it is learnt it may be drawne into a Synopsis and that digested into Common-place heads to which they may easily refer what ever they read worth noting out of any Greek Grammar they peruse And that they may more freely expatiate in such Books it were good if they had Mr. Busbie's Grammar Cleonard Scotus Chrysolora Ceporinus Gaza Vrbanius Caninius Gretserus Posselii Syntaxis as many as can be gotten both ancient and modern laid up in the Schoole Librarie to collect Annotations out of as their leisure will best permits you will scarce imagine to what exactnesse a boy will attain and what a treasure of good notes he will have heaped up in these two years time if he be moderately industrious and now and then imploy himself in collecting of his own accord and I may adde that Scholars of any ordinarie ingenuitie will delight more to be doing something at their book which they well understand then to be trifling and rambling up and down about idle occasions 3. Forasmuch as it is usual commendable to bring on children towards perfection in the Greek Tongue as they proceed in Oratorie and Poetrie in the Latine I think it not amisse to exercise these two Forms in such Authours as are commonly received and may prove most advantagious to them in all these yet herein I may seem to differ from some others that in stead of Grammar parts which I reserve to be constantly repeated every Thursday I would have this Form to learn some lively patterns of Oratory by the frequent and familiar use whereof and the knowledge of the Histories themselves to which they relate they may at last obtain the Artifice of gallant expression some skil to mannage future affairs It being requisite for a Scholar more then any man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be expert in speaking and doing At first therefore for morning parts on Mondaies Tuesdaies and Wednesdaies I would have them exercised in Apththonius if it can be gotten as I desire it may be reprinted both in Greek and Latine Out of which book I would have them translate the Fables and Themes so as to finish at least every week one into pure English and to repeat them being translated in both Languages that by that means they may gain the Method of these kinde of exercises and inure themselves to Pronunciation When they have gone over them they may next translate Tullies six Paradoxes and pronounce them also in English and Latine as if they were their own-And afterwards they may proceed in those pithy Orations which are purposely collected out of Salust Livy Tacitus Quintus Curtius having the Histories of their occasions summarily set down before them And of these I would have them constantly to translate one every day into English beginning with those that are the shortest and once a week to strive amongst themselves who can best pronounce them both in English and Latine I know not what others may think of this Task but I have experienced it to be a most effectual mean to draw on my Scholars to emulate one-another who could make the best exercises of their own in the most Rhetorical style and have often seen the most bashfull and least-promising boyes to out-strip their fellowes in pronouncing with a courage and comely gesture and for bringing up this use first in my School I must here thank that modest and ingenious Gentleman Mr. Edward Perkins who was then my Usher for advising me to set upon it For I found nothing that I did formerly to put such a spirit into my Scholars and make them like so many Nightingales to contend who could 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most melodiously tune his voyce and frame style to pronounce and imitate the forementioned Orations 4. Their forenoon Lessons on Mondays and Wednesdays may be in Isocrates and to make them more attend the Greek 1. Let them at first especially translate every Lesson by way of interlineary writing according to the Grammaticall order 2. Let them parse the whole Lesson in that order and give you the Variation and derivation of the most difficult Nouns and Verbs throughout and the Rules of Syntaxe and of the Accents 3. Let them pick out the phrases and more elegant words as they go along and write them in a Paparbook and transcribe what Sentences they meet withall into their common-place-Common-place-book After they are well entered you may cause them to translate the Greek into elegant Latine and on Fridayes when they come to repeat to render their own Latine into Greek which they should endeavour to write down very true and fair without any help of their Authour who is then to be thrown aside but afterwards compared with what they have done Three quarters of a year I conceive will be sufficient to exercise them in Isocrates till they get a perfect knowledge of Etymologie and Syntaxe in Greek which they will more easily attain to if out of this Authour especially you teach them to translate such examples most frequently as may serve to explicate those Rules which are not to be found in their Latine Grammar and very seldom occurre in the Greek one which they commonly read And then you may let them translate a Psalme out of English into Latine and out of Latine into Greek and compare them with the Septuagint Psalter Afterwards you may give them some of Demosthenes's Sentences or Similies collected by Loinus or of Posselius Apophthegmes in Latine only and let them turn them into Greek which when they have done you may let them see the Authours that by them they may discover their own failings and endeavour to amend them Their Lessons then for the fourth quarter on Mondaies and Wednesdaies should be in Theognis in which most pleasing Poet they may be taught not onely to construe and parse as formerly but also to minde the Dialects and to prove and scan and to trie how to make Hexâ—meter and Pentameter Greek verses as they formerly did Latine ones out of Ovid de Tristibus And here I must not forget to give notice to all that are taken with this Authour that Mr. Castilion's Praelectiones which he sometimes read at Oxford in Magdalene Colledge and Mr. Langley late School-Master of Pauls transcribed when he was Student there are desirous to see the light were they but helped forward by some Stationer or Printer that would a little consider the Authours paines I need give the work no more commendations then to say that besides Mr. Langley that writ it long agoe Mr. Busbie Mr. Dugard Mr. Singleton and some others of note have seen the Book and judged it a most excellent piece not onely to help young Scholars in the understanding of Theognis but also to furnish them with abundant matter of invention and to be a President to Students in the Universities whereby they may learne to compose such kind of Lectures upon other Poets either for their own private recreation or more publick reading
first imitated Praeceptor legit vos vero negligitis The Master readeth and ye regard not The Pastors preach and people regard not I speak and ye hear not We have read and thou mindest not And the like may be propounded as whilest the Cat sleepeth the Mice dance When the Master is away the boyes will play Thou neglectest when I write And these the children should make out of English into Latine unto which you should still adde more till they be able by themselves to practise according to the Rule 3. After they have thus gone over the general Rules Let them together with one Rule get its exceptions and observations as they lie in order and learn how they differ from the Rule and be sure that they construe and parse every example and imitate and make another agreeable to the Rule observation or exception as is shewed before N. B. Now forasmuch as little ones are too too apt to forget any thing that hath been told them concerning the meaning of a rule and the like and some indeed are of more leasurely apprehensions then others that require a little consideration of a thing before they can conceive it rightly they may be helped by making use of the second part of the Accidents examined wherein 1. The Rules are delivered by easie and short questions and answers and all the examples are Englished and the words wherein the force of the example lyeth are applyed to the rule 2. The examples are Grammatically construed and all the first words in them set down in the margent and referred to an Index which sheweth what part of Speech they are and how to be declined or conjugated This I contrived at the first as a means to prevent Childrens gadding out of their places under a pretence of asking abler boyes to help them in construing and parsing these examples but upon tryal I found it a great ease to my self for telling the same things often over and a notable encouragement to my Scholars to go about their lessons who alwayes go merrilier about their task when they know how to resolve themselves in any thing they doubt 4. When they have got the second Part of the Accidents well by heart and understand it at least so far as to be able to give you any rule you call for you may divide it also into eight parts according to the heads set down in the book whereof the First May be concerning the first second and third Concord The second concerning the case of the relative and the Construction of Substantives The third concerning the Construction of Adjectives and of a Pronoune The fourth concerning the construction of Verbs with a Nominative and Genitive Case The fifth concerning the construction of Verbs with a Dative Accusative and Ablative Case The sixth concerning the construction of Passives Gerunds and Supines The seventh concerning time space place and impersonals The eighth concerning the Participle the Adverb the Conjunction the Praeposition and the Interjection which being added to the foregoing twelve the whole Accidents may be easily passed over at twenty Parts and kept surely in mind by repeating it once a moneth for morning Parts and examining it every Tuesday and Thursday in the afternoon As they made use of the Vocabulary together with the first part of the Accidents so may they joyn Sententiae Puerilis with the second which book I would have them to provide both in English and Latine 1. Because it renders the Book more grateful to Children who by reading their Lessons in their Mothers tongue know better what to make of them 2. Because they are apt to mistake what they have been construed especially in words that have various significations 3. Their memories being short they must be told the same word as oft as they ask it ere they come to say and when they come perhaps they cannot construe one Sentence to any purpose As they learn this book let them but take three or four lines at once which they should 1. Construe out of Latine into Egnlish and then out of English into Latine 2. Decline the Nounes and form the Verbs in it throughout and give the rules for the concordance and construction of the Words 3. Bring their lessons fair writ out both in English and Latine in a little paper book which will exceedingly further them in spelling and writing truly 4. To fix their Lessons the better in their memorie you may ask them such plain questions as they can easily answer by the words in the Sentence 5. Let them also imitate a Sentence sometimes by changing some of the words and sometimes altering their Accidents 6. Give them sometimes the English of a Sentence to make into Latine of themselves and then let them compare it with the Latine in the book and see wherein they come short of it or in what Rule they faile For though the main end of this Book which is full of plain lessons both of honesty and godliness be to instill those grave sayings into childrens minds some of which notwithstanding are too much beyond their reach and it be not perhaps so useful as some others are for the speedy gaining of Latine yet by being thus made use of it may be very much improved to both purposes Here I think it no digression to tell how I and some School-fellowes yet living and eminent in their Scholar-like professions were nusled two or three years together in learning this book of Sentences After we had gone over our Accidents several times by heart and had learned part of Propria quae maribus we were put into this Book and there made to construe and parse two or three Sentences at once out of meer Latine and if in any thing we missed we were sure to be whipt It was well if of 16. or 20. boyes two at any time could say and that they did say right was more by hap-hazard then any thing that they knew For we knew not how to apply one rule of Grammar to any word nor could we tell what part of Speech it was or what belonged to it but if the Master told us it was a Noun to be sure we said it was of the Nominative case and singular number and if a Verb we presently guessed it to be of the Indicative Mood Present tense singular number and third person because those coming so frequent we erred the lesse in them And an ignorant presumption that we could easily say made us spend our time in idle chat or worse employment and we thought it in vain for us to labour about getting a lesson because we had no help at all provided to further us in so doing Yet here and there a Sentence that I better understood then the rest and with which I was more affected took such imimpression as that I still remember it as Gallus in suo stirquilinio plurimum potest Vbi dolor ibi digitus c. This I have related by the by to manifest by mine
pick out the Phrases and Sentences which they may commit to a paper-book and afterwards resolve the matter of their lessons into an English period or two which they may turn into proper and elegant Latine observing the placing of words according to prose Thus out of the five first verses in the first Eclogue Fauste precor gelida quando pecus omne sub umbra Ruminat antiquos paulum recitemus amores Ne si forte sopor nos occupet â—lla ferarum Quae modo per segetes tacite insidiantur adultas Saeviat in pecudes Melior vigilantia somno One may make such a period as this Shepherds are wont sometimes to talke of their old loves whilest the cattel chew the cud under the shade for fear if they should fall asleep some Fox or Wolf or such like beast of prey which either lurk in the thick woods or lay wait in the grown corn should fall upon the cattel And indeed watching is farre more commendable for a Prince or Magistrate then immoderate or unseasonable sleep Pastores aliquando dum pecus sub umbra ruminat antiquos suos amores recitare solent ne si sopor ipsos occupet vulpes aut lupus aut aliqua ejus generis fera praedabunda quae vel in densis sylvis latitant vel per adultas segetes insidiatur in pecudes saeviat Imo enimvero Principi vel Magistratui vigilantia somno immodico ac intempestivo multo laudabilior est And this will help to prepare their invention for future exercises by teaching them to suck the marrow both of words and matter out of all their Authours The reason why I desire children especially those of more prompt wits and better memories may repeat what they read in Poets by heart as I would have them translate into English what they read in Prose is partly because the memory thrives best by being often exercised so it be not overcharged and partly because the roundnesse of the verses helpeth much to the remembrance of them wherein boyes at once gain the quantity of syllables and abundance of matter for phansie and the best choyce of words and phrases for expression of their minde On Tuesdayes and Thursdayes in the after-noon after they have done with Corderius they may read Helvici Colloquia which are selected out of those of Erasmus Ludovicus Vives and Schottenius and after they have construed a Colloquie and examined some of the hardest Grammar-passages in it let them all lay aside their books save one and let him read the Colloquie out of Latine into English clause by clause and let the rest give it him again into Latine every man saying round as it comes to his turn And this will make them to mind the words and phrases before hand and fasten many of them in their memories Help them afterwards to pick out the phrases and let them write them as they did others in a pocket paper-paper-book Cause them sometimes to imitate a whole Colloquie or a piece of one and let them often strive to make Colloquies amongst themselves talking two three or more together about things familiar to them and inserting as many words and phrases as they can well remember to be proper for the present out of any of their Authours and these they should shew you fair written with a note of the page and line where they borrowed any expression not used before set down in the Margent of their exercise And this will make them industriously to labour every day for variety of expressions and encourage them much to discourse when they know themselves to be certain in what they say aud that they can so easily come by Latine to speak their mindes upon any occasion But if instead of Mantuan you think good sometimes to make use of Castalions Dialogues you may first make them read the history in the Bible by themselves apart then hear them construe it Dialogue-wise pronouncing every sentence as pathetically as may be Afterwards One may read it in English and the rest answer him in Latine clause by clause as is already mentioned concerning the Colloquies And to help them somewhat the better to construe of themselves you may direct them according to the golden Rule of construing commended and set down at large by industrious Mr. Brinsley in the 93. and 94. pages of his Grammar Schoole to take 1. The Vocative case and that which dependeth upon it 2. The Nominative case of the principal verb and that which dependeth upon it 3. The Principal verb and that which serveth to explain it 4. The Accusative case and the rest of the cases after it And herein cause them to observe that Interrogatives Relatives and Conjunctions use to go before all other words in construing and that the Adjective and the Substantive the Adverb and the Verb the Preposition and its casual word go for the most part together But be sure to teach them often to cast the words of a period into their natural or Grammatical order according to which they must construe and to know the signification of every word and phrase proper for its place and withall let them have in mind the chief matter drift and circumstances of a place according to the verse Quis cui causa locus quo tempore prima sequela Which biddeth one to heed who speaks what is spoken to whom he speaks upon what occasion or to what end he speaks at what time a thing was done or spoken what went immediately before and what followeth next after And if either the construing be against sense or Grammar Rule let them try again another way To exercise them in something besides the getting of Grammar parts at home let them every night turn two verses out of the Proverbs of Solomon into Latine and write out two verses of the New Testament Grammatically construed and let them evermore take heed to spell every word aright and to marke the Pauses or notes of distinction in their due places for by this meanes they will profit more in Orthography then by all the Rules that can be given them and they will mind Etymologie and Syntaxis more by their own daily practice then by ten times repetition without it On Saturdayes after they can say the Assemblies Catechisme in English Latine you may let them proceed with Perkins six Principles and when they have repeated as much as they can well by heart you may cause them to read it out of English into Latine your self ever anon suggesting to them the propriety of words and phrases where they are at a losse and directing them after they have once made it Grammatically to cast it into the artificiall order of Latine style And then let them go to their places and write it fair and truly in a little Paper book for the purpose If out of every Lesson as they passe this little Catechisme you extract the Doctrinall points by way of Propositions and annex the Proofs of Scriptures to them
