian, the author of Cathechism of Heidelberg,was forced to leave Heidelberg because of the conflict between Calvinists and Lutherans. Beside the planning and establishment of the school of the Strasbourg-model in Herborn, ist tutorial staff and outstanding personalities were closely linked to the town. For instance, Johann Piscator (1546-1625), professor of philosophy and theology, was born in Strasbourg, but had to live the town and later Heidelberg too as well after having been converted to Calvinism. Together with Olevian they elaborated the fundamental rules of Hohe Schule of Herborn. Johann Heinrich Alsted (1588-1638), professor of  philosophy and theology, who wrote his major work, the Lexicon in Herborn, previously studied in Strasbourg and later teached in Gyulafehérvár, Transylvania.

Johannes Amos Comenius^[xxxiii] spent a short time in Herborn (he matriculated on 30. March 1611 and stayed there ca. one year) then left for Heidelberg and studied there until 1614.  Never-theless, he was greatly influenced by Alsted, who was commemorated by him in Janua linguarum reserata quinquelinguis^[xxxiv].

III. Quintilianus Institutio Oratoria - De disciplinis by Vives and Didactica Magna by Comenius

   In several works by Comenius but especially in Didactica Magna^[xxxv] ideas evolved in Vives´  books such as De disciplinis, De concordia et discordia^[xxxvi] and Introductio ad sapientiam^[xxxvii] are reemerging.

In the introduction to Didactica Magna (point 9 and 10) means Comenius:” ...excitatis per Germaniam aliquot viris bonis methodi scholis uisitate pertaesi de faciliore aliqua et compendisiore linguas et artes docendi via cogitationes susceperunt... Ratichios intelligo, Lubinos, ... Wolfstirnios, et quem inprimis nominasse conveniebat, Johannem Valentinum Andreae,... aut si qui praeterea nobis nondum visi. ...” In a point 14. of DM has resumed their contact:” ...Unus illorum (clarissimus J.V.A.) lampada se tradere nobis amanter rescripsit et ad andendum etiam aliquid animavit.”

  Johann Valentin Andreae^[xxxviii], the liked and connected^[xxxix] master of Comenius, had translated in 1627 the work of Vives: De subventione pauperum^[xl]. The personal contact and the translation of the Vives´ treatise should called upon the attention of Comenius to the works of the Spanish philosoph.  Comenius used often his works, thoughts withot remember him. We are intentioned to show it, that Comenius often used Vives, more than he speaks about him. At first we like to show the close connect between  Quintilian´s Institutio Oratoria^[xli],particulary Liber I, 1,2,3,10 and Liber II, 2,5,8,9,10 and De disciplinis of Vives. We should not forget that Vives says: ”... ut si quis attentius inspiciat, similes prorsum comperiat esse meam et Quintiliani instituendi rationes.”^[xlii]

     One of the  exemples is the following text:

Quintilian:                                                                                                                             Vives:

 “Nam ut uascula oris angusti superfusam     “Quintilianus expressit, esse ea uelut uascula   umoris copiam respuunt, sensim autem             angusti oris, quae superfusam humoris copiam

influentibus uel etiam instillatis complentur,    respuant sensim instillatam recipiant. Itaque ini-

sic animi puerorum quantum excipere possint    tio, pauca et facilia obijciet, mox consuefaciet

uidendum est: nam maiora intellectu uelut          pluribus , maioribus, solidis. “^[xliii]

parum apertos ad ad percipiendum animos

non subibunt.”^[xliv]        

     About the public school writes

                        Quintilian:                                                                                                                              Vives:

“Hoc igitur potissimum loco tractanda              “Questium est ubi melius doceantur pueri,

questio est utilius que sit domi atque intra         domi ne an foris? Si qua talis esset Academia,

priuatos parietes studentem continere, an          qualem depinxi, utique multo esset utilissimum

frequentiae scholarum et uelut publicatis           illic institui...accomodentur tamen opiniones

praeceptoris tradere. “^[xlv]                                               illorum captui...”^[xlvi]

     From the good teacher means

                       Quintilian:                                                                                                                 Vives:

