we would have it true recreation play and profit both and this very thing was my after-consideration That for the boyes sake I have gained of the intelligent Master to excuse the child though he doe not give him rime the very next morning saying his part without booke For I remember well that was a tedious worke once to me and of no benefit then nor since but account it reasonable enough that he can his Declensions and Verbes exactly well giving such an account of both every day as that it may appeare hee takes all the rules of English and Latin Etymologie the Latine supplies what the English doth want along with him for they containe all and will evidence That the boy is not led one inch further then his senses those great intelligencers shall give him through-passe to the understanding of the same a mighty helpe to memory besides delight to boote It is indeed the greatest ease to the Scholar and the Master that I can thinke of whereby to gratifie both and so will hee say that shall take leasure to consider throughly thereof So much to the Rules which may serve to promote him that comes after and thinks fit to Practice the same way CHAP. X. What esteeme the Grammar hath how little esteeme the Grammarian The Dignity of the understanding The conclusion of the first a Transition to the second part AND now I had almost said Wee have done with the Grammar but indeed we cannot tell when we have done For though it be of small use in our Mother-tongue yet in forraigne tongues of more use it is of most use in such which cease to be vulgar and are rightly called learned tongues All these three we would still perfect as well for intercourse of speech and understanding of Authors as also for examining the power and nature of words as they are the foot-steps and prints of reason And all this we cannot doe by any other Art then by the Art of Grammar The following words are to be noted Man still striveth to reintegrate himselfe in those benedictions from which by his fault he hath been deprived And as he hath striven against the first generall curse by the invention of all other Arts so hath he sought to come forth of the second generall curse which was the confusion of tongues by the Art of Grammar But though the Grammar is of so much and so generall use yet we must not dwell upon it nor must we make it our ambition to make our childe a Grammarian and no more for that were a very meane promotion He may haply having knowledge therein pick up a poore living if his Salary be duly paid For Homer they say gives many a man his dinner much good may it doe him But he will be a despised man for all that A Grammarian anciently it was a word of reproach and it was well knowne That a base Hypocrâ—te a Stage-player a Fidler had their precedency a mile before him And a Barber waighed downe this Wordy-man above ten thousand pounds in bad money and as much more in good Land What his worth is now I will not dispute but if he be a Grammarian and no more he is as a meere Logician and he hath esteem to the top of his worth and somewhat above it He is in very deed a Babler c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 17. 18. a man of ragges made up of words Such a one as he was who stood in the Corne-Market gathering up the Corne that fell besides the sack in emptying that is a Babler indeed of Casaubon no more worth in judgement then in purse of no worth in either Surely if our work be to promote the childe wee must not set up our staffe here here must not be our Pillars we must not dwell upon words as the Sophister may doe too long upon Genus and Species The Grammar teacheth no more but words it hath indeed some jagges centons or old ends of things nothing of worth It is the unfittest booke to gain the knowledge of things by that I know in the world I mean such books now which may properly be called so for all that passe under that name are not Books said the Noble Scholar b Bockes such as are worthy the name of bookes ought to have no Patrons but Truth and Reason Adv. p. 32. Though Voces and Res should never be distinct in learning yet we must take a more distinct notice of things and not of this or that or the third thing of three things or of foure for this were to emprison the understanding or to keep the immortall soule in a Cloyster nay to seale it up in a dungeon We must informe the understanding what we can concerning this totum scibile this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All that may be knowne of God and we must take the very way that God Himselfe hath revealed for such His Grace He hath made it knowne unto us It was well answered by one who was thought that hee could live but in one place Yes said he in any place where it is possible to live in any place of the world for I am a Citizen thereof Certainly so is man such a Citizen though he may be confined for many waighty reasons to this or that place yet he is a Citizen of the world for he is the very modle thereof he is made after the pattern I know my word is too low and for his understanding it hath for its Range the whole world too what a