which are quoted in the Margent as you see Mr. Perkins hath done in the beginning of the book and cause your Scholars to write them out all fair and at large as they finde them in their Bibles it will be a profitable way of exercising them on the Lords day and a good means to improve them in the reall knowledge of Christianity Now forasmuch as I have observed that children about nine years of age and few till then begin to relish Grammar so as of themselves to seek into the meaning of Rules thereby to conceive the reason of Speech I now judge it requisite for this form to be made throughly acquainted with the whole body of it Therefore after they have gone over the plain Syntaxis two or three times by morning parts as is shewed and have got it pretty well by heart for which I judge three quarters of a year will be time sufficient you may let them divide the whole Syntax into 12 parts reckoning them according to the severall Heads of it thus The first De Concordantia Nominativi verbi Substantivi Adjectivi Relativi Antecedentis The second de Constructione Substantivorum Adjectivorum cum Genitivo The third de constructione Adjectivorum cum Dativo Accusativo Ablative The fourth de constructione Pronominum The fifth de constructione verborum cum Nominativo Genitivo The sixth de constructione verborum cum Dativo Accusativo The seventh de constructione verborum cum Ablativo The eighth de Gerundiis Supinis de Tempore Loco The ninth de constructione Impersonalium Participiorum The tenth de constructione Adverbiorum The eleventh de constructione Conjunctionum The twelfth de constructione Praepositionum Interjectionum All which twelve you may adde to the thirty parts in the Accidents and Propria quae maribus c. and let your Scholars bestow a moneths time together in repeating and examining the Accidents and thus farre of the Grammar both for Parts and Lessons till they have thorowly made it their own and that they may the better conceive how it hangeth together and what use they are to make of its severall parts you should often make them run over the Heads of it and give them an Analysis of their dependency one upon another After this they may more understandingly proceed to the Figures of words and construction the definitions whereof and their Examples they need onely get by heart and for that purpose do you note them out with a pen and in explaining of them give as many examples as may make them fully to apprehend their meaning But when they have said the Definition of one or more Figures at a part by heart you may cause them to construe all they finde concerning it and to help them in so doing they that are otherwise lesse able may make use of Mr. Stockwoods little book of Figura construed Then let them go on to Prosodia for their more easie understanding of which as they proceed in it you may tell them the meaning of it in brief thus Prosodia being the last part of Grammar teacheth the right pronunciation of words or the tuning of Syllables in words as they are pronounced and therefore it is divided into a Tone or Accent a Spirit and a Time whereof a Tone ordereth the tune of the voyce shewing in what syllables it is to be lifted up and what to be let down in what both to be lifted up and let down So that there are three Tones a Grave which is seldome or never made but in the last syllable of such words as ought to have had an Acute in the last syllable that in the contexture of words in this manner Nè si forte sopor nos occupet an Acute which is often used to difference some words from others as uná together seduló diligently remain acuted at the end of a Speech and in continuation of speech have their acute accents turned into a Grave to make them differ from una one and sedulo diligent A Circumflex which is often marked to denote a lost syllable as amârunt for amaverunt A spirit ordereth the breath in uttering syllables shewing where it is to be let out softly and where sharply as in ara an Altar and hara a swine coate The milde Spirit is not marked but the weak letter n being used as a note of aspiration only and not reckoned as a Consonant serveth to expresse the sharp Spirit There are three Rules of Accents which are changed by Difference Transposition Attraction Concision and Idiome Time sheweth the measure how long while a syllable is to be in pronouncing not at all regarding the Tone A long syllable is to be a longer while and a short a shorter while in pronouncing Of long and short syllables put together orderly feet are made and of feet verses 4. Now to know when a syllable is long or short there are Rules concerning the first the middle and last syllables so that if one minde in what part of a word the syllable stands he may easily finde the Rule of its quantity The summe of Prosodia being thus hinted to them they may get it by heart at morning Parts if they cannot construe it well by themselves they may be helped by a little book made by Barnaby Hampton called Prosodia construed But be sure that they can read you every part into English and tell you the true meaning of it Your own frequent examination will be the best way to know whether they understand it or not And to prepare them for the practice of it in making verses I would first let them use it in learning to scan and prove Hexamiter verses onely out of Cato or Mantuan or such Authours as they have read thus 1. Let them write a verse out and divide into its just feet giving a dash or stroke betwixt every one and let them tell you what feet they are and of what syllables they consist and why they stand in such or such a place as Si Deus-est ani-mus no-bis ut-carmina-dicunt Hic tibi-praecipu-è sit-pura-mente co-lendus 2. Let them set the mark of the Time or Quantity over every syllable in every foot and give you the reason according to the Rules why it is there noted long or short as SÄ« DÄ•Ås Ä“st ănÄ-mÅ«s noÌ„ bÄ« Å«t-cÄrmÄnă-dÄ« cuÌ„nt HÄ«c tÄbÄ-praeÌ„cÄipÅ-Ä“ sÄ«t-pÅ«i-mÄ“ntÄ• cÅ-leÌ„ndÅs Let them now divide Figura and Prosodia into six parts The first de Figuris Dictionis Constructionis The second de Tonis Spiritibus The third de Carm num ratioue generibus The fourth de quantitate primarum syllabarum The fifth de mediis syllabis And the sixth de ultimis syllabis which they may adde to the forty two parts afore mentioned and keep by constant repetition of one of them every day till they can say them all very well by heart and give a perfect account of any thing in them Then let them begin the Accidents and
what they learn in that Authour in their mindes They should have a Quarto Paper-book for this purpose wherein nothing else should be written 2. Let them translate about four or six lines Grammatically in a loose paper that by this means they may better take notice of the way of construing 3. Let them construe the whole Lesson both Grammatically and according to the phrase and this will acquaint them with the proprieties of both Tongues 4. Let them parse it according to the Grammatical order examining every word to the utmost of what Grammar teacheth concerning it and this will make them thorowly to understand Lilie and sometimes to consult other Grammars where he comes short in a Rule 5. Let them cull out the most significant words and phrases and write them in a pocket-Pocket-book with figures referring where to finde them in their Authour and set them ever and anon be conning these by heart because these of all others will stand them in most stead for speaking Latine or writing Colloquies and Epistles In reading of this book it is not amisse for the Master to minde his Scholars of the true decorum of both things and words and how fitting they are for such persons to do or speak as are there represented and upon such occasions as they did and spake them As in Andria they may observe not onely in generall how apt young men are to be enticed old men to chide servants to deceive c. but more particularly they may see how some men are more apt to be carried away by passion then others are and how different their natures are sometimes though their age and breeding may be the same Thus they shall finde Simo and Chremes two old Citizens the one pettish and apt to overshoot himself in many things the other more cal me and circumspect and therefore better able to pacify and advise others Likewise they shall meet with two young Gentlemen Pamphilus and Charinus the one whereof being very towardly and hopefull was drawn away by ill company and thereby brought into much trouble of mind betwixt a fear to offend his Father and a care to make amends for his fault committed but the other being rash and childishly disposed is set upon what he desireth with such eagernesse that he will have it though it be impossible for him to obtain it and he be utterly ignorant of using any meanes to come by it But above all they will laugh at the knave Davus to read how he presuming upon his own cunning wit displeaseth Simâ—â— ensnareth Pamphilus and at last brings himself within the compasse of the lash And in this and other comedies they may observe many remarkable sayings and actions which will hint much to abundant matter of invention for future exercises As when they hear Davus cry Hem astutias Fie upon craft they may take an occasion to enlarge upon the matter as to say One may quickly perceive by Davus in Terence what a mischievous wit will come to that doth alwayes busie it self to circumvent and entrap others for this fellow after he had cozened his old Master and unhappily taught his Masters son to tell his father a lie and intangle himself in a double marriage and saw his knavery could not help him to escape his own danger was ready at last to hang himself and though he came off pretty well with his young Master by condemning himself and asking forgivenesse and promising to amend the matter he had utterly spoyled yet in the height of his jollity the old man catcheth him at unawares and without hearing him to speak a word for himself calleth for Dromo and makes him hoise him up and carry him away to the house of correction and there to tye him neck and heels together and whip him smartly for the roguery he had done Such Dictates as these the Master may give his Scholars sometimes to turn into pure Latine till they be able to make the like of themselves And this is indeed to make a true use of this excellent Authour according to what Erasmus directs in his golden little book de Ratione instituendi Discipulos which is worth ones perusal that is exercised in teaching youth When you meet with an Act or Scene that is full of affection and action you may cause some of your Scholars after they have learned it to act it first in private amongst themselves and afterwards in the open Schoole before their fellowes and herein you must have a main care of their pronunciation and acting every gesture to the very life This acting of a piece of a Comedy or a Colloquy sometimes will be an excellent means to prepare them to pronounce Orations with a Grace and I have found it an especiall remedy to expell that subrustick bashfulnesse and unresistable timorousnesse which some children are naturally possessed withall and which is apt in riper yeares to drown many good parts in men of singular endowments 6. Their after-noon parts on Mondays and Wednesdays may be in Janua Latinae linguae which book should be often read over because it will at once furnish them with the knowledge of words and things into the reasons of which they will now be more industriously inquisitive then furmerly because their present years do teach them to be more discursive in their understanding as growing more towards men And therefore in this book they should not onely first minde the signification and Grammatical construction of words but Secondly endeavour to gain a Copy of good and proper words for expression of one and the same thing as that they may not only tell you that domus but also aedes is Latine for a house that decor and pulchritudo are Latine for beavty as well as forma and in finding such Synonyma's as these they may be helped as well by Dictionaries as by frequent reading Thirdly They may with every part bring a piece of the Index tranâ—â—ated into English Fourthly Because â—hey must now begin to use their judgement in the right choyce of words when they finde many heaped together it were not amisse to let them enquire the Original out of Rider's Latine Dictionary or Beckman do Originibus Latinae linguae and to consider the differences that are betwixt words of the same signification which they may learn out of Ausonius Popma Laurentius Valla Cornelius Fronto Varro de linguâ Latinâ and the like books fit to be kept in the Schoole Library 7. On Tuesdaies and Thursdaies in the after-noons I would have this Form employed in some of Tullies Epistles either those collected formerly by Sturmius or those of late made use of in Westminster Schoole but Sturmius's I rather prefer as more easie to begin withall the others may be used afterwards together with Textors Epistles And 1. I would have them be exercised in double translating these Epistles so as to render many of them into good English and after a while to turn the same again into Latine and
to try how near they can come to their Authour in the right choice and orderly placing of words in every distinct Period And because the Authours style and expression will in many particulars seem hard to those that have not formerly read some of his Epistles I have thought good at first to give my Scholars a taste of an Epistolary style by translating a Century of select Epistles out of Tully and other choice Authours making the English answer to the Latine Period by Period And these I cause them to write over and in so doing to take notice of the placing of every word and its manner of signification By this means they both better themselves in Orthography and easily become so acquainted with Tullies expressions that they can adventure to construe any of his Epistles of themselves and turn them into English as they see I have done the like before them 2. Then do I cause them as I said to make double translations of themselves one while writing down both the English and Latine together as they construe it which some call Metaphrasis an example or two whereof you may see in Merchant Taylors School Probation and another while and most frequently writing the English out of the Latine by it self which within ten dayes after they try how to turn into the like good Latine again And this is the way that Mr Brinsley so much commendeth and Mr. Aseham was moved to think to be onely or chiefly the fittest for the speedy and perfect attaining of any Tongue 3. After they are grown pretty quick in translating both wayes you may write them down a little English Epistle of like matter words to that in their book directed to some of their own acquaintance which they may turn into Latine Period after Period by themselves To begin therefore with the first Epistle in Sturmius which may be writ down translated thus M. T. C. Terentiae Salutem plurimam dicit Mark Tully Cicero sendeth hearty commendations to his wife Terentia SI vales bene est ego valâ—o If you be in good health it is well I am in good health Nos quotidie tabellarios vestros expectamus qui si venerint fortasse erimus certiores quid nobis faciendum sit faciemusque te statim certiorem We everyday expect your Letter-posts who if they come we shall be perhaps more certain what we are to do and we will certifie you forthwith Valetudinem tuam cura diligenter vale Look diligently to your health farewell Calendis Septembris The first day of September And you may shew them how to imitate it observing our English manner of writing Letters thus To his very loving Friend Mr. Stephen Primato at the Seven Stars neer Newgate LONDON these Amantissimo suo amico Domino Stephano Primatae ad insigne Septentrionum juxta novam Portam Londinensem hasce dabis Most sweet Stephen IF you be all in good health at London it is very well we are all very well at Barnet The Lord God be praised Stephane mellitissime Si vos omnes Londini valetis optime est nos quidem omnes Barnetae valemus Laudetur Dominus Deus I have every day expected a Letter from you for this whole week together which if it come is like to be very welcome to me I pray you therefore write to me and let me know what you do and I will write back again to you forthwith Ego quotidie literas tuas per hanc totam hebdomadem expectavi quae si venerint gratissimae mihi futurae sunt oro igitur ut ad me scribas certiorem me facias quid agis ego statim ad te rescribam Give your minde diligently to learning Farewell heartily Studio literarum diligenter incumbe Vale feliciter Your most loving friend Robert Burrows Barnetae Octob. 4. 1659. Amantissimus tuus amicus Robertus Burrowes They may imitate the same Epistle again in framing an answer to the particulars of the foregoing letter after this manner observing the form of composition rather then the words To his very much respected friend Mr. Robert Burrows neere the Mitre at Barnet these deliver Observantissimo suo amico Roberto Burrows haud ita procul a Mitrâ Barnetae hasce dabis Deare Robert I Am very glad I am certified by your Letter that you and all our friends are in good health Lo I have now at last sent you my letter which I am sorry that I have made you so long to look for before it came to your hand And forasmuch as you desire to know what I do I thought good to certify you that I am wholly busied at my book insomuch as I could willingly finde in my heart to die at my studies so true is that which we sometimes learned in our Accidents To know much is the most pleasant and sweetest life of all You need not therefore truly to speak plainly perswade me further to give my mind to learning which I had much rather havee then all even the most precious jewels in the world Farewell and write as often as you can to Your very loving friend Stephen Primate Charissime Roberte QVòd ex tuis literis certior fiam te omnes nostros bene valere magnopere gaudeo Ecce nostras jam tandem ad te misi Quas quoniam in causâ fui ut diutiùs expectes priusquam ad vos venerint vehementer doleo Cùm autem quid ego agam scire cupias certiorem te facere velim me totum in libris esse occupatum usque adeò ut vel emori studiis mihi dulce erit Ita verum est quod è Rudimentis Grammatices olim ebibimus Multum scire est vita jucundissima Non igitur opus est ut ulteriùs mihi suadeas studio literarum doctrinae incumbere quae quidem ut planè loquar omnibus gemmis vel pretiosissimis cupidissimè malim Vale literas quam sepissime mitte ad Amantissimum tui Robertum Burrows THus you may help them to take so much as is needfull and fit for their purpose out of any Epistle and to alter and apply it fitly to their several occasions of writing to their friends and where Tully's expressions will not serve them let them borrow words and phrases out of the books that they have learn't but especially out of Terence and take care to place them so that they may continually seem to imitate Tullie's form in writing Epistles though they be not altogether tyed to his very words And this I give as a Caution both in speaking and writing Latine that they never utter or write any words or phrases which they are not sure they have read or heard used in the same sense that they there intend them It were necessary for them as they proceed in reading Epistles to pick out all such familiar expressions as are incident to be used in writing letters and to note them in a paper book kept for the purpose digested
