setting of copies and to saue that endlesse toyle let euery one haue a little copie booke fastened to the top of his writing booke with a strong thread of a spanne long or thereabout that alwaies when he writeth he may lay his copie booke close before him and that the side of the copie may almost touch the line where he writeth that his eye may be vpon the copie and vpon his letter both together And also to the end that euer when he hath done writing he may put his copie booke into his writing booke againe so that the copie may neuer bee out of the waie nor the Schollar write without it The fittest volume for their writing a booke is to haue them in quarto Moreouer the copie bookes would be made thus Not aboue two inches in bredth fowre or six copies in a booke halfe secretarie halfe Roman The copie bookes might be made thus most fitly as I take it 1 One line of small letters of each letter one except in those which haue letters of diuers kinds and therin both kinds to be set downe as i. j. s. 8. u v. Vnder the line of small letters would be set a line of great letters after the same manner and vnder them both a line or two of ioyning hand containing all the letters in them Examples of both sorts for the present vntill better can bee found may be these I meane copies both of Secretary and Roman containing all the letters in them For Secretary thus Exercise thy selfe much in Gods booke with zealous and feruent prayers and requests For Roman thus Aequore cur gelido zephyrus fert xenia kymbis Respect not the verse but the vse Vnder all these may be fitly set in very little room those characters or letters out of which all the rest of the letters may be framed as in the small letters in Secretarie m. i. t. v. z. s. In the great letters 〈◊〉 So vnder the Roman copies after the same manner In the end of the copie bookes in a page or two might be set down all the hard syllables mentioned before That by oft writing them ouer they might be helped to spel to write true Orthographie And after those the numbers mentioned to be able to write or totel any of them vpō the book without it Then what schollar so euer were not able to tell any of them after a little poasing were well worthy to be corrected If such copie books were finely printed being grauen by som cunning workman those of the most perfect and plaine forms of letters that could possibly be procured in a strong and very white paper one book or two of them would serue a schollar neere all his time that hee should neuer need to change his hand The often change following of diuerse hands doth asmuch hinder writing as often change of schoolemasters doth hinder learning Therfore the best is to be chosen at the first and euer to be stucke vnto without alteration if it may be In the meane time vntill such copies can be had some would be procured of the master to be written by the best Scriuener who can be gotten after the manner aforesayde for each schollar to haue one to fasten to his booke and to vse as before Otherwise when for lacke heereof the Master or Vsher or some other Schollar is compelled euery day to write each schollar a new copy it is both an endlesse toile and also an extreame losse of time besides the inconuenience mentioned of change of hands and that few Masters or Vshers are fit pen men to write such copies as were necessary Lastly because thorough want of such copies schollars do write ordinarily without direction or pattern in all their exercises whereby they either grow to very bad hands or do profit in writing little or not at all This exercise of writing faire would be practiced by all the Schollars thorow the Schoole at least once everie day for an howres space or neere and that about one of the clocke for then commonly their hands are warmest and nimblest Now those that write exercises may take the opportunitie of that time to write them so faire as they can In al writing this general rule would be obserued streightly to cause them to striue to make euerie letter as like to the copie letter in all proportion as the one hand is to the other And that they neuer thinke a letter good vntill no difference can bee found betweene it and the copie letter that it cannot be discerned whether is the better Great care would bee had withall to make euery writer to keepe euen compasse in the height greatnesse and breadth of his letters that no one letter stand either too high or too lowe be ouer long or ouer short nor anie way too bigge or too little too wide or too narrow To the end that they may write of euen height cause them to rule their bookes with a ruling pen and then that they make the body of each letter to touch their rules on both sides I meane both at the tops and bottomes of the letters but not to go one hair bredth higher or lower Thus by practice the schollar will in time attaine to write very faire of himselfe without any ruling pen. That euery one may rule their bookes thus cause them to haue each his ruling pen made of a quill somwhat like vnto a pen but onely that it is to be made with a nocke in the neb or point of it like the nocke of an arrow the nebs of the nocke standing iust of the bredth of their copie letters asunder that they may rule their rules meete of the same compasse with their copies The points of the nebs of the ruling pennes must not be made ouer sharpe nor pressed downe ouer hard in ruling because they wil then race the paper and make it that it will not beare inke They are moreouer to rule but a few lines at once because the lines being drawen but lightly will soone go out and not be seene before that the learners come to write in them Also this care must be had in ruling to cary the ruling pen so euen and straight forward that both the lines which are drawen by it may be seene together or els to drawe the lines so oft ouer with the same vntil that both the lines may be well seene This would be obserued carefully vntill that time that they can begin to write euen streight of themselues for the euen compasse doth especially grace a hand and the faire shew of it will cause children to take a delight in writing faire Euery schollar who writeth Latine should haue two of these ruling pens one for Secretarie and an other for Roman or else to haue one made of iron or brass the one end for the one the other end for the other Moreouer the bookes of all the new
before him and to marke well wherin any one of them misseth in any letter or stroke that it is not like to the copie there to point him to the copie and to shew him where they differ or to cause him to compare them himselfe so to appoint them to bee mending their faults vntill their letters be in all things like the copie letters And what letters they make the worst to make them so oft ouer in some voyde place of their booke or some waste paper vntill those be as good as any of the rest and like the copie as was said Amongst others to look specially to these three letters together f. g. h. and to m. which being well made do grace all the rest yet are commonly made the worst of all Thus any one of the schollars chiefly one of them who write the best may helpe the Master to direct the rest By these meanes the Schoole-master may bring many of his Schollars to be very good pen-men and all generally to some competent sufficiencie to the credite of the Schoole the good contentment of the parents and the great benefit of the Schollars though he cannot write well himselfe if hee can but onely thus farre forth direct as to cause his Schollars to follow these obseruations Hereby the Schooles also may be freed from hauing any need of the Scriueners which go about the country at least which go vnder the names of Scriueners and take vpon them to teach to write do ofttimes very much hurt in the places where they come For they draw away the mindes of many of the Schollars from their bookes euen of all such as cannot indure to take paines nor haue any great loue of learning and cause many of good hope to leaue the school vtterly Besides that very often so soone as euer these Scriueners are gone the Schollars whom they haue taught doe forget what they seemed to haue gotten by them vnlesse they be kept to practice their writing daily So that all that cost and time is commonly lost besides the former inconueniences that sundry by them lose all the learning which they had gotten Also most of the younger sort who seeme to write faire and so leaue the Schoole in a conceit of that which they haue gotten by the Scriuener yet doe write so false Orthography as is loathsome to see and ridiculous to reade For these properties should be ioyned together in euery pen-man who would haue any approbation to be able as well to write a good stile I meane to indite and to expresse his mind in some good forme of words and true Orthographie as to write faire As for the vse of Scriueners in the common schooles it would be this if any eyther to make euery schollar his booke of copies to vse after the manner prescribed vntill such printed ones can be had or else to set all the schollars in a good way of writing for right framing their letters and the like To do it onely at such times as the Master shall appoint that it may be without any great hinderance to the schollars for their learning warily preuenting al the former inconueniences For schooles and good learning being such a singular benefit and so great a gift of God to Church Common-wealth all hinderances would be wisely foreseene and heedfully preuented These are the speciall helps which hitherto I haue learned for the direction of schollars in writing and by these I am assured vpon triall that what is promised in this behalfe may bee effected through Gods blessing Spoud Sir these must needs be very profitable yet my memory being weake and they many I shall hardly thinke of them to put them in practice I pray you therfore repeat vnto me againe in a word or two which of them you take to be the principall and of most continuall vse Phil. These I take to be the principall almost the sum of all which would euer be had in memory that the schollars haue good pens thin inke faire good copie books those made fast to their bookes to haue them euer laid close before thē when they are to write fair which wold be once euery day then all of them together That they haue their books ruled strait lightly that with ruling pens amongst al the yonger sort and that therein a care be had that they euer touch both the lines of the ruling pen with the bodies of their letters Also that they haue their faults shewed them by pointing them to the copie letters and where their letters are vnlike to the copie thereto cause them to be amending them continually vntill they attain to write as faire as it To call on them euer to haue an eye to the copie to haue the fashions of the letters in their minds To take a delight in writing striuing who shall do the best to this end to let their hands glide lightly on the paper to striue to write very clean to make minimes and such like letters sharp at tops bottoms or iust to the proportiō of their copies to hold their pens very low their elbow somthing neer their side to keep their copies books fair vnblotted vnscrauled to haue void places or waste papers for assaies c. Most shortly these three are almost all in all good copies continual eying them wel a delight in writing although I thinke it very necessary that you bee acquainted with all the former directions as they are set downe at large to vse them as neede shall require You may soone attaine the knowledge of them when you haue them written downe the labour of learning them will be nothing to you in regard of the benefit and much lesse in regard of the long search and obseruation which I haue vsed to finde them out Spoud It is true indeede and I am the more beholden vnto you but giue me leaue this one word that which you said euen now may seeme to make very much against the Scriueners Phil. Not at all it onlely helpeth to redresse the great abuse by som shifters who go vnder the name of Scriueners for all good Scriueners haue their callings and imployments wherein to serue to the profite and good of the Common-wealth and not vnto the hurt thereof This onely may teach vs to preuent and auoyde those intollerable abuses hurts to schooles mentioned whereof there hath beene and is daily so much experience Spoud Sir I cannot but like of your answer I my selfe haue had some experience of the truth of the complaint it is very necessary that such euils should be preuented Now therefore that you haue thus shewed me how to make my schollars good pen-men and that they may grow therein as in their schoole learning and thus prepared the way to our Grammar schoole let vs at length come to that which hath beene the speciall end of my iourney and wherin our
of the weeke Phil. Yes As there is no no day but it is the Lords and therefore it and all our labours to be consecrated to him by a morning an euening sacrifice I mean praier thanksgiuing morning euening so there would no day be suâ—fered to passe ouer wherin there should not be some short exercise or lesson of religion which is both the chiefe end of all other our studies and also that wherby all the rest are sanctified And to this end one quarter of an hower or more might be taken euery euening before praier though they were kept so much the longer that it might not hinder any other of their daily studies Although in this no losse will euer be found to any other studie but the Lord wil bless so much the more That also to be in such a course as none could any way dislike which of all other might be both most sure and profitable Spoud What such a course can you find which is so profitable and which all must needes so approue of which might be so short Phil. To go thorough the history of the Bible euery day a history or som peece of a history I meane some few questions of it in order as the time will permit To this purpose there is a little book called the history of the Bible gathered by M. Paget wherin if you cause them to prouide against euery night a side of a leafe or as you shall thinke meet of the most easie plaine questions and to examine them after the maner of examining the Catechism you shall see them to profit much both for the easinesse of the history and the delight which children will take therein Wherein also if first you shall shewe them or aske them what vertues are commended in that history what vices are coÌ„demned or what generals they could gather out of that particular or what examples they haue against such vices or for such vertues and thus examine them after the same maner so going ouer ouer as the time permits you shall see them to come on according to your desire Spoud But me thinks that you would not haue them to take euery question in that booke before them Phil. No I would haue only those histories which are most familiar for children to vnderstand and most to edification and so those questions only to be chosen There are sundry concerning the Leuiticall lawes which are beyond their conceit and so in diuerse other parts For that shuld euer be kept in memorie that things wel vnderstood are euer most soone learned and most firmly kept and we should euer be afraid to discourage our children by the difficulty of anything Spoud It is true indeed And moreouer howsoeuer it is most certaine that all holy Scripture is profitable and all to be knowen yet som parts are more easie and as milk meet for the weakest and youngest children to be taught and which they may vnderstand and conceiue of easily others are as stronger meate and more obscure wherewith they are to be acquainted after But as in all other learning so it is here euery thing is to be learned in the right place The more plaine and easie questions and places will still be expounders and masters to the more hard and obscure But yet howsoeuer I like very well of all this you know that there are some who would not haue their children to be taught any religion nor to meddle with it at all Phil. There cannot bee anie such who either loue or know the Gospell of Christ or regarde their owne saluation or the sauing of their children The rest are to be pittied and praied for rather then to be answered The Popish sort know the necessitie hereof and therefore they labour principally to corrupt the youth and offer their pains freely to that end They shal be the Iudges of all such Spoud But it will take vp ouer-much time from their other learning Phil. I directed you how to cut off all such exceptions I would take the time to that purpose ouer and beside their ordinarie It is but mine owne labour for a quarter or halfe an howre in the day at the most keeping them a little longer Although if it should be part of the schoole time there would neuer be found any losse therein Spoud But how will you teach your children ciuility good manners which is principally required in Schollars Phil. Religion will teach them manners As they grow in it so they will also in all ciuil and good behauiour The word of the Lord is the rule and ground of all to frame their manners by that is therefore the first and principall meanes Secondly out of their Authours which they reade you may still take occasion to teach them manners some of their Treatises being written of purpose to that end as Qui mihi Sententiae pueriles Cato Tullies Offices c. For the carriage of youth according to the ciuility vsed in our time and for the whole course of framing their manners in the most commendable sort there is a little booke translated out of French called The Schoole of good manners or The new Schoole of vertue teaching youth how they ought to behaue themselues in all companies times and places It is a booke most easie and plaine meet both for Masters and Schollars to be acquainted with to frame all according vnto it vnlesse in any particular the custome of the place require otherwise Spoud How would you haue the children acquainted with this Phil. The Master sometimes in steade of the History or if he will at some other times might reade it ouer vnto them al a leaf or two at a time after to examin it amongst them It is so plaine that they will easily vnderstand it Spoud But if I could thus teach them Religion and Latine all vnder one it were a most happy thing and I should cut off all quarrell and exception Phil. I will shew you how you may doe it Cause your Schollars to reade you a Chapter of the New Testament or a peece of a Chapter as time will permit about twentie verses at a time in steed of the History mentioned One night to reade it out of the Latin into English reading first a verse or a sentence in Latine to a Comma or a full point as they can then Englishing that not as construing it but as reading it into good English so throughout the next night to reade the same ouer againe forth of an English Testament into the same Latine backe againe Thus euery one of those who are able to reade in order each his night all the rest to looke on their owne Testaments English Latine or Greeke or to harken Let them beginne at the Gospell of Iohn as was aduised for the Greeke as being most easie or at Matthew if you please and you shall soone finde that through the familiarnes of the matter they
the same with the Latine Getting first the chiefe rules ☜ To be very perfect in Nownes and Verbs ☞ Terminating Nownes Coniugating terminating Verbs To giue the first person in euery Moode Tense in each voice together To bee very perfect in Pronowns Aduerbes Coniunctions Prepositions How schollars of vnderstanding iudgement may take yet a shorter course ☜ To make it plaiâ—e Grammatica Graecapro Schola Argentinensi per Theophilum Golium ☞ To begin Construction with the Greek Testament Reasons 1. For the familiarnesse of it 2. Because that booke with the Hebrew of the old Testament are the Books of books Being only written by the Lord. Hauing life in theâ— All who may are to labor to see with their owne eyes and why ☜ ☜ To striue to haue these books as familiarly as the Iewes had the Hebrew ☜ If any purpose to haue but a smattering in the Greek to haue it here and why ☜ The Testament compared to other Greek wâ—â—ters This is a notâ—ble entrance to read all other Greek Authors ☞ In the Testament to begin at the Gospell of Iohn How schollars may be made most perfect in the Greeke Testament ☞ Meanes partiâ—ularly 1 Why to haue the hard words written downe ☞ The speediest way to get the Greeke Raâ—ices first How it may be done easily without losse of time Manner of learning them Manner of examining them for speed and memory Benefit hereof Hauing Scapula in the school to run to they shall presently haue any thing ☞ How children may soone learne to reade the Greeke before they learn the Greeke Grammar In learning the Radices to obserue right pronuntiation for accents and spirits This booke laboured in for the common good Helpe for committing wordes to memory â—aueat in remembring The Greeke Radices contriued into continued speeches Strange Latine wordes Learning the Greeke out of our translations ☞ The readiest and surest way by a perfect verball translation or the verballâ—et in the Margent where it differeth from that we vse How to east the Greeke into the Grammaticall order ☞ How any who haue but a smatering may proceed of themselues in the Greeke Testament This cannot be so well done by the Interlineall or hauing the Greeke and Latine together as by hauing them separate Experience The Interlineal is continually a promptâ— to the scholâ—ar and a deceiuer of the mind insteed of a Master vnlesse it be vsed with great wisdome This euill cannot be preuented amongst schollars ☞ How men of vnderstanding may vse the Interlineall How the schollars may proceed in other Authors The benefit of such translations of some of the purest Authors performed by skilfull Grecians As the fables translated in the Strasburge Grammar Parsing in Greek ☞ Helps â—or construing and paâ—fing Praxis praeceptorum Grammatices Antesignani Berket on Stephens Catech printed by Wechelus an 1604 ☞ M Stockw Progimnasma scholasticum ex Anthologia HeÌ„â—ici Stephani ☞ The best fittest Authors â—or Poetry most easie Theognis Phociliâ—es Hesiode with Câ—poâ—ine and Mâ—lanchthon Homer with Eustathius To haue in readinesse a short briefe of all the dialects and figures a speedy help for the knowledge of the Poets A principal help for all Anomalies and difficulties in Greeke How to write purely in Greek ☜ How to write faire Versifying in Greek ☞ Theognis may be easily learned without booke by the helpe of the translation ☞ A Caueat for the time bestowed in such exercises of writing in Greekâ— Summe of all The knowledge of the Hebrew may be the soonest gotten and why 1 The Grammar to be gotten most exquisitely of them who desire to come to perfection in the Hebrew Some chiefe parts for others who onely desire the vnderstanding Grammars to be vsed Martinius with his Technologia Blebelius accounted most plaine and easie The seuerall points in Martinius you may finde in Blebelius by the table in the end of Blebelius The second principall meanes the perfect getting of the Radices Manner of committing the Radices to memorie Examples of helping memorie in the Hebrew ☜ The Hebrew the mother tongue most auncient and worthy Others deriued from it The benefit of diligence in comparing the tongues How other words may be remembred which cannot be so deriued The hardest rootes which seeme to haue no affiniâ—y To marke out also the harder deriuatiues in the Hebrew The best Epitome for getting the Radices This is not fully finished The way might be more compendious by the rootes reduced to Classes By the Dictionary alone they might be gotten in a short time The third help perfect verball translations and continuall practice of them The manner of vsing these repeated Experience of this for assurance A Student cannot be better imployed then in thus imprinting the originals in his hart if he haue leasure ☞ It seemeth that any tong may be gotten thus These tongues Latine Greeke and Hebrew may be gotten in each Nation by these means of translations in their owne â—ongues Greeke or Hebrew most easily learned by perfect translations in each tongue ☜ Of the vse of perfect verball translations for getting the originals Obseruation reâ— eated how much and what to learne in euâ—ry booke Schollars to be trained vp in Religion This most neglected in schooles The popish Schoolemasters shall rise vp against vs. ☞ How to teach them the Catechisme and when ☞ Manner of examining Catechisme Taking notes or writing sermons 2. All who can write to take notes ☜ Caueat of any noise or disorder in gathering notes 3. The higher to set downe parts of the sermon more oâ—derly 4. In all the highest fourmâ— to set downe the substance exactly ☞ Manner of noting for helping vnderstanding memorie ☞ Helps for memory in the margent for vnderstanding ☞ To leaue good margents To set downe quotations as they are spoken To set downe the heads of all in the margents after Benefit of this To turne it after into Latine for the next daies exercise ☞ Or to read it into Latine ex tempore ExperieÌ„ce how soone they will do this Examining the sermons One to make a short rehearsall of the whole first To aske questions of all things difficult To cause the least all sorts to repeate their notes Benefit of this strict examining How they may be able to repeat the whole sermons without booke Principall helps for it ☞ Helpe of notes for assurance Euery night to go thorough a peece of the historie of the Bible Manner of examining the history Not to trouble them with euery question Obiection coÌ„cerning them who would not haue their children taught any religion How to deale that this may not hinder any other learning How to teach the schollars ciuilitie The Schoole of good manners or The new Schoole of vertue for ciuilitie ☜ How to teach Religion and Latine all vnder one by reading each night a peece of a Chapter Practice this constantly and carefully and trie the experience of Gods blessing in it When the History to