“...Sed neque praeceptor bonus...nec officium    “...ideo magistro non modo  sint ea doctrina,

in docendo spectet, sed adfectum. ...”^[xlvii]              ut possint bene instituere, sed habeant tradendi

                                                                                                                                    facultatem ac dexteritatem. Mores sint in eis        puri, prima est ea cura, nihil ut dicant, aut           faciant, unde in auditorem malum possit exem-plum transsundi:nec aliquid, quod totum non ist imitari...”^[xlviii]

   A good teacher - pupil contact it is very important for

                   Quintilian:                                                            Vives:

“Plura de officiis docentium locutus         “ In discipulos affectu erit patrio, ut illi sint ei  discipulos id unum interim moneo,ut prae-        filiorum loco, nec quantum ab aliis aut a

ceptores suos non minus quam ipsa studia           professione redeat, spectabit.”^[xlix]

 ament et parentes esse non quidem corporum,

sed  mentium credant.”^[l]

   Both authors have a same meaning about the handwriting:

                  Quintilian:                                                             Vives:

“Non est aliena res, quae fere ab honestis            “...Discet recte scribere, et celeriter: recte

neglegi solet, cura bene ac uelociter scribendi.    scriptionis iaciuntur fundamenta, quum do-

Nam cum ist in studiis praecipuum, quoque         centur legere,ut quae literae, quae syllabae,

solo uerus ille profectus et altis radicibus nixus     quas uoces siue separatae, siue coniunctae

paretur, scribere ipsum, tardior stilus cogitatio-     reddant, probe atque ad manum teneant:et

nem moratur, rudis et confusos intellectu caret;    persuadeant sibi quod reuera est, nihil ad 

unde sequitur alter dictandi quae transferenda       amplissimam eruditionem perinde conferre,

sunt labor.”^[li]                                                         ut et multa et multum scribere, multum atra-

        menti et chartae perdere.”^[lii]

   Before the education begins, the pedagogue examines the intellectual abilities of his pupils:

                                                                                                                      Quintilian:                                                                 Vives:

“Traditio sibi puro docendi peritus ingenium “Maneat puer in paedagogio unum aut alterum

eius in primis naturamque perspiciter. ...”^[liii]       mensem, ut ingenium illius exploretur.”^[liv]

      Peculiarity of  a good teacher is the measure of the students intellectual capacity, but Vives means that should happened during few months and as help for this work  he recommend us his famous work, De anima et vita^[lv]:

   Quintilian:                                                                Vives:

“ Virtus praeceptoris haberi solet, nec             “Suscipietur ea  lege puer, ut eis capiatur expe-

inmerito, diligentur in iis quos erudiendos        rimentum ad aliquot menses...In unoquoque ad

susceperit notare discrimina ingeniorum,          tradendam ei eruditionem, spectandum est inge-

et   quo quemque natura maxime ferat,             nium:cuius contemplatio ad inquisitionem perti-

scire. ...”^[lvi]                                                      net de anima: nos illinc non nulla praesenti                                                                instituo delibauimus. ...”^[lvii]

   By the judgement of  the  intellectual abilities of the children  it is possible to see the direct receipt of   Quintilian:      

                      Vives:

“Ingenii signum in paruis praecipuum me-      “Memoriam signum  ingenij Quintilianus

moria est; eius duplex uirtus: facile per-           ponit: quae duabus  constat partibus, facile

cipere et fideliter continere.”^[lviii]                          percipere, et fideliter continere: prius indubita-

                                                              tum est acuminis indicium, alterum capaci-

                                                                          tatis. “^[lix]

    From the memory Vives  write in harmony with Quintilian: “Memoria duabus constat partibus,celeriter comprehendere, et fideliter continere: celebriter comprehendimus, quae intelligimus: continemus, que attente et crebro memoriae mandauimus.”^[lx]

     The age of  the children at the beginning of the school education Quintilian and Vives have the same meaning, but in his Disciplinis Vives especially means the beginning the Latein-learning, and in his other works, in The Education of the Christian Woman^[lxi] and De officio mariti^[lxii] speaks about sith-seventh years old pupils as school-beginners.

