torium," or Cato's "Distichs.' Distichs." From the third upward a regular course of classical authors was to be read, and Lily's rules were to be introduced by degrees. "Although I confess such things are necessary," writes Wolsey, "yet, as far as possible, we could wish them so appointed as not to occupy the more valuable part of the day." Only in the sixth form, the highest but two, Lily's syntax was to be begun. In these schools the boys' time was wholly taken up with Latin, and the speaking of Latin was enforced even in play hours, so we see that anomalies in the Accidence as taught in the As in præsenti were not given till the boys had been sɔme time using the language; and the syntax was kept until they had a good practical knowledge of the usages to which the rules referred.* These great men, however, though they showed the interest they took in the instruction of the young, and the insight they had into the art of teaching, never attempted a perfect treatise on the subject. This was done some fifty years afterward by the celebrated Roger Ascham in his "Scholemaster." If laudari a laudatis is any test of merit, we may assume that this book is still deserving of attention. "It contains, * In another matter, also, we find that the masters of these schools subsequently departed widely from the intention of the great men who fostered the revival of learning. Wolsey writes: Imprimis hoc unum admonendum censuerimus, ut neque plagis severioribus neque vultuosis minis, aut ulla tyrannidis specie, tenera pubes efficictur hac enim injuria ingenii alacritas aut extingui aut magna ex paste obtundi solet." Again, he says: "In ipsis studiis sic volupras est intermiscenda ut puer ludum potius discendi quam laboram xistimet." He adds: "Cavendum erit ne immodica contentione ingenia discentium obruantur aut lectione prolonga defatigentur; utraque enim juxta offenditur." THE SCHOLEMASTER." 23 perhaps," says Dr. Johnson, "the best advice that was ever given for the study of languages."* And Mr. J. E. B. Mayor (no mean authority) ventures on a still stronger assertion. "This book sets forth," says he, "the only sound method of acquiring a dead language." Mr. George Long has also borne witness on the same side. And yet, I believe, few teachers of the dead languages have read Ascham's book, or know the method he proposes. I will, therefore, give an account of it, as nearly as I can in Ascham's own words. Latin is to be taught as follows: First, let the child learn the eight parts of speech, and then the right joining together of substantives with adjectives, the noun with the verb, the relative with the antecedent. After the concords are learned, let the master take Sturm's selection of Cicero's Epistles, and read them after this manner: "first, let him teach the child, cheerfully and plainly, the cause and matter of the letter; then, let him construe it into English so oft as the child may easily carry away the understanding of it; lastly, parse it over perfectly. This done, then let the child by and by both construe and parse it over again; so that it may appear that the child doubteth in nothing that his master has taught him before. After this, the child must take a paper book, and, sitting in some place where no man shall prompt him, by himself let him translate into English his former lesson. Then showing it to his master, let the master take from him his Latin book, and pausing an hour at the least, then let the *Life of Ascham. child translate his own English into Latin again in another paper book. When the child bringeth it turned into Latin, the master must compare it with Tully's book, and lay them both together, and where the child doth well, praise him, where amiss point out why Tully's use is better. Thus the child will easily acquire a knowledge of grammar, and also the ground of almost all the rules that are so busily taught by the master, and so hardly learned by the scholar in all common schools." "We do not contemn rules, but we gladly teach rules; and teach them more plainly, sensibly, and orderly, than they be commonly taught in common schools. For when the master shall compare Tull, 's book with the scholars' translation, let the master at the first lead and teach the scholar to join the rules of his grammar book with the examples of his present lesson, until the scholar by himself be able to fetch out of his grammar every rule for every example; and let the grammar book be ever in the scholars' hand, and also used by him as a dictionary for every present use. This is a lively and perfect way of teaching of rules; where the common way used in common schools to read the grammar alone by itself is tedious for the master, hard for the scholar, cold and uncomfortable for them both." And elsewhere Ascham says: "Yea I do wish that all rules for young scholars were shorter than they be. For, without doubt, grammatica itself is sooner and surer learned by examples of good authors than by the naked rules of grammarians.” 66 As you perceive your scholar to go better on away, first, with understanding his lesson more quickly, with parsing more readily, with translating more ASCHAM'S METHOD. 25 speedily and perfectly than he was wont; after, give him longer lessons to translate, and, withal, begin to teach him, both in nouns and verbs, what is proprium and what is translatum, what synonymum, what diversum, which be contraria, and which be most notable phrases, in all his lectures, as Proprium Synonyma Contraria Phrases Rex sepultus est magnifice. Cum illo principe, sepulta est et gloria et salus reipublicæ. Ensis, gladius, laudare, prædicare. Diligere, amare, colere, exardescere, inimicus, hostis. Acerbum et luctuosum bellum, dulcis et læta pax. Dare verba, abjicere obedientiam." Every lesson is to be thus carefully analyzed, and entered under these heading in a third MS. book. All this time, though the boy is to work over some Terence, he is to speak no Latin. Subsequently the master must translate easy pieces from Cicero into English, and the boy, without having seen the original passage, is required to put the English into Latin. His translation must then be carefully compared with the original, for "of good heed-taking springeth chiefly knowledge." In the Second Book of the "Scholemaster," Ascham discusses the various branches of the study then common, viz: 1. Translatio linguarum; 2. Paraphrasis; 3. Metaphrasis; 4. Epitome; 5. Imitatio; 6. Declamatio. He does not lay much stress on any of these, except translatio and imitatio. Of the last he says: "All languages, both learned and mothertongue, be gotten, and gotten only by imitation. For, as ye use to hear, so ye use to speak; if ye hear no other, ye speak not yourself; and whom ye only hear, of them ye only learn." But translation was his great instrument for all kinds of learning. "The translation," he says, "is the most common and most commendable of all other exercises for youth; most common, for all your constructions in grammar schools be nothing else but translations, but because they be not double translations (as I do require) they bring forth but simple and single commodity: and because also they lack the daily use of writing, which is the only thing that breedeth deep root, both in the wit for good understanding and in the memory for sure keeping of all that is learned; most commendable also, and that by the judgment of all authors which entreat of these exercises." After quoting Pliny,* he says: "You perceive how Pliny teacheth that by this exercise of double translating is learned easily, sensibly, by little and little, not only all the hard congruities of grammar, the choice of ablest words, the right pronouncing of words and sentences, comeliness of figures, and forms fit for every matter and proper for every tongue: but, that which is greater also, in marking daily and following diligently thus the footsteps of the best authors, like invention of arguments, like order in disposition, like utterance in elocution, is easily gathered up; and *"Utile imprimis et multi præcipiunt vel ex Græco in Latinum vel ex Latino vertere in Græcum; quo genere exercitationis proprietas splendorque verborum, copia figurarum, vis explicandı. præterea imitatione optimorum similia inveniendi facultas paratur: simul quæ legentem fefellissent transferentem fugere non possunt. Intelligentia ex hoc et judicium acquiritur."-Epp. vii. 9, § 2. the passage stands in Pliny. Ascham quotes, "et ex Græco in Latinum et ex Latino vertere in Græcum,” with othe variations Sc |