pronounce their letters truly as also to spell right and to knowe how to write true Orthography in a short space For that I may acknowledge the truth and which hath bit no small discredit vnto me in this behalfe I haue had some who haue beene with me two or three yeeres before they could reade well And that which hath yet bin much more grieuous to mee I haue sometimes been so abashed and ashamed that I haue not knowen what to say when some being a little discontented or taking occasion to quarrell about paying my stipend haue cast this in my teeth that their children haue been vnder me sixe or seauen yeere and yet haue not learned to reade english well I my selfe haue also knowen that their complaints haue been true in part though I haue taken all the paines with them that euer I could deuise Therefore good sir set downe as plainly and shortly as you can how this may be helped Both my selfe many others shall be much beholden for your direction in this first entrance For my maner of enâ—â—ing them it is that which I take to be euery where to teach heare them so oft ouer vntill they can say a lesson and so to a new Phil. I likewise hâ—ue been well acquainted with this your trouble and therfore I will indeuor to afford you so much as I haue yet learned how to auoide these clamors and how any poore man who will imploy his paines may learn to teach children to read well in a short time though this may seeme vnbefitting our profession First the châ—â—de is to be taught how to call euery letter pronouncing each of them plainely fully and distinctly I mean in a distinct and differing sound each from others and also naturally from the very first entrance to learning More specially to bee carefull for the right pronouncing the fiue vowels in the first place as a e i o u. Because these are first and most naturall and doe make a perfect sound so that they may bee pronounced fully of themselues and they being rightly vttered all the rest are more plaine After these vowels to teach them to pronounce euery other letter which are therefore called Consonants because they cannot make a perfect sound of themselues without a vowell This may be done and also the teaching of children to spell any syllable before the childe do knowe any letter on the booke and that some wise and experienced do holde the surest and best course But they are at least to be taught to pronounce their letters thus as they doe learne them to preuent the griefe and wearisomnesse of teaching them to forget euill customes in pronouncing which they tookâ— vp in their first ill learning And so euer in teaching to read the teachers are to continue the like care of sweete and naturall pronunâ—iaâ—ion Secondly for the knowing of the letters besides that common manner practiced in Schooles which is by oft reading ouer all the letters forwards and backwards vntill they can say them they may be much furthered thus That is by causing the childe to finde out and to shew you which is a which b which c which f and so any other letter First to finde them in the Alphabet then in any other place Or if you will let them learne but one letter at once vntill they can readily know or finde out that letter in any place and after that an other in the same manner This is holden the surer and more easie waie But this at your owne iudgement 3 You may helpe them to spell thus besides that course which is vsuall Let so many as are beginners or who cannot reade perfectly stand together and then poase them without booke one by one First in syllables of two letters as they are set downe in their A. B. C. and where one misseth let his next fellow tell if he cannot then som other Then examine them in syllables of three letters after in moe And euer what syllable they misse marke it with a dent with the nayle or a pricke with a pen or the like and when you haue marked out those wherein they so misse poase them oft ouer not forgetting due praise to them who do best One halfe howre would be spent daily in this kinde of examining vntill they bee perfect in any syllable or worde To make children to take a delight in spelling let them spell many syllables together which differ but onely in one letter as hand band land sand c. These syllables and words following I haue obserued to be of the hardest for children to spel I will set you them downe together in this short briefe They may serue for spelling reading or writing and may soone be gotten by being often poased read or written ouer Ac ec ca ce ci co cu ag eg ah az ae ai au ga ge gi go gu va wa we wee bac bace bag bage gage badge bau baye dawe dewe iawe rac race rosse rose yell you gua cha cla dwa gla pha tha sca sha swa wra chra phra spha thra twa thwa able abs ach adge afle apt ath own blowe browe chrou dregg dredge dwarfe frogg gnash gnaw plowe snowe stewe slugge they thom throne twaine twigge schoole cockle puddle pegle good golde gogle balme fallen stolne scalpe false thumbe couple pearce charme chapt moth mouth nymphes vnkle tenth strength height depth breadth weight ioint laude beautie deede language guide feede feude vowe braue dou dove knife kniues yeoman ynough ayre heyre doubting Island yle buye league hatchet laugh yeugh bough publique quishon These are some of the hardest syllables as I sayde your selfe may adde moe as you meet with them Also this is to be obserued in spelling that before on you spell or write commonly ti not ci as saluation not saluacion though we pronounce it as ci But this is to be knowen chieflie by the latine words from whence they come Right pronuntiation of words continuall practice in spelling are the surest way to come to spell truely If you pronounce the word false which you would haue your childe to spell hee spelleth it false for hee spelleth according as it is pronounced to him or as he vseth to pronounce As for example aske the childe how he spelles a strea as in many places the countrey manner is to pronounce it hee will spell strea or stre but aske him how hee spels a strawe and so pronounce it and he will spell strawe To direct further how to come to perfection in spelling or writing right I shall haue occasion to speake after In ioining syllables together they must bee taught to vtter euerie syllable by it selfe truly plainly fully and distinctly as we heard of the letters before and so also as that others who heare may vnderstand euer sounding out the last syllable as sal-ua-ti-on Thus they may
goe through their Abcie and Primer And if they reade them twise ouer that they may bee very perfect in them it will bee the better for them For the second reading of any booke dooth much incourage children because it seemeth to bee so easie then and also it doth imprint it the more Besides that they will run it ouer so fast at the second time as it will be no losse of time at all vnto them After these they may reade ouer other English bookes Amongst which the Psalms in metre would be one because children wil learne that booke with most readinesse and delight through the running of the metre as it is found by experience Then the Testament in which the discreete Master may keepe his schollar lesse or more vntil he think him meet to enter into the Accidence If any require any other little booke meet to enter children the Schoole of Vertue is one of the principall and easiest for the first enterers being full of precepts of ciuilitie and such as children will soone learne and take a delight in thorow the roundnesse of the metre as was sayde before of the singing Psalmes And after it the Schoole of good manners called the new Schoole of Vertue leading the childe as by the hand in the way of all good manners By these meanes children if they be well applied and continually kept vnto it may be taught so to read within a yeere or little more as they may be meet to enter into their Accidence by that time that they bee six yeere olde at the vttermost especially if they bee in any measure apt and much practiced in spelling the hardest syllables For diuiding or distinguishing of syllables this one obseruation is to be remembred That what consonants are vsually ioined in the beginnings of words those are not to be disioined and separate in the middest of words except in Compound words But of this wee shall speake more fitly after And thus much may suffice for the present for the speedy reading of English for heereof I haue had much certaine experience Spoud I cannot iustly dislike of any thing which you haue sayd herein it standeth all with so great reason chiefly to make children so perfect in the hardest syllables For they being perfect in these must needs attaine all the rest in a short space Except onely one thing which you vttered which indeede seemes a strange Paradox to me Namely that some wise experienced would haue children taught to call and pronounce all their letters and to spell any syllable before they know a letter on the booke Phil. This is very true which you say it may seeme a Paradox to them who haue not tryed it I my selfe was of your minde when I heard it first Yet setting my selfe to make some triall of it for the reuerence I bare to him of whom I heard it and for that he shewed me experience of it in a child not fowre yeeres olde I found it the easiest pleasantest and shortest way of all where one would begin in a priuate house with little ones playing The manner is thus 1. You must teach them as I sayde to call their fiue vowels and to pronounce them right Which they will presently learne if you do but only cause them to repeat them oft ouer after you distinctly together thus a e i o u. after the manner of fiue bels or as we say one two three fowre fiue 2 Then teach them to put the consonants in order before euery vowell and to repeate them oft ouer together as thus to begin with b and to say ba be bi bo bu So d. da de di do du f. fa fe fi fo fu Thus teach them to say all the rest as it were singing them together la le li lo lu The hardest to the last as ca ce ci co cu. and ga ge gi go gu In which the sound is a little changed in the second and third syllables When they can do all these then teach them to spell them in order thus What spels b-a If the child cannot tell teach him to say thus b-a ba so putting first b. before euery vowell to say b-a ba b-e be b-i bi b-o bo b-u bu Then aske him againe what spels b-a and he will tell you so all the rest in order By oft repeating before him he will certainly do it After this if you aske him how he spels b-a he will answere b-a ba. So in all others Next these teach them to put the vowels first as to say ab eb ib ob ub Then thus a-b ab e-b eb i-b ib o-b ob u-b ub After what spelles a-b e-b c. Thus to goe with them backward and forward crosse in and out vntill they can spell any word of two letters Then you may adioine those of three letters Afterwards all the hard syllables to tell what any of them spels til they be perfect in al or as you shall thinke meete By this meanes and by a little repeating of the letters of the Alphabet ouer before them by three or fowre letters together as they stand in order so as they may best sound in the childrens eares they will soone learne to say all the letters of the A. B. C. if you will As to repeat them thus A. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. k. l. m. n. o. p. q. r. s. t. u. w. x. y. z. To say them thus by roat will nothing hinder but further them Then they may presently be taught to know the letters vpon the booke either one by one finding first which is a in the Alphabet and after in any other place Then to finde which is b and so through all the rest as you will Then when they are cunning in their letters and spelling if you make them to vnderstand the matter which they learne by questions for a little at the first they will goe on in reading as fast as you will desire The easier and more familiar the matter is to them the faster they learne Thus may any poore man or woman enter the little ones in a towne together and make an honest poore liuing of it or get somwhat towards helping the same Also the Parents who haue any learning may enter their little ones playing with them at dinners and suppers or as they sit by the fire and finde it very pleasant delight So they may helpe to gaine their children a yeere or two in learning at the beginning and also the Grammar Schooles of this labour and hinderance Spoud You haue perswaded me very much concerning this doubt also Surely sir howsoeuer thus may seeme but a toye yet all tender parents will much reioice in it and acknowledge it an exceeding benefit to haue their children so entered and this time beeing gotâ—en in the beginning will bee found in the end as you truely sayde Yet there is another
thereof Phil. There is not the best thing but it may bee abused But for that booke as the others I shall shewe and proue vnto you the coÌ„modities of them aboue all that you would imagine Experience makes me confident Yet to returne vnto your selfe concerning the complaint of the Parents for their children going backward in reading English when they first learne latine the chiefe fault in truth is in the Parents themselues although we poore schoolemasters must be sure to beare all For if such murmuring Parents would would but cause their children euery day after dinner or supper or both to reade a Chapter of the Bible or a peece of a Chapter as leasure would permit and to doe it constantly therby to shew their loue to the Lord and his word and their desire to haue the word dwell plentifully in their houses to haue their children trained vp in it as young Timothy was then I say this complaint would soon be at an end for they should either seethen their children to increase in this or else they should discerne the fault to be in their childrens dulnesse and not in our neglect Notwithstanding sith that they are so very fewe of whome wee can hope that they haue any care of this duetie in their houses in respect of all the rest who omit it and yet all the blame must surely rest on vs it concerneth vs so much as we can to redresse it and therefore vse all good meanes to cut off all occasions of clamours and of discrediting our selues and our schooles and to contend for the greatest profiting of our children aswell in this as in any other part of learning the vse of this being as we heard most generall and perpetuall Spoud You haue directed mee very rightly how to aunswere such Parents now I shall be able to shew them where the fault is and bee calling vpon them to redresse this at home I shall also indeuor to put all this in vre and more as you make the particulars more fully known vnto me and as I shall finde by triall the fruit heereof But now that you haue thus satisfied me in all these my doubts I cannot but demand yet one other point wherein I finde another great want though not comparable to the former because there is not so much vse of it which is about the ordinary numbers or numbring For I am much troubled about this that my readers and others aboue them are much to seeke in all matters of numbers whether in figures or in letters Insomuch as wheÌ„ they heare the chapters named in the church many of them cannot turn to them much less to the verse Phil. This likewise is a very ordinary defect yet might easily be helped by common means in an howr or two I call it ordinary because you shall haue schollars almost ready to goe to the Vniuersity who yet can hardly tell you the number of pages sections chapters or other diuisions in their books to find what they should And it is as you say a great a fowle want because without the perfect knowledge of these numbers schollars cannot help themselues by the Indices or Tables of such books as they should vse for turning to any thing of a sodaine although it be a matter wherof they should haue vse all their life long And to conclude it is a great neglect because it is a thing so easie as that it may be learned in so short a time only by most vsuall meanes as by these following For numbers by letters vse but only to appose them according to the direction in the latine Grammar at Orthographia they will do them presently As if you aske what I. stands for what V. what X. what L. c. And back againe what letter stands for one so what for fiue or forten But specially if you desire to haue them very ready herein cause them to haue these written then to practice to read them ouer often vntil that they can answer any of them perfectly Warn them also to remember alwaies that any number set after a greater or after the same nuÌ„ber doth add so many mo as the value of that later nuÌ„ber is As I. set after X. thus XI doth make eleuen XV. fifteen XX. twentie But being set before they doe take away so many as they are as I. before X. thus IX nine If you wish an example more at large this may serue let each of them that should learne haue a briefe of these after this maner to shew them all the chiefe numbers I. one II. two III. three IIII. or IV. fowre V. fiue VI. six VII seauen VIII eight IX nine X. tenne XI eleuen XII twelue XIII thirteene XIIII fourteene XV. fifteene XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX. XXI XXV twenty fiue XXX thirtie XL. fortie L fifty XC ninetie C. a hundreth D. fiue hundreth M. a thousand And thus much shortly for numbring by letters For the numbers by figures this rule must also be obserued That the figures do signifie in the first place so much oâ—ly as if they were alone or one time so many In the 2. place tennes or tenne times so many In the third place hundreths or a hundreth times so many In the fourth place thousands or a thousand times so many In the fift place ten thousands In the sixt place hundreth thousands the places being reconed from the right hand to the leâ—t As for example 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. twentie 21. 22. 23. c. 30. thirtie 31. 32. 40. fortie 41. c. 50. fiftie 51. 60. sixtie 70. seauentie 80. eighty 90. ninetie 100. a hundreth 101. a hundreth one 102. 110. a hundreth and ten 120. a hundreth twenty 130 c. 200. two hundreth c. 1000. a thousand 10000. ten thousand 100000. a hundreth thousand These beeing learned backewards and forwards so that your schollar be able to know each of them to call them or name them right to find them out as the child should finde any letter which he is to learne in a word to tell what any of these numbers stand for or how to set downe any of them will performe fully so much as is needfull for your ordinarie Grammar schollar If you do require more for any you must seeke Records Arithmetique or other like Authors and set them to the Cyphering schoole Spoud This is a defect that I see is most easily supplyed by a very little paine and care in examining I haue troubled you ouerlong in this beeing in it selfe so very a trifle though the want generally be to bee blamed Now therefore let vs hasten vnto our profession for the Grammar Schoolemaster For I desire earnestly to be in our owne element as more befitting and beseeming our place Phil. I am very willing to make all the haste that we can for this I see that though wee neither vse