                                                                                                                   Quintilian:                                                                    Vives:

“Quidam litteris instituendas, qui minores      “ [Huic lingua dabit operam puer, dum alijs

septem annis essent, non putauerunt, quod     percipiendis rerum disciplines non est per

illa primum aetas et intellectum disciplina-    infirmitatem ingenij satis idoneus:] nempe ab

rum capere et laborem pati possent.”^[lxiii]            anno septimo ad quintumdecimum: sed id prae-

 ceptor ex cuiusque ingenio, et progressibus melius

statuet.”^[lxiv]

  As relaxing for the children Vives recommend to the teachers attention the games, naturally on the basis of Quintilians ideas:

                   Quintilian:                                                            Vives:

“Nec me offenderit lusus in pueris (est et hoc       “...Permittendus interdum quoque lusus

signum alacritatis), neque illum tristem semper-    foliorum longiusculus, qui ingenium et

que demissum sperare possim erectae circa stu-   iudicium, et memoriam, exerceat, quemad-

dia mentis fare, cum in hoc quoque maxime na-   modum etium latrunculorum et acierum.”^[lxv]

turali aetatibus illis impetu iaceat.”^[lxvi]

       Quintilian spaeks not only from the obligationes of the teachers, however from the students duties too: “ Nam ut illorum officium est docere, sic  horum praebere se dociles: alioqui neutrum sine alter sufficit...”^[lxvii]

   What and in what manner should the children learning:

               Quintilian:                                                                                                                             Vives:

“...Etiam dicta charorum uirorum et             “Itaque unusquisque puerorum habebit librum

electos ex poetis maxime (namque eorum       chartae uacuum in partes aliquot diuisum ad ea

cognitio paruis gratior est) locos ediscere      accipienda, quae ex ore praeceptoris cadens,

inter lusum licet.”^[lxviii]                                         utique non uiliora, quam gemmae. In parte una

                                                  reponet uerba separata, et singula. In altera pro-                                      prietates  loquendi positu. In alia parte historias.

.                                                                                                                                In alia fabulas. In alia dicta, et sententias graues.

In alia salsas et argutas. In alia prouerbia. In alia

                                                                                                                                 uiros famosos ac nobiles. In alia urbes insignes. ...In alia locos autorum difficiles explicatos. ...^[lxix]

      About the maintain discipline, especially about beating they are writing:

                Quintilian:                                                                                                                          Vives:

“Caedi uero discentis, quamlibet id                “At uero quoniam hominis ingenium ab incitatis

receptum ist et Chrysippus non inprobet,        animi morbis ad peiora deprimitur, caercendus

minime uelim, primum quia deforme atque      est inconsultus ille motus, et compescendus repre-

servile est et certe (quod conuenit, si aeta-      hendendo, castigando uerbis, et quum opus est, 

tem mutes) iniuria; deinde quod, si cui tam     uerberibus: ut beluarum more reuocet eum dolor,

est mens inliberalis ut obiurgatione non         cui ratio non est satis:tametsi liberalem hanc

corrigatur, is etiam ad plagas ut pessima       castigationem, quantum fieri possit, esse malim,

quaeque mancipia durabitur, postremo,          non asperam, ...nisi eiusmodi sit tanquam

quod ne opus erit quidem hac castigatione,     manicipium admonendum.”^[lxx]

si adsiduus studiorum exactor adstiterit.”^[lxxi]

    Quintilian´s wonderful words about the children:“...Quaere hoc dixisse satis est: in aetatem infirmam et iniuriae obnoxiam nemini debet nimium licere.”^[lxxii]

  With the Quintilian -Vives comparation we have should to show the similarities between the two athors. Better to express it, to show Quintilian´s influence about Vives, and that inde-pendence,  what Vives preserves at this reasons, and his addisons in the sequence of ideas. He had used with a “development” the ideas of the  antique writer, not only  a servil manner.

