The Grammar School, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
Of Parsing, and the kindes thereof; and how children may parse of themselues readily and surely.
Spoud.
FOr parsing, I hauehave followed the common course; which is this,The vsuall manner of Parsing. so farre as I hauehave seene or heard: viz. To parse ouer, all my yongest, eueryevery word; and euen in the same order as the words doe stand in their Authours: teaching them what part of speech eueryevery word is, how to decline them; and so all the questions belonging thereunto: and what each word is gouerned of; the rules for euerything, and the like.
Herein,How to teach children to parse of themselues most surely and readily. after long and much labour, I hauehave found very little fruite, through the hardnesse of it, and the weakenesse of the childrens memories to carie away that which I tolde them: much lesse hauehave I beene able to make my litle ones, no not in the second or third fourmes, so to parse of themselues, as to giuegive a true reason of eueryevery word why it must be so; according to that which I saw in the note, what might be done in parsing. Now if you hauehave seen the practice therof, let me heare it of you, I intreate you; and that in so few wordes as you can.
Phil.
Yes indeed, I hauehave seene the practice hereof & do know it, that children will doe very much, to ease & delight both the Master and themselues exceedingly. Besides some of the best of those which you mention (as the shewing the youngest how to parse eueryevery word) I hauehave learned to obserue these things following,The certaine direction for parsing. and finde maruellous light, easinesse, surenesse and helpe of memory by them:
1 To cause the children euer to parse as they construe,To parse as they construe, euer marknig the last word. according to the Grammaticall rule of construing and the Translations; alwayes marking the last principall word which went before in construing: wherein (as I shortly shewed you before) the very childe may see eueryevery principall word going before, gouerning or ordering that which followeth; and so he hath therein a guide leading him by the hand for all the Syntax at least: except in the exceptions mentioned in the Grammaticall rule; as of Interrogatiues, Relatiues, &c. which they will soone know: and where one word gouernes diuers things; as in that example. Dedit mihi vestem pignori, tepresente, propria manu. where the word Dedit gouernes most of the rest in a diuers consideration.2 To remember if they hauehave not learned the words before.
2 To aske among them eueryevery word of any hardnesse, whether they hauehave not learned it before: & if they hauehave, to repeat where. As it was before, so it is there for the most part.
3 For the Etymologie;3 To marke in Nounes, Verbs, Participles, what examples they are like, The rest are in the booke. al the difficulty is in these three parts of speech, Nounes, Verbs, and Participles; the rest being set downe in the Accedence, or easily known, as was shewed before. And in all words of these three parts, do but tell them what examples they are like in the Accedence: which examples being knowne, will presently bring to their vnderstanding all the questions depending on them and their answers. As, of what part of speech the words are; of what declension or Coniugation: so the declining, Case, Gender, Number, Person, Mood, Tense, &c. Also with a litle practice they wil soon ghesse at them, themselues; & that very right, to shew what examples they are like, eyther by the English, or Latine, or both. The same would be also for the Syntax, both in agreements and gouernements,Paralleling by examples in the Syntax likewise An example of parsing set downe at large, to direct the rudest. euer to shew what examples they are like. The example makes the rule most plaine, and imprints all in the childes memory.
To make this plaine to the capacity of the simplest, I will adde one only example, particularly examined out of the two first verses of Qui mihi discipulus puer es, &c.
First,First construe truely. be sure that the childe know the meaning of them, and can construe them perfectly, as thus:
Puer Oh childe, qui who, es art, discipulus a Schollar, mihi to me, at que and, cupis dost couet (or desire) doceri to bee taught; ades come, huc hither: concipe conceiue (or consider well) dicta haec these sayings, animo tuo in thy minde.
In this sentence,Parse as they construe. parse the childe after the same manner; and examine him accordingly. As aske, where he must begin to parse;Examining in parsing. he answere that Puer, Oh boy, because he began to construe there. And if you ask why he began to construe there; he answers by the rule of construing, which biddeth, If there be a Vocatiue case to begin commonly at it. Then aske what Puer is like; he answereth, like Magister: which being knowne of him & he perfect in his examples can tel you by Magister, Puer.what declension it is, how to decline it, and the number; and also by the increasing of it short in the Genitiue case, he can tell you, it is the Masculine Gender by the third speciall rule.
For the case; that it is the Vocatiue, knowne by calling, or speaking to the childe. And if you aske, why it may not be pueri not puero, but puer; he answereth, because it is the Vocatiue case, which is like the Nominatiue.