better able to preach powerfully in two daies warning and hauing words at will then other in two moneths and all because the one sort are so full of vnderstanding and matter the other are so barren thereof Thus in all these examples euery man may see a plaine demōstration of the truth of these verses of Horace which he no doubt did write vpon his owne experience as euerie man shall find who will set himself to make triall Proue confirme what tong soeuer your schollar learns euen from the first reading of English if he can repeat you the matter or the sum of it or haue it in his head trie whether hee will not haue the words presently The plentifull experience which I haue seene of the sweete delight and fruite of this course of causing children to doe all things with vnderstanding and reason compared with the fruitlesse toiles and griefes of former times do make me not only confident for the thing but also desirous to make all other partakers of the benefit Spoud I do fully see the euidence of all that which you haue said and therfore I must needs be perswaded of it I do heartily thank God for it and will indeuor my selfe to put it in practice continually Only here is the difficulty how a schoolemaster may do this to teach his schollar so to proceed with vnderstanding and how to giue a reason of euery matter which they learne to make vse of all their learning Aboue all how hee may beginne to fraught young Schollars with all store of matter as they goe on this very much passeth my skill I should thinke my selfe most happy to obtaine this knowledge if it possibly can be done Phil. Attend to those things which I shall relate and I haue no doubt but I shall very much accomplish your desire in this for our whole conference doth tend chiefly to this end As all learning is grounded on reason so in euery Chapter I shall endeaur my selfe to manifest the reasons of euery thing and how you may teach others so farre forth as hitherto the Lord hath made them knowne vnto me And more hereafter as I shall learne more The principall meanes for their vnderstanding is by asking short questions of the matter for so they will vnderstand and any thing which they are to learne But of that more hereafter in the particular examples and chiefly Chapt. 24. Spoud If you haue done then with this let vs goe forward to your next generall obseruation and so through them all as briefly as you can Phil. My next obseruation is this that as I would haue them to doe all things with vnderstanding so to learne only such bookes and matters as whereof they may haue the best vse and that perpetually in all their learning or in their whole life For this is well knowne to euery one that things well learned in youth will bee kept most surely all the life long because in that age they are most easily imprinted and sticke the longest in fresh memory And for that cause children should spend no time vnfruitfully in such books as whereof they cannot haue both very good and continuall vse This cannot be but a great folly to mis-spend our pretious time in such studies whereof neither our selues nor others can haue benefite after or else in such as the knowledge whereof will vanish for want of practice and much more in those which will corrupt and hurt in stead of doing good And therefore all filthy places in the Poets would be wisely passed ouer or warily expounded It were well if there were an Index Expurgatorius to purge out all the filth out of these by leauing it out or changing it Third rule and that generall for all Students is this that whatsoeuer difficult words or matters of speciall obseruation they doe reade in any Author be marked out I meane all such words or things as eyther are hard to them in the learning of them or which are of some speciall excellency or vse worthy the noting or which after that they haue beene a certaine time in construction they haue not eyther learned or at least they knowe not where they haue learned them For the marking of them to doe it with little lines vnder them or aboue them or against such partes of the word wherein the difficulty lieth or by some prickes or whatsoeuer letter or marke may best helpe to cal the knowledge of the thing to remembrance yet so much as may be without marring of their books To doe this to the end that they may oft-times reade ouer these or examine and meditate of them more seriously vntill that they be as perfect in them as in any of the rest of their bookes for hauing these then haue they all This would be vniuersall in getting all kind of learning after that children do grow to any discretion to marke such things rightly you will maruel if you haue not made triall of it how much they will go through what sound knowledge they will come vnto in any kinde of study and how soone by this helpe more then they can do without it And when they haue once gotten it they may as easily keepe it as surely by oft-times running ouer those things which are so noted aboue all the rest This is the reason that you shall haue the choysest bookes of most great learned men the notablest students all marked through thus in all matters eyther obscure or of principall most necessary vse And this is one chiefe meanes whereby Schollars may haue the difficultest things in their Authours so perfectly as that whensoeuer they shall be examined of a sudden they shall be very ready to their great praise and to the iust commendation of the Schoole For the manner of noting it is best to note all schoole books with inke also all others which you would haue gotten advnguem as we vse to say or wherof we would haue daily or long practice because inke will indure neither wil such books be the worse for their noting but the better they be noted with iudgement But for all other bookes which you would haue faire againe at your pleasure note them with a pensil of black lead for that you may rub out againe when you will with the crums of new wheate bread The very little ones which reade but English may make some secret markes thus at euery hard word though but with some little dint with their naile so that they doe not marre their bookes Of this I shall speake more particularly in the manner of parsing Chapt. 9. A fourth obseruation is this That whatsoeuer books or matter Schollars doe learne after they beginne to learne without booke that they learne them so perfectly and holde them so surely by daily repetition and examination that they may haue in their mindes such an absolute knowledge of al the words and
as es is or sti as amas doces legis amauisti hee in at et it wee in mus yee in t is they in nt So in the Passiue I in or ar er thou in ris or like the Actiue he in tur we in mur. ye in mini they in ntur By these the learners may haue a great light and though some of them be both in the Actiue and Passiue and the Imperatiue moode doe differ so as no certaine rules can be giuen yet they may be soone discerned and knowne And the perfect knowledge of the Terminations beeing the speediest way to the getting the full vnderstanding both of Nounes and Verbs in euery tongue these would be learned first and euer kept most surely The benefite also of this exquisite perfection in Nounes and Verbes is so singular for the speedy attayning of the Latine tongue as no paines in them can be too great First the very difficulty of the Latine tongue is in these Secondly these examples set downe in the booke are such liuely patternes of all Nounes and Verbes that Schollars being perfect in these will soone be perfect in any other And for the other parts of speech the very words are most of them set downe in the Accedence as Pronounes Aduerbes Coniunctions Prepositions Participles like the Adiectiues So that these being gotten perfectly the Latine tongue may soone be attained in good maner euen by the meanes following whereas without this perfection it is very difficult So that the learners shall still goe incertainly and fearefully Also by these meanes and helpes named this readinesse in them may be very speedily obtained whereas onely to be able to say them without booke without this vnderstanding is to little purpose and to learne them by practice in construction and in writing exercises alone is most long hard and wearisome both to Master and Schollar My former toyle and griefe in these aboue all other things in Grammar though I tried all wayes which I could heare or deuise with the ease and benefite in this way maketh me confident For I haue found more profite by this course in a moneth then by all other in halfe a yeare By this practice also it is most soone recouered when it is lost and most easily kept Yet my meaning is not to haue Schollars to stay ouerlong to be so exquisite in them before they go any further but to go on so fast as they can well and to make them so ready by daily practice spending each day a quarter of an houre or more in them vntill they come to perfection This were not amisse to be practiced sometimes also amongst the elder schollars which are not ready in them as also those comming from other Schooles till they grow perfect here should be the beginning If yet a shorter way can be found out we shall haue more cause to reioyce thereof In the Participles the chiefe care would be to make them perfect to know the seuerall tenses by their signes and endings English and Latine as they are in the booke for declining they are the same with the Nounes In the Aduerbs Coniunctions Prepositions Interiections they would be made so ready as to giue English to Latine Latine to English and to tell of what kinds they are and also to what cases each preposition serueth and these specially Here it were to be wished as I take it that all the rest of the Aduerbs Coniunctions Interiections were also set down in the Accedences except only such Aduerbes as are deriued of other words by which words they may be knowne or by their accents or terminations Also that some rules were set downe for framing of these deriued Aduerbes and that all the rest of the Aduerbes and Coniunctions with all other wordes and sentences through the Accedence were Englished like as the Prepositions are Hereby all these Latine wordes would soone bee learned perfectly and proue a very great helpe when children come to construction for then they should haue but onely Nounes and Verbes to trouble them withall as was said and those most easie to be knowne by the meanes aboue mentioned and after For the English rules great care would bee had likewise to make Schollars very ready in them for these rules of themselues with a few other might serue for construction or making Latine The perfect knowledge of them also will make the Latine rules easie when your Schollars come at them In teaching these rules these two things would be obserued generally first That the Schollars learne to construe each ensample and that without booke Experience teacheth that those which art apt wil construe almost as soone without the booke as vpon the booke or as they will learne them construed here by they shal get so much Latin beside that it wil be a great helpe to the perfect vnderstanding and applying of them The second is to marke out with some speciall markes those wordes in which the force of the examples doth lie as the words agreeing or the word gouerning and the word gouerned and to cause the children to be able to tell them and so euer in saying their rules without book to repeat ouer those wordes againe in all the longer examples The rules or examples otherwise shall doe them little good because they know not how to make vse of them But hereby they shall haue perpetuall and sure patternes and warrants for parsing making and trying Latine I shall shew this more plainly when we come to the Syntax in Latine These two things being obserued haue a chiefe regard in the rules first to make them perfect in the rule of finding out the principall Verbe secondly in the Concords as being of continuall vse thirdly in the rules of gouernement And amongst those to looke specially to the two first rules of the case of the Relatiue Qui and namely the latter of them viz. But when there commeth a Nom. case for in it Schollars most faile Also in all rules of gouernment to make them able to tell you presently where any rule is and what cases such wordes gouerne as Where beginnes the construction of Substantiues What cases they gouerne How many rules there are of them Or asking thus What case must your latter of two Substantiues be What case will such a word gouerne As Opus or Vsus What cases doe they gouerne Where is the rule So in the rules of the Adiectiues and all the rest throughout In posing remember that which was first directed to marke carefully the drift of the whole rule and so to propound your question or else to propound the whole rule in a question As thus when two Substantiues come together betokening diuers things what case must the latter be and why or by what rule Furthermore to the end to make your Schollars so very ready in the Accedence and to keepe it perfectly besides the learning all
and from the clamours and accusations of their Parents in this behalfe spoken of before But here it were to be wished that those books of construing Lillies rules were translated euer Grammatically the manner of which translation I shall shew after with the benefits of them And also that not onely the Substantiue and Adiectiue Preposition and his case were euer construed and set together wheresoeuer they are to be taken together but withal that euery word were Englished in the first proper natural and distinct signification In which things they oft faile as in the Verbes chiefely though of all other things that be more necessary for Schollars to know the first and naturall signification for the other then will soone be learned by reason and vse or else som of the other most vsual significations might be put in in other letters or with notes to know them Thus the childe might goe surely forwarde and haue a certaine direction for the right and proper vse of euery word to bee more sure to him then any Dictionarie all his life long either for construing or making Latine Whereas beeing set downe in generall significations not distinct they shall euer goe doubtfully abuse the words as when traho promo haurio are set downe euery one of them to draw without further distinction The benefit would be much more if it were thus translated for then they might learne thereby not only to construe truely to vnderstand and goe truly but also to make and speake the same Latine I meane to answer easily to all the rules with the other benefits of Grammaticall translations When they can construe in some good sort and vnderstand as was sayde then let them get without booke perfectly In getting without book when they can read it perfectly they may bee much helped thus in all things which they learne in verse to reade them ouer in a kinde of singing voyce and after the manner of the running of the verse oft tuning over one verse vntil they can say that then another and so forward which they will do presently if the Master do but reade them so before them Also to say these rules at parts sometimes after the same manner of scanning or running as a verse shall make them both more easily kept and bee a good helpe for right pronuntiation of quantities and to prepare them the more easily to make a verse for authorities and the like When they can say perfectly without book then if you please you may cause all those who are any thing apt and pregnant to learne to construe also without booke which they will do very quickly with a little reading ouer and ouer vpon the construing booke and almost as soone as they will construe vpon the booke By this meanes they will bee able presently to giue not onely the English to the Latine but also the Latine to the English of any word in the rule to be perfect thereby and to keep all more firmly Or where leasure is wanting among the elder sort which are well entred in the rules they may first learne without booke then to construe both vpon the book and without Or to construe first It is not very materiall but as themselues doe finde that they can get it most easily at the Masters discretion Although for all the first enterers and younger sort I finde it the surest vvaie vvhere the Maisters leasure will serue to cause them first to vnderstand the rule and the meaning of it by a short opening or expressing the sum of it and then by questions in English as I directed before All of the learners looking vpon their bookes as hee readeth vnto them that they may see the questions and answeres in their books eyther wholly or the most part therof And when they can aunswere in English looking vpon their books or do vnderstand the rule then to learne to construe it of themselues and to get it without booke After ar the saying of their rules when they haue sayde without booke and construed to labour especially to cause them to be able to aunswere without book each part of the rule and that both in English and Latine together after they are a little entered that with the meaning and English you may beate the Latine into their heads also to helpe to prepare them to speake and perse in latine Let the manner of the appoasing be here as in the Accedence viz. by short questions propounded vnto them arising directly out of the words of the booke either out of the summe and title of the rule set before it or set in the margent euer against it or out of the very words of the rule and withall the examples of the rule and how to apply them to the seuerall rules I will set you downe an example or two more at large that you or any may doe the like the more easily To begin at Propria quae maribus first you haue the Title before Regulae generales propriorum Out of which you may shewe them thus That according to the order of their Accedence as the first part of speech is a Nowne so here are rules first of Nownes And as their Accedence hath first the Substantiue then the Adiectiue so here begin rules first of the Substantiues after of the Adiectiues Againe as the Substantiue is either Proper or Cōmon so here the rules of Proper Nowns are first set downe wherby to know the Genders of them and after of the Common Nowns called Appellatiues You may also point them in their book where each of these begin they will presently conceiue of them being first perfect in their Accedence Then that the rules of Proper names are of Masculines or Feminines Or all Proper Nownes are either of the Masculine or of the Feminine Gender vnlesse they be excepted Also all Proper Nownes which goe vnder the names of Males or Hees as wee call them are the Masculine Gender Then teach them according to the margent that of those there are fiue kindes which goe vnder the names of Males or Hees As names of Gods men floods or riuers moneths windes So all proper Nowns or names of Females or Shee s are the Feminine Gender And of those are likewise fiue kinds That is names of Goddesses Women Cities Regions or countreys Islands c. Then appoase after the same manner keeping strictly the words of the booke as was sayd onely putting in here or there a word or two to make the question which by oft repeating they will easily vnderstand As thus out of the words set before the rule Or in the like manner Q. Where begin your generall rules of Proper Nownes Vbi incipiunt regulae generales propriorum A. Propria quae maribus Q. How many generall rules are there of proper Nowns Quot sunt regulae generales propriorum A. Two Duae Q. What is your
learned the seuerall harder words at least in their Grammars For this I find that the most ordinary words are in some part of their Grammar or the words whereof they come or some very neere vnto them wherby they may remember them Thus may they becom very exquisite in the Grammar in time and haue it as I said as a Dictionary in their minds not to need to seek here or there for euery word In the higher fourmes where daily repeating rules hindereth much other learning if they repeat them but sometimes and can answere in a word or two giuing the sum of each rule it may suffice although it is a great commendation to haue the Grammar ad vnguem and to giue an example of each thing belonging vnto Grammar Thus haue I shewed you what I haue yet learned concerning making Schollars perfect in the Accedence Grammar wherin as you see I haue been much longer because I finde this by experience and therefore dare constantly affirme it that if this bee once archieued in a school to haue the schollars thus made perfect in Accedence Grammar as they proceede the life of a Schoolemaster may be made as full of ioy and contenment without wearisomnesse only in obseruing the fruit of his labours as I touched as the life of any in any other calling whatsoeuer whereas of the otherside much of our fretting toile ariseth only for want of this Spoud I would therefore thinke it a most profitable labour to set downe this maner of examining the Accedence and Grammar by Question and Answere particularly that not onely the weakest Schoolemaster amongst vs but euen our schollars themselues might bee able so to oppose and whet one another I my selfe haue seene diuers books of questions of our Accedence and Grammar beeing gathered by learned men yet in none of them haue I obserued so far as I remember sundry of the principall of these points Besides that no man can so wel examine the Accedence and Grammar by them because first the words of their Question and Aunswere doe not arise so out of the words of the rules as you direct neither doe they euer keepe the order of the rules and they haue moreouer sundry other hard questions intermixed and sometimes many together that my schollars haue not beene able to make vse of them nor my selfe very little in regarde of that which I might if they had been so framed Phil. I my selfe haue had experience of the same in them insomuch as though I haue greatly desired and tried to vse some of them in my schoole in regard of the profit which I haue conceiued might come by them yet I haue not bin able without further inconuenience And euer as new schollars haue come to any schoole so they haue beene alwaies to seeke in those new questions as that I haue been inforced to leaue them off vtterly In consideration whereof and of the generall want herein as also of the publique benefit which I am certainly assured may come by such a labour as you speake of I haue indeauored by the helpe of all such bookes of Questions and Answeres of Accedence and Grammar as are extant which I could procure as likewise of some written togather one in this sort hauing all the Questions Answers arising most directly out of the words of the rules In which I haue chiefely followed the order of the Quest. of that auncient Schoolemaster Master Brunsword of Maxfield in Cheshire so much commended for his order and Schollars who of al other commeth therein the neerest vnto the marke This I haue studied to make so plaine as euery childe may by it both presently vnderstand the meaning of each rule and if he can say the rules may as soone be able to answere these questions and wherby they may also poase one another as you wish to make all rules and parts most familiar I haue in it tied my selfe strictly to the order and words of the rules as it may serue for continual poasing and speedy examining Parts and that from what schoole soeuer they come if they can say the Accedence they may presently answere these questions Other questions which I haue thought needful I haue set in the margents directly against the questions to be learned after if you will without troubling the learner and that nothing may be wanting But for this book I referre you you to the Epistle Dedicatorie before it and the questions themselues Spoud Sir I see well you haue spared no labour to seeke to draw-on the little ones with ease delight and to make schollars most perfect Grammarians which all the learned do so highly commend I trust I shall be partaker hereof Phil. It is and hath been my desire to hide no part of my talent but to imploy all to the best and communicate it to euery one to whom it may doe good and especially the little ones in whome is the chiefest hope of most of our countrey schooles and of the age to come CHAP. VIII Of Construction how to make all the waie thereof most easie and plaine Spoud WEll then good sir now that you haue thus farre forth directed mee how to lay so sure a foundation for my schollars to build vpon I doubt not but you can indeed guide me forward how they may build vpon it as speedily happily both for their construing parsing and making Latine To begin therfore with construction which is the first thing that our children enter into after their Accedence and Rules I desire greatly to heare of you those things which you affirme may be done by schollars and wherby all the way of construction may be made so easie As namely that children should bee able to take their lectures of themselues truely and perfectly and likewise with vnderstanding vpon sure grounds or at least to do it with a very little help of their Masters in such places where they doubt So the rest which were mentioned in the note as that they should be able to construe both in propriety of words and also according to the right sense and meaning To do this at any time in all that which they haue learned to construe out of a translation in English as out of the Latine it selfe These things doe iustly seeme strange vnto mee because I am faine to giue euery lecture my selfe or if I appoint the fourmes aboue to giue them yet I am compelled to heare the giuing of them And so I haue as great a trouble when they construe false to direct them right That it were as much ease to mee to giue them myselfe and so I should bee freede from the griefe that I haue when they cannot doe it and from other inconueniences Besides to reade the lectures in proprietie of words phrase and sense also this seemeth to mee a matter of some difficultie for many poore countrey Schoolemasters and not onely for the younger and weaker sort but
