orderly taught and disciplined What I have here writ concerning the Teaching and ordering of a Petty-Schoole was in many particulars experienced by my self with a few little boyes that I taught amongst my Grammar-Scholars in London and I know those of eminent worth and great learning that upon tryal made upon their own children at home and others at Schoole are ready to attest the ease and benefit of this method Insomuch as I was resolved to have adjoyned a Petty-Schoole to my Grammar-Schoole at the Token-house in Lothbury London and there to have proceeded in this familiar and pleasing way of Teaching had I not been unhansomly dealt with by those whom it concerned for their own profit sake to have given me lesse discouragement Neverthelesse I think it my duty to promote Learning what I can and to lay a sure foundation for such a goodly structure as learning is And though perhaps I may never be able to effect what I desire for its advancement yet it will be my comfort to have imparted somwhat to others that may help thereunto I have here begun at the very ground work intending by Gods blessing forthwith to publish The New Discovery of the Old Art of Teaching which doth properly belong to a Grammar-Schoole In the mean time I intreat those into whose hands this little work may come to look upon it with a single eye and whether they like or dislike it to think that it is not unnecessary for men of greatest parts to bestow a sheet or two at leasure time upon so mean a subject as this seem's to bee And that God which causeth immense rivers to flow from small spring-heads vouchsafe to blesse these weak beginings in tender age that good learning may proceed hence to its full perfection in riper years FINIS THE Usher's Duty OR A PLAT-FORME of Teaching LILIES Grammar By C. H. LONDON Printed by J. T. for Andrew Crook at the Green Dragon in Pauls Church Yard 1659. THE Usher's Duty OR A Plat-forme of Teaching Lilies Grammar CHAP. I. How to help Children that are imperfect in reading English when they are brought to the Grammar-Schoole and how to prepare them for more easie entrance upon Latine THE want of good Teachers of English in most places where Grammar-Schooles are erected causeth that many Children are brought thither to learn the Latine Tongue before they can read well And this chiefly to prevent their losse of time with those that can teach them no further Now such Scholars for the most part become the greatest disgrace to the Master of all the rest partly because indiscreet and illiterate parents I wil not say servants that can scarcely read English themselves become too severe judges of his work and partly because he seem's to some to undervalue himself by admiting Petties into his Schoole But for the toyl and trouble that he hath in teaching such I rather seek how to remedie it then go about in words to expresse it To help therefore that defect of reading English aright you may take this as the most useful course 1. Let them read a Chapter every morning and every noon in the New-Testament and at ten and four a clock a piece of the Accidents which will require at least a quarter of a year to be read over in case the children be very imperfect but in case they be any whit ready it may be gone over in six weeks time 2. To exercise their slender memories at their first coming to Schoole and to find them some little task over-night to which they should be inured at the first that they may not take it more hardly afterwards let them commit to memory some few staves of such Psalms in Meeter as you in your discretion shall think best to sute with their shallow apprehensions Psalm 1. 4. 12. 15. 19. 25. 34. 67. 100. 103 104 119. are excellent for this purpose That they may be more perfect in their lessons before they come to say 1. It were good if you did now and then read a piece for their imitation observing the just and full pronounciation of each syllable and making pauses as they come 2. But especially as they sit in their form see that every one after another read the Lesson twice or thrice over the highest because the most able beginning to read first and cause that every one attend diligently to what is read looking constantly upon his book and let them have liberty who can soonest to correct him that readeth any word amisse and to note it as his mistake But in this a care must be had that they make no noise nor disturbance to the rest of the Schoole 3. When they come to say let every one in that order you shall appoint beginning either with the highest or lowest or otherwise read the whole Lesson or a piece of it as the time will best permit you to hear them and when the lesson is gone often enough over you may propound a familiar and short question or two out of it thereby to make somewhat of its meaning stick in their memories and dismisse them to their places to ask one another the like But because the Accidents as it is now Printed especially that part of it which concerneth the conjugateing of verbs is too full of difficult Abbreviations for the most Children to read or some Masters that undertake it to teach I have found a great advantage and ease by making use of the examination of the Accidents before I put them to read the Accidents it self especially with some more dull-witted boyes that I could not otherwise fasten upon and the way I used it was this I caused 1. That Children should read over onely the first part of it which concerneth the Introduction of the eight parts of Speech by taking so much at a time as they could well be able to read and belonged to one or more particular heads of Grammar Thus in the first going it over I made them acquainted with the usual terms of Grammar-Art so as to be able at least to turn to a Noun Pronoune Verb c. and to what belong to them as to the Numbers Cases Persons Moods c. and to tell how many there are of each And in the second reading it over I taâ—ght them to take notice what every part of speech is and how it differs from others and what things belong to every one of them And this I did by English examples which best help to instruct their understandings in the meaning of what they read and confirm their memories to keep it Ex. gr having shewed them in their Book that a Noun is the name of a thing and that it is substantive or Adjective and hath Numbers Cases Genders Declensions and Degrees of Comparison I instance several words as a horse of men sweet honey with sweeter words and let the Children who can readiliest tell me what belong to them This is as Mr. Woodward very well expresseth it in his Light
which the Schoole-Master may safely keep by him as a Testimony of what they can perform take care to see that their writing for the future be not much worse This Pattern or Copy I formerly received from that industrious pen-man Mr. Roger Evans who had sometimes taught me to write being a Scholar at Wakefield and afterwards yearly taught my Scholars whilest I was School-Master at Rotherham June 1. 1635. A man cannot any way enter into the canonized rule to come to Gods holy will and kingdome except he reform and become acquainted with vertuous manners in most prudent sort that may be c. Roger Evans But in London which of all places I know in England is best for the full improvement of children in their education because of the variety of objects which daily present themselves to them or may easily be seen once a year by walking to Mr. John Tradescants or the like houses or gardens where rarities are kept a Book of all which might deserve to be printed as that ingenuous Gentleman hath lately done his by the name of Musaeum Tradescantianum a Collection of Rarities could Parents at home but halfe so well look to their behaviour as the Masters do to their learning at Schoole it is ordinary for Scholars at eleven and five a clock to go to the Writing-Schooles and there to benefit themselves in writing In that City therefore having the opportunity of the neighbourhood of my singular loving friend Mr. James Hodder whose Coppy bookes of late printed do sufficiently testify his ability for the profession he hath undertaken and of whose care and pains I have had abundant triall by his profiting of my Scholars for at least twelve years together who had most of them learned of him to write a very fair hand not to speak of Arithmetick or Merchants Accounts which they gained also by his teaching at spare times In the Token-house garden in Lothbury somewhat near the Old-Exchange I so ordered the business with him that all my lower Scholars had their little Paper-books ruled wherein they writ their lessons fair and then their Translations and other Exercises in loose papers in his sight untill they were able to do every thing of themselves in a handsome manner And afterwards it is not to be expressed what pleasure they took in writing and flourishing their Exercises all the while they continued with me at the Schoole This or a better course perhaps may be taken at other Schooles where they have a writing-Writing-Master constant and ready to attend them every day throughout the year as I have heard Mr. Farnaby made use of Mr. Taylor a famous Pen-man for the teaching his Scholars to write If at any time a Scholar doth not write his Exercises in the fairest manner that he is able his punishment may be to write them over again whilest others play I have been told of a Porter that could neither write nor read who if at any time he had seen his son write his Exercises at home in a worse hand then he thought he was able to do would teare them to pieces and thus at last enforced the young Scholar upon a very good hand of writing which rude kinde of dealing with a childe though I would have no Parents to imitate yet I would advise them sometimes to look upon their childrens writing at home and to encourage them to do it in the neatest fashion For as it will be an ornament to them in their learning and an especiall furtherance of their Studies or future employments elsewhere so it will be a great ease to the Master in the perusal of what they have written I with some others have bin sorry to see some of that reverend and learned Mr. Hookers Sermons come in manuscript to the presse and not to have been possible to be printed because they were so scriblingly written that no body could read three words together in them It is commonly objected to the best Scholars in any of the three Professions that they write the worst hands and therefore I wish that care may be taken to prevent that objection at the Schoole to a future generation Now to train up Scholars as well in Calligraphy as Orthography whilst they write their Translations in a Paper-book they should often be admonished 1. To keep a large Margent on both â—â—des to leave the space of a long letters â—ength betwixt every line and of a small â—â—tters breadth betwixt every word â—nd to regard the Proportion of every particular letter and the difference betwixt j and i and v and u and above â—â—l to beware of blotting or soyling their â—ooks 2. To make every Comma Colon Semicolon Period notes of Interrogation Parenthesis and notes of Admiration c. in their due places 3. To write all their words in an even line with the tops bellies and bottomes of the letters of an even size and when they have an occasion to divide any word to part it by its just syllables making this mark Hyphen at the end of the line And 4. In Latine to give an Adverb or other word its note of difference the like as the Grammar will further direct them But for directions in fair writing I refer him to that sheet which Mr. Hodder hath caused to be printed before his Copy-book which will sufficiently commend its Authour After they have once got an habit of these things they wil more easily observe them in future Exercises the neglect whereof will be harder to remedie afterwards which I have seen too grosse in some mens letters that have come from the Universities As for Books a care would be first had to procure those of a faire print in good paper and strongly bound then the Master may more easily see that his Scholars keep them all fafe and cleanly and free from scribling or rending by causing them at a time unexepcted to bring all their books before him and to shew their names together with a note of the price fairly writ in the middle of every one of them as well as at the beginning or end And that none may squander his own or pilfer away anothers book or have it carelesly thrown about or to seek when he should use it the Master may do well to make every Scholar once a quarter to deliver him a Catalogue of his Books with the day of the moneth and his name subscribed which he may lay by him so as at any time to call him whom he suspecteth to be negligent of his books to a private and particular account of them That the Schoole may be furnished with all kind of Subsidiary books for the general use of all the Scholars to be laid up in Repositories or Presses as so many little Libraries belonging to every Form and to be safely kept under lock and key whereof the headst boy in each Form should take the charge to deliver them out and see they be brought in every night without being abused