memoriter anâ— then construed and applyed the example to the definition 3. Their after-noons Lessons were 2 days in Ovids Metamorphosis 2 days in Tullies Offices both which they translated into English 4. They learned to scan and prove verses in Flores Poetarum and repeated their weeks works on Fridayes as before 6. The sixth forme continued their parts in the Greek Grammar and formed a verb Active at every part 2. They read the Greek Testament for fore-noones Lessons beginning with Saint Johns Gospel 3. Their after-noones Lessons were two dayes in Virgil and two dayes in Tullies Orations They construed the Greek Testament into Latine and the rest into English 7. The seventh forme went on with the Greek Grammar forming at every part a verb Passive or Medium 2. They had their fore-noones Lessons in Isocrates which they translated into Latin 3. Their after-noon lessons were 2 dayes in Horace and 2 days in Seneca's Tragedies both which they translated into English 8. The eighth forme still contâ—nued their parts in the Greek Grammar 2. They said fore-noones Lessons in Hesiod which they translated into Latine and afternoones Lessons in Juvenal and afterwards in Persius which they translated into English 9. The ninth and highest forme said morning parts in the Hebrew Grammar forenoons Lessons in Homer and afternoons Lessons in some Comical Authour Thus when I came to Rotherham I found two or three sorts of boyes in the Accidents and nine or ten several formes whereof some had but two or three Scholars in it and one of these formes also was not very far from that which was below it So that I being to teach all my self alone was necessitated to reduce them to a lesser number and to provide such helps for the weaker boyes as might enable them to go on with the stronger Besides observing how barren the Scholars were of proper words and good phrases with which their present Authours did not sufficiently furnish them for speaking or writing Latine I was enforced to make use of such books amongst the rest as were purposely made for that end and having at last brought the whole Schoole into a good method and order so as the Scholars learned with profit and I taught them with much ease and delight I was perswaded to write over what I had done that I might leave it as a pattern for him that succeeded me and this was the ground-work of my Discovery The manner of giving Lectures before I came was 1. For the two highest boyes in the eighth forme to give Lectures to all the lower formes each his week by turnes 2. The highest Scholar in the Schoole gave Lectures to the second form 3. Those in the highest form were commonly left to shift for themselves The manner of the Masters hearing Lessons was this 1. The highest boy in the form at their coming to say construed his Lesson two or three times over till he was perfect in it that his fellowes might all learn by him to construe as well as he then every one construed according to the order in which he stood 2. They parsed their Lessons in that order that they had construed it in 3. They translated every day after the Lesson and shewed it altogether fair written on Fridayes Their Exercises were these 1. The four lowest formes translated at vacant times out of some English book 2. The higher formes having a subject given them every Saturday made Themes Verses upon it against that day seven night The manner of collecting phrases was that every Friday in the afternoon the boyes in the highest form collected phrases for the lowest formes out of their severall Authours which they writ and commited to memory against Saturday morning The set times for Disputations were Fridayes and Saturdayes at noon and the manner thus one boy answered his day by course and all his fellowes posed him out of any Authour which he had read before A part of Thursday in the afternoon was spent in getting the Church Catechisme and the six principles of Christianity made by Mr. Perkins Finding this method which is used also in most Grammar Schooles to concurre in the main grounds with that which I had been taught at Wakefield but not to be so plain and easie as that was to children of meaner capacities I began to seek not so much to alter any thing as to supply what I saw defective in it having these and such like considerations often in my mind 1. Though every man liketh his own method best yet none ought so far to be conceited of his own as not to search after a better for the profiting of his Scholars 2. Though one constant method must diligently be observed yet triall may be made of another at fit times so it be done without any distraction to the Master or hinderance to his Scholars 3. A new course of teaching must not be brought in suddenly upon Scholars that have been long trained in a worse but by degrees 4. Some modern Schoole-masters seem to have gained a far more easie and nearer way of teaching then many of the more ancient seemed to have 5. Mr. Brinsley seemeth to have made a Discovery of a more perfect method then was in his time used or is yet generally received Mr. Farnaby Mr. John Clerke and some others have facilitated the way further but Mr. John Comenius hath lately contrived a shorter course of teaching which many of late endeavour to follow and others have more contemplatively written what they have thought of learning the Latine tongue in the easiest manner 6. That for me it would not be amisse by imitating these and others of whose learning and dexterity in teaching I had got some little experience and observing the severall tempers and capacities of those I taught to endeavour to finde out and contrive such helps as might make the most generally received method of teaching by Grammar Authours and Exercises more briefe in it self and more easie and delightfull to the Teacher and Scholar And for what I have done in this kinde these Arguments were especiall inducements That 1. It is not only possible but necessary to make children understand their tasks from their very first entrance into learning seeing they must every one bear his own burden and not rely upon their fellowes altogether in what they doe 2. It is possible and meet for every teacher so to ground his Scholars as that change of Masters may not much hinder their progress in learning 3. Things most familiar and obvious to the senses are first to be learned and such as may be an easie step towards those which are next to be attained 4. The most vocabula's and phrases of ordinary discourse may and ought to be taught together with the Latine Grammar and the lowest sort of Schoole-Authours 5. Boyes ought to know the meaning and how to make use of each Rule as they learne yet so as not they be forced upon understanding of it 6. The most useful books ought to be read and may be taught after one manner in every Grammar-Schoole 7. Children must be furnished with store of matter and able to write a good style and shewed how to imitate their Authours for making Exercises before they be put to use their own invention 8. It is tyranny in the Master to beat a Scholar for not doing that which he knoweth not how to goe about so that he must first know him to be well able and then he may more justly punish his neglect 9. Many young Schoole-masters are more pusled about frameing to themselves a good method then toyled in the exercise of teaching Schoole 10. No man ever had such an acute and direct method but another able Scholar might observe and follow it 11. Many Masters that are excellent in perfecting Scholars have not the patience to ground them and many that have the skill to ground a Scholar well in his Rudiments are not of ability to bring him on to perfection in Grammatical Exercises 12. In many Schooles one Master alone beareth the whole burden of teaching without any help of an Usher 13. Every one that teacheth a Grammar Schoole is not able to make a right choyce nor knoweth he the true use of our best classical Authours 14. It is a prime part of a Schoole-master to instruct his Scholars well in the principles of Christian Religion and to make them acquainted with the holy Scriptures 15. It is an utter undoing to many Scholars to be sent ungrounded to the Universities and Parents are generally unwilling to have their children tarry long at the Schoole and therefore it is good for Masters to make use of the shortest and surest way of teaching 16. It is very necessary and hath been ever wished that some of our most famous and best Schoole-masters would for the benefit of others set themselves on work to finde out and publish the exactest method of teaching which might be generally received till a better were knowne for by that meanes they should doe much good to the Church and Common-wealth and somewhat herein advantage themselves seeing every Parent will be willing to have his son taught by one whom he knoweth to be constantly diligent in a good way of teaching And the hopes that I conceived hereby to provoke my betters hath especially encouraged me at last to yield to my friends importunity in setting down this Method of Teaching and writing down also this for me of Schoole-Government which I heartily commend to Gods heavenly blessing and the candid censure of the more judicious hoping that as I intend chiefly the generall good so none will requite me with malicious obtrectation which if any shall doe I charitably pray for them before hand that God would for Christs sake forgive them and grant that I may not heed what they write or say concerning me or my labours so as to be discouraged in my honest endeavours for the publick service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS Quidam senex partans faescem lignorum super humoros ex nemore cum defessus esset longa via vocavit mortem fasco deposito humi Ecce mors advenit rogat causam quamobrem vocaverat se Tunc senex ait ut imponeres hunc fascem lignorum super humeros
of the mouth But the sweet and natural pronunciation of them is gotten rather by imitation then precept and therefore the teacher must be careful to give every letter its distinct and clear sound that the childe may get it from his voice and be sure to make the child open his mouth well as he uttereth a letter lest otherwise he drown or hinder the sound of it For I have heard some foreiners to blame us English-men for neglecting this mean to a plain and audible speaking saying that the cause why we generally do not speak so fully as they proceeded from an ill habit of mumbling which children got at their first learning to read which it was their care therfore to prevent or remedy betimes and so it should be ours seeing Pronounciation is that that sets out a man and is sufficient of it self to make one an Oratour Chap. II. How a childe may be taught with delight to know all his letters in a very little time THe usual way to begin with a child when he is first brought to Schoole is to teach him to know his letters in the Horn-book where he is made to run over all the letters in the Alphabet or Christ cross-row both forwards backwards until he can tel any one of them which is pointed at and that in the English character This course we see hath been very effectual in a short time with some more ripe witted children but others of a slower apprehension as the most and best commonly are have been thus learning a whole year together and though they have been much chid and beaten too for want of heed could scarce tell six of their letters at twelve moneths end who if they had been taught in a way more agreeable to their meane apprehensions which might have wrought more readily upon the senses and affected their mindes with what they did would doubtlesse have learned as cheerfully if not as fast as the quickest I shall therefore mention sundry ways that have been taken to make a childe know his letters readily out of which the discreet Teacher may chuse what is most likely to suit with his Learner I have known some that according to Mr. Brinslâ—y's direction have taught little ones to pronounce all the letters and to spell pretty well before they knew one letter in a book and this they did by making the childe to sound the five vowels a e i o u like so many bells upon his fingers ends and to say which finger was such or such a vowel by changes 2 Then putting single consonants before the vowels leaving the hardest of them till the last and teaching him how to utter them both at once as va ve vi ve vu da de di do du 3. and again by putting the vowels before a consonant to make him say as es is os us ad ed id od ud Thus they have proceeded from syllables of two or three or more letters till a child hath been pretty nimble in the most But this is rather to be done in a private house then a publick Schoole how ever this manner of exercise now and then amongst little Scholars will make their lessons more familiar to them The greatest trouble at the first entrance of children is to teach them how to know their letters one from another when they see them in the book altogether for the greatnesse of their number and variety of shape do puzle young wits to difference them and the sence can but be intent upon one single object at once so as to take its impression and commit it to the imagination and memory Some have therefore begun but with one single letter and after they have shewed it to the childe in the Alphabet have made him to finde the same any where else in the book till he knew that perfectly and then they have proceeded to another in like manner and so gone through the rest Some have contrived a piece of ivory with twenty four flats or squares in every one of which was engraven a several letter and by playing with a childe in throwing this upon a table and shewing him the letter onely which lay uppermost have in few dayes taught him the whole Alphabet Some have got twenty four pieces of ivory cut in the shape of dice with a letter engraven upon each of them and with these they have played at vacant hours with a childe till he hath known them all distinctly They begin first with one then with two afterwards with more letters at once as the childe got knowledge of them To teach him likewise to spell they would place consonants before or after a vowel and then joyn more letters together so as to make a word and sometimes divide it into syllables to be parted or put together now this kind of letter sport may be profitably permitted among you beginers in a School in stead of ivory they may have white bits of wood or small shreads of paper or past-board or parchment with a letter writ upon each to play withall amongst themselves Some have made pictures in a little book or upon a scroll of paper wrapt upon two sticks within a box of iceing-glass and by each picture have made three sorts of that letter with which its name beginneth but those being too many at once for a childe to take notice on have proved not so useful as was intended Some likewise have had pictures and letters printed in this manner on the back side of a pack of cards to entice children that naturally love that sport to the love of learning their books Some have writ a letter in a great character upon a card or chalked it out upon a trencher and by telling a child what it was and letting him strive to make the like have imprinted it quickly in his memory and so the rest one after another One having a Son of two years and a half old that could but even go about the house and utter some few gibberish words in a broken manner observing him one day above the rest to be busied about shells and sticks and such like toys which himself had laid together in a chair and to misse any one that was taken from him he saw not how and to seek for it about the house became very desireous to make experiment what that childe might presently attain to in point of learning Thereupon he devised a little wheel with all the Capital Romane letters made upon a paper to wrap round about it and fitted it to turn in little a round box which had a hole so made in the side of it that onely one letter might be seen to peep out at once This he brought to the childe showed him onely the letter O and told him what it was The childe being overjoyed with his new gamball catcheth the box out of his Fathers hand and run's with it to his play fellow a year younger then himself and in his broken
language tell 's him there was an O an O And when the other asked him where he said in a hole in a hole and shewed it him which the lesser childe then took such notice of as to know it againe ever after from all the other letters And thus by playing with the box and enquiring concerning any letter that appeared strange to him what it was the childe learnt all the letters of the Alphabet in eleven dayes being in this Character A B C and would take pleasure to shew them in any book to any of his acquaintance that came next By this instance you may see what a propensity there is in nature betimes to learning could but the Teachers apply themselves to their young Scholars tenuity and how by proceeding in a cleare facil method that all may apprehend every one may benefit more or less by degrees According to these contrivances to forward children I have published a New Primar in the first leafe whereof I have set the Roman Capitalls because that Character is now most in use those letters the most easie to be learn't and have joyned therewith the pictures or images of some things whose names begins with that letter by which a childs memory may be helped to remember how to call his letters as A for an Ape B. for a Bear c. This Hieroglyphicall devise doth so affect Children who are generally forward to communicate what they know that I have observed them to teach others that could not so readily learn to know all the letters in a few houres space by asking them what stands A. for and so concerning other letters backwards and forwards or as they best liked Thus when a childe hath got the names of his letters their several shapes withall in a playing manner he may be easily taught to distinguish them in the following leaf which containeth first the greater and then the smaller Roman Characters to be learned by five at once or more as the childe is able to remember them other Characters I would have forborn till one be well acquainted with these because so much variety at the first doth but amaze young wits and our English characters for the most part are very obscure more hard to be imprinted in the memory And thus much for the learning to know letters we shall next and according to Order in Teaching proceed to an easie way of distinct spelling Chap III. How to teach a childe to spell distinctly THe common way of teaching a childe to spell is after he know's the letters in his Alphabet to initiate him in those few syllables which consist of one vowell before a consonant as ab eb ib ob ub c. or of one vowel after a consonant as ba be bi bo bu c. in the Horn-book thence to proceed with him by little and little to the bottom of the book hereing him twice or thrice over till he can say his lesson and then putting him to a new one In which course I have known some more apt children to have profited prety well but scarce one often when they have gone thorow the book to be able to spell a word that is not in it And some have been certaine years daily exercised in saying lessons therein who after much endeavour spent have been accounted meer block-heads and rejected all together as uncapable to learn any thing whereas some Teachers that have assayed a more familiar way have professed that they have not met with any such thing as a Dunse amid a great multitude of little Schollars Indeed it is Tullies observation of old and Erasmus his assertion of latter years that it is as natural for a childe to learn as it is for a beast to go a bird to fly or a fish to swim and I verily beleeve it for the nature of man is restlessely desirous to know things and were discouragements taken out of the way and meet helps afforded young learners they would doubtless go on with a great deal more cherefulness and make more proficiency at their books then usually they do And could the Maior have the discretion to make their lessions familiar to them children would as much delight in being bâ—sied about them as in any other sport if too long continuance at them might not make them tedious Amongst those that have gone a readier way to reading I shall onely mention Mr. Roe and Mr. Robinson the latter of whom I have known to have taught little children not much above four years old to read distinctly in the Bible in six weekes time or under their books are to be had in print but every one hath not the art to use them And Mr. Cootes English-School-Master seem's rather to be fitted for one that is a Master indeed then for a Scholar Besides the way then which is usuall you may if you think good make use of that which I have set down in the new Primar to help little ones to spell readily and it is this 1. Let a childe be well acquainted with his vowells and made to pronounce them fully by themselves because they are able to make a perfect sound alone 2. Teach him to give the true valour or force of the consonants and to take notice how imperfectly they sound except a vowel be joyned with them Both these are set apart by themselves p. 2. 3. Proceed to syllables made of one consonant set before a vowel Sect 5. and let him joyne the true force of the consonant with the perfect sound of the vowel as to say ba be bi bo bu c. Yet it were good to leave ca ce ci co cu and ga ge gi go gu to the last because the valor of the consonant in the second and third sylables doth differ from that in the rest 4. Then exercise him in syllables made of one vowel set before one consonant Sect. 6. as to say ab eb ib ob ub c. till he can spell any syllable of two letters backwards or forwards as ba be bi bo bu ab eb ib ob ub ba ab be eb bi ib bo ob bu ub and so in all the rest comparing one with another 5. And if to any one of these syllables you adde a letter and teach him how to joyne it in sound with the rest you will make him more ready in spelling as if before a b you put b and teach him to say bab if after ba you put d and let him pronounce it bad he will quickly be able to joyne a letter with any of the rest as nip pin but tub c. To enure your young-Scholar to any even the hardest syllable in an easie way 1. Practise him in the ioyning of consonants that begin syllables Sect. 7. so as that he may give their joynt forces at once thus Having shewed him to sound â—l or br together make him to pronounce them and a vowel with them bla bra ble bre and so in any of
