THere be two causes, which moue me to the penning of this Elementarie,
whereof the one is mine own promis, the other is the argument it self. The
argument it self persuades me to the penning thereof, bycause it is so fit
for the training vp of childern, as nothing can be fitter: and the stream of
discourse in my former book, which I name Positions, did carie me on to
promis it, and binds me to perform it. But for the better linkking of this
book to that, seing this is nothing else, but the performing of one pece,
which I promised in that, I must needs shortlie run ouer the main branches
of that, ear I enter into this. The matter of that book consisteth chefelie in
two generall points, the one proper, the other proceding. I call that
argument proper, which is the naturall subiect of that same book, &
being once handled there desires no further speche in any other treatis. I
call that proceding which being but named there as a thing most necessarie
to som further end, requireth more handling, then it hath there, to be better
fitted for so profitable an end. Of the first sort, which is the proper
inhabitant of that same book, and to be enquired for there, all those
discourses be, which concern the teacher, Homer the great Greke poët deuiseth a
monster, which he nameth Até, and giueth her for surname the Ladie of
harm, with whom he ioyns in fellowship thre other staied matrones, which
he calleth Litæ, and the Ladies of redresse, after harms be receiued. This
Até, saith he, is so swift of wing, so strong of bodie, so stirring to do
il, as she flyes far before, & harmeth where she lighteth. But the thre
good Ladies, being halt & lame, old and crooked, not a step without a
staf, cannot foot it so fast, as their fellow can fly, wherevpon it falleth
out, that harms be soon caught, but healed at leisur, when the old creping
Ladies come to present a plaster, as theie will com at last, tho it be verie
long first. This hope haue we wishers, tho we waite long for it. And that
good God who made all these things, which we so mar, as he promiseth a
renewing, so is he able to perform it, whose pacience in our misses we must
follow in our mends. Thus much concerning those arguments, which ar
proper to my book, that I name reading, writing, drawing,
singing, and playing. Why & wherefor these fiue be so
profitable and so fit for this place, it shall appear hereafter, when their vse
shall com in question. In the mean while this is most trew, that in the right
course of best education to learning and knowledge, all these, & onelie
these be Elementarie principles, and most necessarie to be delt with all.
Whatsoeuer else besides these is required in that age, either to strengthen
their bodies, or to quiken their wits, that is rather incident to exercise for
helth, then to Elementarie for knowledge. Thus I haue shewed both why I
begin at the Elementarie, and wherein it consisteth.
IN persuading & admitting euen the verie best things, there be two other
points, besides the pretended goodnesse in the thing, which theie haue still
in eie, that ar to be persuaded. Whereof the one is, what countenaunce he
carieth, which is the persuader, and what mean he vseth to work his
persuasion. For both the thing, which is in question, must take shew of
some good, ear it will be receiued: and the partie that Elementarie principle, so by clearing picture, he
proues drawing to be another. Whereunto he might be the sooner moued,
bycause Pamphilus the Macedonian, master to the famous
Apelles about the same time procured throughout al Grece, that
drawing should be held for the first degre of liberall science in the training
vp of children, and that no bondman should be admitted to vse the pencill.
Wherevpon Plinie saith, that he neuer red of, neither yet euer saw
anie excellent pece of work painted by a bondman, tho manie by wemen. It
should also seme that Aristotles plane speche concerning drawing did
take hold of that act procured by Pamphilus, who examining, as
Plato did, in what things childern were to be trained vp, setteth down
all the fiue principles by name and allegeth great reasons, why the minde is
to be fashioned by them for learning, as the bodie is by gymnastik for
exercise. He spendeth also the most part of the eight of his politiks to clear
Musick from blame, and to proue it nedefull euen for bettering of
maners besides vndouted pleasur. Quintilian also a Rhetorik master
among the Romanes, and of no lesse account in his cuntrie then he was of
cunning, and so estemed of among vs, in the framing of his best orator, first
nameth writing and reading, and with som earnest chalenge
taketh vpon him the protection of Musik, whose two arms
singing and plaing be. And in the same place vsing the same
fauour to Arithmetik and Geometrie, which perfit the pen and
pencill in Apelles his opinion, as the pen and pencill be their
principles in common sense, he could Plato did before him not
refusing where he fined. I will rest content with the assured credit of
these thre onelie, as principall among all, whether philosophers, or other,
whereof there is none, but he doth allow of those principles, which these
thre appoint, and I haue chosen. Neither is there anie other of either valew
or account, which handleth this argument of childerns foretrain, whether in
Greke or Latin, whether of purpos or by passage, whether Christian or
prophane writer, but he ioyneth with them and me herein, tho in som after
learning, and fear of som misuse, theie somtime dissent, and wish rather
that the principles were wanting then the perills should take place, which
unwise peple seme to be subiect vnto, by dealing to far with them, a false
slander to good principles, tho a iust reproche to ill peple. The best
appointed common wealls also, in the best & most florishing times for
all kinde of learning embraced the same train, a thing as easie to be proued,
by all the best writers, in most plane terms, if I thought it nede full, as it
is roundlie said in these few words. For it is not my resolution to vse manie
names, tho I know the men, saue in those cases, where I must haue som
companie of known note, to satisfie som humors, or else seme my self to be
of either none, or but of verie small account. Neither is it anie discredit for
a Christian writer in cases of learning and education, such as these be,
where Christianism maie furnish the matter, tho prophanism yeild the form,
to follow the president of prophane common wealls, & to cite the
testimonie of old philosophers, from whence we set the most part of our
learning. Neither can anie Christian state, or anie relligious consideration
tho neuer so precise, but think verie well of these Elementarie principles,
which the panims do, allow if theie be aduisedlie considered, and not hedilie
renounced, by either raptnesse in conceit, or rashnesse in iudgement, before
theie be well weied. For the same principles of learning, & the same
faculties being learned, did arm the Christians to ouerthrow, which armd
the infidels to assail, as the learned diuines know to be most trew, by both
the old greke writers, as Iustine the martir Eusebius the
storier, and who not of that race? & by the old latin autors to, as
Lactanius and Austen, and who but of that Agar beloued in obedience to hir mistresse, as banished for hir
stomak? seing it pleased Philo to make fre Sara the type of
right religion, & bond Agar the type of other leaning. For the ills
which ar pretended to come by them which be the chefe, naie the onelie
causes why som honest but to credulous naturs do mislike som of them: the
common wealls which shall admit them & the parties which wil learn
them for their profit sake, must take hede therevnto, least a more perillous
harm do chance to crepe in vnder the colour of profit: seing the falts
wherewith theie ar charged procede not from the things as naturallie euill,
but from the persons, as naturall abusers, euen of what so is best. Which
point in waie of their iustification shalbe laid verie plane in the particular
discourses of euerie principle. Well then, thus do all writers, thus do al
estates, thus do all relligions esteme of these principles for the number,
& goodnesse thereof, for where allowance of number is, the allowance
of their good is granted before hand.
I Said before that the best writers did not onelie agre vpon the number of
principles, but also did appoint for what kinde of wits it were most
agreable to be trained vp in them. Of the principles I haue spoken
sufficientlie: now let vs se, what their opinion is concerning the choice of
wits. Which choice is a thing to be verie much thought on at all times,
& in all places, but in these our daies, and this our cuntrie vpon speciall
causes to be narrowlie looked vnto, as I haue said more then once, &
that in places mo then one. For the consideration is weightier to whom ye
commit learning, when ye haue found what to learn, then to find what to
learn, before ye commit it. Bycause the best instrument wold allwaie be
handled by the fittest person, & not by euerie one, that hath a fantsie to
handle it. The want of this choice while priuat liking, & not publik
order giues learning hir student, doth cause more mischiefe, then the ground Plato, then to be committed to bastard wits, and not of hir own
kinde? Naie can there be anie greater plage to anie common weall, then to
haue that mean, which is naturallie hir best and of most profit, if the
person, which shall vse it, be well appointed, to proue to be her worst, and
hir greatest hinderer, by either the no choice, or else the verie ill choice of
that same person? Wherefor in the choice of wits allyed naturallie to
learning, theie first consider the end, wherefor theie ar to serue, when theie
ar once learned, & then their qualities, whereby theie ar proued to be fit
for learning. In the end theie consider, whether he, that is learned to liue
priuatlie to him self, or publiklie for others. For as those, which serue in
publik function do turn their learning to publik vse, which is the naturall vse
of all learning: so such as liue to themselues either for pleasur in their
studie, or to auoid foren truble do turn their learning to a priuate ease,
which is the priuat abuse of a publik good. For the common weall is the
measur of euerie mans being, which if anie one respect not, he is not to liue
in it. If he be able to serue and do not, his choice condemns him: if
infirmitie let his choice his infirmitie is his pardon: if he studie tho
priuatlie to a publik end, his end is his warrant, tho his mean be mistaken.
Wherein Tullies opinion semeth to be sounder then Platoes for
the not Plato ment the higher publik
seruices, such as the chefe magistrates & hed officers be, which places
he still reserueth to his chefe philosofers, and in the Monarchie he saueth
euen the verie croun and principaltie for them. Which so great a charge in
anie estate the philosofers did seke allwaie to auoid, as being either to
trublesom, or to much subiect to the peples furie, chefelie in a popular
gouernment, such as that of Athens was, where the most philosofers were.
In the choice of these wits for this priuat end, bycause theie could not gesse
aforehand, what their end wold be, theie vsed the same mean for their first
train, and sitting of their wit, which theie did vse for the best, and the most
publik end. In those which learn to that end, that theie maie be profitable in
publik, and proue so in the end, theie chefelie consider the principall
and subaltern magistrates. I call those magistates principall,
which ar not subiect to account of their gouernment by anie common order,
tho in conscience and religion both towards God and men theie be euerie one
subiect, as stewards by commission, whether theie be Emperours, Kings, or
whatsoeuer prince of absolut soueraintie, not vassall to anie higher. I call
those subaltern which ruling other yet ar subiect to other, as in a
Monarchie all the mean and inferiour magistrates, and generallie as in anie
estate those officers be, which be accountant for their doings. These
magistrates be theie, whom all their precepts tend vnto, as the principall
springs of most good or euill in anie estate. Bycause theie be the life &
soul of their lawes for reward and punishment: the onelie president in all
doings, to the common subiect, whether themselues be in principall roum, or
but in subaltern. The principall magistrate is a great president as most
profitable in good, so most perillous in ill: bycause his vertew, is the
generall allurement, to resemble the like by, as his vice is the generall
couert, for impunitie to offenders. The subaltern magistrates make a
state verie lothsom by euill execution, as theie make it verie lightsom, by
the contrarie dealing. Their own obedience towards their superiors is more
then a lure to reclame the peple, bycause their obsequiousnesse to those
that ar aboue them enforceth their vnder ones officiouslie subaltern magistrates theie be no lesse carefull, bycause their places
and functions concern euerie particular sinew, euerie particular vein, euerie
particular arterie, naie euerie small filet, and finest string or strip in the
hole bodie of anie comon weall. Here lieth their choice of their learned
wits, bycause theie take learning to be a leading qualitie, and therefor
beseming the place, if it be fitted in person. These theie will haue fed and
cherished with best matter, from the first time that theie be able to take
anie pains either for bodilie exercise, or for trauell in learning, vntill theie
be able to serue that publik turn, wherevnto theie ar destinate, &
wherefor theie were so trained by publik foresight. In these theie consider
the maintenance of the state, & therefor in their choice their chefe
regard is, what wit is most fit in euerie kinde of state, bycause the like as
it loueth the like best, so bycause of that loue it preferreth it most. Thus
much concerning the end wherefor the choice is made. In the qualities
which bewraie fitnesse for learning, theie haue regard to both the bodie and
the minde. In the bodie theie require, that it be able for strength, and health
to abide exercise the preseruer of them both: that it be of good proportion
and correspondent to the minde for trauell in studie, & if it maie be, to
haue it personable withall, bycause personablenesse is an allurement to
obedience, a gracious deliuerer of anie inward vertew, & somtime was
estemed a thing most worthie of the principall feat. Was not Saul
noted in his election to be king, to haue bene taller and more personable,
then the rest of the peple? Did not Thalestris the Amason
Quene half contemn Alexander the great: when she saw his person to
be of not great shew, whose name was so renoumed, as the report therof did
cause hir com to se him? Doth not Euripides saie &
Porphyrie vpon his word, that a bodie of presence is best worthie to
rule? In the minde theie consider first the means to conceiue well, and to
kepe fast, and then those Quintilian bids giue him that boy, which wilbe quikned
with praise, which wilbe aloft with honor, which will wepe at a foill. This
boy saith he must be fed with braueries, him cherishing will encourage, in
him I fear no loytering. In stede of that weping at a foil Xenophon in
the person of Cyprus, whom he deuiseth so perfit, as the best boy for
a patern to bring vp, & the best price for a president to princes, semeth
rather to like of laughing himself at himself, thereby neither to take
laughter in the lookers on for anie kinde of mok: neither to lease anie
courage, but furthwith to amend the thing, wherein he missed. Whereas
weping might bewraie a pusillanimitie, and a faint of stomak. But
Quintilian no dout ment, as if that weping can of an inward grefe, not
quenching but kindling the natural courage, to burst out to the better. So
Liuie saith that the hanging of the head, & the looking down of
the Romane soldiers, when theie returned homeward Caudium, where the gallous was their gate,
tho theie went vnder it like gese, was no argument of corage vanquished
& oppressed by so shamefull a despite, but of a suppressed choler &
a boiling grefe, which longed for occasion, wherby to work reuenge, &
was thoroughlie ashamed, till theie had changed the shame with their
enemie for honor, & had died their swords in the deceiuers blood, their
foil comming not thorough their own defalt, but by folie of their leaders. As
for Quintilianes cokking boy stil perching, still aspiring: such a pert
conceit maie be good for his oratour, bycause he limits him no place, but it
is hard for a subiect, whose humilitie is his honor. For the aspiring wit,
which wilbe still a mounting, giues som euident suspition of a restlesse
head, in anie kinde of state, least fit for a Monarchie, & lesse profitable
to it self. Bycause desiring stil to be the best, if he misse, he moills other,
if he hit, he harms himself, by insolence of thought, not content with a
mediocritie, as to far beneath him, nether able to get much, as not fit for
his humor, where the state is to distribut, as it thinks of the person, and not
the person to receiue as he thinks of himself. In the generall learner I like
that disposition best, which Terence doth attribut to young
Pamphilus in his comedie called Andria: in whom I obserue two
seuerall properties, the one for learning, the other for behauior. For his
learning he was neither to excellent to be enuyed, neither to mean to be
contemned, but as not aboue all in anie thing, so not beneath all in anie: that
much allowed mediocritie being the rule of his learning. In behauior
towards other he had acquainted himself to bear with all companies in most
varietie of behauior, to yeild himself to them in honestie of delite,
contrarying none, contemning none, neuer bragging of his birth, neuer
vanting of his welth. For certainlie in wits this moderate kinde is most
contrarie to the worst. If anie one be to singular od, he is fit either for
valew aboue all to be sent vp to heauen, as to good for the earth; or for vice
beneath all to be wisht somwhere else, as the earth to good for him, as
Plato dalieth with the like speche in the like case. But those mens
chefe consideration in their chusing of wits is, what affection to learning
the childe hath by natur. Bycause it is hard to haill against the stream, as it
is wonderous easie to row Platoes Protagoras, that Iupiter sent Mercurie
down into the world, to distribut learning and vertew among those of the
world. In which his distribution he gaue learning to peple, according as
theie were inclined by natur: but he gaue them vertew, which he deuided
into a remorse to do ill, and a desire to do right, according to necessitie,
which was to haue few men learned, as as theie were inclined, but to haue
all men vertewous, as theie ought to be inclined. Bycause one learned man,
as one physician, will help a great number: but it is necessarie for all men
to be ashamed to do ill, and to be redie to do good. And with all, there saith
Iupiter to Mercurie make this proclamation thoroughout the
hole world, that theie furthwith kil him, as a disease in a state, who so euer
is not capable of shame to do wrong, and will to do right. Whereby theie do
mean, that there wold not be to manie brought vp vnto learning, where both
natur restrains being not fit in most, and our vse doth not nede them, where
some few will serue all. Which two considerations natur in most, &
nede in all, be the chefe grounds of this choice for learning. But vertew
& goodnesse be required in all, as necessarie for all in this our generall
nede, & corruption of natur, whereby most be euill, whereas all should
be good. But I haue said much allredie concerning this choice in diuerse
places of my former book, which I call Positions, and speciallie in that
title, which handleth the stripping of, of too manie bookmen. In the
qualities that declare a wit verie likelie to perform well afterward, when
learning is obtained, theie commonlie consider the honest disposition, and
the parties zeall towards morall vertew, and ciuill societie euen for
honesties sake, without hope of anie profit. Then theie mark next the
forsight of conceit, which must be neither easie to be deceiued, nor soon to
be remoued from a right opinion, by either passion in themselues, or
persuasion of others. And generallie whatsoeuer vertew is like to bewraie
both a good man, and a good subiect, that theie call to councell in making of
their choice, to haue their learner make shew, both of capabilitie, &
keping, in matters of learning, and of towardnesse, and constancie, in
matters of liuing. In all these wits theie still respect libertie Æsop among
slaues, & Plato among writers: whereof Æsop sought still
for fredom against seruilitie, & Plato for natur against mutable
fortun, measuring not euen princes by their place, but by their propertie, by
naturall power, and not by casuall euent. The cause why theie think so much
of abilitie is the respect of the peple, which will obeie best, where theie be
ouer topt most: as the cause why theie think so much of fredom is, for that
slaues haue no voice nor part in the state, being held but for catle, tho
reasonable withall: whereas learning hath best voice in anie estate, and
therefor requireth the help of such an vtterer, as is part of the state, and
capable of best state. Thus much for both the number of the Elementarie
principles, and the choice of wits most fit for learning, according to the
iudgement of the eldest, and best writers.
AS for the reasons, which confirm the choice of the Elementarie principles,
I find them to be both manie, and well appointed, & such, as moue me to
think, both that these fiue, and that not fewer then these fiue, neither anie
other then these fiue do make a perfit Elementarie, and that a perfit
Elementarie is a most excellent thing, and so most excellent, as without the
which, if it be not either anie at all, or not such as this is, there will great
defects ensew in yeares, which might be preuented in youth. For as the wise
Cato being demanded what was the chefe point, that did belong to
husbandrie, answered Demosthenes being demanded, what was the chefe point that did
belong to an orator, answered to gestur well, & dubled the point: so my
self, tho neither a Cato for wisdom, nor a Demosthenes for
eloquence, yet am so resolued in this matter, as if I were demanded what I
thought to be of chefe force in the hole course, and matter of learning, I
durst boldlie answer a good Elementarie, and duble the point. Cato
answered in that argument, wherewith he was acquainted, being a great
husband, Demosthenes in that, wherefor he was estemed, being a
great orator. And why not I in that, which methink I know being a long
teacher? That Cato answered wiselie, what better reason can you
require, then the effect thereof in the catle themselues, and the catlelike
creaturs, which being the husbandmans charge, and staruing without stouer,
defeat the ill feader of his conceiued stok. That Demosthenes his
action was the soull of his orations, and assured the truth of his iudiciall
answer, who is better witnesse then euen Æschines his enemie?
Who being banished his cuntrie, by the onelie mean of Demosthenes
his tung, did confesse in his exile, that he was sorer wounded with the force
of his action, which gaue life to his words, then with the strength of his
words, that found work for his action. That this my opinion concerning the
infinite commoditie of a good and perfect Elementarie, is as trew in the
train to learning, as either Catoes was in husbandrie, or
Demosthenes his in oratorie, there be six speciall and principall
causes, which by the greatnesse of their own good effects, do vnfalliblie
conclude, the excellent benefit therof, euen bycause ech of the principles is
so excellent good. All which concurring, & meting in the generall end of
the hole Elementarie, must nedes import a meruellous treasur, to be in the
hole, where euerie particular, which maketh vp that hole, doth proue to be so
profitable. The six reasons which by their own priuat goodnesse confirm a
generall profit in the main Elementarie be these. If the Elementarie do
season the grene vessell with the swetest liquor, and the vntrained minde
with the holsommest humor, is the goodnesse thereof doutfull, where the
substance is so precious? If it make the childe most capable of most
commendable qualities, which without it he
Plato Aristotle &
Quintilian tho not theie alone, in those places of their fortrain, where
theie wish a childe, that is to be brought vp well, neither to hear, nor to
read, nor to se anie thing at all in his teaching kinde, & of set purpos,
but onelie that which is most agreable in opinion with truth, in behauiour
with vertew: by that their so saing declare vnto vs the qualitie of those
things, which ar best for childern to deall withall at first. And our own
relligion, which best knoweth of what importance it is, to haue youth
embrewed with the best at the first, is meruellous carefull, both to win
them to it by precept, and to work it in them by practis. For the necessitie
of beginning at the best, in euerie argument, which hath a beginning, and is
to procede by order, I shall not nede to saie much either for the good which
it bringeth, or for the ill which it blemisheth. One Theodorus a plaier
of Tragedies, belike such a one, as Roscius was at Rome both
excellent men in that kinde of action, wold neuer let anie mean or vnskilfull
actor enter the stage before him, as Aristotle reporteth, bycause he
himself wold work the first delite, euen with the verie best, for that he
knew the force of the first impression, which being laid with pleasur in the
beholders minde wold cause them procede on with continewance in like
pleasur, wheras so vnswetenesse at the first might cause harshnes
thoroughout. Wherein I note also (tho the first planting of best sciences be
our gardning here) that by his so doing, he either enforced his fellow-plaiers
to be like to him, & so partakers of the praise: or else he alone bare
awaie all the praise, as deseruing it alone. Could one Theodorus a
Tragedie plaier espy that in the stage, which was somtime allowed as
tolerable, outlawed somtime, as vnlawfull, & maie not a scholer spy the
like in the course of learning, which is still vpon the stage, as most
profitable still? When the childe shall haue the matter of his
Reading, which is his first principle so well proined and so pikked, as
it shall catechise him in relligion Reading then
which is the first principle seme to season verie sure? enriching the minde
with so precious matter, and furnishing the tung with so perfit and
vtterance? When the argument of the childs Copie, and the direction
of his hand, whereby he learns to write shalbe answerable to his reading,
for chocie of good matter, and reuerence to young yeares, neither shall offer
anie thing to the eie, but that maie beawtifie the minde, and will deserue
memorie, will not writing season well, which so vseth the hand, as it
helpeth to all good? When the pen and pencill shalbe restrained
to those draughts, which serue for present semelinesse, and more cunning to
com on, for the verie necessarie vses of all our hole life, doth not that same
liquor, wherewith theie draw so, deserue verie good liking, which will not
draw at all but where vertew bids draw? When Musik shall teach
nothing, but honest for delite, and pleasant for note, comlie for the place,
and semelie for the person, sutable to the thing, and seruiceable to
circumstance, can that humor corrupt, which bredeth such delite, being so
eueriewhere armd against iust chalenge, of either blame or misliking? For
the principle of Grammer, I will not tuch it here, bycause I entend not
to deall with it here, but wheresoeuer I shall tuch it, I will tuch it so, as it
shall answer to the rest in all kinds of good. In the mean time till the
grammer principle do com to light, that Reading shalbe so relligious,
Writing so warie, Drawing so dangerlesse, Singing so
semelie, plaing so praiseworthie, the euent shall giue euidence, and
the relice it self shall set furth the seasoning. But by the waie, as the
Elementarie professeth it self in the course of learning, and in trade of
school to be the first & best seasoner of the vntrained minde: so ought
parent, also for their own part both before & during all the Elementarie
time, to prouide so at home, as there be no ill liquor inconsideratlie powred
into the grene cask, which maie so corrupt it, as it will either quite refuse
the good Elementarie humor, or vnwillinglie receiue it, and not to such a
good, as it Plato, concerning the strength of that iuyce, which the
young wits ar first seasoned withall. I will set down Platoes words
first in Greke, where theie be most pithie, and then in English, where theie
shalbe as plane. Christ, as we be bid in scriptur. For what else is it, I praie
you, for a childe to com to Christ? or of what other force is it to be a
Christian childe? Sure not to be baptised onelie in the name of
Christ, but both for truth in religion, and matters of knowledge, both
for vertew in demeanor, and matters of liuing, to be brought vp so, as he
maie trewlie resemble him, whose name he beareth, & faithfullie serue
him, whose conusance he carieth. Hereby it semeth to me to be verie plane,
that a good elementarie thus appointed, as it seasoneth first, and continueth
longest, so it doth both best.
THose means make one capable of som further qualitie, by whose helpe that
partie, which is to com by such a qualitie, both conceiueth it quiker,
retaineth it faster, and executeth it better. Now those means be in vs either
naturallie ingenerate, or artificiallie emplanted, and that so, as theie shew
themselues, both in our bodies, and mindes. Concerning the naturall helps,
which by the verie inclination bewraie a minde made naturallie fit, either to
conceiue, or to retain, or to execute anie learned qualitie well and therefor
the better, bycause the more naturallie, I haue spoken enough in the question
of choice, where I wish by the autoritie of the best writers, that such wits
onelie were set to learning, as naturallie bear som fauor that waie.
Concerning such naturall properties, as will discry a bodie fit for anie
exercise, either to kepe the bodie it self in helth in one, that is not student:
or to assist the minde in all hir executions, in one that is a student, I haue
said enough in my book of Positions, where I handle exercise. Neither is the
question at this time of anie naturall inclination, but of artificiall helps,
and those not for the bodie, which point is for Gymnastik and exercise of the
bodie, but onelie for the minde, tho wrought by the bodie, which is for these
principles, and the Elementarie learning: I saie therefor that these fiue
principles, reading, writing, drawing, singing, and playing,
which make this hole Elementarie, besides exercise, which is Elementarie
to, tho handled elswhere, be the onelie artificiall means to make a minde
capable of all the best qualities, which ar to be engraffed in the minde, tho
to be executed by the bodie: which best qualities be two, vertew for
behauior, and knowledge for cunning. Vnder the name of behauior I comprise
all those qualities, whose honor is in action, as vnder the name of
knowledge I imply all those, whose soueraintie is in skill, tho either of
them both both knowledge which
tendeth directlie vnto cunning these fiue principles serue directlie
therevnto. For by them the minde is prepared and made fit to receiue and
vnderstand all things, which either natur doth bequeath vs, or labor prouides
for vs: By reading we receiue what antiquitie hath left vs, by writing
we deliuer what posteritie causes of vs: By resembling with pencill what
aspectable thing is there, and subiect to the eie, either brought furth by
natur, or set furth by art, whose knowledge and vse we attain not vnto? By
the principle of musik besides the purchace of a noble science, so certainlie
platted by Arithmeticall precept, as no one better, so necessarie a step to
further knowledge, as no one more, such a glasse wherein to behold both the
beawtie of concord, an the blots of dissension euen in a politik bodie, as no
one surer: how manie helps and how great ease receiueth our naturall
infirmitie either in care for comfort, or in hope for courage. Not here to
tuch the skilfull handling of the rude voice, nor the fine nimbling of the raw
finger, things not to be refused where theie maie be well had, and naturallie
required, where imperfection is to be perfited by them. Againe doth not all
our learning conceiued by the eie, and vttered by the tung confesse the great
benefit which it receiueth by reading? Doth not all our deliuerie
brought furth by the minde, and set furth by the pen acknowledge a dewtie to
the principle of writing? Doth not all our descriptions, which figur in
the thought, and pictur to the sense both preach & praise the pencill,
which causeth them to be sene? Doth not all our delite in times not bisied
(as all our labour is for rest, all our trauell for ease, all our care to auoide
care) protest in plane termes, that it is wonderfullie
THe third prouf of a good Elementarie was to resemble natur in multitude of abilities, and to procede so in teaching, as she doth in towarding. For as she is vnfrindlie, wheresoeuer she is forced, so is she the best gide, that anie man can follow, wheresoeuer she fauoreth. Wherefor if natur make a childe most fit to excell in manie singularities, so theie be furthered and auanced by Elementarie train in the younger yeares, is not that education much to be blamed, by whom the salt coms, and the infant is defeated of that same excellencie, which natur voweth, and negligence voideth?
Again, when there is nothing ment vs by natur, but train will help it
forward, is not train it self to be thought most perfit, and the mean of the
train to be held most absolut, which spredes
When I vse the name of natur, I mean that power, which God hath emplanted in these his creaturs both to continew their own kinde, that it do not decaie, & to answer that end, wherefor theie were made. The continewance of their kinde is the prouf of their being, but the answering of their end, is the frute of their being. This latter part is that point, wherevnto education hath a speciall eie (tho it contemn not the other) that the young fry maie be brought vp so, as theie maie proue good in the end, and serue well in that place, wherevnto theie shalbe loted, for the benefit of the countrie, when theie com to years, and full state of prouf. For the performance whereof that theie maie proue such in dede, I take it, that this Elementarie in his kinde is most sufficient, as being the best mean to perfit all those abilities, which natur endoweth our kinde withall, by those same principles, which art and consideration appointeth it withall: and by vsing such pollicie in the waie & passage to artificiall perfection, as natur hir self doth vie in hir ascending to hir naturall height. Bycause the end of education, and train is to help natur vnto hir perfection, which is, when all hir abilities be perfited in their habit, wherevnto right Elements be right great helps.
This is that resemblance of natur, which I do mean, not to counterfeat hir in
som other work, as fondlie comparing, or frowardlie bragging with the
effects of natur, like som Apelles in purtrait, or som
Archimedes in motion, but when consideration & iudgement
wiselie marking, whereunto natur is either euidentlie giuen, or secretlie
affectionat, doth frame an education consonant therevnto, to bring all those
things to perfection by art, which natur wisheth perfit, by franknesse of hir
offer. If natur do offer a towardnesse to write, and no impediment let, but
it maie be well applied, is not consideration vntoward, if that abilitie want
forwarding? If with som small help a childes voice maie be made swete,
tunable and cunning, is not education lame, if it continew harsh, vnpleasant,
and rude? If by benefit of natur, we be made fit for mo qualities, then
ordinarie education doth help vs vnto, do we not blame them, who hauing
gouernment ouer vs, leaue vs ignorant in that, which in ripenesse
But for the better vnderstanding of my conclusion, and this great concordance, which I note to be betwene natur in framing, and art in training, both for number of abilities, and for maner of proceding, I will first examin the naturall abilities, which ar to be perfited, & how natur hirself doth forward the perfection: then I will shew, how those principles, which art hath deuised for the furtherance of natur, do answer vnto those abilities of natur, both for sufficiencie in number, and fitnesse to perfection. For where there be verie manie effects, which ar to be wrought, there must nedes be manie means, to being the effect about. Where natur hir self offereth verie good hold, there art must be at hand and redie to take it: where natur is frutefull, and plaieth the good mother, there art must be carefull and proue a good nurse. For it is most trew, that most excellent gifts, and endowments of natur, be verie oftimes spoiled by the onelie mean of negligent nurtur.
I call those naturall abilities, which natur planteth in our mindes and
bodies, prepared by hir self for vs to vse, but to be perfited by our selues, to
our own best vse, whereunto that power of our minde, or that part of our
bodie doth speciallie serue, in which that abilitie is naturallie placed: As
for example, natur planteth in the hand an abilitie to catch and hold, which
that it maie do to the best effect, and to that vse for the which we haue our
hand, our own pollicie and practis must be our best mean. Natur planteth in
our minde an abilitie to forese such things, as be to com, which that it maie
do to our greatest profit, our own wisdom, & our own consideration,
must be our
I call those Artificiall principles, which mans wisdom hauing considered the entendment of natur doth deuise for himself, so manie in number, and so fit in qualitie, as theie maie take sure hold of all naturall inclinations and abilities, & bring them to perfection by the like mean, and the like ascent, in training them to that end, which pollicie doth shout at, as natur sheweth hir self to be verie well willing to follow the hand of anie such a trainer, by such a mean as is deuised, to such an end, as she desireth: As in the former examples of the hand to hold sure, & the minde to forese, which be naturall abilities, artificiall principle is to vse such exercises, and so considerate experiments, and with such precisenesse in the vse of them both, as the hand maie hold best, and surest with all, the minde forese most, and furthest withall. Where natur grounded onelie bare holding, and simple foresight, direction entended the best in them both, as natur did not seme to be verie froward in either, whose perfection lyes in both.
By these descriptions it appeareth, that of these naturall qualities som concern the bodie and som the soull, and that both theie help either to our mere being onelie, or to our well being withall: and also that the mean both to work our being in the one kinde best, and our welbeing in the other kinde as well, must be so applied, as natur hir self shall seme to be most pliant, which pliablenesse of natur will shew it self, both by case in the working, and by vse in the work.
But forsumuch as the handling of all these qualities, first of the bodie, and
then of the minde, next of our being, and then of our well being, whether
imperfit in nature, or perfit in
Those abilities therefore belong to mens being, without the which theie could not once so much as liue, or bear the name of men in the naturall sense of their first humanitie: Those belong to their well being, without the which tho theie maie liue and continew men, yet ar theie extreme rude, and in dede no bodie, in the principall sense of their best humanitie. Without the abilitie to receiue sustenance, & to haue it tendered, when natur doth command it, a man cannot liue. Wherefor that abilitie & such other like, concern his mere being, tho by his so being he be but half a beast, which fedes, as wel as he doth, tho not with like change. Whithout the abilitie to conceiue and vnderstand, what is most semelie in everie circumsance, and to haue it fined, to the most ciuill vse, a man maie liue tho exceding rude, and therefor that abilitie, and such other like ocncern his well being, whereby he is likest him, of whom he hath his being, and most sociable with them among whom his being is.
Now as I finde in natur both by the effects, which these abilities work, and
by the places, wherein theie ar bestowed, that she means us verie much, and
verie manifold good: so for the auancing of euerie of them to the same
effects, which natur entendeth, I find also in this Elementarie, that it hath
seuerall branches, wherewith to supply their seuerall turns, as it shalbe
proued first in the abilities of our mere being, and then in those, which
concern our best being. Whereby it shall also appear,
For the being of man, to maintain and encrease his bodie in euerie part and
parcell thereof, and so afterward to sprede the like to it self, in euerie
kinde thoroughout, natur hath planted in our bodies, which is hir first
subiect, a liuer, the first and formost part of hir frame, and our main,
which liuer receiuing an eager humor from the milt, wherewith
our appetite to meat is stirred, fetcheth the same meat down from the
mouth thorough the throte into the stomak, wherein it retaineth it, vntill
thorough heat and humor, it be well digested, and perfitlie distributed by
the veins thoroughout the hole bodie, the superfluitie thereof being expelled,
and the purest being reserued, to fede the bodie for fainting, to enlarge it
for encrease: to make matter for succession and continuance of the kinde.
Again besides the preseruing of our bodies by that norishing mean we haue
also a perceiuing by outward sense to fele, to hear, to se, to smell, to tast
all sensible things, which qualities of the outward, being receiued in by the
common sense, and examined by fantsie, ar deliuered to
remembrance and afterward proue our great and onelie grounds vnto
further knowledge. Moreouer we haue also a certaine force to moue and stir
either by commandment of passion, or by enticement of desire, either by the
waie of prosecuting for the vse of life, by pulse and breathing, or by waie of
proceding to do somwhat else, by going, running, leaping and suchlike
actions. To serue the turn of these two both sense and motion,
natur hath planted in our bodie a brain the prince of all our parts,
which by spreding sinews of all sorts, thoroughout all our parts, doth work
all those effects, which either sense is sene in, or mouing
perceiued by.
Furthermore our soull hath in it a desire to obtain that, which
Last of all our soull hath in it an imperiall prerogatiue of vnderstanding beyond sense, of iudging by reason, or directing by both, for deutie towards God for societie towards men, for conquest in affection, for purchace in knowledge, and such other things, whereby it furnisheth out all maner of vses in this our mortall life, and bewraieth in it self a more excellent being, then to continew still in this roming pilgrimage. To serue this so honorable a turn of vnderstanding, and reason, natur tho she haue no place worthie enough within this our base and simple bodie, wherein to bestow so great & so statelie gests with their hole retinew, yet she doth what she can, & being herbinger hirself assigneth them for lodging hir principall chamber, the verie closet of the brain, wherein she bestoweth euerie one of reasons vnderstanding friends, seruerallie ech one according vnto their seuerall degrees, and singular dignities. All those abilities in their first naturall kinde concern but the being of a rude man, but when theie ar fashioned to their best by good education, theie procure the being of a perfit and an excellent man. For, to liue, to fede, to multiplie, to haue sense, to desire, to haue the vse of naturall and vnrefined reason. What great thing is it, tho it be somwhat more then brute beasts haue, if the other diuine qualities, which bild vpon these be not diligentlie followed? Which as theie rise out of these at the first, so theie honor them in the end, as much as the best frute can honor his first blossom, or as the cunningest work can grace that first ground, whereupon it is wrought.
Besides that, theie shew themselues to be those most excellent ends, which
natur ment first, tho she hirself made but a
The abilities therefor of that reasonable and vnderstanding part in man being handled workmanlike, and applyed to their best by such deuises and means, as ar thought fittest to work such an effect, do order and direct the diet for foot, & the delite for encrease, to the health of those parts which ar appointed for them, and the help of the hole bodie, which is compound of those parts. Theie fine the sense, and the instruments thereof to their best perfection, & their longest endurance. Theie restrain desire to the rule of reason, and the aduise of foresight. Theie so enrich the minde and the soull it self, as theie laie vp in the treasurie of remembrance, all arts, all forecast, all knowledge, all wisedom, all vnderstanding, whereby either God is to be honored, or the world to be serued in honest & wise sort, which so heauenlie a benefit is begon by education, confirmed by vse, perfited with continewance, which crouneth the hole work.
Now all these abilities, whether of the first, and in most of most naturall
sort for our being onelie, or of the second and in most of most iudiciall sort,
for our being well, I thinke to be perfitlie furthered by this same
Elementarie, in the natur of inducement to further encrease: and that for
euerie abilitie in
For those points, which most concern the bodie, & the helth thereof, whether motiuelie in managing it: or morallie in manering it, what is ouerlept either in exercise, for practis: or in precept, for behauiour? Whereby whatsoeuer abilitie there is in the bodie, it is stirred and quikned to the verie best vse.
As for the minde and the abilities thereof, which ar afterward to be brought to som perfection of habit, there is none so blind, but he planelie seith the ground to be laid and powers of the soull to be made most fit for most exquisit perfection, when those principles be obtained, which this Elementarie doth set down, the things themselues tending to the auancement of cunning, and the matter of cunning to the furtherance of vertew.
But who shall iudge of this, that this Elementarie laieth hold vpon all those naturall abilities? he shall be able to saie exceding much to it, which being but brought vp well in the ordinarie train shall but consider this book aduisedlie in euerie branch thereof. But he shall iudge best of it, who hath bene brought vp by it, and by his own sufficiencie shall both be able to pronounce himself, and to cause others pronounce, by seing him so sufficient, that there is no point for either actiuitie in bodie, or capacitie in minde, whereto natur makes him toward, but that nurtur sets him foreward.
Is the bodie made by natur nimble to run, to ride, to swim, to sense, to do
anie thing else, which beareth praise in that kinde for either profit or
pleasur? And doth not the Elementarie help them all forward by precept and
train? The hand, the ear, the eie be the greatest instruments, whereby the
receiuing and deliuerie of our learning, is chefelie executed. And doth not
this Elementarie instruct the hand, to write, to draw, to plaie? The eie to
read by letters, to discern by line, to iudge by both. The ear to call for
voice, & sound with proporcion for pleasur, with reason for wit? and
generallie whatsoeuer gift natur hath bestowed vpon the bodie, to be
brought furth or bettered by the mean of train, for anie profitable vse in our
hole life, doth not this Elementarie both find it, and forese it? As for the
qualities grammer, rhetorik, logik, and their deriuatiues clame
interest, or shew knowledge by language in anie other facultie. Where vnder
be contained in generall terms, all the parts of philosophie both
morall and naturall, the thre professions diuinitie, law, physik, all
the branches of them all, all the offsprings of ech, whose instruments
speche is. If the mathematiks be the end, or anie particular else, which
clameth kinred of them, whose naturall end is to direct manuarie science,
tho their translate vse be to whet a learned minde, can theie lak anie
footing, where number, figur, motion and sound be practised in principle?
where the mathematiks & their frinds be thus induced, whose
necessarie reason doth force their own place, can anie other facultie, whose
but probable apparence doth entreat for a roum, but find how to enter?
Whatsoeuer else concerneth either delite to comfort our weaknesse, or
delitefull vse to serue our necessarie, with cunning of praise, or handling of
art, all that is foresene either by drawing of the eie, or by musik for the ear.
So that in my opinion, the fathers and founders of this Elementarie, whereof
I am but collector, tho as fauourable a collector, as so good a thing
deserueth, haue vsed great foresight to laie such foundations therein, as
maie both nusle vp all naturall abilities, while theie ar sprooting in train,
and perfit them at full, when theie ar ripe for the reaping.
For the multitude & varietie of those principles, which I appoint the
young scholers to deall with, that is confirmed euen by natur hirself, which
making hir own abilities to be so manie, requireth as manie principles to
bring them to perfection, euerie one helping forward his cosen and frind.
And those wise men also, which did both deuise them, and execute them in
such a number, and of such varietie, bycaus theie wold not haue young wits
to be ouerburdened with multitude vnwisely applyed, did help them in train
thorough distinction in time: as the learned Quintilian doth shew in a particular discourse, where he examineth
this question, whether young childern be to learn diuerse things at one time
or no. Where he concludeth that theie maie, as a thing of no truble, if it be
well deuided, bycause the younger the wits be, the better theie be fed with
varietie: & if theie be trubled somtime, or fail in somthing, yet it is
with their mindes, as it is with their bodies, soon down and soon vp again,
& lightlie without harm, if their nurses and trainers be redie at their
hand. For the childern, which when theie be from their ouerseers must deall
of themselues, ar by litle and litle to be committed to themselues to learn
to do that betimes, which theie must deall with euer after, yet while theie
ar young, & hollie vnder charge, their falts com rather by negligence of
such, as haue charge ouer them, then of their own selues, which cannot rule
themselues.
If natur in som childern be not so pregnant, as theie maie take the full benefit of this hole train, yet by applying it wiselie, there maie be som good don, euen in the heauiest wits, & most vnapt bodies, tho nothing so much as in the verie quikest. If anie parent again finding the naturall defect in his childe do forbear his pains, & spare his purse, where he hopes for smal profit, he hath natur to warrant him, which semeth euen as it were directlie to warn him, not to lose his labor, where she lift not to fauor.
