A New Discovery of the Old Art of Teaching School, Chapter 3 – Title page 4
CHAP. III.
How to enter the Scholars of the ſixth Forme into Hebrew; How to employ them in reading the best and most difficult Authours in Latine and Greeke, and how to acquaint them with all manner of Schoole-Exerciſes, Latine, Greek, or Hebrew.
THis ſixth Form is looked upon as the main credit of a Schoole, & the Maſter commonly delighteth moſt in teaching it, becauſe therein he ſeems to reap the fruit of thoſe labours, which he hath beſtowed formerly. His care therefore is to exerciſe them in every thing that may compleat a Scholar, that whether they be privately examined, or upon any publick ſolemnity required to ſhew their parts, they may ſatisfy them that deſire an account, and gain to themſelves applauſe. And whereas I obſerve more variety in teaching this Form then the reſt, becauſe every Maſter almoſt obſerves a ſeveral Method in reading ſuch Authours as himſelfe beſt liketh, I will not much trouble my ſelf to declare what others do, but as plainly as I can diſcover what courſe I have hitherto taken to enable theſe higheſt Scholars to ſhift for themſelves.
1. Make them read (at leaſt) twelve verſes out of the Greek Teſtament, into Latine or Engliſh; or out of the Engliſh, or Latine Teſtament into Greek every morning, before they ſay parts.
2. Let them repeat Parts (as they did before) out of the Latine and Greeke Grammars, and Elementa Rhetorices, every Thurſday morning, and give account what Grammatical or Rhetorical notes, they have collected and writ fair in their Common place Bookes for thoſe Arts. Beſides the Bookes which I formerly mentioned, I deſire that Goclenii obſervationum ling…ae Latinae Analecta & Problemata Grammatica, may he made uſe of for this purpoſe.
3. Their parts on Mondaies, Tueſdayes, and Wedneſdaies, may be to learn the Hebrew tongue, which is very neceſsary for all ſuch as would be acquainted with the Original of the Bible, and is not very difficult to attain to, becauſe it goeth word for word with our Engliſh, and is not ſo copious in words as the Greek and Latine. And whereas many defer the Hebrew to be learned at the Univerſity, I may ſay it is rarely attained there by any that have not gotten (at leaſt) the Rudiments of it before hand, at a Grammar Schoole.
Now for the entering of them upon this holy Language, I conceive Buxtorf's Epitome is the beſt Introduction of Hebrew Grammar; partly becauſe it is the moſt uſed in Schooles, and partly becauſe moſt eaſie for young Scholars to apprehend. Though ſome prefer Martinius others Bellarmine, others Amoma, others Blebelius, and others Horologium Hebreae linguae, before it. Now in teaching Buxtorfe, you may read your Scholars a part of it, and cauſe them againe to read it over perfectly in your hearing, and then let them get it by heart, as they did other parts, and when they ſay, be ſure to examine how well they underſtand it. As they go over this Grammar, they ſhould write out the letters, and chiefeſt Rules; but eſpecially the declining of Nouns and Pronounes, and all the Paradigmes, of the Conjugations both in Hebrew and Latine Characters, with their proper ſignifications; and this will cauſe them to minde the different ſhape of the Conſonants and Vowels, and Accents, and help to ſtrengthen their memory in getting the Rules by heart. They may get every day a certain number of Hebrew roots, together with their Grammar Parts out of ſome Nomenclator or Lexicon.
After they have learnt the Grammar, you may exerciſe them in thoſe Texts of Scripture annexed as a Praxis at the end of it, which they muſt exactly conſtrue and parſe, and write faire, by way of interlineary.
As they go over the Pſalter, they may ſometimes tranſlate their leſſons into Latine, and read them out of Latine into Hebrew in a Paper-book. Then they may with facility run along the Pſalter, having Toſſani ſyllabus geminus, to help them in every word. Afterwards they may proceed in the Proverbs, Eccleſiaſtes, Job, of themſelves; but be ſure they be well acquainted with the Rules of finding a Radix in Buxtorfe, or Pagnine, or the like uſeful Lexicon, which are fit to be reſerved in the Schoole-Library. Though it be found a thing very rare, and is by ſome adjudged to be of little uſe, for School-boyes to make Exerciſes in Hebrew; yet it is no ſmall ornament, and commendation to a Schoole, (as Weſtminſter-Schoole at pteſent can evidence) that Scholars are able to make Orations and Verſes in Hebrew, Arabick, or other Oriental Tongues, to the amazement of moſt of their hearers, who are angry at their own ignorance, becauſe they know not well what is then ſaid or written. As for Orations, they may be tranſlated out of Latine into Hebrew by help of Schind leri Pentaglotton, Buxtorſius, Pagnine Crineſius, or Troſtius's Lexicon; and for Verſes Buxtorf's Theſaurus will afford ſome Rules and Preſidents, and Aviani Clavis Poeſeos Sacrae, all ſorts or Rithmes.