it would not be amisse that every Scholar which is admitted into the Schoole should give 12. pence besides what is accustomed to be paid to the Master and every one at his removeal into a new Form should give 12. pence likwise towards the procuring of common books The Master also may do well to stir up his friends that come to visit the Schoole or especially such as prevaile with him for a Play-day to contribute somewhat towards the furtherance of childrens learning as well as to be earnestly importunate for that which may hinder it But where a Schoole is liberally endowed it would be good that a considerable stock of mony were appointed to be laid out yearly in all kinde of Schoole-books whereby the poorer sort of children may have whereon to learn and they all other Scholars wherewith to help themselves in their Lessons and Exercises And might I become a Petitioner to the forementioned Trustees for the maintenance of Students or any that are both willing able to promote the growth of good learning I should desire that towards the better compleating of a Grammar-Schoole there might be a little Library well furnished with all sorts of Grammars Phrase-books Lexicons Dictionaries Orators Poets Histories Herbals Commentators Scholiasts Antiquaries Criticks and some of the succinciest and choycest Authours for matters of Humanity Divinity Medicine and Law besides those which treat of every Art and Science whether Liberal or Mechanical that he that is employed as a professed School-Master may throughly stock himself with all kinde of learning and be able to inform his Scholars in any thing that shall be necessary for them to know For every new Master cannot at the first be provided of a good study of books for his own private use and his Scholars benefit neither indeed at any time can he procure them without great trouble and charge especially if he live at a place far distant from London I have observed it therefore as a great point of discretion as well as a matter of charity in Mr. Calfe that in founding his Grammar-Schoole at Lewinham he provided a Library for the Masters use as well as a house for him to dwell in And I took notice of that charitably disposed Gentleman and Citizen Deputy Adams that when he went about to erect a School in his native country of Shropshire if I mistake not he consulted with Mr. Langley and brought him along with him to Sion Colledge to see what books he judged most convenient to furnish a Library withall for the Schoole-Masters use and I heard since he bestowed at leâ—â— 100. l. in choice books for that purpose I onely mention these two worthy persons the former whereof is dead and the latter living in Lawrence Lane London to let others see that in this present age of ours we want not patterns of well doing if any be desirous to imitate them in their pious actions and I hope God hath already inclined the hearts of many as he hath given them store of riches to endeavour to distribute and do good in this kind even now whilest they live in their generation I will conclude this Chapter with that which I heard lately related of a cheap easy profiting and pious work of charity which one did in bestowing 40. 8. per annum towards buying English Bibles which were to be given to those children in the Parish that were best able to read in them and I do verily believe that were an annuall summe laid out in procuring a certain number of books for such as should best deserve them in every Form at a Free Schoole it would be a greater incitement to provoke children to learn then any perswasions or enforcements which are commonly yet used CHAP. IX Of Exclusion and breaking up Schoole and of Potations I Should here adde something touching those usual customes which are yet on foot in most places of Scholars excluding or shutting out the Master once a year and capitulating with him about orders to be observed or the like but forasmuch as I see they differ very much and are of late discontinued in many Schooles I will onely mention how they may be carried on where they yet remain without any contest or disturbance till at last they dye of themselves 1. Therefore there should be no Exclusion till after Saint Andews day and that the Master know of it before-hand that all things may be ordered handsomely to the credit of the Schoole 2. That at the time of Exclusion the Scholars behave themselves merrily and civilly about the Schoole without injuring one another or making use of any weapons whereby to endanger themselves or doe harm to any thing in the Schoole 3. That the Heads of each Form consult with their fellowes what things they would desire of the Master and that they bring their suites to the highest Scholar in the Schoole that he may prefer them to the Master writ fairly in Latine to receive his approbation or dislike of them in a milde way of arguing 4. That the Master doe not molest or come amongst his Scholars all the while they are drawing up their Petition about Schoole-orders nor trouble himself concerning them more then to hear that they keep good rule 5. That every Scholar prepare all his Exercises according to his Form to be ready to be hanged out before the Schoole doors or windowes or rather to be hanged over his place within the Schoole against the Masters coming 6. That the Master upon notice that all things are prepared for his coming goe quietly to the Schoole being accompanied with some of the Scholars Parents and after he have before witnesse subscribed to their Petition at the door to enter into the School in a peaceable and loving manner and receive from his Scholars and also make to them a short congratulatory Oration and so dismisse them to play By thus doing a Master shall both prevent his Scholars behaving themselves against him in such rude and tumultuous manner as hath formerly been used and give them and their Parents no occasion to grudge at him for seeming to take upon him too abruptly to break old use and custome which so long as it becometh an encouragement to their learning may the better be indulged to young Scholars whilest no evill consequences attend it It is yet a custome retained in some Schooles in the Countrey for Scholars to make a Potation or generall Feast once a yeare and that commonly before Shrovetide towards defraying the charge whereof every one bringeth so much money as his Parents think good to allow him and giveth it to the Master to be expended in a dinner orderly provided for them or in some kinde of banquetting manner which children are commonly more delighted withall and for this there needeth no further direction then to say that it concerneth the Master at such times to be cheerfull and free in entertainment of his Scholars whether at his own house or elsewhere and to see
own experience how laborious it is both to minde and body to be continually intent upon the work and how irksome it is especially to a man of a quiet temper to have so many unwilling provocations unto passion what good parts for learning and right qualification in all points of behavour is required of us how small our yearly stipend is and how uncertain all our other incomes are Again we call to minde the too much indulgency of some Parents who neither love to blame their childrens untowardnesse nor suffer the Master to correct it we remember their generall ingratitude for the Masters well-doing and their open clamour for his least doing amisse we observe their common indiscretion in wholly imputing the Scholars lesse profitting to the Masters more neglect and their happy thriving to their own onely towardlinesse not to mention their fond Ambition in hastening them too fast Besides the small account which the vulgar have the too censorious eye which the more judicious cast and the slight regard which our young Academians for the most part carry towards a poor Schoole-Master make us sometimes judge our calling as many do too mean for a Scholar to undertake or desire to stick too many yeares We let passe childrens imperfections and untowardnesse which are indeed our daily torture so that we could rather wish our selves might leave our charge then advise any friends we have to undertake it Answ These we must acknowledge are very great discouragements yet such as attend a most necessary calling and therefore must with Fortitude be conquered or resolutely undergone Should the Mariner because of danger the Husband-man because of toyle the Souldier because of hardship the Magistrate because of interruption the Minister because of many mens disordered conversations abandon their professions it would then fare with a State as the Tale saith it did once with the body when the whole pin'd away because no member would discharge its proper function Neither can I say to whom I should more properly dedicate this Subject then to your selfe who have now as I suppose for at least fifty yeares together and with general applause performed the Taske of a Schoole-Master notwithstanding much opposition and many discouragements of every kinde who have had continually in your charge many scores of Scholars and have yearly sent abroad both to Trades and Universities great store of such as have been thorowly accomplished in their places Nay give me leave to speak it to commend your knowne Dexterity in this excellent calling there have been I think as many and those as well-approved Schoole-Masters your quondam Scholars as have been trained up by any one man in England Amongst others I help onely to fill up the number who have sometimes in publick and sometimes in private for nigh thirty years together been exercised in teaching Scholars and have at last for mine own ease and the satisfaction of some friends printed what Method and Order you once saw I had writ out and which upon your approbation and my own further experiment I have thought meet to observe constantly reserving ever the liberty of varying in matters of of circumstance as occasion shall require And for some things it may be you may rightly say as I am ever bound most thankfully to acknowledge that I was your Scholar seeing in them I have so nearly seemed to track that method according to which I was instructed by your self Daigne I beseech you to accept this small offer of a willing minde and if you finde it helpful to you or yours in any kinde to use it freely where you shall espie the least defect I hope you will please to censure it with impartial mildenesse This Petition also I prefer to them of better judgement as it happeneth to come into their hands The Lord continue you long in your eminent place to doe the Church and Common-wealth most acceptable service and to reap to your self much comfort thereby that when at last you shall have finished your course you may receive at Gods hands an immortal Crown through Jesus Christ our Saviour in whom I rest Yours in all observancy Charles Hoole Dec. 24. 1659. To all favourers of good learning but more especially to the Teachers of GRAMMAR THere is no calling more serviceable to Church and Common-wealth then this of a Schoole-Master none then it more perplexingly toylesome where Art and Discretion the two essentials of a Schoole-Master are wanting Seeing we have especially to deale with childrens imperfections which are warily to be observed and helped not strictly to be censured That Constancy in a good Method is the mean to make a Scholar is by all affirmed but which Method of many that are used is the best is not easily determined Sure we are that the nearest easiest and plainest is most grateful and the rather if it lye along with the common-rode which men are generally loth to foregoe though it be not alwayes the readiest way It hath therefore been mine endevour to set on and proceed in such a course oâ— teaching Grammar and most useful and usually received Authours with continued Exercises so as children might from the beginning understand their present Taske and that also further to the succeeding work I labour so ever as they learne to acquaint them with the main matters that in case of changeing Masters they may not sustain such discouragement and loss of time as usually betides when children are not grounded in what they learn This I submit to more gentle censures requesting where I mistake to receive some better directions not enjoyning any man to tread in my steps though possibly some may like to follow me in this way which I am resolved to keep whether in more publick or my private course of teaching till I know a readier which who so hath gone it may do well to describe Now the Lord of heaven give a blessing to these weak endevours which if any man profit by let him give God the Glory whose alone power it is that hath thus far enabled me to perform what from a child I have seriously desired Et vâ—niam per laude peto c. A note of Schoole-Authours most proper for every Form of Scholars in a Grammar-Schoole wch are mentioned in this Book 1. Authours useful for the first Form Classicall AN English Bible or Testament The Accidents Sententiae Pueriles The principles of Christianity Subsidiary ORbis Pictus The common Rudiments of Latine Grammar A little Vocabulary English and Latine by C. H. 2. Authours for the second Form 1. Classical Lilies Grammar Cato Pueriles Confabulatiunculae Corderii Colloquia The Assemblies Catechisme Subsidiary A Construing-book Propria quae maribus c. Englished and explained An easie entrance to the Latine Tongue commonly called the Grounds of Grammar by C. H. Englishes to be translated A little Paper-book 8o. 3. Authours useful for the third Form Classical Lilies Grammar The Latine Testament Aesopi Fabulae Janua Linguarum Castalionis Dialogi