Afterwards,Qui. demaunding what must be parsed next; hee answereth qui; because qui is next in construing: and also that qui is a Pronoune Relatiue, set down in the Accedence, and there declined. Also that it is the Nominatiue case, comming before the Verbe es, following it next, by the rule of the Relatiue; When there commeth no Nominatiue case: as, Miser est qui nummos admiratur, qui admiratur So qui es. For the Gender likewise; that it is the Masculine Gender, because so is his Antecedent puer going next before in construing: with which the Relatiue agreeth, by the rule of the Relatiue: The Relatiue agreeth, &c. as vir sapit qui pauca loquitur: vir qui. So puer qui. Also hee can shew it, to bee the Masculine Gender, because in wordes of three terminations, the first is the Masculine, the second the Feminine, the third is the Neuter. Likewise he can tell why it must be qui, not cuius, nor cui, nor any other; because it must be the Nominatiue case to the Verbe, by the rule of the Relatiue; because no other Nominatiue case commeth betweene them. So all other questions. For Person; it is made the second person here, by a figure called Euocation, because it agreeth with puer, which is made of the second person; and by the same figure Euocation, as eueryevery Vocatiue case is, by reason of Tu vnderstood.
Then followeth es, Es.art: of which word the childe can giuegive you all the Questions; because hee hath learned it in his Accedence, and is perfect in it. If you aske why it must be es, and not est, nor any other word; he answereth, because it is Thou art, not He is, nor I am: and also because in that place qui his Nominatiue case is of the second person, as was said.Discipulus. If you then aske what is parsed next; he answereth discipulus, because hee construed so: and discipulus is like Magister. Which being knowne, the childe can tell the questions of declining, Gender, Case, Number, and the rest appertayning thereto. If you demaund further, why it must be Discipulus and not Discipulum; why it must be a Nominatiue case after the Verbe, and not an Accusatiue according to the rules, The Accusatiue followeth the Verbe; and also that rule, Verbes Transitiues are all such, &c. He answereth, because this Verbe Sum es, is a Verbe Substantiue intransitiue, not a transitiue; and therefore will hauehave such case after it as it hath before it: as Fama est malum, est malum. And that other rule for the Accusatiue after the Verbe, is of Transitiues, whose action passeth into another thing. So to proceede throughout for shortnesse, thus:
Mihi] is parsed next, because it it next in construing.Mihi▪ It is a Pronoune set downe in the booke. All the questions are plaine in it, except why it must bee the Datiue case: which is, because it is gouerned of es, the principall gouernour going before, by the rule of the Datiue case after sum, Also sum with his compounds, except possum, &c. and, for that, one word may gouerne diuers cases; or it may be gouerned of Discipulus the Substantiue, by the rule of the later of two Substantiues, turned into a Datiue: wherein the English rules are defectiue. The rule in Latine, is Est etiam vbi in Datiuum, vertitur, &c.
At que ] is next in construing;At que . and therefore in parsing. It is a Coniunction Copulatiue, set downe in the booke. It is also a Compound Coniunction; compounded of at and que. It is put here to couple these members of the sentence together, viz. Cupis doceri, with that going before.
Cupis] is next:Cupis. It is like Legis, Thou readest. Which being knowne, the childe can tell you what Coniugation, Moode, Tense, Number, Person, the word Cupis is; and why it must be so, and not cupiunt, nor any other worde; because at que couples like Moodes and Tenses: and it is, Thou couetest. Other questions which fall out in declining, the childe can tell; as, why it is Cupiui, by the exception of the rule Fit pio, pi. And why Cupitum, by the rule of the ending of the Preterperfect tense in vi. Vi…it tum.
Doceri] is parsed next,Doceri. because it is construed next: it is in my booke, saith the childe, and it signifieth to be taught. Thus hee can answere all the questions, why it must bee doceri, not docere: also why it must come next; because an Infinitiue moode doeth commonly follow another moode.
Ades] is next in order,Ades. and is in all things like es in sum, compounded of ad and sum: and it must be so, because it is Come thou, not adest not adsunt.
Huc] is next in construing,Huc. because Aduerbes are vsually ioyned to the Verbs, to declare their signification. It is an Aduerbe of place signifying hither, or to this place.
Concipe] is like Lege, Concipe.Reade thou. This being knowne, the part of Speech, Moode, Tense, Number, Person, and most questions of it are knowne; except two or three of the compounding it with a Preposition, and of changing of the letters a, into i. Which are to be learned after by the rule in their booke.
Dicta] is next,Dicta. because the Substantiue, which is more principall, and to which the Adiectiue agreeth, must goe before the Adiectiue in parsing; though in our English, Adiectiues goe before. It is like Regna. The Accusatiue case, Neuter Gender, Plurall Number, following the Verbe Concipe, by Verbes Transitiues. And the Neuter Gender by my rule of all wordes like Regnum. Omne quod exit in um. And Neutrum nomen in e. It must also end in a, in the Accusatiue case Plurall number, because all Neuters do end so in three like cases. It is deriued of the Supine dictu, by putting to m.
Haec] is a Pronoune demonstratiue,Haec. agreeing with dicta, by the rule of the Relatiue: and it must bee so by that rule.