Again if anie one wanting oportunitie cannot compas all, or hauing oportunitie will not medle withall, which education & natur seme ioyntlie to promis, he hath no cause to blame either of them, whereof the one offered that, which he wold not vse, the other that, which he wold not take. But to knit vp this argument, methink it is plane, that seing natur offreth varietie of gifts, industrie ought to vse both hir hands to take that, which is offered. Which diligence in taking seing this Elementarie professeth, as it letteth nothing fall, which natur holdeth vp: so I take it therefor to be most absolut, in that it doth answer so frindlie a mother as natur is, and ioyns with hir in working.
THe fourth prouf of a good Elementarie was, in place of hardnesse to plant facilitie, and to lighten the course of studie by making of it plane. For what thing is it but hardnesse alone which most appalleth young mens courages, and abateth their diligence, in a maner fraing them to go anie further, when theie are verie well minded, towards the obtaining of sound, and substanciall knowledge? And what but hardnesse is the chefe and originall cause, why so manie rest content with simple and superficiall skill, being vnwilling to toill themselues with the difficulties of studie, and that ear theie com to fele, that small learning will serue well enough to com by a great liuing? which might haue bene alledged for a verie great impediment to greater learning, if it had gone before the feling of hardnesse: but the course is this. Young men desire to get learing to liue by, and while theie are in place of learning, as in vniuersities, bycause there theie se learning in best credit, theie ar in dede desirous to be noted for learning, which when theie cannot com by, being chekt thorough hardnesse, in the matter of studie, as theie think, but in dede thorough weaknesse in their first train, as I know, then theie deuise, how to turn that litle, which theie haue, to the best commoditie that theie can, and so in seking of perferment, theie ioyn great practises with som simple learning, as their best mean to obtain greater liuing. Whereas in verie dede if difficultie had not crossed them, theie wold haue ioyned worthinesse in themselues, with admiration in others, and so haue bene called by others, and not haue craued themselues. This hardnesse certainlie commeth bycause such students haue not bene brought vp in the knowledge of these Elements, which being well laid while childern ar yet vnder the rod, and learn as it were more by rote then by reason, without feeling themselues, either much pains or anie profit, will cause an easie and a pleasant course in the further learning, when theie can iudge what theie do, tho theie did it not in doing.
For childern as theie be still in doing, so theie know not what theie do, much
lesse wherefor theie do, till reason do grow vnto som ripenesse in them.
And therefor the matter of their train is such, as theie profit more by
practis, then by knowing
I cannot compare the foredeall by which childern ar at, their first education
to anie thing better, then to the pictur of Timotheus son to
Conon the Athenian captain, and his victories, as from his ill willers
did cause them, and him to be painted out, as Plutarch reporteth. For
theie made Timotheus himself lying fast a slepe, and fortun bringing
cuntries, towns, and victories vnto him in a net, meaning thereby, that he
became such a conqueror, more by hap then by cunning, more by his enemies
want, then by his own wit. Childern which be well trained in their youth be
like to sleping Timotheus, preferred by their frinds, ear themselues
can perceiue it: and their frinds like to fortun, which furnish them so well,
ear themselues can discern, what good is don vnto them. But when theie
com to years, and ar once awaked, then with open eies theie behold, their
frinds care, their own conquest, and fortun fishing for them, naie Gods
prouidence verie carefull for them, by the ministerie of parents, masters,
and frinds, while theie were fast a slepe, and could not themselues, either
help themselues, or iudge right of their helpers. If this Elementarie then be
the great benefit of foreseing frinds, the great conquest of frindlie fortun,
naie the great munificence of a louing God, who wold haue his litle ones go
thorough stitch where ignorance makes hirs stik, is the
But to go more particularlie, is the compassing of tungs hard? sure so it is, to one of no foretrain, that neuer learned grammer, that neuer red writer, that neuer proued his stile, that neuer vsed the tung. Be the mathematiks hard? sure so theie be to one not prepared, that neuer did number, that neuer drew line, that neuer knew note, that neuer markt motion. Be the abilities of the bodie laborious and hard? sure that theie be, where it is painfull to proue, what the bodie can do, being neuer put to it. But where foretrain is, there ease will follow, where the bodie is prepared, the purgation worketh: where exercise leadeth, actiuitie will follow, both in those and the rest. Theie that haue these helps well grounded in their youth, as I said before, maie go forward with ease, and stand verie fast, where other must nedes stumble, which haue no such help. Which stumblers, tho by their own exceding great, and therefor exceding commendable trauell, theie oftines in the end excell those, which were better brought vp then theie were, yet the train was well appointed, whatsoeuer negligence disappointed the effect in those, which hauing wings to fly vouchsafed scant to flutter: and the blame resteth in them, which might haue don well and wold not, the praise in them, which did so well, tho theie wrastled sore for it.
Therefor the tender minde of the young infant being first embrewed with these principles as the best, for the first liquor: and then furnished with their store, as the most, for all help, facilitie must nedes follow in all that doth succede.
The opinion mentioned in Platoes Phædon, that all our learning is but
a calling to remembrance of foreacquainted skill, the soull hauing in it
naturallie, and from hir first being all maner of learning, tho neuer vttering
it, but when it is moued by foren occasion, confirmeth this opinion of
facilitie in learning, after these principles be once laid. For if the generall
conceit in natur by waie of principle do make all knowledge to seme of old
acquaintance, and the things thimselues to be no sooner named, then
streight waie perceiued, as of no new familiaritie, Aristotle
calleth a knowledge within vs a forehand, which knowledge, leadeth the
strongest and the best demonstration) sure when difficultie is past in the
first planting, which is rightlie termed the better hald of the hole, facilitie
must nedes follow in all the residew, which seme to the principles, as of
their acquaintance, theie follow so frindlie. So sharp an eie hath he to se
further, whose sight is made steddie by such a preparatiue. He that in his
Elementarie train can read and write well, he that handling the pen or
pencill can vse them both wel by number, and with line: and dealing with
musik can iudge well of sounds, & handle instruments right, what can he
think hard in his after studie, if studie be his choice? Naie what shall he
find hard, tho handicraft be his end? for he maie well haue all these
principles, yea and the mathematiks to, and yet aspire no higher, then
the plane workman: bycause those helps be peculiar to such peple, tho for
som quiknesse to wil, and constantnesse in prouf, theie be vsed for book
learning. Now if he be entred into language, so far as grammer goeth, which
is the tip of the Elementarie, will there be question of difficultie? Then all
hardnesse being remoued in the Elementarie, before the learner can discern,
what a foredeall he is at, and facilitie being won, where the student might
haue stumbled, if his waie had not bene planed, what a pleasant feild hath
studie to range in, where nothing can hinder, if loytring do no harm? Which
loytring and negligence is allwaie excepted, as a thing that thwarteth euen
the best deuises, & commonlie cuts of all good successe, in euen the
fairest attempts, tho it fre the thing from blame, whose furtherance it
stoppeth, and cast the falt on him, whose hinderance it helpeth. For the
thing remaineth one, tho the partie haue it not, the partie is the worse,
bycause he hath not the thing, and so much the worse, bycause he is worse
then him self, thorough his own negligence, which might haue passed
himself, thorough his own diligence.
I do oftimes se, and as oftimes pitie a great number of verie good students,
which be more then half discouraged from their further proceding, when
either theie find their own want, not
Wherefor I must nedes commend this Elementarie, as most profitable for
redinesse without difficultie in the rest of our studies, & the onelie
mean to make a pleasant passage, where such students, as be not acquainted
therewith, ar either miserablie tormented ear that theie can passe at all, or
quite discomfited
For the triall hereof I do appeall to the iudgement of two sorts of men, whereof either hath good feling in this matter. The one is such, as haue bene verie wel and perfitlie brought vp in either all, or in most of all those things which I do require: Of whom I ask whether theie find not in themselues a confortable encouragment to go forward in learning, thorough the help of their foretrain, and whether theie be not able, if theie will vse their abilitie, to go forward with great ease? The other sort is such, as haue bene brought vp either in none of these, or not in all, or but verie vnperfitlie in whatsoeuer, and be themselues verie willing to learn: Of whom I ask whether theie find not themselues either quite discouraged in their honest desire, if theie haue had no train at all: or not more then half lame, if theie haue had it but by halues: or not both lame and discouraged to, being vnperfitlie, and therefor ill trained: and whether theie do not striue miserablie against the stream, when theie seke to go forward without these helps.
Dionysius the Siracusian tyran being at Lacedamon and
exercising himself by the riuer of Eurotas, as other peple did, found
his appetite still exceeding good, and the relice of his meat exceding
pleasant. Whereupon when he was to return to Syracusæ imputing
the goodnesse of his stomak and the sauorinesse of his meat, to a wrong
cause, as if theie had com of his cooks handling, & not of his own
stirring, he took with him a Lacedemonian, cook as liking of their
diet, and allowing of their cookrie. But when he came home he took himself
to ease, and vsed no more exercise, whereupon finding neither in his stomak
such an appetite, nor in his meat such a relice, as he did at
Lacedemon, he fell out with his cook, as if the salt had bene in him,
not dressing the meat so, as he did at Lacedemon, neither bathing
himself, as he did in Eurotas, could not haue that stomak which he had
doing both. So must I saie by the difficultie in learning, that it will seme
verie harsh and verie vnsauerie, to procede in depe studie, where this
Elementarie help is not at all had, but exceding easie and
THe fift praise of this Elementarie was, bycause it is the best mean to avoid generall ignorance, the mother to misliking, and to com by generall knowledge, which is the cause of knowledge, which is the cause of allowance. A circumstance of great moment in the prouince of learning, as it is generallie also in all other dealings. For that which is misliked, is still vnder foot, and that which is allowed is allwaie aloft. Now all misliking commeth either vpon desert, when the thing is such, as for verie naughtinesse it is to be misliked, or vpon opinion, when error in the partie misliketh that thing, which is of it self well worthie the liking.
Opinion falls in error either thorough mere ignorance, when he that misliketh, knoweth not what the thing is, which he doth mislike, or else thorough preiudice, when he that misliketh doth know the thing well, but is so wedded vnto, naie rather so bewitched with his own fantsie, which it self is seduced by som foren allurement, as he will rather mislike against knowledge, then withstand against fantsie.
As for the matter of learning, wherein our studie consisteth, and whereunto
these principles make a redie entrance, our necessarie vse both bred it at
the first, and contineweth it still, in verie good credit. And what man is so
simple, but he knoweth it to be such, as deserueth good liking: both for the
seruice that it doth vs, which is the naturall end of it, and for the proprietie
in handling, which is an artificiall mean to it? Wherefore if with out cause
it be otherwise charged by anie color of blame either Lucian doth in
most places of hole works, as Agrippa doth in his vane book of
vanities in science, theie cannot wound learning, tho theie strike at the
wants, which be in som professors. Bycause tho the two qualities, one of
good note, and to be well vsed, as learning and knowledge, the other of ill
note, and neuer but naught, as vice and misdemeanor, be in one & the
same partie, yet as the good qualitie cannot transubstantiate the euill, so
can not the euill change the others substance, tho it foullie disfigur the
form thereof, which is so much the worse, bycause of such a companion,
whom the qualified partie, as subiect vnto both hath matched so togither,
being in natur most different, tho vnited in the person, as a common harbour
to two great enemies, whereof the one seketh the subuersion of the other.
Syphax the king of Barbarie, as Liuie reporteth, lodged both
Scipio & Hasdrubal in one palace, being two mortall enemies, and
euen at that time in most cruell war, Scipio for Rome,
Dasdrubal for Carthage. But what came of it? the king being
persuaded by Scipios presence, & his graue speche, began to
falter in his amitie with his own frinds, the peple of Carthage, &
proceding so forward in that his mutabilitie, at the last chused the worst.
For being the first mouer to haue the Romanes armie passe ouer into
Afrik, he wrought the ouerthrow to Carthage & reuolting again
from the Romanes frindship to the peple of Carthage he ouerthrew himself,
& lost kingdom & all. Such a thing it is to harbor two enemies,
& to geue ear to both, where the infirmitie of our natur, either cannot
well iudge of them, or if it can, yet is lightlie conquered by the worst of the
two, howsoeuer it promis the more honorable gest, to ioyn with the better.
If learning and vice do lodge in one room, the allurement of vice will lightlie
preuaill against the allegation of learning, and enforce the learned to do
against his knowledge, Lucian and Agrippa, and anie such else, which ieast so with
good things, to the shaking of their credit, so much as lyeth in them, maie be
iustlie comrised vnder error in opinion nor erroniouslie but wantonlie
seduced. But what if that wanton seduction be the worst of all other, and
worthie to be punished? whereas of the other two, the one is moned in
ignorance, the other but blamed in error.
But to return to my former argument, what greater enemies hath learning euen in natur, then preiudice & ignorance? whence is there more open shew of implacable hostilitie to knowledge, then from preiudice and ignorance? Ignorance knoweth nothing, and therefore is no friend to ane vnknown good: preiudice knoweth and will not, and therefor is a great fo to a not fauored good. Ignorance yet in part deserueth som excuse for all hir disfrindship, bycause infirmitie is hir falt, not bolstered with ill will, and the worst is hir own, ane ordinarie case, where euen enimitie pityeth. But preiudice is a poison to anie comon weall, so far as it stretcheth, which being at the first infected with the incurable disease of a cankred and a corrupt opinion gathered by confluence of sundrie ill humors will neither it self yeild to a right iudgement, nor will suffer anie other, where hir persuasion can take place. For by yeilding hir self she feareth the emparing of hir misconceiued estimation, and by suffring other to yeild, she feareth the encrease of knowledges frinds, whereby hir self shall com in danger to be oppressed, both with truth of matter, and number of patrons. Wherefor she opposeth hir self, she bendeth all hir eloquence, she mureth vp all passages, so much as she maie, both by persuasion and entreatie, that none shall iudge right, which will hear hir speak, & regard hir autoritie, but shall take that musik to sound the swetest, which commeth from hir, tho she be but a mear-maid, which by offring of delite endeuoreth to destroie.
Now naturall infirmitie the other and more gentle mean of ignorance wold perhaps, naie wold in dede change hir blind opinion, if she could once change hir ingenerate heauinesse: she wold reuerence learning, if she might se hir beawtie, where with to be rauished, being enemie vnto hir, not of malice but of weaknesse.
That which I speake of infirmitie in natur, and nelgigence in choice is to be entended by such of both sorts, as continew in their worst without remorse of euill, or recourse to good. For if anie man whether naturallie dull or negligentlie rude in riper years vpon better aduise do change his currant: the naturall weak to loue that in others, which he hath not himself: the negligentlie rude to wish that in himself, which he seith to be in others, he then becoms frind to iudgement, and will rather continew in suspense, then pronounce rashlie, till he be thoroughlie enforced.
But that same peruerse preiudice is a sutle fo to knowledge like a
manieheaded hydra, and as the venim of his autoritie is gathered of
diuerse grounds, so the sting of his poison infecteth diuerse waies. The
person himself which is thus caried a waie
Now considering these so firie and so furious enemies to knowledge, ignorance and preiudice with their hole families be the causes why, that the best things & matters of most cunning be oftimes misliked, where theie be vnknown, either simplie or shrewdlie, doth not this Elementarie a great pleasur to knowledge, by planting skill in all, to auoid misliking in anie? that euerie part of knowledge maie be so estemed of, as it iustlie deserues? and ech of these mislikers maie be so entreated, as to becom frinds of foes?
Misliking was said to com either of deseruing ill, whereof learning is clear,
bycause it deserues well, or else by error, from which kinde of misliking
anie sound knowledge will verie hardlie scape. For ignorance supported by
infirmitie in natur, and negligence in labor, and preiudice maintained by four
craftie companions, superficiall learning, enuious affection, vainglorious
conceit, and couetous desire will still haue a fling at hir. Howbeit if
naturall infirmitie be helpt by diligent education, it will either proue a
frind or not bitter fo, for that good which it hath goten. If negligence it self
be so entreated in the training, as it will be content to take pains to learn,
it will fauour
THe sixt and last prouf of perfitnesse in this elementarie was, bycause the
entrance of language, and the iudgement thereof, which is wrought by
grammer, is the conclusion and height thereof. Which how profitable a thing
it is, the effects themselues will euidentlie declare. For by course of natur
and vse of antiquitie, grammer trauelleth first to haue the naturall tung of
ech cuntrie fined to that best, and most certain direction, which the
ordinarie custom of that cuntrie Critici, as Aristarchus among the grekes, Palamon
among the Romanes. Secondlie grammer, as it hath bene vsed sence, seketh
to help vs to the knowledge of foren language, as the Latin, the
Italian, and such other tungs, which at this daie is the principall vse
thereof. Where it serueth in the natur of an anatomie, for the resoluing of
the writen speche: in the natur of an artificer, for making vp the habit of a
foren tung in the studious learner, by writing and speaking. Now in either of
these kindes, whether to fine our own tung, or to learn a foren, we ar much
bound to grammer, euen for it self alone, but a great deall more in respect
of hir professor, which must perform the three things, that I named before
of his own abilitie. For grammer of it self is but the bare fule, and a verie
naked thing, but the professour must haue somwhat more then his rule.
And (not to medle here at this time with anie foren tung, for either the one
or the other part of grammer) doth it not I praie you, shew vs Englishmen a
verie great pleasur, if it help to the fining of our own English tung, &
thereby to make it to be of such account, as other tungs be, which be
therefor of best account, bycause theie be so fined? whereby we our selues
also shall seme not to be barbarous, euen by mean of our tung, seing fair
speche is som parcell of praise, and a great argument of a well ciuilled
peple. But it pleasureth vs a great deall more, as the curse of our studie
now lyeth, for helping of vs to foren language, by such good helps, as it
ioyneth to it self, bysides the bare Anatomie of a plane rule. For a mere
grammarian is but a poor mean to do anie thing well, euen where he
professeth most: as Quintilian saw verie well, which for the latin
tung, and the grammarian therein said, that it is was
When learning, and knowledge came first to light, those men, which were the autors thereof, vttered their mindes in that same speche, which theie then vsed, when theie bred the things. And as theie neded no foren tung for the matter bred at home, so had theie no other vse of anie grammer, but onelie that, which endeuoured to fine their naturall speche at home. But after that the same their deuises, being first set out in their own tungs, were afterward sought for by foren students, to encrease their learning, and to enrich their cuntrie with foren wares, the foren students were then driuen to vse the assistence of grammer in the second kinde, bycause theie could not vnderstand those things, which were writen in a foren tung, without the knowledge of the tung it self.
In the primitiue grammer children being framed so, as I require now, went
straight waie from the Elementarie to matter of learning, and the
mathematicall sciences, which ar so termed, bycause in dede the whole
scholers learning (which scholers in greke ar called
But here to conclude the generall vse of this present Elementarie, which hath bene thus far my particular argument, I must nedes continew my first opinion, which was and is this, that in the matter of learning, a good Elementarie is more then the half, bycause it is the first: & that in the first it is mere the best, bycause the wisest men, the greatest reasons, the best gouerned common wealls did so pronounce of it, the one by their pen, the other by their practis.
I Will set down the purtrait of the hole Elementarie, and how I purpos to
deall therein, before I medle with anie particular principle, that my reader
seing my hole plat in so small a form, and no parcell thereof but within his
compas, maie the sooner perceiue the drift of my labor, and accordinglie
frame his hope of the thing, and the good like to com by it, & staie his
memorie the better, by the method & order which I promis to kepe in it.
I deuide the consideration of the hole Elementarie
The matter of the hole Elementarie consisting in fiue points: reading,
writing, drawing, singing, & playing, I will so handle them in rew,
as, I marshall them in order, and begin first at reading.
But bycause I take vpon me in this Elementarie, besides som frindship to
secretaries for the pen, and to correctors for the print, to direct such peple,
as teach childern to read and write English, and the reading must
nedes be such, as the writing leads vnto, therefor, befor I medle with anie
particular precept, to direct the Reader, I will thoroughlie rip vp the hole
certaintie of our English writing, so far furth and with such assurance, as
probabilitie can make me, bycause it is a thing both proper to my argument,
and profitable to my cuntrie. For our naturall tung being as beneficiall vnto
vs for our nedefull deliuerie, as anie other is to the peple which vse it:
& hauing as pretie, and as fair obseruations in it, as anie other hath:
and being as readie to yeild to anie rule of Art, as anie other is: why should
I not take som pains, to find out the right writing of ours, as other
cuntrimen haue don, to find the like in theirs? & so much the rather,
bycause it is pretended, that the writing thereof is meruellous vncertain,
and scant to be recouered from extreme confusion, without som change of as
great extremitie? I mean therefor so to deall in it, as I maie wipe awaie
that opinion of either vncertaintie for confusion, or impossibilitie for
direction, that both the naturall English maie haue wherein to test, &
the desirous stranger maie haue whereby to learn. For the performance
whereof, and mine own better direction, I will first examin those means,
whereby other tungs of most sacred antiquitie haue bene brought to Art and
form of discipline for their right writing, to the end that by following their
waie, I maie hit vpon Generall rule, which concerneth the
propertie and vse of ech letter: Proportion, which reduceth all words
of one sound to the same writing. Composition, which teacheth how
to write one word made of mo: Deriuation, which examineth the
ofspring of euerie originall: Distinction which bewraieth the
difference of sound, and force in letters by som writen figure or accent:
Enfranchisement, which directeth the right writing of all incorporat
form foren words: Prerogatiue, which declareth a reseruation,
wherein common vse will continew hir precedence in our English writing, as
she hath don euerie where else, both for the form of the letter, in som
places, which likes the pen better: and for the difference in writing, where
som particular caueat will chek a common rule. In all these seuen I will so
examin the particularities of our tung, as either nothing shall seme strange
at all, or if anie thing do seme, yet it shall not seme so strange, but that
either the self same, or the verie like vnto it, or the more strange then it is
shal appear to be in those things, which ar more familiar vnto vs for
extraordinarie learning, then required of vs for our ordinarie vse. And
forasmuch as the eie will help manie to write right by a sene president,
which either cannot vnderstand, or cannot entend to vnderstand the reason
of a rule, therefor in the end of this treatis for right writing, I purpos to set
down a generall table of most English words, by waie of president, to help
such plane peple, as cannot entend the vnderstanding of a rule, which
requireth both time and conceit in perceiuing, but can easilie run to a
generall table, which is readier to their hand. By the which table I shall
also confirm the right of my rules, that theie hold thoroughout, & by
multitude of examples help som maim in precepts. Thus much for the right
writing of our English tung, which maie seme for a preface to the principle
of Reading, as the matter of the one is the maker of the other.
In reading I will kepe this order, bycause the treatis of right reading, I will first giue
certain rules, to be obserued in reading and spelling, according to
those precepts, which I gaue in writing. And forsomuch as the goodnesse
and vertew of matter is most fit for the young childe in the first seasoning
of his tender minde: and the matter it self is spred into two branches,
consonant vnto the main distinction of the ten commandements, either for
religion towards God, and right opinion in faith: or for ciuilitie towards
men, and right iudgement in behauior: I will therefor cast the matter of
reading so, as it shall answer at full both to religion in faith, and to
ciuilitie in frindship. Wherefor to laie the first ground of learning, which is
to learn to read, in religion towards God, and in religion it self to obserue
the law and ordinances of my cuntrie, I will after the A b c, set down the
ordinarie catechism set furth by my prince, and the state of my cuntrie,
with all such appendants for graces, and other praiers, as shall seme most
pertinent to the Elementarie training of a christian child. Therevnto I will
ioyn som other pretie short treatis concerning the same religious argument
being of good importance for those years to vnderstand: and as warilie
appointed, as God shall appoint me. Then will I set down som other well
pikt discourse, which shall concern morall behauior, and right opinions that
waie. In all which I will haue both a speciall, & a continuall regard to
these four points in the child, his memorie, his desire, his
capacitie, and his forwarding.
For his memorie I will forese, that as he must practis it euen from
the first, so he maie also practis it euen vpon the best, both for pleasur in
learning, and for profit after learning.
For his delite, which is no mean allurement to his learning well, I
will be as carefull that the matter which he shall read, maie be so fit for
his years, & so plane to his wit, as when he is at school, he maie desire
to go forward in so comfortable an argument, and when he commeth home, he
maie take great pleaur to be telling of his parents, what pretie petie things
he doth find in his book, and that the parents also maie haue no lesse delite
to hear their litle one speak. In so much as either of them shall rather seke
to preuent the other, the childe to be telling
For his capacitie I will so prouide, that the matter which he shall
learn, maie to be so easie to vnderstand, and the phrase which I will vse, so
euident to perceiue, as both the one and the other shall cause nothing but
courage.
For his forwarding I mean to be somwhat curious, that there be such
consideration and choice for syllabs words and sentences, and for all their
accidentarie notes, as there shall want nothing, which maie seme worth the
wishing, for the full help of either spelling trew, or reading sure: that what
childe soeuer can read them well, maie read anie thing else well, if the
reading master will kepe that order in his teaching, which I entend to giue
him in my precept, and do his infant no harm by hasting him on to fast,
& by measuring his forwardnesse not by his own knowlege, but by
fantsie of his frinds. If opportunitie serue me & cause require that
labor, I will pen the same things in the latin tung also, to satisfie som
peple, which wilbe best pleased so, as in verie dede sauing for the
ortografie, which is proper to our tung, there is nothing in the Elementarie,
but it maie well be communicated with anie foren nation, which must
likewise prouide for their peculiar ortografie, as I do for ours, if theie mean
to vse the like Elementarie to this.
The treatis of reading being thus ended, then will I on to the principle
of writing, wherein I shall nede neither to be curious, ne yet long,
bycause the hole ortografie, which concerneth the right writing of our tung,
will both help the writing master, & ease my labor in that behalf.
Howbeit whatsoeuer shal be nedefull to that end besides the rules, which ar
giuen in the ortografie (as there be manie pretie notes, for the writers
profession, both to frame the childes hand right, to form & ioyn letters
well, & to fit those instruments, which he must nedes vse in the
managing, thereof all that I will set furth most planelie, and as shortlie, for
both the English and the latin letter. I ioyn the latin letter with the English,
bycause the time to learn the latin tung is next in order after the
Elementarie, and the childes hand is then to be acquainted with the latin
charact, which is nothing so combersom as the English charact is, if it be
not far more easie. greke and hebrew, yet he
that can write English and latin well, will learn those hands both soon, and
of himself. So that the Elementarie wrting shall not nede to truble it self
anie further in the Elementarie time of learning, then with those two tungs,
the English and the latin. If other ordinarie trades do require
mo hands, as for the vse of som court, and such other like, the writing
master maie help him self, with the particular form of the hand, that is
sought for, as I will help him with rules in anie writing at all, of
whatsoeuer form, tho I make choice but of two onelie. But here methink I
find honest mens diligence verie sore mismatched, with an intricate waie
and most wearisom to themselues. For theie spend their hole time about
setting of copies, whereas fewer copies, and more loking to his hand wold
help the childe more, as the number of copie occupying the hole time, is
mere enemie to amendment, an direction of the hand. I will therefor,
bycause I like that best, set down two tables of the English & the
latin tung, with the letters, ioynings, & what so else shalbe
necessarie for one perpetuall copie. The argument whereof shalbe such for
choice, as it shall deserue the remembring, which the oft writing will
easilie procure, & the warinese shalbe such for certaintie of letter, for
varietie of form, for all kindes of ioyning, as he, that can write &
resemble those two copies well, shal think nothing strange, that doth
concern writing. So much diligence shalbe vsed in the choice of a few lines,
which must plant an habit. Further because it shalbe good for the writing
master, to haue tables in store, tho he occupie them not allwaie, I will set
him down two other tables, of the like choice for the greke and
hebrew. And if I shall think it conuenient to translate my English
reading arguments into latin, I will also help the Elementarie latin master,
with all such notes, as maie teach to read latin, that in great ignorance of
the tung, yet he shall not lightlie fail, either in tuning or timing euen of
vnknown words. Why I do like these tables better, then the multitude of
copies, I will shew more at large in the particular handling of the writing
principle, bycause in that point I am somwhat contrarie to manie of those,
which teach children to write, whose commoditie draw.
Which drawing bycause it is not so euidentlie profitable, nor so
generallie receiued, as writing & reading be, I will therefor proue
in a pretie short discourse both how profitable it is, & how it deserueth
the learning, euen for profit sake, besides manie petie plesurs. Then
bycause drawing vseth both number & figur, wherewithall to
work, I will cull out so much number & figur, wherewithall to work, I
will cull out so much numbring from out of Arithmetik, the mistresse
of numbers, & so much figuring out of Geometrie the ladie of
figurs, as shall serue fit for an Elementarie principle to the childes
drawing, without either hardnesse to fraie him, or length to tire him.
Whatsoeuer shall belong to coloring, to shadowing, & such more
workmanlie points, bycause theie ar nearer to the painter, then to the
drawing learner, I will reserue them to the after habit, & to the
students choice, when he is to diuert, & to betake himself to som one
trade of life. At which time, if he chaunce to chuse the pen & pencil to
liue by, this introduction then will proue his great frind, as he himself shall
find, when he feles it in prouf. Last of all forsomuch as drawing is a
thing, whose thorough help manie good workmen do vse, which liue honestlie
thereby, & in good degre of estimation & welth, as architectur,
pictur, embroderie, engrauing, statuarie all modeling all
platforming, & manie the like: besides the learned vse thereof,
for Astronomie, Geometrie, Chorographie, Topographie and som other
such, I will therefor pik out som certain figures proper to so manie of the
foresaid faculties, as shall seme most fit to teach a child to draw,
& withall I will shew how theie be to be delt with euen from their first
point, to their last perfection, seing it is out of all controuersie, that, if
drawing be thought nedefull, as it shall be proued to be, it is now to be delt
with, while the finger is tender, & the writing yet in hand, that both the
pen & pencill, both the rule & compas, maie go forward together.
As for Musik, which I haue deuided into voice and instrument, I will
kepe this currant. The training vp in musik as in all other faculties,
hath a speciall eie to these thre points: The childe himself, that is to learn:
the matter it self, which he is to learn: and the instrument it self, whereon
he is to learn. Wherein I will deall so for the first and last, that is for the
childe and musik, which the childe is to learn, I will set it down
how, and by what degres & in what lessons, a boy that is to be brought
vp to sing, maie & ought to procede by ordinarie ascent, from the first
term of Art, & the first note in sound, vntill he shalbe able without anie
often or anie great missing, to sing his part in priksong, either himself
alone, which is his first in rudenesse, or with som companie, which is his
best in practis. For I take so much to be enough for an Elementarie
institution, which saluteth but the facultie, tho it perfit the principle,
& I refer the residew for setting & discant to encrease of cunning,
which dailie will grow on, & to further years, when the hole bodie of
musik wil com, & craue place. And yet bycause the childe must
still mount somwhat that waie, I will set him down som rules of setting
& discant, which will make him better able to iudge of fingring being a
setter himself, as in the tung, he that vseth to write, shal best iudge of a
writer. Concerning the virginalls & the lute, which two
instruments, I haue therfor chosen, bycause of the full musik which is
vttered by them & the varietie of fingring, which is shewed vpon them, I
will also set down so manie chosen lessons for either of them, as shall
bring the young learner musik masters, but I will cause them all to be
prikt and printed in the same principle of musik, that both the reader
maie iudge of them, and the scholer learn by them. Which thing as well as
all the rest, that I haue vndertaken to perform in this Elementarie, I hope by
Gods help to bring to such effect thorough conference, with the best
practitioners in our time, and the counsell of the best learned writers in
anie time, in euerie of the principles, besides mine own trauell, and som not
negligent experience, as I shall discharge my promis, and content my good
cuntrimen. What thing soeuer else besides this that I haue named, shall
seme to be nedefull for the better opening of anie particular point, I will se
to it there, tho I saie nothing of it here. This is the som of my Elementarie
platform for the matter thereof.
For the maner of teaching and consideration of circumstance in executing
thereof, which was the second party of my generall plat in my first diuision,
& hath the same place, if not a greater in the particular performance of
anie execution (for what auaileth precept, if it be not performed? or what
performance is it, that procedeth not in order?) I entend to do thus. Bycause
all these things tho neuer so good of themselues, tho neuer so commended by
writers, tho neuer so well liked of parents, yet maie miscarie in the
handling, if theie be not well followed with all dew circumstances, I will
therefor set down a particular direction for euerie principle, when to begin,
and in what degre of ripenesse to ioyn with another, and that so as neither
to soon mar, nor to much confound: how to handle the young with: how to
ioyn exercise of the bodie with these principles for the mind: what method
in teaching them maie seme to be best: what pretie deuises must be vsed to
cause the childe of himself shew what he can do, and what metle there is in
him, with all such considerations as be naturallie incident to such an
execution, that the young learner maie both thank me for his helth, and think
well of me for his learning, as a willing instrument
I Begin the Elementarie at the argument of right writing, because reading,
which is the first Elementarie principle, must be directed both in precept
and practis, thereafter as the thing, which is to be red, is writen or printed.
And considering the right writing of our tung is yet in question: som, but
those to forward, esteming it quite vnproper: som, but those to bakward,
thinking it perfit enough: som, & those the soundest iudging it to be in
most well appointed, tho in particulars to be Marcus Varro, not yet Quintilian, nor anie such as
Priscian did shew the like in the Latin, and by example in that one,
confirmed the like in all: which I will not rip vp, as a thing of moe vaunt for
reading, then of help to writing, where one generall reason, proued by one
aprticular, of perpetuall sequele, like a geometricall demonstration, will
serue well enough.
Well then, what means did those languages vse, which haue won the opinion, that theie be right write, to com by that right, which wrought that opinion? There be two considerations in speche, concerning the waie, which hath bene vsed in the fining thereof. For if we look into the first degre of fining, before which, no tung at all had anie beawtie in the pen, we ar to consider, how the verie first tung did procede from hir first rudenesse, to hir best perfection: Again if we look into the next degre, wherein the like finenesse ensewed in other tungs, by following the like course to that which the first refiners took, then we ar to consider, how other secondarie languages haue proined and pikt them selues, by following that method, which the primitiue did vse.
But bycause I desire to be warranted by them both, that is, both following
the first finers, & the second presidentiaries, in this my course, (which
no man hath yet kept in this argument, as I can perceice, tho diuerse write
ortografies,) and my opinion is, that it best besemes a scholer, to procede
by Art in anie recouerie, from the clawes if ignorance: Therefor I wil rip vp,
euen from the verie root, how and by what degrees, the verie first tung, doth
seme to com by that her perfection in writing, & what order was taken
to continew that perfection, euer sence the time that anie tung is perfited.
Allwaies reseruing so much to his consideration, which entendeth the fining
of anie speche, as concerneth the propertie of anie particular tung, which
particularitie will not be comprised vnder generall precept with anie other
tung, but must be directed by priuat obseruation, and particular exception reason, custom, and sound ioyntlie. The
third, which presentlie raigneth, is, while that reason & custom,
do assure their own ioynt gouernment with sound, by the mean of Art.
For sound like a restrained not banished Tarquinius desiring to
be restored to his first and sole monarchie, and finding som, but no more
then sounding fauorers, did seke to make a tumult in the scriueners
prouince, euer after that, reason and custom were ioyned with
him in commission.
I will therefor first deal with that regiment in writing, which was vnder sound, when euerie thing was writen according to the sound, tho that kind of gouernment be long ago worn out.
I should begin to high in seking out the ground of right writing, (as he that
fetcht the batle of Troie from Ledæs two egs, or as she that
was angrie with felling the first tre, bycause she took vnkindnesse with him
that came by ship, to that place where she did dwell). If I should make
enquirie either who deuised letters first, or who wrote first, a thing as
vncertain to be known, as fruteles if it were known. For Herodotus in
his Muses, Diodorus, in his librarie, Eusebius in his preparatiue,
Plinie in his historie, Flauius Iosephus in his antiquities of
Rome, Coelius Rhodiginus, in his antiquitie of reading, Polydorus
Virgilius in his inuentors of things, and manie seuerall writers mo,
seking to learn out either the first founder of the generall charact, or the
first deuisor of the particular, for particular nations, ar as new to seke,
when they haue sought all, as theie were at first, before theie sought anie.
For what certaintie sound in voice, not by them selues or anie
vertew in their form (for what likenesse or what affinitie hath the form of
anie letter in his own natur, to answer the force or sound in mans voice?)
but onelie by consent of those men, which first inuented them, and the
pretie vse therof perceaued by those, which first did receiue them. Whereby
the peple that vsed them first, agreed with those, that found them first,
such a sound in the voice should be resembled by such a signe to the eie: and
that such a signe in the eie should be so returned to the ear, as the
aspectable figur of such an audible sound: whereunto theie
subscribed their names, and set to their seals the daie and year, when their
consent past.
Herevpon in the first writing, the sound alone did lead the pen, and
euerie word was writen with those letters, which the sound did commaund, bycause the letters were inuented, to expresse
sounds. Then for the right in writing, who was souerain and iudge, and but
sound alone? who gaue sentence of pen, ink, and paper, but
sound alone? then what was found in the setting down, but that
which was awarded by sound alone? Then euerie one of the peple,
then euerie one tho most vnskilfull, was partaker in autoritie, &
sound should rule alone, & all those haue a stroke, in the
gouernment of sound, whosoeuer were able but euen to make a sound.
You deuised all this to expresse me, why should not I then iudge, when I
were expressed, seing, you your self told me, that such a litle note in sight,
was to resemble such a thing in sound? In those daies, all those
arguments, which cleaue so sore vnto the prerogatiue of sound, &
plead so for his interest, in setting down of letters, were most estemed of,
as most agreable to the time, & most officious to the state. But
afterward when sound vpon great cause, was deposed from his
monarchie, as no fit person to rule the pen alone, and had others ioyned with
him in the same commission, of as good countenance as he, tho not to deall
without him, then their credit was nothing so absolut, tho reasonable good
still, as anie of sounds aduised fauorers, maie both well perceiue, and
be well content with, if he will but mark the restraine of sounds
autoritie, & the causes why, & withall consider, that all opinions
which concern his sole autoritie, & tend to that end, as theie were of
most account, while he was in that ruf, ar now but verie weak, when he is in
the wain, & ar to be qualified, according to that state, where
sound is now ranged. For great inconueniences following, and the
writing it self, prouing more false then trew, while the pen set down that
form, which the ear did assure, to answer such a sound, & the
sound it self being to imperious, without anie either mercie or pitie,
but death for disobedience, no pardon, no forgiuenesse, no misericordia,
what equitie soeuer the contrarie side had: men of good wit, & great
vnderstanding, who perceaued & misliked this imperiousnesse of
sound, which yet was maintained, with great vncertaintie, naie rather
with confusion, then anie assurance of right, assembled them selues
together to common vpon so common a good, and in the end after resolut and sound, vsing
these, rather persuasions, then compulsions, to qualify his humor.
That is wold please him, to take their speche in good part, considering it tuched not their priuat, but the generall good of the hole prouince of writing. That he wold call those reasons to his remembrance, which moued them at the first, to giue him alone the autoritie ouer the pen, as one whom theie then thought, to be most fit for such a gouernment, naie onelie most fit to gouern alone. That theie now perceiued, not anie defect in him, who vsed that like a prince, which was his peculiar, by their own commission: but an ouersight in them selues, who vnaduisedlie ouercharged him, with such an estate, as he could not weild alone, without his great dishonor, whereof theie were as tender, as of their own soules. That their request therefor vnto him, was, to praie & beseche him, not to esteme more of his own priuat honor, then of the hole prouinces good. That theie might with his good leaue, amend their own error, which tho it concerned his person, yet should it not tuch his credit, the falt being their in their first choice.
Theie paused a litle while, before theie vttered the verie main cause of this
their motion, for that theie spyed sound to begin to change color, and
half readie to swond. For the fellow is passionat, in autoritie tyrannous, in
aw timorous.
Howbeit seing the common good did vrge them to speche, theie went on,
& told him in plane terms, that he must be content to refer himself to
order, and so much the rather, bycause their meaning was not to seke either
his depriuation, or his resignation, but that it wold please him to qualify his
gouernment, and to vse the assistence of a further councell, which theie
ment to ioyn with him, a thing of great frute, & of good example in
manie such cases, where euen great potentates, and considerat princes, for
the generall weall of their naturall states, (his being but voluntarie, and of
their election) were verie well content, vpon humble sute made to them, to
admit such a councell, and to vse them in affaires. That the reasons which
moued them to make this sute, and might also moue him, to admit the same
were of great importance: That bycause letters were first
Bycause theie praised the parties so much, he desired their names. Theie
answered Reason, to consider what wilbe most agreable vpon cause,
and Custom to confirm that by experience and prouf, which reason
should like best, and yet neither to do anie thing, without conference with
sound.
The personages pleased him for their own worthinesse, but the self same
thing, which recommended them to him for their own valur, did fraie him to
like them, for his own danger. For is not either reason or
custom, if it please them to aspire, more like to rule the pen, then
sound, said he to him self? Howbeit after that theie had charged his
conscience, with all those reasons in one throng, which theie had vsed
particularlie before, that it were no dishonor to yeild a litle vnto them,
which had giuen him his hole rule: that it were no reason, but theie might
haue leaue, to amend their own error, in ouercharging him, being their falt
and his ease: That tho theie semed to empare his estate, yet theie did not
seke to defraud him of his own: That the wrongs don to writing, which theie
presented vnto him were matters worth redresse: That the counsellers, Reason and Custom as his
fellow gouerners in the right of writing.
For in verie dede concerning the autoritie of these mouers, wise and learned
peple, what so euer theie lend ignorance to plaie with for a time, theie
reserue to themselues both iudgement and autoritie, wherewith to controull,
when theie se want of skill plaie the fooll to much, as in this same quarel
for the alternation of sounds to presumptuous rule, theie had verie great
reason. For as in faces, tho euerie man naturallie haue two eies, two ears,
one nose, one mouth, and so furth, yet there is allwaie such diuersitie in
countenances, as anie two men maie easilie be discerned, tho theie be as
like as the Lacedæmonian princes, and brethern were, of whom
Tullie speaketh: so likewise in the voice, tho in euerie one it passe
thorough, by one mouth, one throte, one tung, one sense of tethe, and so
furth, yet is it as different in euerie one, euen for giuing the sound, by
reason of som diuersitie in the vocall instruments, as the faces be different
in resembling like form, by som euident distinction, in the naturall purtrait.
Which diuersitie tho it hinder not the deliuerie of euerie mans minde, yet is
it to vncertain to rule euerie mans pen in setting down of letters.