againe for the Rhetoricall placing of the words according to the order of the Author by the helpe of a fewe rules and by comparing with the Author that a childe may haue a confident boldnesse to stand against the most learned to iustifie that which hee hath done Spoud This stands with all reason that if the way of vnmaking or resoluing be so plaine thorough this rule the waie of making vp againe must needes bee as plaine and readie for there is the same waie from Cambridge to London which was from London to Cambridge Phil. You say as it is Hence you shall finde by experience that as children will soon learne to construe and parse their Authors thereby so they will as soone learne to make them into latine againe yea they will come by daily practice to reade the Latine almost as fast out of the English translation as out of the Author it selfe and proue that it must bee so and in short time to doe the same in things which they haue not learned especially where they shall haue occasion to vse the same phrase to doe it readily whether they shall write or speake Particular benefits of the vse of Grammaticall translations and of the Rule Spoud IT is apparant by that which you haue sayd that you take the benefit to bee very great which may come by such translations rightly vsed Phil. I do indeed and that for all these things following which seem most strange and hard to be done by children 1 Teaching to resolue Latine Grammatically which is the foundation of the rest 2 In construing to direct to do it artificially by rule and also in propriety of words and in true sense 3 For parsing to do it of themselues as reading a lecture without any question asked vnlesse some which they omit which maner of parsing gaineth half the time which is spent therin commonly when otherwise each question is asked and stood vpon 4 For making latine to be able to make the very same latine of their Authors vpon sure grounds therby to be incouraged to go on boldly certainly with cheerfulnes and confidence when little children shall see that they are able to make the same latine which their Authors do as was said haue also the Author to iustify that which they haue don 5 For prouing latine specially for the Syntaxe when each principall word going before directs thâ—se which follow except in some few 6 For composing artificially by continuall comparing this Grammaticall order to the order of the Author and marking why the Author placed otherwise and by being helped by a few rules which I will shew after 7 To helpe the younger schollars to vnderstand their lectures so farre as need is of the benefit of which vnderstanding we haue spoken before 8 Also to take their lectures for most part of themselues as was sayd to get and bring their lectures more surely and sooner then by the masters teaching alone as a little experience will shewe 9 To construe and parse their lectures out of the English as out of the Latine which is a continuall making latine as we heard and so to read their lectures first in the naturall order then as they are in their Authors 10 To bee able to correct their Authors of themselues if they be false printed 11 To keepe all which they haue learned in their Authors so perfectly as to be able in good sort to construe or parse at any time in any place out of the bare translation onely by reading them oft ouer out of the translation 12 To saue all the labour of learning most Authours without booke as all Authors in prose which labour in many schooles is one of the greatest tortures to the poore schollars and cause of impatience and too much seueritie to the Masters though with very little good for most part to be able as it were by playing only reading their Authors out of the English ouer ouer at meet times to haue them much better for all true vse and each good purpose then by all saying without booke to trouble the memorie onely with getting rules of Grammars and the like and such other of most necessary vse as the Poets which also are exceedingly furthered hereby 13 To helpe to proceed as well in our English tonge as in the latine for reading and writing true orthographie to attaine variety and copie of English words to expresse their mindes easily and vtter any matter belonging to their Authors And so in time to come to proprietie choise and puritie aswell in our English as in the Latine 14 To learne the propriety of the Latine tongue as they goe forward to bee able to iustifie each phrase and in time to remember words and phrases for almost whatsoeuer they haue learned and where Also by reading Tully and other purer Authors constantly out of such translations first Grammatically then Rhetorically to attaine to make a more easie entrance to that purity of the Latine tongue wherof sundry great learned men haue giuen precepts then by precepts alone and much more by ioining precepts and this practice together 15 By the translations of the Poets as of Ouid and Virgil to haue a most plain way into the first entrance into versifying to turne the prose of the Poets into the Poets owne verse with delight certainty and speed without any bodging and so by continuall practice to grow in this facilitie for getting the phrase and veine of the Poet. 16 To be as was noted not only insteed of Masters or Vshers to giue each lower lecture perfectly for all the substance but also to be after insteed of their owne presence or of Dictionaries in euery one of those fourmes continually to direct them vntill euery one of the fourm can construe parse make the same latine and proue it Heereby both to free the children from that feare which they will haue ordinarily to go to their Masters for euery word and also to free the Masters from that trouble and hindrance to tell them euery word so oft as they forget and the vexation and fretting to see the childrens dulnesse and forgetfulnesse For the helpe of the Master or Vsher in the meane time what it ought to bee wee shall see after in the vse of these 17 Hereby schollars hauing been well entered and exercised in their lower Authors shall be able to proceede to their higher Authors ex tempore and goe on with ease by the assistance of the Master where they need and by the helpe of Commentaries that they may be thus inabled to construe any Author and bee fitted for the studies of the Vniuersitie at their first entrance thither 18 These will be also a helpe to many weaker Schoolemasters for right and certaine construction without so oft seeking Dictionaries for English and proprietie of words and so for parsing and all
to see that they goe right and where the construer sticketh or goeth amisse to call him backe to the rule and wish the rest to helpe to finde it out by the same rule And when al the fourme are at a stand and none of them can beat it out then onely he who hath the booke to do it as the cunning Hunts-man to helpe a little at the default to point and to direct them where to take it and thus so many to construe ouer or so oft vntill all of them can construe In the mean time your selfe or Vsher in the middest both to haue an eye to them that they take this course and also to helpe yet further where neede is And after the taking of the Lecture to note out vnto them al the difficult or new wordes in their Lecture to examine and direct them for the parsing of them and also to cause each of the fourme to marke out those wordes to take speciall paines in them to make them perfect aboue all the rest because they haue learned the rest before and haue but so many new wordes to get in that Lecture 4 According to the order as they construe cause them to parse as we shewed eyther looking vpon the Authour or vpon the Translation alone But I finde it farre the surer and better in al who are able both to construe and parse out of the Translation because thereby they are learning continually both to make and proue their Latine and so doe imprint both the matter and Latine more firmely in their memory So also all of ability to construe and parse onely out of the Translation when they come to say and out of it to giue the reason of euery thing This they will doe most readily with a little practice 5 To the end that they may may keepe all their Authors perfectly which they haue learned which is thought of many almost impossible and doth indeed so much incourage young Schollars and grace the Schooles when they can doe it let them but vse this practice Euery day after that they haue said their Lectures cause each fourme which vse these translations to goe immediately to construing ouer all which they haue learned each day a peece euery one a side of a leafe or the like in order vntill they haue gone through all construing it only out of the translation to spend an houre or more therein as time will permit one or two who sit next vnto the construer to looke on the Translation with him to helpe where hee sticketh the rest to looke on their Authours Appoint withall some of the Seniors of the fourme to examine shortly the harde wordes of each page as they goe I meane those wordes which they marked when they learned them And when they become perfect in construing out of the English cause them for more speedy dispatch but onely to reade their Authours into Latine forth of the Translation first in the Grammaticall order after as they are in the Author They will thus soone runne ouer all which they haue learned without the least losse of time for this will be found the best bestowed time to keepe perfectly that which they haue gotten And what they can so construe or reade out of the English into Latine they can also doe it out of the Latine into English ordinarily Then as they waxe perfect in that which they haue learned and grow a little to vnderstanding they may practice of themselues by the same meanes to reade ouer the rest of their Authour which they learned not or some easie Authour which they haue not read as first Corderius or the like by the helpe of the same translations first to construe ex tempore amongst themselues after to reade out of the Translations according to the same manner as they did in that which they haue learned wherein they will do more then you will easily beleeue vntill you see experience After this as they come to higher fourmes and more iudgement they may be appointed likewise to reade ex tempore some other Authour whereof they haue the Translation to direct them and that both out of the Authour into English first after the Grammaticall manner and then in a good English stile afterwards out of the English into Latine both wayes both in Grammaticall order and after in Composition according to the Authour And within a time that they haue beene thus exercised they will be able to doe this almost as easily and readily as that which they haue learned I finde Tullies sentences and Tully de natura Deorum with Terentius Christianus to be singular books to this purpose for the best vses By this meanes it must come to passe by daily practice that they shall attaine to the phrase stile Composition of any Authour which they vse to reade oft ouer to make it their owne euen of any peece of Tully himselfe as was said much sooner then can be imagined vntill triall be made though this must needes require meet time For what thing of any worth can be obtained but by time industry continuall practice much lesse such copy choyse propriety and elegancy as Tully doth affoord Obiections against the vse of Translations in Schooles answered Spoud AS you haue shewed me the benefites which may come by Grammaticall Translations and also how to vse them that Schollars may attaine the same so giue me leaue to propound what doubts I may suspect concerning the same for the present and moe hereafter as I shall make triall of them Phil. Very willingly for I doe desire to finde out all the inconueniences that can be imagined which may comeby by them but for mine owne part I can finde none if they be vsed according to the former direction and yet I haue done what I could to finde out whatsoeuer euils might be to follow of them Obiect whatsoeuer you can I thinke I am able plainly to answere it and to satisfie you fully in euery point Spoud I will therefore deale plainly with you in what I can conceiue for the present Obiect 1. Translations in Schooles haue not bin found to bring any such benefite but rather much hurt and therfore the best and wisest Schoole-masters haue not beene wont to suffer any of them amongst their Schollars Phil. I will first answere you for the benefites That it is true indeede that these vses and benefites cannot bee made of any other Translation of any one of our Schoole Authours The reasons are euident first because none of the Translators haue followed nor so much as propounded to themselues to follow this Grammaticall rule in Translating which you see is the meane foundation of all true construing parsing making and trying Latine and of all these benefites to keepe Schollars to goe surely Secondly none of them which I know haue laboured to expresse the propriety and force of the Latine in the first and
with and of being able to cast the words into the naturall order Yet besides these and the assistance of the Master where need is they may vse also these helpes following 1 The best and easiest Commentaries of the hardest and most crabbed Schoole Authors as M. Bonde vpon Horace who hath by his paines made that difficult Poet so easie that a very childe which hath been well entred and hath read the former Schoole Authors in any good manner may go thorough it with facilitie except in very few places Of him it were to be wished for his singular dexteritie in making that difficult Poet plaine in so few words that he would take the like paines in the rest of that kinde as in Persius and Iuvenall for the great benefit of Schooles Or that som other would do it following his example Next vnto him of those which I haue seene are these Murmelius Buschius vpon Persius a double Commentarie the one shortly expressing the matter and beating out the sense meaning the other the words Lubin also vpon Persius and Iuvenal is much commended For short comments and annotations of Virgil there may be vsed Ramus vpon the Eclogues Georgicks Also the Virgils printed with H. Stephens annotations and with Melancthons 2 Where they haue no help but the bare Author that they must coÌ„strue wholly of themselues cal vpon them oft to labour to vnderstand keep in fresh memory the Argument matter drift of the place which they are to coÌ„strue which matter they may either find prefixed generally before the beginning of the treatises or chapters in the ArgumeÌ„ts or else they are to demand the vnderstanding in general of the Master or examiner what the matter of the place is or what it about Otherwise many places may trouble the greatest schollars at the first sight 3. To consider wel of all the circumstances of each place which are coÌ„prehended most of them in this plaine verse Quis cui causa locus quo tempore prima sequela That is who speaks in that place what he speaks to whom he speakes vpon what occasion he speaks or to what end where he spake at what time time it was what went before in the sentences next what followeth next after This verse I would haue euery such schollar to haue readily and alwaies to thinke of it in his construing It is a very principall rule for the vnderstanding of any Author or mattâ—r whatsoeuer 4 In all hard words or phrases let them first call to remembrance where they haue learned them or the primitiue word whereof they come or some words neere vnto them or otherwise to search them out by inquiring of the Master Vsher or som follow or of the Dictionaries which they ought to haue euer at hand And in construing their own Authors let them remember that generall precept to marke the newe words with a line vnder them as was aduised before that they may oft go ouer them or if they feare they cannot so remember them to write them in their books ouer the word or in the margents ouer against the words in a fine small hand it will not hurt their bookes or for sauing their books let euery one haue a little paper booke and therein write onely all the new and hard words as was obserued generally to bee very perfect in those each way by oft reading ouer and so they shal come on very fast hauing those as I said they haue all So that these things obserued shall accomplish your desire 1. Consider and way wel the generall matter argument 2. Marke all the hard words in their proper significations 3. Keepe in mind that verse of the circumstances of places Quis cui c. 4. Cast and dispose the words in the proper Grammaticall order 5. See that nothing bee against sense nothing against Grammar but if either the sense be absurd or construction against Grammar cast it and try it another way vntill you find it out Finally giue me leaue to adde this before wee end this matter of construing That all these kinds of construing or rather of expounding and expressing their minds may be vsed by schollars of ripenesse and with much profit 1 According to the bare words in their first signification and in the naturall order plainly 2 According to the sense to expresse the mind of the Author with vnderstanding 3 More elegantly in finenesse of words and phrase 4 Paraphrastically by exposition of words and matter more at large to make as it were a Paraphrase of it And to do this last in good Latine where they are of ability Spoud Sir you haue satisfied me at large for all this matter of coÌ„struing now I pray you let vs come to parsing and the manner of it which followeth next that I may haue your helpe therein For this hath beene no lesse wearinesse and vexation vnto me then the construing hath beene Phil. Before we come to parsing let me also tell you this one thing That besides my Schollars ordinary Lectures and repeating daily some part of that which they haue learned in the lower fourmes I finde very great good in causing them euery day in each fourme to construe a peece of their Authours where they haue not learned and that ex tempore aside or a leafe at a time as leisure will permit hearing them eyther my selfe or by some other very sufficient how they can doe it and posing onely some hard things as they goe forward noting also the harder wordes and more difficult places as was shewed Also in those bookes where of they haue Translations I cause them by course sometimes to construe or reade the same out of the Translations as at other times to reade out of the Authour into English according to the maner of the Translation Spoud This must needes bee exceeding profitable I likewise will put it in practice forthwith if God will and do heartily thanke you for imparting it vnto me But now if you haue done to the matter of parsing Phil. Let me heare of you what course you haue vsed therein and I will supply whatsoeuer I can CHAP. IX Of Parsing and the kindes thereof and how children may parse of themselues readily and surely Spoud FOr parsing I haue followed the common course which is this so farre as I haue seene or heard viz. To parse ouer all my yongest euery word and euen in the same order as the words doe stand in their Authours teaching them what part of speech euery word is how to decline them and so all the questions belonging thereunto and what each word is gouerned of the rules for euerything and the like Herein after long and much labour I haue found very little fruite through the hardnesse of it and the weakenesse of the childrens memories to carie away that which I tolde them much lesse haue I beene able to
you spake of before that I may enter my children with ease and delight both to my selfe and to them and also surely without danger of making false Latine or barbarous phrase I shall further acknowledge my selfe to haue receiued yet a greater benefite then in all the former And aboue all if you can direct me how by that time that they haue beene not two yeares onely but three or foure yeares in construction they may be able to make true Latine and pure Tully in ordinary morall matters For I my selfe haue hardly beene able to cause my children to doe this at fourteene or fifteene yeares of age nor then to warrant that which they haue done neyther doe I thinke that it is much otherwise in our ordinary Schooles Phil. I shall willingly satisfie your request hereein likewise and shew you what I haue found onely let me see as before what course your selfe haue taken to enter your children Spoud I haue taken that course which I thinke is commonly practiced in Schooles I haue giuen them vulgars or Englishes such as I haue deuised to be made in Latine and at the first entrance I haue taught and heard them how to make euery word in Latine word by word according to their rules After a while I haue onely giuen them such vulgars and appointed them a time against which they should bring them made in Latine and at the perusing aâ—â— examining of them I haue beene wont to correct them sharply for their faults in writing and for their negligence and so haue giuen them new Englishes and it may bee I haue told them the Latine to the hardest words This is the course that I haue followed Phil. Our learned Schoole-master M. Askam doeth not without cause tearme this the butcherly feare of making Latines For to omit the trouble to the Master and that it will require a ready wit to giue variety of such vulgars to the children and also that it will aske good learning and iudgement to direct them to make not onely true Latine but pure phrase withall what a terrour must this needes be vnto the young Schollar who feares to be corrected for euery fault and hardly knoweth in any thing what to make vpon sure and certaine grounds But for the way this I finde the shortest surest and easiest both to Master and schollar and which will certainely effect whatsoeuer hath bin said and that Master and Schollar may proceede cheerefully and boldly to iustifie what they doe 1. See that your schollar be very cunning in his Accedence and Grammar as hee goeth forward and chiefly in Nownes and Verbes to be able to giue each case of a Nown and euery tense and person of a Verbe both Latine to English and English to Latine as I wished you and shewed the manner before at least by the perfect knowledge of the terminations of them 2. Besides the construing and parsing their lectures without booke in the lowest fourmes or out of the English translation accustom your selfe in examining the lectures of your first enterers to do all after the manner of making Latine as it were causing them euery day to make the Latine of their lectures and giue a reason why each word must be so and not otherwise their bookes being shut I set you downe the manner before in the vse of the Grammaticall rule for making Latine in that example Aptissima omnino sunt c. Yet to repeate you a word or two for your little ones take that first sentence Amicis opitulare when you haue made them to vnderstand the meaning and examined it so as was shewed Aske but thus How can you make this in Latine Helpe friends How say you Helpe thou A. Opitulare Q. Opitulare like what A. Like Amare amator be thou loued So all the questions for parsing Then aske why is it helpe thou and not be thou helped as Amare amator be thou loued He answereth because it is a Verbe Deponent and signifieth Actiuely to help and not to be helped After aske the next word Q. Whom must you help A. Our friends Q. How say you friends A. Amicis Q. What is Amicis like A. Magistris So the questions of declining and the like Then aske why not amici nor amicos the Accusatiue case after the verb. A. Because the Verb Opitulor to help wil haue a Datiue case by that rule of the Datiue To profit or disprofit c. These may be insteede of all vulgars or Latines both for ease delight and certainty to your selfe and the childe and so you may euer haue the Author to warrant both Latine and phrase 3 Next vnto this that continuall beating out and reading their Authors both lectures and repetitions out of the translations is continual making Latine thus as I said in the vse of the translations that children will come on very fast for propriety choise variety of the best words phrase matter and sentences of their Authors to begin to haue a storeâ— house in themselues of all copie as I haue obserued 4 After the former practiced for a time you may chuse some sentences which they haue not learned and cause them to make those either some out of this booke of Sentences or any other of like easie morall matter and then let them begin to write downe that which they make in Latine This manner I find to be most easie and speedy for children at their first entrance wherby they may profit in English Latine Writing true and faire and all vnder one labor Let them haue their paper books in octauo of the one side to write the English which you giue them on the other to set the Latine directly ouer against it and word for word To this end cause them to rule their bookes both sides at once or at least the lines of one side directly against the other their lines a good distance asunder that they may interline any thing if they misse any word or for copie and varietie to be set ouer the head if you will On the first side toward the right hand in which the English is to be set to leaue a lesse margent on the other side for the Latine a greater margent because the Latine may bee written in a lesse space then the English and also to write all the hard words in the margent of the Latine the Nominatiue case of the Nowne and the first person of the Verbe if so you please Then cause so many as are to write Latine together hauing books pen inke and copie before them and euery thing so fitted to write as you speake so faire as possibly they can Herein you are to dictate or deliuer vnto them word by word the English of the sentence which you would haue them to turne into Latine to do it according to the manner of the Grammaticall translation euery word in that order in propriety of English answering the Latine as