Animo] followeth next,Animo. the Substantiue to be set before the Adiectiue; it is like Magistro in all. The Ablatiue case, because it signifieth in the minde, and not into the minde: because, in, without this signe, to, serues to the Ablatiue case, and is a signe thereof. It is also by the rule, Sometime this Preposition In, is not expressed but vnderstanded.
Tuo] A Pronoune possessiue,Tuo. like bono or meo, but that it wants the Vocatiue case. It is set downe in my booke, and doth agree in al things with animo; by the rule of, The Adiectiue, whether it be Noune, Pronoune or Participle, agreeth with his Subst. &c. And so on for the rest.
In this first kinde of parsing,Manner of hearing their Lectures. you may at the first entrance, aske them the English of each word, and cause them to giuegive you the Latine, and so to parse, looking on their Latine bookes, to incourage them; iust in the manner as is set downe.
After a little time cause them to doe it, looking onelyonly vponupon the English Translation.
Then (which is the principall,☜ and wherein you will take much delight) cause them amongst themselues to construe and parse out of the translation vntill they can say, or out of their Authours, whether they can sooner: but when they come to say, cause them to say each sentence, first in English, then to construe and parse them; and all with their bookes vnderunder their armes: what they cannot repeat so, they will doe it if you aske them questions of it. You shall finde by experience, that with a little practice, all who are apt will do this as soone, readily, & perfectly, as looking vponupon their books (if so that they but vnderstand the matter wel before) and so they will make all their owne most surely. Thus I would hauehave them to do in Sententiae, Confabulatiunculae and Cato if you will. After in the middle fourmes, as in E…ops Fables, Ouid de Tristibus, or Ouids Metamorphosis, &c (because eyther the matter is not so familiar and easie to remember, or the Lecture longer) I would hauehave them to parse thus, looking vponupon their translation; but then to parse wholly in Latine: and I can assure you by some good experience, that through Gods blessing▪ you will admire their profiting.
Spoud.
Surely Sir▪ this way of parsing is most direct and plaine; and the benefits must needes bee exceeding great: but giuegive me leaue yet to aske one thing of you, concerning this parsing amongst the younger. I hauehave heard of some, who would teach their enterers to know by the very words,How to know by the wordes what part of speech each word is. what part of Speech each word is. How may that be done?
Phil.
This may very well be done, euen according to this ensample aboue, when eueryevery thing is examined at large. As for example, Cause your Schollar to doe this:
1 To marke out all those wordes, which they hauehave learned, being set downe in their Accedences; as Pronounes, Aduerbes, Coniunctions, Interiections: that they knowe all those. Then hauehave they nothing to trouble them with; but they may know that all the rest are eyther Nounes, Verbes or Participles, or else Gerunds or Supines belonging to the Verbes, or some other Aduerbs.
2 For those partes of Speech, when your Schollar can construe perfectly, they may bee knowne by their Latine and English together, whether they be Nounes, Verbs, Participles, or such Aduerbes; chiefly, when they are very cunning in their parts of Speech in their Accedence, and questions thereof.
1 The Noune Substantiues, that they are names of things, to which you may put to a, Substantiues, and how to know them.or the, as was said; as A boy, A Schollar: but cannot put to the word Thing, in any good sense. And morefully, when the Latine is put to the English; as puer A boy, like Magister: discipulus a schollar, like Magister.
The Noune Adiectiues contrarily,How Adiectiues. though they signifie a thing; yet they cannot stand by themselues in sense, vnlesse you put to (Thing) or some other word expresly or vnderstood; nor you cannot in proper speech put to a, or the. As we cannot say properly, A good, An euill: but wee may say A good man, A good house, An euill thing. And when they are put Substantiuely, yet Thing is properly vnderstood: as bonum a good thing, summum bonum the chiefest good thing; though wee call it the chiefest good.
These Adiectiues also may be more fully vnderstood,By the Latine adioyned. In us or er like bonus, by the Latin words: as if they end in us or er, they are like bonus; except those expressed like Nounes, and some few strange Adiectiues, which are partly Substantiues partly Adiectiues set downe in the Rule, At sunt quae flexu &c. as Pauper, puber, &c. And in the Rule, Haec proprium, &c. as Campester, &c.
Adiectiues ending in ans or ens (though they be Participles) and also in x, In ans, ens, x, rs, like foelix.and rs, as concors, are declined like foelix; and some in or, as memor.
Adiectiues in is, In is, ior, ius, like tristis.ior, [or jor] and ius signifying the Comparatiue degree, that is to say, more, are like Tristis: as Dulcis, dulcior, maior, dulcius.
Finally, if the childe but knowe his word to be like any of the examples of a Nown Substantiue, as Musa, Magister, Regnū, Lapis, Manus, Meridies, he knoweth it to be a Nown Substantiue. If like bonus, vnus, foelix, tristis, a Nown Adiectiue.