harm themselves or Schoole-fellowes or to give offence or make disturbance to any neighbour 3. When Schoole-time calleth let them all go orderly to their own places and there apply themselves diligently to their books without noyse or running about 4. When the Master cometh into the Schoole let them all stand up and make obeysance so likewise when any stâ—anger cometh in and after notice taken who are absent let one that is most able read a chapter and the rest attend and give some little account of what they heard read Then let him that read say a short prayer fitted for the Schoole and afterwards let every one settle to his present taske 5. The whole Schoole may not unfitly be divided into four formes whereof the first and lowest should be of those that learn to know their letters whose lessons may be in the Primar The second of those that learn to spell whose lessons may be in the Single-Psalter The third of these that learn to read whose lessons may be in the Bible The fourth of those that are exercised in reading writeing and casting accounts whose lessons may be in such profitable English-Books as the Parents can best provide and the Master think fittest to be taught 6. Let their lessons be the same to each boy in every form and let the Master proportion them to the meanest capacities thus those that are abler may profit themselves by helping their weaker fellowes and those that are weaker be encouraged to see that they can keep company with the stronger And let the two highest in every forme give notice to the Master when they come to say of those that were most negligent in geting the lesson 7. When they come to say let them all stand orderly in one or 2 rowes whilst one sayeth his lesson be sure that all the rest look upon their books and give liberty to him that 's next to correct him that is saying if he mistake and in case he can say better let him take his place and keep it till the same boy or another win it from him The striveing for places especially amongst little ones will whet them all on to more diligence then any encouragement that can be given them and the Master should be very sparing to whip any one for his book except he be sullenly negligent and then also I would chuse rather to shame him out of his untowardnesse by commending some of his fellowes and asking him why he cannot do as well as they then by falling upon him with rating words or injurious blowes A great care also must be had that those children that are slow witted and of a tender spirit be not any way discouraged though they cannot make so good performance of their task as the rest of their fellowes 8 On Mundayes Wednesdayes and Fridayes they may say two lessons in a forenoon and two in an afternoon and on Tuesdayes and Thursdayes in the forenoons they may also say two lessons but on Tuesdayes and Thursdayes in the afternoons and on Saturday mornings I would have the time spent in examineing and directing how to spell and read a right and hearing them say the Graces Prayers and Psalms and especially the Lords Prayer the Creed and the Ten Commandements which are for that purpose set down in the New-Primar very perfectly by heart And those that can these well may proceed to get other Catechisms but be sure they be such as agree with the Principles of Christian Religion 9. Their lessons being all said they should be dismissed about eleven a clock and then care must be taken that they go every one orderly out of the Schoole and passe quietly home without any stay by the way And to prevent that too too common clamour and crouding out of the Schoole door let them rise out of their places one by one with their hat and book in their hand and make their honours to their Master as they passe before his face one following another at a distance out of the Schoole It were fittest and safest that the least went out the foremost that the bigger boyes following may give notice of any misdemeanour upon the way 10 Their return to Schoole in the after-noon should be by one of the clock and those that come before that hour should be permitted to play within their bounds till the clock strike one and then let them all take their places in due order and say their lessons as they did in the fore-noon After lessons ended let one read a chapter and say a Prayer and so let them again go orderly and quietly home about five a clock in the summer and four in the winter season 11. If necessity require any one to go out in the School time let him not interrupt the Master by asking him leave but let him leave his book with his next fellow above him for fear he should else spoile it or loose it and in case he tarry too long forth let notice be given to the Monitor 12. Those children in the upper form may be monitors every one a day in his turn and let them every evening after all lessons said give a bill to the Master of their names that are absent and theirs that have committed any disorder and let him be very moderate in correcting and be sure to make a difference betwixt those faults that are vitiously enormous and those that are but childish transgressons Where admonitions readily take place it is a needlesse trouble to use a rod and as for a ferula I wish it were utterly banished out of all Schooles If one before I conclude should ask me how many children I think may be well and profitably taught according to the method already proposed in a Petty-School I return him answer that I conceive fourty boyes will be enough throughly to employ one man to hear every one so often as is required and so many he may hear and benefit of himself without making use of any of his Scholars to teach the rest which however it may be permitted and is practised in some Schooles yet it occasioneth too much noyse and disorder and is no whit so acceptable to Parents or pleasing to the children be the work never so well done And therefore I advise that in a place where a great concours of children may be had there be more Masters then one employed according to the spatiousnesse of the room and the number of boyes to be taught so that every fourty Scholars may have one to teach them and in case there be boyes enough to be taught I would appoint one single Master to attend one single forme and have as many Masters as there are forms and then the work of teaching little ones to the height of their best improvement may be throwly done esecially if there were a writeing-master employed at certain houres in the Schoole and an experienced Teacher encouraged as a supervisor or inspector to see that the whole Schoole be well and
of every word which is proper for its place Right choyce of words being indeed the foundation of all eloquence On Saturdayes after they can say the Lords Prayer the Creed and the ten Commandements in English and Latine they may proceed to the Assemblies Catechisme first in English and then in Latine or the like This second form then is to be exercised 1. In repeating the Accidents for morning parts 2. In saying Propria quae maribus Quae genus As in praesenti for Fore-noon Lessons 3. In reading the larger Vocabulary for Noon parts 4. In learning Qui mihi and afterwards Cato for Afternoons Lessons on Mondayes and Wednesdayes and Pueriles Confabulatiunculae and afterwards Corderii Colloquia on Tuesdayes and Thursdayes And 5. Translating a verse out of English into Latine every evening at home which they may bring to be corrected on Fridayes after all the weeks Repetitions ended and return written as fair as possibly they can write on Satturday mornings after examinations ended And thus they may be made to know the Genders of Nouns and Preter-perfect tenses and Supines of Verbs and initiated to speak and write true Latine in the compasse of a second yeare So that to children of betwixt seven and nine years of age in regard of their remedilesse inanimadvertency I allow two whole years to practise them well in the Rudiments or Grounds of Grammar in which I would have the variation of Nouns and Verbs to be specially minded for till they be very ready in those their progress in other things will be full of uncertainties and troublesomely tedious but if those be once well got all other rules which have not perhaps been so well understood will more easily as age increaseth be better apprehended and put in use CHAP. IIII. How to make Children of the third Forme perfect in the Latine Syntaxis commonly called Verbum Personale as also to acquaint them with Prosodia and how to help them to construe and parse and to write and speak true and elegant Latine CHildren are commonly taught the Latine Syntaxis before they be put to make use of any Latine book besides it and so they but can say it readily by heart construe it and give the force of its rules out of the examples they are thought to learn it well enough But the very doing thus much is found to be a work too tedious with many and therefore some have thought good to lessen the number of the Rules others to dash out many examples as if more then one or two were needlesse so that when a Childe hath with them run over this part of the Grammar it is well if he have learnt the half of it or know at all what to do with any of it I think it not amisse therefore to shew how it may be all gotten understandingly by heart and settled in the memory by continual practise which is the life of all learning 1. Let those then of this third forme divide their Accidents and Rules of Nounes and Verbs into ten parts whereof they may repeat one every Thursday morning and make way for the getting of the Syntaxe on Mundaies Tuesdaies Wednes for morning parts 2. Let them repeat as many Rules memoriter as they are well able together with all their examples and to help their understanding therein you may do well to shew the meaning of every rule exception beforehand and to make them compare them with those in the English rules under the same head to see which are contained in the Latine which are not in the English and which are set down in the English which are left out in the Latine 3. To help them to construe well before they come to say let them make use of their Construeng books and that they may better mind what they construe you may cause them sometimes when they come to say to read the part out of Latine into English 4. In parsing let them give you the word governing and apply the word governed according to the rule and tell-you wherein the exceptions and observations differ from the General rule 5. Let them have a Paper-book in Quarto in the margent whereof they may write the first words of every rule and exception and let them have as many familiar examples some in English onely and some in Latine onely as may suffice to illustrate the rule more clearly to them and do you help them extempore to turn their English ones into Latine and their Latine ones into English and having a space left under every head let them fill it up with praegnant Examples which they meet with as they read their Latine Authors or as they Translate English Sentences into Latine I observe Melancthon and Whittington of old and Mr. Clarke Mr. Comenius and others of late to have made subsidiaries of this nuture which because they seem some what to overshoot the capacities of children who as Mr. Ascham observes are ignorant what to say properly and fitly to the matter as some Masters are also many times I have taken the paines to make a praxis of all the English and Latine Rules of Construction and Syntaxis as they lie in order and to adde two Indexes The first of English words and the Latine for them The second Of Latine words and the English for them with figures directing to the examples wherein they are to be used And for more perspicuity sake I take care that no example may touch upon any rule that is not already learned for fear of pussing young beginners in this necessary and easie way of translating with the rule in their eye which doth best direct the weakest understandings Now forasmuch as the daily reading of Latine into English is an especiall means to increase the knowledge of the Tongues and to cause more heed to be taken to the Grammar Rules as they are gotten by heart I would have those in this form to read every morning after prayers four or six verses out of the Latine Testament which they will easily do having beforehand learned to construe them word by word with the help of their English Bible In this exercise let them be all well provided and do you pick out onely one boy to construe and then ask any of the others the Analysis of a Noune or Verb here or there or some rule of construction which you think they have not so well taken notice of as to understand it fully Hereby you may also acquaint them with the rule and way of construing as it is more largely touched in the following part of this chapter N. B. Those Children that are more industriously willing to thrive may advantage themselves very much by perusal of Gerards Meditations Thomas de Kempis St. Augustins Soliloquies or his Meditations or the like pious and profiting Books which they may buy both in English and Latine and continually bear about in their pockets to read on at spare times Their forenoone lessons may be in
the Rules take any Latine for good be it never so barbarous or full of Solaecismes and partly because they that are skilful in Grammar are able to doe something in reading Authours or translating or writing Epistles or the like by themselves whereas they that learne Latine without any Rule are able to do nothing surely if their Teacher be away Besides if the Latine be once well gotten by Rule it is not so apt to be forgotten as if it be learned only by rote because the learner is at any time able to recover what he hath lost by the help of his own intellect having the habit of Grammar in his mind Yet I conceive it is the readiest way to the gaining of this Language to joyn assiduity of speaking and reading and writing and especially double translating to the Rules for as the one affordeth us words and phrase and the other directs us how to order them for a right speech so the exercise of both will at last beget such an Habit in us that we may increase our ability to speak and understand pure Latine though perhaps the Rules of Grammer be forgotten by us Having here done with the Vshers Duty I shall God willing go on to discover the Masters Method in every particular according to what I have either practised my self or observed from others of my profession And I hope this my slender discovery will excite some of greater practise and experience to commit also to publick their own observations by whom if I may be convinced that I have any where gone in an erroneous way I shall willingly retract my course and endevour to stere by any mans Chart that I finde more caste and sure to direct me In the mean time I commit my little vessel to the waters all alone and desire God that whatever Dangers attend it he would so protect and prosper it that it may safely arrive to the Port which I chiefly aim at viz. the honour and service of his divine Majesty and the benefitting of both Church and Common wealth in the good education of children THE MASTERS METHOD OR THE Exercising of Scholars In GRAMMARS Authours and Exercises GREEK LATINE and HEBREW By C. H. LONDON Printed by J. T. for Andrew Crook at the Green Dragon in Pauls Church-yard 1659. CHAP. 1. How to make the Scholars of the fourth Form very perfect in the Art of Grammar and Elements of Rhetorick how to enter them upon Greek in an easy way How to practise them as they read Terence and Ovid de Tristibus and his Metamorphosis and Janua Latinae linguae and Sturmius and Textor's Epistles in getting Copy of words and learning their Derivations and Differences and in varying phrases How to shew them the right way of double translating and writing a most pure Latine style How to acquaint them with all sorts of English and Latine verses and to enable them to write faimiliar and elegant Epistles either in English or Latine upon all occasions THe Vsher having throughly performed his Duty so as to lay a sure foundation by teaching Grammar and lower Authours and using other helps for mentioned to acquaint his Scholars with the words and order of the Latine tongue as well for speaking as writing it The Master may more cheerfully proceed to build further and in so doing he should be as carefull to keep what is well gotten as diligent to adde thereunto I would advise therefore that the Scholars of this fourth form may 1. Every morning read six or