The parents primer and the mothers lookingglasse, or, Counsel for parents in the education of children for their temporal, spiritual, and eternal happinesse : in a dialogue between a minister and a father : to which is added a second dialogue of the Decalogue : and to that a third dialogue concerning the Sabbath-day / by J. Waite ...

To the Unskilfull Reader.

WHether I speak with Tongue or Pen: I re∣spect Them most who want my Help. If you do so, and can own [Un∣skilfull] for a Fit Title: they say I am the Per∣son, for whose sake this Epistle is written. And for your sake, Let us desire the Expert Reader, to dispense with your Passage through this Porch. In which I desire You will remain my Scholar (one hour) and learn these Three Lessons.

First. To know the Points used in Print:* 1.1 which are these Seven.

• (1) A Comma. It's a Point at end of a Short Part of a Sentence, without Perfect Sense. And it's a note of some little Pause, Stop, or Breathing in Reading. It's marked Thus,
• (2) A Semicolon. It's a Pause a little long∣er than a Comma. It's marked Thus;
• (3) A Colon. It's a longer Pause than the former: and its a part of a Sentence that makes Sense without the Full Sentence yet so as the rest is expected to compleat it. It's marked Thus:
• (4) A Period. It's a full perfect Point, put at

• end of a compleat Sentence. It's marked Thus. Observe the Sense contained in a Sentence, or you Read Confusion.
• (5) A note of Exclamation, or Admiration. It's put at end of an Expression uttered by way of Out-cry, or Wonder. It's marked Thus! As [O how lofty are their eyes!* 1.2
• (6) A note of Interrogation. It's put at end of a Question. It's marked Thus? As [Why should we die in thy presence?* 1.3
• (7) Parenthesis. It's a Clause included, or shut in with two Semicircles, or half Moons: though it give some Strength to a Sentence, yet if left out the Sense remains Sound. It's marked Thus () As [Let me (I pray thee) drink a little water of thy pitcher.* 1.4

Second. To know where the Emphasis layeth in a Sentence. Emphasis is an Ex∣pression of the Mind, by a Word expressed with some Earnestness, or Force. This Word I begin with a Capital, or Great Let∣ter. Here note words which must alway be∣gin with Capitals.

• (1) The first Word of every Sentence.* 1.5 As [The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom] So if the Sentence begin with a Single Letter.* 1.6 * 1.7 As [A wise man will hear [I am the good Shepherd [O that they were wise,* 1.8 &c.
• (2) The first Word of the Saying of an Other, Related: though it do not begin a

• Sentence. As,* 1.9 The officers answered [Never man spake like this man] And many of them said [He hath a Devil,* 1.10 and is mad] Others said [These are not the words of him that hath a Devil.
• (3) The first Word, or Letter of every Verse, or Line in Poety. As,

  A man without learning, Cato doth say: May be compared to an Image of Clay.

• (4) Proper Names. (1) Of God, as Je∣hovah] Of Christ, as, Jesus] Of an Angel, as, Gabriel] Of Men and Women, as, Adam, Abel, Daniel, Dorcas] Of Countries, as, Asia, England, Spain] Of Cities, as, London, Jerusalem] Of Towns, as, Barnet, Bethany] Of Places, or Hills, as, Eden, Sinai] Of Rivers, as, Thames, Jordan, Cedron] Of Months, as, Jan, Feb, Abib] Of the four Winds, as, East, W, N, S.] Proper Names I put in Italian Different Letters: and so to put other Names is Improper.
• (5) Appellatives or Common Names: which are common to all of that Kind. (1) Of People, as, Jew, Hebrew, Gentile, Heathen, Christian, Protestant, Papist, Pagan, Indian] Names of Arts, as, Printer, Painter, Mercer, Grocer] Of Dignity, as, Emperour, King, Q, Prince, Pope, Duke] Of Offi∣ces, as, Ambassador, Priest, Prophet, Pastour, Apostle, Elder, Deacon, Judge, General, Captain] Of Dayes, as, Sabbath] Of Spirits,

