by reading Doth not all our deliuerie brought furth by the minde and set furth by the pen acknowledge a dewtie to the principle of writing Doth not all our descriptions which figur in the thought and pictur to the sense both preach praise the pencill which causeth them be sene Doth not all our delite in times not bisied as all our labour is for rest all our trauell for ease all our care to auoide care protest in plane termes that it is wonderfullie endetted to either part of Musik both by instrument and voice the naturall sweter of our sour life in anie mans iudgement that is not to sour Now what learned qualitie is there of anie commendation but it falleth within this number and is furthered by these principles whether it be chefe profession of greater note or meaner facultie of lesse account or necessarie trade of vnforbearable vse And not to leaue exercise quite vntuched seing it is mere Elementarie alwaie to ioyn with ech ascent in learning as the bodie growing in strength or in years requireth more or lesse stirring by the artificiall benefit thereof the fete excell in swiftnesse if natur be according the arms in strength the hole bodie in ech part for all gifts in ech part which either concern helth or cause actiuitie And as so manie principles appointed for the minde being cunninglie applied thereunto do make it most able both to conceiue with the soonest and to deliuer with the fairest euen so the one principle of exercise being skilfullie applied according to right circunstance maketh the bodie most actiue in all parts to execute all functions both of necessitie and praise with a meruellous nimblenesse All qualities therefor whether belonging to the bodie bycause their excutiō is by it or partaining to the minde bycause their seat is in it must nedes cōfesse themselues to be so auanced by this Elementarie as in dede theie were nothing if it were not Take exercise awaie what then is the bodie but an vnweildie lump what vse of it hath either cūtrie in defence or it self in delite Remoue precept and practis and where then is vertew which neither knoweth what to do if it be not directed neither doth when it knoweth if it faill of practis Set these fiue principles apart what can the vnlearned eie iudge of the vntrained hand deall with the vnframed voice please with If all the principles want then all the qualities faill if som certain wāt then so manie faill as procede frō them that wāt If all the principles be had then all the qualities will follow Wherefor I conclude that if all commendable qualities do fall within this compas if these principles auance them all if want in the one cause defect in the other that then this Elementarie must nedes cause the childe being so well trained to be most capable of most commendable qualities and that the defect in these must of mere necessitie cause defect in those Whereof theie can best iudge which when theie grow in years then perceiue their own lak which commeth for want of such a foretraine At which time one of these things streight waie enseweth Either theie condemn that which theie know not thorough ignorance or theie contemn that which theie dispare of thorough insolence or theie mone that which theie misse of thorough negligence most comonlie offrinds which regarding litle else but the waie to welth desire rather a compendious path to compas that then a longer circuit to com by a better tho in the end theie perceiue that at the first theie might well haue obtained both with verie small ado Wherefor the Elementarie being so absolut and yeilding so great a capablenesse to further qualities it were to great an ouersight in those parents which haue oportunitie at will to neglect it in their childern in stede of knowledge in all to leaue them ignorāt in som and cause them in years to mislike where theie cannot iudge contemn where theie cannot compas bewaill where theie fele want chefelie considering that as it will make childern capable of the most so it self is compassable well nigh by the meanest Cap. VII That this Elementarie resembleth natur both in number of abilities and in maner of proceding THe third prouf of a good Elementarie was to resemble natur in multitude of abilities and to procede so in teaching as she doth in towarding For as she is vnfrindlie wheresoeuer she is forced so is she the best gide that anie man can follow wheresoeuer she fauoreth Wherefor if natur make a childe most fit to excell in manie singularities so theie be furthered and auanced by Elementarie train in the younger yeares is not that education much to be blamed by whom the falt coms and the infant is defeated of that same excellencie which natur voweth and negligence voideth Again when there is nothing ment vs by natur but train will help it forward is not train it self to be thought most perfit and the mean of the train to be held most absolut which spredes with natur where she splaieth most as manifold in preferring as she is in profering Whē I vse the name of natur I mean that power which God hath emplanted in these his creaturs both to cōtinew their own kinde that it do not decaie to answer that end wherefor these were made The continewance of their kinde is the prouf of their being but the answering of their end is the frute of their being This latter part is that point where vnto education hath a speciall eie tho it contemn not the other that the young fry maie be brought vp so as theie maie proue good in the end and serue well in that place wherevnto theie shal be loted for the benefit of their countrie when theie com to years and full state of prouf For the performance whereof that theie maie proue such in dede I take it that this Elemētarie in his kinde is most sufficiēt as being the best mean to perfit all those abilities which natur endoweth our kinde withall by those same principles which art and consideration appointeth it withall and by vsing such pollicie in the waie passage to artificiall perfectiō as natur hir self doth vse in hir ascending to hir naturall height Bycause the end of education and train is to help natur vnto hir perfection which is when all hir abilities be perfited in their habit wherevnto right Elements be right great helps This is that resemblance of natur which I do mean not to counterfeat hir in som other work as fondlie comparing or frowardlie bragging with the effects of natur like som Apelles in purtrait or som Archimedes in motiō but when consideratiō iudgemēt wiselie marking whereunto natur is either euidētlie giuen or secretlie affectionat doth frame an education consonant therevnto to bring all those things to perfection by art which natur wisheth perfit by franknesse of hir offer If natur do offer a towardnesse to write and