ten verses as formerly out of the Latine Testament into English that thus they may be become well acquainted with the matter and words of that most holy Book and after they are acquainted with the Greek Testament they may proceed with it in like manner 2. Every Thursday morning repeat a part out of the Latine Grammar according as it is last divided that by that meanes they may constantly say it over once every quarter And because their wits are now ripe for understanding Grammar notions where ever they meet with them I would have them every one to provide a Paper-book of two quires in Quarto in the beginning whereof they should write the Heads of Grammar by way of common place as they see it in my Latine Grammar and having noted the pages they should again write over the same Heads leaving a larger or lesse distance betwixt them as they conceive they may finde more or lesse matter to fill them withall in the leaves of their Book and insert all niceties of Grammar that they finde either in their daily lessons or in perusing other Books at spare houres especially such as either methodically or critically treat of Grammar amongst which I commend Mr. Brinsley's posing of the Accidents The Animadversions upon Lilies Grammar Stockwoods disputations Mr. Pooles English Accidents Hermes Anglo-Latinus Phalerii Supplementa ad Grammaticam Mr. Birds Mr. Shirleyes Mr. Burleyes Mr. Hawkins Mr. Gregories Mr. Haynes Mr. Danes Mr. Farnabies and other late printed new Grammars which they may read in private one after another will afford them several observations As for Authores Grammaticae Antiqui which are commonly printed together Dispauterius Linacer Melancthon Valerius Alvarez Rhemus Sulpitius Vossius and the like either ancient or modern they may take the opportunity to read them after they come to higher Forms and pick out of them such pretty notes as they have not formerly met withall and write them in their Common-place-booke And because it may seem a needlesse labour for every Scholar to be thus imployed and it is almost impossible for one alone to procure so many Grammars it were to be wished that in every Schoole of note there might be a Library wherein all the best Grammars that can be gotten might be kept and lent to those boyes that are more industriously addicted to Grammar Art and which intend to be Scholars that they may read them over and refer what they like in them to its proper Head And to encourage them in so doing the Master may do well at the first to direct them and afterwards at leisure times to cast an eye upon their Books and see what they have collected of themselves But be sure that they keep their Paper-book fair and that they write constantly in it with a legible and even hand 3. Thus they may have liberty to learn Rhetorick on Mondayes Tuesdayes and Wednesdayes for morning Parts And to enter them in that Art of fine speaking they may make use of Elementa Rhetorices lately printed by Mr. Dugard and out of it learn the Tropes and Figures according to the definitions given by Talaeus and afterwards more illustrated by Mr. Butler Out of either of which books they may be helped with store of examples to explain the Definitions so as they may know any Trope or Figure that they meet with in their own Authours When they have throughly learnt that little book they may make a Synopsis of it whereby to see
Greek which may then take place 2. In repeating a Grammar part every Thursday morning 3. In Learning the Rhetorick when they have done that 4 Camdens Greek Grammer on Mondaies Tuesdaies and Wednesdaies for morning parts 5. In using Terence on Mondaies Tuesdaies Wednesdaies and Thursdaies for fore-noon lessons 6. In Janua Latinae Linguae for after-noon parts on Mondaies and Wednesdaies 7. In some of Sturmius or Textor's Epistles on Tuesdaies and Thursdaies after-noons and Shirley's Introductorium after taxes ended 8. In Ovid de Tristibus on Mondaies and Wednesdaies in the after-noons for the first and in Ovids Metamorphosis for the second half Year They may translate four Verses every night out of Wits Common-wealth and say lessons on Saturdaies in the Assemblies Catechisme and by the diligent improvement of these books to their several uses they may first become perfectly readie in the Latine and Greek Grammar and the Elements of Rhetorick 2. They may get Coppy of words and learn to know their derivations and differences as also how to varie phrases 3. They may gain the right way of double translating and writing a pure Latine stile 4. They may be helped in their invention and easily taught to make all sorts of English and Latine Verses and to write familiar and elegant Epistles upon all occasions for the performance of all which works though more then ordinary care and pains may seem to be required in the Master and a great deal of studie and diligence may be thought to be exacted of the Scholars above what is usual in many Schools Yet a little experience will evidence that all things being orderly and seasonably done will become easie and pleasing to both after a very little while And if the master do but consider with himself and inform his Scholars that they shall all ere long reap the sweet of their present labours by a delightful and profitable perusal of the choisest Authors both Greek and Latine whom as they must strive to imitate so they may hope to aequalize in the most noble stile and lofty strains of Oratorie and Poesie it will encourage them to proceed so chearfully that they will not be sensible of any toil or difficultie whilest in a profiting way they pass this form and endeavour to come to the next which we intend to treat of in the following Chapter CHAP. II. How to teach Scholars in the fifth form to keep and improve the Latine and Greek Grammars and Rhetorick How to acquaint them with an Oratory stile and pronunciation How to help them to translate Latine into Greek and to make Greek verses as they read Isocrates and Theognis How they may profit well in reading Virgil and easily learn to make good Theams and elegant Verses with delight and certainty And what Catechismes they may learn in Greek THough it may seem a needlesse labour to prescribe directions for the Teaching of the two upper forms partly because I finde more written concerning them then the rest and partly because many very eminent and able Schoole-masters â—mploy most of their pains in perfecting â—hem every one making use of such Auâ—hors and such a Method as in his own â—iscretion he judgeth meetest to make â—hem Scholars not to say that the Schoâ—â—rs themselves being now well acquainted with the Latine and Greek Grammar and having gotten a good understanding at least of the Latine Tongue by the frequent exercise of translating and speaking Latine and writing Colloquies Epistles Historical and Fabulous narrations and the like besides reading some Schoole Authors and other helpful and profitable books will be able in many things to proceed without a guide addicting their mindes chiefly to those studies which their natural Genius doth most prompt them to either concerning Oratory or Poetry Yet I think it requisite for me to go on as I have begun and to shew what course I have constantly kept with these two forms to make them exactly compleat in the Greek Latine Tongues and as perfect Orators and Poets in both as their young years and capacities will suffer and to enter them so in the Hebrew as that they may be able to proceed of themselves in that holy Language whether they go to the University or are otherwise disposed on to some necessary calling which their Parents or Friends think fitting for them And first I most heartily intreat those especially that are my loving Friends and acquaintance of my profession whose years and experience are far beyond mine that they would candidly peruse and kindely interpret what I have written seeing I desire not by any means to impose any thing too magisterially upon them or others but freely to communicate to all men what I have for many years kept private to my self and hath by some whose single judgement may sufficiently satisfie me been importunately thus haled to the Press and if in any particular I seem to them to deviate from or fall short of what I aime at viz. a facilitating the good old way of teaching by Grammar Authors and exercises I shall take it as a singular token of love that they acquaint me with it and if by this rush-candle of mine they please to set up their own Tapers I shall rejoyce to receive greater light by them and be ready to walk in it more vigorously In the interim I go on with my discovery touching the fifth Forme which I would have employed in this manner 1. Let them and the forme above them read daily a dozen verses out of the Greek Testament before the saying of parts 2. Let them reserve the Latine and Greek Grammars and Elementa Rhetorices for weekly parts to be said only on Thursday mornings and so divided that they may be sure to go over them all once every quarter By this means they will keep them in constant memory and have more time allotted them for perusing Authors and dispatch of exercises You must not forget at every part to let them have your help of explication of the most obscure and difficult places before they say and after they have said to make such diligent examination as that you may be sure they understand what they learn And to make them more fully acquainted with the Accents and Dialects of the Greek Tongue you may besides those few Rules in their Grammar let them daily peruse a Chapter in Mr. Franklin's little book De 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is excellently helpful to young Graecians and when they grow stronger that Appendix de Dialectis at the end of Scapula will be worth their reading and observing It would be good sometimes to make them compare the Latine and Greek Grammar together and to see wherein they agree wherein they differ but especially in the Rules of Syntaxis and for this purpose Vechneri Hellonexia wil be of excellent use And as I have directed before how Scholars should have a Common-place-book for the Latine Grammar so I do here also for the Greek desire that after
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 onely 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 onely 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. CHAP. I. Of the Founding of a Grammar Schoole THe most of the Grammar Schools which I have yet taken notice of in England are of two sorts The first I may call mixt Schooles where a structure is made and an allowance given of ten twenty or thirty pounds per annum onely to one man to teach children freely that inhabit within the precincts of one Parish or of three or four neighbouring Hamlets adjoyning And such Schooles as these very seldom or never improve Scholars further then to teach them to read and write and learne some little they know not what it meaneth in the common Grammar partly because the Master is overburdened with too many petty Scholars and partly because many parents will not spare their children to learne if they can but finde them any employment about their domestick or rureall affairs whereby they may save a penny In some places more populous an allowance is made to a Master of about twenpounds per annum to attend Grammarians onely and ten pounds to an Usher whose work it is to teach the Petties in such Schooles as these I have knowne some boyes more pregnant witted then the rest to have proved very good Grammarians and to have profited so in the Latine and Greek Tongues as to come to good maturity in University studies by a Tutors guidance But the Masters of such Schooles for the most part either weaken their bodies by excessive toyle and so shorten their dayes or as soon as they can fit themselves for a more easie profession or obtain a more profitable place after a few years quit their Schoole and leave their Scholars to anothers charge that either hath his method to seek or else traines them up in another quite different from that which they had been used to And thus thorow the change of Masters the Scholars are either dispersed or hindered from going on with that alacrity and profit which otherwise they might The second sort of Schooles are those which are purely Grammatical being especially conversant in teaching the Art of Grammar Now some of these have yearely salaries for a Master and one Usher where the Master is employed in perfecting those Scholars which the Usher hath already grounded And many of these Schooles especially if they be situate in places where accommodation is to be had for Tabling do happily train up many Scholars which about sixteen or seventeen years of age are fit to besent to the University But in regard there is no preferment attending these Schooles the most pregnant witted children are commonly taken thence after they are well grounded and disposed on to other places where they may gain it So that of all others our collegiate Schooles or those that come nearest them have the greatest advantage of making most Scholars For these having commonly large revenues belonging to them do not onely provide sufficiently for a Master and one Usher at lest but also for a certaine number of Scholars which being for the most part of the choycest wits pickt out of other Schooles and such as depend upon hopes of advancement do industriously bestirre themselves to attain what learning they can and submit themselves orderly to such Discipline as is there exercised But forasmuch as these greater Schooles rather intend the forwarding of such children as are already grounded then busie themselves about meere Rudiments it caâ—seth many parents to disperse their little ones abroad to Tabling-Schooles where for the most part there is but one man to teach a few promiscuously hand-over-head without any setled Method and these changing and removing ever and anon as cause is offered do seldome attain any stable proficiencie in Grammar-learning Yet in some of these where an able Schoole-Master is well seated and provided with all fitting accommodations so as to entertain many Gentlemens sonnes of good quality and an able Usher to assist him in Teaching I have observed children to make double profiting in respect of other Schooles because they have the advantage to spend much of that time at their bookes which others trisle away in running up and down about home not to say that the constant eye of the Master is an especiall means to regulate them in point of behaviour Now comparing all the Schooles which we have in England with some that I read of in other countries that I may speak freely and without offence to any man submitting my self herein also to the judgement of those of my Profession I do not know one that is so compleated as perhaps many might easily be with all necessary accommodations and advantages to improve children to what they are capable of in their playing years and wherein we evidently see how many places of education beyond the Seas do quite outstrip us And therefore from what I have heretofore read in Mr. Mâ—leasters Positions concerning the training up of children in ch 40. which he writ when he had been twenty years Schoole-master at Merchant Tailors Schoole which was erected 1561. being afterwards head Master of Pauls in 1600. and what I have been informed touching Mr. Farnabies improvement of a private Grammar Schoole in Gold-Smiths Alley now called New street also Jewâ—n Street and what I my self have experienced for about fourteen years together both in that place and in Lothbury Garden I am induced to think that it is a matter very feaseable to raise many of our Grammar-Schooles to a far higher pitch of learning then is ordinarily yet attained to in England For whereas