• as, Angel, Cherub, Seraphim, Devil, Satan] Note [god] if a false god, must begin with a small letter. But the true [God] with a Capital. And, Father, Son, Spirit: Lord, Christ, Ghost] when they Signifie the True God, or the Persons in the Holy Trinity] To which I adde Names of Books (so many as are not Proper Names of Men and Wo∣men) as, Gen, Exod] And of Tongues, as, Hebrew, Greek, Latine, English] Most of these Names, Proper, and Appellative, stand Thin in this Book. In all these Words which always begin with Capitals, the Em∣phasis seldom layeth: when it doth, I put that Word all in Capitals that you know it at ease. When an other Word is all in Capitals, it signifies the Greater Emphasis.

Now for Emphatical Words. The Em∣phasis is tied to no Word whatever. It is sometime in a Substantial Word. Sometime in two or three such words together. Some∣time in a small Word, as [be, do, so, no, to, at, of, off, on, in, out] as, [I will No more have mercy on the house of Israel.] In other place [no] hath no Emphasis, as,* 1.11 [Strive not with a man if he have done thee [no] harm] In other place it's in the Sub∣stantial word Mercy,* 1.12 as, [Have Mercy on me O Lord] As when Sea-men are Sinking with this cry, Mercy! Mercy! There is the Em∣phasis. In other place (by reason of the Ex∣cellent

Emphaticalness of the Expression) you may put it in This or That Word as you Will, as, [I Will surely have mercy] I will Surely have mercy] I will surely have Mercy upon him, saith the Lord] Sometime the Em∣phasis,* 1.13 Is, and is Not in the Same Word,* 1.14 in the Same Sentence: as, [What my Son! and what the son of my Womb!] To misplace it makes it give an unpleasant senseless sound: as, what the Son of my womb] It's in Vain to put Force upon a Wrong Word: it's like a Stroke at a Wooden Bell.

These Emphatical Words observed, will help you to understand the Sense. And if besides the Words which constantly begin with Capitals, there Be ever a Capital that is not Emphatical: yet it's Substantial, and serves to shew the Sense, as all Emphatical Words do. Emphatical Words begun with Capitals, avoids that Hodge Podge they make, who put Half their Words in Different Letters.

Third. To understand Abbreviation,* 1.15 or Shortning of Words: which for Brevity Sake is used in Books. Some of them are the First Letters of Latine Words; which many Au∣thors use, but Explain not for their English Reader. The most Necessary (of all which) to know are These.

&c et caetera] and the rest [or] and so forth.

Sc scilicet] to wit.

Viz Videlicet] to wit [or] that is to say.

i e id est] that is.

e g exempli gratiâ] as for example.

q d quasi dicat] as if he should say.

And the same q d serves for] as if She should say] as if You should say] as if They should say] as if I, or We should say.]

It is easily understood in Reading.

N B Nota Bene] Mark this well.

O T Old Testament. N T New Testa∣ment. Q Question. A Answer. Ob Ob∣jection. Sol Solution. D Doctrine. R Reason. U Use.

For you to Learn these Lessons Three:

As easie is as A B C.

Which you may Learn with little Leasure:

Then Read with Knowledge, Profit, Pleasure.

As for Hebrew, Greek, and Latine Words which I lay in your Way: they will be no Stumbling-block, except you will Make them so. For you have it in English: which you may Read on without Stumble, or Stop. And I desire you may So Read, as to Reap much Good Fruit, by the Labour of

Your Loving Friend, J W.

London, May 26. 1681.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1 Lesson.
• * 1.2

  Pro. 30.13.
• * 1.3

  Gen. 47.15.
• * 1.4

  Gen. 24.17.
• * 1.5

  Pro. 9.10.
• * 1.6

  Pro. 1.5.
• * 1.7

  Joh. 10.11.
• * 1.8

  Deu. 32.29.
• * 1.9

  Joh. 7.46.
• * 1.10

  Chap. 10.20, 21.
• * 1.11

  Pro. 3.30.
• * 1.12

  Mat. 15 22
• * 1.13

  Jer. 31.20.
• * 1.14

  Pro. 31.2.
• * 1.15

  3 Lesson.