They that are more induſtriouſly ſtudious in the Hebrew, may profit themſelves very much by tranſlating Janua Linguarum, into that language.
This that I have ſaid may ſeem enough to be learnt at Schoole, but if one deſire to learne thoſe Oriental Tongues, in which the great Bible is now happily printed, (by the great vigilancie and induſtrie of Doctor Walton, who hath carried on the Work to the honour of this Nation, the comfort of the poor Church of England, and the encouragement of good literature, in the midſt of diſtracting times) he may make uſe of Introductio ad lectionem Linguarum Orientalium, and of the Lexicon (which I conceive ere this time is wellnigh finiſhed) made of purpoſe to explicate the words of the Bible according to their ſeveral Languages; viz. Hebrew Chaldi, Samaritane, Syriack, Arabick, Perſian, Aethiopick, Armenian, and Coptick, which is a kinde of Aegyptian Tongue.
4. Their forenoons Leſſons on Mondaies and Wedneſdaies, may be in Heſiods, foreign, which they may now conſtrue and parſe of themſelves, by help of the Latine tranſlation, and Paſor opon it; or Screvelii Lexicon. OnelyOnly your ſelf may now and then illuſtrate, ſome harder places out of Cerapine & Melanctthon's Commentarie publiſhed by Johannes Friſius Tigurinus. And cauſe them to paraphraſe in Greek upon ſuch Leſſons as are full of excellent matter, and which are worth getting by heart.
When they have gone this over, they may proceed in like manner to Homer, in which they may help themſelves out of Clavis Homerica, or Lexicon Homericum, or thoſe Quorundum verborum Themata, at the end of Scapulae Lexicon. You may illuſtrate the difficult places in him out of Euſtathius's his Commentary, and let your Scholars write ſome of his narrations in good Latine and Greek phraſe. Chapman's Engliſh tranſlation of Homer will delight your Scholars to read in at leaſure, and cauſe them better to apprehend the ſeries of his Poetical diſcourſes. When they are well acquainted with this Father of Poetry, (which will be after they have read two Books, either of his Iliads, or Odiſſeus) you may let them proceed to Pindar, and after they have teſted ſome of his Odes, by the help of Benedictus his Commentary; you may at laſt let them make uſe of Lycophron, which they will better do, having Canterus or Zetzius to unfold his dark meaning; and Longolii Lexicon to interpret and analyſe moſt of his uncouth words.
5. Their forenoone Leſſons on Tueſdaies and Thurſdaies, may be in Zenonophon foreign, for the firſt quarter, or ſomewhat longer, and afterwards in ſome of Euripides, and Sophocles Tragedies, which you pleaſe to pick out, to enable them for the reſt; and if to theſe you adde a few of Ariſtophanes Comedies which they may better underſtand by the help of Biſetus upon him, I ſuppoſe, you may turn them to any other Greek Authour, and they will give you a reaſonable account thereof, having but a little time allowed them, to deliberate upon it, and neceſſary Subſidiaries at hand to help themſelves withall, in caſe they be put to a ſtand.
6. Their afternoons parts on Mondayes and Wedneſdayes, may be in Ant. de Laubegeois Breviarium Graecae Linguae, partly becauſe the peruſal of that book will help them to retain all the Greek Vocabula's in minde, and partly becauſe thoſe excellent Sentences being pickt out of many Authours, will acquaint them with moſt of the hard words, that they are like to find in them.
