AN APOLOGY FOR CHRISTOPHER SYMS Gent. and his way and Method of teaching, the effect thereof, and his end therein, against many foul and false Aspersions.  
Wherein and whereby is averred and maintained that all persons, who can see, hear and speak, may be easily taught to read.  
And that all Children, which can read, may be easily taught to understand the Latin Speech.  Vide, Fide.  printer's or publisher's device 
Printed in Anno 1633.   

An Apology, for Christopher Syms Gent. and his way and method of teaching, the effects thereof, and his end therein, etc.  SCinditur incertum studia in contraria vulgus: 
So it was in the Poet's time, so is now, and so it will be, when I am gone, and sleep with my Fathers. Yet while I am broad waking in this lyncean eye sighted age, wherein every man is apt to be peeping and spying, above, beneath, and round about another, especially a stranger, (such persons for the most, part being the busiest, who have the narrowest eyes both in apprehension and judgement) the piercing glances of some shallow, rash, prejudicate, uncertain and slanderous censures, darted at me, and my practice in teaching, either from ignorant, or malevolent aspects, or both, enforce from me a reflection, and constrain me to say somewhat more certainly for both against them: wherein if I should endeavour to avoid the various passions, and ungrounded censures of such persons, who are not endued with ability to judge of the dispositions of minds, or the qualities and ends of works and actions; I might as justly draw on myself the censure of weakness, folly, and madness, as mine honest artificial endeavours have undeservedly and unjustly pulled upon me the imputation of impostor, cheater conjurer, and crochetter to get money; and that I would get some money in my purse and be gone; that when my slender skill had showed some real effect, it would not hold, that the children whom I have taught, can do nothing, but whilst I am present, and such other fantastical censures, I know not what. These giddy indiscreet censures doubtless have proceeded from persons ignorant of any cause; who like young & ill scented hounds not knowing their game run on in the chase, and spend their mouths for company. Let them bark : Quibusdam canibus sic innanatum est latrare, ut non pro feritate, sed pro consuetudine latrent: as their good words cannot much benefit, so their evil words will do little hurt. For, Quicquid faciunt, ex morbo faciunt, non ex judicio, they extol and praise (for the most part) the unworthy, and cry down and condemn the deserving and innocent; faciunt quod solent, non quod mereor, male de me loquuntur homines, sed mali & maniaci; they will be meddling. But my drift and scope is, not to give satisfaction to such: it were a vain, endless, and would be a fruitless labour. Rumour vulgi attonitus; I leave them to their own folly and madness, and I am content to pass by, and slide away as a strange dog doth thorough a town or street, when every domestic cur hath a snap at him. Such like is humane courtesy: and more envious, inhuman, and barbarous are the English to their own countrymen, than other nations: I am not glad, that I can speak it. Moverer autem si Marcus Cato, si Laelius saepiens, si alter Cato, si duo Scipiones ista loquerentur de me. Those Laelijs, those Scipios, those Curij, those Cato's, who attribute nothing to the vulgar idols, opinion and fame, envy and detraction, which for the most part carries all now; who never entertain a prejudicate opinion, either of persons, or of things; who never vent a rash censure without mature deliberation upon events and issues of works, are the men whose good esteem and good report I affect and seek, and that not for mine own sake merely, but for the works sake chiefly, which I have in hand: the proof whereof will maintain itself, to be worth respect and embracement of a commonwealth; which shall with God's help, if mine industry be accepted, benfit the world, when I am gone, if the envious, quasi canis in praesepi, hinder not: to prevent whose malice and opposition, it is very necessary by this way of Apology, to stop the wide mouths of ignorant and envious detractors, besides whom none will disallow the fitness, and in some cases the necessity of apologies and defences; as in this subject of this mine apology, whereby I doubt not, but in some measure to make it evidently appear, that my method and experiment of teaching is of greater and better consequence, then to be slighted, despised, or rejected: And I hope no teacher, no scholar, no man disparaged thereby, although it proceed from a mean and obscure author, who never sought employment by a si quis, nor glory out of other men's disgraces. If the method were a trick or toy, that could not be conveyed to others, but must vanish with myself, I would easily yield, it were of no value: but it is otherwise, it may be continued to all posterity. It is aswell the instruction of children in the Latin language, as also in reading the English with more alacrity, celerity, and facility, then formerly; the example whereof may be followed in other languages. I am verily persuaded that few teachers have hitherto otherwise delighted in that function, then as carriers, sailors, bargemen, and the like do in their painful, hard, stormy and perilous journeys and voyages, which