The Grammar School, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
Of the Artificiall order of composing or placing the words in prose, according to Tully and the purest Latinists.
Spoud.
BVt yet here is one thing wanting: namely, the rules which you spake of for composing or placing the words after the manner of the purest Latinists; I meane for turning them forth of this naturall order, into the Rhetoricall order, or order of Tully; without which, the truest and best Latine is little worth. This I hauehave found very hard for my schollars to performe;Composition a matter of difficulty. neyther hauehave I had any certain grounds that they might stand vponupon. Moreouer, this I hauehave knowne for certaine, that many young schollars the more confusedly that they can transpose,The error of young schollars in displacing sentences. or disorder the words of a sentence, the more excellent they think it to be, when as it is indeed most absurd to the learned eare.
Phil.
Although this may seeme to belong to Declamations and Orations, because therein there is the greatest labor for curious composition and setting of words, as wherin schollars stand to shewe most art, indeauouring to perswade:Composition generally belonging to all Latine. yet it is in truth generall to all Latine, whether Translations, Epistles, Theames or whatsoeuer, and doth bring great grace and commendation to eueryevery part thereof; and contrarily being neglected, doth detract very much from the most excellent speech, be the matter and words neuer so choise. And because there is speciall vse of it, in the practice of all the translations: and in all this matter of making Latine for turning or composing out of the Grammaticall order, into the order of the Author, I will afforde you the best help I can. But forsomuch as neither Tully nor any of the purest Latinists do alwais obserue the same order, and therfore I take it that no certaine rules can bee giuen as perpetuall; I will take those which Macropedius hath set downe, as being the most easie of all that I know. He hath sundry generall precepts.
Precepts of Composition or placing the words in Latine, as they are set downe by Macropedius, in the end of his method of making Epistles.
The I. Precept.
Of placing the Nominatiue case, the Verbe, and the oblique case.
A Perfect sentence consisting most commonly of a Nominatiue case, a Verbe and an oblique case; this order is kept in placing ordinarily
1 The oblique cases (that,Oblique case… first. is all besides the Nominatiue and the Vocatiue) are commonly placed in the beginning, the Nominatiue case in the midst,Nominnatiue in the midst. the Verbe in the end: For example;Verb in the end in the sentence following, the Grammaticall order is thus;
Caesar occupauit ciuitatem munitissimam hostium.
The Artificiall order is vsually thus:
Munitissimam hostium ciuitatem Caesar occupanit.
Yet if the oblique case bee of a Nowne negatiue,Except in obliques of denying. or a Nowne of denying, it may be put elegantly in the end: as
Caesare fortunatiorem legimus n…minem.
Yea, any Adiectiue or Participle may bee put so, when the chief point of the matter or meaning resteth in it: as
Caesarem in morteferè omnes putant miserum.
The II. Precept.
THe Adiectiue is ordinarily to bee placed before the Substantiue.Adiectiues before. And between the Adiectiue and the Substantiue may bee fitly placed the Gentitiue case of the later of two Substantiues;Words placed between the Adiectiue and Substantiue. 1. Genitiue case as in this sentence the Grammaticall order is:
Seuer itas magna Caesaris incussit terrorem hostibus.
The artificiall order thus;
Terrorem hostibus magna Caesaris seueritas incussit.
Also betweene the Adiectiue and the Substantiue of the Genitiue case,2. Word gouerning the Genitiue. the word gouerning the Genitiue case, may be elegantly placed, as in this sentence:
Clementia Caesariae maiestatis dedit pacem, & tranquillitatem prouincijs.
The artificiall order may be thus;
Caesareae clementia maiestatis pacem & tranquillitatem prouincijs dedit.
The III. Precept.
