The first part of the elementarie vvhich entreateth chefelie of the right writing of our English tung, set furth by Richard Mulcaster.

Cap. XXIIII. The vse of the generall table.

AS I promised before, so now I will knit vp this argument of right writing with a generall table, wherein I haue gathered the most of those words, which we common∣lie * 1.1 vse •…•… our hole speche. Which table I take to be verie proper to this purpos, and vpon sundrie causes. First for the confir∣ming of my rules, with multitude of examples, which I proued * 1.2 with som few naie oft with som one, when I set them first down: a thing both plane, to enstruct a reader, & also pithie, to enforce a rule by vertew of number.

Secondlie, for the perfiting of proportion, a great officer in di∣recting * 1.3 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, recommēd themselues therein to the rule of propor∣tion, 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 precise∣lie 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 no 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 fo∣ren, being a great parcell of our ordinarie speche, bycause we * 1.4 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 expresse that in speche, which we haue but of others to execute in dede: such a generall table is a con∣uenient 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 * 1.5 generall direction by particular proufs & the particular poufs, which range themselues in order, by generall directiō, is so near

& so great, as it cannot otherwise be, but that manie things will fall out in examining the table, which proues by particular, whereby the rules shalbe helpt: besides their confirming in na∣tur of example: as the rules themselues, which direct in generall do offer that assurance, whereby the table shalbe staied, besides the sorting of particular words, into proportionat ranks.

Fiftlie and last, the generall table is a mean to help ignorāce, and a waie to ease cunning. For the ignorant man, which can∣not * 1.6 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 mā 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 con∣firm 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 na∣turall, * 1.7 as maie easilie direct our generall writing, either by∣cause theie be the verie most of those words which we com∣monlie vse, or bycause all other, whether not here expressed 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, vpō great occasiō haue bene forced further to deuise an Elementarie, a thing as different from my first pur∣pos, as it is verie pertinent to the common profit.

For the notes, besides the beginning letter, which I haue cu∣riouslie * 1.8 obserued, both to find out most words by that kinde of method, and withall to perform that, which is required in a ta∣ble, to direct him that sekes by order of the letter, I haue had speciall regard to mine own rules, that both table & rule agre∣ing in one, my labour thereby maie sooner win allowance.

Therefor when soeuer anie great cause of note doth offer it self, either in accent for distinction, or in change for propor∣tion, or in strangenesse for deriuation, or in writing for enfran∣chisment, or in propertie for custom, either in penning or pro∣nouncing, bycause it reigneth in both: the accents ar set o∣uer the consonants or vowells, which require distinction: the changing of proportion, the strangenesse of deriuation, the pro∣pertie of custom is presentlie noted: and the enfranchised words be first set down in their naked and naturall colors, 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, * 1.9 to direct our writing or no: that I leaue to other mens iudge∣ment, 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 ef∣fect, and euen at this daie doth gide all our studies, bycause * 1.10 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 * 1.11 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 appear∣ing 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 er∣ror 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 vsurpa∣tion, wherein she hath propertie without intrusion, and where∣in she deals not without consideration, of force must haue hir

imperiall voyce, when the question is, what currant were best, for directing of the pē. For that is no correction which wasteth the substance, but that washeth the accidents, and that in such sort, as the cuntrie custom will best admit, vpon former ac∣quaintance.

Thus much haue I don for the right writing of our English tung, desiring my cuntriemen to think well of my labor, and themselues to trauell in furnishing out the rest, which I can∣not 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 altogi∣ther 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 * 1.12 no lesse profitable then praise worthie, if som one well lear∣ned and as laborious a man, wold gather all the words which we vse in our English tung, whether naturall or in∣corporate, out of all professions, as well learned as not, in∣to one dictionarie, and besides the right writing, which is in∣cident 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 o∣ther, ill executors themselues. For easie obtaining is e∣nemie to iudgement, not onlie in words, and naturall speche, but in greater matters, and verie important. Aduised &

considerat cumming by, as it proues by those tungs, which we learn by Art, where time and trauell be the compassing means, emplanteth in wits, both certaintie to rest on, & assurance to rise by. Our naturall tung cummeth on vs by hudle, and therefor hedelesse, foren language is labored, and therefor learned, the one still in vse and neuer will known, the other well known and verie seldom vsed. And yet contine wall vse should enfer know ledge, in a thing of such vse, as the naturall deliuerie of our minde and meaning is. And to saie the truth what reason is it, to be acquainted abrode, and a stranger at home? to know fo∣ren tungs by rule, and our own but by rote? If all other men had ben so affected, to make much of the foren, and set light by their own, as we seme to do, we had neuer had these things, which we like of so much, we should neuer by comparing haue discerned the better. Theie proined their own speche, both to please themselues, and to set vs on edge: and why maie not we by following of their presidents be partakers of their praise? cōsidering the thing which we ar to deal in, of it self is so good, & the presidents, which to follow, to be so manie & so plane: as we can neither alledge anie want for direction, ne yet basenesse of argumēt, to diliuer vs from trauell. For the matter of speche * 1.13 is a thing well thought of, whether ye waie the words and the forces which theie haue, or the vttering thereof by pē & voyce. Naturall nede vpon mere vse, commendeth the voyce, delite in mere vse commendeth fair speaking. And voluntarie nede vp∣on more vse commendeth the pen, delite in more vse commē∣deth fair writing. Which both ar so well estemed of, as there be particular Arts, verie cunninglie deuised to beautify them both. We nede not toproue by Platoes Cratylus, or Aristotles proposition as by best autorities, (tho men be sufficiēt to proue * 1.14 their own inuentions) that words be voluntarie, and appointed vpon cause, seing we haue better warrant. For euen God him∣self, 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 be allredie giuen, bycause the word being knowen, which implyeth the proper∣tie

the thing is half known, whose propertie is emplyed. There∣fore the argumēt of words, speche, & pen being so necessarie, & the trauelling in them being no lesse comendable, he that will deal in that which I haue said, shall both help nede in others, & heap praise to himself, & yet do nothing without manifold presidēt. For amōg the Hebrewes, Ionas, Iudas, Kimchi, among * 1.15 the Grekes, Eustathius, Fauorine, Pollux, amōg the Latins, Mar∣cus Varro, Nonius Marcellus, Festus Pompeius, tho not these a∣lone, 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 particular 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 Stephanus, Pe∣rot, Calepine, for the latin and others for other: we should then know what we both write and speak: we should then dis∣cern the depth of their conceits, which either coined our own words, or incorporated the foren. Whereas at this daie: we be skillfull abode and ignorant at home, wondring at others not waing our own. Thus much at this time cōcerning these things, now must I to my table.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Six causes to proue the vse of the table.
• * 1.2

  1. Multitude of examples.
• * 1.3

  2. Perfiting of proportion.
• * 1.4

  3. A catalog for enfranchismēt
• * 1.5

  4. A supply to manie wants.
• * 1.6

  5. An help for ignorance and an ease for knowledge.
• * 1.7

  Of words in the table.
• * 1.8

  Of notes in the table.
• * 1.9

  That this is the right waie to certain the trew writing of our English tung.
• * 1.10

  1. The president of best writers.
• * 1.11

  2. The amend∣ment ought not to alter substāce quite.
• * 1.12

  A perfit En∣glish dictiona∣rie wished for.
• * 1.13

  That the mat ter of speche is worth the handling. The pen and voyce.
• * 1.14

  The propertie of words.
• * 1.15

  3. The presiden∣cie of like dea∣ling.