they undergo merely for the sustentation of life. For mine own part, since I found the validity of the method, I never took delight in any earthly thing, but in teaching, and should delight much more, if I might be recompensed. As for profit, I suppose, that every man, who knoweth nothing of my education, inclination, or mean qualification, can and will say for me, that other more advantageous courses of life might have been undertaken, if advancement or gain had been the object of mine undertaking: And those, who do truly know me (I doubt not) will soon deliver their opinion, it being required, that I am tam aulae, quam caulae mediocritèr adaptatus, and that I make not the profession my ultimum refugium as being necessitous, and fit for nothing else, nor yet for that. Although it cannot be denied, but that many unexpert men do so without controlment, in diverse places, both in England and Ireland, whom the meaner sort of people, and some who will not be so ranked, because they accept slender and base hire, employ and applaud, and let their children spin out time with them, until they have gotten even as much skill as their teachers. Such a one could I point out in this city's suburbs, who understandeth not the difference between e and ae diphthong; as I can make appear under his own hand writing. It is an ordinary practice in England, for men who have themselves no faculty in teaching, (to the end they may raise unto themselves a livelihood,) to take into their houses stipendiary mercenaries, teachers of the Latin, and French, Musicians, Dancers, etc. And one among the rest there is who hath thereby gotten singular fame spread far and near, who leaving an heroical (abusively so called) trade, more gainful, not so lawful, hath by the encomiastic narration of friends, drawn into his tuition the sons of many worthy persons: with what proficiency they have come off, let them boast who found the success. Of the danger that attends birds, who run too early from their nests, as the Partridge and the Lapwing, I will say nothing. But little probability is there that any good foundation of the Latin can be laid, when the instructers are often changed, as in such a course without doubt they are: for every of them will start for the better stipend, and oftentimes offences on the one side or the other causeth separation. I myself knew one man in England, who set up the trade, and within two years changed the master of his shop seven times, qui ubique est, nusquàm est; non venit vulnus ad cicatricem, ubi crebra medicamenta tentantur. But I digress: Painful is the profession, if it be exercised with diligence, as it ought: and yet thereof doth arise little gain, love, thankes or courtesy, from many unthankful persons, who, if their children make good progress and attain the end, attribute nothing to the teacher, but all to the child's ingenuity, to time, and the book, falsely imagining, that there is no Art in teaching, but only following, as they term it. And contrariwise if by reason of natural defects, the teacher cannot infuse so much into their children, as into others more acute, or if their children by reason of natural deficiency of eyes or tongues be not able, when they are earnestly hastened, to utter what they conceive, nor the parents endued with skill and patience to extract it from their children, than the teacher must be blamed and rebuked, and peradventure go unrewarded, the parents never considering natures imperfections, and the imbecility of such capacities, nor the tender care that a wise teacher ought to take of such, lest he do more hurt then good. Many such have I here met with, who besides nonpayment, after a good effect of mine Art and industry upon wooden and leaden subjects both young and old, have rewarded me with obloquy, railing, and detraction, and some with violence: yea, where I did best and deserved most, I reaped Billingsgate friendship and entertainment, and Pie-corner, and Picks-hatch farewell. In one place for forty shillings I got a Box, but no money to put in a box: in another the husband invited me, and the wife gave me a farewell, not Vsquebach for dough a doris, not a cup, but a pail of hotewater on my head, when I was shutting the door at my departure. Si quisquam huius procellae causam ulteriùs investigare cupiat, ab archimagiro in culina sciscitetur: exinde enim aqua calefacta: sin minus, lararij or acula petas, quae nemo, nisi praecentor ejus, explicare poterit. To me it seemeth more a riddle, than this Latin sentence can be to them, that know not the subject and members thereof, that a dignified Dame should call me cheating knave, and that her Cavalier should smite me, when I had given no offence, nor had gotten any money for a year and halves labour; but was rather cheated of my Art and industry: and that with as much more loss of time, Art, and industry, her Gossip should scold at me, and scald me, no cause of quarrel being known or declared, albeit it were demanded. When I consider the parties, I admire not their properties kind charitable creatures, who would rather, that I should perish, than they pay me the due reward of my labours. Well yet there is a fourth thing, which might as much discourage me from the prosecution of my profession, as the other three, great pains, small gains, and base requital, that is, the slender & mean