And again, what reason had it to follow euerie mans ear, as a master
scriuener, and to leaue euerie mans pen to his own sound, where such
difference was, as theie could not agre, when sound giue ouer his interest, seing letters were deuised to
expresse sound in euerie one of vs, and not the conceit of these, and those
few goodlie wise fellowes? And yet when corn was once in prouf, acorns
grew out of place, tho a iollie mastie meat in a hoggish world. For
naturallie the first serues the turn, till the finer and better do com in
presence. And as somthing gat place worthilie of nothing, so must that
somthing again, giue place to his better: As sound did somthing to
expell rudenesse, tho it maie not bend it self, to kepe out finesse.
Hereupon wise men wold standno longer to that duiersitie in writing, which
necessarilie did follow, when euerie one did spell so, as the instruments of
his voice did fashion his sound, or as his cunning gaue him, or as his ear
could discern. All which means be full of varietie, and neuer one in all, as it
doth appear by hole nations, which cannot sound som letters, that som other
can, as the Ephramite in scriptur, which could not sound the first
letter in Shibboleth being in hebrew the same chract with the first
in Sibboleth : or as the witnesse in Tullie , which by propertie
of his cuntrie, could not sound the first letter in Fundanius , against
whom he cam.
Vpon these miscontentments, and by consent of those, which could iudge,
and vtter best, theie grew to a certian, and a reasonable custom, or
else to saie truth, to a customarie reason, which theie held for a law,
not vnaduisedle hit on, by error and time, but aduisedlie resolued on, by
iudgement and skill. Neither yet, (which had ben contrarie to their promis)
depriued theie sound of all his rialtie, which was dictatorlike, before,
but theie ioyned reason with him, & custom to, to begin
then in Cæsar and a Pompeie, to
be his colleges in a triumuirate. From that time forward sound could
do much, but nothing so much, as he could do before, being verie manie
times, verie iustlie ouerruled by his considerat companions, and fellowes in
office. Thus ended the monarchie of sound alone.
We ar now com to that regiment in writing, which was vnder sound,
reason and custom ioyntlie togither, and proceded in this sort.
Reason as he is in reason the principall director, of all best doings,
and not writing alone, so he began to plaie the master, but wiselie withall,
and with great modestie. For considering the disposition of his two
companions, first of sound, which the letters were to expresse of
dewtie, as therfor deuised: then of custom, which was to confirm,
and make the waie to generall allowance, he established this for a generall
law in the prouince of writing. That as the first founders, and deuisers of
the letters, vsed their own libertie, in the assigning of such a charact in the
eie, to such a sound in the voice, which assignation was mere voluntarie,
& of the founders choice: so it should be lawful for the said founders,
and their posteritie, according as the necessitie of their vse, & the
dispatch in their pen did seme to require it, either to encrease the number
of letters, if the insufficiencie in them did seme not to answer the varietie
in sound, or to apply one and the same letter to diuerse vses, if it
might be don with som pretie distinction, to auoid multitude of characts, as
we apply words which be within number, to things which be without: &
generallie like naturall and chefe lord in a tenancie at mere will, to make
their own nede the leuell of all letters, of all writing, of all speaking, to
chop, to change, to alter, to transport, to enlarge, to lessen, to make, to
mar, to begin, to end, to giue autoritie to this, to take it from that, as
themselues should think good. This decre being penned by reason,
both sound and custom did presentlie allow: sound
bycause there was no remedie, tho his hart longed still for his former
Monarchie, which was now in th'Eclipse: Custom, bycause that did
serue his turn best. For if necessarie vse, and dispatch in the pen, might
haue autoritie, which was giuen them in law, by consent of those men, which
were successors to them, who Custom in dede, hauing reason to frind, &
sound no fo, a verie great prince in the hole prouince of both writing
and speaking. And good reason why. For Custom is not that which
men do or speak commonlie or most, vpon whatsoeuer occasion, but onelie
that, which is grounded at the first, vpon the best and fittest reason, and is
therefor to be vsed, bycause it is the fittest. Which if it take place
according to the first appointment, then is custom in his right, if not,
then abuse in dede doth seme to vsurp vpon custom in name. For in
Lordships and maners is that custom, which the tenants do vse vpon their
own surmise, or but that onelie, which the first Lord granted, vpon som
speciall cause, and his posteritie confirms, vpon the like respect, either to
their auncetor or to the thing? So that I take custom to bild vpon the
cause, and not to make the cause.
After that reason had brought both sound to this order, and
custom to this autoritie, then was there nothing admitted in writing,
but that onelie, which was subsigned by all their three hands. If the
sound alone did serue, yet reason and custom must nedes
confirm sound: if reason must take place, both sound and
custom must nedes approue reason: if custom wold be
credited, he might not passe, onelesse both sound did sooth him,
& reason did ratifie him.
For the better continuance of this wise triumuirate, ech of the thre
entertained such peple, as were fittest for their families. Sound,
bycause he presumed onelie vpon his old autoritie not extinguished, tho
restrained, and neded no great train now in that his restraint, he therefor
contented himself with such of his old retinew, as knew his first
commission, which was granted vnto him, when the deuise of letters cam
first to light. Who still had an eie to sound, and set down that letter, which
was appointed thereunto, onelesse reason and custom had put in a caueat,
that in such a case the comission must be altered.
Reason again took into his seruice, obseruation and
comparision: Obseruation to mark what were fairest in sense, what
were readiest in pen, what were currantest in vse: Comparison to
confer that, which he allowed in one, with that proportion,
Custom besides that he made verie much of both sound and
reasons retinew, as his verie good frinds, whereby he was comended
to generall practis, of himself & for himself, he entertained
warinesse, to be still like himself, and tho he altered vpon cause, as
reason should enform him, yet to behaue himself so, as he might
easilie be discerned from corruption in vse, which was his naturall enemie,
and was alwaie bakt by the ignorant multitude, as custom it self was
by those, that were of skill, both at his first planting, and thoroughout his
performance. So had right sound, missounding to so, so had right
reason, a slight shew of appearance to aduersarie, which still caried the
weaker branes, but could neuer moue, either iudgement or cunning.
During this compound gouernment of these thre, the matter of all our
precepts, that belong to writing, did first grow to strength, then were rules
grounded, then were exceptions laid, when reason and custom
perceiued cause why. But none of all these were yet commended to Art, and
set down in writing, but fleting in the memorie, and obseruation of writers,
hauing sufficient matter to furnish an institution, and the bodie of an Art,
tho not yet in method, which cam next in place, & ioyned it self with
the other thre vpon this occasion:
All this time, while reason and custom gouerned the pen, as
well as sound, sounds malcontented frinds did neuer rest but allwaie
sought means to supplant the two other, euer buffing into the ignorant ears
that of sounds autoritie, and his right to his own deliuerie: and the
same errors, which troubled the pen, while sound alone was the
setter down, began to crepe in again, and cause a new truble, in so much as
all the ignoranter sort were clear of opinion that the verie sternesse of
sound was onelie to be accepted without all exception, tho those of
learning and wisdom, which had both first set vp reason and
custom, as companions to sound, and still continewed in the
same minde, could verie well discern vsurpation from enheritance, and right
from wrong.
Wherefor reason finding by this creping error both himself to be
intuited by senslesse time, and his good custom to be custom both,
by the consent of sound, had continewed in vse, tho not put down in
writing, which wold euer be in danger of continuall reuolt, from the best to
the worst, by the vncertaintie of time, and the eluishnesse of error, oneless
it were set in writing, and the conditions subscribed by all their contents,
for a perpetuall euidence against the repiner. For that is the difference,
betwene a reasonable custom and an artificiall method, that the first
doth the thing for the second to assure, and the second assureth, by
obseruing of the first.
While nothing was set down in writing, sound and his complices were
in hope of som recouerie, hwich hope was cut of, when the writings were
made, and the conditions set certain. The notarie to cut of all these
controuersies, and to brede a perpetuall quietnesse in writing, was Art,
which gathering al those roming rules, that custom had beaten out,
into one bodie, disposed them so in writing, as euerie one knew his own
limits, reason his, custom his, sound his. Now when
reason, custom and sound were brought into order, and driuen
to certaintie by the mean of Art, and artificiall method, then began the third
the last and the best assurance in writing.
Art being hirself in place perceiued the direction of anie hole tung to be
verie infinite and hard, naie to be scant possible in generall, considering the
diuerse properties that the thre rulers, reason, custom, and
sound haue, which alter still with time. For what peple can be sure of
his own tung anie long while? doth not speche alter somtime to the finer, if
the state where it is vsed, continew it self, and grow to better countenance,
for either great learning, or other dealing, which vse to proin a tung? And
doth it not somtime change to the more corrupt, if the state where it is
vsed, do chance to be ouerthrown, and a master tung comming in as
conqueror, command both the peple, and the peples speche to? Vpon this
consideration, what an infinit thing it were to chuse out such a subiect, as
is so vncertain, Art took hirself to som one period in the reason) to be in the common vse
of speche, and pen, either clear with sound, or sutable to
reason, or liked in custom, but still bakt by them all.
Such a period in the Greke tung was that time, when Demosthenes
liued, and that learned race of the father philosophers: such a period in the
Latin tung, was that time, when Tullie liued, and those of that age:
Such a period in the English tung I take this to be in our daies, for both the
pen and the speche.
Art chusing such a period in the primitiue tung, and hauing all the
stuf gathered into notes, wherewith to set vp hir hole frame, and bilding of
method, distributed them so, as there was not anie one thing necessarie for
right writing, but she had it in writing, sauing som particulars, which will
be still vnrulie, and make fresh matter for an other period in speche: tho
that, which is now made so artificiall and sure, com neuer in danger of anie
alteration, but be still held for a president to others, as most perfit in it
self. For a tung once enrolled by the benefit of Art, and grown to good
credit, is thereby first setled it self in such assurance, as the right thereof
cannot be denied, the contrarie to right wold be soon espied, howsoeuer it
wrangle: then is it made a common example to other languages, which haue
stuf for such a method, and desire to be fined, whereby to fine them.
This course kept the first tung that euer was fined, from the first inuention
of anie letter, which was least in act, but greatest in power, vntill
corruption slilie goten in, but wiselie perceiued did cause a reformation.
Which reformation grew again to corruption in natur of a relapse, bycause
tho it were soundlie made, yet was it not well armed with sufficient
suretie against the festuring euill of error & corruption. Wherefor
when it felt the want of such an assurance, it praied aid of Art, which like a
beaten lawyer, handled the matter so, and sound,
error, corruption, and the residew of that ill humored peple.
This originall president in the first, and translated patern in the rest, I mean to follow in the finding out of our right English writing, which whether it will proue to be fashioned accordinglie, and framed like the patern, it shall then appear when the thing it self, shall com furth in hir own naturall hew, tho in artificiall habit.
I haue not vsed anie autors name in this discourse either to confirm, or to
confute by credit of autoritie. For anie man allmost of anie mean learning,
maie quiklie espy, that these matters ar not without autors. For can
reason, custom, art, sound, error, corruption, and such other qualities,
as plaie their parts in this so ordinate a plat, lak testimonie of writers
being so much writen of? But I did onelie seke to satisfie nede and to polish
no further. To conclude and knit vp the argument, this method and this order
vsed the first tung, that euer was brought to anie right in writing, by the
help whereof vnder the direction of Art, all those tungs which we now call
learned, ar com to that certaintie, which we se them now in, thorough
precept and rule. The same help will I vse in my particular method.
Which before I deall with, I must exmain two principall points in our tung
whereof one is, whether our tung haue stuf in it for art to bild on, bycause I
said, that Art delt where she found matter, sufficient for hir trauell. The
other is, whether our writing be iustlie chalenged for those infirmities
wherewith it is charged, in this our time, bycause I said that this period in
our time, semeth to be the perfitest period in our English tung, & that
our custom hath alredie beaten out his own rules redie for the method,
& frame of Art. Which two points ar necessarilie to be considered. For
if there be either no matter for Art in extreme confusion: or if our custom
be not yet ripe to be reduced vnto rule, then that perfit period in our tung is
not yet
IT must nedes be that our English tung hath matter enough in hir own writing, which maie direct her own right, if it be reduced to certain precept, and rule of Art, tho it haue not as yet bene thoroughlie perceaued.
The causes why it hath not yet bene thoroughlie perceaued, ar the hope & despare of such, as haue either thought vpon it, and not dealt in it, or that haue delt in it, but not rightlie thought vpon it.
For som considering the great difficultie, which theie found to be in the writing thereof, euerie letter almost being deputed to manie, and seuerall, naie to manie and wellnigh contrarie sounds and vses, euerie word almost either wanting letters, for his necessarie sound, or hauing some more then necessitie requireth, began to despare in the midst of such a confusion, euer to find out anie sure direction, whereon to ground Art, and to set it certain. And what if either theie did not seke, or did not know how to seke, in right form of Art, and the composing method? But whether difficultie in the thing, or infirmitie in the searchers, gaue caue thereunto, the parties them selues gaue ouer the thing as in a desperat case, and by not medling thorough despare, theie helped not the right.
Again som others bearing a good affection to their naturall tung, and
resolued to burst thorough the midst of all these difficulties, which offered
such resistence, as theie misliked
The causes why theie took not effect, and thereby in part did hinder the
thing, by making of manie think the case more desperat then it was in dede,
bycause such fellowes did so faill, were these. Their despare, which
thought, that the tung was vncapable of anie direction, came of a wrong
cause, the falt rising in dede not of the thing, which theie did condemn, as
altogether rude and vnrulie, but of the parties them selues, who mistook
their waie. For the thing it self will soon be ordered (our custom is grown
so orderable) tho it require som diligence, and good consideration, in him
that must find it out. But when a writer taketh a wrong principle, quite
contrarie to common practis, where triall must be tuch, and practis must
confirm the mean, which he conceaueth, is it anie maruell if the vse of a
tung ouerthwart such a mean, which is not conformable vnto it? Herevpon
proceded the despare to hit right, bycause theie missed of their minde,
whereas in dede theie should haue changed their minde, to haue hit vpon that
right, which as it is in the thing, so will it soon be found out, if it be
rightlie
Again the others hope deceiued them to as much. For theie considered not, that whereas common reason, and common custom haue bene long dealers in seking out of their own currant, themselues wilbe councellers, and will neuer yeild to anie priuat conceit, which shall seme euidentlie either to force them or to crosse them, as theie themselues do, neuer giuing anie precept, how to write right, till theie haue rated at custom, as a most pernicious enemie to truth and right, euen in that thing, where custom hath most right, if it haue right in anie. Wherefor when theie proceded on in a customarie argument, with the enmitie of him, which is Lord of the soill, was it anie wonder if theie failed of their purpos, & hindered the finding out of our right writing, which must nedes be compased by customs consent, and reasons frindship? So in the mean time, while despare deceiues the one, and hope begiles the other, the one missing his waie, the other making a fo, and both going astraie, theie both lease their labor, and let the finding out of our right in writing, by their ill led, and worse laid labor, bycause the artificiall course, in finding out such a thing, hath another currant, as I haue shewed before in the last title.
Yet notwithstanding all this, it is verie manifest, that the tung it self hath matter enough in it self, to furnish out an art, & that the same mean, which hath bene vsed in the reducing of other tungs to their right, will serue this of ours, both for generalitie of precept, and certaintie of ground, as maie be easile proued by these four arguments, the antiquitie of our tung, the peples with, their learning, and their experience. For how can it be, but that a tung, which hath continewed manie hundred years, not onelie a tung, but one of good account, both in speche, and pen, hath growen in all that time to som finesse, and assurance of it self, by so long and so generall an vse, tho it be not as yet founded, the peple that haue vsed it, being none of the dullest, and trauelling continuallie in all exercises that concern learning, in all practises that procure experience, either in peace or war, either in publike, or priuat, either at home or abrode?
As for the antiquitie of our speche, whether it be measured Almane, whence it cummeth originallie, or euen but by
the latest terms which it boroweth daielie from foren tungs, either of pure
necessitie in new matters, or of mere brauerie, to garnish it self withall, it
cannot be young. Onelesse the Germane himself be young, which
claimeth a prerogatiue for the age of his speche, of an infinit prescription:
Onelesse the Latin and Greke be young, whose words we
enfranchise to our own vse, tho not allwaie immediatlie from them selues,
but mostwhat thorough the Italian, French, and Spanish:
Onelesse other tungs, which be neither Greke nor Latin, nor
anie of the forenamed, from whom we haue somwhat, as theie haue from
ours, will for companie sake be content to be young, that ours maie not be
old. But I am well assured, that euerie one of these, will striue for
antiquitie, and rather grant it to vs, then forgo it themselues. So that if the
verie newest words, which we vse do sauor of great antiquitie, and the
ground of our speche be most ancient, it must nedes then folow, that our
hole tung was weined long ago, as hauing all her tethe.
For the account of our tung, both in pen and speche, no man will dout thereof, who is able to iudge what those thinges be, which make anie tung to be of account, which things I take to be thre, the autoritie of the peple which speak it, the matter & argument, wherein the speche dealeth, the manifold vse, for which the speche serueth. For all which thre, our tung nedeth not to giue place, to anie of her peres.
First to saie somwhat for the peple, that vse the tung, the English
nation hath allwaie bene of good credit, and great estimation, euer since
credit and estimation by historie came on this side the Alps, which
appeareth to be trew, euen by foren cronicles (not to vse our own in a case
of our own) which would neuer haue said so much of the peple, if it had bene
obscure, and not for an historie, or not but well worthie of a perpetuall
historie.
Next, for the argument, wherein it dealeth, whether priuat or publik, it maie
compare with som other, that think verie well of their own selues. For not
to tuch ordinarie affairs in comon life, will matters of learning in anie kind
of argument, make a tung of account? Our nation then, I think, will hardlie
be proued
Will matters of war, whether ciuill or foren, make a tung of account? Our neighbor nations will not deny, our peple to be verie warrious, and our own cuntrie will confesse it, tho loth to fele it, both remembring the smart, & comparing with som other, neither to vaunt our selues, nor to gall our frinds, with anie mo words.
Now in offring matter to speche, war is such a breder, as tho it be opposit to learning, bycause it is enemie to the Muses, yet it dare compare with anie point in learning, for multitude of discourses, tho not commonlie so certain, ne yet of so good vse, as learned arguments be. For war (besides all graue and sad considerations about it, which be manie and wise) as somtime it sendeth vs trew reports, either priuatelie in proiects and deuises, that be entended, or publikelie in euents, which be blased abrode, bycause theie be don, so mostwhat it giueth out infinit and extreme, I dare not saie lies, but verie incredible newes, bycause it maie hatch them at will, being in no danger of controllment, and comonlie in such practises and places, as haue not manie witnesses, while eurie man seketh aswell to saue him self, as to harm his enemie, besides som curteous entertainment, which a deuising referendarie hath euen by telling that, which is not trew, to such as loue to hear, and either like or will like. All which occasions, and infinit mo, about stratagemes, & engins, giue matter to speche, and cause of new words, and by making it so redie, do make it of renoun.
Will all kindes of trade, and all sorts of traffik, make a tung of account? If
the spreading sea, and the spacious land could vse anie speche, theie would
both shew you, where, and in how manie strange places, theie haue sene our
peple, and also giue you to wit, that theie deall in as much, and as great
varietie of matters, as anie other peple do, whether at home or abrode.
Which is the reason why our tung doth serue so manie vses,
All which reasons concerning but the tung, and the account thereof, being put together, as of themselues, theie proue the nations exercise in learning, and their practis in other dealings: so theie seme to infer no base witted peple, not to amplify it with more, bycause it is not for foulls to be so well learned, to be so warrious, to be so well practised. I shall not nede to proue anie of these my positions, either by foren or home historie: seing my reader stranger, will not striue with me for them, and mine own nation, will not gainsaie me in them, I think, which knoweth them to be trew, and maie vse them for their honor.
Wherefor I maie well conclude my first position: that if vse and
custom hauing the help of so long time, and continuance, wherein to
fine our tung: of so great learning and experience, which furnish matter for
the fining: of so good wits and iudgements, which can tell how to fine, haue
griped at nothing in all that time with all that cunning, by all those wits,
which theie will not let go, but hold for most certaine, in the right of our
writing: that then our tung hath no certaintie to trust to , but writeth all at
randon. But the antecedent in my opinion, is alltogether vnpossible,
wherefor the consequent, is a great deall more then probable, which is, that
our tung hath in hir own possession, and writing verie good euidence to
proue hir own right writing: Which tho no man as yet, by anie publik writing
of his, semeth to haue sene, yet the tung it self is redie to shew them, to
anie whosoeuer, which is able to read them, and withall to iudge, what
euidence is right in the right of writing. Wherefor seing I haue proued
sufficientlie
THis title tho it seme by the inscription to pretend som offence, yet is it nothing moodie at all, bycause it entendeth no defense, as against an enemie, but a conference, as with a frind. For those men, with whom I haue to deall therein, do wish their naturall tung, as well as I do, theie desire to se it right writen, no lesse then I do. Theie haue as good shew of iust enemitie to error, and corruption, as I haue assurance of right direction. And therefor I will rather endeuor my self to perswade them as frinds, then to confute them as foes, rather to ioyn with them in som points, then to defy them in all.
In the hole matter of this conference with them, theie either blame certain
errors, which theie pretend to be in our writing: or else theie will seme to
seke the reforming thereof. In the blame of errors, theie rate at
custom as a vile corrupter, sound, as the onelie souerain, and surest
leader in the gouernment of writing: & fly to innouation, as the
onelie mean, to reform all errors, that be in our writing. Which their
particular branching, I will follow in my reply, and yet in no reply, but
excuse, for the innocencie of our pen, where it is without falt, tho it be not
without blame and in my plaine confession of som manifest error, where
there is cause why.
In their quarrell to custom theie seke first to bring it into generall
hatred, as a common corrupter of all good things, and that naturallie,
without anie exception, and therefor no maruell if it abuse speche, which as
it passeth thorough euerie mans mouth, and is resembled by euerie mans
pen, so must it nedes gather much corruption by the waie, bycause manie and
ill be all one in dede, tho deuided in term, as good and few, tho different in
name, yet be the same in pith: And common corruption, which theie terme
Custom, is an ill director to find out a right. Herevpon theie conclude,
that as it semeth most probable, so it is most trew, that the chefe errors,
which ar crept into our pen, do take their beginning at the onelie infection
of a naughtie custom. Which bycause it is naught, therefor ought it
not so much as once to be named, in the direction to a right, in either pen or
speche, being so manifest a falsarie, notwithstanding whatsoeuer anie
either old or new writers can pretend to the contrarie, for either defense or
excuse thereof. Then theie descend two particularities, wherein theie proue
that customarilie, we do somtime burden our words to much, with to manie
letters, somtimes we pinch them to near with to few, somtimes we
misshape them with wrong sounding, somtime we misorder them, with
wrong placing. And be not these maruellous great causes of miscontentment
with Custom, which is the breder of them? Besides all these which
ar but points of penning onelie, to aggrauate the discredit wherewith theie
charge custom, theie seke to make it odious, as an enemie to vertew,
euen abusing what is best. And will there anie that fauoreth vertew,
protect Custom, being such a venim to all vertews, and such custom is most vile, which
doth but speak ill of good things: but to seke their corruption is a most
villanous part. And to abuse speche in anie hir deliuerie whether by tung or
pen, the good benefit whereof, doth serue most of our nedes, as vertew doth
the best, is extreme beastlie. And therefor assuredlie, as those my good
cuntrimen, haue most iust cause to be angrie with these corruptions: so
might theie as iustlie turn their anger vpon me, if I should anie waie but so
much as seme to excuse or but to extenuate so pernicious a fact. Neither
can anie writer, new or old, but hasard his own credit, if he do but seme to
shew anie incling of fauor that waie.
And yet if good writers seme to fauor custom, then the case is not so
clear, as you take it to be, that there is nothing in custom, but an hell
of most vile, and filthie corruptions: that it alone infecteth all good things:
that it alone corrupteth right writing. For if it were in dede and onelie so,
theie wold not warrant it, as (now I remember my self) theie praise it verie
often, and giue it great credit. Is there then not som error in the name,
& maie not custom be misconstrewed? for sure the writers,
when theie speak of custom, theie mean that rule in doing, and
vertewous life, wherein good men agre and their consent is that, which
these men term custom therein: as theie call that rule in speaking
and writing the custom thereof, wherein the skilfull and best learned
do agre. And is it likelie that either the honest in dede will mislead vertew
in liuing, or the learned in dede will mislike right in writing? And again,
those honest men, which allow of custom in matters of life, complain
verie much of corruption in manners, and naughtie behauior: and the learned
men, which allow of custom in matters of speche and pen, do
complain verie much of error in writing, and corruption in speche: and both
the two, accuse the most peple as the leaders to error, and the common
abuse, as the frute of a multitude. And custom do mean false error, which
counterfeateth custom, and the ignorant for rashnesse, and yet
directeth all the most. And theie that praise custom do mean plain
truth, which cannot dissemble, which is companion with the honest in
vertew, and with the learned in cunning, and directeth all the best. And will
ye se? This mistermed custom in the pen, is that counterfeat abuse,
which was the onelie cause, why sounds monarchie, whereof I spake
before, was so dissolued, and was it self condemned, by those wise peple,
which ioyned reason with sound: and the right custom
which writers commend so, is that companion of reason, which
succeeded in place, when the counterfeat was cast out. Now ye se the error.
So neither writers do allow of such a corruption, neither is custom
your contrarie, but both writers, and custom, both you, and I will
scratch out the eies of common error, for misusing of good things, and
belying of custom. If good things be abused it is by ill peple, whose
misnsmed custom is right named error, and well blamed lewdnesse.
If words be ouercharged with number of letters, that coms either by
couetousnesse in such, as fell them by lines, or by ignorance in such, as
besides the pestering them with to manie, do both weaken them with to few,
and wrong them with the change, both of force and place, whose error as I
mone, so I will seke to amend it, and while I amend it, I will confute by
correcting, and heall by comparing, that euerie one beholding the redresse,
where he finds the falt, maie be able to iudge both of right, and wrong, by
conferring of contraries. Thus I take it my good cuntrimen, that you be
deceiued in the name, and blame one for another. For custom
certainlie in a matter of speche, is a great and a naturall gouernour, tho in
other things it maie somtimes seme to be a sore vsurper. And yet good
autors will hardlie graunt that, which still fre custom from all
offensiue note, both in words and dedes, bycause theie ground custom
not upon error in deprauation at the last: but vpon iudgement, in direction
from the first. And theie which entreat custom so hardlie, entertain
it so, vnder an vnproper name, as vnworthie to be heard speak custom to be grounded
vpon the common confusion in practis of the most, and least iudiciall peple,
which is mother to all wrong opinions, concerning anie iudgement of right.
Wherein theie neither mark that the ignorant multitude is not held for
mistresse, of that right and reasonable custom, which is the naturall
custom, and which theie of the contrarie side do follow, as the best
gide in right writing: neither yet consider theie, that their aduersaries,
whom theie oppugn so, do confesse som errors in the ordinarie penning,
proceding of that corruption, which theie wrongfullie term custom,
which errors theie also seke to haue cut of, as the idle clogging of words
with nedelesse letters, and such other ordinarie errors, which rise most of
to much, by not knowing, what is right. Which errors I will handle there,
where I amend them streight, as I will tuch custom somwhat more,
when I com to that place, where theie appeal vnto sound from both
reason and custom.
When theie haue delt thus with custom, and their contraries (which
theie make contraries, by mistaking, being their frinds in dede) without
marking their reasons, or by whose autoritie custom is established,
which theie so impugn by suggestion of a counterfeat, then theie begin to
complain sore of the insufficiencie, and pouertie of our letters, which
letters tho theie be as manie in number, as other tungs haue, yet theie
suffise not, saie theie, for the full and right expressing of our sounds, tho
theie expresse them after a soft, but enforce vs to vse a number of them
like the Delphik sword, whereof Aristotle speaketh, to manie
sounds and seruices contrarie to the natur of such an instrument, which was
made at the first, this letter for that sound. Whereby it commeth to passe,
that we both write vnproperlie, not answering the sound of that, which we
saie, and ar neuer like our selues, in anie our writing, but still varie
according vnto the writers humor, without anie certain direction.
Whereupon forenners and strangers to wonder at vs, both for the
vncertaintie in our writing, and the inconstancie in our letters. And is it
not a great shame that so cunning a nation as the English
If foren peple do maruell at vs, we maie require them with as much, and return their wonder home, considering theie themselues be subiect to the verie same difficulties, which theie wonder at in vs, and haue no mo letters then we haue, and yet both write still, and be vnderstood still, in the midst and in the spite of all these insufficiencies: as we also both write and be vnderstood, in this our insufficiencie, euen by their confession, which will nedes be offended, bycause of insufficiencie. But the common vse of writing among those strangers, which agreth so with ours in our most vncertaintie, giues me to think, that this complaining of insufficiencie is not generall to all neither with them nor with vs, but proper to som few, and particular among both, who misliking that theie know not, and not marking that theie cannot, therefor blame that theie should not. For if their blaming vpon cause, and marking vpon iudgement did concur with their number, tho not so great, I should be afraid least theie had the better, bycause the fewer: but both the fewer and the weaker to, carie no great force, to condemn in iudgement. As other folks also, which se somwhat to, as well as theie, do not quite mislike of all their misliking, but desire som redresse, where there is cause in dede, tho theie agre not in the mean, how to perform the redresse, nor yet in the quantitie, that the error is so great, as these insufficienciaries pretend it to be. For we do confesse that this multiplicitie, & manifold vse in the force and seruice of our letters, wold haue som distinction, whereby to be known, if generall acquaintance with our own writing be not sufficient enough, to perceiue that vse, which we put down by vse: but withall we defend and maintain the multiplicitie it self, as a thing much vsed euen in the best tungs, and therefor not vnlawfull, tho there were not distinction.
And again, we do not think, that euerie our custom is a plaine
corruption, wherein generall vse, euen of those same persons, which cannot
be suspected, but to write with good iudgement, sound, for all their
speaking, that we English men haue, bycause theie be men, as we English
folk be: and theie sent the vse of the pen to vs, and not we to them. And
finding in their own vse this necessitie, which you do note, theie fled to
that help which you think naught, and were bold with their letters, to make
them serue diuerse turns, somtime with none, somtime with som pretie
small note of euident distinction. Which kinde of distinguishing theie know
to be verie trew, whosoeuer be acquainted with the foren letters, and with
those writers which entreat of them, as I my self will shew, when I both
mark, and amend at once, tho I deall no further in this place, to auoid
repetition, both here & there. Neither is there anie difficultie, which
theie ar not subiect vnto, either in the same, or in the verie like things, as
wel as we: as I will proue elswhere, euen by comparing the particulars, so
far and so manie, as nede shall require. And will strangers wonder at vs?
or do not our own peple that be learned perceiue these things? For in the
ignorant I require no such discretion. Surelie I think that all peple hauing
the same naturall instruments to speak by, tho vpon priuat vse som harp
more of som sounds then others, and som lean more vpon som one instrument
of speche, then other do, as som the throte, som the teth, and so furth,
which varietie is popular euen to hole custom which maketh the difference, and therefor
ruleth either all or most in speche, wherein if there be anie reason, it
is not naturall and simple, as in things, but artificiall & compound as in
speche, vpon such and such a cause in custom and consent. And tho the
Hebrew grammarians onelie, do deuide their letters, according to that
vocall instrument whereupon theie lean most, as som vpon the throte, som
vpon the rouf of the mouth, som vpon the tung, som vpon the lips, som vpon
the tethe: yet the Hebrewes alone haue not that distinction in natur,
but euerie peple also which haue throte, tethe, rouf, tung, lips, and with
those instruments vse the vtterance of sounds. Which is an argument to me,
both that vse is the mistresse herein, and that he, which soundeth vpon anie
one by cuntrie vse, maie be smoothed to som other by the contrarie vse, and
that therefor the same letters will serue all peple, if theie list to frame
themselues accordinglie. For otherwise why do we persuade our peple to
sound Latin thus, Greke thus, Hebrew thus, Italian
thus, if it be not a thing to be made of acquaintance, by customarie vse?
And being so, and in all nations so, what nede we mo letters to vtter our
minde? seing the vttering instruments be all one, and nothing can be
vttered either for varietie more diuerse, or for difficultie more hard, then
theie haue vttered, from whom we haue those letters which we haue?
neither is it anie discredit to our peple to rest content with those letters,
and with that number, which antiquitie hath allowed, and held for sufficient.
Is natur therefor baren in vs, which was frutefull in them, bycause we maie
not inuent, and put somwhat to theirs? No forsoth. But all mankinde is but
one, without anie respect of either this age, or that age, both to natur hir
self, and to the God & Lord of natur, and therefor what is giuen to one
man, or deliuered in one age of common seruice, that is ment to all men,
& to all ages of men, without further regard to whom, or for whom, but
still to their benefit: neither is either God himself or natur his minister
tyed to anie time, for deliuerie of their gifts, but whensoeuer
But why maie we not vse all our four and twentie letters, euen to four and
twentie vses euerie of them, if occasion serue, seing the characts being
known be more familiar, and easier to be discerned, then anie new deuise,
yea tho the old resemble mo, and the new do note but one? It hath bene
sufficientlie declared allreadie, that those men, which first deuised letters,
reserued the authoritie ouer them and their vse to them selues for life, and
their successors for euer, so to qualify and to vse them, as it should please
them best vpon consent among themselues, and cause to content nede. And
why not so, where both the inuention is their own, and the right vse thereof,
as theie shall vse it, which made it for their vse? This generall reseruation
is enrold allredie in all reason and antiquitie, and the particular consent for
this writing of ours is proined allredie, by our generall vse, and wilbe
regestred also in verie good record, I hope, and that shortelie. And will you
make that souerain, which is but subaltern? or will you take that, as not
remoueable, like a steddie rok, which is roming by sound
for the stablishing of a right, as you do coneiue, neither such necessitie in
letters, to be constant in one vse, as you seke to enforce.
The philosopher saith, that natur makes one thing to one vse, and that
euerie vse hath his particular instrument naturallie, but that our own
inuentions, naie that euen the most naturall means in our application do, and
maie serue to sundrie ends & vses. And will letters stand so vpon their
reputation, as not to seme to stand to our applying of them, for our own
purposes, being both our creaturs, & by creation our bondmen? both to
sound and serue, as we shall think it good, and so manie waies, as we
shall will them to serue? No surelie, theie do not think so, but theie ar
most redie to serue at our appointment, both by creation, & by couenant.
The letters yeild redilie, but som letters seke to hinder that their dewtifull
obedience, threaping still vpon them, that their substance is diamantish, and
not born to yeild so.
With the same pen we make letters, and with the same we mar them: with
the same we direct, and with the same we dash, which be contrarie vses,
tho to compas one right, and will letters seme to serue but for one vse,
being pewnies to the pen, naie being but elues and brats of the pens breding?
Theie will not so, but proue their own dewtifulnesse, to the pen their
parent, by following his direction in verie manie points, as theie yeild to
reason and reasonable custom in manie of their forces,
whereby theie seme to praie som bodie not to contend, where themselues be
content.
The number of things, whereof we write and speak is infinite, the words
wherewith we write and speak, be definite and within number. Whereupon
we ar driuen to vse one, and the same word in verie manie, naie somtime in
verie contrarie senses, and that in all the verie best languages, as well as in
English, where a number of our words be of verie sundrie powers, as,
letters, wherewith we write, & letters which hinder: A bird flieth
light, wheresoeuer she doth light: and to manie to stand on here. And will
letters kepe a countenance and stand so alouf, as to sound still but one, and
to serue still but one, where their great grandfathers euen the words
themselues, ar forced to be
If there want distinction, then accent must be mean to auoid confusion, or som such deuise, which maie distinguish with praise, and not pester the writing, with anie to od strangenesse. For it is most certain, that we maie vse our letters so, as we maie all other things else, whose end is in vse, and man is the measur. Neither is it anie abuse, when theie which vse, can giue a reason why, sufficient to the wise, and not contrarie to good custom. And tho som reply, as not so perswaded, yet when the act is past by diuision of the house, it is law by parlement. Then the repliers must relent, and follow, tho theie fauor not. Then must theie make the best of that, which theie thought worst, when as lawfull autoritie hath restrained their will. A thing fre before order being once limited by order hath cast of that fredom, and must then kepe that currant, wherevnto it is limited, by orderlie mean, it self being such, as is subiect vnto man, and to be his at vse.
Our letters be limited, their vsage is certain in their most vncertaintie, and therefor I take it, that we maie rest content both with their number and their vse. Thus much concerning that complaint of our pouertie in letters, and confusion in their powers, which I wonder not at, bycause I se it so in all tungs, & euer: & I se no cause why, but it maie be so in our own inuentions & deuises, where we are to take knowledge of nothing else, but of our own consent, both by best iudgements of the wisest men, and the right resemblance of least corrupt natur.
When theie haue thus vttered their stomak against poor custom, which is sore abused, both by them for blaming it
vndeseruedlie, and by corruption to, for counterfaiting it shamefullie: when
theie haue moued our writing for much insufficiencie and bewailed our
speaking for pouertie of letters, then like good physicians, and tender harted
cuntrimen, theie seke both to satisfie iustice in dewie, and Art
in help. As theie find a wrong, so theie seke to right it, as theie mark a
sore, so theie mean to salue it. But who shall be the iusticiarie like som
one Rhadamanthus, to pronounce sentence in this right? or who the
physician like som graue Hippocrates, to ouerse this cure? forsooth
sound, for whose vse letters were deuised first, when there were yet
none, and by whose ear theie ar now to be reclamed, being corrupt and
naught. And why not? Or if these that we haue will not serue sounds
turn, why maie we not inuent or deuise mo, considering our want is not
wonder? For we came but latelie to vse letters, in comparison of the old
peple in other nations of the main continent, & felt not our want at the
first wearing: but now that we fele it, why maie we not help our selues,
with the deuise of som new letters, as other peple did in the like cases by
som Esdras, som Palamedes, som Cadmus, som
Euander, som Carmenta, and such other? Custom is
condemned allredie, as a false corrupter, and sound semes to be the surest,
and the best gide euen by naturall direction, and the primitiue letter. And
not so much as but euen Quintilian that great writing, and speaking
master wisheth sound to be obserued, as the surest teacher to write
right, and not custom. And what a monstruous iniurie were it, to
renounce the naturall Lord, and to becom subiect to a vile vsurper? To leaue
sound the right master, and to cleaue to custom the right
matter? Sure the verie name of a naturall Lord is honorable, and the bare
sound of vsurpation is extreme odious to anie honest ear: And right
sound, as a right souerain were to be obeied, and corrupt
custom, as an vniust intruder were to be expelled.
But doth Quintilian plead for sound against custom I
praie you? Sure either you be merie men, or my memorie faills me much.
For Quintilian defineth custom verie solemnlie, and vpon great
deliberation, as I remember, to be in writing and speaking, the consent of
the skilfull, as in vertuous life, the consent Quintilian speaking of
sound, saieth expresslie, and in plaine terms, that euerie thing is to
be writen, not as the sound giues, but as custom hath won
(which custom directeth not sound, but the expressing of
sounds) and he bringeth in for example, Caius Cæsar, Cneius
Pompeius, in whose forenames the eie beholdeth C, but the ear heareth G.
which the Grekes vsing those names translate still by G. and the same
he proueth also by manie mo the like. As why not so? To win
Quintilian, naie to wring Quintilian to stand for sound against
custom, by falsifying of euidence & corruption of print, where
both his examples trewlie printed, and his hole meaning planelie printed,
and his generall circumstances neuer but right printed bewraie his right
opinion, argeweth som infirmitie in the alledger, who wil not se what is
ment euerie where about him, or cannot se at all how to chek a false print,
either by councell of cunning, if he haue it him self, or by comparing of
prints, where the trewer maie be had. Naie saith not Quintilian thus
of ortografie in generall, that it is seruant to custom, and therefor is
so oft changed?
As for the autoritie, which sound alone had in the prouince of writing,
and the vse of the letter, the date thereof is out long ago. Reason and
right custom be ioyned vnto him in the same commission. Besides
that, Art hath limited and bounded his regiment sence that time. Much he
can do still, but not so much, as all, neither anie thing so much, as he could
once haue done. But this argument, concerning the dissolution of
sounds gouernment, hath bene allredie handled in the 12. title of this
book.
Quintilians custom is no corrupter, neither yet is sound but a
naturall Lord, tho nothing so absolut, ne yet so imperiall, as you conceiue of
him, and tho the letters were first deuised for him, yet both the letters, and
euen sound himself, must be ruled by them, which both sound letters,
and vtter sounds.
If nede be, the encrease of our number is not denied vs as
The credit of sound being well established in their opinion, as the
naturall lord, and the leader to all our letters, and custom being condemned,
as a cankard traitor, intruding against all right, vpon the territorie of
sound, then theie turn to the cure of this diseased corruption, &
praie Hippocrates to be iudge. To amend that which is amisse in the
writing of our tung, their ground work being laid in the shaken monarchie of
the deposed sound, theie procede on in a full course of generall
innouation, tho som more, som lesse. First theie encrease the number of our
letters and diphthongs, as if it were not possible either heretofore to haue
write, or at this daie to write anie word right, for want of som encrease in
the number of our letters. For as the ouercharging of our words with to
manie letters cummeth by vsing those to much, which we haue allredie: so
the difficultie thereof by vsing them so diuerslie procedeth of mere want,
not hauing wherewith to answer ech particular.
Then theie change the form of our letters, and bring vs in new faces, of
verie strange lineaments, how well fauored to behold, I am sure I know: how
vnredie for a penman, wherewith to run, methink I forese. Which redinesse
in the charact, that it follow the hand roundlie, is a speciall seruice
belonging to the pen. Neither do I my self in these obseruations, so much
regard, what the print will stamp well, which will expresse anie thing well,
whose form is resemblable, as what the pen will write well, and that with
good dispatch, bycause printing is but a peculiar, and a benefit impropriate:
writing is our generall, and in euerie mans finger. A form that is fair to the
eie in print, & cumbersom to the hand in penning, is not to passe in
writing. For what but that causeth our English pen to vse z. so seldom,
which we hear so often? Bussing, hussie, dissie, go roundlie to the
Sure a good care, and a cuntriemanlike affection, but methink
Hippocrates, which was ouerseer, allowes not the receit. For what?
must we then alter all our writings a new? or from what daie is this act of
reformation to take full place? It is a strange point of physik, when the
remedie it self is more dangerous then the disease. Besides that: I take
this alteration in this sort, to be neither necessarie, where no such
insufficiencie is, neither yet commodious, where such inconueniences
follow. For speche being an instrument, and a mean to vtter that, which the
minde conceiueth, if by the deliuerie of the mouth, the minde be vnderstood,
the speche is sufficient, which so fullie answereth so nedefull a purpos. If
writing, where vnder I comprehend both the print & pen, do so fullie
expresse the pith of the voice, as the reader maie, & doth vnderstand
the writers meaning at full thereby, I maie not perswade him, that the
letters which he readeth be not sufficient to expresse the writers meaning,
which he is redie to confute by present triall, that both he vnderstandeth
them, and withall most sufficientlie.
