Latin language -- Readers; Natural history -- Juvenile literature; Picture books for children
III. Thence a new benefit cometh, that that very English Translation may
serve for the more ready and pleasant learning of the Latin tongue: as
one may see in this Edition, the whole book being so translated, that
every where one word answereth to the word over against it, and the book
is in all things the same, only in two idioms, as a man clad in a double
garment. And there might be also some observations and advertisements
added in the end, touching those things only, wherein the use of the
Latin tongue differeth from the English. For where there is no
difference, there needeth no advertisement to be given. But, because the
first _tasks of learners ought to be little and single_, we have filled
this first book of training one up to see a thing of himself, with
nothing but rudiments, that is, with the chief of things and words, or
with the grounds of the whole world, and the whole language, and of all
our understanding about things. If a more perfect description of things,
and a fuller knowledge of a language, and a clearer light of the
understanding be sought after (as they ought to be) they are to be found
somewhere whither there will now be an easy passage by this our _little
Encyclopædia_ of things subject to the senses. Something remaineth to be
said touching the more chearful use of this book.
I. Let it be given to children into their hands to delight themselves
withal as they please, with the sight of the pictures, and making them
as familiar to themselves as may be, and that even at home before they
be put to school.
II. Then let them be examined ever and anon (especially now in the
school) what this thing or that thing is, and is called, so that they
may see nothing which they know not how to name, and that they can name
nothing which they cannot shew.
III. And let the things named them be shewed, not only in the Picture,
but also in themselves; for example, the parts of the body, clothes,
books, the house, utensils, &c.
IV. Let them be suffered also to imitate the Pictures by hand, if they
will, nay rather, let them be encouraged, that they may be willing:
first, thus to quicken the attention also towards the things; and to
observe the proportion of the parts one towards another; and lastly to
practise the nimbleness of the hand, which is good for many things.
V. If anything here mentioned, cannot be presented to the eye, it will
be to no purpose at all to offer them by themselves to the scholars; as
colours, relishes, &c., which cannot here be pictured out with ink. For
which reason it were to be wished, that things rare and not easy to be
met withal at home, might be kept ready in every great school, that they
may be shewed also, as often as any words are to be made of them, to the
scholars.
Thus at last this school would indeed become a school of things obvious
to the senses, and an entrance to the school intellectual. But enough:
Let us come to the thing it self.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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