The golden-groue moralized in three bookes: a worke very necessary for all such, as would know how to gouerne themselues, their houses, or their countrey. Made by W. Vaughan, Master of Artes, and student in the ciuill law,

Of Grammar. Chap. 39.

GRammar is an Art that consisteth in speaking & enditing truly. It had the beginning, of noting what is more fit & vnfit in cōmu∣nication; which thing men imitating in their speech, in processe of time inuēted this Art. Although before Adams fall from Paradise, learning was natural, yet neuerthelesse no man can now of him∣selfe come to the knowledge of it, with∣out practize, exercise, and other mens inuention. Charondas the lawgiuer ex∣tolled Grammar aboue all other Artes: and that iustly, forast; 1.1 by meanes of it the chiefest things in the world are written; as lawes, constitutions, willes, and testaments, and such like, as concerne mans life. Whereby we see that* 1.2 Grammar is many wayes profitable to mans life.

But alas, the vse thereof is in these dayes not perfectly knowen. Albeit we haue many that profes it, yet for al that,

few there be that vnderstand it aright. The reason is, because nowadayes they thinke, that whosoeuer can prattle in Latine, make verses, or patch a decla∣mation, is a substanciall Grammarian (or, as they terme him, an Humanitian) which, God wot, they know not what it meanes. For a* 1.3 Grāmarian is he, that can speake the vsuall tongues elegantly, and ex∣poūd the mysteries of Poets with their tropes and figures, and that hath some smack in Philosophy, because sundry places in Poets are quoted out of the quintessēce of the Mathematikes.

Notes

• ast; 1.1

  Diodor. Sicul. lib. 12. ca. 4
• * 1.2

  Arist. lib. 8. Po∣lit. ca. 3.
• * 1.3

  Quin∣til. lib. 1. Institut. Oratori.