neer as you can Also you are to vtter each word leasurely and treatably pronouncing euery part of it so as euery one may write both as fast as you speake and also faire and true together And to the end to helpe for writing true Orthographie besides the former knowledge of spelling as they are writing cause euerie one in order to spell his 2. or 3. words together speaking vp that all his fellowes may heare may goe on in writing as fast as he spels and you speake Those who can write faster to take paines to write fairer your selfe also to walke amongst them in the meane time to see that euery one of them write true faire and to shew them their faults by pointing them to their copies and vsing like directions mentioned in the helps of writing of which I spake before After when they haue thus set down the English cause euery one in the like order to make his word or two in latin after the maner which was shewed before for making latine the very words of the Author in the natural or Grāmatical order cause them al to write the same words as he speaks vnless any of them be able to make it before of themselues who may correct as they heare their fellowes to make it Cause also euery one to spel the words which he hath made in Latine like as they did in English so as all may heare go surely in writing true Orthography in Latine likewise And when they haue done a sentence or so much as you thinke good for a time then cause them to the end to commit it the better to memorie to trie which of them can repeate the soonest without booke that which they haue made First saying the English sentence then giuing it in Latine or construing it without booke which all of them who are apt will doe presently or with a very little meditation Or which is shortest of all appoint them folding their bookes to looke only on the English and read or construe it into Latine Or on the Latine to reade or construe it into English Thus as time will permit By this meanes you shall haue a certaine direction in all things both for your selfe and your schollar to goe truely and surely both for propriety Latine phrase and whatsoeue◠you can desire By this exercise also your schollar shall get both Writing English and Latine all vnder one And therefore an howre may bee well imployed daily in this exercise And to imprint this yet better you may cause them the next morning at shewing their exercise made that night to repeate together with it that againe which they thus made the day before if time permit Either some one to repeate all or moe euery one a peece or as time will permit but all to be able to do it as they are called forth Through this also they shall from the first entrance get audacity and vtterance with good matter which will bring the Latine with it Spoud But how shall they doe for composing or right placing of their words which you know is a principal matter in writing pure Latine Phil. I would haue them first for a time exercised in this plaine naturall order for this is that which Grammar teacheth and then to compose or place finely which belongeth to Rhetorick after As first to write well in prose before they beginne in verse so in prose to goe vpright and strongly before they learne to go finely and as M. Askam speaketh first to goe before they learne to dance But for entring them into composition thus you may do 1 When they haue made it in the naturall order onely reade vnto them how Tully or the Authour whom their sentence is taken of it doth place it and some reason of his varying and cause them to repeat both wayes first as they haue written after in composition 2 After that they haue beene practiced a while in the former plaine manner you may make them to doe thus Cause their bookes to be ruled in three columnes in the first to write the English in the second the Latine verbatim in the third to write in composition to try who can come the neerest vnto the Authour Spoud Although I take it that I do conceiue your meaning in all and do see an euident reason of euerything yet because examples do most liuely demonstrate any matter I pray you set me downe one example hereof and shew me what Authour you thinke most fit to gather the sentences forth of Phil. In stead of your Authour I thinke and finde Tullies sentences the fittest and of those sentences to make choise of such in euery Chapter as are most easie and familiar to the capacity of the children This booke I doe acount of all other to bee the principall the Latine of Tully being the purest and best by the generall applause of all the Learned and because that booke is as a most pleasant posie composed of all the sweete smelling flowers picked of purpose out of all his workes that one booke together with the bookes which the children haue or doe learne shall also helpe to furnish them with some sentences contayning some of the choysest matter and wordes belonging to all morall matters whatsoeuer whether to vnderstand write or speake thereof that they shall bee able to goe forward with much ease and delight first in it and then in the other sentences adioyned to it or what exercise you shall thinke fitte For an example take these little sentences which heere follow as they are set downe in the first Chapter of Tullies sentences De Deo eiusque natura dictating the words to them plainly as the children may most readily make them in Latine In their little paper bookes they may write the English on the first side with the hard Latine wordes in the Margent the Latine on the other ouer against it in two columns the first plaine after the Grammar order the later placed after the order of the Authour your selfe may make the wordes or phrases plaine to them as they are set in the margent An Example of Dictating in English and setting downe both English and Latine and the Latine both plainly and elegantly Dictating according to the naturall order Ordo Grammaticus Ordo Ciceronianus No man hath been euer great without verb some diuine inspiration Nemo fuit vnquam magnus sine afflatu aliqu◠Diuino Nemo magnus sine aliquo afflatu diuino vnquam fuit 2. de Natura Deor. There is nothing which God cannot effect and truely without any labour Est nihil quod Deus non possit efficere quidem sine labore vllo Nihil est quod Deus efficere non possit quidem sine labore vllo 3. de Nat. Deor. GOD cannot be ignorāt of what minde euery one is Deus non potest ignorare qua mēte quisque sit Ignorare Deus non potest qua
quisque mente sit 2. de Diuinatione In these examples all is very plaine except that in the first sentence we say so translate in our English tongue some diuine inspiration according as it is more elegantly in Latine the Adiectiues vsually before the Substantiues and not inspiration some diuine which would bee very harsh and so likewise after without any labour although in the Grammaticall order in the Latine the Substantiue is to be set before the Adiectiue as the childe is to beginne to make the Substantiue in Latine before the Adiectiue and to make the Adiectiues to agree vnto or to bee framed according to the Substantiues as we haue shewed in the rules obserued in the Grammaticall translations If you thinke this course ouer tedious to write both waies in Latine then let them turne it only into the naturall order thus verbatim by pen afterwards in the repeating that which they haue made ask of them how Tully would place each word and to giue you reasons thereof and then to reade the sentence in the booke vnto them so by the book and some rules to direct them how to proceede For further practice in translating amongst all the higher after they grow in some good sort to write true Latine verbatim according to the former kinde of translating let them still write down the English as you dictate it or out of a translation and trie who can come neerest vnto Tully of themselues composing at the first and then after examine their exercises bringing them to the Authour For preuenting of stealing or any helpe by the Latine booke if you doubt thereof you may both cause them to write in your presence and also make choise of such places which they know not where to find If you catch any one writing after another and so deceyuing both himselfe and you correct him surely who suffereth him to steale For going on faster dispatching more in translating beside their writing so you may only aske them the words or phrases in English how they can vtter them in Latine and then let them giue them in Latine euery one his piece first naturally after placing each sentence Thus to goe through daily a side or a leaf at a time or as leasure wil serue Besides these this may be a most profitable course as they proceed to cause them to translate of themselues Esops Fables or Tullies sentences or the like into plaine naturall English so as was shewed and to cause them the next day for their exercise to bring the same thus in English to be able without book first to make a report of it striuing in the Fables who shall tell his tale in best words manner then to reade it into the Latin of the Author out of the English and be able to proue it and where they haue read the hard words And after all these to trie if your leasure will serue how they can report the same in Latine eyther in the words of the Authour or otherwise as they can of themselues which all who are pregnant and will take paines will be able to doe very readily by this you shall finde a great increase Lastly this is yet the most speedy and profitable way of all as my experience doth assure me to cause them to reade ex tempore some easie Author daily out of the translation into the Latine of the Author or out of the Author into English first plainly then artificially And to this purpose I haue translated as I shewed Corderius Dialogues whose latin you know to be most easie familar and pure and also Terentius Christianus with Tullies sentences to helpe hereunto For further translating or turning any Author or piece of Author or other matter into Latine if it be difficult direct your Schollars to resolue the speech into the naturall order of the words so neere as they can Secondly if there be any phrase which they cannot expresse to resolue expresse it by some other easier words phrase of speech with which they are better acquainted to do it by Periphrasis that is moe words if need be Besides for such English words which they know not to giue Latin vnto let them vse the help of some Dictionary as Holyoke or Barret Holyoke is best wherein the proper words and more pure are first placed In all such translating either English or Latine this is carefully to bee obserued euer to consider well the scope and drift of the Author the circumstances of the place and to labour to expresse liuely not only the matter but also the force of each phrase so neere as the propriety of the tongue will permit But for all this matter of translating that practice of reading the English out of the Authors and the Authors backe againe out of the translations shall fully teach it so far as it concerneth the schollar for propriety getting of the tongues For translating any Latine Author into English only to expresse the sense and meaning of it the sense drift of the Latine Author is principally to be obserued and not the phrase nor propriety of the tongue to bee so much sought to bee expressed or stucken vnto The like may be said for the Latine But this kind of translating into Latine is only for such schollars as are wel grounded thorough long exercise practice in the former kind of Grāmatical translation and in Tullies or their Authors phrase Spoud I hope I vnderstand you right and doe like very wel of all so far as I conceiue Only let me intreate you as in the former to rehearse the principall heads briefly concerning this matter Phil. This is the sum of all for this entrance in making and writing Latine 1. Readiness in their rules chiefly in examples of Nownes and Verbes 2. Making their owne lectures into Latine daily 3. Continuall reading or repeating lectures and all their Authors which they haue learned out of the Grammaticall translations into the Latine of the Authors 4. Translating into Tullies Latine out of a perfect Grāmaticall translation or as the English is so dictated vnto them reading or repeating the same out of the English into Latine And lastly out of the natural order into the order of Tully 5. Translating into English Grammatically of themselues and reading forth of the English into the Latine of the Author or writing it downe By these means constantly practiced they wil soone be able to make write or vtter any ordinary morall matter in pure and good phrase especially if the matter be deliuered vnto them in the naturall order of the words Make triall and I doubt not but you will not onely confirme it but still find out more for the common good CHAP. XI Of the Artificiall order of composing or placing the words in prose according to Tully and the purest Latinists Spoud BVt
these euils could be auoided As I said of Macropedius for Epistles so I may here that this way of entring your schollars is hard enough to many a Schoolemaster thus to follow euery part of the Theame and those places of Apthonius to inuent matter and reasons to proue and illustrate euery thing and to do it in a good stile That which is said of Epistles that children must be acquainted by reading with matter phrase fit for Epistles before they can euer bee fit to make such Epistles is much more true concerning both theames and verses inasmuch as the matter of them is harder being of such things as they haue neuer read of nor been any way acquainted with or at least very little Besides to follow the Logicke places in Apthonius in a Philosophical discourse doth require both some insight in Logick and reading in such Authors as haue written of such morall matters And therfore herein many a Master deserues rather to be beaten then the schollar for driuing the childe by cruelty to doe that which he himself can see no reason how the poor child should be able to do it It must of necessitie either driue the schollar to vse all deuises to leaue the schoole or else cause him to liue in a continual horror hatred of learning and to account the schoole not Ludus literarius but carnificina or pistrînum literarium Spoud I acknowledge it too true which you haue said I pray you therfore shew me your best aduise experience how to free my selfe my children from these euils that I may both so enter them in these also draw them on after as not to discourage them in this maner nor bee driuen to vse the like sharpnesse any more Phil. Herein I my self am desirous to be a learner as in all the rest Although too much experience hath cōpelled me to seek out all meanes to redress this notwithstanding also that I haue euer been afraid of vsing cruelty in my schoole And the rather haue I bin careful to seek out the easiest and plainest way that I might allure draw on my schollars in this exercise as in all other to proceed as in a scholasticall play with vnderstanding loue and delight So much as I haue attained I shall willingly impart vnto you 1. We are to consider what is the end purpose of their making Theams and then to bethink our selues which way they may the soonest attaine vnto the same The principal end of making Theams I take to be this to furnish schollars with al store of the choisest matter that they may therby learne to vnderstand speake or write of any ordinary Theame Morall or Politicall such as vsually fall into discourse amongst men in practice of life and especially cōcerning vertues vices So as to work in themselues a greater loue of the vertue and hatred of the vice and to be able with soundnesse of reason to draw others to their opinion The best means to effect this most soone and surely are these so far as yet I know 1. To see that by perfect learning oft repeating they be very readie in their first Authors which they learned of such morall matters as their Sententiae Cato Esopsfables For some one or mo of these haue the grounds of almost euery Theam which is meet to be propounded to schollars to write on So that by these they shal be furnished with the iudgements of may Wisemen what is truth what is false in most matters with som words to expresse their minds and also some reasons as with the sentences or testimonies of the wisest Similitudes or Apologues in Aesop and some graue reasons out of Cato which they may cal to mind All these may be done by the courses set downe before and as soon as the bare learning of the cōstruing parsing alone 2. Add to these the oft reading ouer of Tullies sentences out of the Gram. translations the sentences of the other Authors adioined with the same As also the reading them forth of Latine into a good English stile Thus yoush I find by experience that after that children are perfect in their first schoole Authors they wil also read this book of themselues by the help of the translatiō alone to go ouer ouer it euery day thus reading a peece of it amongst thēselues with little or no hindring any of their school exercises 3. To the end that they may haue presidents and patterns for Theams like as they had for their Epistles and for making Latin some book is to be chosen which is written to this purpose and such a one as is most easie both for the sweetest Latine and choisest matter These presidents are of two sorts some are to furnish them still with more variety of the best matter others for the whole forme and frame of the Theame Of the first sort for singular matter notably compact together Reusners Symbola doth seeme to me most familiar and plaine wherein the Poesies or sentences of the seuerall Emperors both Italian Greek and Germane are handled As these Artem quaeuis terra alit Apex Magistratus authoritas Bonus dux bonus comes Bonis nocet qui parcet malis Cedendum multitudini Festma lentè and the like This book I take to be a very worthie booke to traine vp young Gentlemen and all others whom we would haue to become wise men good Common-wealths men It is full of most singular precepts and instructions concerning dueties and vertues and for framing and ordering the whole course of our life and managing all our affaires with wisedome safetie and commendations So as any one may receiue many wise directions for all occasions of life and withall much sweete delight in it And for this matter of Theames it is fraughted full of the graue testimonies and sentences of many of the auncientest wisest and most experienced all fitly applyed without any matter to corrupt or offend and in a most familiar easie and pleasing stile The manner of the vse of it for the first enterers into Theames where they haue bookes and the Teacher would specially apply them to Theames and that they haue time enough may be this To take the Poesies or Theams of it in order or if any of them seeme ouer hard for childrens capacities in regard of the matter of them to make choyse of the most easie and familiar first to reade vnto them euery night a peece of a Theame of it as a side of a leafe or more or lesse according to the abilities of their Schollars In reading first to make the Theame or generall matter of it very plaine vnto them They are commonly expounded for the sum of them vnder the Poesie in verse or with som short glosse or both Afterwards to shew your Schollars the chiefe reasons and sentences as you do reade and in what words