  Now we should like to see the connect between Vives and Comenius. Comenius kwows well the activity of Vives, and not only the works about the education. Comenius gives same reasons  the origin of his quotations, but when he does not do it, then it is also possible to find the originally  texts. Comenius knows the De disciplinis, Introductio ad sapientiam, Institutione feminae christianae, Meditationes in septem psalmos quos vocant poenitentiae^[lxxiii], Excitationes animi in Deum ^[lxxiv].   We find the most parts from Disciplinis in the Didactica Magna^[lxxv] of Comenius .  Vives´ work consist of three parts, (1. causes of the corruptions of the Arts);  the best known is the De tradendis disciplinis, the second part (2.transmission of knowledge); and 3. is De Artibus. The 2. part make the analyse of the problems of  the education in generally, and attempt to find his solutions. Comenius used often a idea of  Vives, what originally comes from Quin-tilian, as the  knwon example of the vessel with a narrow neck show it us:

Vives:                                                                                                                                                       Comenius:

 “Quintilianus expressit, esse ea uelut uascula       “Cum tamen qui oris angusti vasculo(quali-

angusti oris, quae superfusam humoris copiam       bus ingenia puerorum comparantur) vi in-

respuant sensim instillatam recipiant. Itaque ini-   fundere quam guttatim instillare malit, quid

tio, pauca et facilia obijciet, mox consuefaciet       proficiet ? Transfluet certe liquoris potior

pluribus , maioribus, solidis.”^[lxxvi]                                        pars et longe minus, quam sensim poterat,

         intrabit. ...”^[lxxvii]

Vives circumspect describes wo should stay the school: neither in nearness of the court, or frequency street, nor in neighbourhood of girls:

“Sequitvr iam ut dicamus, quae, quomodo, quatenus, a  quibus, quo loco sint tradenda    

singula. In omnibus  illud potissimum spectandum, ut syncere exhibeatur institutio, ne probi mores uel corrumpantur, uel utique  retardentur et hebescant. ...Primum omniam de loco  video dicendum, nam is in constituenda schola primus etiam solet prospici. In quo nec consyderati conuenit, coelum ut sit salubre, nec subinde profugiendum sit  scholasticis huis metu perculsis.

...Sit item locus separatus a frequentia, et potissimum opificum, qui strepitum et magnus edunt

sonos in opere: quales sunt fabri et lapidiccide, omnes denisque qui malleo utuntur, quique

rota et torno,et pectine textorio:nec sit tamen omnino frequens, ne testibus ac uelut spectato-

ribus careant flagitioru, si quibus sint dediti: id circo graues esse incolas atque incorruptos

uelim, ques scholastici  reuerantur: non campones, non cualignos, qui ad prauas artes impel-lant: non sordidos, et exigui luci captatores: illiberales enim reddunt studiosos acsordidos, et quales  sunt uerbo mikrologos [Greek word], nominatur, quo nihil et sapientiae inimicus.

... Procul etiam a comitatu regio, et puellam uicina: alteri otio ac malis artibus inmitant rudes animos et pertabunt  facile teneros, ac in qui duis flutiles: alterae forma  alliciunt  aetatem blando illi malo obnoxiam.“^[lxxviii]

    The from Vives imagined good placed schools are in every town, province to find in the different levels:

“...Consultius esset extra urbem constitui gymnasium, praesertim si uel ea sit maritima, uel mercimonijs dediti incolae: modo ne locus caperetur,quo ex urbe consuersent  otiosi deambu-lare animi gratiae. ... Statuatur in unaque provincia Academia communis illis: prouinciam definio, non limitibus naturae, nempe montibus, uel amnibus, uel, mari, sed ditione ac principatu. ... Constituatur in quaque ciuitate ludus literarius, eo asciscantur praeceptores , uiri explorata dictrina, probitate, prudentia. ...”^[lxxix]

     Comenius in the chapter 27. of the Didactica Magna describes the place of the school, with illusionary idea of a garten:

    “ Scholae ipsa debet esse locus amoenus, illecebras, oculis afferens intus et extra. Intus sit

conclave ludicum, mundum, picturis undique ornatum: sive quidem sint imagines virorum

illustrium, sive mappae chorographicae, sive  historiarum monumenta, sive emblemata quae-dam. Extrinsecus vero ut scholae adjaceat non solum area ad exspatiandum et colludendum

(quandoquidem id pueritate negandum non est, ut infra suo loco), sed etiam hortus aliquis. “^[lxxx]

    Comenius has in a chapter 16.,Fundamentum VIII.56. completed his description of a good situated school, and called in our memory Vives´words: ” schola ist in loco tranquillo, a turbis et avocamentis remoto. ...”