wrong then to consine f Asperâ—atur certorum finium prâ—scriptionem Sc Exca 307. sect 11. this so noble a faculty and to impale it within a circle which will not keep in a mouse The understanding is quicker then any bird more soaring then an Eagle nay it came from heaven and thitherward it is pointed It hath appealed thither in its right and straight motion and therefore to heaven it shall goe so we say for it is our main scope the white we ayme at We may like enough fall short of it But hee that threatens a starre will shoote higher then he that bends to a mole-hill g Altius ibunt quâ—ad summa nitentur quain qui c. Quint. Orat Prefat And so we leave the Grammar that dull work and set upon that which is more noble and besitting so noble a faculty But it is the work of another day a second task FINIS A GATE TO SCIENCES OPENED By a Naturall Key OR A PRACTICALL Lecture upon the great Book of Nature whereby the childe is enabled to reade the Creatures there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. li. 6. p. 501. Deus ita est Artifex Magnus in magnis ut non minor fit in parvis c. Aug. de Civ 1. 11. cap. 21. Quicquid essentiâ dignum est id etiam scientiâ Nov. Org. 1. 120. Printed at London for Iohn Bartlet 1641. To His worthy Friend Mr. SAM HARTLIB by
it should be how fundamentall the Mother tongue is what our care thereabout VVEE have not yet begun with the Child but now setting upon it if it be thought a fitting time When is that So soone as the Child can exercise his inward faculties hath any strength there then we must begin and well husband the time Now the Child will take in fast enough like a faire Table-bookâ— wherein is nothing yet but presently there will be something written which we cannot so easily blot out It is the Masters wisdome and for that he shall be counted an understanding man not to leave the child to his choyse For now and so we shall know the nick of time the Child can distinctly observe that which is before his eyes and can call it by its name The Child hath Arithmetick too what a jolly fellow is this I must insert words of incouragement that promoteth greatly the little thing he can skill of Greek hee can tell you how many fingers hee hath upon the one hand then he can number I hope He can put the other five to them and tell what all amounts to then he can adde he can take away the one hand and tell you how many remaines The best Accountant in the towne cannot answer more punctually then wee will grant he can substract yes more yet is his skil for he can tel you what twice 5. is so he can multiply And ten to one if these ten were ten Apples he would divide them by 2. to each hand even parcels and so keepe all for himselfe otherwise and in such cases hee careth not for division though he understands it for his use very well Poore Child hee hath discovered himselfe too far for now his skill is so well knowne hee must to Schoole to learne his Mother-tongue the very next Munday And there we suppose hee is where the Mistresse helps to hold the book with one hand and if it be as I have seen a little twigge in the other which the childe markes very earnestly as wee would have it doe the lesson Here is a change now and that will be pleasing for some houres The next weeke the childe will tell you when is the next Holy-day for that is all hee heard at Church and all he lookes for he knowes where for he findes it to be a red letter And for the Schoole hee hath no minde to it by his going thither and returning thence we perceive well enough that no man loves a prison worfe never looks he to see a mery day so long as he is pent up there Why because the Schoole indeed is but a prison to his body and no way is taken to enlarge his minde What a coyle is there to make him pronounce false and because hee cannot readily doe so for very nature teacheth otherwise perhaps hee feeles the twigge too and his sense is so quick at that point that he cannot relish the Schoole He heares also of Vowels and Consonants What are they Latine poore little Englishman he cannot skill of that Then hee must put these together and spell What is that Greeke indeed so it is to the childe and to the Teacher too Certaine it is the child understands more of his own tongue in one moneth from his Nurse after he can speak articulately then he gains from a Schoole in three in any language which clearly sheweth of what force nature is specially when a little helpt by Art and made mighty by use The one and the other even all three gives us great accommodation here Nature gives us the precognition Art Skill to use it Vse makes it familiar It must not be expected here that I should give the precognition to every thing that I would have learnt thereby that were a dead work Time and place will instruct much and the very thing in hand This I say again we must make it a preparatory to the understanding of every thing so preventing the toyle of conceiving the same And we must finde a precognition or make it as the great Commander said when his way was blockt up before him And this nature shewes that a vowell makes a sound