Verbes also may be knowen most plainly by the English and Latine together.How Verbes may be known. As, the words signifying, doing, suffering or being, and like Amo, doceo, lego, audio, or amor, doceor, legor, audior, or any person comming of them in any Moode or Tense, and signifying like to them, are Verbs. So by the signes of the tenses; do, did or didst, hauehave, hast, hath, had or haddest, shall or will. By the signes of the moods; Or signes of the Passiue: as am, are, art, was, were, wert, be or beene: where any of these signes are, are commonly Verbes.
And finally, this is generall for the Verbes, as for the Nownes; that if either the childe can tell of himself, or you but shewe him what person in a Verbe it is like, hee can tell presently that it is a Verbe, and most questions belonging to it▪ As, knowing that cupis thou couetest, is like legis thou readest, he knoweth presently, that it is a Verb of the third Coniugation, and the Mood, Tense, &c.
The like may bee sayde for Gerunds of Verbes,Gerunds. and Supines,Supines. in all things, as for the Verbe before.
ParticiplesParticiples. also may bee plainely knowen by the verie same manner; and chiefly by their endings in English and Latine both together. As, the words that ende in [ing] in English, and in Latine in ans or ens, are Participles of the Present tense.Present tense Preter tense. Words in d, t, or n, and their Latine in tus, sus, xus, are Participles of the Preter tense. So those words ending in rus in Latine, and signifying to doe or about to doe,Future in rus. of the Future in rus. And in dus, signifying to be done like the Infinitiue moode Passiue,Future in dus. are Participles of the Future in dus.
Aduerbes (besides those in the booke,How to know other Aduerbes besides those in the bookes. or which should bee set downe in the English Aduerbe as they are in the Latine) are but either Aduerbes of Comparison or of Qualitie.
Those of Comparison end in us, Of Comparison.and signifie more; or in e, and signifie most.
Those of Qualitie end in è, Qualitie.or in er commonly; and all of these hauehave their English vsually ending in ly: as doctè learnedly, doctiùs more learnedly, doctissimè most learnedly.
To conclude, they are also marked commonly in all bookes which are well printed, with graue accents ouer them, to distinguish them from other parts of Speech, and that they may be knowen to bee Aduerbes: as doctè learnedly, to bee knowen from docte the Vocatiue case of the Adiectiue: so doctiùs. And thus are all Aduerbes of like nature; as quàm then, to be distinguished from quam which, the Pronowne.
And also sundry Prepositions are so marked: as ponè, propè.
Spoud.
I approue and see the reason of all this, that the parts of Speech may bee knowen or neerely ghessed at: and I doe still go on with you, reioycing in this our conference.
Notwithstanding, there is one thing I hauehave heard, that a child may not only be taught to know what part of Speech each word is, but also of what Coniugation any Verbe is, if hee heare but onelyonly the first person of the Indicatiue Mood; that is, if he heare but onelyonly the Verbe named. Now this seemeth to me vnpossible; there being so many hundreth Verbes all ending in o, and they so like one another; and especially those of the first and third Coniugation, so hard to bee distinguished,A child may know of what Coniugation any Verbe is. that this may oft trouble a learned man, and much more a young schollar.
Phil.
This which seemes to you so impossible, may bee likewise easilie done by a childe, by the helpe of this direction which I shall heere set downe before your face, and by one obseruation or two arising there from.
A direction how to know the Coniugation of any Simple Verb (and so of the Compounds which may be knowne by the Simples) although the learner neuer heard the Verbes before.
ALl Verbes in ëo, A direction to know the Coniugations of Verbs.as doceo, are of the second Coniugation: except a fewe of the first Coniugation; and eo, queo, veneo, which are of the fourth.
So Deponents also in ëor are of the second: as fateor, tueor, Verbs of the second Coniugation easily knowen.mereor, vereor, misereor, liceor, with their Compounds.
And onelyonly these sixe, so farre as I remember. So also Verbes in ëo alone.
All Verbes ending in ïo as audio, Verbs of the 4. Coniugation.and in ïor, as audior, and they onelyonly, are of the fourth Coniugation, except a fewe which are of the third, and some of the first noted after.
All the Verbes of the third Coniugation are set downe in the rules of the Verbs,Verbs of the 3. Coniugation. at Tertia praeteritum formabit, &c. Except these which follow in this Table, which are also of the third.
