Latin language -- Readers; Natural history -- Juvenile literature; Picture books for children
So that a School-master had need to bend his wits to come within the
compass of a child’s capacity of six or seven years of age (seeing we
have now such commonly brought to our Grammar-schools to learn the Latin
Tongue) and to make that they may learn with as much delight and
willingness, as himself would teach with dexterity and ease. And at
present I know no better help to forward his young scholars than this
little Book, which was for this purpose contrived by the Author in the
German and Latin Tongues.
What profitable use may be had thereof, respecting chiefly that his own
country and language, he himself hath told you in his preface; but what
use we may here make of it in our Grammar-schools, as it is now
translated into English, I shall partly declare; leaving all other men,
according to my wont, to their own discretion and liberty, to use or
refuse it, as they please. So soon then as a child can read English
perfectly, and is brought to us to school to learn Latin, I would have
him together with his Accidence, to be provided of this Book, in which
he may at least once a day (beside his Accidence) be thus exercised.
I. Let him look over the pictures with their general titles and
inscriptions, till he be able to turn readily to any one of them, and to
tell its name either in English or Latin. By this means he shall have
the method of the Book in his head; and be easily furnished with the
knowledge of most things; and instructed how to call them, when at any
time he meeteth with them elsewhere, in their real forms.
II. Let him read the description at large: First in English, and
afterward in Latin, till he can readily read, and distinctly pronounce
the words in both Languages, ever minding how they are spelled. And
withal, let him take notice of the figures inserted, and to what part of
the picture they direct by their like till he be well able to find out
every particular thing of himself, and to name it on a sudden, either in
English or Latin. Thus he shall not only gain the most primitive words,
but be understandingly grounded in Orthography, which is a thing too
generally neglected by us; partly because our English schools think that
children should learn it at the Latin, and our Latin schools suppose
they have already learn’d it at the English; partly, because our common
Grammar is too much defective in this part, and scholars so little
exercised therein, that they pass from schools to the Universities and
return from thence (some of them) more unable to write true English,
than either Latin or Greek. Not to speak of our ordinary Tradesmen, many
of whom write such false English, that none but themselves can interpret
what they scribble in their bills and shop-books.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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