the rest 2. Then practise him likewise in consonants that end syllables Sect. 8 make him first to give the force of the joyned consonants and then to put the vowels before them as ble with the vowels before them sound able eble ible oble uble to all which you may prefix other consonants and change them into words of one syllable as fable peble bible noble bubble with a b inserted or the like Where observe that e in the end of many words being silent doth qualifie the sound of the foregoing vowel so as to make words different from those that have not e as you may see made differeth quite from mad bete from bet pipe from pip sope from sop and cube from cub Whereby I think them in an error that leave out e in the end of words and them that in pronouncing it make two syllables of one in stable bible people c. which judicious Mr. Mulcaster will not allow In this exercise of spelling you may do well sometimes to make all the young beginners stand together and pose them one by one in all sorts of syllables till they be perfect in any and to make them delight herein 1. Let them spell many syllables together which differ onely in one letter as and band hand land sand 2. Teach them to frame any word of one syllable by joyning any of the consonants which go before vowels with those that use to follow vowels and putting in vowels betwixt them as black blâ—ck clack clock And this they may do afterwards amongst themselves having severall loose letters made and given them to compose or divide in a sporting manner which I may rightly terme the Letter-sport When a childe is become expert in joyning Consonants with the vowels then take him to the Diphthongs Sect. 9. and there 1. Teach him the naturall force of a Diphthong which consists of two vowels joyned together and make him to sound it distinctly by it self as ai ei c. 2. Let him see how it is joyned with other letters and learne to give its pronountiation together with them minding him how the same Diphthong differs from its self sometimes in its sound and which of the two vowels in it hath the greatest power in pronouncation as in people e seemeth to drown the o. And besides those words in the Book you may adde others of your own till by many examples the childe do well apprehend your meaning and so as that he can boldly adventure to imitate you and practise of himself Thus after a childe is throughly exercised in the true sounding of the vowels and consonants together let him proceed to the spelling of words first of one syllable Sect. 10. then of two Sect. 11. then of three Sect. 12. then of four Sect. 13. in all which let him be taught how to utter every syllable by it self truly and fully and be sure to speak out the last But in words of more syllables let him learn to joyne and part them according to these profitable rules 1. An English syllable may sometimes consist of eight letters but never of more as strength 2 In words that have many syllables the consonant between two vowels belongeth to the latter of them as Hu-mi-li-tie 3. Consonants which are joyned in the beginning of words are not to be parted in the middle of them as My-ste-ry 4. Consonants which are not joyned in the beginning of words are to be parted in the middle of them as for-get-ful-ness 5. If a consonant be doubled in the middle of a word the first belong's to the syllable foregoing and the latter to the following as pos-ses-si-on 6. In compound words every part which belongeth to the single words must be set by it self as In-a-bi-li-ty And these rules have I here set down rather to informe the less skilful teacher how he is to guide his learner then to puzle a childe about them who is not yet so well able to comprehend them I have also divided those words in the Book to let Children see how they ought to divide other polysyllable words in which they must alwayes he very carefull as I said to sound out the last syllable very fully To enable a child the better to pronounce any word he meets withall in reading I have set down some more hard for pronuntiation Sect. 14 in often reading over which he may be exercised to help his utterance and the Master may adde more at his own discretion till he see that his willing Scholar doth not stick in spelling any be it never so hard And that the child may not be amused with any thing in his book when he cometh to read I would have him made acquainted with the pauses Sect. 15. with the figures Sect. 16. numerall letters Sect. 17. Quotations Sect. 18. and Abbreviations Sect. 19 which being but a work of few houres space may easily be performed after he can readily spell which when he can do he may profitably be put to reading but not before for I observed it a great defect in some of Mr. R. Scholars whose way was to teach to read presently without any spelling at all that when they were at a losse about a word they made an imperfect confused sound in giving the force of the consonants which if they once missed they knew not which way to help themselves to find what the word was whereas if after a childe know his letters he be taught to gather them into just syllables and by the joyning of syllables together to frame a word which as it is the most antient so certainely it is the most naturall method of teaching he will soon be able if he stick at any word in reading by the naming of its letters and pronouncing of its syllables to say what it is and then he may boldly venture to read without spelling at all touching the gaining of a habit whereof I shall proceed to say somewhat in the next chapter Chap. IIII. How a child may be taught to read any English Book perfectly THe ordinary way to teach children to read is after they have got some knowledge of their letters a smattering of some syllables and words in the horn-book to turn them into the A B C. or Primar and therein to make them name the letters and spell the words till by often use they can pronounce at least the shortest words at the first sight This method take's with those of prompter wits but many of more slow capacities not finding any thing to affect them and so make them heed what they learne go on remissely from lesson to lesson and are not much more able to read when they have ended their book then when they begun it Besides the A B C. being now I may say generally thrown aside and the ordinary Primar not printed and the very fundamentalls of christian Religion which were wont to be contained in those books and were commonly taught children at home by heart before they went to
Schoole with sundry people almost in all places slighted the matter which is taught in most books now in use is not so familiar to them and therefore not so easie for Children to learn But to hold still to the sure foundation I have caused the Lords Prayer Sect. 20. the Creed Sect. 21. and the ten Commandements Sect. 23. to be printed in the Roman character that a childe having learned already to know his letters and how to spell may also be initiated to read by them which he will do the more cheerfully if he be also instructed at home to say them by heart As he read's these I would have a childe name what words he can at the first sight and what he cannot to spell them and to take notice what pauses and numbers are in his lesson And to go them often over till he can tell any tittle in them either in or without the book When he is thus well entered in the Roman character I would have him made acquainted with the rest of the characters now in use Sect. 23. which will be easily done by comparing one with another and reading over those sentences Psalms Thankesgivings and Prayers which are printed in greater and lesse characters of sundry sorts till he have them pretty well by heart Thus having all things which concerne reading English made familar to him he may attaine to a perfect habit of it 1. By reading the single Psalter 2. The Psalmes in meeter 3. The Schoole of good manners or such like easie books which may both profit and delight him All which I would wish he may read over at lest thrice to make the matter as well as the words leave an impression upon his mind If any where he stick at any word as seeming too hard let him marke it with a pin or the dint of his nayle and by looking upon it againe he will remember it When he can read any whit readily let him begin the Bible and read over the book of Genesis and other remarkable Histories in other places of Scripture which are most likely to delight him by a chapter at a time But acquaint him a little with the matter beforehand for that will intice him to read it and make him more observant of what he read's After he hath read aske him such generall Questions out of the Story as are most easie for him to answer and he will the better remember it I have known some that by hiring a child to read two or three chapters a day and to get so many verses of it by heart have made them admirable proficients and that betimes in the Scriptures which was Timothies excellency and his Grandmothers great commendation Let him now take liberty to exercise himself in any English book so the matter of it be but honest till he can perfectly read in any place of a book that is offered him and when he can do this I adjudge him fit to enter into a Grammar Schoole but not before For thus learning to read English perfectly I allow two or three years time so that at seven or eight years of age a child may begin Latine CHAP. V. Wherein children for whom the Latine tongue is thought to be unnecessary are to be employed after they can read English well IT is a fond conceit of many that have either not attained or by their own negligence have utterly lost the use of the Latine Tongue to think it altogether unnecessary for such children to learn it as are intended for Trades or to be kept as drudges at home or employed about husbandry For first there are few children but in their playing-years and before they can be capable of any serious employment in the meanest calling that is may be so far grounded in the Latine as to finde that little smattering they have of it to be of singular use to them both for the understanding of the English Authors which abound now a dayes with borrowed words and the holding discourse with a sort of men that delight to flant it in Latine Secondly Besides I have heard it spoken to the great commendation of some Countries where care is had for the well education of children that every Peasant almost is able to discourse with a stranger in the Latine tongue and why may not we here in England obtain the like praise if we did but as they continue our children at the Latine Schoole till they be well acquainted with that language and thereby better fitted for any calling Thirdly And I am sorry to adde that the non-improvement of childrens time after they can read English any whit well throweth open a gap to all loose kinde of behaviour for being then as it is too commonly to be seen especially with the poorer sort taken from the Schoole and permitted to run wildeing up and down without any control they adventure to commit all manner of lewdnesse and so become a shame and dishonour to their Friends and Countrey If these or the like reasons therefore might prevail to perswade them that have a prejudice against Latine I would advise that all children might be put to the Grammar-Schoole so soon as they can read English well and suffered to continue at it till some honest calling invite them thence but if not I would wish them rather to forbear it then to become there an hinderance to others whose work it is to learn that profitable Language And that they may not squander away their time in idleness it were good if they were put to a Writing-Schoole where they might be First helped to keep their English by reading of a chapter at least once a day and second taught to write a fair hand and thirdly afterwards exercised in Arithmatique and such preparative Arts as may make them compleatly fit to undergoe any ordinary calling And being thus trained up in a way of discipline they will afterwards prove more easily plyable to their Masters commands Now forasmuch as few Grammar-Schooles of note will admit children into them till they have learn't their Accidents the teaching of that book also becometh for the most part a work for a Petty-Schoole where many that undertake to teach it being altogether ignorant of the Latine Tongue do sorrily performe that taske and spend a great deal of time about it to little or no purpose I would have that book therefore by such let alone and left to the Grammar-School as most sitting to be taught there onely because it is intended as an introduction of Grammar to guide children in a way of reading writing and speaking Latine and the Teachers of the Grammar-Art are most deeply concerned to make use of it for that end And in stead of the Accidents which they do neither understand nor profit by they may be benefitted in reading Orthodoxal Catechismes and other Books that may instruct them in the Duties of a Christian such as are The Practise of Piety The Practise of Quietnesse The whole duty of
to Grammar chap. 2. To Teach a Child to carry a Torch or Lanthorn in his hand that thereby the understanding may do its office and put to memory to do hers to slip into a Childes understanding before he be aware so as he shall have done his task before he shall suspect that any was imposed he shall do his work playing and play working he shall seem idle and think he is in sport when he is indeed seriously and well employed This is done saith he by Praecognition for it convey's a light into the understanding which the childe hath lighted at his own candle Now forasmuch as the way of working hereby is when the inward senses of the Childe are instructed by the outward and the more help one hath of the outward the surer and firmer the instruction is within I cannot but here give notice of Mr. Commâ—nius's Orbis Pictus as a most rare devise for Teaching of a Childe at once to know things and words by pictures which may also serve for the more perfect and pleasant reading of the English and Latine Tongues and entering a childe upon his Accidents if the dearnesse of the book by reason of the brasse cuts in it did not make it too hard to come by But where the book may be readily had as who would not bestow four or five shillings more then ordinary to profit and please a Son I would advise that a child should bring it with him at his first coming to a Grammar-Schoole and be employed in it together with his Accidents till he can write a good legible hand and then a Master may adventure to ground him well in Orthography and Etymologie by using that Book according to the directions already given in the Preface before it and causing him every day to write a Chapter of it in English and Latine He that would be further instructed how by teaching English more Grammatically to prepare his Scholars for Latine let him consult Mr. Pool's English Accidents and Mr. Wharton's English Grammar as the best books that I know at present for that purpose CHAP. II. How to teach Children in the first Forme the Grounds or Rudiments of Grammar contained in the Accidents and to prepare them for the Latine tongue with ease and delight BEing here to deliver my mind concerning entering little ones by way of Grammar to the Latine Tongue a matter which I may truly say hath ever since I began to teach cost me more studie and observation then any one point of my profession and the more because I see few able Schoole-Masters vouchsafe so far to unman themselves as to minde it I desire three things may be considered by all that goe about to enter children to Grammar-Learning viz. that 1. There is a great difference betwixt a man that teacheth and a Childe that is to be taught For though I do not altogether hold with him that sayeth a man in his Childe-hood is no better then a bruit-beast and useth no power but anger and concupiscence nor take upon me here to dispute whether a Childe learneth more by rote then by reason yet this I dare aver that the more condescention is made to a Childes capacity by proceeding orderly and plainly from what he knoweth already to what doth naturally and necessarily follow thereupon the more easily he will learn A man therefore that hath the strength and full use of reason must conduct his young learner to follow him in a rational way though he must not expect him to goe aequis possibus as fast as himself And forasmuch as a childe is tender a man must abate of his roughnesse seeing a childe is slow of apprehension he must not be too quick in his delivery and seeing a childe is naturally aukward to his work he must not be too passionate if he do amisse Tullies observation is that Quo quis doctior est eo iracundius docet and Mr. Mulcaster gives notice that there is a number of discoursers that can say pretty well to a general Position but shew themselves altogether lame in the particular applying it which is a thing that attendeth onely upon experience and years He would therefore and that rightly have a â—rainer of youth reclaimed unto discretion whose commendation Aristotle placeth in the skil of specialities And I would advise him that hath to deal with a childe to imitate the nurse in helping him how to go forward or the Gardiner in furthering the growth of his young plant Est hac summi ingenii maxima infirmitas non posse descendere saith a Teacher of eloquence Tall wits like long backs cannot abide to stoop but whosoever is a Schoole-Master and would do his duty as he ought must account it a point of wisdom to condescend to a childes capacitie be it never so mean How have I delighted to see an Artist I mean a watch-maker or the like spend an hour or two sometimes in findeing a defect in a piece of work which he hath afterwards remedied in the turning of a hand whereas a more hasty work-man hath been ready to throw the thing aside and to neglect it as good for no use Let the Master ever mind where a childe sticks and remove the impediments out of his way and his Scholar will take pleasure that he can go on in learning 2. There is a great disproportion betwixt a Childes capacitie and the Accidents it self Children are lead most by sense and the Grammar-rules consisting in general Doctrines are too subtile for them Childrens wits are weak active and lively whereas Grammar notions are abstractive dull and livelesse boyes finde no sap nor sweetnesse in them because they know not what they mean and tell them the meaning of the same rule never so often over their memories are so waterish that the impression if any were made in the brain is quickly gone out again Roat runneth on apace and mindeth nothing so much as play and it is very hard to teach a childe in doing of a thing to heed much lesse to judge what he doth till he feel some use of reason in the mean time he will profit more by continual practice and being kept still as he loves to be doing then by knowing why and being called upon to consider the causes wherefore he doth this or that Besides it wil clearly appear to any that shall but minde the confused order especially of the verbs and the perplexity of some Rules and Examples that that book was rather made to informe those of riper years who knew something of Latine before with the reasons of what they knew then to direct little ones as we do now to use it as a rule about that whereof they are ignorant altogether 3. It is one thing to learn the Latine Tongue or any other Language another to learn the Grammar as a guide to it or a means to attain the reason of it we see how readily children learn to speak true and proper English and