But these insufficienciaries will saie, that this vnderstanding cums not by the right of the writing, but by the intelligent reader, which vnderstands that right, by the so vsuall, the so corrupt writing, which is vnperfitlie, and vnproperlie writen: and that the proprietie in penning is ill refused, which maie be had easilie with verie small straning.
I like the reason well, as I confesse som imperfection. But neither is the
imperfection so great, as theie conceiue of it, neither is their reason so
nere to redresse, as theie think it is. As for the imperfection, how it
cummeth, and which waie to help it, my hole labor will proue that in euent.
For their reason I cannot se that, which theie call a small straning bycause
theie alter quite, or at the least, theie change the surface quite, which in
this case, where the proprietie in writing is the possession of custom
being so grounded as I haue allredie declared, is to great a custom being so sure and sound, will not be
content to be ouerruled in his own: or that anie reformation shall enter
clame, where he is proprietarie, howsoeuer priuat mens conceits, vpon neuer
so probable apparences, framed in their own opinion, shall offer assistence
to the contrarie side.
The vse & custom of our cuntrie, hath allredie chosen a kinde of
penning, wherein she hath set down hir relligion, hir lawes, hir priuat and
publik dealings: Euerie priuat man according to the allowance of his cuntrie
in generall, hath so drawn his priuat writings, his euidence, his letters, as
the thing semeth vnpossible to be remoued by anie so strange an alteration,
tho it be most willing to receiue som reasonable proining, so that the
substance maie remain, and the change take place in such points onelie, as
maie please without noueltie, and profit without forcing. For were it not in
good sooth, to violent a force, to offer to ouerthrow a custom, so
generallie receiued, so particularlie setled, naie grounded so soundlie, and
sure, as it shall appear shortlie, with altering either all, or most of our
letters? Were it not an argument of a verie simple orator, to think that he
could perswade custom, by so strange an innouation, to diuorse
himself from so long, and so lawfull a match? Naie were it not a wonderfull
wish, euen but to wish that all our English scriptur & diuinitie, all our
lawes and pollicie, all our euidence & writings, were pend anew,
bycause we haue not that set down in writing, which our elders did wish vs,
but either more, which theie ment not, or lesse, which we wold not, or not
so as both theie ment & we wold? all this cumming of the
insifficiencie of our writing, which is not able, to set that faithfullie &
fullie down, which the minde conceiueth, but either we the more, or the
lesse, or disagreing in the maner? But theie will saie that theie mean not
anie so main a change. But theie must nedes mean it, bycause it must either
presentlie follow vpon the admitting of this new alteration, which is to
main in sense, or within som years, which is to main in thought. For a new
writing cumming in vnder hand, & the old charact growing out of
knowledge, all that euidence in whatsoeuer English kind, must nedes either
com ouer to the new fashion, or be subiect to the frump, & remain
wormeaten like an old relik, & so to be red, as the Romain religion,
writen vnder Numa Pompilius was by then of Tullies time,
when euerie word was custom doth yeild to
the fining, as the old, & therefor the best method doth lead vs. For it is
no argument, when falts be found, to saie this is the help & onelie this,
bycause none other is in sight. But whensoeuer the right is found by orderlie
seking, then the argument is trew, that it was not thoroughlie sought, when
it was denied to be. And to speak indifferentlie betwen the letter & the
sound, of the one side, & custom & the letter, of the
other side: letters can expresse sounds withall their ioynts &
properties, no fuller then the pencill can the form & lineaments of the
face, whose praise is not life but likenesse: as the letters yeld not alwaie
the same, which sound exactlie requireth, but allwaie the nearest,
wherwith custom is content. And therefor if a letter sound not
iump as ye wish, yet hold it as the next, least if you change you cum not so
near. And tho one letter be vsed in diuerse sounds: or soundish effects, ye cannot auoid
it by anie change that wilbe liked, seing no one else hath bene liked hitherto,
but this which we vse, which custom doth allow in ours by continuance, and
consent in other tungs confirmeth by allowance. Certainlie by so much as I
haue obserued, I think we ar as well appointed for our necessities that waie,
and as much bound to our generall custom, for the artificiall notes of our
naturall tung, as anie other peple is, to anie other language, whether ancient
in books, or modern in speche. And whatsoeuer insufficiencie semeth to be
in the writing thereof, it will excuse it self, and laie the hole falt vpon the
insufficient obseruer, for not seking the right in it, by a right waie, which
will appear to be trew, when it shalbe sene, that by sufficient obseruation
it maie be set clear, and pure, without anie foren help, of either altering the
form, or encreasing the number of our orindarie letters, but onelie by bare
notes of hir own breding, which being allredie in vse desire nothing else, but
som direction by Art, which I am in good hope to perform, according to the
plat of the best refiners, in the most refined tungs, with such consideration
as either bredeth anie generall rules, or else must bear with particular
exceptions. I will mark what our customarie writing will yeild vnto vs by
waie of note, without dreaming of change, which change is a thing not
possible to passe against so violent a fall, as custom runs with, tho that
violence it self offer no kinde of wrong to anie other thing, being altogether
full of hir own stream. I will therefor do my best to confirm our
custom in his own right, which will be easilie obtained, where men be
acquainted with the matter allredie, and wold be verie glad to se wherein
the right of their writing standeth, and a great deall more glad to find it so
near, when theie sought it, and thought it to be further of. Thus haue I run
thorough these pretended infimrities in our tung, whose physiking I like not
this waie, and therefor I will ioyn close with mine own obseruation, to se if
that will help.
BYcause I pretend the finding out of a right in writing, and withall confesse
that that right must bild vpon consent, I will therefor shew first, what a
thing that is, which we call right both in speche and pen: then what force
consent is of, to establish anie thing, where manie voices ar nedefull.
Theodor Gaza, a great learned Grecian defineth that to be
right in speche, for euerie part & accident thereof, which is
commonlie vsed in that kinde, and euer lightlie so, naie neuer lightlie but so,
and allwaie the surest, and of the best warrant, notwithstanding particular
exceptions, and priuate notes. For speche being our instrument at will, for
our common dealings, why should not that be the right therein, which is of
commonest note, and best vnderstood? which kinde of common notice, who
so euer he be, that shall follow in the right of his writing, besides the truth
of the things, confirmed by custom, and the autoritie of custom confirmed
by consent, he maketh for him self a great partie, & by writing as the
generalitie doth, he gaineth the generalitie to be of his side, which is redie
to allow of their own choice, & vsuallie loue, where theie find them
selues liked, hauing autoritie to establish both their own assurance, and the
writers direction. Opposition to the common vpon fauor to the priuat, as
preferring priuat fantsie before generall vse, or as if you alone had espyed,
where all else be deceiued, assureth you of two things, the one, to be
generallie misliked for our particular choice, where the generalitie is chefe:
the other, neuer to be followed for bewraing such a fantsie, which is alredie
and altogither out of grace with the common. For why? when the custom of
your cuntrie alloweth this as best, and therefor fittest for hir perpetuall
seruice, doth she not then tell you, by seruing hir own generall, that she saw
your speciall? For how could choice haue taken place, if both the
extremities had not bene in sight? Therefor he calleth his own credit into
som question, which taketh his cuntrie to be blind, where both the matter of
hir choice, and the maner of hir speche declaring hir choice most euidentlie
shew, that she seith what she saith.
I know som men which haue contraried all our latin grammer rules, as not so
generallie trew that waie, which theie ar vsed, but euen as trew of the
contrarie side, bycause theie haue commonlie
so, and not their allwaie so, is right in such cases: and that such
wise men, as gathered the rules, when theie pikt the finenest did laie out a
drosse, and that he which resteth vpon the most and best, by comparison
confesseth a lesse and a worse. Such peple dream that other men se not
when themselues be aslepe, & by not comparing themselues with other,
ouerwene their own abilities. But vpon this right most commonlie so,
where choice hath found reason to ioyn withall in companie, must both
speche be grounded, and their interest examined, which will ouerrule speche
by their to much priuat reason. For he that pretendeth a falt against anie
tung & amendeth not that falt, but deuiseth a new right, of his own
conceiuing, helpeth not the old falt, but by tendering a new mean, offereth
more matter to the finding of new falts, while men will rather be content to
embrase their old, with all knowen falts, then to ventur vpon a new, theie
know not how good.
I shall not nede to vse anie learned mans testimonie of name more then
Gaza alone, to proue that this most commonlie so, is the onelie
right in writing and speaking, and what a great commander custom,
when theie deall with him in this kinde, but of that his dominion ouer
speche, and pen. And theie that be learned know, that all such, as deall in
speche, whether pithilie with logik, or plausiblie with
rhetorik, or purelie with gramer, do laie it down in plain terms
of vse and custom, that for speche and pen, the rule and resolution
thereof goeth still so, as vse best alloweth, & as custom most
commandeth, whose choice lyes in that which is commonlie so, vpon
best shew & sharpest cause. The vnlearned also in their dailie
experience, maie well perceiue, that the thing is so by the liking and
misliking, by the rising and decaing of sundrie words, and phrases of speche,
in their ordinarie dealings, as either youth, and fresh cause preferreth the
new, and as age and ouerwearing displaceth the old. So that who so will
enforce the contrarie to that, which custom and vse do take to
protection, as practised by the most, and not disproued by the best, which is
the reason of my
As for consent this I haue to saie, that it did both beget letters and gaue
them their forces, at the verie first, to expresse the sound of the articulate
voice, and that from time to time it hath so altered, and vsed them vpon
nedefull cause, by lawfull autoritie of it self, confirming it self, as theie
haue followed that course, which consent hath commanded, and good
reason why? For mens nede being the onelie cause, why theie fly to new
deuises, whereby to supply that nede? if theie themselues do confesse their
own nede to be supplyed by such a mean, as theie haue found out, will you
seke further prouf thereof, then their own confession, which both found the
want, and fele the help? And if vpon som longer, and therefor better trauell,
theie do find that the thing, which theie liked on at the first excedinglie
well, while the misliking of their want persuaded the well liking of anie
thing at all, which serued for supply, must afterward be qualifyed much
otherwise, then it was at the first, to be made proper to al performances,
which their nede requireth, will ye not beleue them in that, which theie both
find and fele? whether you do or not, the truth will, and pronounceth
peremptorilie that custom doth, and must rule in all such cases,
where manie ar to practis a thing, of their own procurement, but most of all
there, where theie haue practised allredie, and ar most willing to continew
in that, the which theie haue practise, as in this our writing. Wherefor it
shall please my good cuntrimen to giue their consent, that this is their right
in writing, without further parlementing, it will proue so in dede. And why
it should be so I will alledge verie fair, and yet nothing else, but that, which
euen theie themselues vse in their dailie writing: wherein as theie maie be
iudges of the matter vpon familiaritie with it: so will I frame the mean to
ascertain the matter, according vnto the president of all the best tungs.
IT hath bene not onelie said, but also proued allredie, and that in euerie
particular branch thereof, how the first mean, which was vsed for the fining
of the first tung, and was afterward transported to the fining of other, to
work the same effect in them by following the same president, did procede
in working by these degres. First the sound alone did rule the pen,
bycause the letters were first deuised, onelie to resemble, and expresse the
sound by their aspectable figur. But verie manie inconueniences did follow
while that sound alone did command the pen, bycause of the
difference in the instruments of our voice, wherewith we sound: bycause of
the finenesse or grossenesse of the ear, wherewith we receiue sounds:
bycause of the iudgement or ignorance in the partie, which is to pronounce,
of the right or wrong expressing of the sound. For the auoiding whereof, the
peple, which found these inconueniences, and the causes why to be in the
imperfection of their gide, while sound alone was the leader in
writing, ioyned reason and custom in commission with
sound: Reason to obserue where the sternnesse of sound
were to be followed, and where to be qualified, bycause letters resemble
the ioynts in sound, but ar not the same with the things resembled:
Custom to confirm that by experience in the pen, which reason
doth obserue, and note the sound. But all these thre the proprietie of
sound, the qualifying of reason, the experimenting of
custom consisting as yet in the bare vnrecorded, and vnwriten vse,
wherein euerie mans brain was euerie mans book, and euerie priuat conceit a
particular print, diuerse and great corruptions began to encroche again,
against both reason and custom, to restore sound to his
first monarchie, & to force custom against the common currant.
Which attempts of error and misuse (for these two be sounds
principal frinds, in the maintenance of his vnlawfull autoritie) reason
and custom vpon great causes did mightilie withstand, and praied help
of Art, as an autorised notarie, to write all those things down in precept and
method, wherein sound, reason, and custom all thre had
consented and agreid, sound, or for anie of his fauorers, euer
to striue thencefurth for anie monarchie alone, tho he continew stil in verie
great autoritie.
This course took the first finers to bring their pen to an artificiall right:
this the rest followed, and this course will I take, by the grace of God, to
bring my cuntrie writing to precept & method, by the help ofArt,
registring the argument of reason, custom, and sound in
the writing thereof, with as good deliberation and faith, as my cunning can
compas, and as the natur of such an argument will admit assurance. Wherein
I will lean vnto all the thre, for the matter, as to Art alone for the maner.
The right writing of our English therefor by waie of discription is, a certain
reasonable course, to direct the pen by such rules, as ar most conformable,
to the proprietie of sound, the consideration of reason, &
the smoothing of custom ioyntlie, speciallie in those points of our
writing where there is som difficultie & disagrement both in opinion of
the writers, & in natur of the letters, concerning to much, to litle, or to
diuerse. To much, as the dubling of consonants in the end of a word,
as putt, grubb, ledd, for put, grub, led, and a thowsand such ignorant
superfluties. Whereas the rule is, that no consonant must be dubled in anie
word at all, or in anie place of the word at all, but onelie where either
consonant belongeth to seuerall syllabs, as in syl-lab. witting, sauing ff,
and ll, in the end vpon great occasions, which shalbe noted hereafter. To
litle, as fech, scrach, herafter, singlie for fetch, scratch, hereafter,
singelie: where for the first two the rule is, that, t, is to be writen before
ch, in such deruiatiues, as haue t, in the primitiue, as set, scrat, which is so
much vsed as it maketh a rule of it self allmost, and causeth t, be
commonlie writen, euen where either there is no primitiue at all with t, or
not anie in such a sense, as the deriuatiue semes to be of. For the last, the
rule is, that our English compounds ar lightlie made of the hole simples,
without leasing one letter: and that if anie be left out, it is figuratiuelie by
either contraction, as single for singlelie, To diuerse, as in choíce
anoìnt, boùght, boúght, sòm, hóme, &vgravese,
&vacutese òf òf, ìf, íf gìue gíue, lòue
lóue, mòther, móther, recòrd, recórde, and a
number mo such, which be the chefe caues why our writing is so charged
with so great confusion. And yet all this great confusion is easilie to be
certained, without anie more ado, then the mere following of reason,
custom, and sound, in our own tung, as shalbe plainelie proued.
And if there nede anie difference, or distinction to the eie, for directing
either the English infant, which must learn, or the infantish stranger, which
desires to learn, som litle note of distinction, or som known accent ouer the
lesse vsuall will auoid that confusion, which is so much pretended, and
confirm it self by following the first tungs, in that kinde of distinguishing.
The two points of to much & to litle wilbe soon redressed,
as most what proceding from the ignorant writer, which will reform
himself, when he shal se cause why, and a corrected president, the which he
maie follow. The last for diuersitie is a matter of mere cumber, and
yet shalbe so handled, as I do not fear, but to win both consent and
allowance. For the helping of these vnrulie fellowes, and the certaining of
our pen, I do follow these seuen precepts, Generall Rule, Proportion,
Composition, Deriuation, Enfranchisment, distinction, and
Prerogatiue. The causes why I haue reduced all the obseruations of
our right writing, to these seuen heads be these. The first thing, that is
considered in anie compound matter, is the simples whereon the compound
is made, which in this argument is the natur of ech letter. Whose generall
examining, and ascertaining I haue recommended to the first of my seuen
precepts, which I call generall rule. The next thing that is considered
in a compound is the vse and handling of the simples, which make the
composition, being put to their prouf in the thing compounded. Which prouf
in this argument consisteth in words, bycause letters do serue for the
deliuerie of words. Now all words be either mere English, or in corporate
strangers, which either follow one sutable sound in speche, and the
like resemblance in pen, or agreing in the one, disagre in the other. For the
certaining of Proportion, and
Enfranchisement.
Again, all words, whether naturall or denisons, be either simple or
compound, either primitiues or deriuatiues. For the directing whereof two
other precepts serue, Composition and Deriuation.
Again, bycause the time and quantitie of syllabs, and the tune and qualitie
thereof do cause somtime much controuersie & diference in the right
vse of writing, I haue therefor ioyned the rule of distinction vnto
these fiue. Wherein I handle the vse of all those characts, which the eie
doth behold, either in pen or print besides the letters: bycause those
characts, do help and qualify the expressing, and vtterance of words and
sentences, as the letters alone do expresse and vtter them.
Again, bucause both sound and custom will shew som one trik
of their priuat autoritie, in the most pride of Art, which dependeth
altogither of reason, I haue therefor knit vp all the seuen with the
rule of prerogatiue, where the generall direction of anie of the other
is somtime thwarted by natur of exception, occasioned somtime by the
sound, somtime by custom, both being desirous to shew their
own efficacie. All which my rules I refer to the writing, more then to the
print. For in the print the difficultie is not so soon spyed, as it is in
writing: bycause the printing charact being once cast in metle, what
difficultie is there afterward? In the pen which is still to stamp, and to
make new characts euerie foot, tho of the same form, the commoditie of the
hand is most to be considered, that the charact be fair to the eie,
commodious to the ioynt, and swift to dispatch. And therefor he that will
iudge of my opinion in this argument, wherein my speciall regard is, to the
facilitie and right in writing, rather then in printing tho the one help the
other, when it is wel setled, must not mark what the print setteth down in
the generall stamping, where the printers, setters, and correcters ouersight
somtimes plaieth a part, and letteth manie errors abide in their work: but
what I my self do bind my self vnto by mine own precept. For that I will
warrant, the other I cannot, tho I do what I can. The writing is my chefe
care, which will be my chefe credit herein, if it proue to be currant, and
actiue.
I Call the first of those means, whereby the right writing of our English
tung is to be assured, according to that certaintie, which our common vse
doth seme to haue chosen Generall rule, whose peculiar dewtie is, to
ascertain our right writing, either by main grounds, teaching thoroughout
the hole tung, or by limiting the force of euerie particular charact, whether
it be distinction to help our pronouncing, or else letter, whereby we
pronounce. By this discription it appeareth, that the rules which belong to
right writing in this kinde, be either generall to the tung, or particular to
the charact. The former sort of the two do bak the latter, like the generall
truth of their maine reason, vpon the former, & the particular
credit of their own argument vpon themselues. And yet theie both haue but
that assurance in natur, which reason, custom, and sound haue
agreid vpon by consent, and willed Art to set it down, as a couenant of
theirs. The generall rules, which be the main grounds of the hole tung, be
either known conclusions, allredie handled and won, or such consequents as
follow them of necessitie, as these be.
1 That the bodie of ech letter and distinction is creatur to deuise, and the
vse thereof to our consent.
2 That reason, sound, & custom direct right writing
ioyntlie, & ar not to be seuered, in giuing the cause, why words be so
writen.
3 That the right in writing is a thing to be found out in our vse, as of
acquaintance, & not to be forced in vpon our vse, as a stranger.
4 That in reforming things of common practis the clearing of the old, which
is abused, and not the breding of a new, which is vntried, is the naturall
amendment.
5 That in common executions, the common fauor is the common furtherer.
6 That euen by reasons leaue the verie pen and dispatch in writing, will
haue one ore in the right of writing, & serue it self with som priuat
trik.
7 That to haue the most well, you must yeild to som particularities rule examineth the force of all such characts, as we
vse in writing, whereof there be two kindes: the one signifying and
sounding: the other signifying, but not sounding. Those characts which
signify but sound not, ar certain notes, which we vse in the writing of our
English tung for the qualifying of our words, & sentences in their
pronouncing, by that which is sene in the form of our writing, which be in
number thirtene, in name & form these: Coma, Colon: Period.
Parenthesis (.) interrogation? the longtime-the short time Cain killed the good
Abell: And to write numbers with, where the letters be vsed in
numbring, as, C. for an hundred. L. for fiftie, The small letters compāring, reuēnged, endīting,
enclōsure, presūming: or short as ransăking,
reu&ebrevelling, pen&ibrevetent, omnip&obrevetent, fortŭnat:
either sharp, as máte, méte, rípe, hópe, dúke or
flat as: màt, mèt, rìp, hòp, dùk. Which diuersitie
in sound where occasion doth require it, is noted with the distinctions of
time and tune, tho generallie it nede not, considering our daielie custom,
which is both our best, and our commonest gide in such cases, is our
ordinarie leader, as in the title of distinction it shalbe handled at large.
A Besides this generall note for the time and tune, hath no particular thing, worth the obseruation in this place, as a letter, but it hath afterward in proportion, as a syllab. All the other vowells haue manie pretie notes.
E
E Besides the common difference of time and tune, is a letter of maruellous vse in the writing of our tung, and therefor it semeth to be recommended vnto vs speciallie aboue anie other letter, as a chefe gouernour in the right of our writing. Which e, tho it be somtime idlelie writen, either of ignorance, if the writer be vnlearned, and know not how to write, or of negligence, if he be learned, and mark not his hand, yet most times it is writen to great purpos, euen where it semeth idle, before the force of it be considered, and hath a verie great saying in ech of the seuen precepts, as shalbe declared in euerie of them particularlie.
And first for rule, the first of the seuen precepts, this is to be noted
of E, that it either soundeth or is silent, and that either in the former or in
the last syllabs. But first of the last, where it either endeth the syllab it
self, or with som other consonant, or consonants after. When soeuer E, is
the last letter, and soundeth, it soundeth sharp, as me, se, we, agre.
sauing if the the article ye the pronouwn, and in Latin words,
or of a Latin form, when theie be vsed English like, as certiorare
quandare, where e, soundeth full and brode after the originall Latin.
Whensoeuer e, is the last, and soundeth not, it either qualifieth som letter
going before, or it is mere silent, and yet in neither kinde encreaseth it the
number of syllabs. I call that E, qualifying, whose absence or presence,
somtime altereth the vowell, somtime the consonant going next before it. It
altereth the sound of all the vowells, euen quite thorough one or mo
consonants as, máde, stéme, éche, kínde, strípe,
óre, cúre, tóste sound sharp with the qualifying E in their
end: whereas, màd, stèm, èch, frind, strip, or, cut, tost,
contract of tossed sound flat without the same E, And therefor the same
loud Hebrew Sheua in the ending K,
which theie call Caph. Now the form of s, in this dubling must nedes
be long, bycause it must answer the first, which is long, and therefor must
nedes haue the silent e. Som vse the same silent e, after r, in the end, as
lettre cedre, childre, and such, where methink it were better to be
the flat e, before r, as letter, ceder, childer and so childern
rather then children, onelesse ye will form of childe, childer,
childeren, and so by contraction children, cutting awaie the
former e: or childern, cutting awaie the latter.
E. when it endeth the last sillab, with one or mo consonants cumming after
it, either soundeth flat and full, and maketh a syllab, as in rest, wretch,
discent, or it is passant & soundeth quik like the fine gentle i,
mostwhat not encreasing the number of syllabs as writen, goten,
saieth. This e, passant and the gentle, be of such affinitie, as
theie do oftimes enterchange places, as indite, induce, intent, or
endite, enduce, entent. Generallie words that end in the qualifying or
silent e, when theie put s, vnto them in their deriuatiues, theie make the e,
passant, as time, times, wise, wiues, pipe, pipes. without encrease
of syllabs, and ar therefor to be speld together.
E, ending anie former syllab soundeth of it self brode, and longish, as
reprehend, delegate, onelesse it be a deriuatiue or compound of som
sharp ending e, which answereth the primitiue or simple in the first sound,
as agreing, of agre, foreseeth, of forese. If it end the syllab
with anie consonant after, it is flat, as entending, repentant.
It is neuer silent in anie former syllab, but in composition, where the hole
simple word is to be writen, as in wherefor, herevpon, hencefurth, in
the two former, the prerogatiue of custom vsing e, in the end, where,
here, contrarie to the proportion, in hear, wear, ear: in the last
the qualifying e, accompanying hir simple hence. In the titles of
distinction and deriuation there shalbe more said of the silent
and qualifying e, both where theie be to be vsed, and where not in the
respect of the timing and tuning of words.
I
I, besides the time and tune thereof noted before, hath a manie, merrie, tarie, carie, where the verie pen, will rather end in the
e, then in the naked i.
If it sound sharp and loud, it is to e writen with y, hauing no, e, after it, as
neding no qualification, deny, cry, defy.
If it end the last syllab with one or mo consonants after it, it is shrill when
the qualifying e, followeth, and if it be shrill, the qualifying e, must follow,
as repíne, vnwíse, mínde, kínde, físte. If it
be flat and quik, the qualifying e, must not follow, as examin, behind,
mist, fist. If it end a former syllab, it soundeth lightlie sharp in
spelling, and is so to, onelesse it be in a word of manie syllabs, where the
midle time maie easilie be descried by the vse of speche, as in pacient,
penitent, euident, whining, deuising. These words of manie syllabs be
lightlie strangers, bycause our naturall English be mostwhat but of one
syllab. How it will fall out in the former of a word of two syllabs, or of
som monosyllabs, which seme to be of two, as crible, pible, trible, title,
títle, bible, bíble, the precept of Analogie or proportion will
shew hereafter. If there seme another i, to follow next, the former of the
two must be a y, as crying, denying, yea tho the primitiue end in the
qualifyed i, as carie, marie, hurrie, currie, carying, tarying, hurrying,
currying. where it is to be noted, that tho the primitiue word do end in
y, yet the same y, in the former syllabs of the same words race in deriuation
maie be the shrill i, onelesse another i, follow streight, as in supply,
supplying, and yet supplied, denied be tolerable, tho the primitiue
y, wold do well enough. If i, end a midle syllab, with a consonant or mo
after, it followeth the flat ending sound, as coincident, imprinting. If
it be a deriuatiue of a sharp primitiue, it soundeth sharp, and casteth his
primitiue consonant ouer to the next syllab, as repine, requite, enquire,
repineth, requiting, enquired, bycause a consonant cumming betwene two
vowells in anie simple word must be spelled with the latter. Somtime the
qualified consonant must kepe his own e, if the addition begin with a
consonant, as entice, endite, enticement,
enditement, which in enticing, enditing leaseth the e. bycause the
addition beginneth with i. I, in the same proportion soundeth now sharp, as
gíue, thríue, alíue, wíue, títle, bíble,
now quik, as gìue, lìue, sìue, tìtle, bìble,
which sounds ar to be distinguished by accent, if acquaintance will not seme
in much reading: But this is a point, that the title of distinction hath
taken to charge. The quik i, and the gentle passant e, ar so near of kin, as
theie enterchange places with pardon, as in descryed, or descryd,
findeth, or findith, hir, or her, the error is no
heresie.
I is vsed consonantlike, when it leadeth a vowell in the same syllab, as
Iak, Iames, iolie, iump, ioy. Where note, tho the qualified, ge. as
huge, rage, college, and this consonantish ie, be of som affinitie, that
yet the i, tho with the e, after it cannot com in place of that ge, bycause
that ge, euer followeth a vowell in the same syllab, as page, drudge,
grudge, whereas the consonantish, i, still leadeth the sounding vowell,
and beginneth the syllab. Againe e, after g. onelie qualifieth and neuer
soundeth, as in reuenge, grange, bridge, tridge, and is the last letter
of the word. E after i, the consonant, soundeth still, and is neuer the last,
as iet, ieast bycause ie, in cherie, merie, carie, tarie, and such
like, is i, the vowell qualifyed and quik.
O
O is a letter of as great vncertaintie in our tung, as e, is of direction both
alone in vowell, and combined in diphthong. The cause is, for that in vowell
it soundeth as much vpon the u, which is his cofin, as vpon the o, which is
his naturall, as in còsen, dòsen, mòther, which o, is
still naturallie short, and hósen, frósen, móther,
which o, is naturallie long. In the diphthong it soundeth more vpon the u,
then von the o, as in found, wound, cow, sow, bow, how, now, and
bów, sów, wróught, oúght, mów,
tróugh. Notwithstanding this varietie, yet our custom is so
acquainted with the vse thereof, as it wilbe more difficultie to alter a
known confusion, then profitable to bring in an vnknown reformation, in such
an argument, where acquaintance proportion & distinction
will not omit the help. In the mean time thus much is to be noted of o:
besides his time long and short, besides his tune with or without the
qualifying e, sharp or flat, that when it is the last letter in the word, it
soundeth sharp and loud, as agó, tó, só, nó saue
in tò the preposition twò the numerall, dò
the verb: his compounds as vndò, his deriuatiues as
dòing. In the midle syllabs, for tune, it is sharp, as here or flat
if a consonant end the syllab after o. For time the polysyllab will bewraie
it self in our dailie pronouncing: considering tho children and learners be
ignorant, yet he is a verie simple teacher, that knoweth not the tuning of our
ordinarie words, yea, tho theie be enfranchised, as ignorant, impudent,
impotent. O varieth the sound in the same proportion, naie oftimes in
the same letters, as lòue, glòue, dòue, shòue,
remòue and lóue, gróue shróue, nóue.
This duble sound of o, in the vowell is Latinish, where o, and u, be great
cosens, as in voltus, voltis, colo And vultus, voltis, occulo: in
the diphthong it is Grekish, for theie sound their
V
V besides the notes of his form, besides his time and tune, is to be noted
also not to end anie English word, which if it did it should sound sharp, as
mú, trú, vertú. But to auoid the nakednesse of the
small u, in the end we vse to write those terminations with ew the
diphthong, as new, trew, vertew. It is vsed consonantlike also as
well as i, when it leadeth a sounding vowell in the same syllab, as
vantage, reuiue, deliuer or the silent e, in the end, as beleue,
reproue. This duble force of both i, and v, is set from the latin, and
therefor it is neither the vncertaintie of our writing, nor the
vnstedfastnesse of our tung, for to vse anie letter to a duble vse.
The duble w, is a letter that hath accompanied our tung from the originall
Germane, and is vsed somtime as a vowell, somtime as a consonant. It is
neuer vowell but in the diphthongs as, draw, knew, throw, neither is
it to enter the midle syllab of anie word, sauing in thre cases. The first
whereof is, with the deriuatiues of those small diphthongs, as of know,
knowing, knowledge, unknown. The second is, when custom will
frame another primitiue after the proportion of one of these, as own,
like unknown. The third is som manifest difference, where the single
u might easilie be mistaken, and ioyned to the vowell following, as in
vouell, couard, like houell, couert, and therefor, theie be to be
written vowell, coward, with the duble w. W. is consonantish, when
it leadeth a vowell in the same syllab, with either a consonant before it
self, as in swine, swim, betwene, or it self the first as want,
what, wrong, It is also consonantish in abbreuiations vpon like reason,
as w, persuade, language, bycause the latins vse
no double w: the English words kepe their naturall w, as twinge,
swinge. Generallie the ending u, wold euer be the duble, as both the
naturall form thereof, and the right vse thereof in the diphthongs do let vs
vnderstand.
Y
Y, likewise is somtime consonantish, somtime vowellish. Consonantish,
when it leadeth a vowell, as, yonder, young, yonker, beyond, that your,
yard, both in abbreuiation & without.
Vowellish either to expresse Greke enfranchisements, as syllabs,
polysyllabs, tyran: or English naturalls, which is in thre places. First
when one i, followeth another immediatlie in the midle of a word, the
former is to be expressed by a y, as replying, multiplying, denying,
bying. Secondlie the shrill ending i, ought to be a y, as deny, aby,
defy which y maie passe with them in their deriuation, as denyeth
abying, defyance, tho where another i, followeth not, the shrill i, of it
self maie suffise, as denied, defiance. Thirdlie, oi, the
diphthong sounding vpon the o, for difference sake, from the other, which
soundeth vpon the u, ioy, anoy, toy, boy, whereas anoint,
appoint, foil, and such seme to haue an u. And yet when, i, goeth before
the diphthong, tho it sound vpon the u, it were better oy, then oi, as ioynt,
ioyn, which theie shall soon perceiue, when theie mark the spede of
their pen: likewise if oi with i, sound vpon the o, it maie be noted for
difference from the other sound, with the streight accent, as boíe,
eníoie. Hereby we find that y, in the natur of a consonant is mere
English in the natur of a vowell a mungrell, half Greke, halfe English,
to expresse those enfranchisments, which we borow of theGrekes,
when we leaue som signe of their originall writing.
Diphthongs.
I called the diphthong a combination of vowells, whereof there be onelie twelue, and no mo nedefull for our English writing.
ai, decaie, ea, meat, oo, good, ou, about,
au, audience, ei, streight, oi, anoint, ow, allow,
aw, withdraw, ew, vertew, oy, enioy, uy, buy, iuyce.
For the right vse of these twelue diphthongs there be thre speciall notes to
be obserued. The first is, that those diphthongs, which ar writen with the
single u, serue properlie for the former roomes, as, auditor,
rebounding, and those, which haue the duble w, be peculiarlie to be vsed
in the end, as, law, drew, auow. Which continew also with their
compounds, and deriuatiues in the former syllabs, as, withdrawing,
endewed, endowing, auoweth. If the duble w, in hir vowelish natur be
found in anie former syllab, but vpon one of thre causes, which I noted in the
duble w, it is a corruption, for all it be vsed. The second is, that of oi and
oy, allredie noted in y. The third is, that of ou, and ow, alredie noted in o. If
there be cause of distinction, that title shall dispatch that nede if the
consideration ly in the writing, proportion will laie that certain.
I se no cause why we should nede anie mo diphthongs or complexions of
vowells, by whatsoeuer name, then these twelue. For oa, and ee, be helpt in
our ordinarie writing by the qualifying e, as móne, bóne,
cóte, lóte, bóte, quéne, séne, wéne
betwéne. Neither is there anie duble e, to be vsed in our tung tré, trées, agré, agrées, sé, sées of
which second e, we shall saie more in the title of deriuation, eo, is vsed in
yeomen, people ieopard, and why not yemen, peple, iepard, as
wemen steple, Ienkin, of the like analogie? Ai, is the mans diphthong
& soundeth full: ei, the womans, and soundeth finish in the same both
sense, and vse, a woman is deintie, and feinteth soon, the man fainteth
not bycause he is nothing daintie. This is enough to shew the force of
the vowells and diphthongs, the titles that follow will shew their places
and vse, as particular cause shall offer occasion.
Of the consonants.
This is a generall note to be obserued in writing of all the consonants, that
none of them is to be dubled, but where theie ar referred to diuerse syllabs,
the former ending the former syllab, & the latter beginning the next, as
in bud-ding, strip-ped, buf-fet-ting, be gin-ning, &c. Whereby it
appeareth, that no consonant can be dubled in the end of a word, bycause
there is no syllab to follow: and that therefor the dubling of the last syllab
is mere ouersight. For if ye write putt with a duble, t, is not the
syllab ended in the first put? and wherefor then serueth the latter,
t? Some when theie haue dubled the consonant, will put an e to it, which is
to make two syllabs, where theie mean but one, as putte: bycause of
the rule, that the dubled consonants ar referred to diuerse syllabs. Why ll,
& ss, be dubled in the end contrarie to this rule, it shall be shewed in
the handling of those letters.
Where, by the waie it is to be noted, that the e passant after a duble ss, as
in lessen, to make lesse, or a duble ll, as in fallen, &
such like, encreaseth no syllabs, and that therefor the duble ss, is not
deuided, tho a vowell follow.
B, is allwaie one in whatsoeuer place, as brabling, lubber, crab.
C, is strong like to k, before a, o, u, either simple vowells, or combined in
diphthongs, as cankard, cautele, concord, coward, cunning, or when it
endeth a foresyllab before anie other consonant as c.q.k.t. as in succede,
acquaint, acknowledge, expecting. C, is weak like, s, before e, &, i,
either alone or in diphthong, as cease, deceit, surcingle, or before the
qualifying silent e, in the end, as acceptance, whence, once.
F, hath two forces, whereof the first is generall for the Greke ph, in
whose place, we maie vse our f, still, if we will measur our writing by an
English ear, as the Italians do in their writing, commonlie setting
down, filosofie, ortografie, and such like with the latin f, as why
not? For thereby we deliuer our peple, which know no foren learning, from
seking of enfranchisments & yet we leaue the learned, which know
them, to the libertie of that, which theie know. The second force of f, is
like to v, the consonant, which I vse to call cosens, bycause of their
correspondence in change, as bereue, bereft, leaue lest, cleaue cleft.
In if, and of, tho we se f, we here u, iue, oue, yet the
aduerb of distance vseth the f, still, like ph, as I speak of him, which
commeth afar of.
G, is allwaie strong befor a.o.u. whether single vowells or in diphtongs as,
gaie, gant, god, good, gout, gut, gulling. Likewise before r, or l, as graue,
grant, glance, glew. And in the end of anie syllab, where the qualifying e
followeth not, as in long, tung, onelesse the qualifying e, be left out,
for som addition, which beginneth of a vowell, as, range, ranging, swinge,
swinging, for in that place g, is weak. As it is also and allwaie before
the qualifying e, as cage, huge, drudge, snudge, hedge, dodge. It is
somtime strong, somtime weak before i, and e, contrarie to the latin, where
it is allwaie weak before the same vowells, tho not contrarie to the
Greke and Hebrew. This varietie of force before these two
letters semeth to giue som matter to confusion in our writing. For as it is
weak in these, gentle, ginger, gin, germain, and such: so is it strong in
these, geld, gesse, gilt, begin, gìg, gét and such, and
therefor no maruell if we write, college of collegium, and college of
collega, with the same letters, seing our g is capable of both the
forces before the same e. This necessarie distinction hereof shall appear in
the title of distinction. But why do som vse to put an u, after the strong g,
in som places, as in guise, guide, guest, beguile, and not write them all
without the u, and with the g onelie, as girde, girth, girdle, getting? And
why maie not these words be writen, gise, gest, gide, begile, as well as
begin, beget, seing both our g, is strong before these vowells, and the
difference noted, and g, with the u after is of another propertie in vse, as
language, guise, Guichiardine, Guin, guerdon? I se no cause why, but
that the u,
H, is an aspiration, whose force before all vowells and diphthongs is easie
to be perceiued, as Henrie, hunter, haue, him, home, hauthorn, how, hew,
hoídaie. Somtime it is writen, without anie force in vtterance, as
in manie enfranchised words, as honest, humble, hoste, hostice.
Where the vowell after h, is heard, as if there went no aspiration before.
What force the h, is of after consonants in combusion, I will shew streight
waie.
K, serueth for the strong c, before e, and i, as in Kent, kitchin, kin,
King. It goeth before no consonants but n, as knaue, knop, and l,
with the e silent after, as pekle, pikle, trikle, cakle. Which ar to be
writen with k, before the l, bycause the simples be pek, pik, trik.
Whereby it appearth that the Greke ch, must of force be vsed in
Christ, christian, christen, &c. bycause k leadeth no mo
consonants, but n, and l, with the silent, e. K followeth s, where c, wold be
weak, as in skirmish, skirt, skrap otherwise c, as scape, scope,
scour sculler. Where the same force is dubled, the former also must be
k, if the simple end in k, quikker, thikker, thwakker, of, quik, thik,
thwak, otherwise c, maie serue and supply the room.
L, is still of one force in it self, as laudable, willing. Howbeit in
respect of a, and o, going before it, and sounding like diphthongs it is dubled
in the end of such words, as small, call, brall, boll, roll, troll. But
when anie other consonant followeth l, the a and o sound still like
diphthongs, and yet the l, is but single, as in falst, falt, malt, halt, cold,
old, colt, dolt, rolf, bold, bolt. Hereupon, all, in composition
before a naturall consonant, hath but a single l, as albeit, also,
almost, otherwise a duble, as president of these two, all, and
oll, maie not induce the dubling of allother terminations in l, as
well, bell, shrill, still, full, scull, which dubling of the last ll,
semeth most agreable both to reason and vse, where the vowells sound hard
vpon the l, as it doth in these. But if the vowell sit not so hard, as in
diphthongs, where the length of the vowells sound breaketh the force, that
should light vpon the l, as in mail, fail, hail, recoil, foil, and such as,
diuel, euil, riuel, why should the l, be dubled? It is the swiftnesse of
the pen sure, which
M, and n, of themselues continew in the same force still, howbeit som
negligence in writing giueth occasion of this note. That whereas both m,
and n, be somtime signified by a title, that title, answereth the m, & n,
onelie, which endeth the syllab, and not the other, which beginneth, as in
begin-ning, benum-med, som-mo-ning. And therefor that title, which
will represent m, or n, aforegoing it mere false, & ill abused. P, is euer
one, ph, shalbe streight spoken of.
Q. serueth onelie in the natur of k, or the strong c, to go before the single or
duble w, both consonantlike in force, and indifferent in place, as quill,
quail, acquaint, quince, squint, squall, squat, squese, or with the duble
w, qwail acqwaint, qwik, qwince, saue where the enfranchisment
requireth the single u, as in qualitie, quantitie, require, quintessence.
S, besides the varietie noted to be in his form, somtimes forceth full like
the weak, c, as in all beginnings of anie syllab, either before vowell,
diphthong, or consonant, saie, seke, sift, soft, substance, sow, small,
shrike, shrimp, somtime it yeildeth weaklie to the z, and that either
betwene two vowells, as in wise, nose, amase, vse, excuse, or after
one of the half vowells, l, m,n,r, wells, trims, hens, hirs, or after the
e passant, as, times, rimes, games, names. Which sounds where theie
com, proportion and deriuation will bewraie: now theie ar to
be distinguished in places of cause, the title of Distinction shall not
forget. When the vowell sitteth hard vpon the s, in the end, s, is dubled
frenchlike, as in passe, grasse, finesse, nedelesse, disinesse, blisse,
grosse, crosse, discusse, if not, it is single, as in fines, nedles,
promis, treatis, purpos, compas and such. Where custom vpon good
reason, not vnproper to the sound, causeth the dubling.
T, kepeth one force still sauing where a vowell followeth after, i, as in
action, discretion, consumption, where as, t, soundeth like the full s,
or strong c, so the words where it is so vsed, be altogether strangers.