THE FIRST PART OF THE ELEMENTARIE VVHICH ENTREATETH CHEFELIE OF THE right writing of our English tung set furth by RICHARD MVLCASTER Imprinted at London by Thomas Vautroullier dwelling in the blak-friers by Lud-gate 1582. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE MY VERIE GOOD LORD THE L. Robert Dudlie Earle of Leicester Baron of Denbigh knight of the most noble order of the garter and S. Michaëll master of hir maiesties horses and one of hir highnesse most honorable priuie counsell RIGHT honorable and my verie good Lord as the considerations which enforced me to offer hir maiestie the first frutes of my publik writing were exceding great so those reasons which induce me now to present to your honor this my second labor be not verie small Hir maiestie representeth the personage of the hole land and therefor clameth a prerogatiue in dewtie both for the excellencie of hir place wherewith she is honored as our prince and for the greatnesse of hir care wherewith she is charged as our parent If honor be the end of that which is don hir place is to clame if the common good then hir charge is to chalenge VVhich both clame in honor and chalenge in charge did concur in one aspect when I offered hir my book For mine own purpos was to honor hir place with the first of my labor and my book pretended to benefit hir charge with som generall profit Again being desirous both to procure my book passage thorough hir maiesties dominions to laie som ground for mine own credit at the verie fountain how could I haue obtained either the first without hir sufferance or the last but with hir countenance VVhose considerate iudgement if my book did not please my credit were in danger whose gracious permission if it were denyed my successe were in despare So that both my dewtie towards hir maiestie as my souerain prince and my desire of furtherance by hir maiestie as my surest protection compelled me of force to begin with hir highnesse by satisfying of my dewtie to com in hope of my desire if the matter which I offred should deserue liking as the course which I took shewed desire to please Now my dewtie in that behalf towards hir maiestie being so discharged whom the presenting of my book makes priuie to my purpos doth not the verie stream of dewtie the force of de sert carie me streight frō hir highnesse vnto your honor whether I haue in eie your general good nesse towards all them which be learned themselues or your particular fauor towards my trauell which teach others to learn For in common iudgement is not he to take place next after the prince in the honor of learning which all waie by the prince most preferreth learning wherein I do not se that there is anie one about hir maiestie without offence be it spoken either to your honor if you desire not to hear it or to anie other person which deserues well that waie which either iustlie can or vniustlie will cōpare with your honor either for the encouraging of students to the attainmēt of learning or for helping the learned to aduancement of liuing VVhich two points I take to be most euident proufs of generall patronage to all learning to nurish it being grene to cherish it being grown Of which your honors both first nurishing and last cherishing of ech kinde of learning there is no one corner in all our cuntrie but it feleth the frute and thriues by the effect For how manie singular men haue bene worthilie placed how manie nedefull places haue bene singularlie appointed by your either onelie or most honorable means with this generall consideration whereby all men ar bound to your honor in dewtie who either like of learning or liue by learning mine own particular doth ioyn it self with all officiousnesse and desire to do honor where it hath found fauor For I do find my self excedinglie indetted vnto your honor for your speciall goodnesse and most fauorable countenance these manie years VVhereby I am bound to declare the vow of my seruice vnto your honor not by the offering of a petie boke alone such as this is but by tendring whatsoeuer a thankfull minde can deuise in extremitie of power for so excellent a patron And tho I begin the shew of my deuotion with a verie mean sacrifice for so great a saint as what a simple present is a part of an Elementarie or an English ortografie to so great a person and so good a patron yet am I in verie good hope that your honor will accept it and measur my good will not by the valew of the present but by the wont of your goodnesse For dewtie will break out and an ishew it will find which tho it stream not great where it springeth first yet is it as pure as where it spredeth most Mo offerings hereafter of the like sort maie giue it greater shew but none of anie sort can shew more good will And so I desire your honor to take it in waie of euidence to the world that your desert hath bound me in waie of witnesse to your self that I would return dewtie Mine own good will I know my self of your good liking I nothing dout whose honorable and ordinarie dispositiō is to take things well which taste of goodwill I offred to hir maiestie the prime of my pen I offer to your honor the prime of right penning not handled thus before as I can perceiue by anie of my cuntrie tho I se diuerse that haue bene tampering about it And as the difference of state betwene hir maiestie your honor made me of mere force to begin with hir and to discend to you so the matter of that book which I presented vnto hir is the occasiō of this which I offer vnto you In that book among other things which the discourse enforced as it enforced manie bycause it doth medle with all the nedefull accidents which belong to teaching I did promis an Elementarie that is the hole matter which childern ar to learn and the hole maner how masters ar to teach them from their first beginning to go to anie school vntill theie passe to grammer in both the best if my opinion proue best This point is of great moment in my iudgement both for young learners to be entred with the best and for the old learned to be sound from the first This Elementarie am I now to perform VVhose particular brāches being manie in number the book thereby growing to som bulk I thought it good to de uide it into parts vpō sundrie causes but chefelie for the printer whose sale will be quik if the book be not big Of those seuerall parts this is the first wherein I entreat tho that be but litle of certain generall considerations which concern the hole Elementarie but I handle speciallie in it the right writing of our English tung a verie necessarie point and of force to be handled ear the child