they may also do the same in Latine by daily use and imitation of others long before they are able to apprehend a definition of what Grammar is or any thing else concerning it And the reason hereof is because the first is a work of the imagination and memory which are apt to take and keep impressions having the senses to help them but the other belongs to the understanding which for want of the strength of reason to assist it is hard to be wrought upon in a childe and till the memory and understanding go hand in hand a child learns nothing to any purpose Hence it cometh to passe that Grammar-learning as it is generally now used becometh a a work of more difficulty and discouragement both to Master and Scholar then any studie or employment they undertake and that many have striven to contrive more facill Grammars for their Scholars whereas indeed the right and constant use of any one that is compleat so as to handle the sâ—bctjectum totale of the Art doth easily reduce all others to its-selfe especially after the Language is somewhat gained These things thus premised I conceive it very necessary for all such as undertake to teach Grammar to little children to cherish and exercise those endowments which they see do shew themselves most vigorous and prompt in them be they memorie phansie c. and to proceed orderly and by degrees for so nature it self doth that they may be able to hold pace with their Teachers and to perceive how themselves mount higher and higher and at every asscent to know where they are and how to adventure boldly to go forward of themselves And forasmuch as the Accidents is generally made use of as an introduction to Latine Grammar which of it selfe is but a bare rule and a very naked thing as Mr. Mâ—lchaster hath well observed and it is one thing to speak like a Grammarian and another thing to speake like a Latinist as Quintilian hath noted it is fit that both the Accidents and the Latine tongue together should be brought within Childrens reach and made more familiar unto them then formerly And how this may be done even with those of seven years of age or under I shall now go on to discover according to what I have tryed and do every day still put in practise But this I require aforehand which Mr. Mâ—lchaster also wisht for that a childe may have his reading perfect and ready in both the English and Latine tongue and that he can write a fair hand before ever he dream of his Grammar For these will make him he shall never complain of after difficulties but cheerefully make a wonderful riddance in the rest of his learning The commonly received way to teach children the first Rudiments of Latine-Speech is to put them to read the Accidents once or twice over and then to let them get it without book by several parts not respecting at all whether they understand it or not Thus they spend two or three years for the most part in a wearisome toile to no purpose not knowing all the while what use they are to make of their book nor what the learning of such a multitude of Rules may tend to and in the interim of getting the Accidents by heart if great care be not taken they loose that ability of Reading English which they brought from the Petty-Schoole and this makes the Parents cry out against Learning Latine and complain of their Childrens not profiting at the Grammar-Schooles whence they are therefore sometimes taken and sent back again to a Mistresse of Dame to learn English better The conscientious Master all the while striveing to the uttermost of his strength and skil to preserve his credit and not knowing well how to remedie this mischief otherwise then by hastning on the Children in this common road doth over-toyl if not destroy himself and discourage if not drive away his Scholars by his too much diligence Having therefore made sure that the little Scholars can read very well and write plainly before-hand put so many of them as are well able to hold pace together into one form and begin to teach them their Accidents in an understanding manner thus 1. Give them a glymps or insight into the introduction or first part of it by dividing it into twelve parts and making them to take notice of the chief heads in every one whereof The first may be concerning the eight parts of speech of a Noun and its kindes of Numbers Cases and Genders The second of the Declensions of Nounes substantives The third of the declining of Adjectives and their comparison The fourth of a Pronoune The fifth of a Verb and its Kindes Moodes Gerunds Supines Tenses Persons and conjugations The sixth of the Conjugateing of Verbs in O. The seventh Of the Verb Sum. The eighth Of Verbs in OR The ninth Of Verbs irregular as Possâ—m c. The tenth Of a Participle The eleventh Of an Adverb The twelfth Of a Conjunction a Praeposition and an Interjection By this means they shall know the general terms of Grammar and where to turn to any Part of Speech and to what belongs to it in the Book As they get their Parts make them one to hear another read it over in their seat as they sit orderly as they say let every one read a greater or lesser share as you please to appoint and make the rest attend to him that readeth after they have said one may take the examination of the Accidents and out of it ask the questions belonging to their present Part to which the others may make answer out of the words of their Accidents which if they cannot readily do he may tell them out of his Book and if your selfe sometime examine them in the most familiar and general questions it will help them to understand and sharpen their memories very much for the getting of that by heart whereof they already know somewhat 2. When they get the Introduction memoriter let them take but a very little at once that they may get it more perfectly in a little time and this will be a means still to hearten them on to a new lesson but be sure that every lesson end at a full Period and that none may seem to be overcharged or hindred let alwayes the weakest childe appoint the task and cause the stronger to help him to perform it as he ought Forasmuch as your Scholars memories are yet very weak and slipperie it is not amisse to help them by more frequent Repetitions especially at the end of every part of speech which they should examine so often over till they can answer to any thing that is in their book concerning it Then let them proceed to the next in like manner not forgetting to recall the more general and necessary points to memory from the very beginning and this will be a meanes to make them keep all fresh in minde and to be able to tell you what
for more ready dispatch amongst a multitude it is not amiss if they repeat them thorow in a round word by word saying every one in order after another thus 1. Sing Nom Musa a Song 2. Gen. Musae of a Song 3. Dat. Musae to a Song 4. Accus Musam the song c. till they have gone thorow all the Declensions and Conjugations and the forementioned variety of practice upon them according as we may observe Corderius in his Colloquies to have given us a hint And to stirre them all up to more attentiveness the Master may unexpectedly sometimes aske the case of a Noun or the Mood and Tense of a Verb of one that he espieth more negligent in minding then the rest As an Help to the better performance of this necessary task I provided a little book of one sheet containing the Terminations and Examples of the Declensions and Conjugations which the less experienced may make use of till they can exercise themselves without it by the frequent impression and ready sale whereof I guess it hath not been unacceptable to those of my profession for the purpose whereto I intended it and I have sometimes in one afternoon made a thorow practice of all that hath here been mentioned touching Nouns and Verbs without any wearisomness at all to my self or irksomness to my Scholars who are generally impatient of any long work if it be not full of variety and easy to be performed Some little paines would also be taken with the Pronounes so as to shew their number distinction manner of declining both in English and Latine and their persons and then with the Participles to mind how their four tenses are distinguished both by their signification and ending and how they are declined like Adjectives Touching Adverbs Conjunctions and Interjections they need only to tell of what signification they are and touching Prepositions let them observe which serve to an Accusative case which to an Ablative and which to both Now for the more orderly dispatch of this first part of the Accidents and the better learning of every part of it not by rote but by reason and to make children more cunning in the understanding of the things then in rehearsing of the words and to fasten it well in their memories I have found it very profitable to set apart two afternoons in a week commonly Tuesdayes and Thursdayes for the examination of it all quite thorow causing one side of a Form to ask the questions out of the examination of the Accidents and the other to answer according to the words of their book and whether they do this exactly memoriter or sometimes looking upon the book it makes no matter for the often practise hereof will be sure to fix it after a little while in their understanding and memories so fast that they will have it ready for use against they come to the second part of the Accidents which concerneth Concordance and Construction N. B. When children first begin their Introduction they may provide a little vocabulary if the Orbis Pictus be too dear out of which they should be made to read over a Chapter every day at one or four a clock and when it is read over you may see who can give you the most names of things under one head both English and Latine and let him that tells you the most have some little reward for encouragement to draw on others in hope of the like to do as well as he This profitable exercise was often used by Corderius and is an excellent mean to help children to store of words which are indeed the subject about which Grammar is conversant so that to teach one Grammar without giving him some knowledge of words is to teach him to tye a knot that hath not a string to tye it upon They may say the Introduction for parts and the Vocabulary for lessons as you please and when ever they go out about necessitous business be sure they say at least four words of those which they have learnt and let them alwayes carry their Vocabulary about with them to be looking into it for words Thus then I allow one half year for boyes in the lowest form that can read and write before hand to learn the first part of the Accidents and how to call things by their Latine names making use of a Vocabulary And then I would have them divide the whole Introduction into twelve parts as they did at the first reading of it over and repeat constantly every morning one by heart to fix it well in the memory and for fore-noon lessons to be said about ten of clock they may proceed to the second part of the Accidents commonly called the English Rules for the perfect knowledge and exercise whereof they may profitably spend the succeeding halfe year In getting whereof because custome hath every where carried it contrary to those excellent directions given in the Preface to the Reader of which Mr. Hayne mentioneth Cardinal Wâ—lsey to have been the Authour for children first to read them over and afterwards to con them by heart as they stand in the book making it a work meerly for the memory which some children are good at though they understand nothing at all and therefore many unskilful Masters not knowing how to do otherwise especially with boyes that cannot write let them run on by rote presuming that when they have got the Rules thus they may be afterwards made to understand them by practise in parsing I will go along with the stream and allow my Scholars to get them by heart saying two or three Rules at a time as they do in most schooles and as they do this I would have them chiefly to take notice of the Titles or Heads and which are the general Rules and which are the Observations and Exceptions made concerning it that by this meanes they may learn to turn readily to any one of them that shall be called for But that children may best understand and soonest conceive the reason of the Rules and thereby be made acquainted with the fâ—shion of the Latine Tongue which is the main scope that this part of the Accidents aimeth at I would have them daily exercised in the practice of Concordance and Construction which will also confirm and ready them in the Introduction after this manner 1. Let them mark out the more generall and necessary Rules as they go along with their examples and after they have got them perfectly by heart let them construe and parse the words in the Example and apply the Rule to the words to which it belongeth and wherein its force lyeth 2. Let them have so many other examples besides those that are in their book as may clearly illustrate and evidence the meaning of the Rule and let them make it wholly their own by practising upon it either in imitating their present examples or propounding others as plain Thus that examples to the Rule of the first Concord may be
whole Chapter at once and afterwards strive who can tell you Latine for the most things mentioned in it And if at any time the words be not so obvious to their understanding because perhaps they know not the things which they signify do you tell them what the thing is and explain the word by another that is more familiar to them Their After-noons Lessons on Mondayes and Wednesdayes may be in Qui mihi which containeth pretty Precepts of good manners much befitting children to observe and which are so common in every mean Scholars mouth that a childe would blush to seem ignorant of them In getting this 1. Let them repeat two distichs at once memoriter and if withall you let them get the English verses answerable to the Latine and printed with the Grounds of Grammar they will fix the Latine better in their memories 2. Let them construe the Lesson Grammatically and to help themselves in that more difficult work let them make use of the construction made them at the end of their Construing-Book 3. Let them read the Latine in the Grammatical order and sometimes into meer English and then let them parse every word according to that order giving the Rules for the Genders of Nouns and the Preterperfect tenses and Supines of verbs and applying those of Concordance and Construction as they come in their way 4. To exercise them in true writing it were good if they had a little paper-paper-book wherein to write first the Latine and then the English distichs at full length which they may shew when they say their Lesson 5. To finde them some employment after the Lesson you may give them some easie dictate out of it to turn into Latine sometimes by way of Question and Answer and sometimes more positively thus What shall that Scholar do that desireth to be taught He shall conceive the Masters sayings in his minde Quid faciet ille discipulus qui cupit doceri dicta praeceptoris animo suo concipiet or thus A boy that is a Scholar and desireth to be taught ought to conceive the Masters sayings in his minde and so as to understand them well-Puer qui discipulus est cupit doceri dictae praeceptoris animo suo concipere debet atque ita ut eadem recte intelligat And this you may cause any one of them to read and let the rest correct him in any word he hath made amisse and be sure they can all give a rule for what they do After they have repeated these verses of Mr. Lilies so often over that they can say them all at once pretty well by heart they may continue their Afternoons Lessons in Cato saying two or three Distichs at once according to the directions already given in the Preface to that Book in English and Latine verse and when they have gone thorow a book of it let them try amongst themselves who can repeat the most of it by heart as we see Corderius did sometimes exercise his Scholars as it appeareth by his Colloquies Now forasmuch as speaking Latine is the main end of Grammar and there is no better expedient to help children in the ready exercise thereof then frequent perusal of Vocabularies for common words and Colloquies for familiar phrases and such as are to be used in ordinary discourse I think it very convenient to make use of Pueriles Confabi latiunculae both in English and Latine on Tuesdayes and Thursdayes in the Afternoons instead of Lessons thus 1. Let them read a whole Colloquie if it be not too long at once both in English and Latine not minding to construe it verbatim at the first going it over but to render the expressions wholly as they stand and are answerable one to another and this will acquaint them with the matter in the book and enable them to read both the Languages more readily 2. At a second going over let them construe it Grammatically and then take any phrase or sentence in the present Lesson and make such another by it changeing either the words or some of their Accidents as the present occasion requireth ex gr As they say in the singular Number God save you Salve Sis salvus jubeo te salvere or ave so make them say in the plural number God save you Salvete sitis salvi jubemus vos salvere or avete So likewise when they can say I thank you Habeo tibi gratiam or habetur tibi a me gratia let them imitate and alter it by saying We thank your Father Habemus Patri tuo gratiam My Mother thanks you Sir Mater habet tibi gratiam Domine or Habetur tibi Domine a matre mea gratia When they have gone this book so often over as to be well acquainted with its phrases Let them proceed to Corderius Colloquies which they have also in English and Latine and which they may construe Grammatically and cull the phrases out of it to make use of them in common speaking Latine Let them have a little paper-book wherein to gather the more familiar phrases which they finde in every Lesson printed in a different character and let them by often perusal at spare times and bearing them alwayes about them get them so readily by heart as to be able to expresse themselves in Latine by them upon any meet occasion And this way of exercising them to speak according to their Authours expressions from their first entrance upon Latine is the best expedient that can be taken to avoyd Anglicismes which otherwise they are very prone to so long as they are directed only by Grammar-Rules and enforced to seek words in the Dictionary where commonly they light upon that which is most improper And that they may now do something of themselves by way of night exercise let them every evening translate a verse at home out of the 119. Psalm which I conceive is the most easie for the purpose of making the three Concords and some of the more necessary Rules of construction familiar to them In making their Translations 1. Let them be sure to write the English very fair and true observing its just pauses and let them also make the like notes of distinction in their Latine 2. When they come to shew their Latines 1. Let one read and construe a verse 2. Let another tell you what part of speech every word is as well English as Latine and what the English Signes do note 3. Let the rest in order give you the right Analysis of every word one by one and the Rules of Nouns and Verbs and of Concordance and Construction And because these little boyes are too apt to blur and spoyle their Bibles and to make a wrong choyce of words out of a Dictionary which is a great maime and hinderance to them in making Latine and caused Mr. Ascham to affirm that making of Latines marreth children I think it not amisse to get that Psalm and some other Englishes printed by themselves with an Alphabeticall Index
of every word which is proper for its place Right choyce of words being indeed the foundation of all eloquence On Saturdayes after they can say the Lords Prayer the Creed and the ten Commandements in English and Latine they may proceed to the Assemblies Catechisme first in English and then in Latine or the like This second form then is to be exercised 1. In repeating the Accidents for morning parts 2. In saying Propria quae maribus Quae genus As in praesenti for Fore-noon Lessons 3. In reading the larger Vocabulary for Noon parts 4. In learning Qui mihi and afterwards Cato for Afternoons Lessons on Mondayes and Wednesdayes and Pueriles Confabulatiunculae and afterwards Corderii Colloquia on Tuesdayes and Thursdayes And 5. Translating a verse out of English into Latine every evening at home which they may bring to be corrected on Fridayes after all the weeks Repetitions ended and return written as fair as possibly they can write on Satturday mornings after examinations ended And thus they may be made to know the Genders of Nouns and Preter-perfect tenses and Supines of Verbs and initiated to speak and write true Latine in the compasse of a second yeare So that to children of betwixt seven and nine years of age in regard of their remedilesse inanimadvertency I allow two whole years to practise them well in the Rudiments or Grounds of Grammar in which I would have the variation of Nouns and Verbs to be specially minded for till they be very ready in those their progress in other things will be full of uncertainties and troublesomely tedious but if those be once well got all other rules which have not perhaps been so well understood will more easily as age increaseth be better apprehended and put in use CHAP. IIII. How to make Children of the third Forme perfect in the Latine Syntaxis commonly called Verbum Personale as also to acquaint them with Prosodia and how to help them to construe and parse and to write and speak true and elegant Latine CHildren are commonly taught the Latine Syntaxis before they be put to make use of any Latine book besides it and so they but can say it readily by heart construe it and give the force of its rules out of the examples they are thought to learn it well enough But the very doing thus much is found to be a work too tedious with many and therefore some have thought good to lessen the number of the Rules others to dash out many examples as if more then one or two were needlesse so that when a Childe hath with them run over this part of the Grammar it is well if he have learnt the half of it or know at all what to do with any of it I think it not amisse therefore to shew how it may be all gotten understandingly by heart and settled in the memory by continual practise which is the life of all learning 1. Let those then of this third forme divide their Accidents and Rules of Nounes and Verbs into ten parts whereof they may repeat one every Thursday morning and make way for the getting of the Syntaxe on Mundaies Tuesdaies Wednes for morning parts 2. Let them repeat as many Rules memoriter as they are well able together with all their examples and to help their understanding therein you may do well to shew the meaning of every rule exception beforehand and to make them compare them with those in the English rules under the same head to see which are contained in the Latine which are not in the English and which are set down in the English which are left out in the Latine 3. To help them to construe well before they come to say let them make use of their Construeng books and that they may better mind what they construe you may cause them sometimes when they come to say to read the part out of Latine into English 4. In parsing let them give you the word governing and apply the word governed according to the rule and tell-you wherein the exceptions and observations differ from the General rule 5. Let them have a paper-Paper-book in Quarto in the margent whereof they may write the first words of every rule and exception and let them have as many familiar examples some in English onely and some in Latine onely as may suffice to illustrate the rule more clearly to them and do you help them extempore to turn their English ones into Latine and their Latine ones into English and having a space left under every head let them fill it up with praegnant Examples which they meet with as they read their Latine Authors or as they Translate English Sentences into Latine I observe Melancthon and Whittington of old and Mr. Clarke Mr. Comenius and others of late to have made subsidiaries of this nuture which because they seem some what to overshoot the capacities of children who as Mr. Ascham observes are ignorant what to say properly and fitly to the matter as some Masters are also many times I have taken the paines to make a praxis of all the English and Latine Rules of Construction and Syntaxis as they lie in order and to adde two Indexes The first of English words and the Latine for them The second Of Latine words and the English for them with figures directing to the examples wherein they are to be used And for more perspicuity sake I take care that no example may touch upon any rule that is not already learned for fear of pussing young beginners in this necessary and easie way of translating with the rule in their eye which doth best direct the weakest understandings Now forasmuch as the daily reading of Latine into English is an especiall means to increase the knowledge of the Tongues and to cause more heed to be taken to the Grammar Rules as they are gotten by heart I would have those in this form to read every morning after prayers four or six verses out of the Latine Testament which they will easily do having beforehand learned to construe them word by word with the help of their English Bible In this exercise let them be all well provided and do you pick out onely one boy to construe and then ask any of the others the Analysis of a Noune or Verb here or there or some rule of construction which you think they have not so well taken notice of as to understand it fully Hereby you may also acquaint them with the rule and way of construing as it is more largely touched in the following part of this chapter N. B. Those Children that are more industriously willing to thrive may advantage themselves very much by perusal of Gerards Meditations Thomas de Kempis St. Augustins Soliloquies or his Meditations or the like pious and profiting Books which they may buy both in English and Latine and continually bear about in their pockets to read on at spare times Their forenoone lessons may be in