X, beginneth no English words, but endeth manie, as wax, vex, yex, and
goeth into the midle of their deriuatiues, as waxing, vexeth, yexing,
and with the qualifying e, iaxe, without ax,
pax, wax. Which words be seuered from those that end in ks, bycause ks,
endeth plurall numbers as pak, paks, rak, raks, whereas the singulars,
or primitiues, haue in the plurall number and deriuatiues, es, or en, as
fox, foxes, fixen, vexes, yexes, oxen, iaxes.
Z, is a consonant much heard amongst vs, and seldom sene. I think by reason
it is not so redie to the pen as s, is, which is becom lieutenant generall to z,
as gase, amase, rasur, where z, is heard, but s, sene. It is not lightlie
expressed in English, sauing in foren enfranchisments, as azur,
treasur. In the same proportion is s and as, is as strangelie
vsed.
The combination of consonants, which I called coplements be of two sorts,
either consonants copled to them selues, as thw, in thwak, shr, in
shrink stl, in whistle, & such, which neuer change their
force: or consonants with, h, the aspiration, as ch, gh, ph, ch, sh, th, wh.
Whereof, gh, ph, ch, sh, wh, neuer change their force but continew still one,
as cough, rough, philip, diphthong, rhetorik shame, shrewed, whence,
which. Whereof ph, and th be Grecians, the rest English.
Ch, forceth somtime strong like k, as in Christ, chrism, christian, chract,
archangell, monarch, stomach, somtime weak, as in archdeacon,
wretch, chirch, which semeth originallie to be of a duble k, kirk.
Our English ch, commeth from the latin c, as, chaplain, chancellor,
chaste, of capellanus, cancellarius, casta like the Italian force of
c.
Likewise, th, holdeth somtime stronglie, vpon the aspiration, as in thin,
thik, somtime it yeildeth like a temporiser to a meaner weaknesse, as
thine, thither. Neither, ch, nor th, hath anie e, after them, but when
the vowell before is to be qualified in sound, as eche, beseche, beche,
breche, ache, leche, speche, bathe, scathe, sithe, otherwise flat, without
e, as sith, ech, bath. What prerogatiue in custom will ouerrule in
these points, it shalbe noted in the titles of prerogatiue and
proportion.
Abbreuiations.
W. and y, in their consonantish natur lead the most of our abbreuiations w
Thus much of rule both generall for the hole tung, and particular for the
force of euerie letter, and charact, whether for the qualitie, or for the sound
of our voice. Whereby methink that the greatest difficultie in our writing
riseth about the vncertaine force of, i, and, o, the vowells, oi, oy, ou, ow, the
diphthongs, c,g,s, the consonants, ch, and th, the coplements, all which shall
be directed sufficientlie, in the title of distinction.
I Call that proportion, when a number of words, of like sound ar
writen with the like sound haue not the like letters, the cause why is
shewed, a in hear, fear, dear, gear, wear, the like proportion is
kept: in where, here, there it faileth by prerogatiue, bycause
our custom, hath won that writing in such aduerbs of place : in
mere it faileth by enfranchisement, bycause it commeth of the
latin merus, ra, rum. And therefore proportion, as all other
rules, consisteth vpon generall precept and priuat exception.
This rule of proportion, hath allwaie bene of great account, for
directing of speche and pen, as theie that be learned in the matter of speche,
and the writers of that argument, do know of themselues, without my
alleging of anie Analogiarie autors of anie foren tung, Latin or other. And in
the ordering of our tung, it serueth vs, as it were for another generall table.
For as in the generall table, where euerie particular word is set down by
order of the alphabete, we haue regard to the first letter, and thereby serue
our own necessitie in case and cause of serch: so in the rule of
proportion, where we set down all words of one sound, vnder one form
of writing, with particular note when the proportionfaileth, we
regard that syllab which leadeth the proportion, and the vowell or
dighthong
Wherefor considering our mere English words be mostwhat monosyllabs, I
will deall with them first, then with the bisyllabs, last of al, with the
polysyllabs, by order of the vowell or diphthong, which leadeth the syllab,
& therefor the proportion. I call that a syllab, which hath one sounding
vowell in it, how manie consonants soeuer either go before or com after it,
as, no, one, able, whistle, driuen, raken, thoughts, thrise, frok, shritch,
strength, staruedst, frumpst. For the qualifying and silent e, encrease
no syllabs, as neither the passant in most places, which shalbe noted
hereafter. All which letters children wold be taught to spell togither,
holding such a filling, e, as no sounder, to make a new syllab thereby, as
har-den, wri-ten, for harden, writen, two syllabs by
misspelling for, two monosyllabs in natur.
Here by the waie the reader shall vnderstand that in this rule of
proportion I will not medle with anie deriuatiue which coms of other,
whether contract, as scratcht, of scratched, or plurall
numbers, as matches of match, or anie such else, where the
putting to of one letter or mo, doth cause the difference: sauing onelie
where the deriuatiue in sense, semeth a primitiue in form, as the pluralls of
man, mous, lous, foot, cow, be men, mice, lice, fete, kine,
which form semeth rather to be originall, then deriued of anie other.
A
No English word endeth in, a, but in aie, as decaie, assaie, which
writing & sound our vse hath won. A, alone is the English article, mane, a
man, oneless som adiectiue part them, as, a tall man, a long mane.
This a ioyning with substantiues by waie of composition, so altereth their
force, as theie signifie in dede, quite another thing. For when we saie, he
cums apase, he goes aside, he looks aloft, he went along, we mean not
the same, that we do in these speches, a swift pase, a sore side, a windie
loft, a long waie. The president of this compound a, causeth vs oftimes
to write foren words, with single consonants, which duble the same in their
own tung as abbaie, abbandon, abbase, abbate: with one b, abaie,
abandon, abase, abate bycause of their analogie & proportion with
a baie a bandie, a base, a bate, which be known English terms, &
being vttered quik bring furth the same sounds. Neither is it anie wonder
that our tung vseth a single consonant, where the originall dubleth, as
base, of bassus, pase, of passus. This, a, before vowells,
diphthongs, and the aspiration h, is an, as an epistle, an auditour, an
honest man. Where the question is, whether e, in ane be nedefull,
considering in our speaking the, ne, semeth to ioyn with the vowell that
followeth, according to that rule which teacheth vs, that a consonant
cumming betwene two vowells must be spelled with the latter, as
be-ne-fi-ci-all onelesse the words be compound, as an-o-ther,
ab-o-lish, bycause then the simple syllab kepeth hir own combination still, as
in the examples before. And bycause it semeth to be so in these words,
an-other, an-hell, an-honest man, as if theie were but one word
compounded of two, the qualifying e, doth seme nedelesse, as it is in those
words, which be deriued from the qualified terminations, and begin their
addition with som vowell, as praie, praing, amase, amasing, repute,
reputing, depraue, depraueth, where the qualifying e, is left out, and the
consonant before it is put to the next syllab. And semeth it not to be so in
all those words, which end in the qualifying e, before another word
beginning with a vowell, as mine own?
Blab, drab, grab, hab, nab, and with the qualifying e, babe,
Băble, răble, brăble, dăble: and
bāble, stāble āble, sāble, where I
make the difference by the notes of the long and short time, not daring to
duble the b, for making of two sllabs, by dubling the b, which maie not be
here, the silent e, sounding
C, alone endeth no syllab but with the qualifying e, after it, as ace, trace,
race, face, which termination by ee, I take to be most naturall for this
sound in our tung, both bycause manie enfranchised words haue the same
end, as face, grace, space, and ase, with the s, and it is lightlie
the termination of enfranchised words, case, pase, base, so it turneth
verie much to the, z, as amase, rase, crase, whereas ace with the, c,
soundeth still one like the naturall full, s.
Monosyllabs, that is naturall English words of one syllab, seme to be writen
with c, as the enfranchised polysyllabs be, tabernacle, barnacle, triacle,
spectacle, but theie ar inded writen with, k, as hakle, cakle, takle,
shakle, both bycause of ther primitiue hak, take, shake, and also
bycause k, goeth before l, after a vowell, but not before, as in clamp,
cling, clout where c, leadeth and not k.
Act, fact, contract, and such com from the Latin, and be therefor
writen with ct. but bakt, pakt, thwakt, rakt, crakt, and such be
English words contract bakt of bakked, pakt of pakked &c. and be
therefor writen with k, after their primitiue, hauing their a, short and quik,
whereas nākte, bākte, rāktecumming of
rake, nake, bake, ar to be writen with the qualifying e which kepeth
the originall a, sharp. Som write bakt &c. with c, before the k,
but wrong, bycause c, cummeth not before k but when theie be to be referred
to diuers syllabs, as ac-know-ledge, like accompanie, where
the same consonant being dubled emporteth two syllabs.
Ache, brache, with the qualifying e, for without the e, t, goeth before
ch. as patch, snatch, catch, smatch, watch. The strong ch. is mere
foren, and therefor endeth no word with vs, but it turned into k, as
stomak, monark (whose originalls be stomach, monarch with
ch. in the Greke.) Bad, swad, glad, and with e, glade, made, shade.
Adle, cradle, ladle, stadle with a long: swadle, sadle,
fadle, with a short, the single syllab admitting the distinction by
time, and not by dubling the letter, for dubling the syllab withall. Badge,
madge, fudge, where d, is necessarie bycause a, wold sound long and sharp, as in page, age,
rage, asswage. If e, followed not the, g, the, a, were flat, & the, g,
strong, as nag, bag, swag. In words of two or mo syllabs the, d,
before, g, is not allwaie so nedefull, bycause the tung staieth not so sore
vpon their last syllabs, as it doth vpon the monosyllab. Chaf, staf, graf,
draf, and with, e, chafe, safe, rafe. Craft, shaft, graft, waft.
Snafle, with a single, f, being but one syllab. Drag, brag, lag, and
with, e, cage, wage, sage, age, pāglewith ā
long, drăgle with ă, short. Armagh, slagh,
bagh, is a foren termination. Smak, pak, trak, crak, and with, e,
take, rake, wake. akle was tuched before in acle. Ale, male,
pale, dale, with the qualifying, e, is an ordinerie and a common
termination, with vs. But where, a, in the end before a single, l, soundeth
plane, al, I find none but certaine childish terms, as Malfor Marie,
Lal, Dal & som such. Bycause, a, in the end hath comonlie a duble, ll,
after it, & soundeth on the diphthong, as thrall, crall, wall, which
it doth also before a single, l, when a consonant followeth next, as
thraldom, walking. Shall, our common term soundeth not vpon the
diphthong, and yet for companie sake will haue a duble, ll, whose force, that
it is not diphthonglike, it appeareth in the deriuatiue, l, cumming before, t,
& not sounding in shalt, as in malt, halt. Alb. which
in our ordinarie speche we sound aub, turning the, l, into, u, and so we
entertain, l, generallie before most of our consonants. For tho we write
calm, balm, talk, walk, chalk, calf, calues, salues: yet we pronounce
them so as if theie had no, l, but onelie the duble, w or single, cawm,
bawm, taulk, waulk, chauk, caulf, cawnes fawnes. Ald. is the
comon termination of participles contract, as cald, for called
apald, for apalled, gald, for galled. Yet som few there be of
that ending, which ar mere originalls, as scald, bald, ald. Calf, half,
walk, talk, calm, shalm, palm, faln, a contract for fallen, yalp, scalp,
false, halse, with the silent, e, which is familiar to the enfranchised
words and their followers. Malt, salt, falt, salue, salues, calf,
calues, the, f, still bewraying his kinred with v, the consonant. Dram,
cram, dam, and with, e dame, name, shame, blame. Ankle, shamble,
scramble, scamble. Cramp, stamp, lamp. Ample, strample. Lamb. And
why not lam, as Lammasse, daie? and not lambmasse,
with the b? Chams, champs, lamps, deriuatiues. Man, can, bran. And with the qualifying, e, mane, cane,
brane. Glance, france, chance. Where, a, before the, n, soundeth like a
diphthong, tho, u, be not to be writen. Ancle, rancle, and why not
ankle, rankle, seing rankis a simple? Hanch, stanch, panch.
Brand, hand, sand. Handle, dandle, candle, rang, bang, swangand with the
qualifying, e, range, grange, strange, wrangle, strangle, angle, frank,
crank, rank, bank, scant, pant. Scantle, scantling. I vse no example of
anie combination with, re, bycause I take it better to end in er, as
falter, rather then faltre &c. Scrap, lap, hap, clap, rap,
& with, e, ape, rape, scape, tape. Māple, stāple,
with the a long, ăple, grăble, with the a, short.
apt is an originall stranger, our words in apt be deriuatiues, as
hapt, trapt, capt, flapt, for happed, trapped, capped, flapped.
Iaques for Iakes the, e, passant falling vpon the, s, is an
enfranchised word. We vse not, q, in the end, but still in the beginning of a
syllab, bycause, u, followeth him of necessitie, as quagmire, quilt,
require, squint. War, far, car and with the qualifying e, ware, fare,
care. marble, garble, warble. Sparcle, and why not sparkle
bycause of spark? Sarce, parce, with the shrill and long
ā farse, arse, with the short and flat a, e, cumming in, not as
a qualifier, but as incident to the long, s. by natur of enfranchisement.
Arch, parch, starch. Hard, mard. Scarde, larde, garde, warde, with the
qualifying, e, to lengthen the, a. Hardle, fardle. Barge, large, targe,
charge, without d, before g, gargle, wharf, scarf, dwarf. Bark, park,
mark, cark, chark. Marle, carle. Warm, harm, charm, farm, barm. Barn,
warn, and with the qualifying, e, barne, yarne, scarne. Scarp, harp,
sharp, warp. Art, smart, cart, wart, thwart, and with the qualifying e,
tarte, parte, darte. startle, starue, swarue, carue.. As and
was sound as oft vpon the, z, as vpon the strong, s, and therefor the
duble ss, with the silent e, is vsed in our tung to expresse the vowell which
sitteth hard vpon the, s, as passe, glasse, grasse. Whose dubling, as
that also of ll, maie be found out by the deriuation, as in passe, passing,
misse, missing, grasse, grassie &c.in promis, promising, purpos,
purposing. Otherwise the qualifying e, helpeth to reduce the single s. as
case, casing, wise, wiser, repōse, reposing, blase, rase,
amase. Ask, cask, flask, mask. Hasle, tasle, dasle. Swash, flash, dash,
pash. Spasm, enfranchised Greke. Clasp, hasp, wasp, grasp,
past, last, fast, and with the qualifying e, paste, taste, waste,
wrastle, castle, pastle. Squat, scrat, plat and with the qualifying c,
strate, late, plate, prate, pratle, tatle, ratle, satle. Wax, axle. Waue,
slaue. Bath, path, wath, & with e, bathe, scathe, and
hath of the same sound without e, an ordinarie word won by
prerogatiue. Where this is to be noted in general of, th, that nounes ending
in th. sound strong, as hath, south, mouth, touth, breth: but verbs weak, as
bath, south, touth, mouth, breath.
E
What e, soundeth in the end, when there be no mo vowells in the syllab, then
it self, and that it is somtime silent, but to good purpos, somtime passant,
scarse perceptible, & then like the quik i, it hath bene tuched allredie.
Web, neb, eb. Keble, treble. Grece, pece, flece the right English
termination. For, ese with s, altereth, as these, &
exception from ease, seas, cease, where the ods of our writing, tho it
seme verie hard, is easilie made euen. For ease is the naturall
termination, as please, disease: seasis the naturall plurall number of
sea: cease is the naturall enfranchisement of cesso the latin.
Speche, beseche, eche, breche, leche, with the qualifying e, all the
other that be writen without, e, haue a, t, as fetch, stretch, retch,
saue ech the common distributiue. Ecle, better with k, as
spekle, frekle, bycause of the primiue frek, spek. Detect, elect,
and such be Latin enfranchisements. pekt, chekt, shred, sled, and
with the qualifying e, brede, lede, nede, spede. Hedge, sedge, ledge,
the polysyllabs enfranchised kepe their originall, as priuilege,
college, neither doth the last syllab pitch so hard in anie word of two or
mo syllabs, as it doth in a monosyllab, and therefor no maruell if the
pitching letter be left out. Medle, nedle what difference in
proportion? as in nedles, the plurall of nedle, and
nedelesse the adiectiue? Bredth of brode. All the
primitiues whose ending diphthong is, ea, as bread, tread, weal, heald,
steal, in their deriuatiues form lightlie vpon the bare e, as bredth,
tredth, welth, helth, stelth. Thefe, lefe, chefe, befe. Theft, cleft, reft,
of cleue, theue, reue. Where besides other notes the kinred betwene,
f, and u. appeareth still. Eg, leg, peg, meg,
lege, sege. Nek, brek, chek, pek, and with
the qualifying, e, meke, cheke, leke, shreke, weke, pekle, kekle. E.
falleth somtime hard vpon the l, & then the ll, is dubled, as shell,
spell, knell, fell, somtime sharp, as fele, rele, knele, with the
qualifying e, sometime light with the, e, passant before, l, as driuel,
riuel, sniuel, rauel, which in the like proportion, is the silent e, after l,
as wifle, snafle & c.in which words the e, is so quik as I dare not
hold them for bissyllabs. Belch, Held, keld, Elf, shelf, pelf, self. Yelk,
Kelk, Elm. Whelm. Teln, feln be out worn English words for tell,
fell. Else, as bells, fells, nells be deriuatiues. Felt, swelt,
smelt. where se the proprietie of our tung, in the duble sense of
smelt, the primitiue of the fish, and the contract smeltfor
smelled of smell. Wleth, stelth noted before. Delue,
shelue. Stem, kem, nem, wem and with the qualifying, e, steme,
seme, deme, eme. Treble. Hemp. Kemp, tempt. Tems. E, falleth vpon
the, n, somtime full, as then, ten, when, men, ken somtime shrill with
the qualifying e. as Quene, kene, sene, grene somtime passant, where
it encreaseth no syllab, in my opinion, as writen, driuen, shriuen, goten,
shote, threaten. And why maie not so manie letters be spelled together
for one syllab, as well as in thwakst? Whence, hence, sence
for sithens. Ense with s is enfranchised, as sense, fense,
spense. English mend, lend, send. Tench, wench, quench, bench, wrench.
Henge, reuenge. I find no termination in English without e, if anie
hereafter fall out, ing, wilbe the leader in proportion, as wing, thing.
Pence the plurall number of penie. Pens the plurall number
of pen. Shent, pent, ment. Gentle. Step, skep, & with, e,
stepe, kepe, crepe, wepe, depe. Threap, thrept. Steple, peple. Kept,
precept. Er, is commonlie the end of such words, as haue mo syllabs
then one, where it sounds quik, as thither, hither. Aker, taker, falsifyer,
cunninger, anger. Er, to go astraie: & with the qualifying e, here,
mere, where, there, here, which be exceptions from the termination in
ear, the diphthong. Herthe feminine and hir, be so
enterchangeable frinds, as theie maie be vsed indifferentlie. This word
enterchangeable giueth me to make this note, that, g, in hir weak
natur with the qualifying, e, after in composition or deriuation, kepeth, e,
still, onelesse the addition following begin either with e, or i, with the
which vowells, g, is gentle, as with a.o.u. it is not. Herb with the h.
not herd, ferce,
serch, perch: berd, ferd, herd, serge. without a, Term, ferm,
and why not lern without a? seing ea, in the deriuatiues fauoreth e, so
much, as threap, thrept, lear, learning? verse, reherse. the prouf by
rehersall, perse, herse.
Pert, desert, the most of these sorts be bisyllabs or aboue: besides
that, a, dealeth verie much before the r. By deserue, preserue,
conserue, it should appear that either we strain the Latin s, to our
sound, or that theie had som sound of the z, expressed by s, as well as we.
Which is trew, and appeareth in their deriuatiues from the Greke
Finesse, contract for finesse, bycause nesse is
the addition, as in holinesse, sumptuousnesse, gladnesse, with the
duble ss. bycause the e. sitteth hard vpon the ss. Besides that we borow the
form of the french, tho in the sound of the silent e, we differ from them.
Frese, chese, gese. Desk, fresh, flesh. Brest, nest, chest. Nestle, pestle,
tresle. Fet, net, let, whet, and with the qualifying e, fete, strete,
lete, nete, mete. Fetch, stretch. Netle, setle, ketle, betle, bedle. Sleue,
reue, greue, yex, vex, next, text, tethe, sethe.
I
I said before that i, ending the last syllab, and sounding loud was expressed
by y, as qualify, exemplify, for manie good causes, considering we
haue admitted y, for a vowell: And that the quik ending i, is allwaie
qualified by e, as verilie, trewlie. In which kinde of coplement ie, is
euer vowellish, & neuer consonant, like the weak ge: tho in the
beginning of syllabs as ienking and such, ie, and ge, be all one, as in
Latin peiro & egero. Before consonants in the last syllab i.
soundeth thus. Squib, rib, crib, and with the qualifying e, bribe,
scribe, gibe. Crible, pible, trible, bīble, bible. Ice, mice, flice,
nice, vice, spice. (which word is vsed much with vs for spece, as
a spice of an agew, for a kind of an agew, species) In
wise & such, the s. is enforced by verie deriuation &
composition, besides the zeddish sound, as wisdom, where, c, before
the, d, wold haue sounded vpon the, k. I find none of this sort, but which,
rich, & shriche, with, e. The rest haue, t, before ch as stitch,
pitch, fitch, witch, Strict, connict, & such be latin enfranchisments.
Pikt, likt, kikt, be English contracts, of pik, lik, kik, likked,
kikked as likte, slikte, of like, slike, with the qualifying, e,
in Icle, as pikle rather with k, vpon cause alledged in
akle, and ekle. Bid, kid, hid, & with the qualifying,
e, wide, ride, stride. Fridge, bridge, ridge. R&ibrevedle, f&ibrevedle,
with, i, short, īdle, brīdle, with i, long,
bìden, rìden, hìden. Stìf, ìf skìf, and
with the qualifying e, wise, strife. Shirft, lift, clift, shrift.
Trīfle, rīfle, & with the &ibreve, short,
misle, whistle. Twig, swig, prig, gig, gig, nigh, high. Night, might, right,
flight, lighten, gigle, giglet, prik, tik, stik & with the qualifying e,
like, tike, prikle, sikle, sicle, enfranchised. Thiken, chiken,
quiken. I, lighting full vpon the, l, dubleth it, as shrill, spill, will.
The single, l, with the qualifying e, after, while, begile, bile, filch, milk,
silk. Quilt, tilt, spilt, hilt, filth. Swim, grim, brim, and with the
qualifying, e, grime, slime, time, lime. Thimble, nimble. simple, pimple,
Shrimp, imp. Win, twin, pin, chin, and with the qualifying, e, wine,
twine, pine, chine, quince, ince, rince, wrinch, winch, stinch, clinch, not,
cumming between ch, and the consonant before. Twinkle, inkle, pinkle,
pinkt, winkt, deriuatiues contract. Wind, frind, bind, and with the
qualifying e, kinde finde, minde, hinde, trindle, kindle, spindle. Thing,
swing, wring, & with the e, twinge, singe, swinge, cringe. Swingle,
ringle, single, surcingle, tingle. Drink, ink, shrink. Squint, flint, stint,
and with e, pinte, lintle. Strip, whip, slip, and with the qualifying e,
stripe, wipe, ripe. Triple, criple. Whipt, stripe, hipt, whipte, stripte,
with the originall e. Stir, fir, sir, and with e, Sire, fire, tire, mire,
desire, require, hire, wire. Circle enfranchised. Chirch, of kirk,
birch. Yirk, girk, irk. Bird, gird, girdle, girle. Whirle, firm, chirm, girn,
chirp. Birt, flirt, squirt, mirtle, kirtle. Birth, mirth, girth, first, thirst.
I, lighting hard vpon the s, dubleth it ss, as, hisse, misse, kisse,
sauing, is, this, ywis. With e after s, it soundeth mostwhat vpon the
z, as wise, sise, yet in the same form we write thrise, of
another sound, but why not thrice, which termination neuer
acquainteth it self with z? The e, passant and this gentle i, before s, haue
oftimes great alliance togither. If it light somwhat quiklie vpon the s, then
the s is single, as promis, tretis, amis, aduertis, enfranchis, misle, fisle,
drisle, pisle. Chrism, baptism. Wisp, crisp, whistle, gristle, fish, wish,
dish, mist, twist, fiste, with e. Whit, fit, hit, and with e,
white, mite, delite, spite, Title, title, whitle, britle, witch, stitch, pitch,
quitch, itch. With, sith, kith, & with the qualifying e, writhe,
lithe. Striue, wine, thriue; and liue, giue, fiue. Flux, pix.
O, in the end is said to sound lowd, as go, shro, fro, sauing, to, do,
two, &c. Hob, cob, bob, rob, and with the qualifying e, robe,
noble, roche, cocle, and why not cokle? God, od, plod, rod,
and with e, rode, gode bode. Nodle, troden. Dodge, hodge, podge. Of cof , with e, lofe. Oft, soft, croft. Hog, dog, frog, log, clog, roge,
voge, seing our, g, is strong and our accent will help. Ogle. Smok, sok,
knok, and with the qualifying e, smoke, oke, soke, yoke, poke, goge
an interiection of wondring. Nol, gol & with the qualifying, e,
hole
Greke adiectiue in the same
sense, gole, fole, stole, stolen, O, before, l, sounding like a diphthong
causeth the ll, be dubled, as troll. And if a consonant follow, l, o,
commonlie hath the same force, tho the l, be but single, told, cold, bold,
colt, dolt, colf, rolf, bolt, holm, scold, dissolue. O, before m, in the
beginning, or midle of a word, leading the syllabs soundeth flat vpon the o,
as omnipotent, commend, but in the end it soundeth still vpon, the u,
as som, com, dom, & therefor in their deriuatiues, and compounds
as welcom, trublesom, newcom, cumbersom, kingdom. With e, after
the m, as home, mome, rome, & yet whom, from, haue no, e,
by prerogatiue of vse, tho theie haue it in sound & seming. But
were it not better, that all such exceptions were reduced to their Analogie?
If euerie tung had not the like exceptions, I might happilie think, that that
were the best. On, likewise in beginnings & midles soundeth vpon the o,
in the ends, chefelie of enfranchisments vpon the u, as disposition,
circumspection, action. In som few words of one or two syllabs, it
soundeth vpon the o, as on, anon, vpon, & with the qualifying, e,
gone, mone, alone, throne, one: one, in some words answereth the
proportion of the, e, passant, without increasing of syllabs, as capon,
weapon answer to cheape, threapen. Once nonce, nonst. Bond, beyond,
fond. Top, stop, crop, knop, and with the qualifying e, rope, cope,
grope, sope. Tople, throple, pople. Hops, tops, be plurall numbers. Or is
a termination of som truble, when a consonant followeth, bycause it
soundeth so much vpon the u, as worm, form, sword, word, & yet
the qualifying e, after wil bewraie an o, as the absence thereof will bewraie
an u, storme, o, worm, u, lorde, o, hord, u. Or, for, nor &
with the qualifying e more, gore, bore, pore, sore, fore. Where note
that for, & his compounds signify the cause, fore and his,
the time, as Before, afore. Wherefor, therefor. For think, forfet, forethink, forestall, foresaid, forese. Force,
horce, scorce, the naturall english. Corse, French of corps.
Porch, torch, Scorch, without t, before, as Arch, setch, burch,
lurck. Corde, lorde, accorde, without the e. Word, sword, aford,
without. In former syllabs, where or is of it self, it soundeth vpon the o,
still, as organes, ordure, order. Wordle, gorge, George. Porke, Yorke,
with the e, Stork, cork without the e. Worm, form, without e,
vpon the u. Forme storme, with e, vpon the o. Corne, horne,
torne, forlorne. Thorp, horse, corse, remorse. Dort & with e
sorte, porte. O, sitting hard vpon the s, dubleth it, as Crosse,
losse, mosse, if not single as purpos. With the qualifying e,
Nose repose, close and close, the nown vopn the s, the verbe,
vpon the z, which is lightlie generall in the like cases, of the duble sound of
s. Poste, hoste, toste, roste, coste, with e, and without e, Lost,
tost, contract for tossed. Most by prerogatiue
soundeth von the e, and yet setteth it not down. Losh, cosh, posh. Hotch,
potch, notch. Potle, botle, throtle. Pot, sot, not, and with the qualifying
e, cote, note, throte. Othe, lothe, wrothe, and without the e, broth,
moth. We sound both like the first, and write it like the last.
Roten, frose, rose, dosen, where en, is passant, and the words
monosyllabs. Groue, throne, loue and loue, moue, aboue. Ox,
box.
V
V, & o, be so great cosens euen in cosinage, as the one entermedleth
with the others sound verie much. V, endeth no English word, but ew, as
trew. and tho truth be the substantiue, yet that is not more
maruell, then that we, se constrew, and construction, from
diuerse grounds, congrew, congruitie, abound, abundance, pronounce,
pronunciation. Club, rub, grub, and with the e, cube, Duble, puble,
buble, ruble, Sluce, nuce, the naturall English termination. Use,
excuse, refuse, and such enfranchised latin. Pukle, bukle, kukle,
sukle with k. Hutch. Much, and such seme to be exceptions.
Mud, bud, cud, rud, and with the qualifying, e, Delude, rude. Hudle,
pudle, crudle. Ruf, stuf, snuf, rufle, shufle. Shrug, rug, hug, and with e,
huge, deluge, refuge. Iugle, tugle, hugle, bugle. Duk, muk, luk, and
with e, duke, puke, luke, fluke, huke. Full, dull, scull, trull, and single
l, with the qualifying e, rule, crule, pule, tule, vlp, gulp, gulf, wulf. Hulk,
pulse, enfranchised, gulch. Thrum, drum, crum,
thumb, crumb, with b? seing in deruation we saie
thrumming, not thumbing? with e, fume, lume, tume
for leisur Northern, humble, tumble, rumble, stumble, our prerogatiue
putteth in b. Thump, crump, frump, crumple. Gun, run, tun, son &
sun, in the same sound but why? with e, time, chime, uncle, like
carbuncle, punch, hunch, lunch. Flung, wrung, clung, & with e,
plunge. Bundle, trundle, bungle, drunk, sunk, stunk. Funt, hunt, hunt. Vp,
cup, and with e, lupe, Stur, cur, fur, and with e, cure, dure,
pure, curb, lurch, purse enfranchised. Scurf, turf. Vrge, scurge,
surge, lurk. Turk, purk, hurle, churle, orm serues for urm. Hurdle,
burn, turn, curse burst, worst, for to auoid the wu: which maie be the
cause why o, is so oft put for u, after a duble w, as word, worm, thunder,
wonder, with o, vpon the same cause. Hurt, hurtle, turtle, furth.
Scurue, turue. Pusse, trusse, and single with e, muse, refuse,
except vs, which is so pronounced, as if it began with h, huz.
Chuse, husk, tusk, bustle, muscle, enfranchised, rush, push, ptush,
bush, Rufle, musle, husle. Trust, must, iust, thrust. Put, cut, but, and
with e, cute, mute, lute, scutle, cutle, sutle, lux, flux.
Monosyllabs, whose last the diphthong leadeth.
Of the twelue diphthongs, ai, au, aw, ea, ei, ew, oi, oy, oo, ou, ow, uy,
these two, au and ou, with the single u, end no word, with
whom in the midle syllabe, the shrill ú oftimes ioyneth in place
of ew, as in argew, argument: if the deriuatiue draw not all
the thre, aw, ow, and ew, into the midle syllab, as draw,
drawing, know, knowing, argew, argewing.
Again, ai, ei, bycause of the small i, end no syllab, but ar qualifyed with e,
as straie, theie. oy serueth for endings and the shrill sound, as
oi, also in the midle with the streight accent, soundeth shrill,
boy, toy, auoyding, or auoiding, otherwise oi, with the i, if it
want the accent soundeth vpon the u. Oo also endeth no syllab, because, o, in
the end being sharp and shrill, there cummeth none to the sound of oo,
saue to, two and do, which be excepted, so that the mere
finalls be, aw, ea, ew, oy, ow, and ai, ei with the qualifying e.
Vy serueth in few, but yet it is still one.
Gaie, graie, traie. And maid, said, quaif, English, for coif,
quail, sail, rail, mail, onelesse it were better, to write these with the
qualifying, quale, fale, rale, male. Howbeit both the terminations be in
vse tho to diuerse ends. Gain, pain, if not, Pane, gane, remane,
and such as these terminations, be also vsed to diuerse ends, Gainst,
for against. Fair, pair, air if not fare, pare, are, both
terminations also be vsed to diuerse ends. Waie, strait, if not
Wate, strate. Straight, or streight, bycause ai, and
ei, do enterchange vses. Aim, or ame, maim. Paint,
restraint, faint, or feint, quaint or queint. Straw, draw,
law, and with e, Bawe, wawe, which differeth from Maw,
shaw, euen in sound. Daub, swaub, Sauce. Baud, laud, fraud. Aught,
caught, fraught, drawght, a deriuatiue. Hauk, other in auk,
as Tauk, wauk com of alk. Laun, gnaun. Strawn, of
straw. A before, m, and, n, with, c, ch, p, or, t, following seme to
offer the diphthongish sound in som mouthes, as Stamp, hanch. Haunt,
vaunt, taunt, which som write with a single u. Eie, eight, sleight,
height, weight, feild, yeild, sheild, the kinred betwen ei, and
ai, makethei, not anie where so ordinarie, as in these
terminations. Sea, yea, plea. Peace, greace, leace, meace. Beach, teach.
Bread, head, tread, leaf, sheaf, leag, beagle. Break, beak, weak, bleak, freak.
Weal, beal, seal, veal, meal, sweal. Cream, beam, ream where, l, is put
in because of shew to the originall regalitie, and yet it is a
ream of paper without, l. Glean, mean, quean. Heap, leap, cheap.
Fear, clear, dear. Whence, Where, there, here, and dere, be
excepted. Earle, pearle, & why not Erle, perle? Ease,
please, pease, lease, with the, f, like, z, Eat, feat, beat, treat. threw,
crew, few, drew, and with, e, Mewe, for the cat, as Bawe,
wawe, for the dog, Lewd, ewt. Boy, toy, soy. Oìnt, oìl,
foìl, voyd, or voìd, voyce, choyce, or voìce,
choìce, coyf, coìn. Good, stood, yood. Hoof, roof. Look, took, book,
hook. School, tool. Groom, bloom. Hoop, coop. If custom had not won
this, why not òu? Bycause of the sound which these diphthongs
haue somtimes vpon the o, somtimes vpon the, u. I will note the o, sounding
vpon himself, with the streight accent, bycause that o, leadeth the lesse
number. Bòw, knòw, sòw, and Bòw, sòw,
còw, mòw. Outch, croutch, slowtch. Lowde, lowdle. Houf, alouf.
Gouge, bouge. Còugh, òught, owght, of òw, with, w,
as from the primtiue. Fòught, nought, còught, wròught,
sòught again. Bought, mought, dought. Plough, rough, slough,
enough. Houl, coul, skoul. Why not as well as with oo? Roum,
broum, loum. Noun, croun, cloun, doun. Own, grown, vpon the deriuatiue.
Stoup, loup, droup, coup. Sound, ground, found. Our commonlie
abreuiation like as our, the termination for enfranchisments, as
autour, procuratour, as er is for our our as suter,
writers, Bour, lour, flour, four, alone vpon the o. Mourn,
adiourn. Howse, lowse, mowse, the verbes and deriuatiues vpon the , z,
as House, louse, mouse, the nounes vpon the, s, Ous, our English
cadence for Latin words in osus, as notorious, famous, populous,
riotous, gorgeous, being as it were the vniting of the chefe letters in the
two syllabs, o, and, u, osus. Clout, lout, dout. Buy, iuyce, If I haue
either forgoten, or not remembred anie termination, or if there be no mo yet
extant in the vse of our tung: yet the president of these will by their
proportion fashion all the like. I haue bene thus carefull and curious to run
thorough all these monosyllab terminations, bycause I find the like don in
other tungs, which vse to rip vp all, thereby to find assurance, wherewith to
rule all. This being thus ended concerning the monosyllabs, I must saie
somwhat also of the bisyllabs & polysyllabs.
The proportion of bisyllabs.
I call that a bisyllab, wherein there be two seuerall sounding vowells, as
Asùr, rasùr, masùr, and why not lasur? farow,
borough, thorough. Writing. biting. the proportion in this kinde also is
verie commodious, bycause when ye haue found out one certaine head all of
the like sound maie be easilie reduced thereunto, onelesse som prerogatiue
of priuat custom, or som respect to the originall stranger do
interrupt the rank. If there be but one word in anie kinde, that one will
serue for a gide, when anie mo afterward shall craue the help of the like
conduct, as Whisper, hussard. If there be no president of the same
sound, yet the like proportion in som other vowell, will lead his cosen
sound, as if there were no such word as badger, yet hedger,
wold lead vs to the like writing. Wherein I haue regard still to the English
ear, reseruing the writing of enfranchised words in their own colours, to
such as be skilfull. I will write for the common man, Aumner,
aumrie, naie euen filo sofie, and ortografie, and leaue
Almoner, almonarie naie Eleemosyner, & Eleemosynarie,
philosophie and ortographie, to the discretion, Tullie him self, who
reseruing the misterie of speche and pen to himself and his peres, did lend
the peple, the vse and customarie thereof. Now these bisyllabs, be either
naturall English as bauin, crauin, rauin, or enfranchised foren, as
Pallet, mallet, ballet. And again in both the kindes theie be either
simple, as canell, panell, chanell, or compound, as waieward,
toward, froward, aside, asquint, astraie, except, reiect, conceiue,
detaine. As for the compounds and enfranchisments theie haue the help
of particular titles to direct them: for the simples and naturall English I am
to deall in this place. Whereof I will set down but certain generall notes,
bycause the table which followeth, shal contain so manie of ech sort, as I
can well remember, and euerie one of them so proportioned to my note in
rule, as theie shall one answer another thoroughlie, as Cancel, chancell,
hancell. Chalice, malice, Calice, amice, office. Lauer, fauer, sauer.
Iaueling, graueling, shaueling, raueling. Natur, statur, Measur, treasur.
But I shall not nede to vse anie further enumeration, seing the endings be all
one, and the former syllab is that which moueth matter of question in this
place, which hath verie manie helps hereafter, whereby it maie be
thoroughlie vnderstood: deriuation somtime breading bisyllabs, as of
time, timelie, witie, of wit, writer of write,
composition somtime, as breakfast, thraldom, vauntgard lastage,
pondage, enfranchisment somtime, as Excuse, abuse, abase, reiect
distinction somtime noting, them, as Amis, and amisse, ascent,
assent, desert, and desért, and what not? Therefor the
bisyllabs for this place shall content themselues with these few notes.
First that the silent, e, after, l, encreaseth not the number of syllabs, &
that therefor Brable, scrăble, strample, wrangle, circle, whistle,
gogle, trouble, & number such be but monosyllabs. Barnacle,
triacle, chronicle, tunicle, & manie such be but bisyllabs.
Agreable, auailable, penetrable & a number, such be but of thre
syllabs. Again, that the, e, passant in such words, as basten, writen,
biden,threaten, frosen, cosen & such encreaseth not the syllabs,
& that therefor these, which I haue rehersed & such other be but
mere monosyllabs. Abiden, forgoten, unwriten, & such but
bisyllabs. Again, that the English tung is not lengthned Fallow, sallow, yallow, tallow, smallow. matter, platter, batter.
Mărie, tărie, cărie, quărie, with the shorte
time. Mārie, chārie, fārie, with the long
time, tho in neither the consonant be dubled. That both in bisyllabs, and
polysyllabs tho the same writing be in the end which is in the monosyllab,
yet the sound is far quikker, as in either of them the ending, ow,
runneth but like a single, u, whereas in the monosyllab, it wilbe heard full,
as in Low, know, and bellow, mellow, yallow, the difference is
sene. As concerning polysyllabs, theie be either English compounds or foren
Enfranchisments, which will bewraie themselues in their own places, the
simple words bringing their hole furniture in composition, as, ouerseing,
vndoing, whereupon, eueriewhere. And the foreners euer appealing to
their originall grounds, euen when theie be most fashioned to the English
ear, as originall, to originalis, enfranchisment, chastisment to
their own cuntries. And therefor I do not entend to saie much of them in
this place, otherwise then by generall note, bycause both the common table,
and all the titles that follow concern bisyllabs, and polysyllabs most: as
the generall rule, and the first part of proportion do most concern
monosyllabs. In which monosyllabs the naturall force of euerie letter is
best perceiued, bycase the sound and strength thereof appeareth there
fullest, where these is none to participat with them in sound, but
themselues, which cannot be sene so well in words of mo syllabs, bycause
theie hudle on euerie sound with more quiknesse, saue where the time or
tune will command verie roundlie. The polysyllab therefor for the chefe girk
of his sound riseth vpon the third syllab from the end, as the bisyllab doth
of the second. And bycause the large doth alwaie comprise the lesse within
it, therefor the rules of the first & second syllabs, hold in the
polysyllabs, where the companie of mo syllabs causeth anie one to be the
lest noted: onelesse som speciall occasion for difference sake make the
verie last, or the last saue one to be thought on and noted, as in
conc&obreverdance, surfitting, grasseh&obrevepper and such, the
second syllab short is a propertie of our tung contrarie to the common rule
of time, tho not Grekes do so in the like positions) and
therefor causeth the last syllabs saue one in these words & in the like
to be better noted. Again, in aburing, adiuring, coniuring, periurie, the
ods in the midle time maketh the deriuatiues of the same primitiues to be
markt for that syllab. And again, on, in the simple monosyllab, naie
euen in the bisyllab soundeth vpon the, o, most, in the polysyllab vpon the, u,
bycause the enfranchising of such words, as circumscription, deuision,
partition, comparison, declineson, kepeth the naturall, o, but giueth it
the enfranchisers, dy, in, u.
But to knit vp this title of proportion, (which is the great master
leader to all our whole tung, as Rule is the great anatomist of all the
sounds and forces of our letters) when we haue don all that either
sound maie require, or reason can enioyn, custom will
haue a great stroke, and must make vp the trinitie in direction of speche.
For what but custom hath won, in nation, deriuation, deliberation,
inclination, to kepe a, still, and to go so near the originall: and in
declinson, comparison, aduowson, and such to go so much astraie from
the originall, declination, comparation, aduocation? Wherefor as
sound hath somwhat to saie in our ortographie, and reason not
nothing, so the custom of our cuntrie will try mastries for hir
interest, which she must haue at his hand who so entendeth to handle this
argument with liking, as who so douteth to write a word in English, must
seke out the like sound in proportion.