7. Their afternoons Leſſons may be in Horace, wherein they ſhould be emploied.
1. In commiting their Leſſons to memory, as affording a rich mine of invention.
2. In conſtruing and parſing, and giving the Tropes and Figures.
3. In ſcanning and proving verſes.
4. Sometimes in turning an Ode, or Epiſtle, into other kind of verſes, Engliſh, Latine, or Greek; ſometimes in paraphraſing or enlarging the words in an Oratorial ſtyle, as Mr. Horne doth give ſome Examples in his little golden book De uſu Authoris.
Mr. Farnabie or Mr. Bonds Notes upon this Poet will encourage your Scholars to proceed in him: And after they have read what you beſt approve (for he that feeds cleanly, will pare his apple) in this Authour, you may let them proceed to Juvenall, and read ſome ſelect Satyres, by help of Farnabies notes, or Lubines Commentarie, and then let them read Perſius quite through, which beſides the notes upon him, Mr. Holydaies Engliſh Tranſlation will help them well to underſtand. As for Lucan, Seneca's Tragedies, Martiall, and the reſt of the fineſt Latine Poets, you may do well to give them a taſte of each, and ſhow them how and wherein they may imitate them, or borrow ſomething out of them. Mr. Farnabies Notes upon them will be helpful to underſtand them, and Pareus, or Taubman upon Plautus, will make that ſome merry Comedies of his, may be eaſily read over.
8. They may read ſome of Luciani ſelecti mortuorum dialogi, on Tueſdaies in the afternoons, and if thoſe printed at Paris by Sebaſtian and Gabriel Cramoiſy, cum interpretatione Latinâ & Grammaticâ ſingularum vocum explanatione were to be had, they might eaſily run them over, but (I ſuppoſe) they will now be able to go on of themſelves in peruſal of thoſe lately printed by Mr. Dugard. After Leſſons ended, they may benefit themſelves by reading Jacobi Pontani Progymnaſmata Latinitatis, which will furniſh them with good expreſſions for ſpeaking Latine, and acquaint them with ſome patterns for exerciſes, which are not elſew here uſually found.
9. On Thurſdaies they may be imployed in reading ſome of Tullies Orations, eſpecially thoſe pro Archia contra Catalinam, and Philippicae; and afterwards they may peruſe Pliny Panegyrica, and Quintilian's Declamationes. After Leſſons ended, they may buſie themſelves in peruſing Goodwin's Antiquities, or the like. And here I do heartily wiſh, as Mr. Horne hath done formerly, that ſome of better leiſure and abilities, would make an Index Oratorius, like that Index Poeticus of Mr. Farnabies, which may point at the marrow of matter & words, in all the puteſt Orators that are extant, either ancient or modern, & that thoſe Authours might be reſerved in the Schoole Librarie, whereunto Scholars may have recourſe touching any ſubject, whereof they have occaſion to treat in their Schoole Exerciſes.
10. In the meane time this Forme ſhould continue to make Themes and Verſes, one week in Greek, and another in Latine; and ever and anon they may contend in making Orations & Declamaons, for which exerciſe the may find Helps and Patterns in Mr. Clerks Formule Oratoriae, and Mr. Horne de uſu Authoris. Likewiſe to bring themſelves to an habituated perfection of a good ſtyle, they ſhould be frequent in peruſing and excerpting paſſages that may ſerve for their occaſions out of Tully, Quintilian, Livie, Saluſt, Tacitus, Quintus Curtius, or the like ancient Orations; and acquaint themſelves with thoſe moderne Orators, whoſe eloquence we admire; viz. Turnerus, Baudius, Muretus, Heinſius, Pureanus, Rainoldus, Lipſius, Barclaius, Salmatius, and others, to be laid up in the Schoole Library. Teſmarus, and Orator extemporaneus, will ſhew them how to diſpoſe their matter ſo, as to make an Oration of any ſubject in Latine, ex tempore; and Aphthonius, and Libanius Sophiſta, will furniſh them with patterns in Greek. For learning to write Greek Epiſtles, they may conſult Iſocrate's Epiſtles, and Symmachus.
They ſhould often alſo vie wits amongſt themſelves, and ſtrive who can make the beſt Anagrams, Epigrams, Epitaphes, Epithalamia, Eclogues, Acroſticks, and golden verſes, Engliſh, Latine, Greek, and Hebrew; which they will eaſily do, after a while, having good patterns before them to imitate, which they may collect out of Authours, as they fanſie them, for their owne uſe and delight.
