The logicians school-master: or, A comment upon Ramus logick.: By Mr. Alexander Richardson, sometime of Queenes Colledge in Cambridge. Whereunto are added, his prelections on Ramus his grammer; Taleus his rhetorick; also his notes on physicks, ethicks, astronomy, medicine, and opticks. Never before published.

Orationis.

This general art of Speech is twofold, both Gram∣mer and Rhetorick; but the difference is this, that Grammer carrieth the matter in a budget neither too big nor too little, like one of these Irishmen with Breeches without pockets. Rhetorica carrieth it in a fine bag full of laces, yet not altogether full, for there are more words then matter; therefore both Grammer, Rhetorick, and Poetry are all e∣qually general for subject, but not for use. For Gram∣mers use is before the use of them, and may be with∣out them even as a garment may be without a lace or jag. But here by the way, because these are general Arts, therefore they have no proper subject, but their use may be everywhere, and therefore Kecker∣man, whilst he maketh Rhetorick a special art, telleth me he never knew the right distribution of the arts,

for it is the art of Speech, and that may be every∣where, therefore Rhetorick is general and may be used in any thing; therefore Tropes upon due consi∣deration may be used in any art. Now if it be de∣manded, whether it be better to use Grammer, or Rhetorick in teaching of Children? I Answ. Gram∣mer is better, 1. Because it is more general than Rhetorick: 2. Because it keeps us more close to the matter, which is a very good thing in teaching; yet not withstanding sometime Rhetorick is better, be∣cause it delivers the proper word together with some sweetness, for Tropes do arise from some arguments in Logick; so that we cannot condemne Rhetorick, neither is it possible we should alwayes use Gram∣mer, seeing there be many more things then proper names; for God making all things, and Man being to name them, and had not names sufficient for them: therefore for want of words, gave the same name to divers things by Tropes; and therefore Talaeus saith necessitas tropum genuit: Yet at the beginning one thing had but one name, but afterwards the same word came to signifie many things, as we see in He∣brew, where one word signifieth twenty things, and but one properly and Grammatically, and all the rest Tropically. And I find that words are used impro∣perly these wayes: First, in respect of the Trope: Secondly, when we deliver the same things, in di∣vers languages, there they use divers phrases, which must be compared together, as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is good in Greek, in Latin it is to make Children, which is not usual. Now if you will know whether is better, bring them to Logick, and there see which phrase is more special, that is to be prefer'd: to make it ge∣neral to the efficient cause in general, to beget or

procreate Children is proper to the first modus of the efficient, therefore it is the better phrase. So vac∣cas agere in English is to drive Kine, though they say in some parts, do the Kine into the field: And there is another kind of Trope, which is caused by reason of the phrase; therefore one that teacheth young Scholars must have a special care, That first his Scholar knwo the nature of the thing, and then the name of it, which stands by this rule, v••x est no∣ta quâ unumquodque vocatur, and by this means we shall teach them, first what every word signifieth in propriety, and then the thing as it is named in other tongues, and then the phrase, and then compare one phrase with another, and thus by the way we shall estimate which phrase in every language standeth with best reason. As that of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and in English to beget Children, where to beget is peculiar to nature, and belongeth to those things which have only a vegetative life, and therefore our English phrase is better: So 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is to put to the hand, and in Latin is agreed, to put to the foot, or to go to, which is more general, therefore the Greek phrase is better: So in English we say to go to, and to go in hand with, which phrase neither the Greeks nor the Latins have. It is a Metaphor fetched from the mo∣tion of the hand, which is the chief organ of motion, & is as much as I should say, put our hands to, & this is more special; so that bring them to Logick and ••here you shall be able to judge which phrase in e∣very language is best; and so consequently which Tongue is best. And this way I can prove our Eng∣lish best, except the Hebrew: For those that inven∣ted the Greek Tongue, were great Scholars, and were very good Rhetoricians, and so made their

Speech more eloquent, whereas our inventors of English were not so.