A New Discovery of the Old Art of Teaching School, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Of ſaying Parts, and Leſſons and of peruſing Tranſlations, and all other kind of Exerciſes.
1. THe beſt time for ſaying Grammar Parts, or the like, is the morning, partly becauſe the memory is then the freſheſt; and partly, becauſe children may take the opportunity over night to get them perfectly at home. But foraſmuch as Vocabula's are more eaſie to be impreſſed in the mind, and require leſſe paines in getting, I conceive it not amiſſe, that children be continually exerciſed in ſaying them for afternoons parts at one a clock, before which hour they may prepare themſelves afore-hand (even) amid their play.
After parts ſaid, the Maſter or his Uſhers ſhould immediately give Leſſons to every Form, or appoint a boy out of an upper Form to give Leſſons to that which is next below him, in his hearing; which he ſhould diſtinctly conſtrue once or twice over, and note out all the Words, wherein the moſt difficulty of parſing ſeems to lye, and name the Tropes and Figures, the Phraſes, and other elegancies that are to be found (eſpecially) in higher Authours.
The Leſſons ſhould be got ready to be ſaid againſt ten a clock in the forenoon, and four in the after noon; at which time the Scholars ſhould come all orderly and quietly out of their Form, and taking their places where they ought to ſtand, (ſo as one ſide may be oppoſite to another) they ſhould all make their ſalutes, and then ſay one after another, except they be appointed otherwiſe.
For ſometimes when you have occaſion to make more haſtie diſpatch with a Form, you may cauſe any one or more to ſay the whole Leſſon, or by pieces; but be ſure that they all come very well provided, and that every one be intent upon what another is ſaying, for which purpoſe you may note him that hath been moſt negligent in his ſeat, and ask him ever and anon, what it was that his fellow ſaid laſt.
To ſave your own lungs in asking many queſtions, and telling Rules, or the like, you may let every two boyes examine one another, and your ſelf onelyonly help them, when they are both at a miſtake.
You may eaſily amend that common and troubleſome fault of indiſtinct and muttering ſpeaking, by calling out a bold ſpirited little boy, that can ſpeak with a grace, and encouraging him to give the other an higher note for the elevation of his voyce: for this will at laſt enforce the boy you are troubled with, to ſpeak louder, and with a better grace; and to ſtrive to pronounce his words more diſtinctly, then the other did before him.
After Leſſons are ended, you may let every one propound what queſtions he pleaſeth, for his oppoſite to anſwer, and this will be a means to whet them on to more diligence in getting them, before they come to ſay.
In the three loweſt Forms, or in others, where all have the ſame Tranſlations, or Dictates, you may cauſe onelyonly him whoſe performance you moſt doubt of, to read what he hath written both in Engliſh and Latine, and help him, as you finde his errour, to correct it, and ſee that all the reſt amend their own faults accordingly. Afterwards, you may let one parſe it both in Engliſh and Latine, and order them all to write it over again fair in a Paper-book for themſelves, and to give you alſo a copy of it neatly written in a looſe paper, every Saturday. And thus you ſhall have every one begin to leane to his own ſtrength, a thing very neceſſary in all kinde of Exerciſes, though they doe the leſſe. If you once take notice of any boyes ſtrength, you may eaſily judge of what he bringeth, whether it be his own, or anothers doing.
But in the upper Formes, and where they have all ſeveral Exerciſes, it is neceſſary that you peruſe what every Scholar hath done. And for this work, you may ſet apart Saturday fore-noons, after Grammatical Examinations are ended, and before they ſay their Catechiſmes. And that they may write them fair, you ſhould ſometimes compare them with their Copy-Books, or ſuch pieces as they writ laſt, at the Writing-Schoole. Before they bring them to you to read, let them peruſe one anothers Exerciſe amongſt themſelves, and try what faults they can finde in it; and as you read them over, where you ſee a groſſe miſtake, explode it; where you eſpie any over-ſight, note it with a daſh, that they may amend it; but where you ſee any fault, which is beyond their power to avoyd, or remedy, do you mildely correct it for them, and adviſe them to obſerve it for the future. However, forget not to commend him moſt that hath done the beſt, and for his encouragement to make him read over his exerciſe aloud, that others may heare it, and then to hang it up in an eminent place, that they may imitate it; and if any one can afterwards out-doe it, let his exerciſe be hanged up in its ſtead. But if any one hath lazily performed his exerciſe, ſo that it be worſe then all the reſt, let it be cut in faſhion of a leg, and be hanged up by the heel, till he make a better, and deſerve that that may be taken down. It is not amiſſe alſo, to ſtirre them up to more diligence, to have a Common-paper-Book, wherein the names of all in every Form that have optimè and peſſimè performed their weekly exerciſes may be written, and that the one may have the priviledge to beg a Play-day once a monethmonth, or to obtain pardon for ſome of his fellows; and the other may be confined to ſome task, when a Play-day is granted.