speche in the like case But those mens chefe consideration in their chusing of wits is what affection to learning the childe hath by natur Bycause it is hard to haill against the stream as it is wonderous easie to row down with it Finallie theie knit vp all their choice with this no fantsie tho a fable of Platoes Protagoras that Iupiter sent Mercurie down into the world to distribut learning and vertew amōg those of the world In which his distributiō he gaue learning to peple according as theie were inclined by natur but he gaue them vertew which he deuided into a remorse to do ill and a desire to do right according to necessitie which was to haue few men learned and as theie were inclined but to haue all mē vertewous as theie ought to be inclined Bycause one learned man as one physician will help a great number but it is necessarie for all men to be ashamed to do ill and to be redie to do good And with all there saith Iupiter to Mercurie make this proclamatiō thoroughout the hole world that theie furth with kil him as a disease in a state who so euer is not capable of shame to do wrong and will to do right Whereby theie do mean that there wold not be to manie brought vp vnto learning where both natur restrains being not fit in most and our vse doth not nede them where some few will serue all Which two considerations natur in most nede in all be the chefe grounds of this choice for learning But vertew goodnesse be required in all as necessarie for all in this our generall nede corruptiō of natur whereby most be euill whereas all should be good But I haue said much allredie concerning this choice in diuerse places of my former book which I call Positions and speciallie in that title which handleth the stripping of of too manie bookmen In the qualities that declare a wit verie likelie to perform well afterward when learning is obtained theie commonlie consider the honest disposition and the parties zeall towards morall vertew and ciuill societie euen for honesties sake without hope of anie profit Then theie mark next the forsight of conceit which must be neither easie to be deceiued nor soon to be remoued from a right opiniō by either passion in thēselues or persuasion of others And generallie whatsoeuer vertew is like to bewraie both a good man and a good subiect that theie call to councell in making of their choice to haue their learner make shew both of capabilitie keping in matters of learning and of towardnesse and constancie in matters of liuing In all these wits theie still respect libertie and not bondage abilitie and not pouertie to haue learning liberall where learners be no slaues and the execution vncorrupt where nede is not to festur Yet theie do not exclude nede in excellent naturall wits but theie prouide for their abilitie that theie be not subiect to nede And tho slaues be somtimes learned yet learning is not slauish neither when the parties demeanor doth procure his fredom is learning manumised which was neuer bond Which two reasons for libertie and nede the old wisdom whereof I intreat now must nedes confesse if ye look but to Aesop among slaues Plato among writers whereof Aesop fought still for fredom against seruilitie Plato for natur against mutable fortun measuring not euen princes by their place but by their propertie by naturall power and not by casuall euent The cause why theie think so much of abilitie is the respect of the peple which will obeie best where theie be ouer topt most as the cause why theie think so much of fredom is for that slaues haue no voice nor part in the state being held but for catle tho reasonable withall whereas learning hath best voice in anie estate and therefor requireth the help of such an vtterer as is part of the state and capable of best state Thus much for both the number of the Elementarie principles and the choice of wits most fit for learning according to the iudgement of the eldest and best writers Cap. IIII. That this Elementarie and the profitablenesse thereof is confirmed by great reason and most euident proufs AS for the reasons which confirm the choice of the Elementarie principles I find them to be both manie and well appointed such as moue me to think both that these fiue and that not fewer then these fiue neither anie other then these fiue do make a perfit Elementarie and that a perfit Elementarie is a most excellent thing and so most excellent as without the which if it be not either anie at all or not such as this is there will great defects ensew in yeares which might be preuented in youth For as the wise Cato being demanded what was the chefe point that did belong to husbādrie answered to fede well dubled the point And the eloquent Demosthenes being demanded what was the chefe point that did belong to an orator answered to gestur well dubled the point so my self tho neither a Cato for wisdom nor a Demosthenes for eloquēce yet am so resolued in this matter as if I were demanded what I thought to be of chefe force in the hole course and matter oflearning I durst boldlie answer a good Elementarie and duble the point Cato answered in that argument wherewith he was acquainted being a great husband Demosthenes in that wherefor he was estemed being a great orator And why not I in that which methink I know being a long teacher That Cato answered wiselie what better reason can you require then the effect thereof in the catle themselues and the catlelike creaturs which being the husbandmans charge and staruing without stouer defeat the ill feader of his conceiued stok That Demosthenes his action was the soull of his orations and assured the truth of his iudiciall answer who is better witnesse then euen Aeschines his enemie Who being banished hiscuntrie by the onelie mean of Demosthenes his tung did confesse in his exile that he was sorer wounded with the force of his action which gaue life to his words then with the strength of his words that foūd work for his action That this my opiniō concerning the infinite commoditie of a good and perfect Elementarie is as trew in the train to learning as either Catoes was in husbandrie or Demosthenes his in oratorie there be six speciall and principall causes which by the greatnesse of their own good effects do vnfalliblie conclude the excellent benefit therof euen by cause ech of the principles is so excellēt good All which cōcurring meting in the generall end of the hole Elementarie must nedes import a meruellous treasur to be in the hole where euerie particular which maketh vp that hole doth proue to be so profitable The six reasons which by their own priuat goodnesse confirm a generall profit in the main Elementarie be these