estimation the world receiveth and holdeth of the professors, when it speaketh according to its weak judgement contemptuously, thus, he is but a Schoolmaster a Pedagogue. If any be unworthy, men's unthankfulness and want of judgement is the cause; for that they make not better choice, nor will confer better salary upon those, who are more worthy and more able. Surely they ought to be worthy: for upon them it rests, whether the sons of the Nobles and Gentry get, and love learning, for they have the seasoning of them, and a work of weight it is, and must be done in their childhood, or never: and without all doubt the common wealth is much endamaged, yea, and the Church suffereth, when the Nobles be agrammati, and on the contrary both flourish, when they be philomusi, and philologi. By these precedent reasons it may appear to the judicious Reader, that I intent it to be my greater glory to defend the work, than the workman. For what have I, who am but a clod of clay, which I have not received from the giver of every good and perfect gift? If then I have received a talon, I have together received a charge, that I shall not hide that talon: and what is it being not communicated? of the employment whereof my conscience informeth me, that a strict account will be exacted at that dreadful day, when every steward must give a reckoning of his stewardship. If there were no more in it but morality, I would not for virtue's sake be telluris inutile pondus. The love of the public likewise together with mine own delight may and doth incite me: for other encouragement have I none, neither would I do it; but because non nobis nati sumus; and to the end, that the practice thereof might win credit to the experiment for the contemplative demonstration only without the proof of practice might worthily be exploded. Peradventure some of that rabble, whom I mentioned before, whose derisions I contemn, and whose objections are not worth the answering, will say, what fellow is this? And what great thing is this, that needeth this apology? And why was not this way of teaching (if there be such a thing) found out in former ages, as well as now? And were not children taught to read, and to understand the Latin speech, before this fellow was? True; But many failed even in reading, and in the Latin, there were always as many, or more deficients then proficients. Then I say, for the first part of the work, the device and practice being wholly and merely invented by myself, is a way, whereby any person young or old, acute or obtuse may be taught to read with facility and delight, both to teacher and learner, to which little memory is requisite, but a full pronunciation is very necessary. By this method a child of perfect speech may be made able to spell english truly and readily whatsoever be proposed, syllable after syllable, the memory being not charged with two at once within one quarter of a year; yea it may, it hath been effected within a month, and in less time. And doth it not then necessarily follow, that that child, who can give every letter howsoever transposed its true sound must easily and speedily read, and that long before he be fit to learn the Latin tongue, beginning at five years of age? Will any sensible man deny it? It is a very plain and easy way and method, not far fetched, nor much strained for, but therein a very little Art added to nature. For the second, it is not merely mine own, but partly Mr Lilies: for he gave me the hint thereof: Wherein if any man concur with me in science practic for the common good, I repine not, but rather rejoice; because the experiment may be more authentic by a twofold or triple cord. Howsoever cum capitis periculo, I will maintain it to be such a way and method, whereby the most indocile and obtuse child, whosoever he be, if animi compos, may within one quarter of a year after he can read well, be made expert and perfect in the variation of the Verb, as of all other parts declinable; yea to give English for latin, and Latin for English readily and truly throughout all Verbs whatsoever, the Verb and his signification being given, and the child being supplied with the preterperfect tense of the Indicative mood, until he have learned Mr Lilies Rules to find out the same: and so consequently, forasmuch as the difficulty and intricacy of the Latin consisteth in the infiniteness of the Verbs variety, which is above one thousand in both voices, the different signs of the Optative, Potential, and Subjunctive being compared, it will make every child, who is animi compos, (as I said before) docile and capable of understanding the Latin, and that within three or four years, and sometimes in much less time: As for writing copiously, and speaking fluently, who knoweth not, that much reading must furnish with words and phrase, and frequent speaking bring facility and readiness of speech. Both which ways and methods are such, as when they shall be laid open, every literate man will say, why did not I see this, as well as he? and those men, who now envy, deride and scoff, and such others, who plot, combine, and load me with detraction, and stir wormanish and worse faction, will alter their opinions, and embrace my poor invention and experiment: which in due time I will tender to reverend authority, teaching in the mean time, none but the lawful Grammar.  
