Accedence Commenced, Title page – To the reader
ACCEDENCE Commenc't GRAMMAR, Supply'd with sufficient RULES, For the use of such (Younger or Elder) as are desirous, without more trouble than needs to attain the LATIN TONGUE; The Elder sort especially, with little Teaching, and their own Industry.
By JOHN MILTON.
LONDON, Printed for S. S. and are to be sold by John Starkey at the Miter in Fleet-street, near Temple-bar. 1669.
TO THE READER
IT hath been long a general complaint not without cause, in the bringing up of Youth, and still is, that the tenth part of mans life, ordinarily extended, is taken up in learning, and that very scarcely, the Latin Tongue. Which …ardy proficience may be attributed to several causes; In particular, the making two labours of one, by learning first the Accedence, then the Grammar in Latin, ere the Language of those Rules be understood. The only remedy of this, was to joyn both Books into one, and in the English Tongue; whereby the long way is much abbreviated, and the labour of understanding much more easie: A work suppos'd not to have been done formerly, or if done, not without such difference here in brevity and alteration, as may be found of moment. That of Grammar, touching Letters and Syllables, is omitted, as learnt before, and little different from the English Spelling-book; especially, since few will be perswaded to pronounce Latin otherwise then thir own English. What will not come under Rule, by reason of too much variety in Declension, Gender, or Construction, is also here omitted, least the course and clearness of method be clog'd with Catalogues instead of Rules, or too much interruption between Rule and Rule: Which Linaker setting down the various Idiomes of many verbs, was fore't to do by Alphabet; and therefore, though very learned, not thought fit to be read in Schools. But in such words, a Dictionary stor'd with good Authorities will be found the readiest guide. Of figurate Construction what is usefull is digested into several Rules of Syntaxis: and Prosodie, after this Grammar well learnt, will not need to be Englisht for him who hath a mind to read it. Account might be now givn what addition or alteration from other Grammars hath been here made, and for what reason. But he who would be short in teaching, must not be long in Prefacing: The Book it self follows, and will declare sufficiently to them who can discern.
J. M.