üo
acuo, arguo, exuo, imbuo, induo, minuo, sternuo, suo, tribuo, delibuo, indè delibutus.
bo
glubo.
co
ico.
do
cudo, pando, pindo, idem quod pinso, prehendo, contractè prendo, accendo, succendo, incendo, à cando obsoleto, defendo, offendo, infendo, à fendo obsoleto.
go
cingo, clango, fligo, frigo, mergo, mungo, plango, sugo, tego, tingo, vngo.
guo
distinguo, extinguo, restinguo, instinguo, à stinguo obsoleto, indè instinctus, instinctor
lo
consulo, molo, to grinde: but immolo, as: promello, an old word, signifying to stir vp strife, or to make delay.
mo
fremo, gemo, tre…o
…
dispe…, to stretch abroad▪ …
po
clepo, repo, serpo, sculpo.
pso
clepso, pro clepo to steale or take awaie.
depso, to kneade.
to
beto, quasi bene ito, to goe.
Varro.
sco
All in sco, except conisco, as, to push with the head, as Rams do. lucret.
These old words
clingo.
cludo.
lido.
geno.
pago.
tago.
spicio.
for
cingo.
claudo.
laedo.
gigno.
pango.
tango.
specio.
These following are of the first and third coniugation in the same signification.
la…o, sono, tono, piso to stamp out the huskes of corne.
These also of the first and third, in a diuerse signification.
appello, as, to call. appello, is, appuli, to bring to, to approach, to arriue, to apply.
caluo, as, to make balde.
caluo, is, to deceiue.
colo, as, to straine.
colo, is, to worship.
como, as, to trim or lay out.
como, is, to kembe.
consterno, as, to trouble in mind, consterno, is, to strewe or scatter.
dico, as, to vow, offer, dedicate. dico, is, to say.
duco, as, as educo, as, to bring vp. duco, is, to leade.
euallo, as, to cast out of the dores. euallo, is, to vanne or to make clean corne.
fundo, as, to found, establish▪ fundo, is, to poure out.
iugo, iugas, to yoake.
iugo, is, to cry like a Kite.
…ego, as, to send Embassador, or to bequeath.
…ego, is, to read, to gather, steale, or to strike sayle.
mando, as, to command, mando, is, to eate.
nicto, as, to winke often.
nicto, is, to open as a hound, or quest as aspaniel.
pedo, as, to prop. pedo, is, to breake winde.
sero, as, to locke. sero, is, to lay in order or to sowe.
These are of the second and third;
pendeo, pendo.
tergeo, tergo.
These old words,
feruo.
cauo.
fulgo.
olo.
cluo.
frenlo.
for
ferueo.
caueo.
fulgeo.
oleo.
clueo.
frendeo.
excello and excelleo.
Of the first Coniugation, There are some in …o, as, beo, meo, screo.
And al other verbs in ëo deriued from Nowns in ëus, & ë…, as calceo: of which also is calcio, of calceus; nauseo, of nausea.
Some also in ïo, as frio, h…o, pio to please God by sacrifice.
Trauìo.
gargaridio
olde.
And al other verbs in ïo and ïor, deriued from Nownes in ï…s, iae, ium, and ies: as nuncio, of nuncius.
saucio,
à scio.
somnio,
calumnior,
auxilior,
glacio à glacies.
satio à saties.
meridior.
And so all other like; except these which are of the fourth Coniugation; as, ineptio,
insanio,
vesanio,
lasciuio.
balbutio,
fastidio.
munio à maeniae.
Finally all other Verbes besides these, are of the first Coniugation; and are infinitely moe then of all the other three Coniugations iointly.
Spoud.
I see that to bee true, which is said of a Parable; that before it be expounded, nothing seems more hard and obscure; but when it is once made plaine, nothing is more cleare: so is it in this, and in the way of construing and parsing, by the helpe of the rule, and in diuers other things, which you hauehave shewed vntounto me.
Phil.
It is most certaine which you say. I my selfe hauehave so thought, this matter of knowing what Coniugation anie Verb is of, to be impossible: but you see what things, paine and diligence may find out.This direction for finding out the Coniugation receiued frō M. Coot… ▪ As for this direction, I acknowledge it wholly to that painfull M. Coot; who writ the English Schoolemaster. And by this one, it may euidently appeare, what further benefit the Latine tongue might hauehave hoped for by his labors, if God had vouchsafed him life to hauehave brought them to perfection; or if others had bin carefull to hauehave afforded him that helpe that they might hauehave done.
Spoud.
It is great pitty that he, or any other, should want any help or means, in so profitable a work; and a token of Gods displeasure, that we should be depriued of such profitable labors. But, to return again to this matter of parsing; you hauehave very well satisfied mee concerning the younger sort & their parsing: yet there is one thing concerning this Grammaticall parsing amongst the younger, which I must craue of you.Much time and toile in parsing thorough examining each word by the Master, how helped. That there is so much time spent in examining eueryevery thing; the Master asking each question particularly, and the schollar answering: which besides the losse of time, is a very great wearinesse to the Master. I pray you shewe mee the very shortest and speediest waie which you knowe.
Phil.