alone perfect of it selfe The Consonant not without a Vowell being indeed of it selfe but the very essay and offer of the tongue and no more And if c g and t might but know their power once and keep it ever u and v distinct in figure but more in sound if I say it were observed it would save us much trouble in afterproceeding so also if the syllable were distinctly framed according to the plaine rules for spelling so pronounced specially the last letter For the pauses or stops our breathing will help us there but the observation thereof is the chiefest part in good reading I confesse my thoughts are not ripened here if they were I would not blot paper with them though it is no disparagement to goe even so low for the Mother-tongue is the foundation of all nay indeed wee have a necessity so to doe every day else wee cannot goe forward orderly the ground-work of the childs entry being so rotten underneath But I may spare my paines oâ— writing upon this Elementary point foâ— I finde a short paper for direction this way from a man of long experience in higher matters gained by travell and and otherwayes l M. Carew And a large tractate there is also treating on the very same subject of more large use M. Hodges And surely great need of all this for the matter of the elementary the Horn-book though it be small in shew yet it is great for processe and for the manner of handling the child of great moment also to hearten him on for afterwards And therefore it would promote the common good not a little if an able man had the ordering the child at this first staire or step for a firme ground here at this low point raiseth the work mightily and makes all stand firme But it is supposed the Master must have answerable pay a good encouragement to come down so low when he shall perceive that reward shal rise up This will be thought upon when Praemia conatum extimulant De Aug li 2. times mend and the day cleares up then our judgement and fore-sight will cleare up too In the meane time I know what will not be done a good Scholar will not come down so low as the first elementary and to so low a recompence also it shall bee left to the meanest and therefore to the worst And there I leave it also even in the Mistresse her hands for there is no remedy And so I come to that work which more properly belongs unto the Master CHAP. VI. Necessary the childe should bee taught to write Objections against it answered It helps the understanding very much but as it is commonly abused hurts more thâ—n it helps WEE are making way now toward Grammar learning And what if I set down the accommodation
The Lord Christ said of her She is not dead a Mat. 9. 24. The standers by laughed him to scorne the words of Christ are to the wisest of the World still foolishnesse and they knew what they did well enough for saith Saint Luke b Luk. 8. 53. They knew she was dead What dead and not dead Yes and yet a truth in both She was dead to Nature and Nature was Judge now they knew it to be so being naturall men altogether they said true enough though they should not have laughed him to scorne Our Lords words are true also nay Truth it selfe and Spirit too She is not dead not dead to Christ who is the resurrection and the life the body is not dead to Him When He shall say to the Prisoners Goe forth to them that are in darknesse Shew your selves then presently shall the prey bee taken from the mighty and the lawfull Captive delivered from the King of Terrours It is no labour to Christ if He speaks only the Land and the Sea shall give up their dead Death shall be swallowed up in victory It shall bee then when the Lord Christ shall speake as wee know and it is worth our knowledge once it was And the Lord spake unto the fish and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land We will take these sacted Scriptures along with us and the sent of them which is wonderfull reviving Now we may suppose we are going by these dark Chambers where our beds are also and wee may bee laid thereon wee know not how soone Wee must not forget any of this And so we are come to our home where we should be most versed I meane that great singular before spoke of over that I shall by Gods grace reade the next Lecture CHAP. IV. Mans body a curious Fabrick but fallen much into decay and by ill usage more decayes every day yet as now it is venerable In what considerations to bee cherished and had in honour In what cases to be neglected and despised THere is an itching humour in many to gad rome abroad like the Pilgrim in other Countries In the meane time they care not though known to be stark blinde in their own Thus it is also nearer home we are most strangers there though the best lesson in the world is for a man well to reade himselfe That is an excellent book and much variety therein I shall but dip my pen in it here and there so as I may not doe what is already done a Childs Portion Chap. 1. I remember some have likened the great men of the world to the first letter of a Patent or limmed book which though it hath large flourishings yet it is but a letter That is true and hath its use But we think we may say That man even at the lowest is more then a letter though we may suppose it to be of the most spreading and largest size hee is indeed a whole volume and so many letters so many lessons I had almost said wonders for so have some said before me who have glossed upon them and running over the whole Table have left us many good instructions which at leasure wee may gleane up by the way g Zanch. de hom creat 1. 