    Vives make detailed analyse the eleccion of the teachers, and strictly says:

“Profesores eligentur non ab scholasticis, in quo permultum ualet ambitus uel gratiae, uel pecuniae: nec ab illis utilissimi praeponuntur, sed gratiosissimi, et maxime populares, ac blandi, aut qui plurimum uel dederunt, uel promis erunt: aut a quibus licentum sperant.”^[lxxxi]

   And a conclusion give us the following counsel: let the professors be chosen and approved, not by the votes of the inexperienced and uncouth crowd, but by a few out of the academy who are respected for their learning and the uprightness of their lives! ^[lxxxii]

    Let the teachers become salary from the public funds, and ordered Vives:  “Accipiant doctores salarium de publico quale cupiat uir bonus, fastidiat malus: nesi amplum ist, imperiti et mali eo se insinuent  luci cupiditate: probi ac eruditi qui ambire uel nesciunt, uel volunt, excludantur.”^[lxxxiii]

   Vives expected from the teachers: ”Quater per annos singulos in locum aliquem secretum magistri conueniant, ubi inter se de ingenijs suorum seruocinentur, ac consultent:et ei quenque applicent arti, cui quenque idoneum uidebunt.”^[lxxxiv]

     The personality of a good professor describe

                     Vives:                                                                                                       Comenius:

“-Sed maxime omnium ad locum faciunt ho-   “Praeceptores vero si fuerint affabiles et blandi,

mines: ideo magistri non modo sint ea doc-     nullam tericitate a se animos absterrentes, sed trina, ut possint bene instituere, sed habeant   paterno affectu, gestu, verbis ad se allicientes,

tradendi facultatem ac dexteritatem.Mores      ristudia, quae aggrediuntur, a praestantia, ju-

sint in eis puri, prima est ea cura, nihil ut        cunditate, facilitate commendent,(si diligentiores

dicant, aut faciant, unde in auditorem ma-     subinde collandant pusionibus etiam poma, nuces,

lum possit exemplum transfundi:nec aliquid,  saccarum etc.distribuentes)...”^[lxxxv]

quod tutum non ist imitari. ...Nec probatis

tantum erit moribus, sed prudens quoque:

um ingenium habeat accommodum ei, quam

profitetur arti: atque ei generi auditorum,

quos in disciplinam recepit, quo melius tum

ipse tradat, tum illi percipiant. ...Praestabit

se incorruptum et sanctam, affabilem

discipulis ut patrem, non dissolutum, ut

sodalem. ... ”^[lxxxvi]

      The teachers must known the language of the province, state:

                    Vives:                                                                                                                                                 Comenius:

“Vernaculam puerorum linguam exacte cognoscet    “...Praeceptor et discipulus ejusmodem sint ut commodius per hanc et facilius eruditas illas       linguae; omnes rerum explicationes linguam

tradat. Quod nisi in lingua patria aptis et proprijs    notam fiant;quaevis grammatica et lexicon

 ad eam rem de qua loquitur, utatur uerbis,              ei linguae  adaptetur qui mediante nova

 fallet subinde pueros: isque error adultos iam          discenda  est (Latina  vernaculae,  Graeca  et grandes pertinatiter comitabitur.“^[lxxxvii]                        Latinae  etc). ...dum Latina vernaculis

                                                                                    junguntur, vernacula utpote notiora

semper praecedant, Latina sequantur; ...”^[lxxxviii]       

   Good aid in the language-learning are the good dictionaries:

“ Expediet in quaque etiam  uulgari lingua geminum pueris tradi, unum quo Latina uerbareddantur uulgaribus, alterum  quo uice versa uulgaria Latinis quod in nostro sermone Antonius Nebrissensis fecit, opus non satis exactum, tyronibus magis quam prouectioribusu  utile....”^[lxxxix]                                          

   The age of the pupil at Vives are rised about the Latein learning, at Comenius by judgament of the capacity of the six years old children as prognose for the future ( he think that as mistake).

