An Easy Entrance to the Latin Tongue, Title page – Preface
An eaſie Entrance TO THE LATINE TONGUE:
Wherein are contained
I. The Grounds of Grammar, and their Examination.
II. A Vocabularie of common-words Engliſh and Latine.
III. Sundrie and ſhort Examples appliable to the Rules of Concordance and Conſtruction.
IV. Collections out of the loweſt School-Autors.
V. More elegant Expreſſions for Children.
VI. The firſt Principles of Chriſtianitie.
A work tending to the School-Maſters's eaſ, and the weaker Scholar's Encouragement in the firſt and moſt weariſom ſteps to learning.
By Charles Hoole M.A. ſomtimes Maſter of the Free-School at Rotherham in York-ſhire; and now Teacher of a private Grammar-School in Goldſmith's-Allie neer Cripple-gate, London.
In this I rejoyce, that I learn ſomthing, that I may teach.
Sen. Epiſt. 6.
LONDON, Printed by William Du-gard for Joſhuah Kirton, and are to bee ſold at his ſhop at the Gold-ſpread-Eagle in Pauls-Church-yard. 1649.
Aditus facilis AD LINGUAM LATINAM:
In quo continentur
I. Rudimenta Grammatices & eorundem Examinatio.
II. Vocabularium dictionum maximè vulgarium Anglo-Latinarum.
III. Vari… & brevicula Exempla, Regulis Concordantiae & Conſtructionis applicabilia.
IV. Collectanea ex infimae claſſis Autoribus.
V. Phraſes Pueriles.
VI. Elementa Chriſtianitatis.
Opus, quo, & Praeceptorum in docendo, & Diſcipulorum in diſcendo taedium facil…ùs devoretur, in primo & difficillimo ad doctrinae iter ingreſſu.
A CAROLO HOOLE, A.M. Scholarchâ quondam liberae Scholae Rotherhamienſis in agro Ebor; nunc autem privatae Scholae Grammaticae Inſtitutoris in Auriſicum viculo juxta Clinicorum portam Londinenſem.
Sen. Epiſt. 6.
In hoc gaudeo, me aliquid diſcere, ut doceam.
LONDINI, Excudebat Guilelmus Du-gard, impenſis Joſhuae Kirton, in cujus officinâ ad Auream aquilam-paſſam in Coemeterio Paul no veneunt. 1649.
Martii 30. 1648.
Nihil feliciùs diſcitur, quàm quod ab ipsâ ſtatim pueritiâ diſcitur. Eraſ.
Imprimatur.
Jo. Langley.
The Teſtimonie of two eminent School-maſters concerning the Autor.
HAveing had good and ſufficient demonſtration of Mr. Charles Hoole's abilities, for the Teaching and ordering a Grammar-School: which I duly apprehend both from my conference with himſelf, and by his Writeings tending to that purpoſe; and ſhewing how maturely hee hath conſidered, and throughly weighed and judged of matters of chief concernment for that purpoſe; I do hereby certifie all, who may deſire notice hereof, that I conceiv him to bee a man of Skill, Dexteritie, and Activitie, and manie waies fitted for the Governing and Teaching a Grammar-School; and educateing youth in all good Literature for the Univerſitie.
In token whereof I have hereunto ſubſcribed my hand. May. 10. 1642. By mee Thomas Hayne late School-Maſter of the Citie of London's School in Chriſts-Church.
Idem teſtatur etiam Simon Humfrey Scholarcha Stamfordienſis.
A Preface by way of Premonition to the Learners of this Book, and eſpecially to Children of the loweſt Form in a Grammar-School.
Children!
IT was for your ſakes I undertook, and have now (by Gods bleſſing) performed this following work; the Scope whereof is (in a playing manner, and according to Grammar-order) to acquaint you with the Grounds of Grammar, and withall how to practiſe them; ſo to ſet you on in an intelligent courſ of Conſtruing, Parſing, Tranſlateing, Writeing and Speaking Latine; that no difficulties may occur in after-learning, which by a little direction of an able Teacher, you may not cheerfully over-paſs.
To effect this Eaſie Entrance, I have here prepared the Grounds of Grammar, and have furniſhed them with other requiſites on your behalf, touching the genuine uſe whereof it is neceſſarie ſomwhat to inform you.