hir own ane ordinarie case where euen enimitie pityeth But preiudice is a poison to anie common weall so far as it stretcheth which being at the first infected with the incurable disease of a cankred and a corrupt opinion gathered by confluence of sundrie ill humors will neither it self yeild to a right iudgement nor will suffer anie other where hir persuasion can take place For by yeilding hir self she feareth the emparing of hir misconceiued estimation and by suffring other to yeild she feareth the encrease of knowledges frinds whereby hir self shall com in dāger to be oppressed both with truth of matter and number of patrons Wherefor she opposeth hir self she bendeth all hir eloquence she mureth vp all passages so much as she maie both by persuasion and entreatie that none shall iudge right which will hear hir speak regard hir autoritie but shall take that musik to sound the swetest which commeth from hir tho she be but a mearmaid which by offring of delite endeuoreth to destroie Ignorance is violent and like vnto a lion when it encountreth with knowledge still in furie without feling in rage without reason and riseth of two causes either infirmitie in natur or negligēce in labor Whereof the one could not the other wold not conceiue at the first when knowledge was in dealing Both enemies to knowledge but negligēce the greater which either fearing disdain for hir first refusall or enuying him which loueth where she left will not seme to fauor where she once forsook and stomaketh him which embraceth hir leauings awraking hir malice in shew vpon knowledge in dede vpon folie Which folie being lodged within hir own breast beside that negligent ignorance vseth to call in a dangerous opinion the contempt of that good which she ought to commend rather then she will by change of opinion and altring hir hew bewraie hir own error which all men se sauing she that should being at defiance with knowledge not by simplicitie of natur which offered but by naughtinesse of choice which refused the attaining thereof Now naturall infirmitie the other and more gentle mean of ignorance wold perhaps naie wold in dede change hir blind opinion if she could once change hir ingenerate heauinesse she wold reuerence learning if she might se hir beawtie where with to be rauished being enemie vnto hir not of malice but of weaknesse That which I speake of infirmitie in natur and negligence in choice is to be entended by such of both sorts as continew in their worst without remorse of euill or recourse to good For if anie man whether naturallie dull or negligentlie rude in riper years vpon better aduise do change his currant the naturall weak to loue that in others which he hath not himself the negligentlie rude to wish that in himself which he seith to be in others he then becoms frind to iudgement and will rather continew in suspense then pronounce rashlie till he be thoroughlie enformed But that same peruerse preiudice is a sutle fo to knowledge like a manieheaded hydra and as the venim of his autoritie is gathered of diuerse grounds so the sting of his poison infecteth diuerse waies The person himself which is thus caried awaie by a peuish opinion is commonlie no heauie head but either superficiallie learned and yet loth to seme so or enuiouslie affected and still carping at his better or ambitiouslie giuen and presumeth vpon countenance or he measureth knowledge by gain and setteth naught by ante more that himself shall nede to compas that he coueteth where a litle cunning will compas much more then reason thinks enough in corruptiō of mindes All which four causes mean learning glad to make great shew enuious affection glancing at good things vane presumption plaing the peicok couetous desire carelesse of great cūning as theie corrupt the iudgemēt so theie maintain preiudice while the partie so corrupted will seeke by all means to continew his credit so much the more a deadlie enemie to knowledge bycause preiudice must giue place if knowledge com in place and therefor that it maie not com he emploieth all his forces by all cunning and all well colored shifts to shoulder it out a professed so and so much the shrewder bycause he supplanteth knowledge vnder the opinion of knowledge Now considering these so firie and so furious enemies to knowledge ignorance and preiudice with their hole families be the causes why that the best things matters of most cunning be oftimes misliked where theie be vnknown either simplie or shrewdlie doth not this Elementarie a great pleasure to knowledge by planting skill in all to auoid misliking in anie that euerie part of knowledge maie be so estemed of as it iustlie deserues and ech of these mislikers maie be so entreated as o becom frinds of foes Misliking was said to com either of deseruing ill whereof learning is cleare bycause it deserues well or else by error from which kinde of misliking anie sound knowledge will verie hard lie scape For ignorance supported by infirmitie in natur and negligence in labor and preiudice maintained by four craftie companions superficiall learning enuious affection vainglorious conceit and couetous desire will still haue a fling at hir How be it if naturall infirmitie be helpt by diligent education it will either proue a frind or no bitter fo for that good which it hath goten If negligence it self be so entreated in the training as it will be content to take pains to learn it will fauour at the last tho it frown at the first If preiudice in generall maie compas and kepe that credit with sound and substantiall knowlege which it aspireth vnto by superficiall shew and sinister means were not he worse then mad that wold hang vpon the shadow where he might haue the bodie being still in dāger to haue his vnskilfulnesse discouered at euerie encounter with a learneder man at euerie dealing with anie such matter as will bewraie a smatterer By help of this Elementarie will this substance be goten that the shew shall not nede For this kinde of training vp in youth doth crepe on to knowlege ear the feling of labor can take anie place and encrocheth so sore vpon blind ignorance as it cannot be painfull no not to negligent heads being so well set forward to passe quite thorough without either difficultie or danger if he set no man to work but good will alone Which being don will not misliking be ba nished and liking be cald home will not ignorance stowp when knowlege is in state when the end is well wrought and by right means which was sought for before by a verie wrong waie I shall not nede to repeat here again to what kinde of knowlege euerie principle helpeth For in that theie expell ignorance euerie where that serues for this purpos as that theie help knowlege euerie where it is a thing proued all redie Both which the help to knowledge and exile to
