A Light to Grammar and All Other Arts and Sciences, Chapter 10 – Title page 2
CHAP. X.
What eſteeme the Grammar hath; how little eſteeme, the Grammarian. The Dignity of the underſtanding. The concluſion of the firſt, a Tranſition to the ſecond part.
AND now I had almoſt ſaid, Wee have done with the Grammar; but indeed we cannot tell when we have done. For though it be of ſmall uſe in our Mother-tongue, yet in forraigne tongues of more uſe it is, of moſt uſe in ſuch, which ceaſe to be vulgar, and are rightly called learned tongues; All theſe three we would ſtill perfect, as well for intercourſe of ſpeech, and underſtanding of Authors, as alſo for examining the power, and nature of words, as they are the foot-ſteps, and prints of reaſon. And all this we cannot doe by any other Art, then by the Art of Grammar: The following words are to be noted. Man ſtill ſtriveth to reintegrate himſelfe in thoſe benedictions, from which, by his fault, he hath been deprived; And as he hath ſtriven againſt the firſt generall curſe, by the invention of all other Arts; ſo hath he ſought to come forth of the ſecond generall curſe, (which was the confuſion of tongues) by the Art of Grammar.
But though the Grammar is of ſo much and ſo generall uſe, yet we muſt not dwell upon it, nor muſt we make it our ambition to make our childe a Grammarian, and no more, for that were a very meane promotion. He may haply, having knowledge therein, pick up a poore living, if his Salary be duly paid: For Homer, they ſay, gives many a man his dinner; much good may it doe him. But he will be a deſpiſed man for all that. A Grammarian! anciently it was a word of reproach; and it was well knowne, That a baſe Hypocr…te, a Stage-player, a Fidler, had their precedency a mile before him: And a Barber waighed downe this Wordy-man above ten thouſand pounds in bad money, and as much more in good Land. What his worth is now, I will not diſpute; but if he be a Grammarian, and no more, he is as a meere Logician, and he hath eſteem to the top of his worth, and ſomewhat above it. He is in very deed a Babler cforeign Acts 17. 18., a man of ragges, made up of words; Such a one as he was, who ſtood in the Corne-Market gathering up the Corne, that fell beſides the ſack in emptying; that is a Babler indeed, of Caſaubon.no more worth in judgement, then in purſe, of no worth in either.
Surely if our work be to promote the childe, wee muſt not ſet up our ſtaffe here, here muſt not be our Pillars: we muſt not dwell upon words, as the Sophiſter may doe too long upon Genus and Species. The Grammar teacheth no more but words; it hath indeed ſome jagges, centons, or old ends of things, nothing of worth. It is the unfitteſt booke to gain the knowledge of things by, that I know in the world, I mean ſuch books now which may properly be called ſo, for all that paſſe under that name, are not Books, ſaid the Noble Scholar bBockes, ſuch as are worthy the name of bookes, ought to have no Patrons, but Truth and Reaſon, Adv. p. 32.. Though Voces and Res ſhould never be diſtinct, (in learning) yet we muſt take a more diſtinct notice of things, and not of this, or that, or the third thing, of three things, or of foure, for this were to empriſon the underſtanding, or to keep the immortall ſoule in a Cloyſter, nay to ſeale it up in a dungeon. We muſt informe the underſtanding, what we can concerning this totum ſcibile, this foreign All that may be knowne of God; and we muſt take the very way, that God Himſelfe hath revealed; for ſuch His Grace, He hath made it knowne unto us.
It was well anſwered by one, who was thought that hee could live but in one place; Yes, ſaid he, in any place where it is poſſible to live, in any place of the world, for I am a Citizen thereof. Certainly ſo is man, ſuch a Citizen, though he may be confined for many waighty reaſons, to this or that place, yet he is a Citizen of the world, for he is the very modle thereof, he is made after the pattern, (I know my word is too low) and for his underſtanding, it hath for its Range, the whole world too: what a wrong then to conſine fAſper…atur certorum finium pr…ſcriptionem. Sc: Exca. 307. ſect. 11.this ſo noble a faculty, and to impale it within a circle (which will not keep in a mouſe.) The underſtanding is quicker then any bird, more ſoaring then an Eagle, nay it came from heaven, and thitherward it is pointed. It hath appealed thither in its right and ſtraight motion, and therefore to heaven it ſhall goe; ſo we ſay, for it is our main ſcope, the white we ayme at. We may like enough fall ſhort of it: But hee that threatens a ſtarre, will ſhoote higher then he that bends to a mole-hill gAltius ibunt qu…ad ſumma nitentur quain qui, &c. Quint. Orat. Prefat..
And ſo we leave the Grammar, that dull work, and ſet upon that which is more noble, and beſitting ſo noble a faculty. But it is the work of another day, a ſecond task.
FINIS.
A GATE TO SCIENCES, OPENED By a Naturall Key: OR, A PRACTICALL Lecture upon the great Book of Nature, whereby the childe is enabled to reade the Creatures there.
foreign. Clem. Alex. li. 6. p. 501.
Deus ita eſt Artifex Magnus in magnis, ut non minor fit in parvis, &c. Aug. de Civ. 1. 11. cap. 21.
Quicquid eſſentiâ dignum eſt, id etiam ſcientiâ. Nov. Org. 1. 120.
Printed at London for Iohn Bartlet. 1641.