The occasion of my study and exquisition to find out a more familiar and easy way of teaching àprimordijs, then had formerly been received, was the consideration of the tedious time of seven, eight, nine, yea ten years, (may I say, no more) which was and is spent in teaching the Latin speech, and four, five, and six in the way of reading, with much austerity and bitterness to the great discouragement of children, before it can be brought to perfection; nay yet after much toil on the teacher's part, and torture of the children, many aswell the sons of the Nobility and Gentry, as of meaner persons fail, and never attain what they go about, unless some more acute than the rest: and many so imperctly taught to read, that when they come to learn the Latin, both themselves and their teachers through their unreadines in reading, unless it be first rectified, are much vexed; which produceth no small obstacle to their progress. And so by that means many good wits beaten out of heart, and brought into hatred both of books and learning, yea and teacher too▪ & not few, when grown up to good stature through the sharpness of some teachers driven into desperate courses. I can truly say that of diverse children brought to me, some whereof were eight years old, some nine, some ten, some eleven, some twelve, one fourteen, not all the Sons of common persons, nor such as had been neglected, but had been formerly taught with care and cost, none could read so much as meanly well, which my way would have made them do by that time they had accomplished seven years of age, had they begun at five. And moreover some of them, and some younger so affrighted and discouraged, that until I had altered their temper with lenity and familiarity, they would quake and shake and sweat, when they came to the business. How some of their parents and friends have requited me, who craved not, nor expected my wages, till my work was done, I will not now complain; let me only say, that many withdrew their children from me surreptitiously to save their monies, and permitted me not to make appear what was done, lest I should have challenged what was due: And to disgrace me yet further, when I had almost perfected the work for many of them, for the matter of reading; they set up a fly upon the wheel, that presently cried, what a dust have I stirred? when as the horse heels had stirred the dust, before the fly settled on the coach-whell. Let them go on with their giddiness, avarice, and baseness, and let their own experience find, that planta, quae saepius transfertur, non convalescit; that time will not be called again, that there is Art in teaching, which may and can sharpen and quicken hebetude, and help imperfect speech very much in infancy, before long custom have confirmed it. What effect in the Latin mies labours have produced answerable to the efficacy, which I attribute to my Method, if any man require an account, I appeal in the first place to the testimony of Master William Langford Captain of his Majesty's Post Bark, and Master William Scot his Majesty's Seaacher of his Port of Dublin, who within one month after I had undertaken a child of Master Scots, who was my first Scholar but no acute one, (as the issue will manifest now he is off from my method) heard the same child being then half a year short of nine years of age, give Latin for English, and English for Latin throughout a Verb chosen by one of them, and it was expergiscor. Now because it little availed to tell of such beginnings, unless it may appear, that they were seconded with like proceed, and because he was taken from me above half a year since, at the earnest suit of the mother, quasi invito patre, when I had spent two years and a quarter upon him, or little more, and for that I am not assured, that that man, to whose instruction he was next committed, will either give me or him our dues, and because I am well assured that he will not proceed with the like profit being out of his first Method by reason of his hebetude and young years being but eleven complete, momorie and judgement being not confirmed, and because much womanish clamour hath been throated out against me touching him, those of the faction falsely surmizing him to be my Masterpiece, and that if he were taken off, I were utterly supplanted, & quod salvus superest Artifex, It is therefore expedient, that I show to what ripeness the Child was grown in our two years, which was such, as he was able to read Tullyes' Offices into English at first sight, and then necessarily able to translate it, and when he had translated it, to read it again into true Latin, having never committed any one clause of the book to memory; he did often in the presence of diverse persons, the Book being opened at adventure, read the Latin Testament into English; he could likewise for short sentences, such like as Corderius hath at an instant, for English give true Latin: for proof hereof I could produce the testimony of divers Gentlemen, not all of the lowest rank, some whereof took a view of the Child's ability accidentally, others at my request; because I foresaw the cloud of future clamour and disgrace, wherewith I was like to be sprinkled; it was long in rising, all the foreign and domestic winds met in their chapel and consistory to blow it abroad. In the second place, that a child of Mr George Badlyes' in Damask street, did within six weeks after he had entered upon the Introduction to Grammar, being then under the age of seven years, vary the Verb exactly after the form aforesaid, I appeal to the testimony of Master Roger Puttock Minister of God's word, and Master Badely himself, who heard the Child do it in the presence of the Reverend Father in God William Lord Bishop of Kilmore. Divers other Children, and some superannited, and despaired of, have attained the same ability within my time limited a quarter of a year. Whether I report truth, it may easily be examined. And I hope it may be believed that Mr Scots child had attained the ability , if it