THe force of euerie letter being opened by Rule, and the place of
euerie one being limited by proportion, the next point in naturall
method is to examin, whether the words, whose force is this, and roum is
thus, be simple but for pure syllabs, or compound of mo words. For the bare
word, which is handled in proportion, is somtime set down by it self
without further addition of anie either significant word, or not significant
particle, as after, doom, kin. Somtime it hath one or mo significant
words ioyned vnto it, which yet in dede make but Afterdeal, whereabout, howsoeuer, doomsdaie, kinsman,
somtime it hath som more put to it, tho that, which is put to, being set
alone signify nothing, and yet in the addition alter the signification of the
originall word, as Finenesse, thraldom, firerie, desirous, kings, woes,
agreith, sees, witches. Of these thre kindes the first is dispatcht in
proportion, the last hath a proper title of deriuation, the midle
and compound is to be handled is this place.
Therefor that word is called compound, which is made of two or mo
simple words, whereof euerie one signifyeth somwhat agreable to the
composition, euen when theie ar vsed alone, if theie be euer vsed all alone.
For, as catchpoll, chirchyard, outlaw, signify by their particular
words vsed alone, so beched, gainstand, awry, vnbind, be made of two
words, whereof the former thre be, gain, a, be neuer vsed alone in
anie such such sense, as theie imply in their composition, the last,
vn, is neuer vsed at all alone and answereth the Latin priuation,
inas indoctus.
Now these compound words be either mere English, or clear strangers:
mere English as when theie & theie & their parcells be altogither
English words, as comecase, headstall, headman, cupbord. Clear
strangers, when their substance is mere foren, tho their liuerie be English
for som maner of their writing and vtterance, squared to our sounds in the
like proportion, as presuppose, infringe, circumstance, ortografie,
filosofie. Ye shall somtime haue a word mungrell compound, half
foren, half English. Headlong, wharfage, princelike. The knowledge of
composition is verie necessarie for the right writing of our tung manie
waies.
First bycause the compound lightie bringeth in his single partes with
all their letters, as fearefull, neuerehelesse, harebraine, carefull,
carfull. Saue where some necessarie cause either putteth in som letter,
or putteth out som, or changeth som, or misplaceth som, as in kinsman,
kingstand, s, is added to bewraie som qualitie possessionlike. In
wilfull, husband, partaker, pastime. The single, l, and, s, in will,
& passe, do serue before a consonant in composition and
sound, as strong as the duble doth in the simple word. Again in
husband, the verie smoothnesse of the word, putteth out, o, in
ow, and the, e, after, s, and partaker, one, t, is common
to both the simples in composition, part, and taker, and is
spelled with the latter, a point of great vse in our right writing, for not
dubling common letters. Generallie here is to be noted, that there is no
figur lakking in our words, which is receiued in the learned tungs, and ar by
them called metaplasms, or alterations of the words form and fauor.
Bycause the finer English peple vse to pronounce their words with a
delicacie euen comparable to the gallant speches, which delicacie being set
down in writing, sheweth the vse of those metaplasms, to be no lesse
in ours, then it was in theirs.
Secondlie we ar oftimes enforced to break our words in the latter end of our
lines, and to write out that in the beginning of the next line, which we left
vnwritten in the former. For tho it be said of Augustus Cæsar, that
he vsed to write the remnant of his word in the end, vnder the same line
with a croked stroke about it, yet it is handsomer to write it in the next
line, bycause we vse not Augustus Cæsar, for an example in learning
tho we do it in gouernment. Wherefor it is good to know not onelie how
manie letters go to a syllab in euerie simple and vncompound word, but also
which be the full partes of euerie compound, that the hole words in
compositionmaie be deuided togither, as all the letters of one syllab
ar to go togither, as in cramp-ring, not cram-pring, in
dis-honest, like dish-clout, in as-well, not a-swell, in
as-much, not a-smuch, Which consideration tucheth not onelie
such as write, but also such as spell out of writing, bycause those letters ar
to be spelled togither which ar to be writen togither.
Thirdlie the knowledge of composition is good to discern the difference of
meaning, which is to be expressed in writing. For when the same words be
so placed, as theie maie be constrewed simply or ioyntly theie brede the
fallax, which is called the error by deuiding those words, which ar to be
vnited, or by vniting those which ar to be deuided, as a-wry, a-waie,
be-long, begin, & such other, haue great diuersitie in their force being
compound from that which theie haue when theie be single. Fourthlie
the composition verie oftentimes altereth the quantitie & tuning of the
words as showmăker & partāker, be not of the
same tuning māker, and tāker be. Likewise
soothsăier, neuerth&ebrevelesse, forăsmuch.
Wherefor so necessarie a point deserueth the knowledge.
Fiftlie composition must be well considered for two other speciall
points, both in writing and spelling, besides these, bycause it shaketh two
generall rules in spelling and so consequentlie in breaking of the syllabs.
Whereof the first is, that if a consonant com betwene two vowells, it is to
be spelled with the latter, as in me-mo-rie, se-di-ti-ous. The second
is, that those consonants must be spelled togither, which maie begin a word
in the same combination, as be-smear, bycause we saie smart,
smatch. Now composition, breaketh both these rules, for against
the first it will saie, red-olent, ab-olish. And against the second it
will saie. Trans-pose, not tran-spose, tho we saie spent,
spoun, bycause in distribution, which spelling doth imply, euerie parcell
must haue his own letter.
Now as the knowledge of composition, is verie necessarie for the right
writing of our tung, vpon these and such other considerations, so it is no
hard thing to com by, bycause neither the naturall English compounds, nor
yet the enfranchised stranger do offer anie difficultie in their knowing. For
the generall table which followeth conteining all our simple words either
there named, or by their proportion to be easilie reclamed to the same
cadence, when soeuer two or mo of those simples go into one, it will saie it
self, that this word is a compound, which maie easilie be proued by
comparing the compound with the simples, if anie be so simple, that he
cannot discern a compound which bringeth all his simples with their own
letters, without the help of a table. Farewell, warfare, waiward,
toward, be compounds, whose simples be, fare, war, well, waie,
or awaie, ward, to, and ar to be found in the table.
As for the foren compositions theie be enfranchised hole, & be also
most of them in the table, tho with som English hew, yet so as their
strangership maie appear. And such as be compounded with the latin
prepositions, haue them also clear most what. Which latin prepositions
when we vse before our words, we fashion them to clasp with our letters
following, as the Latins do in the like cause, as displease, disease,
disworship, complain,
contein. Affaires, afford. Incom. Howbeit we vse their pewfellowes,
which answer to them in our tung commonlie after the words: As go
before, com behind, sit beneath, speak of, run from , stand betwene. The
foren prepositions be generallie known to euerie childe in euerie Accidence.
Our chefe prepositions, and those not significant, but in composition
be these. A, as, ago, agre, ado, abide, aswash. Be, as besmutched,
bespit, bethump, behead, betake. For, as forthink, forfet, forshow,
forsake. Fore, as forecast, forestall, foretell. Gain, as
gainsaie, gainstand. Mis, as misdemeanor, misuse, mishap. Vn,
as unkinde, unfrind, untrew, unpleasant, unthrift. Thus much
concerning composition, which I take to be a verie necessarie
instrument for vs to vse, in the finding out of our right writing, bycause it
bringeth in the simple English words hole, without anie either losse or
increase, or other metamorphosis, then vpon such allowable causes, as I
haue alledged: & as for strangers enfranchised, it bringeth them in so
hole, as the originall is soon bewraied, tho theie lean somwhat to the
English shore for their denisonship.
Deriuation naturally succedeth composition. For as composition
handleth the coplements of seuerall hole words which by their vniting make
a new one: so deriuation handleth the coplements of one hole word,
and som addition put to it, which addition of it selfe, signifieth nothing
alone, but being put to the hole word qualifyeth it to som other vse, then the
primitiue was put to, as frind, being a primitiue receiueth manie
additions, which yet signify nothing in the sense of their addition, tho theie
change the force of frind, as frindship, frindlie, frindlinesse,
frinds, frindeth, frinded, frinding, frindedst, &c. For I do not entend
to deall with anie point of deriuation in this place, but where the
right writing maie com in question, which is in addition onelie, either
direct, or contract, which contraction shorteneth the word vpon cause, that
is to be resolued to the originall, as monthlie, for monethlie,
cifring, for cifering, learnd, for learned, children, for
childeren, past, for passed. A figur
The diminutiues, with vs enlarg not, but as in sense theie lessen the
thing, so in speche theie shorten the word, and cut of the primitiue length;
& therefor I hold them among primitiues for their first term, tho for
som accidentarie points, which shalbe noted hereafter, theie fall within
compasse of this title, as by diminution we call Iohn, Iak, Richard,
Dic, Ione, Iug, Barptholomew, Bat, Christofer, Kit, Elisabeth, Besse,
Catherin, Cate. Which deriuations in respect of som plurall
numbers & possessiues, ar subiect to the rule of such words, as be of
like cadence. Pak, pik, dug, rat, fit, chesse, pate, but of themselues
theie be proportionate originalls.
Wherefor I define that word to be a deriuatiue in this place which
altereth from the primitiue or first head, by som addition, which addition of
it self signifieth nothing alone, tho in addition it qualify the primitiue to
som other vse, then it is of it self, as God, godlie, godhead, good, goodlie,
goodnesse, wasp, waspish, fellow, fellowship, fine, finenesse, win, winning,
pine, pineth, &c. All deriuatiues be either English, as
heauinesse, woddish, wisest, wittie: or theie be strangers
enfranchised, as temperance, continencie, argument, admonition. As
for the stranger enfranchised deriuatiues, the tide of enfranchisment
will examin them, besides that the generall table will set them furth plane,
bycause theie be transported vnto vs holelie, tho with som English habit, as
the conusance of their enfranchising.
The English deriuatiues be either perfit, when the vowell of the
primitiue is not clipt awaie by the addition, as in holelie, worthienesse,
cosinage, singlelie, simplelie: or vnperfit, when it is, as in fine,
fining, dare, daring, carie, carying. Again, all our English
deriuatiues be either substantiarie, or accidentarie. I
call those deriuatiues sustantiarie, which tho theie do com of som
other, yet thei themselues serue again for heads to other, such as the
grammarians in our learned tungs cal possessiues, localls, materialls,
aduerbialls, &c. As tré, treén, upland, uplandish, war,
warrious, warlike, martiall, martialist, vertew, vertewous, vertewouslie,
England, English, &c. I call those accidentarie deriuatiues,
which concern numbers tenses, persons, and such properties as wo, woes, cry,
cryes, word, words, fish, fishes, tre, trees, agré, agrees, write,
writen, wrate, wrote, writeth, wrotest, writest, scrible, scriblest,
contract for scribledest, hadst, contract for haueddest.
I shall not nede to stand much vpon prouf, that deriuation is a verie
nedefull instrument, for the furtherance of our right writing, considering
the thing it self, being set down doth infer the profit therewithall, euen to
euerie mans sense, which is willing to se it. Wherefor leauing the
profitablenesse thereof to their iudgement, which shall proue it, I will first
handle the Sustantiarie, and then the accidentarie deriuations,
which both ar much bound to the rule of proportion, bycause their
deriuatiue addition claspeth with the cadence and end of the pure
originall. For the better performance whereof this is to be noted that euerie
deriuable word endeth either in a vowell or in a consonant. As for the
consonant ending, the addition to it is allwaie one. In the vowellish ending,
there is more varietie, bycause the end thereof is somtime in a single
vowell, somtime in a diphthong, and the single vowell is somtime silent,
somtime sounding, all which giue cause of obseruation in the putting to of
the additions, as shall appear when the additions be known, which somtime
bring furth adiectiues, somtime substantiues, somtime different numbers,
somtime different persons. The deriuate substantiue terminations be
commonlie these, nesse, as madnesse, shipe, as workmanship,
age, as cosinage, dom, as fredom, kingdom, th, as length,
strength, welth, helth, truth, let, as chaplet, hood, as
womanhood, rie as knauerie, all, as refusall, denyall,
ance, as defiance, ing, as chambring, tie, as frailtie,
onelesse that com of the enfranchised substantiues, ment, as
punishment, yer, as lawyer, er, as writer, our, as
demeanour. The deriuate adiectiue terminations be commonlie
these, lie, as fatherlie, monthlie, wiselie, an, as Italian, Grecian,
Roman, ish, as Scotish, campish, kentish, where the single
possessiues, s, as Kings, Quenes, mothers. Neither do I se anie cause
were to vse his, sauing after words which end in s, as Socrates his
councell was this, Platoes that, Aristotels this, er, as wiser, wisest, ing, as louing, ed, as loued, ght,
as taught, thought, en, as writen, threaten, slain, contract for
slaien, ashen, oken, birchen, the first participalls,the second
materialls, ous, as vertewous. The deriuatiue number
terminations, es, s, n, as muses, wiues, words, tops, oxen,
howsen. The deriuatiue person terminations, est, as louest,
eth, as loueth, ith, as seith. Which is when the simple endeth
in the sharp, e, which maie not be extinguished, as the silent is in thriue,
thriueth, wiueth, edst, as louedst. Now all these additions ar to
be measured according to the ending of those words whereunto theie clasp,
& be allwaie one, but where contraction shortneth them, and allwaie
hole but for the silent, e, which is somtime drouned, when the addition
beginneth with a vowell. The sustantiue and adiectiue terminations serue
for those deriuations, which I call substantiarie, the number
and person, terminations for the accidentarie. In both which these
notes take place, first if it maie be that the primitiue be write hole, &
then the addition put to it, nothing being like to let it, saue contraction
which shortneth, and the beginning vowell in the addition defacing the
ending, e, silent in the simple. Second, that where the addition is but a
simple, s, after consonants, we maie vse either of the small esses, s, or
wrings, or
wring curly s
, trips or trip curly s
. Thirdlie that vowells, diphthongs, and the ending, h, or, s, haue
es in their deriuatiues, as daies, sees, pyes, varies, does, foes,
trewes, newes, bowes, dawes, dishes, fetches, matches, howses, horses.
Fourth that such plurall numbers as bear no additions, be no naturall
deriuatiues, as lice, mice, fete, men, of lowse, mouse, foot,
man. That foren deriuations haue respect allwaie to their own
originalls, as construction, persecution, argument, abundance, com
not of constrew, persew, argew, abound, but of their own latin
primitiues. That the plurall, e, encreaseth no syllabs, but in the qualifyed,
s, c, g, & sh, as uses, cases, causes, graces, spaces, spices, scurges,
surges, wishes, rishes, aches. Where the passant, e, still resembleth
the quik, i. That for the right taking of our termination in shon, we ar
to mark the naturall foren deriuation verie carefullie, as action,
passion, reflexion, pronunciation, all which sound like to our shon.
The deriuatiues of words ending in the qualifying, e, kepe their
forevowells sound, as bake, baking, take, taking. A number deriuation shew it self verie seruiceable for the right writing of our
English tung, which will appear more particularlie in the generall table.
THis title of distinction reacheth verie far, bycause it conteineth all
those characts, and their vses, which I called before signifying, but not
sounding, which help verie much, naie all in all to the right and tunable
vttering of our words and sentences, by help of those characts, which we
set down, and se in writing. The number of them be thirtene, and their
names be Comma, Colon, Period, Parenthesis, Interogation, long time,
shorte time, sharp accent, flat accent, streight accent, the seuerer, the
uniter, the breaker. Whose forces, & vses I will run thorow in order
as theie ar named. Coma, is a small crooked point, which in writing
followeth som small branch of the sentence, & in reading warneth vs to
rest there, and to help our breth a litle, as Who so shall spare the rod,
shall spill the childe. Colon is noted by two round points one
aboue another, which in writing followeth som full branch, or half the
sentence, as Tho the daie be long: yet at the last commeth euensong.
Period is a small round point, which in writing followeth a perfit
sentence, and in reading warneth vs to rest there, and to help our breth at
full, as The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
Parenthesis is expressed by two half circles, which in writing
enclose som perfit branch, as not mere impertinent, so not fullie concident
to the sentence, which it breaketh, and in reading warneth vs, that the
words inclosed by them, ar to be pronounced with a lower & quikker
voice, then the words either before or after them, as Bycause we ar not
able to withstand the assalt of tentation (such is the frailtie of our natur)
therefor we praie God, that our infirmitie be not put to the hasard of that
triall. Interogation is expressed by two points one aboue another,
wherof the vpper is somtimes Who taught the popiniaye to
speak? the bellie: These fiue characts, that I haue allredie named, ar
helps to our breathing, & the distinct vtterance of our speche, not ruling
within the word, as al those do which follow, but by the word, &
therefor com here in note, bycause theie ar creaturs to the pen, &
distinctions to pronoune by, & therefor, as theie ar to be set down with
iudgement in writing, so theie ar to be vsed with diligence in the right
framing of the tender childes mouth. The two next concern the time, that is,
the long or short pronouncing of syllabs, and ar not allwaie to be marked
ouer that syllab, whereon theie shew their force, but with discretion &
vpon great cause for som manifest distinction, which rule we haue of
the Latins, who vse their accents in that sort, and truble not their
writing therewith, so much as the Grekes do, much lesse so much as
the Hebrewes. The long time, is expressed by a streight
outright line, which being set ouer anie vowell or diphthong, telleth vs, that
the same vowell or diphthong, must be pronounced long, as
repīning, perūsing, repēnting. The short
time, is expressed by an half circle opening vpward, which standing
aboue anie vowell or consonant, signifieth that the same is to be pronounced
short and quik, as perf&ibreveting, natŭrall, periŭrie,
torm&ebreventer, carp&ebreventer. In the other fiue I gaue no further
note then that theie were to be well markt, euen for that theie were writen
to such an end, bycause the matter of their periods and branching, whereof
manie learned men haue writen hole treatises, belongeth not to this place,
but onelie their form to the eie, and their vse to the ear, which tendeth to
the qualifying of our voice. For these two distinctions of time, which
shew their force in words of two or mo syllabs, as the accents do in
monosyllabs, I haue at this time to giue onlie som certain rules gathered
vpon the dubling of our consonants, & the qualifying, e, which
qualifying, e, is a great leader in the certaining of our tung, for manie vses,
but chefelie for the time: My first rule is, that a number of our deriuatiues
ar short in their last syllab saue one, euen where the vowell cummeth befor
two consonants whether the same or other, as perf&ibrevetnesse,
trau&ebrevelling, peu&ibreveshnesse, which argweth that their simples
be such in natur as we call trochees, hauing perf&ibrevet, peu&ibrevesh, trau&ebrevell, rec&obreverd,
which differeth much from recōrding, and
recōrder, of recōrde, the sponde. Again those
primitiues which end in a quik diphthong do shorten the same diphthong in
their deriuatiues as f&ebrevell&obrevew, f&obrevell&obrevew,
hăll&obrevew, fell&obrevewship, foll&obrevewer,
hall&obrevewed, whereas allow, endow, delaie, enioy, bring furth,
endewed, allowance, anoyance. Again if the primitiue simple word
haue the qualifying, e, in the end, as the vowell before it is sharp and long,
so is it in the deriuatiue, as prescribe, prescribing, endure enduring.
If the primitiue or simple word haue not, e, in the end, the vowell before the
last consonant is short & quik in both the primitiue & the
deriuatiue, as perfit, perf&ibreveting, fortun, fortŭnat, natur,
natŭrall, onelesse the primitiues single ending consonant be
dubled in the deriuatiue, as concur, concurring. In which case either
of dubling the same consonant, or of position by diuerse, the syllab is
somtime long, as forbid, forbīdding, transport,
transpōrting, somtime short, as gospell, gosp&ebreveller,
cons&obrevert, cons&obreverting. This shortnesse or length of time in
the deriuatiues is a great leader, where to write or not to write the
qualifying, e, in the end of simple words. For who will write, natur,
perfit, measur, treasur, with an, e, in the end knowing their deriuatiues
to be short, natŭrall, perf&ibrevetlie, measŭred,
treasŭrers? & who will not write procure, endure, allure,
endite, require, with an, e, finding their deriuatiues,
procūrer, endūrance, allūrement,
endīting, requītall, to haue the last saue one long?
whereby the vse of the qualifying, e, is more the most euident. Whence also
this generall rule for the writing thereof is to be gathered, that if ye desire
to know whether the qualifying, e, be to be writen in the end of anie word or
no, ye must vse the help of som deriuatiue, whether of two or of mo syllabs,
whereby the time and tune of the deriuatiue, the, e, or not, e, in the originall
is perceiued. For if the deriuatiue be long and shrill, the primitiue hath, e,
as presuppose, conclude, remoue, prepare must be writen with, e,
bycause the last syllab saue one in presuppōsing
conclūding, remōuing, prepāred, is long. And
again, fortun profit, consort, must haue no, e, bycause
fortŭnat, prof&ibreveting, comf&obreverter, haue the last
saue one short. So likwise in bisyllabs pine, pining, pin, pinning, mate,
mating, mat matting. The like rule by conuersion comf&obreverting,
ran&sbreveking, comf&obrevert, ransăk, and the contraries long.
The other syllabs besides these for both time and tune in natur, follow the
direction of the last syllab, as theie do also for the force of euerie vowell,
diphthong, consonant or combination. Thus much concerning time at this
time. The sharp accent is a streight line rising toward the right hand,
which sheweth that the vowell or diphthong, ouer which it is, must be
sounded sharp and high, as ráge, crépe, míne, hóme,
púre.
The flat accent, is a streight line rising towards the left hand, which
sheweth that the vowell or diphthong ouer which it is must be sounded flat
and quik, as ràg, stèp, thìn, fòr fiùr. The
streight accent, is an vpright perpendicular line falling vpon som
letter of duble force to shew in whether kinde it is to be vsed, as charact,
thin, giue. For euerie of these thré accents, these rules ar to be
obserued. That for cumbring of the lines and shew of difficultie, no accent
is to be vsed but where nede is, and therefor where the accent is sene, the
place is to be noted. That the sharp & flat accents ar onelie to be set
vpon the last syllab, where the sharp hath manie causes to present it self:
the flat onlie vpon som rare difference, as refùse, refúse,
prèsent, presént, recòrd, recórd, diffèr,
différ, seuèr, seuére, and certain other of that sort,
which ar noted in the generall table. The streight perpendicular accent,
serueth onelie for those letters, diphthongs and coplements which be of
duble forces, and is set vpon them in their lesse vsuall force: bycause their
common and vsuall is more then their half naturall, and therefor not to be
distinguished with anie accent.
The duble forced letters be these, i, o, ou, ow, c, f, g, s, ch, th. Whereof c, f,
and t, shall not nede anie expresse accent at all, bycause c, in hir weak
force either goeth befoer i, or, c, or hath the qualifying, e, following hir, as
hence, auance, once, pronounce, which wilbe sufficient notes for, c.
F, soundeth vpon the consonantish u, onelie in, if, the abuerb conditionall,
and of, the preposition. T, is cosen to, c, onelie in enfranchised words,
where a vowell followeth after, t, as condition, faction, molestation.
Neither is, s, to be noted with anie accent, after, l, m, n, r, hills, brims,
guns, cars, times lines.
Therefor the chefe residence of the streight accent is ouer, i, in
terminations in iue, as gíue, alíue, thríue. Where the
contrarie sound cheks, as giue, liue, siue, shriuen. Ouer, o, in
terminations in oue, where, o, soundeth strong, as loue, groue,
throne, where the contrarie sound cheks, as loue, houe, aboue,
moue. If, o, com in anie place not allredie noted for, u, and of anie
difficultie for distinction, the streight accent is to be set ouer it, as
móther for a girle in difference from mòther. Ou,
and ow, sound most commonlie vpon the, u, and therefor if the streight
accent be put vpon the, o, as in doubtfull cases it wold be, it is to be
sounded full vpon the, o, and not, u. G, before, a, o, u, is out of controuersie
strong, and therefor the difference is, when, g, cumming before, i, or, e,
soundeth strong, which is contrarie to the naturall, or rather the
Romane vse thereof, as in gig, begin, giue, geld, gird, gek, gilt and
such other, where g, is somwhat mannish, and therefor is to be noted with
the strong accent, and thereby expelleth the, u, which is made for hir strong
supplement, in guy, guide, and yet hath another note of hir own, which must
haue som accent, if this be vsed. For languish, anguish language, and
such differ from guy, and guesse. But he that is acquainted with the
Hebrew tung, will not meruell that a sillie point maketh a great
distinction in the force of the same letters. S, betwene two vowells,
is a maruellous deputie for, z, and therefor wold haue som handsom note,
which will fall somwhat vnhandsomlie, the, s, being such a gangrell,
onelesse the streight accent maie be conuenientlie set within the vpper
bought, whereof, f, hath the like, thorow his verie hart. For in notes of
distinction the most commodious charact is best currant. For ch,
where it is strong the number is not manie, and therefor it maie well abide
the perpendicular accent ouer the coplement, as charact, archangell. Th, is
maruellous generall, and therefor in such generall words, as the, this,
that, therefor, thence, and mo of that race, it nedeth not anie sensible
distinction, where common vse will streight waie be the teacher. Howbeit
in manie places it will proue nedefull to note the weak, th, with this
streight accent, tho som generall rules maie breath, mouth, and the
verbe weak, as sooth, breath, mouth. And again o, before, th, with, e,
following next, soundeth vpon the weak side, as mother, other,
brother. Therefor the perpendicular accent sitteth vpon the weak, s,
and, th, vpon the strong, i, o, ou, ow, g, ch, where nede doth require. If anie
wold haue two continent letters both to be noted with the streight accent,
as giue, one betwene them both maie serue the turn by learned presidents in
the like case. This rule of distinction must be som what curiouslie
kept in the generall table, as the common master, & in the elementarie
reading, as the common introductorie. Thus much for the thre accents. The
seuering noteis expressed by two points, the one following the other,
which being set ouer two vowells or the latter vowell in a diphthong declare
that theie be to be referred to diuerse syllabs, whereas otherwise theie
might belong to one, as going, varietie, allied, vowell following. The
uniting line is expressed by a long stroke betwene two syllabs,
whereby it is ment that those two syllabs ar parcells of one word, being
seuered so either by change thorough the writers ouersight, or vpon som
particular consideration, as for-think, fare-think. The breaker
is expressed by two outright strokes one vnder another in the end of a line,
and giueth vs to wit, that the word which it so breaketh is parted by full
syllabs, whereof som be writen in the line before: som in that which
followeth, as contrarie, magistrate. Here is the rule of
composition and right spelling to be considered. These points be
theie, which I think most worthie the consideration in the matter of
distinction, tho the particular argument maie sprede further.
ALL the words which we do vse in our tung be either naturall English, and
most of one syllab, or borowed of the fore, and most of manie syllabs.
Whereby our tung semeth to haue two heds, the one homeborn, the other a
stranger whereof either hath a great train following it. The causes of either enfranchised terms do match togither in one front. To whom
we ar much beholden, for that theie vouchsafe to becom English to serue our
nede, as their peple ar to thank our tung, for returning the like help, in cases
of like nede, tho their occasions to vse ours be nothing so often, as ours to
vse theirs.
This benefit of the foren tung, which we vse in making their termes to
becom ours, with som alteration in form, according to the frame of our
speche, tho with the continewing in substance of those words, which ar so
vsed, that it maie apear both whence theie com, and to whom theie com, I
call enfranchisment, by which verie name the words enfranchised, becom bond to the rules of our writing, which
I haue named before, as the stranger denisons be to the lawes of our cuntrie.
And tho the learned enfranchiser maie somtime yeild to much to the
foren, either for shew of learning, or by persuasions that it is best so, yet
he doth not well, considering that the verie natur of enfranchisment
doth enforce obedience to the enfranchisers lawes, not to be
measured by his bare person, but by the custom, reason & sound,
of his cuntries speche. And as vnaduised cunning, or not sufficientlie
aduised, doth plaie to much vpon the foren string, being verie loth to leaue
out anie one letter, as eleemosinarie, for amner, hospitall and
victuall for spitle vitle and such other. So mere ignorance and
not willing to learn, but presuming vpon it self writeth so vnwarilie, as
whole, for hole, which is manifest greke, & to begin
with h, &c. And as it is verie good for our English man to know the
force of his own naturall words, so it cannot be but good to know the foren,
if the right in writing, be anie right worth waing, signet, for a litle
signe, or seall, and cygnet, for a young swan, ar
descried that waie, In signe, g, soundes not, in signify it doth.
Wherefor I think it best for the strange words to yeild to our lawes, bycause
we ar both their vsuaries & fructuaries, both to enioy their frutes, and
to vse themselues, and that as near as we can, we make them mere English,
as Iustinian did make the incorporate peple, mere Romanes, and
banished the terms, of both latins & yeildlings.
The vse of this enfranchisement is as large in our tung, as our nede is
in deliuerie, which being capable of all arguments, makes vs subiect to all
words. I know no other diuision of enfranchised, words, then after
the tungs fom Latin, Greke,
Hebrew, Italian, French, Spanish, Dutch, Scottish, &c. Which ar
freid amongst vs, as the present nede of either them with vs, or vs with
them, doth sew to be incorporate.
Which we haue from which, it is not here so nedefull to declare, where the
question is not of the substance & sense of the word, but of the right
writing. And yet the generall table will shew that I haue not bene verie
negligent that waie. But concerning the writing, me think the common men
ought to yeild therein enfranchising them must
nedes haue their eie, vpon our proportion our accent, our
deriuation and such other, according to the reason , custom, and
sound of our speche, reseruing that to the stranger which our tung
cannot rule, as if ye once passe the third syllab, our tung is husht. To proue
anie of these things by examples, which be euerie where so common, it shall
not nede. In this verie chapter of enfranchisment, tho I do not affect
anie extraordinarie forenism, yet how manie foreners am I constraned to
vse? Verie, chapter, enfranchisment, affect, extraordinarie, foren,
forenism, constrained, use, in this last sentence do easilie proue, that it
were to foren from the matter, to seke examples of foren words. Wherefor
to knit vp this note of enfranchisment in few words, the English rule
for writing, must be the right thereof, tho it kepe still manie signes of a
stranger, tho yet incorporat with vs, which rule the Italian semeth to
obserue both wiselie and well. If ye write philosophie, ye do write to
much vpon the foren, if filosohie, not to much vpon the English. If ye
will nedelie kepe the clear foren, it were good to vse the ordinarie
premunition, (that it is so writen in the primitiue tung.) And whereas the
learnedder sort, as Tullie him self, allow not the interlacing of
Greke words in Latin, the meaning of that their saing tendeth
to this my conclusion. For if we haue of our own, as significant and as
proper, what nede a rich man to be a thefe? If we haue either none or not so
toward, why in our own nede, shall we not enfranchis forenners? If
we mean to vse them but for a time, or to som end the premunition will be
our warrant. If we mean to make them ours, then let them take an other to
be trew to our tung, and the ordinances thereof. If this point be not agreid
on, great inconueniences will follow, and all the rules, which be kept in our
tung, must take exception against the foren, or the foren aginst them, when
theie com to the writing.
Wherefor it will proue best for all parts, that our tung, & the rules of
hir right writing be made the generall right. For the naturall words, the
propertie is hir own, for the foren the vse
Neither must anie learned man think it strange to write foren Englished terms after an English ear, seing it is not contrarie to the custom of his cuntrie. Neither is it anie embasing to learning, to lend the common man the vse of his learning, tho he kepe the substance: neither yet both to se, and suffer the learneddest terms that he hath, to com vnder an English hand, seing there is no dishonor ment them, where theie be made peres to our own. Thus much at this time concerning the right writing of foren words, when theie becom ours to vse, and attire themselues to the English complexion, which we our selues think reasonable well of, and I as well as anie, what account soeuer my thinking maie be of, in such an argument, as I haue thought thus much of.
I Said before, that those men, which will giue anie certain direction for the
writing of anie tung, or for anie thing else, which concerneth anie tung,
must take som period in the tung, or else their rules will proue vnrulie. For
euerie tung hath a certain ascent from the meanest to the height, and a
discent again from the height to the meanest, the one in the remouing kinde,
as the other was in mounting. And as in the ascent it is not yet com to the
assurance of note, bycause it is not thoroughlie artificiall, so in the discent
it growes not worth the noting, bycause it becoms rude again, and in a maner
withered. Hence commeth it, that Demosthenes his age is the prince
of Grece, Tullies age the flour of Rome, whose tungs if learned
writing had not commended to the tuition of books, theie had ben of small
worth, naie of no remembrance, long before this daie: as the spoken tungs of
the same soils beginning in their daies to change, be now quite altered, or at
the least nothing like that, where the carnation grew, tho full of good
flowers in an other kinde. So that kooks giue life where bodies bring but
death. Mark the Greke or Latin writers before, and
This secret misterie, or rather quikning spirit in euerie spoken tung, and
therefor in ours, call I prerogatiue, bycause when sound hath
don his best, when reason hath said his best, when custom hath
effected, what is best in both, this prerogatiue will except against
anie of them all, and all their rules, be theie neuer so generall, be theie
neuer so certain. Whereby it maketh a waie to a new change that will
follow in som degre of the tung, if the writers period be chosen at the best.
I cannot compare this customarie prerogatiue in speche to anie thing
better, then vnto those, which deuise new garments, and by law ar left to
the libertie of deuise. Hence cummeth it in apparell, that we be not like
ourselues anie long time, tho the best & most semelie (like an artificial
rule) do bets please the wisest peple. But by the waie is it not a maruell,
that the period of a tung, being so quik an instrument, shall continew longer,
then the fashion of apparell, being a thing so thought on, & sadlie
misformd? Vpon the like libertie in speche, to be hir own caruer, com our
exceptions against our generall rules. Hence coms the writing of
com, the simple with, o, the compound with, u, cumfort
cumpasse. Hence, whom, & most sound lik, rom &
roste, tho not qualifyed with, e. Hence cometh it that, enough, bough,
tough & such other primitiues be so stranglie writen, and more
strangelie sounded. Whereby prerogatiue semeth to be a quiksiluer in
custom, euer stirring, and neuer stated tho the generall
custom, as a thing of good staie do still offer it self to be ordered by
rule, as a nere frind to reason. This stirring custom,
bycause it semes to be a verie imperious controller, but theie ar deceiued.
For in dede this prerogatiue, tho it check generall conclusions,
thorough priuat oppositions, yet that opposition came not of priuat men, but
it is a priuat thing it self, and the verie life blood, which preserueth tungs
in their naturall best from the first time that theie grew to account, till
theie com to decaie, & a new period growen, different from the old, tho
excellent in the altered kinde, and yet it self to depart, and make roum for
another, when the circular turn shall haue ripened alteration.
I take this present period of our English tung to be the verie height thereof,
bycause I find it so excellentlie well fined, both for the bodie of the tung it
self, and for the customarie writing thereof, as either foren workmanship
can giue it glosse, or as homewrought hanling can giue it grace. When the
age of our peple, which now vse the tung so well, is dead and departed there
will another succede, and with the peple the tung will alter and change.
Which change in the full haurest thereof maie proue comparable to this, but
sure for this which we now vse, it semeth euen now to be at the best for
substance, and the brauest for circumstance, and whatsoeuer shall becom of
the English state, the English tung cannot proue fairer, then it is at this
daie, if it maie please our learned sort to esteme so of it, and to bestow
their trauell vpon such a subiect, so capable of ornament, so proper to
themselues, and the more to be honored, bycause it is their own. The force
of prerogatiue is such as maie not be disobeied tho it seme to
disorder som well ordered rule, and cause som peple wonder which weie not
the cause.
Wherefor when anie note shall com in place quite contrarie to the common
not custom, but precept, then must we nedes think of
prerogatiues power, a great princesse in proces, and a parent to
corruption, but withall intending to rase another Phenix from the
former ashes. Which prerogatiue, who soeuer he be, that will not
graunt to anie tung, denyeth it to haue life, onelesse his meaning be, by
registring som period in it of most prerogatiue, and to preserue the tung,
which he enrolleth by writing from the peples prophaning, by making of it
learned, and exempting from corruption, as our book languages be, whose
rule is so certain, as theie dream of no change. This prerogatiue and
libertie, which the peple hath to vse both speche and pen at will, is the
case, and yet not blamed therefor, why the English writers be now finer,
then theie were som hundreth yeares ago, tho som antiquarie, will take the
old writing to be finer. But the question is wherein finenesse standeth. So
was Salust deceiued among the Romans, liuing with eloquent
Tullie, and writing like ancient Cato.
But in one generall word to tuch both this prerogatiue, and my other
six rules, with the verie generall method, wherewith I haue traced the right
of our writing, I do take them all to be verie well grounded, neither is there
anie thing at all, set down by me in waie of obseruation concerning the tung,
be it neuer so strange, or rather seme it neuer so strange, but it is as
artificiall, and of as sure note, as the best language is. Which I shall not
nede in this so petie a principle to proue by particulars, neither to raise vp
again a sort of horie heded writers, both grammarians and greater in the
verie best speches, from out of their graues to subscribe to my rules. It is
enough for me that the learned find this trew in their own trauell, and that
the vnlearned be content to beleue the learned, that I vtter a truth, tho I
bring not in a Priscian, or anie Priscianlike ortografer or anie
of the twelue old grammarians likned to the nine muses and the thre graces
in the Latin tung. Which tung I rest still on, as commonlie best known
to our bookish peple. That my cuntrie custom doth fight stoutlie for
me, that euen soundit self is found of my side, and that the best
reason, is my greatest frind, naie my verie good ladie, no man I hope
will deny me, being so redie to content him, but more redie to procede, and
perform mine enterprise.
In this writing prerogatiue, the verie pen it self is a great doer and of
maruellous autoritie, which bycause it is the secretarie alone, and
executeth all, that the wit can deliuer, presumeth therefor much, & will
venter as far, as anie counseller else, of what soeuer calling, tho neuer
against reason, whose instrument it is Custom, (whose charge
prerogatiue is, as the pen is his conueier) fauoreth the pen
excedinglie much, and will not stik to stand to it, that a dash with a pen
maie hold for a warrant, where both dispatch for spede, and grace for fair
letter bid the pen be bold. Hence cummeth it that so manie zeds in our tung
ar herd, & so few sene, for dexteritie and spede in the currantnesse of
writing. And as the pen can do this, so I do take it that our verie tung vpon
prerogatiue for smoothnesse, vseth the z, so much for, s, & the
weak, th, the v wish, o, and such others of the duble sounds.
But it maie be said that all our exceptions of most reasonable
prerogatiue, maie be well reduced to the general form, as why not
whome, moste, whear, thear, hear, and a number such, as well as,
home, coste, fear, and such, which I contrarie not at all, tho I se som
difficultie in altering that, which our custom hath so grasped. And it
were to much almost to require that of anie wise and learned man, so to
arrest exceptions, chefelie in such a thing, as will not proue a standard, tho
he that wisheth this, seme to conceiue such a thing, which tho it were
granted, yet wold it break out again furthwith som other waie, and cause a
greater gap. Bycause no banks can kepe it in so strait, bycause no strength
can withstand such a stream, bycause no vessell can hold such a liquor, but
onelie those banks which in flowing ar content to be somtimes ouerrun,
onelie those staies which in furie of water will bend like a bulrush, onelie
that vessell which in holding of the humor, will receiue som it self, as
allowing of the relice. If anie ignorant pen, either ignorantlie, or vpon
ignorant ground, tho pretending knowledge and good resolution, do offend
against reason, and intrude vpon prerogatiue, that is no right
quill, neither auowed by me, as neither that currant is to be called
custom, which holdeth by vsurpation, neither that cause to be counted
reason, which hath other beginning, then right knowledge, or other
ending, then the natur of that thing, wil seme to admit, for whom that
reason speaketh. And certainlie when I consider the thing depelie, as
my thoughts in this case haue not bene slight, neither mere superficiall, I
cannot se, when these imperfections be remoued, which stil companie
perfection, and by eaise notes maie easlie be remoued, prerogatiue maie full well take
place, & the pen also his, considering our custom is becom so
orderlie, as it maie well be ruled, without either chopping or changing of
anie letter at all, or otherwise praing aid of anie foren inuention, more then
I haue set down, & said enough of.
These be the notes which I promised to giue for the ordering of our tung,
& the right writing thereof, wherein if I haue hit right, the right will be
my warrant, yea tho it seme not right to som, wherein I comfort my selfe
tho I content not all. Aristides once made an oration to the peple of
Athens, and was wonderfullie well like, euen with som clapping of
hands, or som popular shout, which generall liking he so misliked, as he
asked som frind, who stood next vnto him, what ill he had spoken, bycause it
was so liked, as if it were not possible for anie good thing to win general
liking, tho the right be rightlie honored of hir own children, as our greatest
& best orator in scripture speaketh. But as it shall please God, so shall
my trauell take place if it please, I will be glad, if it please not I will not
fear, so the displeased partie be no principall best. I wold neither be an
Herod to be eaten with ice for the puf of great allowance, neither yet
a Cicero to shrink in Miloes right, for either crashing of armor,
or craking of speche, my argument being such, as wil bear it self out, &
my pacience such, as can abide time till either other men se me & allow
if I deserue, or my self se my self, and amend mine own misse. It is an
easie thing to find falt, & therefor much vsed, it is hard to iudge right,
and therefor not ordinarie. If learned secretaries will hede their pen, &
skillfull correctors be charie of their print, neither will these things seme
strange, neither prerogatiue be pointed at, but euerie right in writing
be mesured by right in iudgement. And in verie dede as I said before, all my
notes do more concern the pen, and the dispatch there, then the print and his
statarie form. Now will I set down the generall table, which will supply all
that by particular words, whatsoeuer is wanting in my generall precept.
Secondlie, for the perfiting of proportion, a great officer in directing
the pen, as being chefe marshall to set words in araie, according to their
sounds. Which sounds bewraing themselues best in the last syllabs, as being
therefor best hard, bycause theie ar last said, recommend themselues
therein to the rule of proportion, tho not without both nede, and hope
of further help, for the first and midle syllabs, to haue their
proportion thereby full and sutable in all. Which help this table
promiseth, as preciselie examining the beginning of words by order of the
letter, as proportion sought out the ending thereof, by likenesse in
sound. Which two syllabs, the first and last being certainlie known, if there
be mo, then all be known. But if there be mo, where the extremities be
certain, the midle maie be sene.
Thirdlie the enfranchised words, which we borow of the foren, being a
great parcell of our ordinarie speche, bycause we deal so much with such
matters, as enforce vs thereunto, while we vtter that which we learn, as
theie do of whom we learn, not hauing of our selues to exprese that in
speche, which we haue but of others to execute in dede: such a generall
table is a conuenient gide to deliuer them to our eies. Wherewith to cloie
the rule of enfranchisment, where som few maie serue by waie of
example, were either to duble them, if theie be in both, or to lame the table
if theie be but in the rule: both great ouersights. Wherefor contenting the
rule with sufficient number, to make it plane, I haue vsed the table for a
common treasurie where to laie vp all.