Aesopes Fables which is indeed a book of great antiquity and of more solid learning then most men think For in it many good lectures of morality which would not perhaps have been listened to if they had been delivered in a plain and naked manner being handsomly made up and vented in an Apologue do insinuate themselves into every mans minde And for this reason perhaps it is that I finde it and Gesta Romanorum which is so generally pleasing to our Countrey people to have been printed and bound up both together in Latine even when the Latine was yet in its drosse And to let you see what Latine Aesop was there translated into out of Greek by one Romulus I will give you the first Fable in his words De Gallo Jaspide IN sterquilinio quidam pullus gallinatius dum quaereret escam invenit margaritam in loco indigno jacentem quam cum videret jacentem sic ait O bona res in stercore hic jaces Si te cupidus invenisset cum quo gaudio rapâ—isset ac in pristinum decoris tui fratum redisses Ego frustra te in hoc loco invenio jacentem Vbi potius mihi escam quaero nec ego tibi prosum nec tu mihi Haec Aesopus illis narrat qui ipsum legunt non intelligunt No sooner did the Latine Tongue endeavour to recover its pristine purity by the help of Erasmus and other eminent men of learning in his time but the Greek Coppy of Aesop is translated by him and his Contemporaries every one striving to outstrip another in rendering it into good Latine and it is observable that the Stationers Coppy which is generally used in Schooles is a meere Rapsodie of some fragments of these several mens Translations whence it is that one and the same Fable is sometimes repeated thrice over in several words and that the stile of the Book is generally too lofty in it self for Children to apprehend on a suddain I have for their sakes therefore turned the whole Book such as I found it into proper English answerable to the Latine and divided both into just periods marked with figures that they may more distinctly appear and be more easily found out for use or imitation and though I observed some words and phrases scarce allowable in many places of the book yet I was loath to make any alteration except in a few grosse errors and especially one that quite perverted the sense of the Fable and appeareth to be a mistake in the Translator from the Greek Coppy which is thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is well latinized by one thus Aper Vulpes Aper quum cuidam adstaret arbori dentes accuebat But the unknown Translator of this Fable and the rest that yet passe sub incerto interprete reading perhaps 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or finding that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth sometimes signifie like an adjective solitarius solitudines captans c. renders it into pure non-sence and in other words also differing from the Greek thus Singularis animal vulpes Singularis agrestis super quadam sedens arbore dentes acuebat Which one having lately translated into English verse with the Picture before it hath prettily devised a Rhinocerate to stand by a tree and to whet his teeth against it whereas the Latine hath it super quadam sedens arbore which is impossible for such an huge beast to do I have therefore put out the word Singularis and made it Aper agrestis according to an ancient Greek Coppy which I have and I English the clause thus Lib 2. Fab. â—3 A wilde Boar standing by a tree whetted his tushes This I have noted obiter to acquaint the more judicious with my reason of altering those words and to save the lesse experienced some labour in searching out the meaning of them seeing they passe yet uncorrected in the Latine Booke Let them procure Aesops Fables then in English and Latine and the rather because they will take delight in reading the Tales and the moral in a Language which they already understand and will be helped thereby to construe the Latine of themselves And herein I would have them to take a whole Fable and its moral at one Lesson so that it do not exceed six periods which they should first read distinctly secondly construe Grammatically and then render the proper phrases thirdly parse according to the Grammatical order as they construed and not as the words stand And then be sure they can decline all the Nounes and conjugate the Verbs and give the Rules for the Genders of the one and the Preterperfect tenses and Supines of the other as also for the concordance and construction either out of the English Rules or Latine Syntaxe or both as they come to have learned them Let them sometimes write a Fable fair and truly over according to the printed Book both in English and Latine and sometimes translate one word by word in that order in which they construed it and this will inure them to Orthography That they may learn to observe and get the true Latine order of placing words and the purity of expression either in English or Latine style let them imitate a period or more in a lesson turning it out of English into Latine or out of Latine into English thus whereas they read in English A Cock as he turned over a dung-hill found a pearl saying why do I finde a thing so bright and in Latine Gallus gallinaceus dum vertit stercorarium offendit gemmam Quid inquiens rem sic nitidam reperio they may imitate it by this or the like expression As a beggar raked in a dunghill he found a purse saying why do I finde so much money here Mendicus dum vertit stercorarium offendit crumenam quid inquiens tantum argenti hic reperio By thus doing they may learn to joyne Examples out of their lessons to their Grammar Rules which is the most lively and perfect way of teaching them and to fetch a Rule out of their Grammar for every Example using the Grammar to finde Rules as they do the Dictionary for words till they be very perfect in them Their Afternoons Parts may be to construe a Chapter in Janua linguarum which will instruct them in the Nature as well as in the Names of things and after they have construed let them try who can tell you the most words especially of those that they have not met with or well observed in reading elsewhere For Afternoon lessons on Mondayes and Wednesdayes let them make use of Mantuanus which is a Poet both for style and matter very familiar and gratefull to children and therefore read in most Schooles They may read over some of the Eclogues that are less offensive then the rest takeing six lines at a lesson which they should first commit to memory as they are able Secondly Construe Thirdly Parse Then help them to
Discretion in every particular be used which is beyond any directions that can be given So that under the Usher I admit of three forms The first of Enterers The second of Practitioners The third of Proficients in the knowledge of Grammar Having done therefore with grounding children whose inanimadvertency is the Teachers daily trouble and not to mention their other infirmities requireth that they be held long in one and the same work and be made ever and anone to repeat again what they formerly learned I shall next adde somewhat concerning teaching men at spare hours in private with whom by reason of their stronger capacities and more use of reason a far speedier course may be taken and greater Proficiency may be made in half a year then can be expected from children in three years space And what I shall here deliver is confirmed by that experiment which I have made with many young Gentlemen for these eleven or twelve years together last past in London who being very sensible of their own want of the Latine tongue and desirous if possibly to attain it have thought no cost nor pains too little to be employed for gaining of it and yet in few moneths they have either been so grounded as to be able to help themselves in a plain Authour in case they knew nothing before or so perfected as to grapple with the most difficult and exactest Authours in case they had formerly but a smattering of the Language and this they have obtained at leisure time and at far lesse expense then they now prize the jewel at which they hav In teaching of a man then I require none of those helps which I have provided for childrens uses though perhaps he may find benefit to himself by perusing them in private only I desire him at the first to get an easie entrance to the Latine tongue and by it I shew him as briefly orderly and plainly as I can 1. How he ought to distinguish words so as to know what part of Speech any word is 2. To tell what belongeth to every several Part of Speech 3. To get the Examples of the Declensions Conjugations very exactly so as to know what any Noun or Verb signifieth according to its Termination and to store him with words I advise him to peruse a Chapter in the Vocabulary at least once every day and to observe the Latine names of such things as are common in use and better known to him 4. Then I acquaint him with the most general Rules of Concordance and Construction and help him to understand them by sundry short examples appliable thereunto 5. Last of all I cause him to take some of the Collectanea and help him to construe parse imitate and alter them untill he be able to adventure upon some easy Authour After he be thus made well acquainted with the Grounds of Grammar I bid him to procure the Latine Grammar fitted for his use as well as for Schooles and together with it a Latine Testament or Bible and then I cause him to read over his Grammar by as much at once as he can well peruse in halfe an houre and be sure that he thorowly understand it and after every one of the foure Parts of Grammar I give him a Praxis of it by exercising whereof he may easily know how to use his Rules and where to find them When by this meanes he can tell what to do with his Grammar I turn him to the Latine Testament beginning with the first Chapter of Saint Johns Gospel because it is most easy and there I make him by giving him some few directions which he hath together with his Grounds of Grammar to learn to construe of himselfe six eight or ten verses with the help of his English Bible and to parse them exactly according to his Grammar and by going over three or four Chapters he will be able to proceed understandingly in his Latine Bible without help Which when he can do I advise him to get Corderius English and Latine where he is chiefly to take notice of the phrases how they differ in both languages and to imitate here and there a Colloquie to try what good Latine he can write or speak of himself And now I commend to his own private reading Dialogi Gallico Anglo-Latini by Dâ—gres Dictionarium octo-lingue or the Schoolmaster Printed formerly by Michael Sparks and Janua Linguarum or rather Janua Latinae linguae and the like by perusal of which together with Corderius he may be furnished with copy of words and phrases for common discourse in Latine Afterwards I help him in reading Aesop's Fables to consture and parse and imitate a Period or more in 〈◊〉 of them thereby to acquaint himself 〈◊〉 the artificial manner of placing words And when I see he dare adventure upon the Latine alone I make him read Terence over and over and to observe all the difficulties of Grammar that he meets in him and after he is once Master of his stile he will be pretty well able for any Latine Book of which I allow him to take his choice VVhether he will read Tully Pliny Seneca or Lipsius for Epistles Justin Salust Lucius Florus or Caesar for History Virgil Ovid Lucan or Horace for Poetry And when I see he can read these understandingly I judge him able to peruse any Latine Authour of himself by the help of Coopers Dictionary and good Commentators or Scholiasts These Authors which I have mentioned are most of them in English as also Livie Plinies natural History Tacitus and otheâ— excellent Books which he may peruse together with the Latine and by comparing both Languages together he may become very expert in both Yet I would advisâ— him to translate some little Books of himself First out of Latine into English and then out of English into Latine which will at once furnish him with all points oâ— Grammar and the right use and orderiâ—â— of words and in a short time bring 〈◊〉 to the like eloquence Mr. Ascham commendeth Tully de senctute and his Epistles Ad Quintum Fratrem ad Lentulum for this purpose If he would exercise himself in Oratory or Poetry I suppose his best way is to imitate the most excellent pieces of either that he findes in the best and purest Authors especially Tully and Virgil till he can do well of himself Horace and Buchanan's Psalms will sufficiently store him with variety of Verses And now if one should ask me before I conclude this Book and begin with the next whether it be not possible for men or children to learn Latine as well as English without Grammar-Rules I answer First that it is hardly possible because the Latine tongue is not so familiarly spoken as English which is gotten only by hearing and imitation 2. That it is not the better way partly because they that are well acquainted with Grammar know when they or others speak well and when they speak ill whereas they that are ignorant of
the Rules take any Latine for good be it never so barbarous or full of Solaecismes and partly because they that are skilful in Grammar are able to doe something in reading Authours or translating or writing Epistles or the like by themselves whereas they that learne Latine without any Rule are able to do nothing surely if their Teacher be away Besides if the Latine be once well gotten by Rule it is not so apt to be forgotten as if it be learned only by rote because the learner is at any time able to recover what he hath lost by the help of his own intellect having the habit of Grammar in his mind Yet I conceive it is the readiest way to the gaining of this Language to joyn assiduity of speaking and reading and writing and especially double translating to the Rules for as the one affordeth us words and phrase and the other directs us how to order them for a right speech so the exercise of both will at last beget such an Habit in us that we may increase our ability to speak and understand pure Latine though perhaps the Rules of Grammer be forgotten by us Having here done with the Vshers Duty I shall God willing go on to discover the Masters Method in every particular according to what I have either practised my self or observed from others of my profession And I hope this my slender discovery will excite some of greater practise and experience to commit also to publick their own observations by whom if I may be convinced that I have any where gone in an erroneous way I shall willingly retract my course and endevour to stere by any mans Chart that I finde more caste and sure to direct me In the mean time I commit my little vessel to the waters all alone and desire God that whatever Dangers attend it he would so protect and prosper it that it may safely arrive to the Port which I chiefly aim at viz. the honour and service of his divine Majesty and the benefitting of both Church and Common wealth in the good education of children THE MASTERS METHOD OR THE Exercising of Scholars In GRAMMARS Authours and Exercises GREEK LATINE and HEBREW By C. H. LONDON Printed by J. T. for Andrew Crook at the Green Dragon in Pauls Church-yard 1659. CHAP. 1. How to make the Scholars of the fourth Form very perfect in the Art of Grammar and Elements of Rhetorick how to enter them upon Greek in an easy way How to practise them as they read Terence and Ovid de Tristibus and his Metamorphosis and Janua Latinae linguae and Sturmius and Textor's Epistles in getting Copy of words and learning their Derivations and Differences and in varying phrases How to shew them the right way of double translating and writing a most pure Latine style How to acquaint them with all sorts of English and Latine verses and to enable them to write faimiliar and elegant Epistles either in English or Latine upon all occasions THe Vsher having throughly performed his Duty so as to lay a sure foundation by teaching Grammar and lower Authours and using other helps for mentioned to acquaint his Scholars with the words and order of the Latine tongue as well for speaking as writing it The Master may more cheerfully proceed to build further and in so doing he should be as carefull to keep what is well gotten as diligent to adde thereunto I would advise therefore that the Scholars of this fourth form may 1. Every morning read six or ten verses as formerly out of the Latine Testament into English that thus they may be become well acquainted with the matter and words of that most holy Book and after they are acquainted with the Greek Testament they may proceed with it in like manner 2. Every Thursday morning repeat a part out of the Latine Grammar according as it is last divided that by that meanes they may constantly say it over once every quarter And because their wits are now ripe for understanding Grammar notions where ever they meet with them I would have them every one to provide a Paper-book of two quires in Quarto in the beginning whereof they should write the Heads of Grammar by way of common place as they see it in my Latine Grammar and having noted the pages they should again write over the same Heads leaving a larger or lesse distance betwixt them as they conceive they may finde more or lesse matter to fill them withall in the leaves of their Book and insert all niceties of Grammar that they finde either in their daily lessons or in perusing other Books at spare houres especially such as either methodically or critically treat of Grammar amongst which I commend Mr. Brinsley's posing of the Accidents The Animadversions upon Lilies Grammar Stockwoods disputations Mr. Pooles English Accidents Hermes Anglo-Latinus Phalerii Supplementa ad Grammaticam Mr. Birds Mr. Shirleyes Mr. Burleyes Mr. Hawkins Mr. Gregories Mr. Haynes Mr. Danes Mr. Farnabies and other late printed new Grammars which they may read in private one after another will afford them several observations As for Authores Grammaticae Antiqui which are commonly printed together Dispauterius Linacer Melancthon Valerius Alvarez Rhemus Sulpitius Vossius and the like either ancient or modern they may take the opportunity to read them after they come to higher Forms and pick out of them such pretty notes as they have not formerly met withall and write them in their Common-place-booke And because it may seem a needlesse labour for every Scholar to be thus imployed and it is almost impossible for one alone to procure so many Grammars it were to be wished that in every Schoole of note there might be a Library wherein all the best Grammars that can be gotten might be kept and lent to those boyes that are more industriously addicted to Grammar Art and which intend to be Scholars that they may read them over and refer what they like in them to its proper Head And to encourage them in so doing the Master may do well at the first to direct them and afterwards at leisure times to cast an eye upon their Books and see what they have collected of themselves But be sure that they keep their Paper-book fair and that they write constantly in it with a legible and even hand 3. Thus they may have liberty to learn Rhetorick on Mondayes Tuesdayes and Wednesdayes for morning Parts And to enter them in that Art of fine speaking they may make use of Elementa Rhetorices lately printed by Mr. Dugard and out of it learn the Tropes and Figures according to the definitions given by Talaeus and afterwards more illustrated by Mr. Butler Out of either of which books they may be helped with store of examples to explain the Definitions so as they may know any Trope or Figure that they meet with in their own Authours When they have throughly learnt that little book they may make a Synopsis of it whereby to see