were soundlie made yet was it not well armed with sufficient suretie against the festuring euill of error corruption Wherefor when it felt the want of such an assurance it praied aid of Art which like a beaten lawyer handled the matter so and with such a forecast in the penning of his books as euerie of them which had anie interest were taught to know what was their own Other tungs beside the first refined marking this currant applied the same to their own seuerall writing and were verie glad with great thanks to vse the benefit of those mens labor which wrastled with the difficulties of sound error corruption and the residew of that ill humored peple This originall president in the first and translated patern in the rest I mean to follow in the finding out of our right English writing which whether it will proue to be fashioned accordinglie and framed like the patern it shall then appear whē the thing it self shall com furth in hir own naturall hew tho in artificiall habit I haue not vsed anie autors name in this discourse either to confirm or to confute by credit of autoritie For anie man allmost of anie mean learning maie quiklie espy that these matters ar not without autors For can reason custō art sound error corruption and such other qualities as plaie their parts in this so ordinate a plat lak testimonie of writers being so much writen of But I did onelie seke to satisfie nede and to polish no further To conclude and knit vp the argument this method and this order vsed the first tung that euer was brought to anie right in writing by the help whereof vnder the direction of Art all those tungs which we now call learned ar com to that certaintie which we se them now in thorough precept and rule The same help will I vse in my particular method Which before I deall with I must examin two principall points in our tung whereof one is whether our tung haue stuf in it for art to bild on bycause I said that Art delt where she found matter sufficient for hir trauell The other is whether our writing be iustlie chalenged for those infirmities wherewith it is charged in this our time bycause I said that this period in our time semeth to be the perfitest period in our English tūg that our custom hath alredie beaten out his own rules redie for the method frame of Art Which two points ar necessarilie to be considered For if there be either no matter for Art in extreme cōfusion or if our custō be not yet ripe to be reduced vnto rule then that perfit period in our tung is not yet com I haue set vpon this argument while it is yet to grene Howbeit I hope it will not proue to timelie and therefor I will first shew that there is in our tung great and sufficient stuf for Art then that there is no such infirmitie in our writing as is pretended but that our custom is grown fit to receaue this artificiall frame and that by this method which I haue laid down without anie foren help and with those rules onelie which ar and maie be gathered out of our own ordinarie writing CAP. XIII That the English tung hath in it self sufficient matter to work her own artificiall direction for the right writing thereof IT must nedes be that our English tung hath matter enough in hir own writing which maie direct her own right if it be reduced to certain precept and rule of Art tho it haue not as yet bene thoroughlie perceaued The causes why it hath not as yet bene thoroughlie perceaued ar the hope despare of such as haue either thought vpon it and not dealt in it or that haue delt in it but not rightlie thought vpon it For som considering the great difficultie which theie found to be in the writing thereof euerie letter almost being deputed to manie and seuerall naie to manie and wellnigh contrarie sounds and vses euerie word almost either wanting letters for his necessarie sound or hauing some more then necessitie requireth began to despare in the midst of such a confusio euer to find out anie sure direction whereon to ground Art and to set it certain And what if either theie did not seke or did not know how to seke in right form of Art and the compòsing method But whether difficultie in the thing or infirmitie in the searchers gaue cause thereunto the parties them selues gaue ouer the thing as in a desperat case and by not medling thorough despare theie helped not the right Again som others bearing a good affection to their naturall tung and resolued to burst thorough the midst of all these difficulties which offered such resistēce as theie misliked the confusion wherewith the other were afraid so theie deuised a new mean wherein theie laid their hope to bring the thing about Wherevpon som of them being of great place and good learning set furth in print particular treatises of that argument with these their new conceaued means how we ought to write and so to write right But their good hope by reason of their strange mean had the same euent that the others despare had by their either misconceauing the thing at first or their diffidence at the last Wherein the parties them selues no dout deserue some praise and thanks to of vs and our cuntrie in both these extremities of hope and despare tho theie helped not the thing which theie went about but in common apparence did som what hinder it rather For both he that despared in the end took great pains before diffidence caused him giue ouer to despare and he that did hope by his own deuise to supply the generall wāt was not verie idle both in brain to deuise and in hand to deliuer the thing which he deuised Which their trauell in the thing and desire to do good deserue great thanks tho that waie which theie took did not take effect The causes why theie took not effect and thereby in part did hinder the thing by making of manie think the case more desperat then it was in dede bycause such fellowes did so faill were these Their despare which thought that the tung was vncapable of anie direction came of a wrong cause the falt rising in dede not of the thing which theie did cōdemn as altogether rude and vnrulie but of the parties them selues who mistook their waie For the thing it self will soon be ordered our custom is grown so orderable tho it require som diligence and good consideration in him that must find it out But when a writer taketh a wrong principle quite contrarie to common practis where triall must be tuch and practis must confirm the mean which he conceaueth is it anie maruell if the vse of a tung ouerthwart such a mean which is not conformable vnto it Herevpon proceded the despare to hit right bycause theie missed