I. The Grounds of Grammar (which ſom call Rudiments) do preſent you with the mere neceſſaries of the Common-Accidents and Grammar; by the learning of which, you may eaſily attain the other obſervations, as your practice ſhall call for them at anie time upon the by.
Now the way to get the Grounds more eaſily, may bee this:
1. Learn to read them readily; in which task (becauſ of the manie Schemes and Braces without which they could nothing ſo methodicallie have been compoſed) you may crave the Maſter or ſom able ſchool-fellow to direct you for a while.
2. As you read; Firſt, take notice of the Marginal Notes. Thoſe in the firſt Book will afford you the general terms of Grammar-art; and the Figures in the ſecond Book will refer you to varietie of Examples for the Rule by which they ſtand. The Obſ. and Exe. do imply, that the Rule to which they belong, doth admit ſom Obſervation or Exception to bee ſought for (as occaſion happens) in the Common-Grammar. Secondly, look often upon the Index, Page 126. and by it finde out where the Heads of Grammar are ſet down, that ſo you you may bee able to turn to them upon a ſudden. Thirdly, minde the placeing, marking, and ordering of everie notion, and how handſomly all things hang together, and this you may do by continually caſting an eye upon the Synopſis of theſe Grounds, p. 124. Fourthly, examine ever what you read by the Queſtions and Anſwers in the Examination, p. 127. Fifthly, when once you can read them readily, divide them into ſo manie equal parts, as that you may read them and their Examination all over, once a week (at the leaſt) for a whole year together.
3. But in getting the Grounds more exactly, you muſt make it your main and conſtant task to decline anie Noun (Subſtantive or Adjective, or both together) and to conjugate anie Verb, not onelyonly orderly, but everie way, either in Engliſh, or Latine, or both, (giveing ſomtimes all the Tenſes, ſomtimes onelyonly the Cognata) till nothing can bee required concerning them, which you cannot without ſtudie tell. To further you in ſo doing, I have cauſed, that, in Nouns, the Terminations and Examples ſhould anſwer one another; and, that, in Verbs, the Active and Paſſive voice ſhould bee printed one on the left hand, and the other on the right hand Page, (everie Paradigm beeing ſet by it ſelf, and at large) that ſo you may the better compare them in everie particular one with another. You may obſerv, that the Terminations are printed in a Character differing from the reſt of the Examples, that ſo you may fit them to other Examples, or run them over alone by themſelvs.
II. The Vocabularie was intended to furniſh you with Common-words, and varietie of Examples for declineing Nouns and Verbs; to prevent (that Lues Scholarum) the foul diſeaſ of moſt Grammar-Schools; when boyes are haſtened to patter over Rules by heart, before they bee trained up in this eſpecial mean to underſtand them. This had remained (as it was at firſt) far leſs then now it is, had not the importunitie of learned friends and experienced Schoolmaſters invited mee to give it the perfection it hath now attained; now the way whereby (I adviſe you) to learn it, is this; once a day (at leaſt) in your Maſter's hearing peruſe a Chapter, and note therein ſuch words onelyonly as do mention things moſt familiar to you; the Latine whereof you much deſire to know, & delight to keep in memorie. You may take the opportunitie once a week to diſpute with ſom of your fellows, who can give the moſt Latine words under one and the ſame head; and this practice will exceedingly quicken your underſtanding, and confirm things in your remembrance. To readie you for findeing anie word (after once you have ſeen under what head it is placed) you have each ſeveral head ſet down in the top of your Pages; and to let you ſee the coherencie of words according to the nature of things, you have a Synopſis. p. 326.
III. The ſundrie ſhort Examples appliable to the Rules do ſerv to fix the Idea (or conceit) of everie Rule in your fancie, by makeing you oft to practiſe according to it. To give you the uſe of theſe therefore; 1. Render the Example out of Engliſh into Latine word by word. 2. Conſtrue the Latine after the ſame manner into Engliſh. 3. Proceed to examine or parſ them firſt in Engliſh then in Latine; and ever bee ſure to give the Rule (as the reaſon) for what you ſay. And to this end you have ſcarce anie Example given you for which you have not the Rule preſent, or learn't a little afore. 4. Produce inſtances like unto theſe, as your ſelvs have anie where obſerved them, and ſtrive to compoſe ſuch of your own out of the words of your Vocabularie. e. g. from theſe three firſt words therein, Deus, Sum, Aeternus, you may fitly frame this Example, Deus eſt aeternus, according to the II. or XII. Rules. 5. You may ſomtimes varie the ſenſ of the ſentence by changeing the words, or altering their endings at your pleaſure: e. g. from Dum felis dormit, ſaliunt mures. Whil'ſt the cat ſleepeth, the mice skip about. You may learn to ſay, Dum praeceptor dormit, ſaliunt pueri. Whil'ſt the Maſter ſleepeth, the boies do skip about. As alſo, Dum praeceptor dormiebat, ſaliebant pueri. Whilſt the Maſter did ſleep the boies did skip about.
