The French philosopher Rene Descartes (1596-1650) wrote that "to read good books is like holding a conversation with the most eminent minds of past centuries and, moreover, a studied conversation in which these authors reveal to us only the best of their thoughts" (translation of the "Discourse on Method" by F. E. Sutcliffe (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1968), p. 30). This paper, based on a lecture to the combined AATE and ALEA conference of 2013, asks some questions in the spirit of Descartes's remark. What might teachers of English learn from the past about their profession? What attitudes towards, and ideas about, teaching can we recover from our predecessors? What authority might older practices of humanistic teaching and learning have for us today? And are tradition and authority compatible or incompatible with a spirit of innovation and creativity in English teaching and culture generally? (Contains 2 notes.)