                  Vives:                                                                                                    Comenius:

“ ...ab anno septimo ad quintumdecimum:      ”Circa sextum aetatis annum determinare velle,

sed id praeceptor ex cuiusque ingenio, et        cui vocationi quisque aptus sit, literis, an opificio,

progressibus melius statuet.”            ^[xc]          praecipitantia quedam videtur. ...”^[xci]

   About the beating of the childen every philosoph Quitilian, Vives have a same meaning, we cite  the words of  Comenius: “Si tamen aliquando calcari et stimulo opus, aliis id modis melius quam plagis effici potest. Aliquando alios laudando: Ecce hic vel ille, quam egregie attendit! Quam recte omnia percipit! Tu autem torpes? Aliquando risu exagitandus est: Heu Te simpli-cem, rem tam facilem non capis? Peregrinatisne animo?”^[xcii]

  The method by the effective teaching at Vives: “In praeceptis artium, ordo est res ad docendum efficacissima, ut facilius auditores tum percipiant, tum retineanti ducuntur scilicet rebus ita dispositis, et dum posteriora  quasi ex prioribus uidentur nasci, accipiuntur omnia pro certissimo. Sed quis sit ordo, et qua utendum in artbus oratione, in libris de dicendo expo-suimus. “^[xciii]

  In chapter 10. of  Didactica Magna, by the analyse of  the soul, Comenius mentioned again a Vives-work: De anima et vita^[xciv].      

            Vives:                                                                         Comenius:

“Haec autem sunt, mens, siue intelligentia,          “ Animae essentia e tribus potentiis (quae  uolantas ac memoria: in quibus relucet imago          increatam Trinitatem referunt) coagmentata

diuinae Trinitatis, sicuti a sanctis patribus de-      est , intellectu, voluntate et memoria. Intellec-monstratum est. Quae sint harum facultatum      tus ad observanda rerum discrimina (per omnes

actiones, quot, quales, qui earum ortus, prog-  usque minimas minutias) se extendit. Voluntas ad

ressus, incrementa, occasus, perscrutari         rerum optionem, proficourum nempe electionem longe arduissimum ac difficillimum, plenis-    et nexiorum reprobationem fertur. Memoria vero

simumque, intricataeobscuritatis: propterea  ea, in quibus intellectus et voluntas sese unquam

quod supra hanc non habemus aliam, quae    occuparunt, in futurum usum recondit animamque

inferiorem possit spectare ac censere que-    dependentiae suae (quae ex Deo est) atque officii

madmodum mens ipsa, de sensibus et parte   commonefacit: quo respectu conscientia etiam di-

uegetabili facile iudicat:nempe inferiori-      citur. Haec igitur munia sua facultates illae ut

bus.”^[xcv]                                                                       obire dextre possint, instrui eas plane necesse est

       talibus, quae intellectum illuminent, voluntatem                                                                 dirigant, conscientiam exstimulent: quo intellectus

acute penetret, voluntas sine errore eligat, cons-

cientia avide omnia in Deum reflectat.Quemad-                                                               modum igitur facultates illae (intellectus, voluntas,

et conscientia) quia eandem constituunt animam,

divelli non possunt: ita tria illa animae ornamenta,

eruditio, virtus, pietas, divelli non debent.”^[xcvi]

   Comenius in the chapter 9. of Didactica magna examine that questions, wich Vives in independent works describe: so the point 5. analyse the education of  the woman, the question very important for Vives. He wrote his work,  De institutione feminae Christianae especially to the solution of this problem. In an other work, De officio mariti^[xcvii] Vives mentioned the utility of the well educated woman too.