Some very learned would hauehave this parsing to be by pen,The surest shortest and speediest way of parsing. and by characters for shortnesse: But howsoeuer this may be done among 2. or 3. schollars taught by themselues;Some account to be by pen and characters. put this will be found most short and easie. yet this seemeth to require farre more time (both for writing to set eueryevery thing down, and also for examining by the Master) then can bee performed in the common Schooles.
But the shortest, surest, most pleasant & easie waie both to Master and Schollar, I touched before, if you marked it: and it is this. After that they hauehave been entred, and trained vp some twelue-month in the lowest fourme by questions, as the example was shewed out of Qui mihi; then, when they goe into the next fourme,To parse euerie one his peece, as reading a lecture. as into Cato, to begin to parse euerie one of themselues, as reading a lecture, each his peece. I meane chiefly, when they come to say their lectures.
For example:Example. To take those two first verses of Qui mihi, because they are parsed before.☜ First let them construe perfectly in the Grammaticall order, as was sayd: then let each parse his word or two, as they construed, euer marking the last word, and in all things iust in the same manner, as is set downe before; but only to doe it of themselues without any question asked, for the sauing of time: OnelyOnly the Master, or he who heareth them, is to aske where they do omit any necessary question in any word, or where they misse.
As thus:Example. The childe hauing construed, beginnes of himselfe,
Puer oh child: It is to be parsed first because it is first in construing. Puer, is like Magister. A Nowne Substantiue common of the second Declension; and so he declines it, so farre as the Master thinkes meete, at least giuing the Genitiue case; for if they be wel entred in the Accedence, they will easily decline any regular word, when they knowe the example. After he shews the rule when he hath declined any Nown or Verbe. As Puer pueri, is a graue increaser; and therfore of the Masculine Gender. Nomen cresentis penultimasi Genitiui sit grauis &c. Also the Vocatiue case knowen by calling or speaking to, as ô Magister, ô Master. Qui is next, a Pronowne Relatiue, &c. So eueryevery thing in the same order as before.
To help your schollars to do this:☜ Remember first when you hauehave vsed for a time to parse them ouer eueryevery word so,To help to prepare the children for parsing, at taking lectures▪ before them, that by your example they may do the like; then for speediness, when they hauehave taken their lectures of themselues, that they can cōstrue to cause only som one of them to read ouer their lecture, to see that they pronounce it right, and to construe if you will, if time so permit, or to reade it ouer to them: And what words you obserue to be hard, which you thinke they know not, you may aske them what those words are like, and how they are declined, or where they hauehave learned them,To marke out hard words. as was sayd. Where they cannot tell any, or hauehave any newe word which they hauehave not learned, to make that plaine vntounto them, and to cause euerie one of the fourm, as was directed in the third generall obseruation,See more of this marking before in the 3. generall obseration. to make a line vnderunder that word, or vnderunder that part of the word, that letter or syllable wherein the difficulty lieth; for a little helpe will bring the whole to remembrance. Or to note them with some marke or letter ouer the head of the word.
As in the enterers, to note the Declension with a d, ouer the head, and a figure signifying which Declension.
The Coniugation with a c, and a figure.
Heteroclites with an h; lame Verbes with an l.
For example, to take that which was parsed before
Example of marking hard words amongst the first enterers.
Qui mihi discipulus2. d. puer2. d. es cupis3. c. at que doceri,
Huc ades haec animo concipe dicta tuo.
Here discipulus and puer are noted for the second Declension, cupis the third Coniugation, ades for the Composition of ad and sum, concipe for changing a into i.
Or you may marke Declensions and Coniugations, by setting downe but onelyonly the first letters of the examples, which they are like, as discipulusmag., puermag., cupisleg., &c.
The former is the shorter, after they are acquainted with it, and can make their figures.
And euer what rules they are not well acquainted with,☞ turne them,To cause them to turne to the rules. or cause them to turne to the places in their Grammar, and to shew them to you.
As they proceede to higher fourmes,Noting in the higher fourm. and are more perfect, marke onelyonly those which hauehave most difficulty; as Notations, Deriuations, figuratiue Constructions, Tropes, Figures▪ and the like: and what they feare they cannot remember by a marke, cause them to write those in the Margent in a fine hand, or in some little booke.
In the lower fourmes, you marking one booke your selfe, all the rest may marke theirs after it, vntill they can doe it of themselues.
The ends of this marking,The ends of marking their bookes. are, as I said, that they may take most paines in these; for the rest they can doe easily, and almost of themselues. And also that when they construe and repeat ouer their Authors, they may oft pose ouer those hard wordes. And thus they shall keepe their Authours, which they hauehave learned, to the credite of the Schoole, with the profiting and incouragement of the schollars, that they shall goe farre safer forward, then by any other meanes.
Spou.
But this marking may indanger them, to make them Truants, & to trust their books more then their memories.
Phil.