else letter whereby we pronounce By this discription it appeareth that the rules which belong to right writing in this kinde be either generall to the tung or particular to the charact The former sort of the two do bak the latter like the generall notioÌ„s in Geometrie The latter ground the generall truth of their main reason vpon the former the particular credit of their own argumeÌ„t vpon theÌ„selues And yet theie both haue but that assuraÌ„ce in natur which reason custom and sound haue agreid vpon by consent and willed Art to set it down as a couenant of theirs The generall rules which be the main grouÌ„ds of the hole tuÌ„g be either known conclusions allredie handled and won or such consequents as follow them of necessitie as these be 1 That the bodie of ech letter and distinction is creatur to deuise and the vse thereof to our consent 2 That reason sound custo direct right writing ioyntlie ar not to be seuered in giuing the cause why words be so writen 3 That the right in writing is a thing to be fouÌ„d out in our vse as of acquaintaÌ„ce not to be forced in vpoÌ„ our vse as a stranger 4 That in reforming things of common practis the clearing of the old which is abused and not the breding of a new which is vntried is the naturall amendment 5 That in common executions the common fauor is the common furtherer 6 That euen by reasons leaue the verie pen and dispatch in writing will haue one ore in the right of writing serue it self with som priuat trik 7 That to haue the most well you must yeild to som particularities not of best reason 8 That no rule of Art can deall so but it must leaue manie particularities to dailie practis to be learned by oft vsing and such like obseruations which be common staies both for Art to direct by and the pen to write by The particular rule exami neth the force of all such characts as we vse in writing whereof there be two kindes the one signifying and sounding the other signifying but not sounding Those characts which signify but sound not ar certain notes which we vse in the writing of our English tuÌ„g for the qualifying of our words sentences in their pronouncing by that which is sene in the form of our writing which be in nuÌ„ber thirtene in name form these Coma Colon Period Parenthesis interrogation the longtime ¯ the short time ˘ the sharp accent the flat acceÌ„t the streight acceÌ„t the seuerer the vniter the breaker = I vse the foreÌ„ originall names in most of these bycause both the notes themselues be of a foren brede and theie be commonlie best known by their own cuntrie names I might darken more if I should deuise new names then by enfranchising of the foren a thing comon to all speches which vse the translate terms of anie Art Here it shal be sufficient onelie to shew their number names and form I will handle their force vse in the title of distinction wherevnto theie belong naturallie Those characts which both signify and sound be called letters concern both the substance and the deliuerie of our sounds and are considered either alone as a. b. c. or in combination as the diphthongs ai aw ou the coplemeÌ„ts with h. ch th gh the abbreuiations w c. y t. w t. of all these I will note somwhat in particular and first of the single letters whose names be familiar in our daielie vse their nuÌ„ber 24. their form either great or small great A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. K. L. M. N. O. P. Q R. S. T. V. W. X. Y. Z. small a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. k. l. m. n. o. p. q. r. s. s. e. t. v. u. w. x. y. z. In these letters there are to be considered their place and their form As for their place the great letters ar to begin full sentences as The kingdom of heauen is redie for the repentant And proper names as The cursed Cain killed the good Abell And to write numbers with where the letters be vsed in numbring as C. for an hundred L. for fiftie The small letters place is euerie where else besides these thré where the great ar to be writen Som of the small letters as s. and v. be of mo forms then one and somwhat different therefor in place The long s. serueth in all places which be capable of the lesse form sauing the verie last The other two litle ones s which is but coÌ„uert to the small writeÌ„ s no abbreuiatioÌ„ indede com onelie in the end of a word that vpoÌ„ such cause as shal be noted hereafter V. begins the word or syllab and is allwaie vsed coÌ„sonantlike as u. expresseth the vowell in the midle or ending syllabs it is vsed for the other form of v. mostwhat for the dispatch in writing This is enough for the number name form and place of both the great and small letters Their force is to be considerred either generallie by diuision or particularlie by enumeration of euerie single letter For their diuision all the 24. letters be either vowels as a. e. i. o. u. or consonants as b. c. d. f. g. k. l. m. n. p. q. r. s. t. x. z. or in som vses both consonants and vowells as i. v. w. y. besides that h. is an aspiration onelie in power tho a letter in form and a consonant in som combination as in the weak ch chat chip change For in the strong ch as charact archangell Christian it is but the aspirat The consonants be either mutes and close the sound as b. c. d. g. k. p. q. t. or half vowellish as f. l. m. n r. s. x. z. which hauing the help of a vowell to begin their force continew it themselues a great while after This is enough for the generall diuision of the letters at this time Their enumeration sheweth the force and vse of euerie particular letter in order as I will deall with them first with the vowells and then with the consonants and either of their combinations diphthongs coplements and abbreuiations The vowells generallie sound either long as compÄring reuÄ“nged endÄ«ting enclÅsure presÅ«ming or short as ransaking reuÄ•lling penitent omnipotent fortunat either sharp as mate méte ripe hópe dúke or flat as mà t mèt rip hòp dùk. Which diuersitie in sound where occasion doth require it is noted with the distinctions of time and tune tho generallie it nede not considering our daielie custom which is both our best and our commonest gide in such cases is our ordinarie leader as in the title of distinction it shal be handled at large A A Besides this generall note for the time and tune hath no particular thing worth the obseruation in this place as a letter but it hath afterward in proportion as a syllab All the other
