A Short Introduction to Grammar, Title page – Prayer
A Short Introduction OF GRAMMAR GENERALLY TO BE USED:
Compiled and ſet forth for the bringing up of all thoſe that intend to attain to the knowledge of the Latine tongue.
CAMBRIDGE, ¶Printed by JOHN HAYES, Printer to the Univerſitie. Anno Dom. 1673.
To the Reader.
TO exhort every man to the learning of Grammar that intendeth to attain to the underſtanding of the tongues, (wherein is contained a great treaſure of wiſdom and knowledge) it would ſeem much vain and little needful; for ſo much as it is to be known that nothing can ſurely be ended, whoſe beginning is either feeble or faulty; and no building be perfect, when as the foundation and ground-work is ready to fall and unable to uphold the burden of the frame. Wherefore it were better for the thing it ſelf, and more profitable for the learner, to underſtand how he may beſt come to that which he ought moſt neceſſarily to have, and to learn the plaineſt way of obtaining that which muſt be his beſt and certaineſt guide, both of reading and ſpeaking, then to fall in doubt of the goodneſs and neceſſity thereof: which I doubt, whether he ſhall more lament that he lacketh, or eſteem that he hath it: and whether he ſhall oftner ſtumble at trifles, and be deceived in light matters, when he hath it not; or judge truely and faithfully of divers weighty things, when he hath it. The which hath ſeemed to many very hard to compaſs aforetime, becauſe that they who profeſſed this art of teaching Grammar, did teach divers Grammars, and not one: and if by chance they taught one Grammar, yet they did it diverſly, and ſo could not do it all beſt; becauſe there is but one beſtneſs, not onelyonly in every thing, but alſo in the manner of every thing.
As for the diverſity of Grammars, it is well and profitably taken away by the Kings Majeſties wiſdom, who foreſeeing the inconvenience, and favourably providing the remedy, cauſed one kind of Grammar by ſundry learned men to be diligently drawn, and ſo to be ſet out onelyonly, every where to be taught for the uſe of learners, and for avoiding the hurt in changing of Schoolmaſters.
The variety of teaching is diverſe yet, and always will be; for that every Schoolmaſter liketh that he knoweth, and ſeeth not the uſe of that he knoweth not; and therefore judgeth that the moſt ſufficient way, which he ſeeth to be the readieſt mean, and perfecteſt kind, to bring a learner to have a through knowledge therein.
Wherefore it is not amiſs, if one ſeeing by tryal an eaſier and readier way then the common ſort of teachers do, would ſay what he hath proved, and for the commoditie allowed; that others not knowing the ſame, might by experience prove the like, and then by proof reaſonable judge the like: not hereby excluding the better way when it is found; but in the mean ſeaſon forbidding the worſe.
The firſt and chiefeſt point is, that the diligent Maſter make not the Scholar haſte too much; but that he in continuance and diligence of teaching, make him to rehearſe ſo, that until he hath perfectly that which is behind▪ he ſuffer him not to go forward: for this poſting haſte overthroweth and hurteth a great ſort of wits, and caſteth them into an amazedneſs, when they know not how they ſhall either go forward, for backward; but ſtick faſt as one plunged, that cannot tell what to do, or which way to turn him: and then the Maſter thinketh the Scholar to be a dullard, and the Scholar thinketh the thing to be uneaſie, and too hard for his wit: and the one hath an evil opinion of the other, when oftentimes it is in neither, but in the kind of teaching. Wherefore the beſt & chiefeſt point throughly to be kept is, that the Scholar have in mind ſo perfectly that which he hath learned, and underſtand it ſo, that not onelyonly it be not a ſtop for him, but alſo a light and help unto the reſidue that followeth. This ſhall be the Maſters eaſe, and the childs encouraging, when the one ſhall ſee his labour take good effect, and thereby in teaching be leſs tormented; and the other ſhall think the thing the eaſier, and ſo with more gladneſs be ready to go about the ſame.