which doth much delight it shal not be amisse to peruse before in the phrase book the principall wordes or phrases which concerne that Theame and how many wayes they may be vttered at least the Master when hee tryeth his Schollars in this extemporall faculty if hee bee not a ready and perfect Latinist may haue the phrase booke by him to looke euery hard phrase which they cannot vtter well and how they may vary it diuers wayes Spoud But to the end that schollars may be sure euer to haue store of matter or to finde of a sudden where to turne to fit matter for euery Theame what doe you thinke of Common-place bookes of such morall matters that euery schollar should haue his Common-place booke written Phil. I do account them a great help where the schollars haue leasure and iudgement to gather them I meane to gleane out all the choyse sentences and matter in the best Authours Or because that that is ouer-great a toyle and requires more iudgement then can bee looked for in so young yeares if they had but only bookes of References it would be exceeding profitable to wit such Common-place bookes as did but only containe the generall heads of matter and then the Quotations of three or foure of the chiefe Authours as Reusner Erasmus Adages Tullies sentences or some other setting downe the booke and the page where to turn of a sudden to any such matter in them This would ease them of much searching and make schollars to do such exercises much sooner and with farre greater commendations like as it is in Diuinity Law Physick and whatsoeuer other Artes. Thus they may vse the matter of the best Authors going farre beyond the matter which the wit of any childe can conceiue sith that those bookes haue in them the choysest sayings of the very wisest of all ages although they are stil to adde whatsoeuer they can inuent of their owne braine so it be wittily and pithily Such a book of References wel gathered and made publicke would much further young schollars herein Spoud I see well how they may be furnished for store of matter yet for choyse of good wordes and phrase to haue copie and variety euer ready at hand I make some doubt how they may be furnished for it is a toyle to goe euer to turne to phrase bookes neyther can they haue time when they are to speake ex tempore Phil. Take no care for that store of matter being thus gotten as I haue shewed wil bring words yet to haue copie of Synonymaes good phrase besides their Authours made perfect other helps mentioned Calliepeia translated in propriety read one while out of Latin into English another while out of English into Latin after trying how to vary both in English and Latin will help very much to furnish with copie both English and Latine Hereof I haue known som experience A little triall will soon coÌ„firm this There may be also other helpes forvarying as the rules in Erasmus de Capâ—a in Macropedius and others and more specially some select phrases to seuerall purposes noted in Erasmus de Copia Spoud But what say you concerning Orations what course doe you thinke fittest to bee able to performe them with commendations Phil. I take them to belong rather to the Vniuersities that there is more seldom vse of them in schooles and then also to be performed by schollars growen to som maturity For examples or patterns of Orations wee can haue no better then Tullies Orations wherein are presidents of all sorts In these is the schollar to bee exercised to knowe the nature of them the maner of the loftiness of stile vsed in them Also Turners Orations Muretus or others Though for entrance into them we may follow the exaÌ„ples of praises in Apthonius Chap. 8. Or some other select Orations Yet because in Schooles of special note and where there are auncient schollars sometimes it may bee expected amongst them that some one of them should make an Oration to entertaine a Benefactor or other person of note and it may be to do it ex tempore as their comming is of a sodaine therfore certaine speciall heads of an Oration to that purpose might be euer in readinesse As the commendations of a person for his descent learning loue and countenance of good learning vertue beneficence curtesie fauor towards that place and the like Also for excusing themselues by their tender yeers want of experience and of practice in that kind bashfulnesse timorousnesse and yet their desire to answere the parties loue expectation with presuming vpon their patience and such others To be acquainted also with variety of choise phrases to the same purposes to haue them euer in fresh memory Sp. These courses are very plain in my iudgemeÌ„t yet notwithstanding sith they are of more seldom vse but Theams of daily practice wee are specially to looke vnto them Therfore my weak memory let me heare in two words the sum of all concerning the Theames Phil. This is the sum 1. That they be acquainted with som matter for Theams and easie phrase and so accustomed to write Theames in a plaine manner first following Reusner principally 2. That they learne to handle the Theame more curiously according to Apthonius prosequuting and adorning the seuerall parts thereof making choise of the most excellent patternes 3. That they haue the helps and grounds of inuenting reasons of themselues and do know whereto finde more store of matter and phrase to expresse their mindes and be furnished with helps of the best books 4. Lastly that as in all other exercises they vse continuall practice which makes the hardest things easie and pleasant CHAP. XIIII How to enter to make verses with delight and certaintie without bodging and to traine vp schollars to imitate and expresse Ouid or Virgil both their phrase stile Spoâ—d NOw that wee haue gone thorough all the whole course of writing Latine in prose and the seuerall exercises therof which are requisite in Grammar schooles so far forth as I remember it remaineth that we come to verse wherein I presume of your loue as in all the former not to conceale anything from me but to impart whatsoeuer may helpe to the attaining of that facultie Phil. Though Poetry bee rather for ornament then for any necessary vse and the main matter to be regarded in it is the puritie of phrase and of stile yet because there is very commendable vse of it sometimes in occasions of triumph and reioicing more ordinarily at the funerals of some worthy personages and sometimes for some other purposes it is not amisse to traine vp schollars euen in this kinde also And the rather because it serueth very much for the sharpning of the wit and is a matter of high commendation when a schollar is able to write a smooth and pure verse and to compâ—ehend a great deale of choise
euery one yet to cause euery one to pronounce the Verses which he hath made and as they pronounce to shew them their faults and then cause them to correct them after Thus haue I shewed you my iudgement also for examining of exercises CHAP. XVI How to answere any needefull question of Grammar or Rhetoricke Spoud WEll good Sir you see how bolde I am to require your iudgment in euery mater wherin I find difficulty now to return to the brief again of those things which you affirmed might be done for learning This I remember was another point which cannot but greatly commend a schollar to bee able to answere any difficult question of Grammar euen beside those which are in the rules which are commonly learned and also how to oppose or dispute schollar-like in Latine of any good Grammar question as both what may be obiected against Lillies rules and how to defend them I pray you let mee heare of you how this may be done and what is the most speedy way which you know hereunto Phil. The plainest shortest and surest way I finde to be this 1 See that they be very ready in all the vsuall and ordinary questions of Grammar by daily examining at Parts 2 For most of the rest fit for young schollars I haue gathered them for the vse of mine owne schollars and set them together after the end of the Accedence Questions yet so as I haue sorted and referred euery Question to the right place whither it appertaines as to the Noune Pronoune Participle and so the seuerall heads thereof When as young schollars waxe perfect in all the former which are in the Accedence then a little paines in teaching them these making them plain vnto them and examining them some halfe side at time in stead of the time spent before in examining the former will very soone make them as ready in these also 3 After these you may if you please goe through the questions of Grammatica and make them plaine examining them in Latin and so through all the necessary questions which are scattered here and there through the whole Grammar directing them to marke out the questions or the speciall wordes wherein the questions are and how to be propounded that they themselues may oppose one another or one to oppose all as neede is But this as you shall thinke necessary and so as it do not hinder better studies 4 You may runne through the questions in M. Stockwoods disputations of Grammar as they are commonly noted in the Margents but onely propounding the question in few words both English and Latine as need requires and teaching them to answere in a word or two By going through these they may be able to answere all or most of those which are set together in the end of his disputations wherein he hath with marueilous paines and diligent obseruation collected a very great part of the difficulties of all Classicall Authours and in the last Edition noted the words in the Margents in which the difficulty in each sentence is What other are wanting in these may be answered by them being of like nature 5 To giue a further light and that nothing may bee wanting for my children I haue adioyned vnto the later end of all the Accedence questions which I spake of certain generall figures vnto some of which many of the difficulties of all auncient Authours both those in Stockewood and others may be referred or else vnto those figures set downe in the Grammar and Rhetoricke For answering the questions of Rhetoricke you may if you please make them perfect in Talaeus Rhetorick which I take to be most vsed in the best Schooles onely to giue each definition and distribution and some one example or two at most in each Chapter and those of the shortest sentences out of the Poets so that they can giue the word or words wherein the force of the rule is And so to proportion all other questions accordingly To this end the wordes wherein the force of the examples consist would bee marked as in the Grammar and that not onely in some one or two examples in euery Chapter which they are to haue perfect without booke but also in euery example through the booke to be able to apply any Claudius Minos Commentary may bee a good helpe to make Talaeus Rhetoricke most plaine both for precepts and examples If your Schollar after he hath read these doe but vse to bee carefull to keepe a short Catalogue in his minde of the names of the Tropes and also Figures and those both of Grammar and Rhetoricke hee shall with practice of examination and obseruation be able to tell any of them but repeating the heads in his minde Or in stead of Talaeus you may vse Master Butlars Rhetoricke of Magdalens in Oxford printed in Oxford which I mentioned before being a notable abbridgement of Talaeus making it most plaine and farre more easie to be learned of Schollars and also supplying very many things wanting in Talaeus Both it and the Commentary together are almost as small as Talaeus alone and not a much greater price though the worth be double It is a booke which as I take it is yet very little knowne in Schooles thought it haue beene forth sundry yeares set forth for the vse of Schooles and the vse and benefit will be found to be farre aboue all that euer hath beene written of the same Finally for answering the questions of Tullies Offices M. Brasbridge his questions therof are as short and perspicuous as any of the former Spoud Sir I haue not in truth so much as euer heard of eyther of those bookes as neyther of any almost of those singular helps which you mentioned for Poetry by which apt Schollars cannot choose but become excellent Poets Phil. Thereby may appeare what a generall want here is amongst vs when God hath giuen so many worthy helpes whereby we and our Schollars may attaine so readily the excellency of all learning meet for vs and make all our courses so full of al pleasant and alluring contentment and yet we shall neglect to enquire after them CHAP. XVII Of Grammaticall oppositions how to dispute schollarlike of any Grammar question in good Latine Spoud IT seemeth to be very euident that by these means they may be able to answere any necessarie question meete for them but for those schollar-like oppositions in Grammar questions I heare you to say nothing although it cannot but be a maruellous profitable exercise Phil. It is indeed a profitable exercise and I finde that it may be very easily attained thus 1. About that time when they begin to reade Virgill or before as they are able when they begin to make Theams two of them may be appointed insteed of their Theam or Verses to be made for that mornings exercise to dispute euery day by course The manner of it thus
Lectures to pose euery peece of a rule and euery part of a sentence both in English and Latine as leasure will permit and to cause them to answere both in English and Latine vntill they be able to vnderstand and answere in Latine alone And so both examining in the wordes of their Authors and causing them to answer likewise in the very same words of the Authours they will enter into it with great delight For the particular manner I referre you to the Chapter of examining in Latine which I shewed you before at large and set downe examples of it 2 What they are not able to vtter in Latine vtter you it euer before them that as the childe learneth of the mother or of the nurse to begin to speake so they may of you and of their Authour If you were not able so to vtter euery thing before them as very many are to seeke this way amongst others I meane in this to speake in Latine easily and purely euen in ordinary matters yet this continuall practice of daily examining and teaching your schollars to answere out of the wordes of the Authour as the manner was set down before and watchfulnesse to vse to speake Latine onely amongst all whom you would haue to learne it shall bring you vnto it and much more by the meanes following 3 I doe finde the daily practice also of those Grammaticall translations which I haue so oft mentioned in reading the Latine of the Author out of the translation to be a marueilous helpe heereunto especially the reading of bookes of Dialogues as of Confabulatiunculae pueriles Corderius c. For if there they can presently expresse their mindes in Latine of any such matter as is there handled why shall they not be able to doe it likewise of any such thing falling into their common talke 4 As they learne these Dialogues when they haue construed and parsed cause them to talke together vttering euery sentence pathetically one to another as was shewed in our former speech of pronouncing and first to vtter euery sentence in English as neede is then in Latine So you shall be sure that they shall not goe by rote as we tearme it and as they may do soone if they only repeate the Latine so talking together And moreouer euer thus with the English the Latine will easily come to their remembrance so often as they haue occasion to vse the same 5 The practice mentioned of turning euery morning a peece of their Accedence into Latin for their exercise shall much prepare them to parse and speake in Latine 6 Accustome them to parse wholly in Latine by that time that they haue bin a yeare or two at the most in construction and are well acquainted with the manner of parsidg in English as we aduised before This they will do very readily if you traine them vp well in their Accedence and in the former kindes of examining and exercises which I spake of euen now and more specially by the right continuall apposing of their Grammar rules in Latine Moreouer the Dialogues in the end of the first booke of Corderius Dialogues will much further them in this parsing because they are principally written to this purpose as all his foure bookes are very sweete and pleasant for all ordinary schollars talke 7 Next vnto these I finde the daily practice of disputing or opposing in Latine following the order and vsing the helpe of M. Stockwood to be marueilously profitable for witty and sweet speech 8 Vnto these you may adde the practice of varying of a phrase according to the manner of Erasmus Riuius or Macropedius de copia verborum as the wayes of varying the first Supine of the Imperatiue moode the future tense the Superlatiue degree and the like But these onely as leasure will suffer not hindering the most necessary exercises 9 So also for copie of the purest phrases and Synonimaes besides the daily helpes of all their Authours Manutius or Master Draxe his phrases to see how many wayes they can vtter any thing in good phrase and so to turne to any phrase when they haue occasion And more specially for that practice of the reading them ouâ— of the Grammaticall Translations in propriety as was shewed before of the Dialogues any shall finde to be most easie to furnish with store of the purest phrase for any purpose 10 Besides for the Master to vse oft at taking or saying Lectures or exercises or at their pronouncing or shewing exercises to cause them to giue variety for anything who is able to giue a better word or phrase or to giue the greatest copie to expresse their mindes and where they haue read the wordes or phrase 11 Where none can giue a fit word there to turne their Dictionaries as to Holyokes Dictionary and then to furnish them or to describe the thing by some Periphrasis or circumlocution of words or the phrases mentioned 12 But to the end to haue copie of proper wordes besides all other helpes spoken of it were not vnprofitable to haue daily some few wordes to be repeated first in the morning as out of Adrianus â—unius his Nomenclator or out of the Latine Primitiues or the Greeke Radices the vse whereof I shall shew hereafter and euer for those wordes which they haue learned any one who can soonest to name where they haue learned them Thus by all meanes they should be furnished with propriety and copie of the best words which is a wonderfull helpe to all kinde of learning especially to the knowledge of the tongues 13 To all these may be added for them who haue leasure enough the reading ouer and ouer of Erasmus Colloquium Castalions Dialogues or the like 14 Lastly when you haue layed a sound foundation that they may be sure to haue warrantable and pure phrase by these means or the best of them and all other their schoole exercises then continuall practice of speaking shall vndoubtedly accomplish your desire to cause them to speake truely purely properly and readily Practice in a good way being here as in all the rest that which doth all Spoud These things or but the best of them being constantly practiced cannot but effect marueilous much and very surely chiefly if we could bring them to speake Latine continually from that time that they beginne to parse in Latine but this I haue had too much experience of that without great seuerity they will not be brought vnto but they will speake English and one will winke at another if they be out of the Masters hearing Phil. It is indeed exceeding hard to cause this to bee practiced constantly amongst schollars That is a vsuall custome in Schooles to appoint Custodes or Asini as they are tearmed in some places to obserue and catch them who speake English in each fourme or whom they see idle to giue them the Ferula and to
acquainted with this First for that this booke together with the Hebrew of the Old Testament were written by the Lord himselfe not onely the matter but also euen the very words of them Secondly for that eternall life is onely in these bookes being truely vnderstood and beleeued So that wee may rightly tearme these the Bible or Book of books because all other bookes are but as seruants vnto these and all other are nothing without these for any true good but only to condemnation by leauing men more without excuse Yea euery one who can haue opportunitie should labour to see with his owne eyes for the fulnesse of his assurance rather then to rest on others And much more because there are so many and such malicious slâ—unders against all our translations as that those shamelesse calumniations haue beene a principall meanes to turne many thousand soules after Sathan and Antichrist by causing them to reiect the sacred Scriptures vtterly to their endless perdition and haue beene enough to shake the faith of Gods Elect. Vnder this very pretence of false translations and obscuritie of the Scriptures hath Antichrist principally holden vp his kingdome keeping all in palpable ignorance to be drawen to dumb Idols to murther Princes to lying and all abhominations which himselfe listeth And therefore in these respects it were to bee wished that all schollars who haue any leasure and may come to these studies of Greeke and Hebrew especially they who purpose in time to become teachers of others would doe their indeauours to be as perfect in these two bookes and to haue them as familiarly as euer the auncient Iewes had the Hebrew This cunning in the Text should make them to speake as the words of God indeed with facility authority and power Those also who haue but a little time to bestow in the Greeke would bestow it here for the former reasons and because they may haue good occasion helpe to increase in this continually by the daily vse which they haue of the scriptures wheras they hauing but a smattring insom other Greek Authors and contenting themselues therewith doe come in a short time vtterly to forget all and so all that labour which was taken therin is altogether lost If any doe preferre some other Greek Author for the sweetnesse and purity of the Greek and so will spend their little time â—o that Luke is inferior to none therein by the iudgement of the learned If they look to the excellencie of all wisdom what light is there to the light of the Sunne Also for them who haue a desire to trauel further amongst all the famous Greeke writers for the surpassing humane wisedome to bee found therein this booke once perfectly knowen will make the passage thorough all of them both very direct and plain and also full of all delight and contentment to read al other Authors without any danger In the Greeke Testament to begin at the Gospell of Iohn as being most easie and next vnto that to go through the Gospell of Luke if you please In which two Euangelists most of the history of the Gospell is contained that by them the Euangelists may be soone run thorough And also the Acts Then all the Epistles may be read with speed Spoud I cannot but allowe and like of all these things and principally of reading the Greeke Testament in the first place making it the entrance and another foundation to all the Greek studies But if that could be brought to passe that schollars as they proceeded herein might growe as perfect in the Greeke Testament as it is sayde of the learned Iewes that they were in the bookes of the Olde Testament what a blessing might it bee to the Church of God and what a happinesse to all posterity Phil. Surely I am fully perswaded of it that very much may be done in it and after also in the Hebrew of the Old to come neere vnto them except that that was their natiue language This perswasion I ground partly from that little experience which I haue had in mine owne triall yet sufficient to confirme me by proportion More specially by that which is well knowen in a worthy schoole in London to which I acknowledge my selfe much beholden for that which I haue seene in this behalfe and some other where som of the schollars haue bin able in very good sort to câ—strue and resolue the Greek Testam out of the Latine into Greek wheresoeuer you would set them and to go verie neer to tell you where they had read any speciall word or phrase in it to turn to them And lastly for the euident reasons therof and the agreement of it with som former courses in the Latine wherof I haue a full assurance Spoud I pray you shew me the meanes how Phil. The means are these most easie plain for euery one to teach who hath any Greek and for others to learne 1. That they haue so much knowledge in the Grammar as I shewed chiefly in Nowns and Verbes 2 Besides the Greeke Testament I would haue euery one to haue his English Testament or Latine or both and euer in their entrance before they learne a lesson to haue read it ouer in the translation and to bee able eyther to say it without booke or make a report of it in English or Latine but better to say it without booke euen in the English which with a little reading ouer especially before bedde time those who are of good memories will get quickely This same done with vnderstanding will exceedingly bring the Greeke with it besides that thus they shall haue much opportunity and furtherance to get the English text almost by heart as we tearme it 3. In reading a Lecture to them euer tell them what example each Noune and Verbe is like vnto and for Pronounes Aduerbes and the like if they bee not perfect in Grammar tell them in a word or point them where they are in the Grammar iust after the manner as in the Latine 4 Shew them carefully al the hard words those which they haue not learned and for those which you thinke they cannot remember otherwise or wherin there is need of speciall labour cause euery one to write them in a little paper book made for that purpose with sundry columnes in each page to write at least the Greek word Latin or English in in each Chap. the Verse against them to the end to take most paines in those to run oft ouer them and so euer to see after where they haue had those wordes before And thereby also to account how many new wordes they haue in euery Lecture for all the rest learned before in any place or which are very easie are not to be accounted for any new wordes Thus shall you prouoke and encourage them to more paines when they haue not ouer fiue or sixe new words in a douzen or twenty
