Produced by Louise Hope, Chris Curnow, Joseph Cooper and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net [Transcriber’s Note: This e-text includes characters that require UTF-8 (Unicode) file encoding: œ [oe ligature, used in all Latin text] ☉ ♂ ♈ ... [astrological symbols: see below] If any of these characters do not display properly, or if the apostrophes and quotation marks in this paragraph appear as garbage, make sure your text reader’s “character set” or “file encoding” is set to Unicode (UTF-8). You may also need to change the default font. The two sections numbered CIV use astrological symbols. Most are accompanied by a definition, so the meaning will be plain even if your text reader cannot display them. When a symbol is used in place of a word, an alternative text is shown after the affected paragraph. In the _Orbis Pictus_ text, apparent errors in punctuation and typography (such as Italic type where Roman is expected) were unchanged except in chapter headers. Other errors, whether corrected or not, are listed at the end of the e-text. Note that “Dutch” generally means “German”. The original text was printed in parallel columns with English on the left. For this e-text the English and the Latin are shown in small blocks with differing indentation. Line breaks are approximately but not exactly the same as in the original.] The ORBIS PICTUS of JOHN AMOS COMENIUS. This work is, indeed, the first children’s picture book. --ENCYCLOPÆDIA BRITANNICA, 9TH EDITION, vi. 182. [Publisher’s Device: School Bulletin Publications 1874] SYRACUSE, N.Y.: C. W. BARDEEN, PUBLISHER, 1887. Copyright, 1887, by C. W. BARDEEN. It may not be generally known that Comenius was once solicited to become President of Harvard College. The following is a quotation from Vol. II, p. 14, of Cotton Mather’s MAGNALIA: “That brave old man, Johannes Amos Commenius, the fame of whose worth has been TRUMPETTED as far as more than three languages (whereof everyone is indebted unto his JANUA) could carry it, was indeed agreed withal, by one Mr. Winthrop in his travels through the LOW COUNTRIES, to come over to New England, and illuminate their Colledge and COUNTRY, in the quality of a President, which was now become vacant. But the solicitations of the Swedish Ambassador diverting him another way, that incomparable Moravian became not an American.” This was on the resignation of President Dunster, in 1654--Note of Prof. PAYNE, Compayre’s History of Education, Boston, 1886, p. 125. EDITOR’S PREFACE.