I answere no,Marking the hardest wordes for remembrance, is no meanes to make them Truants, but helpeth and preuenteth many inconueniences. not at all; but to performe a necessary supply vntounto the children. For childrens memories are weake: and they are soone discouraged by the difficultie of learning and by the hastinesse of their Masters. And therefore they had neede of all helpes at the beginning. It is also the oft repeating ouer of any thing, which imprints it in their memory for euer.
Of the contrary, trie amongst children of the sharpest wits & best memories, if they hauehave not some such helps, whether they will not be long in learning to parse a Lecture:Euils of the want hereof. & when they can parse it very perfectly, proue them within a month after, whether they will not hauehave forgotten, at least most of the hardest & chiefe matters. Then think what a vexation it is to the honest minded Mast that would be alwaies ready to giuegive an accoūt of the profiting of his schollar; & withal whē he must teach him eueryevery thing anew, wch he hath forgotten: neyther his leisure will any way serue; hee hauing many fourmes▪ and being to goe forward daily with his Schollars in some new construction; besides many other like discommodities.
Spoud.
But there is another kinde of apposing, which I remember in the note, and which you mentioned; how to teach children to make right vse of their Authours, euen of eueryevery sentence: which I conceiue not of.
Phil.
Yes truely:How to appose so as the children may get both the matter, words, and phrase of each Lecture. and that which I account the very principall, and as it were the very picking out of the kernell, and the life of eueryevery Lecture; to get both the matter and also the Latine wordes and phrases, that they make them their owne, to vse as neede or occasion requireth.
Spoud.
That must needs be of excellent vse: for though it be commendable to construe, & to parse perfectly; yet it is nothing in regard of this, if they shall not know how to make their vse and benefite eyther of matter or phrase.
Phil.
This is onelyonly by apposing them, as I shewed you the manner in the Propria quae maribus, to make them to vnderstand; and that first in English, then in Latine: and to cause them to answere both wayes, both wordes and sentences, as time will permit.
For example;Example. Take a sentence or two in the beginning of that little booke, called Sententiae pueriles: which is well worthy to be read first vntounto children, because it hath beene gathered with much care & aduice to enter younger schollars, for Latine and matter eueryevery way meete for them: but of it and others, what I finde best to be read, I shall shew you my experience in another place. Out of it you may examine thus, for making vse, as in the these first sentences of it:
Amicis opitulare.
Alienis abstine.
Arcanum cela.
Affabilis esto, &c.
1 If you will,☞ you may aske them by a question of the contrary,Manner of propounding the questions. Must you not helpe your friends? The childe answereth, Yes. Then bid him giuegive you a sentence to proue it; hee answereth, Amicis opitulare.
Or aske by a distribution thus; Whether must you helpe or forsake your friends? The childe answereth, I must helpe them. Then bid him to giuegive you a sentence; he answereth, Amicis opitulare.
Or thus by Comparison; Whether ought you to helpe your friends, or others first? or friends or enemies, &c. When the childe hath answered, euer bid him to giuegive his sentence. So on in the rest.
The more plainly you can propound your question, that the childe may vnderstand it, and may answere in the very wordes of his Lecture, the better it is: so to examine the wordes seuerally: How say you Helpe? he answereth Opitulare. Friends, Amicis. But of this more after.
After the childe hath beene a while thus practiced,Example of examining English and Latine together. then vse to examine both in English and Latin together: I mean propounding the questions first in English, then in Latine; and so let him answere, that the matter and English may bring the Latine with them: which they will certainly doe. The manner I shewed in examining in the Latine rules: I will set downe one other example, in the sentences of three wordes; Amor vincit omnia.
Out of this sentence I examine thus:
Q. What is that, that will ouercome all things?
A. LoueLove.
Then bid him giuegive the sentence.
A. Amor vincit omnia.
Or thus: Is there any thing that can ouercome all things?
A. Yes; LoueLove.
Or thus more particularly, to put delight and vnderstanding into them;
Q. What is that which will ouercome learning, & make it our owne?
A. LoueLove of learning, or louing our bookes.
Q. GiueGive me a sentence to proue it.
A. Amor vincit omnia, &c.
Then examine in Latine the very same things; but vttering them in Latine and English together, as thus:
Quid vincit omnia? what will ouercome all things?
R. Amor.
Or thus: Est ne aliquid quod potest omnia vincere? Is there any thing that can ouercome all things? R. Imò.
Q. Quidest? What is it?
R. Amor.
Q. Da sententiam.
R. Amor vincit omnia.
Q. Or thus: Quid vincit amor? What wil louelove ouercome?
R. Omnia, All things.
So in Cato, Examining for the vse in Cato.to aske, as in the first Verses,
Q. What thing ought to be chiefe vntounto vsus?
A. The worship of God.
Q. Dasententiam.
R. Cultus Deipraecipuus.
Q Dacarmen.