Verses and in time happely not two in a Chapter So that they will haue the most of the hard words in a short time and be able easily to proceed of themselues without any reading throgh these other helps following 5 When they learne to construe let them doe it by the helpe of the translation obseruing wherein the translation seemes to differ from the wordes of the Greeke and marking the reason thereof and after to trie of themselues how they can construe looking onely vpon the translation beating the Greeke out of it as formerly they did the Latin Those who are of any aptnesse will doe it presently And thus by practice euery day going a piece and oft reading ouer and ouer they will grow very much to your great joy Spoud But giue me leaue to aske of you two or three doubts 1 Why you would haue them to write down their hard wordes in a booke will not making some markes at the wordes serue as in their Latine Authours according to the generall obseruation Phil. This was obserued before as I remember to mark their hard wordes eyther in their bookes or setting them downe in a paper But here I thinke it to be better thus to write downe the principall First because schollars now will be carefull to keepe their Greeke Testaments faire from blotting or scrauling although a booke were well bestowed to make them perfect in it though it were neuer so marked Secondly beâ—â—use when they are fit to reade Greeke they haue commonly good discretion to keepe their notes and to make vse of them going oft ouer them Spoud But might there not be some other meanes for the getting of the hard wordes aforehand for this must needes be some labour and aske care and diligence thus to write them down Phil. Yes verily if it be looked to in time all these may be so prepared aforehand that most of this labour now may be spared and onely speciall difficulties to be obserued The maner of it is thus That wheras there is nothing in getting any tongue but to get wordes and Grammar for framing and setting those wordes together and afterwards practice I hold it to be farre the speediest course to haue the schollars to haue learned the Greeke Radices or Primitiue words before that they goe to construction or at least to be well acquainted with them This course some famous Grecians haue taken wee may doe it most easily and without any losse of time or very little if any as I haue made triall First hauing gathered the Greeke Radices out of Scapula after the manner of that abbridgement called voces primogeniae I haue heretofore caused such as I haue thought fit to write it out and to bring me a side or so much as I thought good euery morning at my entrance into the Schoole or presently after and so haue vsed to examine those wordes amongst them all once or twice ouer and where they haue learned the principall Latine wordes Of late I haue seene the Greeke Nomenclaton vsed not without fruit though it be vnperfectly gathered The manner of getting the wordes may bee most easie thus Hauing these in this manner with the English adioyned if you would make triall herein when you haue examined a side reade them ouer as much more against the next day reading first the English word then the Latine and Greeke last shewing them some helpe how to remember by comparing the Greeke with the Latine or English and so the English will bring the Latine to remembrance and both of them the Greeke And in examining them to aske them the English word and to cause them to giue both Latine and Greeke together both backeward and forward againe As posing thus How say you I loue He answereth Amo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amo I loue so they will be perfect each way Thus within the space of a twelue moneth they may goe through the whole spending not much aboue a quarter of an houre in a day or half an houre at most of schoole time Those who are diligent may get them in good sort onely as I haue oft admonished making some little pricks or markes at the hardest to runne oft ouer them and when they haue once gone ouer them you may cause them to bring you a leafe at a time or more as those who are apt will doe readily By this meanes besides that they shall learne very many Latine wordes chiefly most of the Primitiues to further them greatly in the Latine and to counteruaile all the time and labour bestowed in them they may also when they come to construction eyther haue euery Radix in their head or turne to it with a wette finger and make it perfect in an instant and thereby haue such a light to all other wordes comming of these as presently by them to conceiue of and remember any word And thus by them and their readinesse in the Grammar to goe on in reading by the helpes mentioned faster then you would imagine For hauing these Radices perfect they will conceiue presently by a little obseruing of what roote euery word commeth and ghesse neere at the significations of them Spoud But how shall I teach my fourmes which haue not learned the Greeke Grammar to reade these Radices Phil. Nothing more easily for I finde by experience that they will learne that presently by knowing but the value and power of the Greeke letters I meane what euery letter signifieth or soundeth in the Latine and so calling them by their names as A. b. g. d. or giuing them their sounds Although if you will the names of the Greeke characters are soone learned but that former course with continuall reading ouer to them before hand so much as you would haue them to learne at once will sufficiently effect it vntill they learne the Grammar In learning these Radices call vpon them oft to marke carefully the accents of each word with the spirits for that will further them exceedingly to accent right when they come to write in Greeke by knowing but the accent of the Primitiue word and a few other rules Right pronouncing of them will make both their accents and spirits remembred By some experience of the fruite of this booke for the speedy getting of the Greeke I haue endeauoured to make it more perfect by placing so neere as I can First the most proper significations in the first place and onely one worde in each signification lest the volume should proue ouer-great though if the volume would beare it variety vnder euery one being rightly placed were the better to vse as neede required and therby also to help to furnish with copie of Synonimaes Secondly by setting downe also the English in one proper word or iust as the Latine onely to expresse it and without variety except in some speciall things which haue diuers names in our owne tongue not commonly knowne Thirdly setting
three or halfe an houre after then to haue another quarter of an houre or more as at nine for drinking and necessities so to continue till halfe an houre after fiue thereby in that halfe houre to counteruaile the time at three then to end so as was shewed with reading a peece of a Chapter and with singing two staues of a Psalme lastly with prayer to be vsed by the Master For the Psalmes euery schollar should begin to giue the Psalme and the tune in order and to reade euery verse before them or euery one to haue his booke if it can bee and reade it as they doe sing it where any one can not begin the tune his next fellow beneath is to helpe him and take his place By this they will all learne to giue the tunes sweetely which is a thing very commendable and also it will helpe both reading voyce and audacity in the youngeâ— Spoud But these intermissions at nine and three may be offensiue they who know not the maner of them may reproch the schoole thinking that they do nothing but play Phil. We are so much as may be in all things to auoyde offence but when by long custome the order is once made knowne it will be no more offensiue then it is at Westminster or then it is at noone and night so that it be done in a decent order The benefits of such intermissions will be found very great and to preuent many inconueniences 1 By this meanes neyther Masters nor Schollars shall bee ouer-toyled but haue fit times of refreshing For there is none no not almost of the least but being vsed to it a while they will sitte very well in their places for two houres together or two houres and a halfe without any wearinesse or necessity obseruing duely those times 2 By this meanes also the Schollars may bee kept euer in their places and hard to their labours without that running out to the Campo as the tearme it at schoole times and the manifolde disorders thereof as watching and striuing for the clubbe and loytering then in the fields some hindred that they cannot go forth at all But hereby all may haue their free liberty in due time and none can abuse their liberty in that sort nor haue their minds drawne away nor stirre abroad all the day at schoole times except vpon some vrgent necessity to be signified to the Master or Vsher and so leaue to be gotten priuately to returne presently againe And also in those cases to lose their places for that day vnlesse the case be approued very necessary and sure to the end to cut off occasions from such as will pretend necessities If any one be catched abusing his Master or his liberty without necessity onely vpon desire of idlenesse or play he is to be corrected sharpely for ensample By this meanes you shall bring them to that order and obedience in a short time as they will not thinke of stirring all the day but at their times appointed or vpon very vrgent and almost extraordinary necessity 3 Besides these benefits this will also gaine so much time euery day as is lost in those intermissions because there is no day but they will all looke for so much time or more to the Campo especially the shrewdest boyes who vse to waite for the club and watch their times these will be sure to haue much more then that Besides all the time which they lose in wayting for that idle fit and that they will if they can be away at Lectures and shewing exercises and likewise they will exceedingly trouble the Master in asking three or foure sometimes together what businesse soeuer he be about Spoud I haue been well acquainted with these disorders of the Campo and vexed with them many a time I shall be most glad if I may thus reforme them and finde these benefites in stead thereof But what say you for their recreaâ—ions Let me also heaâ—e your iudgement in them for I see that you would haue in like manner a speciall regard to be kept thereof Phil. I would indeed haue their recreations as well looked vnto as their learning as you may perceiue plainely by their intermissions at nine and at three Besides those and all other their intermissions it is very requisite also that they should haue weekely one part of an after-noone for recreation as a reward of their diligence obedience and profiting and that to be appointed at the Masters discretion eyther the Thursday after the vsuall custom or according to the best opportunity of the place That also to be procured by some Verses made by the Victors as was shewed and then onely when there hath bin already no play-day in the week before nor holy day in all the weeke Before their breaking vp also it shall not bee amisse to giue them a Theamto make som verses of ex tempore in the highest fourmes after they haue beene for a time exercised therein or if time permit sometime to cap verses In capping verses the way to prouoke them the most and to haue most variety of good verses is to appoint some one or two of the best to challenge their fellowes to come one after another and euer as any one but sticketh or misseth in a syllable the other to tell him and another to come in his place or els to trie aduersaries or fourmes together This exercise will much helpe capacitie and audacitie memorie right pronuntiation to furnish with store of authorities for Poetrie and the like so as that they may bee very cunning in their Poets by it Therefore it may also be vsed in regard of the benefits at some other fit times besides insteed of some other examination Hee that brings the most sweete verses out of Ouid and Virgil or Cato amongst the yongest and so out of other most approued Poets is to haue euer the greatest commendations Absurde verses such as most are of those called Carmina Prouerbialia are to be hissed forth Namely those which are tearmed versus Leonini As that first verse Si canis ex hilla religatur mordet in illa And so all other of the same mould Though euen amongst those of that booke there are some tolerable verses if good choise be made This exercise may well goe before play for it is nothing but a pleasant schoole recreation will exceedingly whet on the schollars to an ingenuous contention All recreations and sports of schollars would be meet for Gentleman Clownish sports or perilous or yet playing for money are no way to be admitted The recreations of the studious are as well to be looked vnto as the study of the rest That none take hurt by his study either for minde or bodie or any waie else Yet here of the other side very great care is to be had in the moderating of their recreation For schooles generally doe not take more
set downe for the practicing children in spelling of them to helpe by them to spell any other speedily and for writing true Orthography Of ioyning syllables together Bookes to be first learned of children In what time children well applyed may learne to reade English Diuiding and distinguishing syllables The pleasantest way to teach the little ones to pronounce their letters and to spell before they know a letter and how to doe it Any one who can reade may thus enter children if they wil follow the directions and so a poore body may make an honest liuing of it and free the Grammar schooles Complaints for children for getting to reade English when they first enter into Latine and how to auoyde them The iust complaint of want of care in our schooles for proceeding in our owne tongue as in the Latine or Greeke wheras our chiefe care should be for our owne language and reasons for it How schollars may increase continually as fast in our own tongue as in the Latine The chiefe fault of children going backe in English when they begin to learne Latine is in the Parents An ordinary fault that schollars are to seeke in matters of common numbers and how to redresse it CHAP. IIII. OF writing How the Master may direct his schollars to write faire though himselfe be no good pen-man Herein these particulars Faire writing a great benefit and ornament to schooles The opinion is fond that a good schollar cannot be a good writer The trouble of Schoolemasters for want of this skill to teach their schollars how to write When the schollars should begin to write To haue all necessaries thereunto and books kept faire Each to learne to make his owne pen and how Holding the pen and carrying it lightly In stead of setting copies to haue little copie-bookes fastened to the tops of their bookes and those of the best which can be procured Manner of their copie-bookes and copies Inconuenience of following diuers hands Euils of the want of such copie-bookes Faire writing to be practiced by all the schollars once euery day General rule in writing to make all like the copie How to keepe euen compasse in writing not ouer-high not too low Benefit of ruling-pens for each and what ones The bookes of the young beginners to bee ruled with crosse lines The compasse in greatnes and neerenes of the letters Ioyning the letters in writing Writing straight without lines Speciall furtherances for the first enterers when they cannot frame any letter Leisurely drawing the letters as the Painter a chief help To obserue ornaments of writing To make all the letters most plaine Mischiefes of getting a bad hand first What the Master is to doe to the end that he may learne to teach his schollars to write faire To walke amongst the schollars to see that they obserue their directions and to marke all faults in writing This skill is to be gotten to auoyde the euils by wandring Scriueners The vse of Scriueners in Grammar Schooles what The summe of the principal directions for writing to be euer in memory CHAP. V. CErtaine general obseruations to be knowen of Schoolmasters and practiced carefully chiefly in all Grammar learning 1. That schollars bee taught to doe all things with vnderstanding and to haue a generall knowledge of the matter before To do all things by reason with vnderstanding brings almost double learning besides ease and delight Reading without vnderstanding is a neglect of learning Triall of difference betweene learning with vnderstanding and without Verses of Horace to this end worthy to bee written in letters of golde to be imprinted in the memories of all How some writers haue so far gone beyond others in eloquence thorough their ripenesse and vnderstanding How to teach all to be done by vnderstanding 2. To learne onely such things as whereof they may haue good and perpetuall vse 3. To note all hard words or matters worthie obseruation and the manner of marking them 4. To learne all things so perfectly as the former may be insteed of a Schoolemaster to the later 5. That the whole schoole be diuided into so few forms as may be with reasons for the same 6 To haue a great care that none be discouraged but all to be prouoked by emulation and desire of praise A sentence of Tully to this purpose worthie to be euer before the Masters eye Strift for victories the most commendable plaie and a chiefe meanes to make the schoole Ludus Literarâ—us 7. Each to haue his aduersary and they to be so matched and placed as all may be done by equall strift 8. To vse euer to examine the most negligent 9. Continuall care of pronouncing 10. To haue some exercise of memory daily for making excellent memories 11. To haue the best patternes of all sorts that can bee gotten 12. The Masters to incourage themselues and their schollars continually 12. Constancie in good orders with continuall demonstration of loue to doe all for the greatest good of the schollars CHAP. VI. HOw to make children perfect in the Accedence Herein these particulars The vsuall manner of learning to reade the Accedence The ordinary manner of getting the Accedence without booke The best meanes for learning to reade the Accedence Generall rule in learning without booke or getting whatsoeuer seemeth hard To take but a little at a time To cause them first to vnderstand their lectures and how Admonition to Masters desirous to do good To be as the Nurses with little children Example how to make children to vnderstand by shewing the meaning and by asking questions In what points of the Accedence the chiefe labour would be bestowed to make young schollars very perfect viz. in all kinde of declining How to be most speedily perfect in the Verbs which are a mean foundation and wherin the greatest difficulty lieth No paines can be too great in Nownes and Verbs vntill they be exceeding perfect Two generall obseruations in the English rules what parts of the English rules to be made most perfect in Helpe for examination of the Accedence viz. The questions of the Accedence called the Poasing of the English parts Other needfull questions adioined to the end of the same CHAP. VII HOw to make schollars perfect in the Grammar What is done ordinarily in schooles in teaching Grammar What things are requisite in learning Grammar How to get the Grammar with most ease and fruite Benefit of Lillies rules construed Learning the rules without booke Construing the rules without booke How to do where leasure is wanting How to examine so as to make your schollar to answer any question of his Grammar with an example thereof To appose only in English where children are too weak to answere in Latine Examining in the Latine Nownes and Verbes Examining the Syntaxis and helpes thereunto Repeating titles and margents or the beginning of the rules in a continued speech to keep the rules perfectly Helpe for hearing part in straights of time Helps for further vnderstanding the