In going forward, let him have of every declenſion of Nouns, and conjugation of Verbs, ſo many ſeveral examples as they paſs them; that it may ſeem to the Schoolmaſter, no word in the Latine tongue to be ſo hard for that part, as the Scholar ſhall not be able, praiſably, to enter into the forming thereof. And ſurely the multitude of examples (if the eaſieſt and commoneſt be taken firſt, and ſo come to the ſtranger and harder) muſt needs bring this profit withall, that the Scholar ſhall beſt underſtand, and ſooneſt conceive the reaſon of the rules, and beſt be acquainted with the faſhion of the tongue Wherein it is profitable, not onelyonly that he can orderly decline his Noun, and his Verb; but every way, forward, backward, by caſes, by perſons: that neither caſe of Noun, nor perſon of Verb can be required, that he cannot without ſtop or ſtudy tell. And untill this time I count not the Scholar perfect, nor ready to go any further till he hath this already learned.
This when he can perfectly do, and hath learned every part, not by rote, but by reaſon, and is more cunning in the underſtanding of the thing, then in rehearſing of the words (which is not paſt a quarter of a years diligence, or very little more, to a painful and diligent man, if the Scholar have a mean wit) then let him paſs to the Concords, to know the agreement of parts among themſelves, with like way and diligence as is afore deſcribed.
Wherein plain and ſundry examples, and continual rehearſal of things learned, and ſpecially the daily declining of a Verb, and turning him into all faſhions, ſhall make the great and heavy labour ſo eaſie and ſo pleaſant for the framing of ſentences, that it will be rather a delight unto them that they be able to do well; then pain in ſearching of an unuſed and unacquainted thing.
When theſe Concords be well known unto them, (an eaſie and pleaſant pain, if the fore-grounds be well and throughly beaten in) let them not continue in learning of their rules orderly, as they lie in their Syntax, but rather learn ſome pretty book wherein is contained not onelyonly the eloquence of the tongue, but alſo a good plain leſſon of honeſty and godlineſs; and thereof take ſome little ſentence as it lieth, and learn to make the ſame firſt out of Engliſh into Latine, not ſeeing the book or conſtruing it thereupon. And if there fall any neceſſary rule of the Syntax to be known, then to learn it, as the occaſion of the ſentence giveth cauſe that day: which ſentence once made well, and as nigh as may be with the words of the book, then to take the book and conſtrue it; and ſo ſhall he be leſs troubled with the parſing of it, and eaſilieſt carry his leſſon in mind.
And although it was ſaid before, that the Scholars ſhould learn but a little at once, it is not meant that when the Maſter hath heard them a while, he ſhould let them alone (for that were more negligence for both parts) but I would, all their time they be at ſchool, they ſhould never be idle, but always occupied in a continual rehearſing and looking back again to thoſe things they have learned, and be more bound to keep well their old, then to take forth any new.
Thus if the Maſter occupie them he ſhall ſee a little leſſon take a great deal of time, and diligently enquiring and examining of the parts and the rules, not to be done ſo quickly and ſpeedily as it might be thought to be: within a while by this uſe, the Scholar ſhall be brought to a good kind of readineſs of making, to the which if there be adjoyned ſome uſe of ſpeaking (which muſt neceſſarily be had) he ſhall be brought paſt the weariſome bitterneſs of his learning.
A great help to further this readineſs of making and ſpeaking ſhall be, if the Maſter give him an Engliſh book, and cauſe him ordinarily every day to turn ſome part into Latine. This exerciſe cannot be done without his rules, and therefore doth eſtabliſh them, and ground them ſurely in his mind for readineſs, and makerh him more able to ſpeak ſuddenly, whenſoever any preſent occaſion is offered for the ſame. And it doth help his learning more a great deal, to turn out of Engliſh into Latine, then on the contrary.
Furthermore we ſee many can underſtand Latine, that cannot ſpeak it; and when they read the Latine word in the book, can tell you the Engliſh thereof at any time: but when they have laid away their book, they cannot contrariwiſe tell you for the Engliſh the Latine again, whenſoever you will ask them. And therefore this exerciſe helpeth this ſore well, and maketh thoſe words which he underſtandeth, to be readier by uſe unto him, and ſo perfecteth him in the tongue handſomely.
Theſe precepts, well kept, will bring a man clear paſt the uſe of this Grammar book, and make him as ready as his book, and ſo meet to further things▪ whereof it were out of ſeaſon to give precepts here. And therefore this may be for this purpoſe enough, which to good Schoolmaſters and …kilful is not ſo needful, to other meaner and leſs practiſed it may be not onelyonly worth the labour of reading, but alſo of the uſing.