2. p. 680. D. Bartas p. 158. Caussin p. 504. Cic. denat Deil. 2. P. 101. Lact. de Opif. ca. 7. c. Fab. Thet. P. 216. Naz. Orat 34. Amb. Heic 1. 6. cap. 8. For thy present use look childe upon thy selfe from the top to the bottome look inward too if thou canst the Anatomist will teach thee spell every letter and then put all together and thou must needs say All is wonderfull how curiously framed am I And then so low a thought as this cannot finde place in thee That so Lord-like a creature such a curious piece of workmanship should be framed for low and base work the service of ones selfe of men b 1 Ccr. 7. 23. of the world the lusts of these or any of these no ever the more noble the thing is the more excellent its imployment whereto it is designed if the sunffers be of gold it doth imply some honourable service It is good in some cases that man should know his dignity his house his pedegree being the off-spring of God that his deportment may be answerable with honour and majesty The Father hath a full Bonum habes piâ—â—orem noâ—i depâ—e picturam Ambr. speech we will give the full purpose of it Thou hast O man a perfect Artist He hath curiously framed or limmed thee excellently ingraven thee Hee hath made thee the very Image picture of Himself He hath drawne thee according to that pattern as near as could be Now learn thy duty deale reverently with thy picture doe not defile it nor debase it but looking upon the Ingravery workmanship the superscription thereon give unto God that which is Gods answerably honouring thy body as the work of His hands who is wonderfull in working How reasonable a request is this How many creatures they say so many tongues in in the world all setting forth the praise of the Creator so it should be in the great world and in the little world too so many members so many tongues all to joyne in that great service of praise which is the uncessant work of the spirits of just men glorified In every creature the Lord doth sparkle out unto us love said a great Divine b Ochinus So hath He done in every member of the body love bounty mercy and upon all the superscription is Holinesse to the Lord. We have a world of matter here for it is a little world wee are upon but thus I have abridged it He that would heare a full Lecture upon this subject let him reade our second Reinolds c Chap. 35. Had I been Scholasticall at this point and shewed a little of a little Learning I mean I had shewed my selfe altogether and neglected the childe But my scope is his information and to make my words so many hints thereby to gain upon his understanding which is indeed perfected by the worthiest contemplations but enabled thereto by the lowest enquiry In this method we passe on a little further Thou hast child heard the best touching thy body what it was once what it should be now in its proper use and after its primitive Dedication The worst is in sight wee cannot be mistaken for we can see and feele both how weak and fraile the body is so sensible are we Nay thou canst see that little infant before thee what a body is there how underlayed and underpropt what cares about it how necessary all if not inordinate for how infirme and helplesse is that little thing a Quint. Caducum circa initia animal homus c. Declam 306. But he will outgrow his infirmity No never no more then Mephibosheth did his lamenesse which he caught by a fall in the cradle of his
The Child must marke his Parents now servants may bee negligent see how they pick it up not a graine shall be lost This shews the happy peace and security of all them who truly feare God Though the be sisted with temptations c. as wheat with a sieve yet shall not the least graine fall upon the ground 3. We Amos 9. 9. must observe the Sieve also The Foole thought he could make it hold water so hee set about the stopping up the holes but when he viewed it well hee spake out plainly hee could not tell where to begin To such a confusion the Church may be brought they that beare good will to her and would mend her breaches may not know where to begin It was the state of the Germane Church an hundred yeares agoe saith Melancthon using the very Cam. in vita Mel. p. 29. comparison so confused they were in Doctrines and in Manners both And then hee with others prophesied of those after desolations that very deluge of wrath under which those Churches lye now quite covered waiting when the Lord will withdraw His hand and call in those waters that the face of that land may againe appeare But let us note herewith That hee was a Foole who could discerne nothing but confusion Indeed the face of things may bee so overcasted as that a naturall eye can discerne nothing but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things like a desolate and empty wildernesse But a cleared eye sees a spirit moving there all that while and hee knowes Light will come anon the clearer the thicker the darknesse was and then he can track the prints of a Providence which he cannot doe lesse then adore For it is His way whose manner is To carry His Church into Babel there to give Deliverance To give her into the enemies hands thence to worke Redemption Mic. 41. To bring her into the wildernesse there to speak comfortably to her that she Hos 2. 