IV. The Collections out of the loweſt Autors, were made, partly to avoid the trouble by want of books, and partly to give you an inſight into everie one of them, that afterwards (when your ſtrength ſerveth) you may pitch upon that which doth moſt delight you. In uſeing theſe: 1. Read as much as you intend for a leſſon. 2. Conſtrue what you have read, as well as you can, ex tempore; your fellows haveing libertie to correct, and the Maſter ſtanding by to direct you upon anie miſtake. 3. Read it out of Latine into Engliſh aſſoon as you have conſtrued it, the better to apprehend what it meaneth. 4. What words you make doubt of for parſing, enquire of the Maſter, ere you part; that neither hee nor your fellows bee diſturbed by your enquirie afterwards. 5. Tranſlate your leſſons into Engliſh, and render them, when you com to repeat out of Engliſh into Latine. That you may bee able of your ſelvs to conſtrue, parſ, and write aright, bee frequent in peruſeing the Directions given for Conſtruing, Chap. 13. For Parſing, Chap 14. and for right writeing, Ch. 15. LIB. 2. Of the grounds of Grammar.
V. The more elegant Expreſſions are inſerted, that at vacant times you may look into them, and obſerv the difference betwixt the Engliſh and the Latine manner of ſpeaking: that ſo you may gain the proprietie of each language, and bee able (by the help of theſe Expreſſions, together with the words in your Vocabularie, and your Rules of right-ſpeaking contained in the Grounds of Grammar) to deliver your mindes well and plauſibly in Latine, by way of diſcourſ, upon anie ſubject or occaſion whatſoever. And in this kinde of by-recreation, the Maſter may do well now and then to imploy you, and to ſhew you preſidents for imitation, by talking with you concerning ſom of your games, or other matters of your own, the nature and condition whereof you clearly underſtand of your ſelvs.
I had purpoſed to have ſet you down ſom eaſie places of Scripture, and other profitable Collections in Engliſh, out of which you might bee daily exerciſed in turning ſomwhat into Latine; but becauſ (by reaſon of the Vocabularie's enlargement) the book is ſwelled alreadie to a far bigger bulk then was intended, I refer you to your own Engliſh books, to make uſe of them for this purpoſe. And in this exerciſe you muſt have the Maſter's aſſiſtance, till you bee able to proceed of your ſelvs, according to the Directions given you for makeing Latine, (Chap. 11. LIB. 2. of the Grounds of Grammar) which you ſhould ever bee ſure to peruſe, before you ſet upon that neceſſarie employment. I uſually make choice of the 119. Pſalm for the eaſier entering of young-beginners.
VI. The firſt Principles of Chriſtianitie are annexed, that by them you may learn what you are to beleev and do in the way to ſalvation. Theſe you may repeat, firſt in Engliſh, then in Latine, once everie week. And to further your knowledg in theſe main points of Chriſtanitie, (without which all our other teaching is but trifling) reſolv them as you are able, (after Mr. Bernard's manner in his Catechiſm) into eaſie Queſtions and Anſwers; and look into your Bibles for the proofs of anie Doctrine or Dutie, which you conceiv to bee comprized in theſe Principles. To train you up in Scripture-learning, you muſt keep a conſtant daily courſ of repeating a Verſ by heart everie morning, and reading a Chapter everie evening at the School; and I hope your parents and friends will ſee that you diſpatch this eaſie task at home. And for your behavior in all things as becometh Chriſtian-children and Sholars; you may learn ſuch little Graces and Prayers both Engliſh and Latine (to bee ſaid at their proper ſeaſons) as your Maſter in his diſcretion ſhall appoint you out of other books.