Verses which after they can truly and readily make they may converse with others that take liberty to sport it in Lyrick verses Amongst all which Mr. Herberts Poems are most worthy to be mentioned in the first place and next to them I conceive Mr. Quarles divine Poems and his divine Fansies besides which you may allow many others full of wit and elegancie but be sure you admit of none which are stuff't with drollary or ribauldry which are fitter to be burnt then to be sent abroad to corrupt good manners in youth 2. After they are thus become acquainted with variety of meeter you may cause them to turn a Fable of Aesop into what kinde of verse you please to appoint them and sometimes you may let them translate some select Epigrams out of Owen or those collected by Mr. Farnaby or some Emblemes out of Alciat or the like Flourishes of wit which you think will more delight them and help their fansies And when you see that they begin to exercise their own wits for enlargement and invention you may leave them to themselves to make verses upon any occasion or subject yet to furnish them with Rhymes Epithites varietie of elegant expressions you may let them make use of the pleasant English Parnassus composed by the true lover of the Muses Mr. Josuah Poole my quandam School-fellow at Wakefield who like another Daphnis may truly be said what I now sigh to write to have been at the Blew house in Hadley Parish now daily in my sight Formosi pecoris custos formosior ipse When you have taugt them truly to scan and prove any kinde of Latine verse and made them to taste the sweetnesse of poetizing in English you may prepare them them further for making Latine verses out of their present Authours thus 1. Take a Distick or two which they know not where to finde and transpose the words as different as may be from a verse and when you have made one to construe them dismisse them all to their seates to try who can return them first into true verses without one anothers suggesting When they have all dispatched cause him whom you conceive to be the weakest to compare what he hath done with his Authour and to prove his verses by the Rules of Prosodia 2. You may sometimes set them to varie one and the same verse by transposing the same words as many several wayes as they can Thus this verse may be turned 104. waies Est mea spes Christus solus qui de cruce pendet And sometimes you may cause them to keep the same sense and alter the words Thus this Distick is found in Mr. Stockwoods Progymnasma Scholasticum to be varied 450. waies Linque cupido jecur cordi quoque parcito si via Figere fige alio tela cruenta loco To direct and encourage your young Scholars in turning verses you may make use of the book last mentioned and for further instructions concerning making verses I refer you to Mr. Clerks Dux Poeticus 9. To enable your Scholars yet more to write good Latine in prose and to prepare them further for verses by reading Poetical books which abound with rich expressions of fansie I would have them spend the next halfe year in Ovids Metamorphosis out of which Authour you may make choice of the most pleasing and profitable Arguments which it is best for you your self to construe and explain unto them that they may dispatch the more at a Lesson and with more ease When they come to say 1. Let them repeat four or six verses which you judge most worthy to be committed to memory by heart 2. Let them construe the whole lesson venbatim minding the proprietie of the words and the elegancie of every phrase 3. Let them parse every word Grammatically as they have used to do in other Authours 4. Let them give you the Tropes and Figures the Derivations and Differences of some words and relate such Histories as the proper names will hint at which they may peruse before hand in their Dictionarie And let them not forget to scan and prove every verse and to note more difficult quantities of some syllables 5. Let them strive who can best to turn the Fable into English prose and to adoru and amplifie it with fit Epithetes choice Phrases acute Sentences wittie Apophthegmes livelie similitudes pat examples and Proverbial Speeches all agreeing to the matter of moralitie therein couched all which they should divide into several Periods and return into proper Latine rightlie placed according to the Rules of Rhetorical composition 6. Let them exercise their wits a little in trying who can turn the same into most varietie of English verses Mr. Sandy's Translation of this book in Folio and Mr. Rosse's English Mythologist will be very delightfull helps to your Scholars for the better understanding thereof and if to these you adde Sir Francis Bacon's little book de Sapientiâ veterum Natales comes and Verderius's Imagines Deorum Lexicon Geographicum Poeticum Historicum and the like fitting to be reserved for your Scholars use in the Schoole-librarie it will invite them like so many bees to busie themselves sucking up matter and words to quicken their invention and expression And if you would have those in this form acquainted with variety of Latine verses and how to change them one into another you may sometimes exercise them in Buchan's Psalms and partlie out of Vossius's partlie out of Mr. I loyd's Grammar latelie printed you shall find sufficient store and several kinds of verses to delight and profit them withall Whereas Wits Common-Wealth is generally imposed upon young Scholars to tranaslte out of English into Latine and I observe it very difficult to be done by reason of the many uncouth words and meere Anglicismes that are in it concerning which they cannot any way help themselves by common Dictionaries or phrase-phrase-books I have thought good to frame an Alphabetical Index of every English word and phrase therein contained with figures pointing to the Chapter and verse where it is used and shewing what Latine or Greek expression is most proper to be made in that place And this I would have annexed to that useful book that by help thereof the Scholars may of themselves be able to translate those pretty Sentences out of English into Latine orderly composed and afterwards with the same ease out of Latine into Greek If the Stationers do not accord that they may be printed together know that the Index may be had single by it self as well as the book and he that buyeth one cannot well be without the other they are both so necessary and neerly related to one another They in this Forme may learn the Assemblies lesser Catechisme in Latine and Greek which is elegantly translated into those Languages by Doctor Harmar Thus then in short I would have them employed 1. In reading out of the Latine Testament every morning till they be able to go on with the
Greek which may then take place 2. In repeating a Grammar part every Thursday morning 3. In Learning the Rhetorick when they have done that 4 Camdens Greek Grammer on Mondaies Tuesdaies and Wednesdaies for morning parts 5. In using Terence on Mondaies Tuesdaies Wednesdaies and Thursdaies for fore-noon lessons 6. In Janua Latinae Linguae for after-noon parts on Mondaies and Wednesdaies 7. In some of Sturmius or Textor's Epistles on Tuesdaies and Thursdaies after-noons and Shirley's Introductorium after taxes ended 8. In Ovid de Tristibus on Mondaies and Wednesdaies in the after-noons for the first and in Ovids Metamorphosis for the second half Year They may translate four Verses every night out of Wits Common-wealth and say lessons on Saturdaies in the Assemblies Catechisme and by the diligent improvement of these books to their several uses they may first become perfectly readie in the Latine and Greek Grammar and the Elements of Rhetorick 2. They may get Coppy of words and learn to know their derivations and differences as also how to varie phrases 3. They may gain the right way of double translating and writing a pure Latine stile 4. They may be helped in their invention and easily taught to make all sorts of English and Latine Verses and to write familiar and elegant Epistles upon all occasions for the performance of all which works though more then ordinary care and pains may seem to be required in the Master and a great deal of studie and diligence may be thought to be exacted of the Scholars above what is usual in many Schools Yet a little experience will evidence that all things being orderly and seasonably done will become easie and pleasing to both after a very little while And if the master do but consider with himself and inform his Scholars that they shall all ere long reap the sweet of their present labours by a delightful and profitable perusal of the choisest Authors both Greek and Latine whom as they must strive to imitate so they may hope to aequalize in the most noble stile and lofty strains of Oratorie and Poesie it will encourage them to proceed so chearfully that they will not be sensible of any toil or difficultie whilest in a profiting way they pass this form and endeavour to come to the next which we intend to treat of in the following Chapter CHAP. II. How to teach Scholars in the fifth form to keep and improve the Latine and Greek Grammars and Rhetorick How to acquaint them with an Oratory stile and pronunciation How to help them to translate Latine into Greek and to make Greek verses as they read Isocrates and Theognis How they may profit well in reading Virgil and easily learn to make good Theams and elegant Verses with delight and certainty And what Catechismes they may learn in Greek THough it may seem a needlesse labour to prescribe directions for the Teaching of the two upper forms partly because I finde more written concerning them then the rest and partly because many very eminent and able Schoole-masters â—mploy most of their pains in perfecting â—hem every one making use of such Auâ—hors and such a Method as in his own â—iscretion he judgeth meetest to make â—hem Scholars not to say that the Schoâ—â—rs themselves being now well acquainted with the Latine and Greek Grammar and having gotten a good understanding at least of the Latine Tongue by the frequent exercise of translating and speaking Latine and writing Colloquies Epistles Historical and Fabulous narrations and the like besides reading some Schoole Authors and other helpful and profitable books will be able in many things to proceed without a guide addicting their mindes chiefly to those studies which their natural Genius doth most prompt them to either concerning Oratory or Poetry Yet I think it requisite for me to go on as I have begun and to shew what course I have constantly kept with these two forms to make them exactly compleat in the Greek Latine Tongues and as perfect Orators and Poets in both as their young years and capacities will suffer and to enter them so in the Hebrew as that they may be able to proceed of themselves in that holy Language whether they go to the University or are otherwise disposed on to some necessary calling which their Parents or Friends think fitting for them And first I most heartily intreat those especially that are my loving Friends and acquaintance of my profession whose years and experience are far beyond mine that they would candidly peruse and kindely interpret what I have written seeing I desire not by any means to impose any thing too magisterially upon them or others but freely to communicate to all men what I have for many years kept private to my self and hath by some whose single judgement may sufficiently satisfie me been importunately thus haled to the Press and if in any particular I seem to them to deviate from or fall short of what I aime at viz. a facilitating the good old way of teaching by Grammar Authors and exercises I shall take it as a singular token of love that they acquaint me with it and if by this rush-candle of mine they please to set up their own Tapers I shall rejoyce to receive greater light by them and be ready to walk in it more vigorously In the interim I go on with my discovery touching the fifth Forme which I would have employed in this manner 1. Let them and the forme above them read daily a dozen verses out of the Greek Testament before the saying of parts 2. Let them reserve the Latine and Greek Grammars and Elementa Rhetorices for weekly parts to be said only on Thursday mornings and so divided that they may be sure to go over them all once every quarter By this means they will keep them in constant memory and have more time allotted them for perusing Authors and dispatch of exercises You must not forget at every part to let them have your help of explication of the most obscure and difficult places before they say and after they have said to make such diligent examination as that you may be sure they understand what they learn And to make them more fully acquainted with the Accents and Dialects of the Greek Tongue you may besides those few Rules in their Grammar let them daily peruse a Chapter in Mr. Franklin's little book De 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is excellently helpful to young Graecians and when they grow stronger that Appendix de Dialectis at the end of Scapula will be worth their reading and observing It would be good sometimes to make them compare the Latine and Greek Grammar together and to see wherein they agree wherein they differ but especially in the Rules of Syntaxis and for this purpose Vechneri Hellonexia wil be of excellent use And as I have directed before how Scholars should have a Common-place-book for the Latine Grammar so I do here also for the Greek desire that after
Screvelii Lexicon Manuale will be very usefull to this Form for parsing their Lessones and Garthii Lexicon which is annexed to it Rulandi Synonymia Morelii Dictionarium Billii Locutiones Devarius de Graecis particulis Posselii Calligraphia for translating Latine into Greek but nothing is more availeable to gain a good style then frequent imitation of select pieces out of Isocrates and Demostenes and translating one while out of the Greek into Latine and another while out of Latine into Greek 5. For forenoon Lessons on Tuesdayes and Thursdayes I make choyce of Justin as a plain History and full of excellent examples and morall observations which for the easiness of the style the Scholars of this Form may now construe of themselves and as you meet with an Historical Passage that is more observable then the rest you may cause every one of them to write it down in English as well as he can possibly relate it without his book and to return it again into good Latine By this meanes they will not onely well heed the matter but also the words and phrases of this smooth Historian And after halfe or three quarters of a yeare you may make use of Caesars Commentaries or Lucius Florus in this manner intermixing some of Erasmus Colloquies now and then for varieties sake 6. Their afternoones Parts on Mondayes and Wednesdayâ—s may be in Janua Linguarum Graeca translated out of Latine by Theodorus Simonius which they may use as they formerly did the Janua Latinae Linguae viz. after they have construed a Chapter and analysed some harder Nounes and Verbes you may let them try who can recite the most Greek names of things and tell you the most Greek words for one Latine word and shew their Derivations and differences and the Rules of their severall Accents And to acquaint them the better with all the Greek and Latine words comprized in that book you may cause them at every part to write out some of the Latine Index into Greek and some of the Greek Index into Latine and to note the manner of declining Nouns and Verbes as the Dictionaries and Lexicons will shew them 7. Virgil the Prince and purest of all Latine Poets doth justly challenge a place in Schoole-teaching and therefore I would have him to be constantly and throughly read by this form on Mondaies and Tuesdaies for after-noon lessons They may begin with ten or twelve verses at a lesson in the Eclogues which they may first repeat memoriter as well as they can possibly 2. Construe and parse and scan and prove exactly 3. Give the Tropes and Figures with their definitions 4. Note out of the Phrases and Epithites and other Elegancies 5. Give the Histories or descriptions belonging to the proper Names and their Etymologies But after they are well acquainted with this excellent Poet let them take the quantity of an Eclogue at once not minding so much to con their lessons by heart as to understand and examine them well and often over according to the directions which Erasmus gives de modo repetendae lectionis which Mr. Langley caused to be Printed at the end of Lillies Grammar by him corrected and Mr. Clark hath worthily inserted in his Dux Grammaticus There are several Translations of Virgil into English verse by the reading whereof young Scholars may be somewhat helped to understand the Latine better but of all the rest Mr. Ogilby hath done it most compleatly and if his larger book may be procured to the Schoole-Library the lively pictures will imprint the Histories in Scholars Memories and be a means to heighten their phansies with conceits answerable to the Authors gallant expressions After they have passed the Georgicks by the Masters help he may leave them to read the Aenead's by themselves having Cerda or Servius at hand to resolve them in places more difficult for them to construe though Mr. Farnabies notes upon Virgil will assist them ever and anon As they read this Author you may cause them sometimes to relate a pleasing story in good English prose and to try who can soonest turn it into elegant Latine or into some other kinde of verses which you please for the present to appoint them either English or Latine or both 8. On Tuesdaies in the after-noones you may cause them sometimes to translate one of Aesops Fables and sometimes one of Aelians Histories or a Chapter in Epictetus out of Greek into English and then to turn its English into Latine and out of Latine into Greek And on Thursdaies in the after-noons they may turn some of Mr. Farnabies Epigrammata selecta out of Greek into Latine and English verses and some of Aesops Fables or Tullies Sentences into Latine and afterwards into Greek verses You need not alway let your Scholars have these Greek Books but sometimes dictate to them what you would have them write and afterwards let them compare their own doings with their author to espie their own failings and this will be a means to help them to write Greek truly of themselves you may sometimes dictate a Colloquie or Epistle or a Sentence or a short History in English and let them write it in Latine or Greek as you spake it and by this you may try their strength at any time and ready them for extemporary exercises 9. Now forasmuch as this form is to be employed weekly in making Theams and Verses which they can never well do except they be furnished with matter aforehand I would have them provide a large Commox-place book in which they should write at least those heads which Mr. Farnabie hath set down in his Index Rhetoricus and then busie themselves especially on Tuesdaies and Thursdaies in the after-noons after other tasks ended to collect 1. Short Histories out of Plutarch Valerius Maximus Justin. Caesar Lucius Florus Livie Plinie Paraeus Medulla Historiae Aelianus c. 2. Apologues and Fabies out of Aesop Phaedrus Ovid. Natales Comes c. 3. Adagies out of Adagia Selecta Erasmi Adagia Drax's Bibliotheca Scholastica c. 4. Hieroglyphicks out of Pierius and Causinus c. 5. Emblems and Symbols out of Alciat Beza Quarles Reusenerus Chartarius c. 6. Ancient Laws and Customs out of Diodorus Siculus Paulus Minutius Plutarch c. 7. Witty Sentences out of Golden Grove Moral Philosophie Sphinx Philosophica Wits Common Wealth Flores Doctorum Tullies Sentences Demosthenis Sententiae Enchiridion Morale Stobaeus Ethica Cireroniana Gruteri Florilegium c. 8. Rhetorical exornations out of Vossius Farnaby Butler c. 9. Topical places out of Caussinus Tresmarus Orator Extemporaneus c. 10. Descriptions of things natural and artificial out of Orbis Pictus Caussinus Plinius c. that I may not forget Textors Officina Lycosthenes Erasmi Apophthegmata Carolina Apophthegmata and Polyanthea which together with all that can be got of this nature should be laied up in the Schoole Library for Scholars to pick what they can out of besides what they read in their own