Fourthlie the affinitie betwene the rule, which examineth the generall
direction by particular proufs & the particular poufs, which range
themselues in order, by generall direction, is so near
Fiftlie and last, the generall table is a mean to help ignorance, and a waie to
ease cunning. For the ignorant man, which cannot iudge of sounds by
finenesse of his ear, will soon discern forms by sharpnesse of his eie &
quicklie finde out the vse of a table, tho he seldom fele the sense of a rule.
And the skilfull man also, which can iudge of a rule, if he haue time to read
it, in want of leisure to read, maie haue recourse to his table, and so satisfy
the sudain, till conuenient time will giue him leaue to studie. The table
therefor being a thing of such commoditie, to confirm rules, to perfit
proportion, to discouer enfranchisments, to supply all wants,
to help ignorance, and to ease knowledge: I haue so framed it, I hope, both
for store of words, and choice of notes, as it shall perform all this,
whereunto it is said to be so profitable.
For the words, which concern the substance thereof: I haue gathered togither so manie of them both enfranchised and naturall, as maie easilie direct our generall writing, either bycause theie be the verie most of those words which we commonlie vse, or bycause all other, whether not here expresesd or not yet inuented, will conform themselues, to the presidencie of these. If my leisur wold haue serued, I wold haue sought out mo, but these maie seme enough, which both serue the thing, & discharge me. Who entending at the first to deal no lower, then the entrie to speche, vpon great occasion haue bene forced further to deuise an Elementarie, a thing as different from my first purpos, as it is verie pertinent to the common profit.
For the notes, besides the beginning letter, which I haue curiouslie
obserued, both to find out most words by that kinde of method, and withall
to perform that, which is required in a table, to direct him that sekes by
order of the letter, I haue had speciall regard to mine own rules, that both
table & rule agreing in one, my labour thereby maie sooner win
allowance. distinction, or in change for proportion, or in
strangenesse for deriuation, or in writing for enfranchisment,
or in propertie for custom, either in penning or pronouncing, bycause
it reigneth in both: the accents ar set ouer the consonants or vowells,
which require distinction: the changing of proportion, the
strangenesse of deriuation, the propertie of custom is
presentlie noted: and the enfranchised words be first set down in
their naked and naturall colros, and after writen so as our cuntrie doth
clothe them, and our custom doth allow them.
This haue I don, and thus, which whether it be the right waie, to direct our
writing or no: that I leaue to other mens iudgement, contenting my self
with these two reasons. First bycause I se those writers, which haue
trauelled in other tungs, for the right writing thereof, whose labor also hath
taken good effect, and euen at this daie doth gide all our studies, bycause
their successe proueth the rightnesse of their waie, to haue cut this same
course, and by examining ech syllab to haue certained all, not by rasing new
characts, but by ruling old custom.
Second, bycause he which quite altereth the natur of such a thing, as is said
to be corrupted, doth not amend the old falt but tendereth vs a new
substance, as subiect to blame, as the former was, naie oftimes more, the
deformitie thereof appearing in the face, and the infirmitie thereof not able
to bear age, as the other did, in whose roum it cummeth. Whereas in dede in
such a case, where the substance maie remain, tho som error be stript, a
good director will first sift the certain right from the supposed wrong, and
in ruling them both call custom to counsell, from whom the right
came, as all men know, and by whom the wrong must be helpt, as theie that
mark, maie se.
But not to tary long in a matter so plane, and so examined before, this is
most trew, that long and waking custom, in the matter of speche,
wherein she commandeth without vsurpation, wherein she hath propertie
without intrusion, and wherein she deals not without consideration, of force
must haue hir custom
will best admit, vpon former acquaintance.
Thus much haue I don for the right writing of our English tung, desiring my cuntrimen to think well of my labor, and themselues to trauell in furnishing out the rest, which I cannot deal with, if theie like of that which I haue hitherto don: if not, I wold be glad to be directed my self by som president of another, which shall taste of iudgement.
Mine own course doth carie me quite another waie, from medling with such things, as this argument is: & yet not altogither so, but that where good cause shall offer occasion, and fit circumstance shalbe answerable to such cause, I wilbe verie redie to pleasur mine own cuntrie, to the vtmost of my power, yea euen in the middest of anie foren learning: Tho my drift be such, as I maie sooner minister occasion of much matter to such as will dwell vpon particular discourse, then my self digresse from that plat, which is alredie laied, being more then enough, to occupy anie one.
It were a thing verie praiseworthie in my opinion, and no lesse profitable
then prasie worthie, if som one well learned and as laborious a man, wold
gather all the words which we vse in our English tung, whether naturall or
incorporate, out of all professions, as well learned as not, into one
dictionarie, and besides the right writing, which is incident to the
Alphabete, wold open vnto vs therein, both their naturall force, and their
proper vse: that by his honest trauell we might be as able to iudge of our
own tung, which we haue by rote, as we ar of others, which we learn by rule.
The want whereof, is the onelie cause why, that verie manie men, being
excellentlie well learned in foren speche, can hardlie discern what theie
haue at home, still shooting fair, but oft missing far, hard censors ouer
other, ill executors themselues. For easie obtaining is enemie to iudgement,
not onelie in words, and naturall speche, but in greater matters, and verie
important. Aduised & Platoes Cratylus, or Aristotles
proposition as by best autorities, (tho men be sufficient to proue their own
inuentions) that words be voluntarie, and appointed vpon cause, seing we
haue better warrant. For euen God himself, who brought the creatures,
which he had made, vnto that first man, whom he had also made, that he
might name them, according to their properties, doth planelie declare by his
so doing, what a cunning thing it is to giue right names, and how necessarie
it is, to know their forces, which he allredie giuen, bycause the word being
knowen, which implyeth the propertie Ionas, Iudas, Kimchi, among the Grekes, Eustathius,
Fauorine, Pollux, among the Latins, Marcus Varro, Nonius Marcellus,
Festus Pompeius, tho not these alone, nor in these tungs alone,
endeuored themselues to do that in their tungs, which I wish for in ours,
expounding their own words by their own language. The Italian, the
Frenche, the Spanish, at this daie vse the like: naie theie go
further, and make particualr dictionaries euen to particular books, as
Iohn Boccace alone hath a dictionarie for himself in the Italian tung.
Now if such like English wits, in whom both learning and labor do concur,
wold do so much for our tung, as these and the like haue don for theirs, naie
as euen learners haue don, for those same tungs, which theie haue gained by
labor, as Staphanus, Perot, Calepine, for the latin and others for
other: we should then know what we both write and speak: we should then
discern the depth of their conceits, which either coined our own words, or
incorporated the foren. Whereas at this daie: we be skillfull abode
THis is that, which I had to saie concerning the right writing of our English
tung, both for the rules, which I haue obserued in dailie experience, and for
the table, which I haue collected to confirm that experience. As for the
right of my rules, I maie not take vpon me anie more certaintie, then the
naturall force of such probable directions doth ordinarilie infer, which is to
hold commonlie trew, and euer most likelie, from which probabilitie I
wander not far, if my self maie be iudge. As for the table I sought in it, to
write all the words generallie after an English ear, neuer yeilding much to
anie foren letter sauing onelie where som pretie occasion recommended vnto
me, the duble writing of both the naturall English & the incorporate
stranger. And yet I haue diligentlie examined the originall grounds of our
enfranchised terms, which be one third part of our hole speche, tho I
hold altogeather with our own writing, & follow not their primitiue.
For if the word it self be english in dede, then is it best in the natural hew,
if it be a stranger, & incorporate among vs, let it wear our colors, sith
it wilbe one of vs. In both the rules & table, I haue rather sought, by
such an induction to stir vp som other to perform the enterprise, then hoped
my self to leaue it complet. For it maie so fallout, that I haue hit vpon som
truth, tho not vpon all, & again it maie so be, that I haue missed quite,
& cut a wrong course, & yet by so doing, that I haue opened a waie
vnto som other, by giuing such a light, either to amend my course if it like
in part, or to shape a better by it, if it hollie mislike. Further, in both I haue
bene verie carefull neuer to depart from the custom of my cuntrie,
bycase I desire either to please with liking, or to mislike without
displeasing. For where ane ordinarie custom doth seme of long time
to haue made hir own choice, and that vpon good shew, she will either like
him that cleaues to hir allowance, or not be displeased, where hir self is not
misliked. And if there be anie hope to procure liking in such a thing as
custom is to rule, it must nedes com by following, and not by forcing.
He enforceth, which quite altereth the common currant custom is most conuersant, and pleaseth it self best vpon likeliest
presumptions: and withall obserueth wherein anie error intruding vpon
custom, by ignorant hands, maie be easilie stript, and yet
custom left clean to hir allowed direction. This following of
custom, with considerate obseruing is a case of great hope, that the
thing maie like, which is so laid down, bycause in like attempts it hath
allwaie taken place, and bewraid hir successe by winning hir desire.
Enforcing to the contrarie, or altering to far is almost desperate, if not
altogither, bycause it hath alwaie mist, with losse of labor where it offered
seruice. What my self haue won, by desiring to follow the custom of my
cuntrie, & no where to enforce it, it must appear in time, which while it
do, I must craue relefe of curteous construction, & submit my self to
iudgement of those which can discern.
AS in dealing with the ortografie of our English tung, I haue dwelt verie
long, bycause the argument is new, tho the handling be old, so in all the rest,
I purpose to be short, bycause the arguments be old, tho the handling be new.
Wherein I will kepe that same course whereunto I am led by the natur of an
institution, which is, to enter the learner so far, as he maie cumpas with
ease all that which followeth in the same kinde, if his institution be
perfited. Hence cummeth it that so manie boks in the latin tung bear the
name of institutions bycause theie enter the young and vntrauelled student
into that profession whereunto theie belong. Now in the framing of a good
and proper institution, which must be both naturall to the profession
wherevnto it entreth, and appropriate to the learner, which it must enter:
there be two considerations chefelie to be had, the one is of what
cumpas the profession maie be, whom the institution leadeth, the
other of what kinde. In the cumpas, we consider the vse
thereof to direct our life, whether it stretch far, or but som small waie. In
the kinde we consider diuinitie, law and physik, be of
themselues verie large, for varietie of matter, and in vse verie nedefull, for
their generall seruice, their institutions therefor ar commonlie great, as a
fair gate doth best beseme a sumptuous pallace. The other faculties and
Arts, as of argument vnder these, so of consequence lesse then these, nede
but short institutions, as a litle dore doth best fit a pretie small bilding.
Again, where the end of anie art, is hollie in doing, the institution wold be
short, for hindering of that end, by holding the learner toto long in musing
vpon rules, as in our grammer, which is the institution to speche,
there wold be no such length as is commonlie vsed, bycause the end thereof
is to write and speak, which when we do most, we learn our grammer best,
being applyed to matter, and not clogd with rules. As for the vnderstanding
of writers: that cums by years and ripenesse of wit, not by rule of
grammer, anie otherwise then that grammer helpeth to the knowledge of
tungs, whereby we vnderstand the arguments hid in them. But I will then
handle these things, when I deal with grammer, next after mine elementarie.
In the mean while that rule of Aristotle must be preciselie kept,
whereby we ar taught, that the best waie to learn anie thing well, which
must afterward be don, when it is learned, is still to be a doing, while we be
a learning. In this last kinde, whose rule is, to be short in precept, and much
in practis, is this hole Elementarie, and therefor, I am to deliuer som pretie
and few rules, pikt out of the verie substance of ech principle, which to
kepe in practis, and then to set down, som well chosen presidents,
whereupon to practis, neither laing on to much, to passe an institution,
neither leauing out to much, to com to short of it, neither vsing but the best,
to work the best effect. For an institution ought to be in lineament like the
hole, as the infant to his parent, tho not so full grown, in working forcible
as a strong renet in ech part pithie to sprede full in all, without anie defect,
when it is to perform, least it proue it self lame, for not preuenting that,
where the lamenesse appeareth: which wold not appear Reading, wherein I will first appoint certain notes to direct the
reader, and after som presidents, which seme fittest to be red. This treatis
concerning the right writing of our English tung, tucheth the teacher and
grown men more, out of the which I will still collect by waie of precept, and
a short epitome so much as shalbe necessarie for the young reader, to help
his spelling, or the young writer to direct his hand right, ear I deal with the
two principles.
To my gentle readers & good cuntriemen WHEREIN MANIE THINGS AR HANDLED, CONCERNING LEARning in generall, and the natur of the english and foren tungs, besides som particularities concerning the penning of this and other books in English.
MY good cuntriemen and gentle readers, you cannot possiblie haue anie
more certain argument of the great desire, which I haue to please you, and
the earnest care, which I haue to win your liking, then this verie speche
directed vnto you, and that of set
purpos. For if I had trusted vnto my self alone, and had thought mine own
iudgement sufficient enough, to haue bene the rule of my right writing,
which when I had pleased, I should nede no further care, to content anie
other, I might haue spared this pains in requiring your frindship, and haue
left curtesie to som hope, tho it were in som hasard, which seing I do not,
but few for your fauor and frindlie construction, my earnest care in sewing
therefor, as in me it voids contempt of your iudgement, and confidence in
mine own, so in you it maie work curtesie, and a fauorable minde toward a
man so affected, and so desirous to please you, as I dout not but it will,
seing care is my sollicitor, and curtisie yours. If I feared not that
inconuenience which commonlie enseweth, where two speak in an vnknown
tung, and the third standing by thinks himself despised, bycause he
vnderstands not, I wold haue sollicited my request in the latin tung, bycause
the kinde of people, which I reuerence most, and whose frindlie opinion I do
couet most, both desireth and deliteth to be dealt with in that tung, as being
learned themselues. But the vnlearned stander by must help with a smile,
and is therefor to vnderstand the matter which is handled. Wherefor to
content both, by contemning neither, I will go on in that tung wherein I first
began, and by a mean known to both, seke frindship of both: seing my desire
is, as to profit the ignorant, so to please the cunning. But before I do moue
anie particular request to anie or all of you my good cuntrimen, I must nedes
enform you in the state of my cause, that perceiuing all circumstances you
maie yeild with more fauor, when the motion shalbe made.
The verie first cause, which moued me first to deal in this argument, and to
venter vpon the print, whereof I stood in aw for a long time, and neuer durst
com near it, till now of late, was to do som good in that trade onelie,
wherein I haue trauelled these manie years, and by vttering my experience in
the train to learned tungs, to lighten other mens labor, bycause I had espied
som defects that waie, which craued som supply. But the consideration
thereof being once entered my head, did sprede a great deal further then I
dreamed on at the first, and wrought in me the like impression, for the right
teaching of the learned tungs, that the inquirie for iustice in things
of common life did somtime work in that renouned Plato. For
Plato seking to define Iustice, and
what that is, which we call right in ciuill doing, could not deuise how to set
them down in certain, by waie of definition, bycause theie were respectiue,
and stood vpon circumstance in regard to other, before he had described a
form of common gouernment, which when he had don, he streight waie found
out, that that was iust, which was iump with ech state, as the state was
appointed, whether perfit or vnperfit (tho the perfit were the best) and that
procured in the state, & proued to be an instrument of discord and
decaie. The execution of the first, which preserueth the state, he
termed iustice: the enormitie in the second, which seketh to vndo, he
called iuiurie and wrong. The reason which moued him to take that course in
finding out of iustice, and to make the anatomie of ane hole
gouernment the mean, to know that rule, which leadeth ech gouernment,
was, bycause the proportion, the vse, naie the verie substance of anie
particular member, is neuer so known, as it maie be throughlie perceiued,
and preciselie serueied vntill the hole it self, be exactlie known, whereunto
the part answereth in proportion, in vse, naie in the verie substance.
Iustice concerneth euerie two, betwene whom there maie be
entercourse, traffik, dealing, or doing anie kind of waie, whether prince and
prince, prince and subiect, or subiect and subiect, whether one with one, or
one with mo, or mo with mo. Naie it tucheth nearer. For where respects
maie take place, there one maie do wrong to his own soul and bodie, as in
pining the bodie, and entreating it euil, in tormenting the minde, and
wringing it to the worst, contrarie to the rule of both religion and reason.
Wherefor that hole bodie, which comprehendeth these circumstances, and
respects in ech part, was nedelie to be described, before the particular
effects, and the regiment thereof could possiblie be defined. This course
took Plato and thereby found out that, which he desired to know.
My self entending at the first to deal but with the tungs, and the teaching
thereof in the grammer school, (as he thought of his iustice in ciuill
doings, ) was likewise enforced by swaie of meditation to enter in thought
of the hole course of learning, and to consider how euerie particular thing
did arise in degre, one after another. For without that consideration, how
could
I haue discerned where to begin, how to procede, and where to end, in anie
one thinge, which dependeth vpon a sequele, and marcheth from a principle,
seing the matter which I deal with, is a matter of ascent, wherein euerie
particular, that goeth before hath continewall respect to that, which
cummeth after, if the hole plat be artificiallie cast? As in this course of
mine, the Elementarie principles maie resemble the first groundwork: the
teaching of tungs the second stories: the after learning the vpper bildings.
Now as in Architecture and artiviciall bilding, he were no good
workman which wold not cast his frame so, as ech of the ascents might be
conformable to other: so in the degrees of learning, it were no masterlie
part not to obserue the like, which cannot be obserued, before the hole be
thought on, and thoroughlie fashioned in the parties minde, which pretendeth
the work.Plato in his platform for the finding out of iustice hath two
great vantages of me. For both himself was so learned, as he is left to
wonder, and his plat is in form, not fashioned for practis: whereby both his
own autoritie giueth credit to his work, and his work kepes countenance,
being not chekt by practis, which is able to ouerthrow euen the best
meditations, being vnfit for perfomance tho bewtifull to behold by waie of
contemplation. My knowledge being but of ordinarie compas is subiect to
controllment of euerie better learned, naie it is not exempt from the round
carping, euen of the verie meanest, from whose sting not euenPlato
himself was able to escape. My labor is so laid, as it professeth practis,
and is so to be reproued if it bide not the performance. Again his great
sufficiencie laid all down at once, and gaue a full view of his hole platform,
tho but in generall shew: this enterprise of mine cannot procede in that
order, tho I could perform it as well as Plato could his bycause it
mounteth still vp by waie of progression from one pece to another &
multiplieth infinite bycause of varietie in parts, which kinde of attempts
abideth no one form aspectable at once, as Aristotle reasoneth,
bycause of first & last, which fal not in view togither at one time.
Things of order be known by degrees, matters of staie ar to be sene at once,
which cannot be in this argument, being in order of consequence, in number
of multitude. For when ye ar once past the Elementarie train, be not tungs
of som number, where the learner hath desire, not to rest vpon som certain?
when ye ar past the tungs, is not the after learning of infinit
branches, tho the main be within compas? Wherefor as in depenesse of
meditation I drew like to Plato , tho in depth of iudgement but his
fleting follower: So in order of deliuerie I depart from him and vtter my
wares by retailing parcels, which he did ingrosse: when I had considered the
generall ascending method of all learning, which while it is in getting,
mounteth vp by degrees, but when it is gotten, doth sprede through out the
state as sinews, veins, and arteries do through a naturall bodie, and withall
maintains the state in full proportion of his best being, no lesse then the
other do maintain the bodie, me thought I did perceiue some great blemish in
the hole bodie of learning, as Plato no doubt, in the ripping vp, of
right did find to be in gouernment. And as Plato himself by his own
teaching did confirm his own precepts, whereby he brought forth a number
of rare men, as euen the sharp Aristotle, & the eloquent
Demosthenes, and by his singular plat of chosen gouernment, tho not all
waie pleasing our religion and practis, did direct the best conceits of the
most studious people: So for my simple skill in the same course, I haue
armed my self, what so euer I shall set down by waie of precept, for the
furtherance of learning, and hir recouerie from blemish, to practis it my
self, with that successe in schooling which it shall please god to blesse in
me and mine, for president to others, who will follow the plat, and with
that allowance in writing, which my gentle reader shall bestow vpon it. For
the plat of mine Elementarie, and what I haue vndertaken for the penning
thereof, it is fullie declared in the eleuenth title of this same book: For the
performance thereof in the bringing vp of children, I haue all the principles
there named on foot, within mine own house, vnder excellent maisters.
Wherein I do more then mine Elementarie requireth. For mine Elementarie
course is to haue the principles perfited, before the childe deal with
grammer: Mine execution now is by finding out of times, without losse of
learning (which I maie easilie do hauing the hole train within mine own
sight) to help those principles forward in such children, as wanted them
before, or had som vnperfit, & are willing to learn them by apointment
of their parents, and my prouision. Which doing maie serue me for two
proues, first, that all the principles maie be well learned singlelie, in their
naturall order, when by waie of prouision theie maie be well compased
iointlie with the tungs. Secondlie, that it is a great thing,
which maie be performed in the Elementarie train, where, conuenient place
contnueth all the doings within the masters sight, and the not chaunging of
schols for diuers things, doth assure the profit without losse of time, or
lingring by the waie. But to leaue speaking of the Elementarie execution and
to return to the pen and the platting of this my writing course vpon this
consideration, which caried me thus on after I had conceiued both where the
blemishes laie: which disfigured learning, & how to redresse them by
waie of aduise to others, but in effect & dede for mine own charge, I
cam down to particulars: And began to examin, euen from the verie first,
what went before the tungs in their orderlie trade of bringing vp children
from there first schooling: which thing alone was my first impression in
conceit, ear I fell to further thoughts: and my last resolution to the with
more aduice, when I had thought vpon the most. This examining of the hole
fore train I took vpon me so much the rather bycause I perceiued a great
vntowardnesse in the learning of tungs, thorough som infirmities in the
Elementarie grounding, which went before them. As what a toil it is to a
grammer maister when the young infant which is brought him to teach, hath
no Elementarie principle so grounded in him, as it maie bear a bilding?
Wherefor considring the learned tungs do require a fundation, and carefull
teachers som help of foretrain, I vndertook to rip vp all those things which
concern the Elementarie, a degre in teaching before the grammer train, by
mine own trauell to ease a multitude of masters. Which Elementarie degre,
bycause it tucheth such learners as ar not entred into latin, & wisheth
well to such teachers, as be lightlie vnlearned, but in their own mediocritie:
I thought it my best to publish it in that tung which is common to vs all,
both before & after that we learn the latin. Vpon which resolution I
began with my first book, which I call Positions in the english tung,
& so procede in this next, which I term an Elementarie, as it is in dede,
bycause it conteineth al those Elements or principles, which children ar to
deal with ear theie passe to grammer, & the learning of tungs, a book
deuided into parcels, to lighten the price, tho but one in volum, distinct for
execution of seuerall arguments. For these occasions, & to this end I
ventured vpon the print to help the course of learning, in this my cuntrie, by
helping of the trade which is vsed in teaching & to help the trade of
teaching, by beginning at the Elementarie grounds, and to help the
Elementarie by vttering it in English.
In which my attempts, these thre questions, I do not saie ar,
but I suppose maie, peraduenture be demaunded: first, what those blemishes
be, which I haue espied in the main bodie of learning ane argument at this
daie so narrowlie sifted by so much varietie, and so great excellencie of
learned wits, as euerie kinde of learning, is now thought to haue recouered
that worship, which it was in, euen then whensoeuer it was highest.
Secondlie, why in the trade of teaching I do not content my self, with the
president of som other, which in great number haue writen learned treatises
to the same end, but toil my self with a priuat trauell, whose euent is
vncertain, whereas the writers of this argument be both learned
themselues, and therefor to be followed, and their successe known, which
maie warrant assurance.
Thirdlie, if it be my best to handle a learned argument in the english tung,
why I take so great pains, naie so curious a care in the handling thereof as
the weaker sort, whose profit I pretend, naie as oftimes som other also of
reasonable studie, can hardlie vnderstand the couching of my sentence, and
the depth of my conceit.
While I answer vnto these thy motions, I must praie your pacience, good my
masters, bycause the things maie not be slightlie past ouer, and the
satisfying of them, maketh waie to that sute, which I haue vnto you.
First for my generall care to the hole course of learning, I haue thus much to
saie. The end of euerie particular mans doings, for his own self: & of
the hole common weal for the good of vs all, is so like in consideration, and
so the same in natur, as the one being sene, the other nedes small seking:
Euerie priuat man traueleth in this world to win rest after toil, to haue ease
after labor, and not to trauell still as being a thing exceding vncomfortable,
if so be it were endlesse. The soldyer warreth in priuat conceit perhaps for
ease by welth, which he maie win by spoil: in publik shew he trauelleth for
the ease of his cuntrie by waie of defense, and pretending peace. The
merchant traffiketh in priuat conceit, to purchas priuat ease by procuring
priuat welth: in publik shew he trauelleth for the common ease, to satisfy
som wants in necessarie ware for the common nede. Generallie all men of
what profession soeuer, as theie seke there own rest by the priuat in their
doings, so theie pretend the publik by the generall end, wherein theie all
concur. Whereby it appeareth that ease after labor is the common end of
both priuat and publik, of both all
error in page numbering
and som bycause euerie one in the naturall currant of all his doings hath as
well a generall respect to the common quiet, which maintaineth his (priuat
as a strong bodie doth a febler person) as vnto himself for to work his own
rest, which is parcell of the publik, and not to part from it, for fear of
further harm. Naie is our hole life here in this miserable world, anie other
thing, then a toilsom course, to com to som rest? or is the life after this in
gods blessed kingdom anie other thing, then an endlesse rest, after ending
trauell to such peple as seke for it by the right means to com by it? And as
in that rest the hole assemblie of the chosen faithfull is all at rest, as
euerie particular: so in this trauelling course, the generall end of anie hole
state is a blessed peace, the great benefit of a mightie protectour, as in the
same state the particular end of euerie priuat person is a blessed
contentment, the great benefit of a mercifull god. Whereby I take it to be
most euident both in Philosophie, whence the first ground is and
in Diuinitie whence the second is, that honest contentment and rest,
is the priuat mans hauen, as an honorable quiet peace is the publik harbour.
Now as both the priuat and publik end doth pitch in quietnesse after stir, so
theie both haue the like means to compas their own quietnesse, which
meanes if theie vse right, theie obtain their right end, if theie vse them
wrong, as they wring by the waie, so theie work their own worst, by missing
of their end. And in good sooth, were he not vnwise, which seing the mark,
whereat he is to shoot, will of set purpos, shoot another waie? Who hauing
mean to com to heauen, which he dailie wisheth, will hedlong to hell, which
he semeth to abhor? The right mean vsed right is the waie to this good, a
wrong mean, or a wrong right work the contrarie effect. As to continew in
my former particulars, the soldiers mean to com to his end & right
quietnesse, is to vse honest wisdom, & pollicie, for the sauing of
himself from danger and death, to vse honest and wise menas, such as law
of arms doth admit, to better himself in bootie & spoil, with
continewall eie to defend for whom he fighteth, to driue to peace and ease,
after war and blood. The merchants mean to com to his end and right
quietnesse is to vse honest deuises and trades, for enriching himself
without infamie to the world, or taint to his conscience: to rest content
with so reasonable a gain, which is the hire of his trauell, as his countrie
maie allow, and good conscience
not condemn, with continewall eie, neither to afflict the peple, and
surcharge the state with the bringing in, of anie nedelesse to much, nor to
rob the poor, and to rak the state, with the carrying out of anie nedefull to
much. Generallie all mens mean to com to their right and resting end is, to
vse that profession and calling, whereof theie haue made choice, after that
rule in priuat, which anie honest religious conscience leadeth, and after that
direction in publik which in honest plaine truth procureth ech mans right
ease, by helping to preserue the generall peace. If these means do not
procede thus, neither hath the soldyer but rest in the end, but falls in blood
or anguish, neither hath the merchant his end, but dwells in hatred or
miserie, neither hath anie profession the hoped end, but such publik
blemishes, and such priuat corrosiues, as vniust dealings in euerie kind
deserue to receiue, and mete with in the end.
Now as all these particulars by their priuat mismeaning, work their own
mischiefe, so by the same means they be mortall enemies to the common
peace, which is supported in dede, by priuat good demeanour. What the
particular mean of euerie trade is, to com to the right end, I am not to shew
at this time, for them look vnto it, whom it particularlie tucheth. My
consideration is generall, & the publik mean is my care, which must be
measured by the proper end. The publik end is said to be peace, gods great
benefit is his most mercie, and his chiefe, naie his onelie charge in his new
and last commandement, to them that loue him. Then those means both first
to com by this end, & when it is com by, to maintain it in state, must
nedes be such directions, as ar for peace, and the quietnesse of a state, for
the keping of concord and agrement, without anie main publik breach, both
priuatlie in houses, publiklie in cuntries, & generallie throughout the
hole gouernment. These peaceable directions I call, and not I alone, by the
single name of generall learning, comprising vnder it all the arts of peace,
and the ministerie of tranquillite, a matter of great moment, being the
onelie right mean to so blessed a main, as fortunat peace is, imparting the
benefit of publik quietnesse, to euerie particular, as a generall fountain
seruing euerie mans cestern by priuat quills and pipes, whose bodie if it be
blemished it hindreth not a litle, as the infected water of a primitiue
fountain, is not holsom where it is vsed, naie as the corrupt blood passing
from the liuer poisoneth the hole carcasse. By the benefit of learning euen
war
it self a professed enemie to learning, bycause it is in fede with peace, is
handled verie iustlie, and worketh peace at home by vniting of mindes
against a common fo. So much the more deadlie enemies, to all humanitie,
naie verie diuells in dede to all common good ar theie to be estemed, which
working sedition within the bowells of a state disioint it at home, &
make it to to feble, either against outward fo, by waie of resistence, or to
recouer it self by reconcilement at home. By this learned mean in ech kinde,
all princes gouern all states: the main and generall by considerat &
graue counsellours, by wise & faithfull iusticiaries: & the
particular branches for relligion & souls by diuines, for diseased
bodies, by physicians, for maintenance of right, & voiding of wrong, by
lawyers, for euerie particular help, by euerie particular professour, from
euerie greatest to euerie meanest thoroughout the hole gouernment. A most
blessed mean to a most blessed end, a learned maintenance of an heauenlie
happinesse, in ane earthlie state, of an heauenlie constitution. And
therefore anie error in this mean is a maim in dede, and deserueth to be
thought on, as an hindrer to peace, and a pernicious defeater of the best
publik end, beginning perhaps at a small sparkle, but encroching still and
gathering strength, by confluence of like infection in som other parts, till at
the last, it set all on fire, and brust out in confusion, the more to be feared,
bycause it festureth ear it flame, and shroudeth it self vnder shew of peace,
and so consumeth without suspition, wheras it might be staid if it
professed enemitie, and stood with vs in terms. The misses and blemishes
herein, as in all other goods, which profit vs by vsing them, consist either in
to much, or in to litle, or in to diuerse, or in to dissensious, if dissension be
not the greatest diuersitie, tho for teaching sake theie be seruered in terms:
Shall I saie in my thinking of this argument for the ascent in learning from
the first Elementarie, that methought I found all these four imperfections in
the hole bodie of learning somwhere to much, somwhere to litle, somwhere
to different, somwhere to dissensious, four great enormities in a peaceable
mean, to brede great disease, and defyance to quietnes, first, with in a state
in the gouerning dirrection, and then without by euident inflammation, a
thing therefore to be thought on, not onelie by particulars in waie of moning,
but also by magistrates for mean to amendment.
For to much thus I conceiue, that as in euerie naturall bodie, the number of
sinewes veins and arteries, for the quikning and motiue vse thereof is
definite and certain: so in a bodie politik, the distriubutiue vse of learning,
which I compare to those parts, is euerie where certain. And what soeuer is
more then natur requireth in either of them, as in the one it bredes disease,
so in the other it doth destruction, by breach of proportion, and so
consequentlie of peace. In naturall bodies this to much appeareth, when one
or mo parts engrosse them selues to much, & feble the remnant: In a
common bodie this to much for learning, is then to be espied, when the
priuat professions do smell to much, and so weaken the hole bodie either by
multitude of the professors, which bite sore, where manie must be fed, and
haue but litle to fede on: or by vnnecessarie professions, which choke vp the
better, and fill the world with toies: or by infinitnesse of books, which
cloie vp students and weaken with varietie: or by intolerable swelling in
the verie handling, which fatteh the carcasse, and febleth the strength of
pithie matter. Be not all these surfets at this daie in our state? Be there
not enemies to the common end, being growen out of proportion? be theie
not worth the weing, & wish theie no redresse? I saie no more, where
it is to much euen to saie so much in a sore of to much.
For to litle thus I conceiue. In a naturall bodie there is then to litle, when
either som necessarie thing wanteth, or when that which is not wanting is
to weak to serue the turn: And be not the same defects diseases in learning,
and disquieters to a state? when necessarie professours want, either for
number as to few, or for valew, as to feble? when shew is shrined, where
stuf should be enstalled? when sound learning is litle sought for, but onelie
surface, sufficient to shift with? When som necessarie professions, ar
quite contemned, and laid vnder foot, bycause the cursorie student is to
passe awaie in post? When want of nedefull books, bycause theie be not to
be had proues a forcible let to greater learning: when such as we haue, be as
good not had for insufficiencie in handling, and lamenesse to learn by? This
corruption in learning anie man maie se, who is desirous to seke both for the
maladie and the amendment. A breach of proportion, and therefore of peace
to a publik bodie, which ought to be proportionate, a pining euil, which
consumeth by staruing.
For diuersitie in matters of learning, thus I think, that as it
self procedeth from diuersities in abilitie, for bringing vp, for wit, for
iudgement, for perfection, bycause either all or som of these four be a great
deal finer in som then in som: so it worketh verie much harm in the peace of
anie state, chefelie where the leaders thereof, tho theie fall not out, and do
but vtter thear opinions yet deuide studies according to their fauorites,
which consider not so much the weight of the arguments, as the liking of the
autors.
If this duiersitie do break out in earnest, as it hath commonlie don in our
time, while the verie print it self being the instrument of necessitie, and
the deliuerer of learning in the naturall and best vse, becommeth verie often
to fre a mean for ambition in brauerie, for malice in enuie, for reuenge in
enimitie, for all passions in all purposes, what a sore blow doth the common
quiet receiue, whose mean to quiet, is made an instrument to distemper?
For will not he fight in his furie, which brauleth in his books? seme not
those mindes armed, naie arm theie not others to, by egging enimitie
forward, to an open conflict, which in priuat studies enter combats with
papirs? which by to much eagernesse make to much a do, in a stir better
quenched to dy, then quikned to liue? which whet their wits before, to be
wranglers euer after, and as much as lyeth in them, disturb the common
case? nedelesse combats in matters of learning, be those which I mislike,
the nedefull maie go on & yet with no more passion, then common
ciuilitie will allow, and christian charitie not condemn. To much
ouerburdeneth, to litle consumeth, to diuerse distracteth, but to dissensious
destroies. Your selues know my learned readers, what a wonderfull stir
there is dailie in your schools thorough the dissenting opinions of som in
logik, som in philosophie, som in the mathematiks, Physik is
not fre, tho Paracelsus were not fo, to those his humorists. The
lawyer generallie is most quiet for contradictorie writing, bycause he gains
not by it the thing which he sekes for: contrarie pleading at common bars,
is a better pastur for a lean purse then a bissie pen to publish controuersies.
The dissension in diuinitie is fierce beyond Gods forbid, & so much the
more, bycause it falls out often, that the aduersarie parties entermingle
their own passions with the matters, which theie deal in. For as our own
arguments of controuersie in cases of relligion do somtimes require a
necessarie defense, so theie be oftimes such, as maie be well compounded,
if mens affections would abide as much water to coul, as these bring fire,
to enflame.
But in the mean while how is the common peace disturbed, by the
dissensious writhing of a worthie mean, to maintain a wrong, and to becom
slaue to som in ordinate passion? I enter not this argument, to stand long
about it, but in natur of a passage to let my good reader vnderstand, how
much my desire was encreased, to the furtherance of learning, after I had
markt these inconueniences, whereas at the first I ment no more but onelie
the help of teaching the learned tungs. The agrement of the learned
generallie, is mother to contentment generallie: By carping or contrarying,
theie trouble the world, and taint themselues, bearing the name of
Christians, which verie title enioyneth a serch to avoyd contention, euen by
submission of the wronged: neither chargeth it vs to defend our religion
with passionat mindes, but with armor of pacience, and appointment of
truth sufficient to confute, euen bycause it is trew, not neding our
affections, wherewith it is trubled.
These were the blemishes which I saw by the waie in the bodie of learning,
which as I did moue, so I wished the amendment, which amendment resteth
vpon two great pillers: The professurs of learning to giue intelligence of
the error, and the principall magistrates, naie the verie souerain prince, to
cause the redresse in so necessarie a pece, as the course of learning is,
being Gods great instrument to work our quietnesse for souls, bodies, goods,
and doings.
The prince maie take order to cut of that is to much, to make vp that is to
litle, to vnite diuersities, to expell dissensions, whose lawfull autoritie is
a great commander, and no where more then in a generall good, where euerie
one will follow, bycause euerie one is bettered. If it com not from the
prince the more maie continew, the amendment is consumed. Which
proueth Platoes sentence, to haue kings filosofers, that is, all
magistrates learned, to be maruellous requisite in anie good gouernment. It
is a great corrosiue to the hole prouince of learning, which is the regiment
of peace, where such as must direct, ar but experienced wise, tho that be
verie much, but yet both experience, and learning togither make the better
consent. It is an honorable conceit besides the incredible good, for a learned
vertewous prince by the assistence of a like counsell, to reduce the
professours of learning, by choice in euerie kinde to a certain number, to
make choice in points of learning necessarie for the state, to appoint out
books for learning, both in multitude not to manie,
and in method of the best. The president is princelie, in euerie
profession & not onelie now moued. There hath bene stripping
heretofore in all these kindes, both by consent of the learned and by
commandement from good princes. Our cuntrie is small, the thing the more
easie our liuings within compas, the thing the more nedfull: the enormitie
great, the lesse able we to beare it: our prince learned, the liker to giue ear:
our peple of vnderstanding, the better able to enform her. But neither doth
the physician thriue so, by taking vp of contentions, nor the diuine prosper
so in a heauen, where all is good, as he doth in earth where, all is euill tho
the best in ech kinde do honor them most: And therefor profit wilbe
followed, tho it be with confusion, redresse will not stir, bycause it iudgeth
the world, to be in som falt, which it is loth to confesse. Howbeit to
procure som redresse and help this waie, at the Princes hand, it standeth all
them in hand, which make profession of learning, if theie do but consider the
reputation of learning in these our daies, whether by insufficient
professours, or contemned professions.
In the professours of learning, to whose solliciting this point is
recommended, there be two things chefelie required. First that theie studie
soundlie themselues vpon stuf worth the studie, in order of right ascent,
with mindes giuen to peace. For sound learning will not so soon be shaken at
euerie eager point of controuersie, as the fleter will. Orderlie ascent
groweth strong verie soon, & a pacifik conceit is a furtherer to that
end, which is both priuatlie minded, and publiklie intended. The consent of
the learned, and their quiet inclination is a great blessing to anie common
weal, but chefelie to ours in this contentious time, where the ouerwhetted
mindes work verie small good to som worthie professions. The distraction
of mindes, into sects and sorts of philosophie, did a mightie great
displeasur to the quietnesse of that people, where the destraction fell as it
did our religion more, which spreding in that cuntrie, where those sorts
were nurished, was neuer in quiet sence.
The second point required in a learned student is not so much to seke his
own auancement, as the things, which he professeth, which if it take place,
himself coms forward, bycause he hath the things. If he seke his own
auancement, and either forget the thing, if he haue it, or care not for it, if
he haue it not, the want of the thing
will weaken his credit, tho it encrease hir own, as where the ignorant is
blamed, there knowledge is allowed, tho the allower be not learned. He that
studieth soundlie recommendeth good letters, by his own example: he that
solliciteth other, who haue autoritie to further aduanceth them by
aduiertisment, he that exerciseth his pen to help the best currant,
confirmeth his desire by the doing thereof. In this last kinde mine own
labor trauelleth to seke for vniformitie, to strip awaie the nedelesse, to
supply som defects, to do mine endeuor to help euerie one in as quiet a
course, as I can temper my stile vnto. And tho somtimes I do sprede vpon
cause in length of discourse, yet for the matter it self, which I will
commend to the learner, I wilbe short and sound enough, and leaue more to
practis, then I will laie in precept. Thus much for the generalitie of
learning, and the learned, to whose considerations I commit the sollicting,
as to the magistrates the amendment.
The second question, which I said might be demanded of me, why I do not
allow som learned president of those writers, which haue delt this waie
with great admiration, maie be answered verie soon. I confesse the number
of them, which haue writen of the training vp of children, to be so manie in
number, as either priuat cuntrie or priuate cause might moue to deal in it. I
confesse the excellencie of manie in that kinde, as Bembus, Sturmius,
Erasmus, and diuerse other. But we differ in circumstance. A fre citie, a
priuat frind, and an hole monarchie, haue diuersities in respect, tho theie
agre in som generalls, wherein those writers dissent not from me. Neither
do I but follow good writers, fetching my first patern from such writers, as
taught all those to write so well, a thing alredie proued in the second
chapter of this book. I am seruant to my cuntrie. For hir sake I trauell, hir
circumstances I must consider, and whatsoeuer I shall pen, I will se it
executed by the grace of God, mine own self, to persuade other the better by
a tried prouf.
The third question for my writing in English, and my so carefull, (I will not
saie so curious writing,) concerneth me somwhat, bycause it beareth
matter. For som be of opinion, that we should neither write of anie
philosophicall argument, nor philosophicallie of anie slight argument in our
English tung, bycause the vnlearned vnderstand it not, the learned esteme it
not, as a thing of difficultie to the one, and no delite to the other. For both
the penning in English generallie,
error in page numbering
and mine own penning in this order, I haue this to saie.
No one tung is more fine then other naturallie, but by industrie of the
speaker, which vpon occasion offered by the kinde of gouernment wherein he
liueth, endeuoreth himself to garnish it with eloquence, & to enrich it
with learning. The vse of such a tung, so eloquent for speche, and so learned
for matter, while it kepeth it self within the naturall soil, it both serues
the own turn with great admiration, and kindleth in the foren, which com to
knowledge of it, a great desire to resemble the like. Hence came it to passe,
that the peple of Athens, both bewtified their speche by the vse of
their pleading, & enriched their tung with all kindes of knowledge, both
bred within Grece, and borowed from without. Hence came it to
passe, that peple of Rome hauing platted their gouernment, much what
like the Athenian, for their common pleas, became enamored with
their eloquence, whose vse theie stood in nede of, and translated their
learning, where with theie were in loue. Howbeit there was nothing somuch
learning in the latin tung, while the Romane florished, as at this daie
is in it by the industrie of students, thoroughout all Europe, who vse
the latin tung, as a common mean, of their generall deliuerie, both in things
of their own deuise, and in works translated by them. The Romane
autoritie first planted the latin among vs here, by force of their
conquest, the vse thereof for matters of learning, doth cause it continew,
tho the conquest be expired. And therefor the learned tungs so termd of
their store, maie thank their own people, both for their fining at home, and
their fauor abrode. Wherevpon it falleth out, that as we ar profited by the
mean of those tungs, so we ar to honor them euen for profit sake, and yet
not so but that we maie cherish our own, both in such cases, as the vse
thereof is best: and in such places, as it maie be bettered, tho with
imparing of them. For did not those tungs vse euen the same means to braue
themseues ear theie proued so beawtifull? Did the peple strain curtesie to
pen in their naturall, euen these same arguments which theie had from the
foren? If theie had don so, we had neuer had their works, whereat we
wonder so.
