An essay on the government of children, under three general heads, viz. health, manners, and educationNelson, James
History
An essay on the government of children, under three general heads, viz. health, manners, and education
Nelson, James
Child rearing -- England -- History -- 18th century
It may be urged that a compleat Knowledge of the _English_ cannot be
acquired without _Latin_; but, with all due Respect, I beg leave to
dissent from this: I have seen a good _Latin_ Scholar greatly deficient
in the Knowledge of _English_, and a very correct _Englishman_ who did
not know a Word of _Latin_. But nice grammatical Rules are not strictly
the Province of Boys in common Life, and much may be done without
them. A good Master will enable them to read in a very expressive and
significant Manner, at the same time that he makes them acquainted with
his Subject. He will teach them the different Types, why a _Roman_, why
an _Italic_ Letter is used; where the Accent is to be laid on different
Words, and on the same Word in different Senses; where capital Letters
are to be used, and why; the different Stops, which we call Pointing,
and their Force; the Cadence, or Falling of the Voice, in ending a
Sentence, or a Paragraph; and, what is the greatest Beauty of all, where
to lay the Emphasis or Stress on every Expression, so as to give it
it’s utmost Energy. Farther, he will teach his Scholars to keep close
to Nature; and not suffer them to borrow a Whine, a Tone of Voice from
that almost universal Destroyer of Nature, Affectation. He will shew
them that the only thing which can be granted in this Case, is a certain
adjusting, or rather a little Elevation of the Voice in Reading, above
Speaking; and that they come nearest to true Reading, who would be
supposed to be Speaking, were a blind Man the Hearer. He will shew too,
that, according to Nature, all Subjects do not require equal Energy in
Reading; and consequently the Voice must be modify’d and varied, on
suitable Occasions: for as we are susceptible of various Impressions;
and as Joy, Grief, Anger, and other Passions, are differently expressed
by us without any previous Study, purely from the Force of Nature, so
a good Master will shew, that a Prayer, a History, and a Poem, have
each something different in their Nature; and that to give them their
due Propriety, Force, and Beauty, each must be read in a different way.
Besides these, the Master will shew his Scholars, that in order to speak
to Perfection they must observe first, what Language their Betters speak,
and by comparing it with that of the Vulgar, they will be enabled to
distinguish, not only good from bad, but Propriety from Impropriety;
whence they will insensibly learn, Gender, Number, and Case; Person,
Mood, and Tense, with many other things relating to Grammar, without once
supposing that they are acquiring them. Secondly, he will direct them in
the Choice of such Books as will give a double Relish to Reading, by the
Goodness of the Language they are wrote in. And lastly, he will recommend
their seeking Opportunities of hearing their Betters read, that they may
compleat by Imitation, what Instruction has laid the Foundation of.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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