Authours Now the manner I would have them use them is thus Having a Theme given then to treat of as suppose this Non aestas semper suerit componite nidos Let them first consult what they have read in their own Authours concerning Tempus Aetas occasio or opportunitas and then 2. Let every one take one of those books forementioned and see what he can finde in it for his purpose and write it down under one of those heads in his Common-place book but first let the Master see whether it will suit with the Theme 3. Let them all read what they have written before the Master and every one transcribe what others have collected into his own book and thus they may alwayes have store of matter for invention ready at hand which is far beyond what their own wit is able to conceive Now to furnish themselves also with copy of good words and phrases besides what they have collected weekly and what hath been already said of varying them they should have these and the like Books reserved in the Schoole-Library viz. Sylva Synonymorum Calliepia Huisse's phrases Winchesters phrases Lloyds phrases Farnabies phrases Enchiridion Oratorium Clarkes Phraseologia and his English Adagies Willis Anglicismes Barrets Dictionary Hulaet or rather Higgins Dictionary Drax Bibliotheca Parei Calligraphia Manutii phrases A little English Dictionary 160. and Walkers Particles and if at any time they can wittily and pithily invent any thing of their own brain you may help them to express it in good Latine by making use of Cooper's Dictionary either as himselfe directeth in his preface or Phalerius will more fully shew you in his Supplementa ad Grammaticam And to draw their words and matter into the Form of a Theme with ease let them have sound Patterns to imitate because they in every thing prevaile to do it soonest and sureliest First therefore let them peruse that in Merchant Taylors School Probation book and then those at the end of Winchesters phrases and those in Mr. Clarks Formulae Oratoriae and afterwards they may proceed to those in Aphthonius Rodulphus Agricola Catineus Lorichius and the like and learne how to prosecute the severall parts of a Theme more at large by intermixing som of those Formulae Oratoriae which Mr. Clark and Mr. Farnaby have collected which are proper to every part so as to bring their matter into handsome and plain order and to flourish and adorne it neatly with Rhetorical Tropes and Figures alwayes regarding the composure of words as to make them run in a pure and even style according to the best of their Authours which they must alwayes observe as Presidents But the best way as I conceive to encourage children at the first against any seeming difficulty in this exercise of making Themes is this After you have shewed them how to finde matter and where to help themselves with words and phrases and in what order they are to dispose the Parts and what Formula's they are to use in passing from one to another propound a Theme to them in English and Latine and let them strive who can soonest return you the best Exordium in English and then who can render it into the best Latine and so you may proceed to the narration and quite thorow every part of a Theme not tying them to the words of any Authour but giving them liberty to contract or enlarge or alter them as they please so that they still contend to go beyond them in purity of expression This being done you may dismisse them to adventure to make every one his own exercise in English and Latine and to bring it fair written and be able to pronounce it distinctly memoriter at a time appointed And when once you see they have gained a perfect way of making Themes of themselves you may let them go on to attain the habit by their own constant practice ever and anon minding them what places in their Authours as they read are most worthy notice and imitation and for what purposes they may serve them 10. Touching learning to scan and prove and make all sorts of verses I have spoken in the former Chapter now for diligent practise in this kind of exercise they may constantly comprise the sum of their Themes in a Distich Tetrastich Hexastich or more verses as they grow in strength For invention of further matter upon any occasion or subject they are to treat upon they may sometimes imitate places out of the purest Poets which Mr. Farnabies Index Poeticus will point them to besides what they finde in Flores Poetarum Sabinusde Carminibus ad veterum imitationem artificiose componendis at the beginning of Textors Epistles will further direct them and sometime paraphrase or as some term it metaphrase upon a piece of an Historian or Oratour endeavouring more lively to express in verse what the Authour hath written in prose and for this Mr. Horne hath furnished you with two examples in his excellent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de usu Authoris For variety and copy of Poetical phrases there are many very good helps viz Phrases Poeticae besides those of Mr. Farnabies Aerarium Poeticum Enchiridion Poeticum Res Virgiliana Artis Poeticae compendium Thesaurus Poeticus and others worthy to be laid up in the Schoole-Library Textor will sufficiently supply choyce Epithites Smetii Prosodia will afford Authorities which is lately comprized and printed at the end of Lilies Grammar But for gaining a smooth way of versifying and to be able to expresse much matter in few words and very fully to the life I conceive it very necessary for Scholars to be very frequent in perusing and rehearsing Ovid and Virgil and afterwards such kind of Poete as they are themselves delighted with all either for more variety of verse or the wittinesse of conceit sake And the Master indeed should cause his Scholars to recite a piece of Ovid or Virgil in his hearing now and then that the very tune of these pleasant verses may be imprinted in their mindes so that when ever they are put to compose a verse they make it glide as even as those in their Authours Mr. Rosse his Virgilius Euangelizans will easily shew how a young Scholar may imitate Virgil to the life From this little that hath been said they that have a natural aptness delight in Poetry may proceed to more exquisite perfection in that Art then any rules of teaching can reach unto there are very few so meanly witted but by diligent use of the directions now given may attain to so much skill as to be able to judge of any verse and upon a fit occasion or subject to compose a handsome copy though not so fluently or neatly as they that have a natural sharpnesse and dexterity in the Art of Poetry 11. When they in this Form have gone thrice over the Assemblies Catechisme in Greek and Latine they may proceed in Nowels Catechisme or the Palatinate Catechisme in Greek
purpose to explicate the words of the Bible according to their several Languages viz. Hebrew Chaldi Samaritane Syriack Arabick Persian Aethiopick Armenian and Coptick which is a kinde of Aegyptian Tongue 4. Their forenoons Lessons on Mondaies and Wednesdaies may be in Hesiods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they may now construe and parse of themselves by help of the Latine translation and Pasor opon it or Screvelii Lexicon Onely your self may now and then illustrate some harder places out of Cerapine Melanctthon's Commentarie published by Johannes Frisius Tigurinus And cause them to paraphrase in Greek upon such Lessons as are full of excellent matter and which are worth getting by heart When they have gone this over they may proceed in like manner to Homer in which they may help themselves out of Clavis Homerica or Lexicon Homericum or those Quorundum verborum Themata at the end of Scapulae Lexicon You may illustrate the difficult places in him out of Eustathius's his Commentary and let your Scholars write some of his narrations in good Latine and Greek phrase Chapman's English translation of Homer will delight your Scholars to read in at leasure and cause them better to apprehend the series of his Poetical discourses When they are well acquainted with this Father of Poetry which will be after they have read two Books either of his Iliads or Odisseus you may let them proceed to Pindar and after they have tested some of his Odes by the help of Benedictus his Commentary you may at last let them make use of Lycophron which they will better do having Canterus or Zetzius to unfold his dark meaning and Longolii Lexicon to interpret and analyse most of his uncouth words 5. Their forenoone Lessons on Tuesdaies and Thursdaies may be in Zenonophon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the first quarter or somewhat longer and afterwards in some of Euripides and Sophocles Tragedies which you please to pick out to enable them for the rest and if to these you adde a few of Aristophanes Comedies which they may better understand by the help of Bisetus upon him I suppose you may turn them to any other Greek Authour and they will give you a reasonable account thereof having but a little time allowed them to deliberate upon it and necessary Subsidiaries at hand to help themselves withall in case they be put to a stand 6. Their afternoons parts on Mondayes and Wednesdayes may be in Ant. de Laubegeois Breviarium Graecae Linguae partly because the perusal of that book will help them to retain all the Greek Vocabula's in minde and partly because those excellent Sentences being pickt out of many Authours will acquaint them with most of the hard words that they are like to find in them 7. Their afternoons Lessons may be in Horace wherein they should be emploied 1. In commiting their Lessons to memory as affording a rich mine of invention 2. In construing and parsing and giving the Tropes and Figures 3. In scanning and proving verses 4. Sometimes in turning an Ode or Epistle into other kind of verses English Latine or Greek sometimes in paraphrasing or enlarging the words in an Oratorial style as Mr. Horne doth give some Examples in his little golden book De usu Authoris Mr. Farnabie or Mr. Bonds Notes upon this Poet will encourage your Scholars to proceed in him And after they have read what you best approve for he that feeds cleanly will pare his apple in this Authour you may let them proceed to Juvenall and read some select Satyres by help of Farnabies notes or Lubines Commentarie and then let them read Persius quite through which besides the notes upon him Mr. Holydaies English Translation will help them well to understand As for Lucan Seneca's Tragedies Martiall and the rest of the finest Latine Poets you may do well to give them a taste of each and show them how and wherein they may imitate them or borrow something out of them Mr. Farnabies Notes upon them will be helpful to understand them and Pareus or Taubman upon Plautus will make that some merry Comedies of his may be easily read over 8. They may read some of Luciani selecti mortuorum dialogi on Tuesdaies in the afternoons and if those printed at Paris by Sebastian and Gabriel Cramoisy cum interpretatione Latinâ Grammaticâ singularum vocum explanatione were to be had they might easily run them over but I suppose they will now be able to go on of themselves in perusal of those lately printed by Mr. Dugard After Lessons ended they may benefit themselves by reading Jacobi Pontani Progymnasmata Latinitatis which will furnish them with good expressions for speaking Latine and acquaint them with some patterns for exercises which are not elsew here usually found 9. On Thursdaies they may be imployed in reading some of Tullies Orations especially those pro Archia contra Catalinam and Philippicae and afterwards they may peruse Pliny Panegyrica and Quintilian's Declamationes After Lessons ended they may busie themselves in perusing Goodwin's Antiquities or the like And here I do heartily wish as Mr. Horne hath done formerly that some of better leisure and abilities would make an Index Oratorius like that Index Poeticus of Mr. Farnabies which may point at the marrow of matter words in all the putest Orators that are extant either ancient or modern that those Authours might be reserved in the Schoole Librarie whereunto Scholars may have recourse touching any subject whereof they have occasion to treat in their Schoole Exercises 10. In the meane time this Forme should continue to make Themes and Verses one week in Greek and another in Latine and ever and anon they may contend in making Orations Declamaons for which exercise the may find Helps and Patterns in Mr. Clerks Formule Oratoriae and Mr. Horne de usu Authoris Likewise to bring themselves to an habituated perfection of a good style they should be frequent in perusing and excerpting passages that may serve for their occasions out of Tully Quintilian Livie Salust Tacitus Quintus Curtius or the like ancient Orations and acquaint themselves with those moderne Orators whose eloquence we admire viz. Turnerus Baudius Muretus Heinsius Pureanus Rainoldus Lipsius Barclaius Salmatius and others to be laid up in the Schoole Library Tesmarus and Orator extemporaneus will shew them how to dispose their matter so as to make an Oration of any subject in Latine ex tempore and Aphthonius and Libanius Sophista will furnish them with patterns in Greek For learning to write Greek Epistles they may consult Isocrate's Epistles and Symmachus They should often also vie wits amongst themselves and strive who can make the best Anagrams Epigrams Epitaphes Epithalamia Eclogues Acrosticks and golden verses English Latine Greek and Hebrew which they will easily do after a while having good patterns before them to imitate which they may collect out of Authours as they fansie them for their owne use and delight 11.
which the Schoole-Master may safely keep by him as a Testimony of what they can perform take care to see that their writing for the future be not much worse This Pattern or Copy I formerly received from that industrious pen-man Mr. Roger Evans who had sometimes taught me to write being a Scholar at Wakefield and afterwards yearly taught my Scholars whilest I was School-Master at Rotherham June 1. 1635. A man cannot any way enter into the canonized rule to come to Gods holy will and kingdome except he reform and become acquainted with vertuous manners in most prudent sort that may be c. Roger Evans But in London which of all places I know in England is best for the full improvement of children in their education because of the variety of objects which daily present themselves to them or may easily be seen once a year by walking to Mr. John Tradescants or the like houses or gardens where rarities are kept a Book of all which might deserve to be printed as that ingenuous Gentleman hath lately done his by the name of Musaeum Tradescantianum a Collection of Rarities could Parents at home but halfe so well look to their behaviour as the Masters do to their learning at Schoole it is ordinary for Scholars at eleven and five a clock to go to the Writing-Schooles and there to benefit themselves in writing In that City therefore having the opportunity of the neighbourhood of my singular loving friend Mr. James Hodder whose Coppy bookes of late printed do sufficiently testify his ability for the profession he hath undertaken and of whose care and pains I have had abundant triall by his profiting of my Scholars for at least twelve years together who had most of them learned of him to write a very fair hand not to speak of Arithmetick or Merchants Accounts which they gained also by his teaching at spare times In the Token-house garden in Lothbury somewhat near the Old-Exchange I so ordered the business with him that all my lower Scholars had their little Paper-books ruled wherein they writ their lessons fair and then their Translations and other Exercises in loose papers in his sight untill they were able to do every thing of themselves in a handsome manner And afterwards it is not to be expressed what pleasure they took in writing and flourishing their Exercises all the while they continued with me at the Schoole This or a better course perhaps may be taken at other Schooles where they have a Writing-Master constant and ready to attend them every day throughout the year as I have heard Mr. Farnaby made use of Mr. Taylor a famous Pen-man for the teaching his Scholars to write If at any time a Scholar doth not write his Exercises in the fairest manner that he is able his punishment may be to write them over again whilest others play I have been told of a Porter that could neither write nor read who if at any time he had seen his son write his Exercises at home in a worse hand then he thought he was able to do would teare them to pieces and thus at last enforced the young Scholar upon a very good hand of writing which rude kinde of dealing with a childe though I would have no Parents to imitate yet I would advise them sometimes to look upon their childrens writing at home and to encourage them to do it in the neatest fashion For as it will be an ornament to them in their learning and an especiall furtherance of their Studies or future employments elsewhere so it will be a great ease to the Master in the perusal of what they have written I with some others have bin sorry to see some of that reverend and learned Mr. Hookers Sermons come in manuscript to the presse and not to have been possible to be printed because they were so scriblingly written that no body could read three words together in them It is commonly objected to the best Scholars in any of the three Professions that they write the worst hands and therefore I wish that care may be taken to prevent that objection at the Schoole to a future generation Now to train up Scholars as well in Calligraphy as Orthography whilst they write their Translations in a Paper-book they should often be admonished 1. To keep a large Margent on both â—â—des to leave the space of a long letters â—ength betwixt every line and of a small â—â—tters breadth betwixt every word â—nd to regard the Proportion of every particular letter and the difference betwixt j and i and v and u and above â—â—l to beware of blotting or soyling their â—ooks 2. To make every Comma Colon Semicolon Period notes of Interrogation Parenthesis and notes of Admiration c. in their due places 3. To write all their words in an even line with the tops bellies and bottomes of the letters of an even size and when they have an occasion to divide any word to part it by its just syllables making this mark Hyphen at the end of the line And 4. In Latine to give an Adverb or other word its note of difference the like as the Grammar will further direct them But for directions in fair writing I refer him to that sheet which Mr. Hodder hath caused to be printed before his copy-Copy-book which will sufficiently commend its Authour After they have once got an habit of these things they wil more easily observe them in future Exercises the neglect whereof will be harder to remedie afterwards which I have seen too grosse in some mens letters that have come from the Universities As for Books a care would be first had to procure those of a faire print in good paper and strongly bound then the Master may more easily see that his Scholars keep them all fafe and cleanly and free from scribling or rending by causing them at a time unexepcted to bring all their books before him and to shew their names together with a note of the price fairly writ in the middle of every one of them as well as at the beginning or end And that none may squander his own or pilfer away anothers book or have it carelesly thrown about or to seek when he should use it the Master may do well to make every Scholar once a quarter to deliver him a Catalogue of his Books with the day of the moneth and his name subscribed which he may lay by him so as at any time to call him whom he suspecteth to be negligent of his books to a private and particular account of them That the Schoole may be furnished with all kind of Subsidiary books for the general use of all the Scholars to be laid up in Repositories or Presses as so many little Libraries belonging to every Form and to be safely kept under lock and key whereof the headst boy in each Form should take the charge to deliver them out and see they be brought in every night without being abused