The Reformed School, Part 22
Concerning the Taskes what and when every thing is to be done.
Salomon tels us, that There is a ſeaſon to every thing, and a time to every purpoſe under the heaven; Eccleſ. c. 3. v. 1. and v. 11. and that God hath made every thing beautifull and conſequently, delightfull and acceptable, in its proper time. If then we can diſcerne this time, and determine the work to be done in it we ſhall find ſucceſſe in it, and that with eaſe.
In the firſt Period, from five till nine; an Order of taskes muſt be obſerved in the preparatorie School, aſwell as in the other following. but now we ſhall not ſpeak thereof, becauſe we ſuppoſe that ſuch a School cannot be had ſpeedily; and that we muſt take ſuch Scholars at firſt as can be had, till Schoolmaſters be trained up who ſhall be able to follow the Directions which may be given for the training up of Children in ſuch a Nurſery.
In the ſecond Period, from eight or nine, till thirteen or fourteen, we have five years, to beſtow upon the Objects of Learning which are proper to that Age and Capacity, whereof the Perfection is nothing elſe but Memory. Theſe five years ſhall be divided into three parts, whereof the firſt and ſecond ſhall each comprehend two years; and the third, one.
In the firſt part (that is in the two firſt years of this period) they ſhall be led through all the Objects of Fancy and Memory belonging to that Period in the Method; which ſhall be preſcribed unto the Uſhers: and to every thing which ſhall be ſhewed them by their Uſhers; the Latin and Greek names ſhall be added and commended unto their Remembrance. ſo that here, in theſe two firſt years they ſhall be obliged to runne over all the taskes of the whole period, to take up the Ideas thereof, and keep them in memory with their two Learned names only. And to that effect, in the firſt quarter of the firſt year, they ſhall be diligently exerciſed in writing the Latin and Greek characters faire and readily; and in copying out ſome Pictures, and the Figures of Models of Things.
Then in the laſt quarter of that year, when they are ſtored with almoſt the half of the words of thoſe two Tongues; the Rudiments of the Grammaticall Rules of both Tongues are to be taught them, ſo farre as to help them, to make uſe of their Janua's therin; which from that time forward they ſhall be made to ply diligently, till towards the end of the ſccond year; then about the laſt quarter thereof, they ſhall be taught to write Hebrew faire and readily. and when they have attained to ſome perfection heerin, the Rudiments of the Hebrew Grammar alſo ſhall be taught them, ſo farre as it doth agree with that which they formerly learned of the Latin and Greek Grammars.
In the ſecond part of this period (that is in the third and fourth years thereof) the ſame taskes which formerly were taken in hand and proſecuted ſhall be renewed by the ſame Method of leading them through all the Objects belonging to the whole period the ſecond time, only with a twofold difference: firſt, that to the Latin and Greek names of Things which were formerly taught and now are to be repeated, the Hebrew ſhall be added. Secondly, that in this ſecond courſe of obſerva…ion they ſhall deſcend to ſome things more …articularly in every Object, then they did in …he firſt courſe; and in a way more exact and …iſtinct: wherby they ſhall be taught to look …pon every thing ſo, as to take up the notion …hereof orderly in four things when they once …ave gotten the Generall ſhape thereof in their mindes. The Firſt is, to look upon the parts …hereof, and know their diſtinct names in the …earned …ongues. The ſecond is, to look …pon the properties of thoſe parts and …he forme o… frame of the whole ariſing …rom thence. The third is, to look upon the Action or Paſſion or fitneſs to Action or Paſſion which ariſeth from that frame and properties of the whole and parts. And the Fourth, is to look upon the uſefulneſs which …he thing, with the parts, properties and …ctions thereof, hath towards man. When …very Object formerly obſerved in the bulk …hall be thus reviewed in theſe particulars, and the chief names formerly not mentioned added therunto; the ſecond courſe of this period will be alſo finiſhed: whereof at this time, this only is further to be added; that, at the latter …nd of the third year, and the beginning of the fourth, the Grammaticall precepts are …ully to be delivered in each Tongue in reſpect of their differentiall properties, which thenceforth are to be taken notice of in the Uſe of their Janua's.
In the third and laſt part of this Perio… (that is in the fifth year thereof) they ſhall r…peat all what in the four former years the… have learned: but Chiefly the Addition… part of Learning, which the ſecond Cou… had, more then the firſt; that is, their He…brew Janua; the particularities, to be… take… notice of, in the Obſervation of all Senſu… objects, and the Grammaticall differen… in the Conſtructions of the three Tongues.