have been exercised in teaching all sorts of Scholars for at least seven years together then many men that have scarce saluted or are newly come from the Universities can suddenly prove to be For I think it one thing to be a good Schoole-master and another thing to be a good Scholar though the former cannot well do his duty as he ought except he be also the latter I might here bewayle the unhappy divertment of Jesus Colledge in Rotherham in which Town one Thomas Scot alias Rotherham a poor boy in Ecclesfield Parish having had his education and being advanced to the Arch-bishoprick of York in the time of Edward the fourth did out of love to his country and gratitude to the Town erect a Colledge as a Schoole for a Provost who was to be a Divine and to preach at Ecclesfield Laxton and other places where the Colledge demeanes lay and three Fellowes whereof one was to teach Grammar another Musick and the third Writing besides a number of Scholars for some of whom he also provided Fellowships in Lincolne Colledge in Oxford But in the time of Henry the eighth the Earle of Shrowesbury who as I have heard was the first Lord that gave his vote for demolishing of Abbies having obtained Roughford Abbey in Nottinghamshire to the Prior whereof the Lordship of the Town of Rotherham belonged took advantage also to sweep away the Revnues of Rotherham Colledge which according to a rentall that I have seen amounted to about 2000. l. per annum and after a while having engratiated himself with some Townsmen and Gentlemen thereabout by erecting a Cock-pit he removed the Schoole out of the Colledge into a sorry house before the gate leaving it destitute of any allowance till Mr. West that writ the Presidents in the time of Queen Elizabeth and when Mr. Snell was School-master obtained a yearely Salary of tenne pounds per annum which is since Paid out of the Exchequer by the Auditor of accounts I remember how often and earnestly Mr. Francis West who had been Clerk to his Uncle would declaime against the injury done to that Schoole which indeed as he said ought still to have been kept in the Colledge and how when I was a Schoole-master there he gave me a Copy of the Foundation and showed me some rentalls of Lands and told me where many Deeds and Evidences belonging thereunto were then concealed and other remarkable passages which he was loth to have buried in silence But I onely mention thus much touching that worthy Foundation to shew how charitably some men have been addicted to cherish the roots of learning and how covetously others have been bent to destroy the whole body of it even in former ages And I hope none will be discouraged from Pious undertakings for feare least his benevolences should in these or after times be perverted when he considereth that God looketh upon the sincerity of his ends and will accordingly reward him though what he religiously intended may unhappily be abused by others contrary to his minde I shall now to end this Chapter recite some remarkable passages of Mr. Mulcasters out of his Positions Ch. 40. which I leave to the consideration of others to think how far they concurre with what I have said as well concerning the foundation of a Petty as a Grammar-Schoole If any well-disposed wealthy man for the honour that he beareth to the murthered infants as all our erections have some respect that way would begin some building even for the little yong ones which were no increase to Schooles but an help to the elementary degree all they would pray for him and he himself should be bound to the memory of the young infants which put him in remembrance of so vertuous an act The opportunity of the place and the commodity of able Trainers whereof a small time will bring forth a great many will draw many on and procure good Exhibitours to have the thing go forward I could wish we had fewer Schooles so they were more sufficient and that upon consideration of the most convenient seats for the Countries and Shires there were many put together to make some few good The use of under-teachers is not as we now practise it in Schooles where indeed Ushers be Masters of themselves but to assist the Master in the easier points of his charge which ought to have all under his own teaching for the chief points and the same under the Ushers for the more usual and easie CHAP. II. How the Master should maintain his Authority amongst his Scholars AVthority is the true mother of all due order which the Master must be careful in every thing to maintain otherwise he may command what he pleaseth but withall he must give the Scholars liberty to do what they list Which what an horrible confusion in their places what insufferable neglect of their tasks what unrulinesse in point of behaviour what perpetual torment to the painful Master and his Ushers and what unavoydable disgrace it bringeth upon a Schoole let them that are Actors or Spectators thereof give testimony 1. That therefore the Master may have all his lawful commands put in execution with due alacrity and his decent orders deligently observed I conceive it requisite that 1. He be sure in all things to behave as a Master over himself not only by refraining those enormities and grosser faults which may render him scandalous to every one but checking his own Passions especially that of Anger and if at any time he seem to have cause to be provoked to it and feel it to come too violently upon him let him rather walk aside a while out of the Schoole to divert it then expresse it openly amongst his Scholars by unseemly words or gesturs He should indeed endeavour to behave himself unblameably in all Christian-like conversation before all men but so amongst his Scholars that they may have much wherein to imitate him but nothing whereby to disgrace him And towards his neighbours his affability should be such as to win their love and respects so that they may be ready at all times to countenance the Masters well-doing and to vindicate the credit of him and his Schoole when they hear it unjustly traduced 2. When he commands or forbids any thing to be done he should acquaint his Scholars with the end intended and the benefits or inconveniences which attend such or such a course For children have so much use of reason as to delight to heare perswasive arguments of reason though the declivity of corrupt nature makes that they do not much minde them where there is no feare or a rod for doing amisse Yet sometimes it may be best to say onely Do this or do it not where you think it of no concernment to them to know the reason and would make trial of their readinesse to obey without asking why or wherefore 3. One main way to bring Scholars to a loving and awfull respect of their Master is for him
and those Subsidiary Books provided for the lower Formes will prevent the over-toyling of themselves by their present work And that those disorders which usually befall in Scholars running forth in Schoole-time may be somewhat remedied this or the like course may be taken 1. Let it not be lawful for above one boy in twenty to go forth at once and at his going forth let every one come to the Master or that Usher to whose charge he belongs and in his hearing repeat four or six Vocabula's or phrases which he hath not said before and then lay down his book with his name writ in it in a place appointed within the Masters view that so it may be knowne at once both how many and who are out of doores and how long they tarry abroad At their coming in they should again repeat the like number of Vocabula's and Phrases as they did at their going foâ—th The Master should do well now and then to send a privie spie who may truly observe and certifie him how every scholar spendeth his time abroad and if any be found to go forth upon no occasion or to truant it without doors let him be censured or reproved according to his demerits 3. The granting of a Play-day is to be referred wholly to the discretion of the Master who must in this be as fearfull to work his Scholars hinderance and the Schooles discredit as willing by such a courtesie to gratify his deserving friends who if they be any whit reasonable will be easily satisfied with a just excuse of denial but if they be unreasonably importunate they ought to be served with as unreasonable a naysay so that Play-dayes should be rarely granted except to such as may seem to claime more then ordinary interest in the Schoole and to whom the Master is bound to shew his due respects especially before his Scholars In places of great resort and where often sollicitation is used to be made for play especially by mothers that come to visit their children which are tabled at Schoole it were good that a piece of an afternoon were designed constantly afore-hand on which in case any suit should be made the Scholars might have leave to play but if not that â—hey be held to their Books Yet if â—here have not a Play-day been granted â—or a Holy day intervened for some weeks together the Master may of himâ—elf propound to his Scholars that in case they performe all their Tasks very well and orderly so as to dispatch them by such an hour on such a day they shall play the remainder thereof then as at other times also when a Play-day is intended ore of the upper Form at least should make a Petitory Oration to the Master or them that come to crave play and another a Gratulatory speech after leave is obtained Where both Thursdayes and Saturdayes in the afternoons are halfe Holy-dayes I think Tuesdayes the fittest on which to grant play in other places Thursdayes may seem the best But this I leave to the discretion of the Master who knoweth what is most convenient for his own Schoole Now in granting a Play-day these directions may be useful 1. That there be never more then one Play-day granted in one week and that onely when there is no Holy-day in that week and when the weather also is clear and open and the ground somewhat dry 2. That no Play be granted till one a clock at the soonest when all the Scholars are met and Orations have been said 3. That all the Scholars be dismissed orderly into some close or other place appointed for such a purpose near the Schoole where they may play together and use such honest and harmlesse recreations as may moderately exercise their bodies and not at all endanger their health And because some boyes are apt to sneak home or straggle from the rest of their fellowes out of their bounds prescribed them to play in you may do well to give order to him that hath the Bill of all the names to call it over at any time amid their sport and to take notice of all such as have absented themselves to give you an account of them when they return into the Schoole which should be upon Play-daies before five of the clock that they may blesse God for his provident hand over them that day and so go home And that the Master may sometimes see into the various disposition of children which doth freely discover it selfe by their company and behaviour at play he may now and then take occasion to walk at a distance from them or if he come nearer to stand out of their sight so as he may behold them in the throng of their recreations and observe their gesture and words which if in any thing they be not as becometh them he may afterwards admonish them in private to behave or speak otherwise But an especial care must be taken and a charge accordingly often given that your Scholars do at no time play with any but their own Schoole-fellowes or other ingenuous children about home which their Parents or Friends know and whom they are willing should be admitted into their company for besides the evil which may be contracted by learning corrupt discourse and imitating them in many shrewd turns boyes that are under little or no command will be very subject to brabble and fight with Scholars and the rather because they know the Master will not allow his Scholars at all to quarel and if they can do them any maime they will attempt it that the Master may have occasion to call them to account for it So perverse is our corrupt nature especially where education hath no sway CHAP. IV. Of Admission of Scholars of Election of Forms and of Scholars orderly sitting and demeanour in their seats when they are at Schoole 1. NO children should as I have formerly said be admitted into a Grammar Schoole but such as can readily read English and write a legible hand or at least be willing to learn to write and to proceed in learning Latine And it is therefore best to try in the presence of their Parents or friends that bring them what they can do by causing them to read or write if they can before them that themselves may be Judges of their present strength or weaknesse expect proficiencie from them according as they see their capacity not hastening them on too fast and rating at them daily because perhaps in their judgements they do not learn so well as their neigbours children The best is to admit of young beginners onely once every year and then to take in all that can be gotten from the Petty-Schooles for company will encourage children to adventure upon an uncouth course of learning seeing the more the merrier and any discreet Parent will be easily perswaded to forbear his son a while when he considereth it will be more for his profiting to have company along with him as he learneth and he