11. When they have done with Nowell, they may proceed to Birkets Catechiſme in Greek, or our common Church-Catechiſme in Hebrew, which was printed for the company of Stationers in four Languages, A. D. 1638.
Thus have I at laſt done with my School-Diſcovery, in which I have proceeded ſo far as to make any Authour ſeem eaſie to young Scholars, in their future progreſſe at the Univerſities, where I would adviſe them (that have purſes eſpecially) to provide themſelves of all the Latine and Greek Orators, and Poets, and what they cannot underſtand without a Commentary or Scholiaſt, to procure thoſe whereby they may beſt help themſelves, and to have Stephani Theſaurus, Greek and Latine; Suidas, Heſychius, Budaeus Commentaries, and the like, ever at hand; that they may be ſure to improve themſelves in the Latine and Greek Tongues, as well as to minde the daily ſtudy of Arts and Sciences, which are delivered in them.
1. And would ſome able Tutour take the paines to deſcribe a Right method of ſtudy and in what Authours Students may beſt beſtow their time for the firſt four years; it would doubtleſſe be a means to encourage them to go on to that height of perfection, which we ſee few attain to, and thoſe not untill they he ready to drop into their graves; and then they wiſh they could once run over again their former ſtudies, and tell how eaſily they could cope-gaine that little meaſure of knowledge, which they have ſo induſtriouſly ſought for all their life.
The conſtant employment of this ſixth Form is,
1. To read twelve verſes out of the Greek Teſtament every morning before Parts.
2. To repeat Latine and Greek Grammar Parts, and Elementa Rhetorices every Thurſday morning.
3. To learn the Hebrew Tongue on Mondaies, Tueſdaies, and Wedneſdaies, for morning Parts.
4. To read Heſiod, Homer, Pindar, and Lycophron, for forenoon leſſons on Mondaies, and Wedneſdaies.
5. Zenophon, Sophocles, Euripides, and Ariſtophanes, on Tueſdaies, & Thurſdaies.
6. Laubegeois's Breviarium Graecae linguae, for afternoons Parts on Mondaies, and Wedneſdaies.
7. Horace, Juvenal, Perſius, Lucan, Seneca's Tragedies, Martial and Plautus, for afternoons leſſons on Mondaies, and Wedneſdaies.
8. Lucian's ſelect Dialogues, and Pontani Progymnaſmata Latinitatis, on Tueſday afternoons, and
9. Tullies Orations, Plinies Panegryicks, Quintiſians Declamations on Thurſday afternoons, and Goodwins Antiquities at leiſure times.
10. Their exerciſes for Oratory, ſhould be to make Themes Orations, and Declamations, Latine, Greek, and Hebrew; and for Poetry, to make Verſes upon ſuch Themes, as are appointed them every week.
11. And to exerciſe themſelves in Anagrauis, Epigrams, Epitaphs, Epithalamia's, Eclogues, and Acroſticks, Engliſh, Latine, Greek, and Hebrew.
12. Their Catechiſmes are Nowell, and Birket, in Greek, and the Church Catechiſme in Hebrew. So that in ſix (or at the moſt ſeven) yeares time (which children commonly ſquander away, if they be not continued at the Schoole, after they can read Engliſh, and write well) they may eaſily attain to ſuch knowledge in the Latine, Greek, and Hebrew Tongues, as is requiſite to furniſh them for future ſtudies in the Univerſities, or to enable them for any ingenuous profeſſion or employment, which their friends ſhall think fit to put them upon, in other places.
But having ſomewhat to ſay further, touching the well-ordering of a Grammar Schoole, (for I have here inſiſted chiefly concerning Teaching) I ſhall endeavour to proceed in my next Treatiſe, with Schoole-Diſcipline.
In the mean time you may obſerve, that the Method which I have here diſcovered, is for the moſt part contrived according to what is commonly practiſed in England and foreign countries; and is in ſundry particulars proportioned to the ordinary capacities of children under fifteen yeares of age. The ſubject matter which is taught, is the ſame with that which is generally uſed by Grammars, Authours, and Exerciſes: Touching Grammars, I prefer Lilies for Latine, Camdens for Greek, and Buxtorf's Epitome for Hebrew, not excluding any other that may conduce to the compleating of Grammar Art. The Authours which I preſcribe to be uſed, are partly claſſical which every Scholar ſhould provide for himſelfe; and becauſe theſe are conſtantly learnt in moſt Grammar Schooles, I appoint them to be read at ſuch times as are uſually ſpent in Leſſons.