    In the chapter 11.3. by mention of  Martin Luther´s work, the in 1525 writed “An die Rats-herren aller Städte deutsches Land, dass sie christliche Schulen aufrichten und halten sollen” it is not an analysis or elaborated program in concept of Vives, however only an appeal in generally an the authorities, without any proposal real; his aim, to teach writing- reading was, only to give a people the possibility of the reading of the Bible. Vives elaborated a complete school system, but without any classis; he compared the school with a good organised town: “Imo uero sicut in ciuitate aut domo bene constituta flagitium admittit magistratus uel pater familias, qui locum malo et inutili homini relinquit, quem posset occupare bonus: Sic delictum est, si in ingenio ineptijs illis locus tribuatur, in quo reponi possent alia profutura: male agitur cum literis, et peracerba crux studioso labori figitur, si haec quoque ex eruditione esse existimentur: profecto miseri sunt grammatici qui haec exquirunt.”^[xcviii] Naturally Comenius knows this idea and cite in his  Panorthosia^[xcix].

 We  have seen same texts there Comenius has not mentioned namently Vives. Now I should like to show the places correctly cited e.g. from  De concordia et discordia in humano genere^[c],

                Vives:                                                                         Comenius:

“Quid enim est aliud Christianus, quam           “Quid aliud est christianus quam homo na-

homo naturae suaeredditus, ac uelut[!]              turae suae redditus ac veluti natalibus restitutus natalibus restitutus, a qubus deiecerat eum     a quibus eum dejecerat Diabolus?”^[ci]       diabolus, captum uictoria sceleris?”^[cii]                                                         

  In the chapter 18. Soliditis in docendo et discendo fundamenta; Fundamentum VII.  we recognize the Disciplinis of

                           Vives :                                                     Comenius:

  “Prima aetate exerceatur memoria, quae      I. “Prima   aetate exerceatur memoria, quae exco-

 excolendo augentur: multa ei commen-      lendo augetur: multa ei commendentur, cum cura

dentur  cum cura, et sepe. Nam illa aetas    et saepe. Nam illa aetas laborem non sentit, quia     laborem non sentit, quia non expendit:         non expendit. Ita extra laborem ac negotium

 ita extra laborem omnem ac negotium        dilatatur memoria, et fit capacissima.

dilatur memoria, et fit capacissima. ...”^[ciii]

                                                                 II.  Et in Introductione ad sapientiam inquit: Memoriam                                                                      quiescere non sines.  Nihil est quod aeque labore

        gaudeat et augeatur. Commenda ei quotidie aliquid:          quo plura ei commendabis, hoc custodiet omnia

                                                                    pauciora, eo infidelius.”^[civ]                               

 The first part (I.) we find in Disciplinis, the second (II.) include four aphorism of  Introductio ad sapientiam:

“180. Memoriam quiescere non sines.

181.  Nihil ist quod aeque labore gaudeat, et augeatur.

182. Commenda ei quotidie aliquid.

183.Quo plura commendabis, hoc custodiet omnia fidelibus: quo pauciora, hoc infidelitus.”^[cv]

  The next Vives-cite we can read in the chapter 23. of the Didactica Magna without exactly characteristics:

Vives:                                                                               Comenius:

“1.Vera sapientia est, de rebus incorrupte                 “ Vera sapientia est de rebus incorrupte

iudicare, ut talem unam quanque existimemus,    judicare, ut talem unamquamque existime-

qualis ipsa est: ne villa sectemur, tanquam pre-    mus, qualis ipsa est: ne vilia sectemur tan-

ciosa tanquam vilia reijciamus: ne vituperemus   quam preciosa, aut preciosa tanquam vilia

laudanda, neue laudemus vituperanda.” ^[cvi]             rejiciamus, ne vituperemus laudanda neve                                                                                     laudemus vituperanda.

                                     “Hinc enim error omnis in hominum mentibus

ac vitium oritur: nihilque est in humana vita

exitiabilius quam depravatio illa judiciorum, cum

                                                                        rebus non ... pretium redditur.