That you may ſee the conformitie of what you learn to the directions given, and the matters contained in your Common-Grammar, you may ſomtimes compare theſe Directions with thoſe in the Preface to the Grammar, and ſomtimes take a view of the Accidents, as in Chap. 16. and of the Grammar, as in Chap. 17. LIB. 2 Of the Grounds of Grammar. If you would know the Rules of the Genders of Nouns, and the Preterperfect-tenſes and Supines of Verbs more particularly then they are ſet down Chap. 8. and 9. You may take a ſhort view of Propria quae maribus, Chap. 18. Of Quae genus, Cha. 19. And of As in praeſenti, Cha. 20. LIB. 2. Of the Grounds of Grammar.
And that you bee not ſtall'd aforehand with a wrong conceit touching the bigneſs of the book; you muſt apprehend, that the ſubject thereof is concerning boyiſh matters, contrived to their capacitie, and proportioned to their ſtrength for a whole years work, in the daily diſtribution whereof, I eſpecially reſpect the order I have uſed (theſe 16. years together) in my own courſ of Teaching, and according to which I was trained up (by that able School-maſter, whom I heartily reverence as my Maſter, Mr. Robert Doughty in Wakefield-School;) whereby I both gain ſom breathing reſpite to my ſelf, and a vacant hour for my Scholars to attend their learning to write. That which will admirably readie you in the diſpatch of everie task is, that you do it underſtandingly, and if at your firſt entrie upon Latine you begin to write, it is ſcarce poſſible to ſay with what profiting you will proceed; for the writeing of a thing down is an eſpecial means to commit it to memorie; and the reaſon hereof is, becauſ the eie is the fancie's nimbleſt and truſtieſt ſervant.
When you have paſt this book (which is intended for your firſt years paſtime,There is a Latine Grammar (already) fitted to Children's capacitie, and intended ere long to com forth. rather then burden) you may dare to attempt a Completer Grammar, and bee able (with a little help) ſo to canvaſs anie Autor that you can make his Latine your own, either for Diſcourſ, or frameing Exerciſes.
And now, Children, it remain's, that both Maſter and Scholar bee conſtantly diligent in this neceſſarie Employment; conſidering, that our life is ſhort; that everie age hath its ſeaſon; and that theſe playing years are your chiefeſt opportunitie to learn: for good things may as eaſily bee attained as bad, if wee ſee but the way, and have but a deſire to them. Wee muſt not long ſtand to trifle in words, but haſte to get ſubſtance of matter. Weightier affairs will take up your thoughts as you grow towards men, and then you will think it a follie to bee buſied in Children's matters. Som of you are like to bee put upon trades, and then if you bee not grounded, you will loſe the little learning you have attained; ſom (perchance) will bee ſent to the Univerſities, and there you ſhall enter into deeper Arts, wherein, except you bee grounded, you can make no progreſs. One Vocation or other will ere long call you from the School: And if you mean to undertake anie commendable Profeſſion hereafter, you muſt learn whil'ſt you are at the School. WISDOM her ſelf ſaith, I love them that love mee, and thoſe that ſeek mee early ſhall finde mee, Pro. 8.17. It will bee miſerable for anie of you to bewail himſelf hereafter, and ſay, How have I hated inſtruction? &c. Pro. 5.13, 14.
Therefore, good Children, do you now apply your ſelvs to get Learning; make the Grammar-ſchool to bee indeed Ludus literarius, and the School-maſter to becom Ludi-magiſter, i.e. Moderator ludi; (as the learned Romans were wont to name them in proper terms) ſo ſhall you never undergo the ſeveritie of the Rod or Ferula; nor your Maſter at anie time bee conſtrained to act that irkſom drudgerie of whipping.
The God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt from whom proceedeth the Spirit of Wiſdom ſanctifie and repleniſh you with ſuch graces and endowments, that you may live well in the world, and happily in that to conſ. Amen.
From my School in Goldſmith's-Alley, Nov. 9. 1648.
Det Deus incoeptis vela ſecunda meis.
In my beginning God bee my good ſpeed.
THE GROUNDS OF GRAMMAR.
THE Grounds of Grammar are the moſt neceſſary things to bee known concerning Grammar.
They are taken out of the Common-Accidents & Grammar.
And treat of Latine words, and the things that belong to them —
1. As they are ſingle words in a Speech. LIB. I.
2. As they are many words joyned together in a Speech. LIB. II.