Sententiae pueriles, translated grammatically leading the learner, as by the hand, to construe right, parse, and make the same Latine; also to get both matter and phrase, most speedily and surely, without inconuenience.

TO THE NO∣ble and hopefull yong Lord, Ferdinando, Lord Ha∣stings, son and heire apparant of the right Honourable, the Earle of Hun∣tingdon.

TO promise, is the easiest mat∣ter of all other, right Noble Lord: but in things of mo∣ment all the difficulty is in performance. How I haue in∣gaged my selfe to your most honourable Parents, by publike acknowledgement of the bond of my duety, for their many fa∣uours, and by protestation of my desire euer to witnesse my thankfulnesse, in seeking the aduancement of them and their Noble house, it is well knowen to all. Can I then be blamed, if I studie to performe that vnto their worthy progeny, which I cannot to their Honours otherwise? That as your Lordshippe, with all the Noble offspring of

their most renowned family do excell in birth, so you may in all singular learning, wherein true Nobility doth chiefly consist, and whereby you may be admired and ho∣nored of all. When Nobility hath all parts of rare wisedome to gouerne it, then is it as the goodliest ship, hauing winde at will, vnder the rule of a skilfull maister, so as it shall euer saile safely, in the middest of most perilous rocks and boysterous stormes. To this ende this hath been my first desire to∣wards your Lordship, that the entry to all good learning may be most easie vnto you, and full of all sweet delight. Though all my schoole labours be yours in this respect, that they haue beene of later yeers, more specially intended for your Lordship aboue others, and proceeded in principally by the fauour of my Honourable Lord; yet heerin I haue thought it most fit to signifie this duty. Because, howsoeuer it be the least of all my indeauours for your Lordship, yet it is for your entrance into your Latine stu∣dies, and the first of those Grammaticall translations, whereof I haue conceiued an vndoubted hope of a perpetuall benefit to come to all Schooles and good learning by them: by setting all the younger sort in the high way, and guiding them by the hand, to goe through all their first vsuall Au∣thors with certainty and double fruit, and that almost in one halfe of the time, which

is ordinarily spent in them; as I trust ex∣perience shall prooue to all, and this little book shall giue sufficient tryall. So that your Lordship may haue passed all the dif∣ficulty of learning, before you haue felt what any paynes of learning doe meane: and that, that part which hath been wont to be the discouragement of the little ones, may be made vnto them the pleasantest of all; to their exceeding ioy, with the com∣fort of all both parents and instructours. Also for the little booke it selfe, which I haue thus made choyse of, to shew the first triall in, according as it was gathered of purpose, for the first enterers into Latin, although it bee small in quantity, yet the worth of it truely knowen, and it rightly vsed, shalbe found aboue the weight in the finest gold; for that there are contained in it, so many wise sentences of most learned men, as shall at the very first giue your Lordship a true taste of all kinde of that wisedome, which shall so much adorne you, and also furnish you with words to expresse the same. Which, after that you are once perfect in the first grounds of Grammar (as you may soon be, by the plaine direction which I haue laboured to prepare for you, in my questions called the Posing of the Accidence and Grammar) by the help of this translation, and your oft reading the sentences out of it, you shall haue both

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matter and phrase to flowe into your re∣membrance, without either toyling of your minde, or ouercharging of your memory at all. For the manner of the vse hereof, and the rest of this kinde, that your Lordship may reape the benefit of them, and of all my trauells for you, I referre your director vnto that which I haue written in my Grammar-Schoole. These first fruits of my most dutifull affections, being accepted according to my entirest desire towardes your lasting honour, I haue iust cause to hope that by that time that your Lord∣ship shall bee meete to proceede to higher studies, the Lord who hath thus begun, will make all the way to the toppe of all excel∣lent knowledge, as sure, ready, and full of all pleasant allurement vnto you, as euer Noble personage did knowe before. Vntill which time, I shall not faile thorough his gratious assistance, to prosecute the worke by a continued inquiry of all the learnedst and best experienced, of this present, and all ages past; nor yet to haue vndoubted assurance, of whatsoeuer I shall commend vnto your Lordship. If this dedication shall seeme strange vnto any, by reason of your Lordships tender yeeres, this will bee my iust defence: that as God gaue this spe∣ciall experiment of translating Gramma¦tically, and of the benefits thereof together with you, so far forth as I know▪ so my hope

is that it shall growe vp with you, and come to maturity by that time that your Lord∣ship shall be able to iudge of it, by your own experience. In the meane while I shall not be wanting to striue with God by prayer, that he may so blesse you with your hopeful Brother, and all other allied to your Noble house, and to fit you for the best studies, that you may adde to the renowne of all your famous progenitors, & propagate an euer∣lasting augmentation of all vertue and honour to all that euer succeed you, and be lights to all other of true no∣bility.

Your Lordships, in all study, and dutifull affection, IOHN BRINSLEY.