There be two speciall considerations, which kepe the Latin, &
other learned tungs, tho chefelie the Latin, in great countenance
among vs, the one thereof is the knowledge, which is registred in them, the
other is the conference, which the learned of Europe, do
comonlie vse by them, both in speaking and writing. Which two
considerations being fullie answered, that we seke them from profit
& kepe them for that conference, whatsoeuer else maie be don in our
tung, either to serue priuat vses, or the beawtifying of our speche, I do not
se, but it maie well be admitted, euen tho in the end it displaced the
Latin, as the Latin did others, & furnished it self by the
Latin learning. For is it not in dede a meruellous bondage, to becom
seruants to one tung for learning sake, the most of our time, with losse of
most time, whereas we maie haue the verie same treasur in our own tung,
with the gain of most time? our own bearing the ioyfull title of our libertie
and fredom, the Latin tung remembring vs, of our thraldom &
bondage? I loue Rome, but London better, I fauorItalie,
but England more, I honor the Latin, but I worship the
English. I wish all were in ours, which theie had from others, neither
offer I them wrong, which did the like to others, and by their own president
do let vs vnderstand, how boldlie we maie ventur, not withstanding the
opinion of som such of our peple, as desire rather to please themselues with
a foren tung, wherewith theie ar acquainted, then to profit their cuntrie, in
hir naturall language, where their acquaintance should be. It is no obiection
to saie, well ye rob those tungs of their honor, which haue honored you? or
which if theie had not bene to make you learned, you had not bene to strip
them of from learning? For I honor them still, & that so much as who
so doth most, euen in wishing mine own tung partaker of their honor. For if
I had them not in great admiration, bycause I know their valew, I wold not
think it to be anie honor for my cuntrie tung to resemble their grace. I
confesse their furnitur and wish it were in ours, which was taken from
other, to furnish out them. For the tungs which we studie, were not the
first getters, tho by leerned trauell the proue good kepers, and yet readie to
return and discharge their trust, when it shalbe demanded in such a sort, as
it was committed for term of years, and not for inheritance. And therefor
no disgrace where theie did receiue with condition to deliuer, if theie do
deliuer, when theie ar desired. But a dishonor to that tung, which hath a
deliuerie both deuised and tendered, and will not receiue it. From which
dishonor I wold English were fre, and that learning receiued, which is
redie to be deliuered. I confesse their good fortun, which had so great a
forestart, before other tungs as theie be most
welcom, wheresoeuer theie set foot, & allwaie in wonder aboue anie
other for their rare worthinesse: which haue all mens opinions concerning
other speches, in such a captiuate preiudice of their own excellencie, as
none is thought anie, but when it is like to them, and yet the most like to be
maruellouslie behind.
The diligent labor of learned cuntrimen did so enrich these tungs, and not
the tungs them selues, tho theie proued verie pliable, as our tung will proue,
I dare assure it of knowledge, if our learned cuntriemen will put to their
labor. And why not I praie you, as well in English, as either in
Latin or anie tung else?
Will ye saie it is nedelesse? sure that will not hold. If losse of time while
ye be pilgrims to learning by lingring about tungs, be my argument of nede:
if lak of sound skill, while the tung distracteth sense, more then half to it
self, and that most of all in a simple student or a sillie wit, be no argument
of nede, then saie you somwhat, which pretend no nede. But bycause we
neded not, to lease anie time onelesse we lifted, if we had such a vantage,
in the course of studie, as we now lease, while we trauell in tungs: and
bycause our vnderstanding also, were most full in our naturall speche, tho
we know the foren excedinglie well, methink necessitie it self doth
call for English, where by all that gaietie maie be had at home, which
makes vs gase so much at the fine stranger.
But ye will saie it is vncouth. In dede being vnused. And so was it in
Latin, and so is it in ech language, & Tullie himself the
Romane paragon, while he was aliue, & our best patern now, tho he be
dead, had verie much ado, and verie great wrastling against such wranglers,
and their nice lothing of their naturall speche, ear he wan that opinion,
which either we our selues haue now of him, or the best of his frinds did
them conceiue by him. Is not euerie his preface before all his philosofie
still thwakt full of such conflicts, had against those cauillers? our
English wits be verie wel able, thanks be to God, if their wils were as
good, to make those vncouth & vnknown learnings verie familiar to our
peple, euen in our own tung, & that both by president & protection
of those same writers, whom we esteme so much of, who doing that for
others, which I do wish for ours, in the like case must nedes allow of vs,
onelesse theie wil auouch that which theie cannot auow, that the praise of
that labor to conueie cunning from a foren tung into a mans own, did dy with
them, not to reuiue in vs.
But whatsoeuer theie saie, or whatsoeuer theie can saie to continew their
own credit, our cuntriemen maie not think, but that it is our praise to com
by that thorough purchace, and planting in our tung, which theie were so
desirous to place in theirs, and ar now so loth to forgo again, as the farest
flour of their hole garland, which wold wither soon, or else decaie quite, if
their great cunning, were not cause of their continewance: and if our people
also, were not more willing to wonder at their workmanship, then to work
their own tung, to be worth the like wonder. Our English is our own, our
Sparta must be spunged, by the inhabitants that haue it, as well as those
tungs were by the industrie of their people, which be braued with the most,
and brag as the best.
But it maie be replyed again, that our English tung doth nede no such
proining, it is of small reatch, it stretcheth no further then this Iland of
ours, naie not there ouer all. What tho? Yet it raigneth there, and it serues
vs there, and it wold be clean brusht for the wearing there. Tho it go not
beyond sea, it will serue on this side. And be not our English folks finish, as
well as the foren I praie you? And why not our tung for spaking, & our
pen for writing, as well as our bodies for apparell, or our tastes for diet?
But our state is no Empire to hope to elarge it by commanding ouer
cuntries. What tho? tho it be neither large in possession, nor in present
hope of great encrease, yet where it rules, it can make good lawes, and as
fit for our state, as the biggest can for theirs, and oftimes better to,
bycause of confusion in greatest gouernments, as most vnwildinesse in
grossest bodies.
But we haue no rare cunning proper to our soil to cause forenners studie it,
as a treasur of such store. What tho? yet ar we not ignorant by the mean
thereof to turn to our vse all the great treasur, of either foren soil, or foren
language. And why maie not the English wits, if they will bend their wills,
either for matter or for method in their own tung be in time as well sought
to, by foren students for increase of their knowledge, as our soil is sought
to at this same time, by foren merchants, for encrease of their welth? As
the soil is fertile, bycause it is applyed, so the wits be not barren if theie
list to brede.
But tho all this be trew, yet we ar in dispare, euer to se ours so fined, as
those tungs were, where publik orations were in ordinarie trade, and the
verie tung alone made a chariot to honor. Our state
is a Moanarchie, which mastereth language, & teacheth it to
please: our religion is Christian, which half repines at eloquence, and
liketh rather the naked truth, then the neated term. What tho? Tho no
English man for want of that exercise, which the Roman had, &
the Athenian vsed in their spacious and great courts, do proue a
Tullie or like to Demosthenes, yet for sooth he maie proue verie
comparable to them in his own common weal and the eloquence there. And
why not in dede comparable vnto them in all points thorough out for his
naturall tung? Our brains can bring furth, our conceits will bear life: our
tungs be not tyed, and our labor is our own. And eloquence it self is neither
limited to language, nor restrained to soil, whose measur the hole world is,
whose iudge the wise ear is, not in greatnesse of state, but in sharpnesse of
peple. And tho foren excellencie were half in dispare, must our own best be
therefor vnbeautified? It should not sure, it should pearch to the height, if I
could help it. We maie aspire to a pitch, tho we passe no further. The
qualitie of our monarchie wil admit trew speaking, wil allow trew
writing, in both with the brauest, so that it do please, and be worthie
praise, so that it preach peace, and preserue the state. Our religion
condemns not anie ornament of tung, which doth serue the truth, and
presumeth not aboue. Naie is not eloquence, which commonlie is
caried from weight of matter, to folie in words, the great blessing of god,
and the trumpet of his honor, as Chrysostom calleth S. Paule, if
it be religiouslie bent? Theie that haue red the old church storie, do find
that eloquence in the primitiue church, ouerthrew great forces, bent
against our faith, & enflamed numbers to embrace the same, when
strength from the truth, ioyned with force in the word. Seke it to serue God,
shun it to serue thy self, but where it serues thine own turn, with warrant
from him.
But will ye thus break of the common conference with the learned foren, by
banishing the Latin, and setting ouer her learning to your own tung.
The conference will not cease, while the peple haue cause to enterchange
dealings, & without the Latin, it maie well be continewed: as in
som cuntries the learnedder sort, & som near cosens to the latin it self
do alreadie wean their pens and tungs from the vse of Latin, both in
writen discourse, & spoken disputation, into their own naturall, and yet
no dry nurse, being so well appointed by the milch nurses help. The question
is not to disgrace the Latin, but to grace
our own. And why more a stranger in honor with vs, then our own peple, all
circumstances serued? And tho no stranger, nor foren nation, bycause of the
bounder & shortnesse of our language, wold deal so with vs, as to
transport from vs as we do from other, bycause we deuise no new, tho we
denison the old, yet we our selues gain verie much thereby, in the course of
studie, to be set at the first in the priuie chamber or closet of knowledge,
by the mere frindship of our cuntrie tung: asIustinian the Emperour
saith to the students in law, when he made his institutions to
be of imperial force, that theie were most happie for hauing such a foredeal,
as at the verie first to hear the Emperours voice, which those of elder time,
did not attain vnto so soon, by the full term least of four hole years. And
doth not our languaging hold vs bak four years, & that full think you? If
it hindered vs no more, tho it help vs verie much, the losse were the lesse.
For the time it is most certain, that we ar hindered by tungs, tho we must
harken vnto them, till we haue help at home. And that our best
vnderstanding is in our naturall tung, if we minde & mark it, who can
deny, which is able to se, that all our foren learning is applyed vnto vse
thorough the mean of our own & without the application to particular
vse, wherfor serues learning.
But it is pitie to deface such honorable antiquitie. No pitie forsooth to
honor our own, doing no worse to them, then theie did to vs, by either
spoiling our cuntrie, as all histories witnesse, or defacing our learning if
the Celtopadie saie trew. O spare Babilon it is a fair town,
saue Dianæs chirch, it is a fair temple, worship foren speche, for
that ye maie take from it. Then be bond still to Babilon, then be
paganes still with Ephesus: then be still borrowers of the
boroweres themselues. If this opinion had bene allwaie maintained, we had
allwaie worn old Adams pelts, we must still haue eaten, the poets
akecorns, & neuer haue sought corn, we must cleue to the eldest and not
to the best.
But why not all in English, a tung of it self both depe in conceit,
& frank in deliuerie? I do not think that anie language, be it
whatsoeuer, is better able to vtter all arguments, either with more pith, or
greater planesse, then our English tung is, if the English
vtterer be as skilfull in the matter, which he is to vtter: as the foren
vtterer is. Which methink I durst proue in anie most strange argument, euen
mine own self, tho no great clark, but a great welwiller to my naturall
cuntrie. And tho we vse & must vse manie foren terms, when we deal
with such arguments, we do not anie more then the brauest tungs do
& euen verie those, which crake of their cunning. The necessitie is one
betwene cuntrie & cuntrie, for communicating of words, for vttering of
strange matter, & the rules be limited how to square them to the vse of
those which will borow them. It is our accident which restrains our tung,
& not the tung it self, which will strain with the strongest, &
stretch to the furthest, for either gouernment if we were conquerers, or for
cunning, if we were treasurers, not anie whit behind either the subtile
Greke for couching close, or the statelie Latin for spreding fair.
Our tung is capable, if our peple wold be painfull. The verie Grekish
soil, as it is noted by som, did fine Philelphus beyond all account,
being an Italian born. The same Italie saith Erasmus,
wold haue don the like in our Sr. Thomas More, if he had bene
trained there. and maie not labor & emploiment, work as great wonders
in the English wits at home, as the air can do abrode? Is the alteration of
soil, the best mean of growing, & onelie the best? Naie sure, wits be
sharp enough euerie where, tho where the trading is lesse, & the air
more grosse, the labor must be greater, to supply that with pains, which is
wanting in natur. Which when ye haue don, then maie you be bold to take
that two worded & thriseworthie question, Quid non? to be your
posie. but grant it were an heresie, seing our training vp is in the foren
tungs, euen to wish all in English. Certainlie it is no falt to handle
that in English, which is proper to England tho the same
argument well handled in Latin were like to please Latinists
pleasur, which is not for studies to plaie with, but for students to
practis, & there the better where euerie once can iudge: the principal
benefit of our English penning. Besides all this to confirm a trew
ground with a triall as trew, how manie sklender things, as oftimes vttered
in the Latin tung, & other foren speches, which vnder the bare
vail of a strange couert do seme to be somwhat for to countenance studie,
which if theie were Englished, & the mask puld of, that euerie
man might se them, wold seme verie miserable, & make a storie shew
of simple substance, & be soon disclamed in of the parties themselues,
with som thought at the least, of the old sauing. Had I wist, I wold not.
and were it not then better to gain iudgement thoroughout in our own
english, then either to lease it, or to lame in the foren Latin, or
anie tung else? To be led on a long time with the opinion of somthing which
in the end will proue plane nothing, or but a simple somthing? These and
such considerations concerning the foren & our English tung make
me thank the foren for my furtherance in
points, but withall to think how to further my naturall. And therefor when
occasion doth offer, as in these Elementarie points, I am verie well content
to deal in English, not renouncing either Latin or other learned tung,
when my ascent in writing shall require their vse.
Now as this penning in English maie seme not impertinent to the vse of my
cuntrie, vpon these and such grounds, so my to carefull penning maie perhaps
offend som, as seming to obscure, and hindring my pretence by either
writing to hard matters, for the ignorant to perceiue, or in to close a stile
for mean heads to enter, or into rare terms, for plane folks to reach at. All
which difficulties be verie great foes to the common mans perceiuing, who
canst vnderstand but where he hath bene traned, and no good frinds to my
purpos, who pretend that I write to profit the most, which is that of the
vntraned and vnskilfull multitude. But tho these obiections make a verie
probable shew, yet theie must giue me leaue to plead mine own cause, for
both matter, maner, and term, bycause the thre difficulties be grounded vpon
these three, and yet in all these, the answer is half made, bycause I mean
my cuntrie tung well, and therefor tho I did try som conclusions, to work
that in the hardest, which is easie in the softest, euen som insufficiences
might seme pardonable, for that all which I do, concerneth my cuntrie youth
and tung, it entertaineth hir profit, and enuieth not hir pleasur, and desireth
to se hir enriched so in euerie kinde of argument, and honored so with euerie
ornament of eloquence, as she maie vy with the foren, if I maie work it with
wishing.
But first to examin that of hardnesse in matter, which the reader is said
somwhat hardlie to vnderstand, and so after to the other, for the maner and
word. Wherein I praie you doth that hardnesse consist, which is fathered
vpon matter? Or rather doth not all hardnesse procede from the person, and
none from the thing, not onelie in this case, but eueriewhere else? If that
person which vndertaketh to teach, do not know the matter well, which he is
to teach, to laie it so open, as it maie well be vnderstood, seing the best and
first mean to plane opening, is perfit vnderstanding, is the thing therefor
hard, which is not thoroughlie had? Or if that person, which should
vnderstand, either do not in dede thorough mere ignorance, or cannot in dede
through small knowledge, or will not of a will thorough som corrupt
affection, is the thing therefor hard, which is so
strangelie crost by infirmitie in the partie? Sure there is not. Sure there
is no hardnesse in anie thing at all, which is to be deliuered by a learned
pen, be it neuer so strange from the common vse, howsoeuer it be vnrightlie
charged, to sheild negligence, if the partie deliuerer do know it
sufficientlie, & the partie receiuer be willing, & not weiward. For
what be those things, which we handle in learning? Ar theie not of our own
choice? Ar theie not our own inuentions? Ar theie not the supplyes of our
own nede? And was not the first inuentour, verie well able to open the
thing, which he did inuent, before he did persuade it? Or did those men,
which admitted the thing being inuented, make choice thereof before theie
were instructed, wherefor it wold serue? Or could blunt ignorance haue won
such a credit in a doutfull case, tho it pretended profit, to haue bene
beleued, before it had perswaded by plane euidence? To haue the thing
proued, ear it were perceiued, that it wold be profitable, not onelie for the
present, but in time to com also, and that in euerie mans eie, which had anie
foresight? If the first could do so both in finding and perswading, both in
first admitting, and still continewing, his follower must do so, or be in falt
himself, being not well appointed for sufficient deliuerie. If the partie
which readeth do not conceiue the thing well, bycause he is ignorant, he is
to be pardoned, the disease proceding from more infirmitie: But if he do not,
bycause he will not, hauing abilitie to do, tho not with the most, he is
punished enough by being peuish ignorant: if he can do with the best, &
will deal with the worst, blinded vnderstanding is the greatest darknesse,
& punisheth the ill humor with deprauing of reason, which should iudge
right. If the partie deliuerer be himself weak, where mine own part coms
in, being a deliuerer my self, he is either vnaduised, if he write ear that he
know, or not well aduised if he mend not, where he misseth so he know
wherein, and can tell how. Yet the readers curtesie is som couert against
error, for him that writeth, as his pardon is protection for him, that
readeth, if simple ignorance be their onelie falt, without further want or
defect in good will. It fareth oftimes with readers in the iudging of books,
as it doth with beholders in iudging of fauor, as it doth with tasters in
iudging of relice. In the matter of fauor where louing is, all things be
amiable, where lothing is, there nothing is liked, no not beawtie it self. But
where affection is
voided and reason in place, being able to iudge, there beawtie is beawtie,
and deformitie is ill fauored, and euerie thing so weighted, as it is worth in
dede. The like varietie is in matters of diet, a sikkish humor can relice
nothing well, an ouergiuen delite likes nothing at all, but his own choice:
and healthfull humor, and a right taste neither ouerlothes with siknesse, nor
ouerloues with fantsie, but measureth what he tasteth with a right sense.
And therefor in iudgement of fauor the corrupt opinion must be freid from
passion: in discerning of iuyces the corruption of taste must be cleared
from distemper: & in matters of reason right information must be mean
to right iudgement, or else that passion is to imperious, whom information
cannot rule. Howbeit I fear not anie so strong a passion in anie my reader,
and therefor I will on with my argument of hardnesse.
Admit this diuision to be trew, that the hardnesse about matter either
riseth of the thing it self, or of the handling. Is the thing hard saie you?
Then is it such as is strange to the reader, either for difference of trade
betwene the readers profession and the thing which he readeth, or for want
of full studie, which marreth that in handling, that was neuer so studied, as
it could be well handled. For the first, what affinitie is there in respect of
their profession, betwene a simple plowman, a warie merchant, and a subtill
lawyer? betwene manuarie trades, and metaphysicall discourses, either for
the mathematiks, for physik, or for diuinitie? Again can anie thing at all be
easie euen to students, who professe allyance, with the thing which theie
studie, as the other do not, whose trades be mere fraud, if theie haue not
trauelled sufficientlie therein? I nede saie no more but onelie this, that
where there is no acquaintance in profession, there is no ease to help
vnderstanding, where no familiaritie, there no facilitie where no
conference, there no knowledge. If the man delue the earth, & the
matter dwell in heauen, there is no mean to vnite, where the distance is so
great without compatibilitie. And whereas the vnderstanding in affinitie of
trade is clear insufficient, there is far more hardnesse then in difference of
profession, bycause vain persuation in such imperfitnesse brings much more
error, then weak knowledge can work vnderstanding. In the ignorant
vnacquainted there maie som good folow, if he begin to like, but the
lukewarm learned doth mar his own waie by preiudicat opinion. But all this
while, if there be anie difficultie about the matter, the mean is cause of
hardnesse, which is in the man, and not
the propertie, which is in the matter, and maie easilie be had, if it be
carefullie sought. I am quik in teaching, and so hard to vnderstand, but to
whom and why? To him forsoth that is not acquainted with such a currant,
neither yet familiar to the matter so coursed. Well then, if want of
acquaintance be the cause of difficultie, and supposed hardnesse,
acquaintance once made and frindlie continewed will remedie that
complaint, if the matter seme worthie the mans acquaintance in his naturall
tung, for that is a question in a conceit blinded with the foren fauor, or if
the partie be desirous to be rid of such a gest, as ignorance is, for that is
another question, in a vain opinion ouerweining it self. For ane hole book
being writen in English, and so manie Englishmen being so well
able to satisfy euen at full the most ignorant reader in anie case of a book
in that tung, it were to great discourtesie, not to lighten a mans labor with
a short question, and as long an answer, but to pretend difficultie as a
shadow not to seke, where the matter it self being no pleasant tale, nor anie
amorous deuise, but an earnest argument concerning sober & aduised
learning, not acquainted with all readers, nor yet with all writers, doth
protest no ease before it be sought, and deseruing to be sought, either for
knowledge sake to instruct our selues, or for cuntries sake to enlarge hir
speche, if it be not sought at all, and thereby not found, it doth bewraie an
vnnaturall idlenesse, which desireth rather to find falt then ease. For what
reason is it for one to labor to help all &, none to list to help that one?
naie for anie to list not to help himself from the danger & bondage of
blind ignorance? If the book were all Latin, & no one word of the
readers acquaintance, then the thing were desperate for a mere
Englishman to compas. Where as now anie man maie do it with verie
small enquirie of his skilfull neighbour. Wherefor if anie thing seme hard to
such an ignorant, as desireth to know, & doth not know thorough the
argument it self, being mere strang to his kinde of life he must handle the
thing often, and so make it soft, where it semeth to be hard: and in
questions of dowt confer with those, which ar cunning allredie. He must
take acquaintance & make the thing familiar if it seme to be strange.
For all strange things seme great nouelties, & hard of entertainment at
their first arriuall, till theie be acquainted: but after acquaintance theie be
verie familiar, and easie to entreat. And words likewise, which either
conueie strange matters, or be strangers themselues, either in name or in
vse, be no wilde beasts,
tho theie be vnwont, neither is a term a Tiger to proue vntractable.
Familiaritie & acquaintance will cause facilitie, both in matter and in
words.
If the handling do seme to make the hardnesse, & that doth procede from
him which deliuereth & penneth the argument, not onelie by opinion of
the mistaking reader, but in verie plane truth also & the soundest
iudgmenets in that, whereof theie iudge, he is worthie to be blamed, which
seketh to deliuer withowt sufficient studie: as again if it be not in him for
insufficient handling, but in the corrupt reader for the plane
misconstrewing, it deserueth small praise in him, that misconstreweth
without either regard to curtesie, or reuerence to truth, or his own credit,
if it proue contrarie, the partie misconstrewed being verie well able to be
his own orator.
Concerning the maner, which I vse in writing, bycause the maner and the
handling be so near cosens, as theie both be the pencills to deliuerie, if
there be anie falt for hardnesse therein, that also procedeth of choice, being
carefull to shew from whence I com, that is from the students forge, who
being still acquainted with strong stele, and pithie stuf in reading of god
writers, cannot but resemble that metle in my stile. In pening to proue
close and allwaie with cause, and to cause that, which followeth to be
sutable to that, which went before, to seke more for sinewes and sound
strength, then for waste flesh, is semelie for a student, and chefelie there,
where he penneth for perpetuitie, where the reader maie at leasur, either
look vpon the book or laie it down by him, neither is so straited, as to read
all at once, or to forgo the book: or to hear all at once, or to hear it no more,
which is commonlie so in things but once handled in speche, & in books
that be vnwilling to bewraie their writer. Such discourses as be altogether
popular, or vpon present dispatch, & soon after to dy, maie well abide
slight, bycause their life is short. And where theie ar to passe streight
waie from the pen to present vse, and make no longer tariance then for such
and such a feat, or when thei salute but the ear, and so to execution, without
further delaie, then the more plane at sodain, the more plausible in dede, and
therefor in their kinde verie excellent perfit. Bycause the matters being
such as serue to that end, the vtterance must be such as maie work to that
end, without anie thing to muse on, where there is no time to muse in. But
where musing must be, & the matter is no currier to passe awaie
in poste, another currant must be kept, & yet the maner of
deliuerie must not be thought hard, nor be compared with the other, which is
of anie other kinde, considering it teacheth, & with such planenesse, as
the subiect doth permit. Doth anie man of iudgement in learning, & the
Latin tung, think that Tullies orations & his discourses in
philosofie, were of like known, or of like planesse to the peple of Rome, tho
either in their kinde, were allwaie like plane, as theie be to vs, which, know
the Latin tung better then our own, bycause we pore vpon it, and neuer mark
our own? no sure. To them theie were not, as it doth appear by verie manie
places in Tullie himself, where he noteth the difference, &
confesseth himself that the newnesse of those arguments, which he
transported from Greke, were cause of som darknesse to his common reader,
and of som contempt to them, that were cunning, bycause of the Greke which
theie fantsied more. Yet neither ignorance in the common reader, nor
contempt in the learned could discourage his pen from the benefit of his
tung, by translating their learning, which the other wished still to continew
in Greke, he was desirous to conueie it to Rome, & passed thorough with
all, & gaue time the turn, which in time turned to him, & gaue him
that credit which he still enioyeth vntill this daie. And that this was not
onelie for the matter, whiche he wrote of, but also for the maner, which he
vsed in writing, naie euen for the words, which the common man knew not,
being artificiall and strange, he himself witnesseth.
I could write of these things, (meaning the arguments of philosofie) saith he
like to Amasanius, naming som obscure apophthegmatarie discourser,
but then not like my self, and as plane as he, but not to please my self, nor
to satisfie the argument, as I should handle it. I must define, deuide,
distinguish, vse Art, vse terms of Art, vse iudgement. I must as well mark
from whom I fet my transported learning, that theie maie saie theie ment
so, as for whom I set it, that theie maie saie theie vnderstand it. Whereof
he doth not anie, and is there for thought plane, and soon sene of them,
which se nothing far. For if plane humors must still be pleased, and be delt
withall, so daintilie, as theie be put to no pains, to learn and enquire, where
theie find difficultie, thorough their own not knowing. If theie must be
made a lure for learning to discend to, in euerie kinde, and rather to
degenerate hir self, then to desire them, to learn to look vp, what state
standeth skill in? He that made the earth made hills and dales, made
heights and planes, made smouthes and roughs, and yet euerie one good in
their seuerall kinde. Planenesse is good for a pleasant course, and a popular
stile in ordinarie argument, where no Art nedeth, bycause the reader knowes
none, neither the matter is such, but it maie be so vttered, as being then in
hir best colors, when she is drest for the common. Likewise this pretended
hardnesse, tho it be proper to the matter, and the man which writeth
without hardnesse in dede, hath hir peculiar good, to whet a wit withall, and
to print depe euen bycause it semes dark, and contains a matter, which must
be thrise lookt on, ear it be once gotten. Trauell is the coin, which is
currant in heauen, for which and by which almightie God doth sell his best
wares, tho of his great goodnesse, he do somtime more for som kinde of
wits, in quiknesse and cunning, euen without great labor, tho not without
anie, then anie labor can work in som other, to giue vs to wit, that his
mercie is the mistresse, when our labor learns best. But in our ordinarie, if
carpetting be knighting, where is necessarie defence? If easie
vnderstanding be the rediest learning, then wake not my Ladie, she learns as
she lies. If all things be hard, which euerie one thinks hard, where is the
prerogatiue and benefit of studie? What helps it vs to studie not. I will not
alledge, that the old learned men vsed darknesse in deliuerie in matters of
relligion to win reuerence to the argument, as of another world, & not
of ordinarie speche neither that the old wisedom, was expressed by ridles,
prouerbs, fables, oracles, and oraclelike verses, to draw on studie, and set
that sure in memorie, which was soundlie studie for, ear it was so vttered.
Be anie of our best and eldest writers, which we studie at this daie, &
haue ben thought the best, eche in their kinde, euer since theie wrote first,
vnderstood at once reading, and at the verie first, tho he that studieth them
do know their tung as well, as we think we know English, naie and better to,
bycause it is more labored? or is their manner of penning to be disallowed
at dark, bycause the ignorant reader, or the nice student maie not streight
waie rush into it. That theie fell into that short & close kinde of
writing, euen for verie pith to saie much, where theie speak least, the
commenting of them declareth, which openeth that with great length, which
theie set down in som short sentence, naie in som short cut of no verie long
sentence. Be not all the chefe paragons & principall leaders in euerie
profession of
this same sort, vnpearceable for the common, tho in their common tung, but
reserued to learning, as to store them that will studie?
But maie not this dark falt, be in him that finds it, & not in the matter
which is plane of it self, and is plainlie vttered, tho it be not so to him?
Our daintinesse deceiues vs, our want of good will blinds vs, naie our want
of skill is the verie witch, which bereueth vs of sense, tho we pretend
cunning & countenance for learning. For euerie one that bids a book good
morrow, is not therefor a scholler, nor a sufficient iudge of the book
arguments. What if he haue studied verie well, but neither much nor long?
nor once medled or not soundlie medled, with the argument whereof he wilbe
iudge? What if desire of preferment haue cut of his studie in the midst of
his hope, & greatest towardnesse? Naie what if what not, where the
means be so manie to work infirmitie? not withstanding either countinance
in the partie, or opinion in the peple, do muster verie fare, for som shew of
learning? Euerie man maie iudge well of euerie thing, which he hath studied
well, & practised full, (if the studie require practis), with all the
circumstances that belong thereto. Pretie skill som one waie, and in som
one thing, will somtimes glance at further matter, and shew som smak of
further cunning, but no more then a smak, no further then a glance. And
therefor in my iudging of another mans writing, so much of my iudgement is
trew, as I am able to proue soundlie, if I were sadlie apposed by those, that
can iudge: and not so much as I maie carie vncontrolled, either by pleasing
my self, or som as ignorant as my self. Apelles could allow the
coblers opinion, where his clouting was his cunning, but not an inch further.
For my maner of writing, if I misse in choice, I misse with warrant still,
rather minding the matter with substance, then the person with surface.
For howsoeuer it be in speche, in that kinde of penning, which wilbe like to
speche plane for plane argument, where performance must be present, &
deliuerie without delaie, certainlie where the matter must bide the tuch,
and be tryed by the hammer of a learned resolution there wold be
precisenesse, there wold be ordinat method, and deliuerie well coucht,
euerie word bearing weight, & euerie sentence being well, & euen
that will well weighed, where both time doth lend weing, and the matter
deserues weing. Which kinde of writing tho it want estimation in som one
age, by sleightnesse of the time, yet maie win it in another, when weight
shalbe in price, as som hundreth years be writen
both to shrine saincts and to autorise books.
For the generall penning in the English tung, I must nedes saie this
much, that in som points of handling by the tung, there is none more
excellent then ours is. As in the teaching kinde no work memorie with
delite, like the old leonine verses, which run in rime, it doth admit such
daliance, with the letter, as I know not anie. And in that kinde, where
remembrance is the end, it is without blame, tho otherwise not, if it com in
to often, and bewraie affectation not sound but followed. In the staie of
speche, & strong ending, it is verie forcible and stout, bycause of the
monosyllab, which is the chefe ground & ordinarie pitch of both our pen
& tung. For fine translating in pithie terms, either pere to, or passing
the foren quiknesse, I find it wonderfull pliable, and redie to discharge a
quik conceit, in verie few words. For close deliuerie of much matter in not
manie words generallie, it will do as much in the primitiue vtterance, as in
anie translation. Which close deliuerie in few words maie seme hard
somtimes, but onelie there, where ignorance is harbored, or idlenesse is the
idoll, which will not be entreated to crak the nut, tho he couet the kernell. I
nede no example in anie of these, whereof mine own penning, is a generall
patern. Neither shall anie man iudge so well of these points in our tung, as
those shall, which haue matter flowing vpon their pen, that wilbe so
vttered, or will vtterlie refuse him, which refuseth that vtterance. For as
in other tungs there is a certain propertie in their own dialect, so is there
in ours, for our deliuerie, both as pretie and as pithie, as anie is in theirs.
In the force of words, which was the third note and pretence of obscuritie,
there ar to be considered. Commonesse for euerie man, beawtie
for the learned, brauerie to rauish, borowing to enlarge our
naturall speche, & rediest deliuerie. And therefor if anie reader find
falt with anie word, which is not sutable to his ear, bycause it is not he, for
whom that word serues, let him mark his own, which he knoweth, and make
much of the other, which is worthie his knowing. Know you not som words?
why? no maruell. It is a metaphor, a learned translation, remoued from
where it is proper, into som such place where it is more properlie vsed, and
most significant to, if it be wel vnderstood: take pains to know it, you haue
of whom to learn. It is not commonlie so vsed, as I do vse it, but I trust not
abused, naie peraduentur in a more statelie calling, then euer you herd it.
Then mark
that the place doth honor the parson, and think well of good words, which
tho you handle but with ordinarie lips, & those somtimes foul yet in a
fairer mouth, or vnder a finer pen theie maie com to honor. Is it a stranger?
but no Turk, & tho it were an enemies word, yet good is worth the
getting, tho it be from your fo, as well by speche of writers, as by spoill of
soldiers. And when the foren word hath yeilded it self, & is receiued
into fauor, it is no more foren, tho of foren race, the propertie being altered.
But he nede not lak words, that will speak of words. Howbeit in this place,
there nedeth not anie further speaking of them, neither which be common,
neither which be bewtifull, nor which be braue, nor which be borrowed, nor
that for anie ornament therein we giue no place to anie other tung.
For mine own words and the terms, that I vse, theie be generallie
English. And if anie be either an incorporate stranger, or otherwise
translated, or quite coind a new, I haue shaped it as fit for the place, where
I vse it, as my cunning will giue me. And to be bold that waie for either
enfranchising the foren, or translating our own, without to manifest
insolence, & to wanton affectation, or else to inuent new vpon euident
note, which will bear witnesse, that it fitteth well, where it is to be vsed,
the word following smoothlie, & the circumstance about bewraing, what
it meneth, till oft vsing do make it well known, we ar sufficientlie
warranted both by president & precept of them, that can iudge best.
Wherefor to saie that in plane terms, which I mean as planelie, he that is
soundlie learned, will streight waie found a scholer: he that is well
acquainted with a strong pen, whether in autors or in vse, will soon sift a
close stile; he that hath skill in language, whether learned & old, or
liked and new, will not wonder at words which he knoweth whence theie ar,
neither yet maruell at a conceit quiklie deliuered, the like whereof he
meteth oft abrode. And therefor such skilfull men, as I fear not their
iudgement, bycause cunning is curteous, so I praie their frindship, bycause
their countenance is credit. For those that want of this, and cannot iudge
right, tho theie be sharp censors, and commonlie vttering their talking
talent, I must craue their pardon, if I passe not for their censuring, which I
take for no iudgement. And yet I am content to bear with such fellowes, and
pardon them their errors in my behalf, so theie that can iudge will pardon
me mine in their curtesie. Those that neither can iudge right for want of
cunning, nor maie seme to iudge wrong, for bewraing their
own weaknesse, if theie desire to learn in anie case of dout, theie haue the
learned to counsell, as the smatterer to corrupt. If theie like and allow, the
profit is theirs, but if theie do not, theie fraie me not from writing, wherein
I hope at length either to win their fauor, by deseruing well, or at least
their silence, by cumbring them to much, tho I win not their fauor. Here to
conclude in generall for the maner of writing & words in our English
tung, this is my opinion, that as for choice of argument to proue with,
som verie near to the substance it self of that, which is in question, som
further of, tho of probable seruice, there is regard to be had by him that
proueth, & if he do his dewtie, the thing is discharged, howsoeuer it be
charged: so in the handling & maner thereof, the like respect being had
for both perspicuitie & propertie to the thing, tho som one point seme
strange, to the man that will iudge, the deliuerer is discharged. For either
inuention of matter or elocution in words, the learned knew well, in what
writers theie ly: and those that be vnlearned must learn to think of them,
before theie think to iudge, least by missing the leuell, which the writer
vseth, theie misse of that right, whereby theie should iudge. For the matter
it self, which shalbe the subiect of anie learned method, as I haue said
allredie, acquaintance will make it easie, tho it seme to be hard, as the
maner also, tho it seme to be strange, if the thing it self, maie deserue
acquaintance, which wil not appear before acquaintance. And a litle
hardnesse yea in the most obscure, & most philosophicall conclusions,
maie neuer seme tedious to a conquering mind, such as he must haue, which
either sekes himself, or is desirous to se his cuntrie tung enlarged, &
the same made the instrument of all his knowledge, as it is of his nedes.
But I haue bene to tedious, my good cuntrimen & curteous readers,
& yet not so, where no hast is enioyned, but to read at leasur, & not
all at once: now am I to moue my request vnto you, which I mentioned at the
first, or your frindlie construction & cuntrimanlike fauor. The
reuerence to learning, which allureth the good student to embrace hir in his
youth, & auanceth him to honor, by hir presence in his age, will entreat
the learned in generall for me, for endeuoring my self to recouer hir right,
by whose onelie autoritie themselues be of account. The samenesse in
profession will work me more fauour among my fellow teachers, then found
emulation can work me discountenance: the fauorable side discouering good
natur, and learning in dede: the peuish detracting, a beggerlie spite, &
som want of
skill. The consideration of mine own present profession & this last
conceiued hope of the learned teachers doth put me in minde, to aduertis
them in generall, of one speciall point, which in dewtie must moue them no
lesse then me, to the carefull thought of redresse in our schools, which
maie abide the amendment. I pretend not here relligion, which chargeth in
conscience, neither yet priuat maintenance, which enforceth trauell, but
onelie the munificence and that extraordinarie of our princes and
parlements, towards our hole order in our cuntries behalf: who partlie by
suffring vs to enioy old immunities, partlie by graunting vs diuerse other
exemptions from personall seruices & ordinarie paiments, wherewith
our fellow subiects ar commonlie charged, both encourage vs to labor, &
binde vs to require them. For the continuance whereof, & the assured
enioying, all the teachers in England haue great cause to honor the right
honorable Sr. Walter Mildmaie knight chancellor of hir maiesties
court of exchequor & one of hir maiesties most honorable priuie
counsell. The right honorable Sr. Roger Manwod knight Lord chefe
baron of hir maiesties court of Exchequor, the right worshipfull master
Robert Sute, master Ioyn chlinch, master Iohn Sotherton,
Esquiers & barons of the same hir maiestes court, the two first
Sr. Walter & Sr. Roger great founders to learning both within the
vniuersites, & in the cuntries about them: the other thre Esquires great
fauorers to relligion & learning eueriewhere. For the small
consideration, or rather the ouersight of som to passionat sessors in the
last subsidie making that a priuat question, which was a generall priuilege,
& scant charitablie seking the damage of a number, by quarell to som
few, it pleased these honorable & worshipfull personages vpon humble
sute for the common benefit of a number of poor men, to take the cause to
protection, and to conster the statut, both as the parlaments did mean it,
and as we haue still enioyed it, to the common benefit of our hole companie.
Which their great goodnesse to the fauor of our order, as it deserueth at our
hands an honorable remembrance, so it bindeth vs further to the common
care, for the which we were fauored. Whereunto as I find my self to be
maruellouslie affectionate, so dout I not but there is the like affection in
manie of the same liuerie, whose frindship I carue, for fauorable
construction, whose conference I desire for help in experience: being
thankfullie redie in this common course, either to persuade on to be
persuaded. Of those that ar not learned I praie frindship also, euen
more then half of right: bycause I labor for them, in whom
vnthankfulnesse is a falt, if my good will be none. In generall I desire but to
win so much of all men, as Dauus in Terence desireth of his
master when his good counsell had no good successe. Bycause I am your
bondman (saith the slaue to his master) my dewtie is, to trauell hand &
foot, night and daie, yea with danger of my life to do you good, as common
curtesie on the other side binds you, to hold me excused, to pardon and
forgiue me, if anie my good meaning haue contrarie ishew, that I do maie
misse, but yet I do my best. I am bond to my cuntrie, and bound to hir peple,
I will do my best endeuor, and craue pardon with poor Dauus, where
my best is begiled. Common curtesie is naturall, where there is no desert:
forgiuenesse is relligious, euen where there is a falt: but where good will
deserueth well, tho it fortun to fail, if fauor be not shewed, will not
curtesie condemn, will not relligion repine? God blesse vs all to the
auancement of his glorie, the honor of our cuntrie, the furtherance of good
learning, the good of all degrees, both prince and peple.
BYcause the end of ortografie is the direction of the pen, therefor where the
print hath not sufficientlie expressed my forms, the writer will conceiue
them soon, and vse both distinction by accent, and dispatch by charact to his
most auantage according to the rules. But I must craue pardon generallie,
for both mine own and the printers errors, which will not be auoided, where
manie ar to work, and negligence will make one. Small falts, tho manie, be
soon perceiued, and as soon supplyed by anie ordinarie reader, but such as
these be, require a verie intelligent minde.
Pag. 12. lin. 1. Not must be left out.
Pag. 12.
lin. 13. wrong must be wring. Pag. 33. lin. 31.
vnrefined reason, what great &c. the sentence continued.
Pag. 39 lin. 18. the foredeall which childern ar at by their
education &c
Pag. 48 lin. 6. anie more then himself
shall nede. Pag. 51 lin. 37. which is to great a degré
Pag. 60. lin 1. resonablie well. Pag. 66. lin 29.
prouing more. Pag. 68. lin.13. parts not parties.
Pag. 69. lin. vlt. when put out. Pag. 84 lin
26. theie discend to particularities. Pag. 99 lin.18. ar the
transporters. Pag. 101 lin. 24 for your particular choice.
Pag. 12. lin 35. or as age and ouer wearing. Pag. 103
lin. 29. Wherefor if it shall please. Pa. 258 lin. 23.
Celtopadie for Celtopædie Pag. 268 line 3. this
for thus lin. 4 no for to lin. 8 sound for
found. &c.
But I leaue the vnresonable residew to the gentle and considerate
reader.