14. may speak out to His praise How c. a Job 26. 2 3. 7. To the garden now wee would observe there what might bee observed so in the Orchard too but this cannot be such variety there is Seeds Herbs Flowers Plants Trees we can observe but this and it is a great observation What ever evil comes upon the earth yet the tree which brings forth fruit shall bee spared But if barren Deut. 20. there better it had never beene there for we know its doome There may be a Snake there the best places are not priviledged from such Creatures but if the Swine come thither they make havock The Bees are commonly thereabouts but wee cannot stand to looke upon them nor is it safe for if they be Ira modum supra est Virg. Georg. 4. stirred they be very angry There are bookes written of them and yet all fearce enough to satisfie touching the beauty of their commonwealth A certaine Philosopher giving himselfe 30. yeares to study the knowledge of B. Och. Ser. 3. all the properties in the Bee could never perfectly attaine his designe And very likely for if a man will bee too curious in his inquiries hee may lose himselfe in the search We must reade the booke of the Creatures but not dwell upon them Wee leave the Garden and will goe no farther then the Fathers Wind-mill CHAP. VIII The Milstone a very precious stone a precious instruction therefrom IT shall not bee said that the Child hath lived in a Tub and never was so farre as his Fathers Wind-mill Thither I will carry him from thence to Church then I shall make towards a Conclusion If in our way now we chance to see or heare a Toad let it instruct us it doth better service then wee and is lesse poysonfull if wee are as we were in our blood a Eze. 22. 16. and in our owne way the way of sin and death which consideration is enough to smite to the earth the wisdome of man and to make him all humble and subject to God The sight thereof remember us also of that person who being at the last point of time which he had throwne away and feeling his heart ready to breake his eye-strings also then said Oh that I had beene made a Toud even such a Creature for then I had glorisied my Maker in such a being but I have dishonoured him altogether and so making my selfe vile a Sam. 3. 13. I must looke now to be lightly esteemed b 1 Sam. 2. 30. If the little Worme be at our foote it teacheth us That so low the Lord bringeth even His Church His owne people so as they have bowed downe and laid their body as the ground or as the street to them that went over c Esay 51. 23. And when her estate is so low she is called Iacob a poore Worme one that saw very much evill in a few daies but it never hurt him therefore hee must not feare * Esay 41. 14. for all that nor doubt but that small though he be yet he shall rise againe and be exalted he shall like a Prince have his Charrets and Horsemen so he shall prevaile with God and shall bee called Israel So much the Worme in our way may teach us The stones yeeld us a good lesson also if wee looke upon them wee see our hearts as face in water answers face Iron will melt in the fire so will brasse so will not a stone Neither mercy nor misery can melt the heart If the premisses are true then say what they will the conclusion is cleare That in point of conversion we are us dead as a doore naile The voyce of the Sonne of God that onely makes us heare and live And now we are come as farre as the Wind-mill where against all expectation we shall finde a very precious stone nor shall the Millar doubt thereof by that time we have viewed it well There Guilliam disp of Herauld p. 136. is a stone saith the Herauld more precious then that wee weare upon our finger though it be too heavy to be appendant at the eare And this is the Milstone he gives good reason for what he saith and better Scripture The Milstone saith he brings in many a man his living It was noted long ago Advanc â— 1. 86. that Homer hath given more men their livings then either Sylla or Cesar or Augustus ever did not withstanding their great largesses and donatives and distributions of lands to so many legions so wee may say of this stone it hath done more this way then all the precious stones in the World for it maintaines that precious thing which we call life therefore the Mil-stone is put for any thing that brings in a mans livelihood a Quicquid â—â—niâ—â—is â—itam exâ—eâ—essitaâ—e â—â—erat luâ—â—us Dcut. 24. 6. What lesson learne we hence for therefore came weehither A mighty lesson fitter for men of more account and