BEtween the Adiectiue and the Substantiue,Verbe. Tully somtime placeth the Verbe in like manner;A…erbe. sometime the Aduerbe,Coniunction. sometime the Coniunction, sometime the Preposition alone,Preposition. or with his case: as,
Magnum profecto laborem Caesar assumpsit, quem fermè ab ipsis ad nos venisse Gadibus ai…nt, vt hostes suae quidem maiestati rebelles, nostris autem supra modum rebus infestos armis subigeret. Quam ob causam, perpetuum illi amorem▪ & gratiam debemus immortalem.
The III. Precept.
Of Aduerbes and Prepositions.
ADuerbs and Prepositions with their cases may be placed any where,Aduerbes and Prepositions. wheresoeuer they shall seeme to stand most fitly to please the eare: yet most elegantly before the Verbe or Participle which they declare. As,
Debitam pro contemptu suis hostibus diu que dilatam seueritatem, Caesar tandem exhibuit, sedclement issimè mitigauit.
These are the principall of his rules which are necessarie.
To these may be added,
1. That this is to be obserued very vsually:1. Obseruation. That the word gouerned is commonly placed before the words gouerning,Word gouerned first. contrary to the Grammaticall order. As here.
Fortitudo Caesaris potitur victoria.
The artificiall placing may be fitly.
Caesaris fortitudo victoria potitur.
Also if in a sentence there bee mention of two persons,2. Obseruation. the one as it were an agent the other a patient, they stand together most vsually and elegantly;Person doing first. the agent commonly first: as,
Caesar did great wrong to Pompey in this point.
Hac vna in re magnam Caesar Pompeio iniuriam fecit.
These Precepts are set down,The end of these precepts to the end to direct young schollars; yet so as we must not thinke, as I sayd, that these are euer to bee followed strictly; because neither Tully, nor Caesar himselfe, nor any who hauehave been most curious, did euer obserue the same: for that should be a falt rather, as we shall see after.
Notwithstanding, by practice in composing, and obseruation in Tully,How to attain to right composition. Caesar & the best Authors, and trying how neere we can come vntounto them in translating into Latine, by cōparing ours with theirs; and finally weighing how eueryevery sentence may so fall as may best please the eare; schollars may attaine much certaintie and commendation herein.
More exquisite obseruation in placing and measuring sentences.
FOr most exquisite obseruation of placing and measuring sentences,Obseruation in placing and measuring sentences in prose. Butlers Rhetor. Chap. 15. Rhetorically, in prose by schollars of riper iudgement, in their Theames, Declamations, Orations or the like, reade Talaeus Rhetoricke de Numero Oratorio. Cap. 17. 18.
Out of which Chapter, and out of the Commentaries of Minos vponupon them, these precepts may be further obserued, which follow.
1 That the placing and measuring of the sentences in prose,Prose must be vnlike verse. should be both vnlike to the placing in poetrie, and also each sentence vnlike other.No verses to be made in prose. And therefore that the schollar make no verses in his prose, but that he shun them warily.
Though in any exercise in prose,Verses cited in prose. chiefly in Theames, he may cite verses out of other Authors eyther for authoritie or delight.
2 That the beginning or ending of a sentence in prose,Beginning and ending of sentences most obserued: endings chiefly, not to to bee like a verse. be not the beginning or ending of a verse; although this be not so faulty in the beginning of a sentence, as in the end; where the fault is more obserued.
3 That the ending of sentences bee specially weighed, which are chiefly marked of all;Endings of sentences to be carefully waied. and therefore are to bee carefully varyed, that they may not be displeasing.
4 That this curious obseruation of the endings neede not bee regarded aboue sixe syllables from the end;This neede not be aboue sixe syllables. and those to stand on feete of two syllables, Trochees principally.
5 That we doe not continue the same feete in the ends;The same feete not to be continued in the ends. but dispose them diuersly: not all long syllables, nor all short, vnlesse more seldome; but commonly tempering long & short syllables together,Tempering cō monly long & short syllables. as Trochees and Iambicks, sometimes Spondees and Perrichees, yet so as wee be not curious.
6 That sentence is accounted most sweet and excellent which endeth in two Troches;The sweetest sentence ending in 2. Trochees. viz. the first syllable long, the last short, as in this sentence.