their workmanship then to work their own tūg to be worth the like wōder Our English is our own our Sparta must be spunged by the inhabitants that haue it as well as those tungs were by the industrie of their people which be braued with the most and brag as the best But it maie be replyed again that our English tung doth nede no such proining it is of small reatch it stretcheth no further then this Ilād of ours naie not there ouer all What tho Yet it raigneth there and it serues vs there and it wold be clean brusht for the wearing there Tho it go not beyond sea it will serue on this side And be not our English folks finish as well as the foren I praie you And why not our tung for speaking our pen for writing as well as our bodies for apparell or our tastes for diet But our state is no Empire to hope to enlarge it by commāding ouer cuntries What tho tho it be neither large in possession nor in present hope of great encrease yet where it rules it can make good lawes and as fit for our state as the biggest can for theirs and oftimes better to bycause of confusion in greatest gouernments as most vnwildinesse in grossest bodies But we haue no rare cunning proper to our soil to cause forenners studie it as a treasur of such store What tho yet ar we not ignorant by the mean thereof to turn to our vse all the great treasur of either foren soil or foren language And why maie not the English wits if they will bend their wills either for matter or for method in their own tung be in time as well sought to by foren students for increase of their knowledge as our soil is sought to at this same time by foren merchants for encrease of their welth As the soil is fertile bycause it is applyed so the wits be not barren if theie list to brede But tho all this be trew yet we ar in dispare euer to se ours so fined as those tungs were where publik orations were in ordinarie trade and the verie tung alone made a chariot to honor Our state is a Moanarchie which mastereth lāguage teacheth it to please our religion is Christian which half repines at eloquence and liketh rather the naked truth then the neated term What tho Tho no English man for want of that exercise which the Roman had the Athenian vsed in their spacious and great courts do proue a Tullie or like to Demosthenes yet for sooth he maie proue verie comparable to them in his own common weal and the eloquence there And why not in dede cōparable vnto them in all points thorough out for his naturall tung Our brains can bring furth our cōceits will bear life our tungs be not tyed and our labor is our own And eloquence it self is neither limited to language nor restrained to soil whose measur the hole world is whose iudge the wise ear is not in greatnesse of state but in sharpnesse of peple And tho foren excellēcie were half in dispare must our own best be therefor vnbeautified It should not sure it should pearch to the height if I could help it We maie aspire to a pitch tho we passe no further The qualitie of our monarchie wil admit trew speaking wil allow trew writing in both with the brauest so that it do please and be worthie praise so that it preach peace and preserue the state Our relligion condemns not anie ornament of tung which doth serue the truth and presumeth not aboue Naie is not eloquence which cōmonlie is caried from weight of matter to folie in words the great blessing of god and the trumpet of his honor as Chrysostom calleth S. Paule if it be religiouslie bent Theie that haue red the old church storie do find that eloquence in the primitiue church ouerthrew great forces bent against our faith enflamed nūbers to embrace the same when strength from the truth ioyned with force in the word Seke it to serue God shun it to serue thy self but where it serues thine own turn with warrant from him But will ye thus break of the common conferēce with the learned foren by banishing the Latin and setting ouer her learning to your own tung The conference will not cease while the peple haue cause to enterchange dealings without the Latin it maie well be cōtinewed as in som cūtries the learnedder sort som near cosens to the latin it felf do alreadie wean their pens and tungs from the vse of Latin both in writen discourse spoken disputatiō into their own naturall and yet no dry nurse being so well appointed by the milch nurses help The question is not to disgrace the Latin but to grace our own And why more a stranger in honor with vs then our own peple all circumstances serued And tho no stranger nor foren natiō bycause of the bounder shortnesse of our language wold deal so with vs as to trāsport frō vs as we do frō other bycause we deuise no now tho we denison the old yet we our selues gain verie much there by in the course of studie to be set at the first in the priuie chāber or closet of knowledge by the mere frindship of our cūtrie tung as Iustiniā the Emperour saith to the studēts in law whē he made his institutiōs to be of imperial force that theie were most happie for hauing such a foredeal as at the verie first to hear the Emperours voice which those of elder time did not attain vnto so soon by the full term least of four hole years And doth not our lāguaging hold vs tak four years that full think you If it hindered vs no more tho it help vs verie much the losse were the lesse For the time it is most certain that we ar hindered by tungs tho we must harken vnto them till we haue help at home And that our best vnderstāding is in our naturall tūg if we minde mark it who can deny which is able to se that all our forē learning is applyed vnto vse thorough the mean of our own without the applicatiō to particular vse wherfor serues learning But it is pitie to deface such honorable antiquitie No pitie forsooth to honor our own doing no worse to them then theie did to vs by either spoiling our cūtrie as all histories witnesse or defacing our lear ning if the Celtopadie saie trew O spare Babilon it is a fair town saue Dianaes chirch it is a fair temple worship forē speche for that ye maie take frō it Then be bōd still to Babilō then be paganes still with Ephesus thē be still borowers of the borowers thēselues If this opinion had bene allwaie maintained we had allwaie worn old Adās pelts we must still haue eaten the poëts akecorns neuer haue sought corn we must cleue to the eldest and not to