In the third Period of Learning, from thi…teen or fourteen, till nineteen or twentie; … have ſix years to beſtow upon the Traditionall and Rationall wayes of Teaching … Sciences: thoſe years alſo ſhall be divided in… three courſes, and to each courſe two year… ſhall be allotted.
In the firſt courſe of this third Period, a… the Sciences belonging therunto are to be de…livered Hiſtorically, which may be done thr… wayes. Firſt, by way of ocular Demonſtra…tion in things that can be ſhewed unto Sen… in every Science, whoſe ſubject hath any thin… of Senſe in it. ſecondly, by way of Schemes a… Pictures to repreſent Hieroglyphically the… things that have no viſible ſhape; and fo…mally thoſe things which have a reall ſhape but are not at hand to be ſeen and ſhewe… unto ſenſe. And thirdly, by way of Narratives and Relations, expounding both tha… which is ſhewed unto Senſe, and that which is offered unto it in Pictures and Schemes, whether Hieroglyphically or Formally.
In this Courſe (beſides their Janua's which are to be repeated) the eaſieſt of the Latin and Greek Authors which handle the Sciences (whereof the Ideas have been offered unto them) are to be read by them according to the Directions which ſhall be given: and after the firſt year of this courſe (or ſooner as upon triall ſhall be found expedient) their ſpeech ſhall be wholly Latin▪ and to beginne to tranſlate ſome remarkable paſſages of Greek Authors into Latin, and of Latin Authors into Greek; ſhall be one of their exerciſes.
In the laſt quarter of this courſe (or in the laſt half year as experience ſhall direct) the grounds of Logick ſhall be taught them ſo farre as to let them ſee. 1. What the faculty of Reaſon is in man, and wherin it doth differ from Imagination and Memory. 2. What the Uſe thereof is in all Sciences. 3. What the Acts thereof are, in making up many ſingle thoughts into Propoſitions; and of many Propoſitions ſaid together to draw thence Conſequences. 4. How that theſe Acts are to be taken notice of, and obſerved in the Authors which they have read who write of Sciences; in whom they ſhall be taught to Analyſe ſome of their Rationall Propoſitions and conſequences. Thus the firſt courſe of thi… period ſhall be ended.
In the ſecond courſe (that is, in the third and fourth year) of this Period, all the Sciences belonging to the whole Period ſhall b… taught Dogmatically; that is, the Rules and Precepts thereof ſhall be delivered, according to that Order wherin they are ſubſervient unto the Neceſſities of Man, and branch themſelves out one upon another; the latter growing up from the Principl…s of the former; an… all tending to make the Creatures ſerviceable unto Mankind; or to rectifie his diſorders within himſelf. In this Dogmaticall courſe of Sciences, towards the latter end of the firſt year thereof (that is, in the laſt quarter of the third year of this period of Education) the Precepts of Logick ſhall be fully taught, firſt the Analyticall, and then the Geneticall way of Reaſoning, to find out Truths which are doubtfull, and towards the latter end or the middle of the ſecond year thereof, the Precepts of Oratory and Poetry ſhall be taught them; and they directed to obſerve in the Authors which they have alreadie peruſed, how thoſe Precepts have been put in Uſe by them, that they may learne to imitate their practiſe.
In the third courſe of this period, that is, in the two laſt years thereof; all the Sciences belonging to the period ſhall be taught Practically, that is they ſhall be exerciſed in the practiſe of all that which they have been …aught, in the whole former Courſe of their education: and they ſhall be put upon the occaſions of making Uſe of their skill in every Science for their own and others advantage, and the improvement of the wayes of learning: and here as their Genius ſhall lead them, they ſhall be left a little larger ſcope to follow it: either in wayes of Action, or of Theorie, or of Utterance: in the firſt year of this courſe they ſhould be exerciſed and put upon the practiſe of all; but in the laſt year, according as their Faculty ſhould be found moſt eminent (with ſome few Directions and Manuductions to Improve it) they ſhould be ſuffered to apply it to the ſubject which amongſt all the Sciences they ſhould like beſt to exerciſe themſelves in. And in the latter end of this year, that is, in the laſt quarter thereof, having received ſuch Directions for the future Government of their life as will be found neceſſary to order it Judiciouſly and Prudently; they may be diſmiſſed to take ſome Publick Service in hand; or follow ſome private Calling which the Commanwealth doth ſtand in need of.
And thus I have reckoned up the main and generall Taskes, as they are to anſwer the years; the ſubdiviſion thereof into moneths, weeks, dayes and hours will not be difficult; and needeth not now to be inſiſted upon, but muſt be delineated before we ſet upon the work it ſelf. We come now to ſpeake in brief of the way of propoſing thoſe Taskes unto the Scholars, and of their way of entertaining their thoughts about them.