may be daily bettered in reading English and forwarded by learning to write before he come from the Petty-Schoole The fittest season of the year for such a general admission of little ones into the Grammar-Schoole doth seem to be about Easter partly because the higher boyes are usually then disposed of to Trades or the Universities and partly because most children are then removed from one Schoole to another as having the Summer coming on for their encounagement When you have thus admitted a company of boyes together you may let those that can read best obtain the higher places till they come to get the Rudiments of Latine without book and then you may ranke them into a Form Because 2. It is a main help to the Master and a furtherance to all the Scholars that the whole Schoole be reduced into Formes and those also as few as may be respecting the different years and capacity of each Scholar And if there were six hundred Scholars or more in a Schoole they might all sitly be ranked into six Forms by putting those of equal age and abilities together and the toyle in hearing Parts or Lessons and perusing Exercises as I will shew anon would not be much more with an hundred orderly placed and well behaved in a room to themselves apart then with three or foure single boyes in several employments Not onely because the Master or Ushers do thus at once impart themselves to all alike and may bestow more time amongst them in examining any Task but also because by this means Aemulation as a main quickner of diligence will be wrought amongst them insomuch as the weakest Scholar amongst them will be loth to lagge alway behinde the rest and there is none so stupidly blockish but by help of company will learn that which he would not obtain being alone and I have seen the very hindmost oftentimes to help all his fellowes at a dead lift The Teachers constant care should be in every Form as to direct and examine every particular boy so to help forward the weakest that in every thing he doth he may understand himself and it is not to be said with what alacrity they will all strive to out-doe one another so that sometimes he that cometh behinde all the rest will be as fit to make a leader of the Forme as those that are the foremost in it To provoke them all therefore to emulation and that none may complain or think himself injured by being left behinde use constantly once at the end of a moneth and when all your Scholars are together to maâ—e a free new choyce in every Forme after this manner 1. Let every Scholar in the Forme give his own voyce concerning which boy he thinketh to be the best proficient and ablest for the present to lead the company and having set him aside let them all passe their voyces again concerning whom they judge fittest to stand the next to him 2. Then set these two opposite one to another so as the better Scholar may take the leading of the upper side on your right hand and the other the leading of the lower side on your left hand 3. And that there may not be much inequality in the sides let the lower leader have the first call and liberty to take what boy he thinketh the strongest out of all the rest and then let the higher leader have the next call and liberty to take whom he liketh and so let them proceed to call by course till they have like ball players ranked all their fellowes to their sides and so strongly and evenly set themselves in a posture one side against another that it may be hard for any one to judge whether is the stronger By thus choosing amongst themselves they will be all so well pleased that the Master shall never be blamed for endeavouring to preferre one boy before another or keeping of any back that would seem to go faster then his fellowes at his Book And indeed I have sometimes admired to observe the impartiality and judgement of children in placing one another according to their abilities and parts waving all other by-respects by which men would be inclined to set one higher and another lower Yet if sometimes they seem to mistake in their judgement concerning a boy that is but newly come amongst them or to be too partial against any other upon some general splene which is but very rare The discreet Master may after the election correct the error by giving such a one a place to his own liking which he may keep till the next choyce except some of his inferiours have a list to dispute with him for his place and then he must put it to the hazard having a lawful time given him to provide before-hand for the contest 3. Let all the Scholars take their places in the Schoole according to their several Formes and let every one sit in his Form in that order in which he was elected It were good that the seates were so equally set on both sides the Schoole as that the higher side of each Form might keep the higher side of the School I mean that on the Masters right hand and the lower side of the Form the lower side of the Schoole which is that on the Masters left hand However let the upper side take alwayes the upper and the lower the lower seats This placing of Scholars in an opposite manner side against side is good in many respects as 1. To know on a suddain who is unruly in or absent out of his place 2. To have them ready paired at all times for Examinations Disputations or Orations or the like 3. To keep order in going in and out of their seats to say or in going home from Schoole or the like 4. To increase courage in the Scholars who are delighted to let their friends see what place they keep amongst the rest when they come to visit them As they sit in their seats be sure to keep them continually imployed by proportionating every taske to the time and their strength with respect to the capacity of the weakest for by this means the strongest boyes will have more leisure to help and see the weakest can do their work for which purpose they should be appointed sometimes to sit in the middle amongst the rest that they may more readily be consulted with heard of all These should sometimes construe and sometimes examine over their Lessons having their Grammars and Dictionaries and other Subsidiary books to help them out of which they should appoint others to find what they enquire after and this will be so far from hindering their own progresse that it will-encourage them to go faster onward when they see how readily they can lead the way and incite their fellowes to follow after them When in getting Lessons the whole Form shall be at a Non-plus let one of the leaders have recourse to the Master or Ushers or to whom they shall appoint him to go
due care be but had aforehand that Scholars be very ready and perfect in their daily taskes it will take away all coyle and timerousnesse which usually attends these Repetitions and make that this day will become the veryest play-day in all the week when boyes shall see that they have nothing to do but what they can do already at least with a little looking of it over on Thursdaies towards evening at home what they have translated out of any Authour in Prose should be read out of English into Latine and what they learn in Poets should be said as well as can be by heart both for the verse and the matters sake which will furnish them with Authorities and sharpen their invention for versifying After Repetitions ended the Master should note all the Phrases and Sentences and other things observable in their Lessons which they should transcribe into Phrase-bookes and Common-place-Bookes for their constant use in writing or speaking or making Exercises as we have mentioned already before And because the most leisure is gained on Friday afternoones it will not be amisse about three a clock to let every Form to dispute side with side one after another after this manner 1. Let every one propound to his opposite two or three questions which he thinks most difficult out of his weeks work which if the other cannot answer readily before he count six or ten in Latine let him be Captus and the questions be propounded to his next fellow The lowest in the Form may begin the dispute and so go on to the highest on either side who should keep reckoning of those that are capt and how often 2. Besides their weeks works they may try who can most perfectly repeat memoriter a part of the Grammar or any Authour which they read or who can recite the most Vocabula's under one head or who can vary a phrase the best or imitate any piece of an Oratour or Poet. 3. Some time would also be spent in Capping Latine verses amongst the lower Forms and Greek verses amongst the highest for which they may provide themselves out of a Capping-book which seems to be made on purpose by Bartholomaeus Schonborn or Gnomologicon Poeticum made lately by Mr. Rosse besides which they may contrive a little Book of their own wherein to write verses Alphabetically out of the best Poets Let that side which appeareth to be the Victor have the upper seat in the Schoole till a new choice be made except the other can win it from them before and bring them back with a hissing disgrace Amid these disputes the Master must have a great care to suppresse noise and tumultuous clamour and see that no boy stirre out of his appointed place For they are apt to heighten their spirits heyond moderation if the Masters discretion doe not settle them Let it be now lawful for any lower boy in a Form to dispute with one above him for his place Mr. Stockwoods Disputations will be helpfull to the upper Scholars Now that all your Scholars may be thorowly grounded in their Grammar so as not to be apt to forget what they have learnt in it let them all be exercised in the examination of a part of it every Saturday morning thus 1. Let the fiâ—st and lowest Form examine the two next above them out of the examination of the Accidents asking them the Questions as they are in the Book and causing them to answer without book and according to the Accidents 2. Then let all those three Forms run over the Examples of the Declensions and Conjugations as I formerly shewed try who can pusle one another in declining any hard Noun or Conjugating and Forming any Verb and give the Rule of the Genders of the one or Preterperfect tense or Supin of the other when these have done 3. Let the fourth Form examine the two highest Forms in Examinatio Latinae Grammaticae and sometimes in Elementa Rhetorices and then 4. Let all these three Forms run over the Paradigmes of the Greek Declensions and Conjugations 5. Afterwards the two upper Forms may bicker with one another touching Grammar niceties either Latine or Greek which they have taken notice of and collected into a Common-place-book as I mentioned before But a principal care must be had to bring all your Scholars to an habit of speaking Latine and therefore a strict Law should be made and observed that every Scholar especially after he hath been one quarter of a year at Schoole should either learn to speak in Latine or be enforced to hold his tongue And to help the little ones in so doing besides those Phrasiuncula at the end of the Grounds of Grammar they should have Formulae loquendi quotidianae such expressions as are every day used especially about the Schoole writ down in a little book that they may get them by heart at by-times As for the other boyes they will be better guided how to speak by the Rules of Grammar and the constant use and imitation of approved Authours I conceive the penury of proper words and good phrase with many Teachers is a main reason why children are not as well trained up to speak Latine in England as they are in many places beyond Seas and the ready frequent use of their Mother-tongue causeth that they are hardly reclaimed from it to make use of another Language Whereas if whilest they are at the Schoole they might hear little or no English spoken nor be suffered to speak it they would quickly conforme themselves to discourse in Latine As I have known French boyes that understood not a word in English to be able in two or three moneths to talk it as readily as they that were English borne Onely at the first one must wink at their improprieties and harshnesse in pronunciation of some words and phrases and take their meaning by what they speak and after a while by custome and imitation of others they will speak in Latine as properly as the best especially after they have gained the knowledge of Grammar accustomed themselves to observe the style of Latine Authours No day in the week should passe on which some Declamation Oration or Theme should not be pronounced about a quarter of an hour before the Schoole be broken up and after Lessons are all ended in the forenoon That by assiduity in these exercises the Scholars may be emboldened to perform them with a grace before whomsoever and upon occasion of any solemnity or coming of Friends into the Schoole There should be two standing desks set opposite in the midst of the Schoole for boyes to stand aâ— when they pronounce CHAP. VII Of exercising Scholars in the Scriptures Of using daily prayers and singing Psalms Of taking notes at Sermons and Examination after Sermons 1. BEsides that course which we have prescribed afore to every Form of reading part of a Latine or Greek Chapter before parts it is necessary for childrens more profiting in the Scriptures to