protection and to conster the statut both as the parlaments did mean it and as we haue still enioyed it to the common benefit of our hole companie Which their great goodnesse to the fauor of our order as it deserueth at our haÌ„ds an honorable remembrance so it bindeth vs further to the common care for the which we were fauored Whereunto as I find my self to be maruellouslie affectionate so dout I not but there is the like affection in manie of the same liuerie whose frindship I craue for fauorable construction whose conference I desire for help in experience being thankfullie redie in this common course either to persuade or to be persuaded Of those that ar not learned I praie frindship also euen more then half of right by cause I labor for them in whoÌ„ vnthaÌ„k fulnesse is a falt if my good will be none In generall I desire but to win so much of all men aâ—… Dauus in Terente desireth of his master wheÌ„ his good couÌ„sell had no good successe Bycause I am your boÌ„d maÌ„ saith the slaue to his master my dewtie is to trauell hand foot night and daie yea with danger of my life to do you good as common curtesie on the other side binds you to hold me excused to pardoÌ„ and forgiue me if anie my good meaning haue contrarie is shew that I do maie misse but yet I do my best I am bond to my cuntrie and bouÌ„d to hir peple I will do my best endeuor and craue pardon with poor Dauus where my best is begiled Common curtesie is naturall where there is no desert forgiuenesse is relligious euen where there is a falt but where good will deserueth well tho it fortun to fail if fauor be not shewed will not curtesie condemn will not relligion repine God blesse vs all to the auancement of his glorie the honor of our cuntrie the furtherance of good learning the good of all degreés both prince and peple FINIS An aduertisement for the print BYcause the end of ortografie is the directioÌ„ of the pen therefor where the print hath not sufficientlie expressed my forms the writer will conceiue them soon and vse both distinction by accent and dispatch by charact to his most auantage according to the rules But I must craue pardon generallie for both mine own and the printers errors which will not be auoided where manie ar to work and negligence will make one Small falts tho manie be soon perceiued and as soon supplyed by anie ordinarie reader but such as these be require a verie intelligent minde Pag. 12. lin 1. Not must be left out Pag. 12. lin 13. wrong must be wring Pag. 33. lin 31. vnrefined reason what great c. the senteÌ„ce continued Pag. 39. lin 18. the foredeall which childern ar at by their education c. Pag. 48. lin 6. anie more then himself shall nede Pag. 51. lin 37. which is to great a degré Pag. 60. lin 1. resonablie well Pag. 66. lin 29. prouing more Pag. 68. lin 13. parts not parties Pag. 69. lin vlt. when put out Pag. 84. lin 26. theie discend to particularities Pag. 99. lin 18. ar the transporters Pag. 101. lin 24. for your particular choice Pag. 12. lin 35. or as age and ouer wearing Pag. 103. lin 29. Wherefor if it shall please Pa. 258. lin 23. Celtopadie for Celtopaedie Pag. 268. line 3. this for thus lin 4. no for to lin 8. sound for found c. But I leaue the vnresonable resideâ—… to the gentle and considerate reader A short repeating of the for mer book entitled Positions The proper argument of the Positions The cause why good things ar hardlie planted at the first VVhy reformation is hard lie won That reformation come once tho most-what late 10. Iiiad The cause of this book grounded vpoÌ„ the former 1. health diet apparell exercise 2. Learning knowledge behauiour Behauiour Knowledge My promis The Elementarie matter The goodnesse of the thing The autoritie of the persuader The mean to work persuasioÌ„ The best writers opinion concerning these principles Plato 2. 3. Polit. Pamphilus master to Apelles Plin. lib. 35. Cap. 10. Aristotle 7. 8. Polit. Institut Or. 1. The necessitie of choice at this time The end wherefor choice is made The priuat end of studie The publik end of studie Magistrates principall and subaltern The qualities of the bodie and the minde which lead this choice The choice in bodie The choice in minde A quik conceiuing A fast retaining Cyrus in Xenophon The Romaine soldiers in Liuie Pamphilus in Terence The qualities in choice for performance Libertie and abilitie two great respects in choice Cic. 2. de Off. Cic. de clar Or. The six reasons that proue the goodnesse of this elemeÌ„tarie 1 2 3 4 5 6 Plato 2. 3. Pol Arist. 7. 8. Pol. Quint. 1 Inst. Reading VVriting Drawing Musik Grammer The parents charge at home 2. Polit. 4. Polit. The helps to further capacitie Naturall helps to further capacitie The minde The bodie Artificiall helps to further capacitie The best qualities of the minde Vertew Knowledge Exercise the cause of capacitie in the bodie VVhat is ment by the name of natur VVhat it is to resemble natur in train The generall diuision of this title for naturall abilities and artificiall principles VVhat natvrall abilities ar VVhat artificiall principles be The generall diuision of abilities by the soull and bodie by our being onelie and our being well VVhich be the abilities of our being and which of our well being That this Elementarie answereth euerie particular abilitie in natur The first and primitiue naturall powers in our bodie 2 3 4 The perfectioÌ„ of these qualities for our best being How educatio and train work in the particular abilities The applying of the artificiall principles to the naturall abilities Themultitude of principles That hardnesse is a chefe hindrer of learning In what maner and how this Elementarie expelleth ignorance The description of Timotheus the Athenians victo ries applied vnto childern The force of Platoes note that all learning semeth to be of som fore acquaintance to vs. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VVhat a toill good students ar driuen vnto for want of their first train VVho can best iudge of this question concerning the difficultie in proces of studie Dionysius and his cook Misliking riseth either vp on desert or vpon opinion miscaried That the matter of learning is not to be misliked vpon desert Ignorance preiudice the greatest enemies and mislikers of sound learning Ignorance hir grounds Negligence Infirmitie Preiudice hir grounds How this Elementarie presenteth misliking by planting of knowledge The duble vse of grammer 2. That grammer pleasureth vs euen for the fining of our own spech alone The matter of the Elementarie and the maner of teaching it The matter of the Elementarie The plat and method of the English ortografie 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. The plat and method of the principle of reading 1. 2. 3. 4. The