The Subſidiary Books are thoſe which are helpful to children in performing their tasks with more eaſe and benefit; and, becauſe all the Scholars will not have like need of them, and they are more then any one will deſire to buy: theſe ſhould be laid up in the Schoole Library, for every Form to make uſe on, as they ſhall have occaſion. Some of theſe ſerve chiefly to the explication of Grammar, and are applyed to it; ſome are needful for the better underſtanding of claſſical Authours, and are appropriated to them; and others are very requiſite for the gaining of words, and phraſes, and an ability for ſpeaking or writing elegantly, and ſuch times are ſet apart for peruſing of them, as are commonly truanted away in idleneſſe, or needleſſe ſport. Now by the joynt uſing of theſe together, I endevaour that a Scholar may have a pretty knowledge of the Language which he learneth, as well as of his bare Grammar Rules, which without it ſignifie nothing. And therefore to help children more eaſily to gain the Latine, I have tranſlated ſuch books as they learn whileſt they get the Grammar, into their own mother-tongue, that by comparing, and uſing both together, they may be able after good acquaintance with the Latine, to waine themſelves quite from Engliſh. He that deſires further ſatisfaction concerning the Tranſlations which I have already made, may peruſe that Advertiſement, that I cauſed to be printed before Cato's Diſtichs Engliſh and Latine.
And if any man ſhall think to tell me, that I ſeem to trouble my Scholars with too many books at once, becauſe a few, if well learned, will ſuffice to make a Grammarian; I will give him here to conſider;
1. That I have to deale with children who are delighted and refreſhed with variety of books, as well as of ſports, and meats.
2. That a Schoolmaſters aim being to teach them Languages, and Oratory, and Poetry, as well as Grammar, he muſt neceſſarily employ them in many Books which tend thereunto.
3. That the claſſical Authours are the ſame with other Schooles, and Subſidiaries may be provided at a common charge, as I ſhall afterwards ſhew.
The Scholars in a Grammar Schole may be fitly divided into ſix formes, whereof the three loweſt, which are commonly under an Uſher, may be termed.
1. Rudimentaries, that learne the Grounds.
2. Practitioners, that exerciſe the Rules.
3. Proficients, that can ſpeak and write true Latine. The three higheſt Formes, are employed by the Maſter to learne the Greek and Hebrew Tongues, together with the Latine, and to gaine ſome skill in Oratory and Poetry, and matters of humanity; and of theſe I may name the loweſt Tertiani, the middlemoſt Secundani, and the higheſt Primani, becauſe they ſeem to differ one from another in ability of learning, as theſe Roman legionary ſouldiers did in ſtrength and uſe of Armes.
This diviſion I have purpoſely made, that whether one Maſter alone be put to teach the whole, or have one, two, or more Uſhers to aſſiſt him, he may conſtantly train up his Scholars by one and the ſame Way of teaching, (altering now and then onelyonly ſome circumſtances, as his own Diſcretion ſhall better direct him,) and, that every Scholar may from his firſt entrance to the Schoole, proceed with cheerfulneſſe in learning when he ſeeth plainly what he is to do from year to year, and how others before him in a playing manner, overskip thoſe ſeeming difficulties, which he imagineth in his minde. And conceive it will be no ſmall ſatisfaction to Parents, and a mean to ceaſe the indiſcreet clamors of ſome againſt School-maſters, to ſee what method they obſerve in teaching, and how their children profit by degrees, according to their preſent apprehenſions, and growth in years.
And now the God of heaven & earth, in whoſe alone power it is to give increaſe; vouchſafe to beſtow ſuch a bleſſing upon our planting and watering, that our young plants may grow up in all godlineſſe and good learning, and abound in the knowledge of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, whom onelyonly to know, is eternal life. Amen.
SCHOLASTICK DISCIPLINE: OR, The VVAY of ordering a Grammar-Schoole, Directing the not experienced, how he may profit every particular Scholar, and avoyd Confuſion amongſt a multitude. By C. H.
LONDON, Printed by J. T. for Andrew Crook, at the Green Dragon, in Pauls Church-yard, 1659.