R. B. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â T. S. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â R. M. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â S. M. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3. C. N. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â T. C. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â R. W. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â J. C. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â H. P. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 4. R. B. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â L. S. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â N. R. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â B. F. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 5. H. L. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â S. S. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â R. H. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â P. B. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 6 â— S. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â W. T. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â S. D. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â H. R. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Wherein you see the letters above denoting the dayes of the week the letters on the side shew the place where every Scholars name should be written and the pricks within the lines how every default may easily be marked with a pin or a pen. So that 1. This Bill may serve as a Catalogue to be called over every day at Schoole-houres to know who are absent and may save a deale of trouble in making little notes of Scholars frequent misdemeanours 2. If you cause every Bill to be dated and keep them by you you may know at any time who is the shrewdest or most orderly boy amongst the rest and give publick notice accordingly that the one may be admonished to amend his manners and the other encouraged to go on in well-doing 3. Besides it will work the greater awe among all the Scholars when they shall know every fault they commit whilst they are at the Schoole will be upon Record though the Master doth never punish it 4. You shall finde it a meanes of much ease to your selfe when you shall need onely to bid the Monitor tâ—ke notice of a neglect or fault committed and let it so remaine till some fitter opportunity or just occasion invite or or rather enforce you to call to a reckoning 5. For when you perceive any generall disorder or some grosse thing is done which ought not to escape correction you may call for the Bill and then censure those onely for example whom you finde to be most often and notoriously peccant suffering the rest that you called forth to escape with an admonition to beware for the future Thus you shall gain your Scholars affections when they shall see you unwilling to punish any without great cause avoid that common out-cry which is wont to be made against a Schoole-master upon report of a multitude of boyes being whipt at once 6. So many pricks as are found upon any boyes name may be said to deserve so many jerks but herein much discretion is to be used that you seem not too severe nor prove too partial You may sometimes tell your Scholars what faults deserve more or fewer pricks as idlenesse one wandring forth one fighting three swearing four or the like which are to be noted in the Bill more or lesse according to the nature of the faults themselves He that is publick Monitor in one of the two highest Forms may appoint two private Monitors to himself in every other Form which may give him secret information of every mismedeanour committed in any place and this will be an especial meanes to keep all in very good order with seldome and moderate correction a thing to be desired by every Schoole-Master for his own ease and his Scholars better encouragement Those Scholars in every Form which are indeed the most studious and diligent in their taskes and constantly observant to keep good order should often be commended to their fellowes as patterns for them to imitat and when any one hath performed any task or exercise better then ordinary he should receive some small gift at his Masters hand as a new pen-knife or a paper-book or the like signal Testimony of the Masters appprobation of what he hath done Those Parents which are of more ability may do well to allow the Master a small sum of money to reward their sonnes diligence now and then and to excite them to the better performances of their taskes and exercises which will invite them to go faster on in learning then a rod can drive them As for inflicting punishments even upon the meanest worst of children it should ever be the most unwilling piece of work that a Master can take in hand and therefore he should not be hasty to punish any fault whereof the Scholar hath not been praemonished except it be such a notorious crime as a boy cannot but know before-hand that he ought not to have done it As for the Ferula I wish as I have already done for many reasons which it is needless to commit to paper that it might be utterly banished out of all Schooles A good sharp birchen rod and free from knotâ— for willow wands are unsufferable and fitter for a Bedlam then a School as it will break no bones nor endanger any limbs so it will be sufficient wherewith to correct those that shall deserve it in the lower forms and for the higher Scholars that will not behave as they ought to do without blowes a good switch about their shoulders would in Quintilian's judgement seem fitter then a rod elsewhere and his reason is so modestly agreeable to nature that as I am loth to mention it so I wonder that it hath not more prevailed with many discreet Schoole-Masters who I perswade my selfe have often read it cannot but approve of it as most Christian however it dropt from a Heathens pen But Nobilis equus umbra virgae regitur Ingenuous and towardly Scholars will not need so much as the shadow of a rod. And towards others that seem to extort a rod from the Master whether he will or not and as I may say will enforce him to fight he should generally use such clemency in his hand as not to exceed three lashes in the laying on of which he may contribute more or less weight with respect to the demerits of the fault But of this he should alway make sure that he never let the offender go from him with a stubborn look or a stomachful gesture much less with a squealing out-cry or muttering to himselfe all which may be easily taken off with another smart jerk or or two but you should rather let him stand aside a little and see how his stomach will settle That a boy may at once know you dare adventure to whip him
and withall how little you delight in his skin you may at some time when he hath cause to think that he hath well deserved a whipping and when you have him ready for the rod pass him over with an admonition to beware another time and if he again be peccant in the same kinde you may give him more cause at present to remember both his faults together and for the future to avoid them This even and indifferent carriage in rewards and punishments will make these Scholars that have any ingenuity in them less willing to offend and incline the rest to behave more dutifully because they see their Master beare such a loving minde towards them all and to be sharp in punishing none but those that know they well deserved what blowes they had As for those boyes that do slight good order and are apt to stirre up others to reject them which are usually those of bigger stature that perhaps have nâ—t been acquainted with your Teaching or Government or know they shall shortly remove from under your command or those that without any cause love to truant it abroad or by other licentious demeanor bring disgrace to your Schoole or offer any affronts to your selfe I conceive your best way is at a fitting opportunity to send for their Parents or friends with 1 or 2 Judicious neighbours to be by where there are no Governours of the School to let them justly know the fault and adjudge what punishment such a boy deserveth but if the Parents be unwilling to have him corrected for his peremptory disorders choose rather to send him home with them then retain him any longer to the disturbance of the Schoole or your own unquiet This you shall finde as an especial remedy to prevent such clamorous out-cries of supposed Tyranny when every jerk that is given to a notorious unhappy boy for his insolent misbehaviour shall chance to be multiplyed in the relating like Scoggins Crowes from three to thirty Which base obloquie and mis-report what hinderance it bringeth to the flourishing of a Schoole and what unseemly disgrace to a worthy Master I need not mention But because such boyes as these sometimes are apt to take it as an argument of the Masters pusillanimity thus to send for their Parents who generally do not love to heare of their childrens faults the Master may take an occasion where he sees adamonitions will not prevaile to watch them more strictly at every turn and having found them to have committed some grosse enormity to chastise them more smartly then ordinarily yet so as to shew no rigour And if after that he perceive them wilfully to rush into the same acts of lewdnesse let him fairly turne them out of his Schoole and signify the cause to their friends at whose entreaties he should never take them again except they will engage to forfeit a sum of money to be bestowed in publick Books in case they offend in that nature again As for the lesser sort of children that are apt to reiterate the same fault too often for which they have sometimes been already corrected your surest way to reclaim them is after you have once given them warning to whip them for a fault and if that will do no good to double your strokes the second time but if a third time they come under the rod and beg heartily for pardon as commonly then they will do fearing lest their punishment should be tripled you should not let them pass except they can procure two of your more orderly boys or one that is in your favour for his constant well-doing to give their words for them and to engage to be whipt for them if ever they do the like If you see they get sureties to your likeing you may let them escape so but if they cannot you may adventure to take their own single words and the care of their sureties and fear to displease you again will so work upon them that they will seldom or never do the like afterwards Such faults as are vitiously enormous are to be duely punished with a rod according as the obliquity of the will appeareth in them more or less as for such as are committed for want of understanding they are to be remedied by due instruction but those that seem to offend through laziness and careless neglect should be abridged of desired liberty when others have leave to play The shutting of children up for a while into a dark room and depriving them of a meals meat or the like which are used in some Tabling Schools as they are not of good report so they cannot be commendably or conveniently used in our greater Schooles But these things I leave to the discretion of every prudent Master who is able to judg of every particular action by its several circumstances to take such course as he sees best availeable for the orderly management of his own Schoole especially where he is not tied to any Rules of Government CHAP. VIII Of Scholars writing their exercises fair and of keeping their books handsome And of erecting a Schoole-Library for the Masters Recreation therein at vacant houres THough the teaching of children to write a fair hand doth properly belong to writing-Masters as professors of that Art yet the care of seeing that all they write in Paper-books and loose papers by way of Exercises be neatly done doth pertain to every Schoole-Masters and therefore we shall here touch a little concerning that and also shew what heed is to be taken about keeping their Books The usual way for Scholars learning to write at the Country Grammar-Schooles is to entertain an honest and skilful Pen-man that he may constantly come and continue with them about a moneth or six weeks together every year in which time commonly every one may learn to write legibly The best season for such a mans coming is about May-day partly because the dayes are then pretty long and partly because it will be requisite for such as are then getting their Grammar Rudiments to learne to write before they come to Translations The Parents of all other children would be advised to let them take that opportunity to improve their hands forasmuch as the benefit thereof will far exceed the charge it will be a means of better order to have all employed together about a thing so necessary The Master of the Schoole should often have an eye upon them to see what they do and how they profit and that they may not slack in their other learning he may hear them a part at morn and a lesson at noon before their Copies be set or their books can be provided for them and proportion their weekly exercises accordingly And that the stock which they then get may be better increased against the next year the Pen-man should cause them to write a piece a day or two before he leave them as fair as they can with the date above it and their names subscribed underneath