R. Si Deus est animus nobis, &c.
Then to examine the Verses by parts if you will: as Si Deus est animus, &c. Aske,
Qualis est Deus, What is God, or what a one?
A. Animus, A spirit, or spirituall nature or being.
Q. Qui ita nobis dicunt? vel, Quae nobis ita dicunt? Who or what things tell vsus so?
R. Carmina, Verses, or Poets who write Verses.
Q. Quomodo tum co…endus est?
R. Pura mente.
Q. Dacarmen.
R. Si Deus est animus, &c.
Thus throughout, onelyonly where they vnderstand not, to propound the question, as well in English, as in Latine, and so to answere.
Also you may examine thus: What Verses in Cato hauehave you, to proue that the worship of God must bee chiefly regarded? A. Si Deus est animus.
What against sleepinesse and idlenesse?
A. Plus vigila semper, &c.
So in Esops Fables,Examining the Fables in Esop for the vse. besides the examining eueryevery peece of a sentence in the Lectures, as thus:
Gallus Gallinaceus dum vertit stercorarium offendit gemmam, &c.
Q. Quid offendebat Gallus dum vertit stercorarium?
R. Offendit gemmam, &c.
Cause the children to tell you, what eueryevery Fable is about or against, or what it teacheth, in a word or two. For example, thus:
Q. What Fable hauehave you against the foolish contempt of learning and vertue, and preferring play or pleasure before it?
A. The Fable of the Cocke, scratching in the dung-hill.
Or after this manner:
Q. What Fable hauehave you against the foolish neglect of learning?
A. The Fable of the Cocke, scratching in the dung-hill.
2 Cause them to make a good and pithy report of the Fable;Making a report of their Fables. first in English, then in Latine: and that eyther in the wordes of the Authour, or of themselues as they can; and as they did in English. For, this practice in English to make a good report of a Fable, is of singular vse, to cause them to vtter their mindes well in English; and would neuer bee omitted for that and like purposes.
In other bookes the vse is according to the quality of them:The vse according to the quality of the bookes. as in Confabulatiunculae pueriles, the vse is for the children to talke to one another in the same words.
In Sturmius Epistles, and others of Tully, the phrase principally is to be regarded: as also in the Poets, the Poeticall phrase.
For the further vse of them for imitation both in Epistles and Verses, I shall speake after in their place.
But for the Latine and matter to make it our owne,☜ I finde the chiefe benefit to be in oft reading them out of the Grammatical translations,The surest way to make both Latine and matter our owne. ouer and ouer, vntill the Latine be as familiar to the schollar, as the English: as I noted in the benefits of the Translations. And also in saying and repeating of Lectures (I meane the weekes worke) to construe without booke: and then repeare them in Verse, or as they are without booke.
For the vse in Tullies Offices and Ouids Metamorphosis, Vse in Tullies Offices, and Ouids Metamorphosis.I hauehave set in the Margents of the Translations, the sum of all the matter; which is very notable and full of delight.
For parsing in the highest fourmes:☞ to obserue onelyonly for breuity sake the difficulties of Grammar or Rhetorick,Parsing in the higher fourms. speciall phrases, or the like; the Master onelyonly to examine what things they omit, or wherein he suspects them negligent. In parsing they may vse these or the like speeches:
Hae sunt difficultates Grammaticae. Hae elegantiae Rhetorices. Reliqualcuiora, trita, puerilia, &c.
In Poetry also, Phrases hae: Epitheta ista.
Let all this examination be onelyonly in pure Latine,☞ from the very lowest fourmes,All in Latine in the higher fourmes. except the first or second at the most. For they will do it with ease if they be rightly entered from the beginning; and that the Master euer do it before them where they are not able: and to obserue wherein they are most defectiue, therein to take the most paines.
Spoud.
Although these things cannot but be very profitable; yet being so many, they can hardly be put in practice in the greater Schooles. I pray you rehearse me the summe of those which you take most necessary for daily vse.
Phil.
These are they;The summe of all, principally necessary for parsing. Cause your schollars to reade first their Lecture distinctly and construe truly: to parse as they construe, euer marking the last principall word: to shew where they hauehave learned eueryevery hard word: what example eueryevery hard word is like; so to giuegive rules & examples of them, both for Etymologie & Syntax, as after for the Rhetorick, as need is. To parse of themselues, as reading a Lecture, and that only in Latin when they come to say, except in the very lowest fourmes: to make some marke at eueryevery hard word, which you note vntounto them, to take the most pains in those: amongst the younger specially, to examine each Lecture for the vse; wherby they may get matter, wordes, and phrases, all vnderunder one. In the highest, for speedines to examine onelyonly the difficulties, as you see requisite; to let them name the rule in a word or two; to obserue phrases and Epithets. In all repetitions amongst themselues, and construing ouer their Authours, to examine ouer also the noted wordes, as time permits.