rules The sum of all wherin chiefe care would be had A perfect saying euery rule not so absolutely necessarie To turne to each hard rule in parsing a helpe to make Schollars perfect in the Grammar Grammar to be made as a Dictionary to the Schollars CHAP. VIII OF Construction or of construing Authors how to make all the way thereof most easie and plaine Herein these particulars Things seeming difficult in construction The ordinary toile of Masters about giuing lectures making their schollars able to construe Difficulty in taking lectures in propriety of words and sense Griefe of the Masters for their schollars forgetting that which they haue learned The waie of construing most plaine by practice of the Rule of construing and of Grammaticall translations The rule of construing vnheard of to the most The rule set downe by sundry learned Grammarians The rule according as Master Leech hath set it downe The rule according to Crusius The rule expounded more at large though the curious handling of it be left to some others The sum of the rule briefly An example of construing and of Grammaticall translations according to the rule wherin may be seene the generall benefits therof for resoluing Latine into the Grammaticall order construing parsing making Latine and trying it The chiefe reason of the benefits Benefits of translatiōs according to the rule set down more particularly Things specially obserued in the translations of the Schoole Authors How to vse the translations so as to attaine the former benefits Obiections against the vse of translations in Schooles answered The vses and benefits mentioned cannot be made of any other translations of the Schoole Authors except of the Grammaticall and the reason of it Som exampls of other translations to manifest the truth hereof Grammatical translations separate from the Latine cannot indanger any to make them truants How to preuent idlenesse or negligence in the vse of the translations These no meanes to make Masters idle but contrarily to incourage them to take all paines The account to be iustly made of such translations Schoole Authors translated Grammatically Other bookes also translated Grammatically for continuall helps in Schooles What helpes to be vsed for construing higher Authors and so for construing ex tempore The higher fourmes to practice to goe ouer so much as they can construing ex tempore CHAP. IX OF Parsing and the seueral kinds therof How children may parse of themselues readily and surely The particular branches are these The vsuall manner of teaching to parse The certaine direction for parsing To parse as they construe marking the last word To obserue carefully where they haue learned each word what exāple euery word is like so to parallel by exāples each thing which they haue not learned in their rules An example of parsing set downe at large for the rudest Manner of hearing lectures amongst the lower How to knowe by the words what part of Speech each word is How a childe may knowe of what Coniugation any Verbe is Much time and toyle in parsing thorough examining each word by the Master how helped The surest shortest speediest way of parsing to parse as reading a lecture How to helpe to prepare the children for parsing at taking lectures by shewing them onely the hard words that they may take most paines in them Example of marking the hard words amongst the first enterers Marking the hard words helpeth much and preuenteth many inconueniences How to oppose so as children may get both matter words and phrase of each lecture with examples of it in the first Authors and how to make vse of each Author Parsing in the higher fourmes and to do all in Latine The sum of all for parsing CHAP. X. OF making Latine How to enter children to make Latine with delight and certainty without daunger of false Latine barbarous phrase or any other like inconuenience Particular points To enter children to make Latine a matter ordinarily extreamly difficult and full of toyle both to Master and Schollar The vsuall manner in country Schooles to enter children to make Latine The shortest surest and easiest way both to Master and Schollar for entring to make Latine Making first the Latine of their lectures and giuing a reason of each word Example of it Continuall construing parsing and reading their Authors out of Grammaticall translations is continuall making pure Latine to cause children to come on in it very fast Choosing fit sentences out of Authors for the children to make of themselues The maner of the entrance of children to write Latine so as to profit in English Latine Writing faire and true all vnder one labor How to haue their bookes ruled to this purpose Manner of dictating the English to schollars when they are to learne to write Latine Making and setting downe the Latine by the Schollars Benefit of it for certaine direction both to Master and Schollar Further vse to be made of the Latine so set down to make it fully their owne Composing the Latine into the order of the Author Tullies Sentences the fittest book to dictate sentences out of An example of the manner of dictating and writing downe both English and Latine Translating into pure Latine and in good composition of themselues trying who can come neerest vnto Tullie How to preuent stealing and writing after one another How to goe on faster and dispatch more in making Latine Translating into English of themselues after M. Askams maner and after reading the same into Latine again or writing it The most speedy and profitable way of translating for young schollars How to translate an Authour into Latine or any peece thereof Such translating onely for Schollars well grounded Summe of all for making Latine CHAP. XI OF the Artificial order of composing or placing of the words in prose according to Tully and the purest latinists Herein these particulars Pure composition a matter of difficulty The error of young Schollars displacing sentences in an imagination of fine composition Composition generally belonging to all Latine Rules of composition as they are set down by Macropedius in the end of his Method of making Epistles More exquisite obseruation in placing and measuring sentences CHAP. XII HOw to make Epistles imitating Tully short pithy sweet Latine and familiar and to indite Letters to our friends in English accordinglie Herein these things Difficulty of making Epistles purely and pithily The ordinary meanes of directing Schollars to make Epistles Difficulty for children who haue no reading to inuent variety of matter of themselues Helpes for making Epistles by reading Tullies Epistles and imitating them Making answeres to Epistles Examples of imitating Epistles and answering them CHAP. XIII OF making Theames full of good matter in a pure stile and with iudgement Herein these branches The ordinary manner of directing schollars how to enter to make Theames according to Apthonius precepts The inconueniencies of that course for yong schollars and that it is hard enough for many teachers Difficulty in making Theames because schollars
them to hate learning A They will rather loue it better Ob. 3 It is a small matter to lose a yeere or two then A The losse of a yeere or two will be found in the end Ob. 4. They will learn the faster A So in higher learning at those yeeres The inconuenience of hauing the Grammar schooles trobled with teaching A. B. C Continuall applying in a right course is aboue al means How this might be remedied by some other schoole in each towne for this purpose The redresse of it to be sought To be borne with patience where it cannot be remedied The first entring of children to be looked to carefully To teach to read well in a short time is of great profit Griefe discredit of the want of this 1. To teach children how to cal and pronounce their letters right And first the 5. vowels The Consonants Right calling the letters before the children doe know them 2. How to teach children to know the letters the soonest To cause them to finde out any letter The surer way is to learne but one letter at aâ— once 3. How to teach to spell M. Coots English Schoolemaster might bee profitable to this purpose in which booke are syllables words of all sorts To make children to take delight in spelling Some of the hardest syllables to practice children in the spelling of theÌ„ These would be written in some little table to poase them oft Note in spelling Right pronouÌ„cing makes right spelling Further direction for spelling after 4. Ioyning syllables together Vnderstanding the matter Bookes to bee first learned of children Abcie Primer Second reading of a booke Psalmes in metre Testament Schoole of Vertue Schoole of good manners 5. In what time children well applyed may easily learne to reade English Diuiding and distinguishing syllables 6. To teach little ones to pronounce their letters and to spell before they know a letter is the pleasantest way How little ones will presently pronounce their fiue vowels To put the coÌ„sonants in order before the vowelles pronouÌ„cing them To teach to spell these thus putting the consonants first Repeating th letters of thee Alphabet by roate To teach them to know their letters as before To cause them to knowe the matter by questions or oft repeating to theÌ„ Any one who can read may thus enter children for reading english 8. The inconuenience of childreÌ„ forgetting to reade English when they enter first into latine and how to auoid it Complaints of Parents for childreÌ„ forgetting English Complaint of want of care in our schooles for growth in our owne tong is in the latine Our chiefe indeauor should be for our own tongue Reasons Few Scooles which haue any regarde for our English tongue Meanes to obtaine this benefit of increasing in our English tong as in the Latin 1. Daily vse of Lillies rules construed 2. Continuall practice of English Grammaticall translations 3. Translating and writing English with some other Schoole exercises The chief fault of the children going backewards in reading English when they first learne latine is in the Parents themselues An ordinary fault that most schollars are to seek in matters of common numbers which they may bee taught in an hower or two Numbers by letters knowen easily yet oft neglected Numbers by figures Why this Dialogue is so long Faire writing a great benefit ornament to Schooles It hath beene a receiued opinion a â—ong many that a good Schollar can not be a good writer The trouble of Schoolemasters for the want of this faculty to teach Schollars to write The ordinary course in Schooles to teach to write 1. When Schollars should begin to write 2. To haue all necessaries 3. Inke and paper of what sort Writing books kept faire 4. Euery one to learne to make his owne pen. The manner of making the pen. Cleft of the penne The neb of the pen. The surest way for making the pen. How to holde the pen. To cary the pen so lightly as to glide on the paper Copies In stead of setting copies to haue copie bookes fastened to the top of their books Maner of the copie bookes Examples of copyes contayning all the letters in one line of ioyning The hardest sylables and principall numbers to be set in the end of the copy bookes The copy books to bee printed how with the benefit of them Inconuenience of following diuers hands The best written copies to be procured Inconuenience of the lacke of such bookes Faire writing to be practiced by all the schollars once euery day General rule in writing To make all like vnto the copy To keepe euen compasse How to write of euen height Each to haue his ruling pen and what onâ—â— The neb of the ruling pen and how to rule with it ☜ Euen writing to be streightly looked to by the help of a ruling pen. Ruling the bookes of the young beginners with crosse lines thus Benefit of this ruling The compasse in greatnesse or neernesse of the letters Writing straight without lines ☜ Speciall furtherances for the first enterers in writing When they cannot frame a letter To follow a letter with a dry pen. Leasurely drawing as the Painter To learne to make one letter wel first then another To helpe to write cleane fast and faire together Making florishes gliding vpon the paper To obserue ornaments of writing ☞ To make the letters most plaine ☞ Mischiefs of getting a bad hand ☜ To procure the most excellent copies from the beginning That the Master may teach his Schollars to write faire what to be don ☜ To walke amongst the schollars to see they obserue these directions To obserue all the bad letters and faults in writing Any Schollar may helpe the Master The meanest writers may bring many of their schollars to be good pen-men To auoyde the euils by wandring Scriueners Things necessarily required in commendable writing The vse of Scriueners in the Grammar Schooles what ☜ The sum of the principall and most necessary directions for writing to be euer remembred and therefore here shortly repeated that we may haue a briefe notion of them This maketh nothing against the honest Scriueners but to preuent the abuse of shifters and hurt to Schooles Schollars are to be taught to do all thing with vnderstanding and to know the matter before in generall The common course to doe all things without vnderstanding the reason of them or how to make vse of any thing The defect hereof exceeding great To doe all things by reason brings almost double learning To read without vnderstanding and knowledge how to make vse is a neglect of all learning Triall of the difference between learning with vnderstanding without 1. In schollars examined together whereof one vnderstandeth and can giue reasons of things the other not 2. In getting a lesson how to do it soonest in the best manner 3. In our owne experience construing or studying out any difficult place in any Author or tongue One chiefe cause why Virgil and
on necessity The order of some wordes changed Obseruation in the lowest Authours The manner of vse of the Translations 1 To see that euery one can giue the summe of the rule of construing 2 In the lower fourmes one to reade ouer the translation to giue some light and look on the Translation 3 To construe according to the rule of themselues He who hath the Translation onely to direct where they goe false To doe as the cunning Hunts-man ☞ The assistance of the Master or Vsher herein ☞ To construe parse out of the Translation is the surest and most profitable way How to keepe all their Authors perfectly ☞ To construe or reade oft all which they haue learned out of the Translations to make and keepe all perfect by oft repetions Manner hereof ☜ To reade ouer other Authours after the same manner ☜ So in higher Authours translated Practice will make them very prompt both in English and Latine The fruit hereof These vses and benefits cannot be made of any other Translation of the Schoole Authors but the Grammatical and why What the translator haue aymed at The Translations of our Schoole Authors extant do performâ— none of the benefites which these Grammaticall Translations doe aime at chiefly Examples of the Translations extant to manifest the truth hereof Try all to construe by these Grammaticall translations separate from the Latine cannot indanger any to make them truants if they be rightly vsed There is great difficulty to vse an interlineall translation or latine ioined to the English How to preueÌ„t idlenes or negligeÌ„ce in the vse of the translations so that one cannot be idle while they are in hand with these ☜ These no means to make Masters idle but contrarily to incourage them to take all paines The account to be made iustly of these translations Triall to make all this euident Schoole Authors translated Gramatically Other bookes also translated Grammatically for continuall helpes in schooles Translations as other things defectiue What helpes to be vsed for higher Authors Remembring euer to cast each sentence into the natural order 1. Commentaries of the hardest Authors Bonde vpon Horace Murmelius printed at Paris 1531. Lubin on Persius and Iuvenal Helps for Virg. Virg. with Melancht annotations printed at Witeberg 1598. ☜ 2. Vnderstanding the Argument matter drift in general ☜ 3 To consider the common cirrcumstances of places This verse comprehending the chief circumstaÌ„ces of places to be euer in mind It is a principal rule for the vnderstanding of Authors or matter 4. To search out euery hard word phrase Or to haue each a little paper booke to note all nâ—w hard words in The sum of all for construing without Commentary or or helpe ☞ Seuerall kinds of construing or expounding ☜ A most profitable exercise to cause the Schollars daily to construe some things ex tempore besides their ordinary Lectures The vsuall manner of Parsing How to teach children to parse of themselues most surely and readily The certaine direction for parsing To parse as they construe euer marknig the last word 2 To remember if they haue not learned the words before 3 To marke in Nounes Verbs Participles what examples they are like The rest are in the booke Paralleling by examples in the Syntax likewise An example of parsing set downe at large to direct the rudest First construe truely Parse as they construe Examining in parsing Puer Qui. Es. Discipulus Mihi Atque Cupis Doceri Ades Huc Concipe Dicta Haec Animo Tuo Manner of hearing their Lectures ☜ How to know by the wordes what part of speech each word is Substantiues and how to know them How Adiectiues By the Latine adioyned In us or er like bonus In ans ens x rs like foelix In is ior ius like tristis How Verbes may be known Gerunds Supines Participles Present tense Preter tense Future in rus Future in dus How to know other Aduerbes besides those in the bookes Of Comparison Qualitie A child may know of what Coniugation any Verbe is A direction to know the Coniugations of Verbs Verbs of the second Coniugation easily knowen Verbs of the 4. Coniugation Verbs of the 3. Coniugation This direction for finding out the Coniugation receiued froÌ„ M. Cootâ— Much time and toile in parsing thorough examining each word by the Master how helped The surest shortest and speediest way of parsing Some account to be by pen and characters put this will be found most short and easie To parse euerie one his peece as reading a lecture Example ☜ Example ☜ To help to prepare the children for parsing at taking lectures To marke out hard words See more of this marking before in the 3. generall obseration ☞ To cause them to turne to the rules Noting in the higher fourm The ends of marking their bookes Marking the hardest wordes for remembrance is no meanes to make them Truants but helpeth and preuenteth many inconueniences Euils of the want hereof How to appose so as the children may get both the matter words and phrase of each Lecture Example ☞ Manner of propounding the questions Example of examining English and Latine together Examining for the vse in Cato Examining the Fables in Esop for the vse Making a report of their Fables The vse according to the quality of the bookes ☜ The surest way to make both Latine and matter our owne Vse in Tullies Offices and Ouids Metamorphosis ☞ Parsing in the higher fourms ☞ All in Latine in the higher fourmes The summe of all principally necessary for parsing To enter children to make Latine a matter ordinarily extremely difficult and full of toyle both to Master and schollar The ordinary manner in countrey Schooles to enter Schollars to make Latin The butcherly feare of making Latines The shortest way to enter Schollars to make Latine easily and surely 1. To be exceeding perfect in their rules chiefly in Nownes and Verbes 2. Each day to make the Latine of their lectures and giue a reason why each word must be so Example repeated These insteede of all vulgars 3. Continuall reading lectures and repeating what they haue learned out of the Grammaticall translations is continuall making Latine to cause children to come on very fast 4. Shewing fit sentences to turne into Latine out of the booke which they learne or others The manner of their entrance to write Latine to profit in English Latine writing faire true and all vnder one Their bookes how ruled Manner of dictating the English which they are to turne into Latine A principall practice for writing true Orthography both in English and Latine Repeating or construing without booke that which they haue written ☞ Benefit heereof for certaine direction to Master and schollar and to get Writing English Latine all at once To imprint it by repetition the next morning together with their euening exercise How to enter young schollars for composing or right placing their Latine Tullies sentences the fittest to dictate sentences out of a
beginners or enterers whilst they write letters would be ruled wel with crosse lines with the ruling pens on this manner It is found to direct them very much Thus their bookes shall be kept faire The compasse or the space within the crosse lines serues to keep guide the body of each letter to make it of a iust proportion The straight lines direct and guide the childe to make euery stroke straight forward or vp and downe and also how to frame the head and taile of each letter Thus much for the compasse of the letters chiefly in the tops and bottoms of the letters Now that the letters may not be ouer bigge or ouer little set too neere one another or far off this may bee one good direction Cause your schollar to drawe his lines on which hee wil write his copies of the very same length with the length of the line of his copie and then if he write iust so much in his line as is in the copie it is very like that he makes his letters of a good proportion not too bigge nor too little and the compasse euen not one ouer neere or far off from an other But if hee write more in a shorter space then is in like space in the copie he either makes his letters too little or sets them too neere one another letters or words or both And so on the other side if he write lesse in a line then is in his copie in the same space and length then hee makes his letters too bigge or too wide asunder The letters would bee ioined in euery word yet so as no one be set ouer neere another but iust as the copie obseruing blacks and whites as the Scriuener tearmeth them And each word in a sentence would be set about the bredth of an a or an o from one another For writing straight without lines after that they haue practiced this a good while to write with double lines ruled with the ruling pen and after with single lines this may helpe to guide them wel to cause them to hold their elbow so close to their side and so steadily as they can conueniently for the elbow so stayd will guide the hand as a rule especially in writing fast Afterwards looking at the end of the line as we vse to trie the straightnes of an arrowe they shal see easily where it is crooked Practice wil bring facility These also may bee speciall furtherances for the first enterers When the young schollar cannot frame his hand to fashion any letter besides the guiding of his hand and also the shewing where to begin each letter and how to draw it some do vse to drawe before them the proportion of their letters with a peece of chawke vpon a board or table or with a peece of blacke lead vpon a paper and then let the childe trie how he himselfe can draw the like vpon it and after this to let him to do it with his pen following the letter of his booke Or thus Let him take a drie pen that cannot blot his booke and therewith cause him to follow that letter in his copie which he cannot make drawing vpon the copie letter very lightly a little turning the side of the pen where the letter is smal but leaning harder vpon it where it is ful and there also turning the broad part of the pen. Onely warne him to be carefull that hee doe not hurt the letter in the copy by his hard leaning vpon his pen or by the ouermuch sharpness of it Thus let him follow his copie letter drawing his pen so oft vpon it vntill he think his hand will goe like vnto it Then direct him to trie with another pen with inke whether he can make one like to that of his copie If he cannot let him goe to it with his drie pen again vntill that he can fashion one like vnto it This also is a speciall obseruation That the more leasurely the childe draweth at the beginning as the Painter doth and the more lightly the sooner a great deale he shall learne to frame his hand to write faire This likewise some good Scriueners obserue to suffer the child to learne to make but one kind of letter at once vntill they can make that in some good sort then another as first a then b. But especially to beginne with those letters out of which all the rest may be framed to make them perfectly as m c t v z. For so all the rest will bee the easier To helpe to write cleane fast and faire together call oft on your schollars to exercise their hands in making of f strokes that is dashes of f and s thus 〈◊〉 and the stroake of the great C and B thus 〈◊〉 Also some vse to cause the learners to practice their hands to run vpon the paper either with inke or without vntill they be very nimble and cunning to glide vpon the paper and namely to make certaine rude florishes Call on them in all exercises to bee carefull to obserue the graces of letters as the keeping of great letters accents points as comma colon period parenthesis and whatsoeuer may serue for the adorning of writing and euermore to take a delight in writing faire which delight is in each art the one halfe of the skill but to flie all long tailes of letters and to make all their letters so plaine as they can the plainer the better Beware that you suffer no one to learne a bad hand or to make any bad letter so neere as you are able to preuent it For it will be found much harder to teach such to forget their bad letters and hands then to teach other which neuer learned to write the good So that if you teach such a better hand after that they haue learned and been long inured to the worse although they seeme to haue learned to write well yet vnlesse they be holden continually to practice their good hand each day a little they will fall vnto their bad hand againe so great force hath any euill custome This therefore must be our wisedome to procure from the beginning the most excellent copies for our schollars whatsoeuer they cost and to keepe them constantly to them they will soone quite the cost both to Master and Schollar To the end that any Master may bee the better able to teach thus let him eyther trie to attaine this faculty of writing faire which much commends a Master or at least let him labour to be well acquainted with these directions or the like and also let him cause his Schollars to obserue them constantly or so many of them as neede shall require And to this end let him vse to walke amongst his Schollars as they write all together and see that they do practice these things duely but chiefly that euery one haue his copie booke layed close