memoriter anâ— then construed and applyed the example to the definition 3. Their after-noons Lessons were 2 days in Ovids Metamorphosis 2 days in Tullies Offices both which they translated into English 4. They learned to scan and prove verses in Flores Poetarum and repeated their weeks works on Fridayes as before 6. The sixth forme continued their parts in the Greek Grammar and formed a verb Active at every part 2. They read the Greek Testament for fore-noones Lessons beginning with Saint Johns Gospel 3. Their after-noones Lessons were two dayes in Virgil and two dayes in Tullies Orations They construed the Greek Testament into Latine and the rest into English 7. The seventh forme went on with the Greek Grammar forming at every part a verb Passive or Medium 2. They had their fore-noones Lessons in Isocrates which they translated into Latin 3. Their after-noon lessons were 2 dayes in Horace and 2 days in Seneca's Tragedies both which they translated into English 8. The eighth forme still contâ—nued their parts in the Greek Grammar 2. They said fore-noones Lessons in Hesiod which they translated into Latine and afternoones Lessons in Juvenal and afterwards in Persius which they translated into English 9. The ninth and highest forme said morning parts in the Hebrew Grammar forenoons Lessons in Homer and afternoons Lessons in some Comical Authour Thus when I came to Rotherham I found two or three sorts of boyes in the Accidents and nine or ten several formes whereof some had but two or three Scholars in it and one of these formes also was not very far from that which was below it So that I being to teach all my self alone was necessitated to reduce them to a lesser number and to provide such helps for the weaker boyes as might enable them to go on with the stronger Besides observing how barren the Scholars were of proper words and good phrases with which their present Authours did not sufficiently furnish them for speaking or writing Latine I was enforced to make use of such books amongst the rest as were purposely made for that end and having at last brought the whole Schoole into a good method and order so as the Scholars learned with profit and I taught them with much ease and delight I was perswaded to write over what I had done that I might leave it as a pattern for him that succeeded me and this was the ground-work of my Discovery The manner of giving Lectures before I came was 1. For the two highest boyes in the eighth forme to give Lectures to all the lower formes each his week by turnes 2. The highest Scholar in the Schoole gave Lectures to the second form 3. Those in the highest form were commonly left to shift for themselves The manner of the Masters hearing Lessons was this 1. The highest boy in the form at their coming to say construed his Lesson two or three times over till he was perfect in it that his fellowes might all learn by him to construe as well as he then every one construed according to the order in which he stood 2. They parsed their Lessons in that order that they had construed it in 3. They translated every day after the Lesson and shewed it altogether fair written on Fridayes Their Exercises were these 1. The four lowest formes translated at vacant times out of some English book 2. The higher formes having a subject given them every Saturday made Themes Verses upon it against that day seven night The manner of collecting phrases was that every Friday in the afternoon the boyes in the highest form collected phrases for the lowest formes out of their severall Authours which they writ and commited to memory against Saturday morning The set times for Disputations were Fridayes and Saturdayes at noon and the manner thus one boy answered his day by course and all his fellowes posed him out of any Authour which he had read before A part of Thursday in the afternoon was spent in getting the Church Catechisme and the six principles of Christianity made by Mr. Perkins Finding this method which is used also in most Grammar Schooles to concurre in the main grounds with that which I had been taught at Wakefield but not to be so plain and easie as that was to children of meaner capacities I began to seek not so much to alter any thing as to supply what I saw defective in it having these and such like considerations often in my mind 1. Though every man liketh his own method best yet none ought so far to be conceited of his own as not to search after a better for the profiting of his Scholars 2. Though one constant method must diligently be observed yet triall may be made of another at fit times so it be done without any distraction to the Master or hinderance to his Scholars 3. A new course of teaching must not be brought in suddenly upon Scholars that have been long trained in a worse but by degrees 4. Some modern Schoole-masters seem to have gained a far more easie and nearer way of teaching then many of the more ancient seemed to have 5. Mr. Brinsley seemeth to have made a Discovery of a more perfect method then was in his time used or is yet generally received Mr. Farnaby Mr. John Clerke and some others have facilitated the way further but Mr. John Comenius hath lately contrived a shorter course of teaching which many of late endeavour to follow and others have more contemplatively written what they have thought of learning the Latine tongue in the easiest manner 6. That for me it would not be amisse by imitating these and others of whose learning and dexterity in teaching I had got some little experience and observing the severall tempers and capacities of those I taught to endeavour to finde out and contrive such helps as might make the most generally received method of teaching by Grammar Authours and Exercises more briefe in it self and more easie and delightfull to the Teacher and Scholar And for what I have done in this kinde these Arguments were especiall inducements That 1. It is not only possible but necessary to make children understand their tasks from their very first entrance into learning seeing they must every one bear his own burden and not rely upon their fellowes altogether in what they doe 2. It is possible and meet for every teacher so to ground his Scholars as that change of Masters may not much hinder their progress in learning 3. Things most familiar and obvious to the senses are first to be learned and such as may be an easie step towards those which are next to be attained 4. The most vocabula's and phrases of ordinary discourse may and ought to be taught together with the Latine Grammar and the lowest sort of Schoole-Authours 5. Boyes ought to know the meaning and how to make use of each Rule as they learne yet so as not they be forced upon understanding of it 6. The most useful books ought to be read and may be taught after one manner in every Grammar-Schoole 7. Children must be furnished with store of matter and able to write a good style and shewed how to imitate their Authours for making Exercises before they be put to use their own invention 8. It is tyranny in the Master to beat a Scholar for not doing that which he knoweth not how to goe about so that he must first know him to be well able and then he may more justly punish his neglect 9. Many young Schoole-masters are more pusled about frameing to themselves a good method then toyled in the exercise of teaching Schoole 10. No man ever had such an acute and direct method but another able Scholar might observe and follow it 11. Many Masters that are excellent in perfecting Scholars have not the patience to ground them and many that have the skill to ground a Scholar well in his Rudiments are not of ability to bring him on to perfection in Grammatical Exercises 12. In many Schooles one Master alone beareth the whole burden of teaching without any help of an Usher 13. Every one that teacheth a Grammar Schoole is not able to make a right choyce nor knoweth he the true use of our best classical Authours 14. It is a prime part of a Schoole-master to instruct his Scholars well in the principles of Christian Religion and to make them acquainted with the holy Scriptures 15. It is an utter undoing to many Scholars to be sent ungrounded to the Universities and Parents are generally unwilling to have their children tarry long at the Schoole and therefore it is good for Masters to make use of the shortest and surest way of teaching 16. It is very necessary and hath been ever wished that some of our most famous and best Schoole-masters would for the benefit of others set themselves on work to finde out and publish the exactest method of teaching which might be generally received till a better were knowne for by that meanes they should doe much good to the Church and Common-wealth and somewhat herein advantage themselves seeing every Parent will be willing to have his son taught by one whom he knoweth to be constantly diligent in a good way of teaching And the hopes that I conceived hereby to provoke my betters hath especially encouraged me at last to yield to my friends importunity in setting down this Method of Teaching and writing down also this for me of Schoole-Government which I heartily commend to Gods heavenly blessing and the candid censure of the more judicious hoping that as I intend chiefly the generall good so none will requite me with malicious obtrectation which if any shall doe I charitably pray for them before hand that God would for Christs sake forgive them and grant that I may not heed what they write or say concerning me or my labours so as to be discouraged in my honest endeavours for the publick service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS Quidam senex partans faescem lignorum super humoros ex nemore cum defessus esset longa via vocavit mortem fasco deposito humi Ecce mors advenit rogat causam quamobrem vocaverat se Tunc senex ait ut imponeres hunc fascem lignorum super humeros
to shew himselfe at all times pleasing and chearful towards them and unwilling to punish them for every error but withall to carry so close an eye upon all their behaviour that he can tell them privately betwixt himself and them alone of many faults they commit when they think he knowes nothing and let them see how he dare correct them for the like offences when they presume to commit them again and especially if they behave themselves stubbornely before their fellowes Yet to win a boy of a more stubborne spirit it is better sometimes to forbeare blowes when you have him submit to the rod then to punish him so for a fault as to make him to hate you and out of a despight to you to do the like or a worse mischiefe And when any general misdemeanour is committed the Master should shew himselfe impartial towards all so as either to pardon or punish all Bu in afflicting punishments as he should let none escape so he should let the most untoward feele the most smart but beware he deal not rigorously much leâ—â—e cruelly with any for that will cause an utter dislike in all the Scholars towards the Master fearing he will deale so with them in case they so offend and thinking it to be no argument of love where severity of correction is used 4. But nothing works more upon good natured children then frequent encouragements and commendations for well-doing and therefore when any taske is performed or order observed according to his minde the Master should commend all his Scholars but especially the most observant and encourage the weak and timerous and admonish the perversest amongst them to go on in imitating their example in hopes of finding as much favour at his hands as they see them to have 5. In some places a Master is apt to be molested with the reproachfull clamours of the meaner sort of people that cannot for the most part endure to have their children corrected be the fault never so heinous but presently they must come to the Schoole to brave it out with him which if they do the Master should there in a calme manner admonish them before all his Scholars to cease their clamour and to consider how rash they are to interrupt his businesse and to blame him for doing that duty to which he is entrusted by themselves and others their betters But if they go about to raise scandalous reports upon him he may do well to get two or three judicious neighbours to examine the matter and to rebuke the parties for making so much adoe upon little or no occasion Thus we shall see Scholars abundantly more to respect the Master when they know how grossely he is apt to be wronged by inconsiderate persons and that wise men are ready to vindicate his cause Whereas if they once see their Master liable to every bodies censure and no man take his part whatever is said of him they themselves will not care what tales they make to his utter disgrace or ruine especially if he have been any whit harsh towards them and they be desirous to out-slip the reines of his Teaching and Government CHAP. III. Of Schoole-times Of Scholars going forth of the Schoole and of Play dayes THough in many Schooles I observe six a clock in the morning to be the hour for children to be fast at their Book yet in most seven is the constant time both in Winter and Summer against which houre it is fit every Scholar should be ready at the Schoole And all they that come before seven should be permitted to play about the Schoole till the clock strike on condition they can say their parts at the Masters coming in else they are not to play at all but to settle to their books as soon as they come But here the Master is to take heed that he be neither too rigorous with those of weaker age or constitution for coming somewhat tardy nor indulgent towards those who through manifest sloth and frequent loytering neglect the houre For in the one it will breed a daily timerousnesse and in the other it will make way to licentiousnesse and on the one side Parents will clamour on the other side the Schoole will receive disgrace However the best is to be as strict as possibly may be in seeing that every Scholar come at the just houre and to note it as a punishable fault in him that cometh late except he bring a note of excuse from his Parents or Host's hand and a promise withall that he shall not offend often in that kind It is not amisse for every Scholar in every Form to put down his name in a book kept common for that purpose so soon as he comes to Schoole every day that it may be upon record whether he used to come with the foremost or the hindmost and how often he was absent from the Schoole likewise every Scholars name should be called over according to the Bill every Schole hour and they that are present should answer for themselves by saying Adsum and his next fellow should give notice of him that is absent by saying Abest The common time of dismissing Scholars from Schoole in the fore-noons is eleven a clock every day and in the after-noons on Mondaies Wednesdaies and Fridaies five a clock but on Tuesday after-noons foure and on Thursdayes three Touching which a care would be taken that the taskes of every Form may be fully dispatched rather a little before those houres then after that then the Scholars which intend writing or cyphering or the like may go to the Writing-schoole as they yet use to doe about London Neither would I have the Scholars to be so precisely observant of the clock as just upon the first stroke of it to rush out of the Schoole but notice being given to the Master that it is stricken and he having given the word for dismissing the Schoole all the Scholars should come one by one orderly out of their seats according to their Forms the lowest beginning first because they are commonly next the doore and salute him with their hats in their hands and so quietly depart out of the Schoole without thrusting or striving one to get out before another It were good if there were hour-glasses in the School to give notice how the time goes on And for their ready going home or to the writing Schoole there should be private Monitors appointed to inform the Master so soon as they return to the Schoole again who they are that neglected their duty therein That space of intermission about nine and three a clock which is used at Westminster Schoole and some others and is so much commended by Mr. Brinsley Chap. 33. of his Grammar Schoole cannot so well be observed nor is it so requisite in those Schooles in which Scholars meet not till seven in the morning for the variety of their several tasks will take away that tediousnesse that seems to accurre by the length of time