An Advertiſement to the READER.
IN this Impreſſion, for the greater profit and eaſe both of Maſter and Scholar, in the Engliſh rules, and in the Latine Syntax, theſe words, wherein the force of each example lieth, are noted with letters and figures, where need is: the governour, directour or guider, or that which is in place of it with an a; the governed, or that which is guided by it with b: Or if there be more governours, the firſt with •, the ſecond with aa; and ſo if more governeds, the firſt with b, the ſecond with bb: and ſometimes the order is directed by a, b, c; or by figures, and words of the ſame and ſuch like nature, coupled together with little ſtrokes between, ſo much as may be. That ſo in ſaying the enſamples, the children may (where or when the Maſter pleaſeth) render again onelyonly thoſe words which are the enſample; as ſaying, Quis niſi b mentis a inops oblatum reſpuat aurum? may repeat again,a inops,b mentis. So throughout all the Latine rules, for the better underſtanding thereof, and for a ſhort repetition, when the Maſter pleaſeth, the ſums of all the rules are ſet down, either in the words before the rule, or in the margin, that ſo they may be chained together briefly, and make perfect ſenſe.
The Latine letters are thus written.
The capital letters,
A B C D E F G H J I K L M N O P Q R S T V U X Y Z.
A B C D E F G H J I K L M N O P Q R S T V Ʋ X Y Z.
The ſmall letters,
a b c d e f g h j i k l m n o p q r ſ S t v u x y z.
a b c d e f g h j i k l m n o p q r ſ s t v u x y z.
Letters are divided into vowels and conſonants.
A vowel is a letter which maketh a full and perfect ſound of it ſelf; and there are five in number: namely, a, e, i, o, u; whereunto is added the Greek vowel y.
A conſonant is a letter which muſt needs be ſounded with a vowel; as b with e. And all the letters, except the vowels, are conſonants.
A ſyllable is the pronouncing of one letter or more with one breath; as, A-ve.
A diphthong is the ſound of two vowels in one ſyllable, and of them there be four in number; namely, ae, oe, au, eu; whereunto is added ei: as Aeneas, coena, audio, euge, hei.
In ſtead of ae and oe, we commonly do pronounce e.
The Greek letters are thus written.
In capital letters,
Α Β Γ Δ Ε Ζ Η Θ Ι Κ Λ Μ Ν Ξ Ο Π Ρ Σ Τ Υ Φ Χ Ψ Ω.
The ſmall letters,
α β γ δ ε ζ η θ ι κ λ μ ν ξ ο π ρ σ τ υ φ χ ψ ω.
PRECATIO.
DOmine Pater, coeli ac terrae Effector, qui liberaliter tribuis ſapientiam omnibus eam cum fiducia abs te petentibus, exorna ingenii mei bonitatem, quam cum caeteris naturae viribus mihi infudiſti, lumine divinae gratiae tuae: ut non modò quae ad cognoſcendum te & Servatorem noſtrum Dominum Jeſum valeant intelligam; ſed etiam ita mente & voluntate perſequar, & indies benignitate tuâ, cum doctrinâ, tum pietate proficiam: ut qui efficis omnia in omnibus, in me reſplendeſcere dona tua facias, ad gloriam ſempiternam immortalis Majeſtatis tuae. Amen.
A PRAYER.
O Almighty Lord and merciful Father, maker of heaven & earth, which of thy free liberality giveſt wiſdome abundantly to all that with faith and full aſſurance ask it of thee, beautifie by the light of thy heavenly grace the towardneſs of my wit, the which with all powers of nature thou haſt poured into me; that I may not onelyonly underſtand thoſe things which may effectually bring me to the knowledge of thee, and the Lord Ieſus our Saviour; but alſo, with my whole heart and will conſtantly follow the ſame, and receive daily increaſe through thy bountiful goodneſs towards me, as well in good life as doctrine: ſo that thou, which workeſt all things in all creatures, mayeſt make thy gracious benefits ſhine in me, to the endleſs glory and honour of thine immortal Majeſty. So be it.
An Introduction of the eight parts of LATINE Speech.
IN Speech be theſe eight parts following:
declined.
Noun,
Pronoun,
Verb,
Participle,
undeclined.
Adverb,
Conjunction,
Prepoſition,
Interjection.