Deindè patris dictum sapiens temeritas fil… cōmprŏbā …it.
This endeth in an Iambicke and two Trochees.
Tully vsed this most often.Tullies ending. So as in that one Oration pro Pompeio, it is obserued to be an hundreth and fowrteene times.
7. Yet the variety ought to be such, that this art of placing or setting the number of syllables,The art of placing to be hid. may not bee obserued of euerie one, and so bee made enuious, nor the curiositie ridiculous; but to be laboured so as it may most delight and drawe on others.
8. That the sounds of the very words and letters are the principall things to bee respected herein.Sounds to be respected principally, in words or letters. For the elegant composition, is that which is made by a sweet sound of letters and words.
9. Therfore words of the best sound are to be obserued;Words of the best sound. and amongst them most elegant Aduerbes and bonds of Coniunctions to bee noted diligentlie.
Words sounding well are these:
1. Verbals: as, Dominatrix, gubernatrix.
2. Compounds: as, pernoscere, excruciari.
3. Superlatiues: as, Conspectus iucundissimus. Ad dicendum paratissinus.
4. Words of mo syllables: as, Moderatio animi. Tempestas anni.
10 Words which are insolent,Insolent words to be …uo…ded. hard and out of vse, are to be as warily auoided, as rockes of Mariners.
11 That in all sentences,That all words may … & distinct sound. the words hauehave an easie and distinct sound: that is, neither harsh nor gaping; but that they fall and conclude aptly and sweetly, fitting best the vtterance of the pronouncer, and as may most like the eare of the hearer.
These are the summe of those rules as I remember. Although the excellency heereof is rather to bee attained, by vse and practice, then by any certaine precepts.
Spoud.
Sir these put in practice may be very sufficient for whatsoeuer can be required in this behalfe, as it seemeth vntounto me.
Phil.
These things concerne onelyonly the placing and setting or measuring of sentences, which is one little part of Rhetorick? and there the rest is to be fully sought, & how to adorne all sentences with tropes and figures. The practice of these is to be vsed in their seuerall exercises.
Thus hauehave I gone thorough all these at large, for making the Accedence and Grammar perfect, for construing, parsing, and making Latine; applying my selfe to the capacity of the …udest learner in so many words; because these things well performed, all other learning wil be most pleasant, as …as said before.
Spoud.
But one other thing by the waie, I cannot omit to demaund that I did obserue by your speech, that you would hauehave your very enterers to make some exercise eueryevery night of themselues.
Phil.
I would indeede hauehave no Euening passed without some little exercise in Latine by all,☞ from the very lowest who begin to write Latine;No … to be pas…ed without some little exercise against mo…ing. I meane something to be shewed the next daie about 9 of the clocke.
Spoud
But what exercise woulde you appoint to such little ones, that coulde bee easie enough and meet for their capacitie.
Phil.
I woulde appoint them to beginne euen at, In Speech bee these eight parts &c. and so giuegive them 2. or 3. lines of it for eueryevery one to turn into Latin. And for the examining what they hauehave done where they are many, & time will not permit to examine what eueryevery one hath done; to cause some one or two whom you suspect to be most negligent, first to pronounce the English without booke, then to construe it into Latine without book, or to repeat the Latin as they hauehave made it: but to construe it without booke is far the surest, or to reade & construe it out of the English. And according to these as they pronounce, and are shewed their faults, for all the rest to correct theirs. If any be found not to correct so, or to hauehave omitted his exercise, to hauehave his due correction.
Though I hauehave tried many wayes and exercises for these little ones, to doe priuately by themselues, yet I finde none comparable to this: for this they will doe with much facilitie and contention, after a little that they are entred; being helped somewhat by their Latine rules, which they hauehave learned.
Thus they may alwayes hauehave a fit exercise, and know aforehand what they are to doe. This also will further much towards their parsing in Latin, and better imprinting their rules.