appear that Mr Badelyes' child who is little more than nine years old, have attained (and not he alone, but some others) the same ability, within less time. I am almost afraid to relate it, lest it should not be believed, but should beget more censures. Let him therefore that desireth to be best informed; come and satisfy his own ears, or let him bring me a subject to work upon, and he shall well see, that whatsoever I have affirmed, if my head lay at stake, shall by God's assistance mangres the spite of envy and detraction be performed, and should have been proved upon any one, whom I undertook within my time limited, that is, two years for reading, and four for the Latin, and upon acute ones in much less time, might I be admitted to time and trial: In performance whereof my chiefest care hath been, is, and ever shall be, that by facility and encouragement I beget alacrity and delight in all, but especially in the most way ward and obtuse, that at no time they be daunted with pressure and austerity. If I should give answer to every censure, I should swell into a volume. I will therefore omit all but one, and let my life and labours clear me living, and my papers, when I am dead; and that one is, it will not hold: I believe verily that young children will not go on with the same facility, unless memory and judgement were confirmed, which cannot be expected at nine or ten years of age: or unless the same method might be prosecuted: yet I say had Mr Scots child continued in the way but one year more, he had been fully confirmed. A comparison may be drawn from a horse, his owner, and a rider to help me with moderate men, no cavillers. The owner or master committeth his horse (being a natural trotter) to a certain rider, or an Artist, that can teach him to amble; he agrees at a price to have it done; the rider undertaketh, goeth on, bringeth the horse, so long as himself rideth him, to a good stroke, the horse over-reacheth a good space; the owner observeth it, and before the rider have settled and confirmed the horse in his new pace, taketh the horse out of his hands, whether out of avarice to save his money, or curiosity and overmuch hastiness, being overjoyed with his horse's pace, it matters not; but he dismisseth his rider, and rideth the horse himself, falsely supposing that then he can hold the horse to his pace, aswell as the rider: After a while the horse, by reason that the master hath not the same slight of hand for his carriage, is brought to a fluttering and shuffling pace, and hath lost all good pace. Can the rider be justly blamed? or shall he be condemned to be no Artist? Such like is our case, until the method be generally known. For those, that be so overly and proud, of and in their own wits and judgements, who will not believe, that there can be such an invention for the improvement of Art, either because it came not, nor yet is come into their notion, or because it transcendeth their capacities, or because former ages had it not, nor will admit that any man's method can hold equivalency with theirs, as if no man's conceit or invention could mount so high a pitch as theirs, I refer such men to the study of Almanacs, out of which they may learn to be such good Chronologists, as to prescribe time to two of the rarest inventions, which the earth containeth: the one is the Art of Printing, the other, the terrible engine of the Gun and Cannon, and the violent devouring matter thereto belonging, the Powder, which neither the first, nor the second age of the world brought forth, nor the head of this, but even the very tail. For it is not two hundred years since the invention of the one, and not three since the invention of the other. Much might be said touching the several methods, and the fruits and effects of them, as also touching the necessity and dignity of teachers and schoolmasters, if they be such, as they ought to be. But lest in saying more of either, I might seem to arrogate that to myself, which will not be given or granted, I will only say of these, that they ought to be men endued with Art, method, and discretion: art, to understand what they teach; method and order, to teach it the right way, and to bring it to the capacity of children, with as much facility as may be; discretion to deal with children according to their constitutions and capacities. As concerning the methods, and the fruits and effects thereof, let the most intelligent caviller, give me answer to two questions. First, what is the way and ground of reading? Is it any other, then to know the true sound of every letter, how variously soever transposed in monosillable or polysillable, and to divide polysillables rightly? and that skill being attained, is not the ground and way of reading? What can be done or required more, but daily practise? Secondly, what is the first and chief ground of Grammar? Is it not the true variation of the declinable parts, whereof the Verb is the most perplexed? and that skill being attained, is not the chief ground of grammar attained? can true connexion be made without true variation? What literate man knoweth not, that the Verb in all languages is the basis of all, and that all the other pa●ts be but dependants on it, for that no full sentence or ●●nce can be spoken or written without a Verb expressed or understood. As I have said before, so I say again, the true ground of either may be laid upon a competent subject within a quarter of a year, and sometimes within less time: and than what workman may not finish the work? I herefore I conclude thus, Dimidium facti, qui benè coepit, habet. And so I commit my slender invention and practice, to the censure of the noble, generous and judicious, that they seeing the fruit thereof may commend it to posterity. Then howsoever my pains hath not gotten payment of some people, my conscience shall get consolation, and I shall confidently say at my dissolution, I have endeavoured to keep a clear conscience, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me. etc.  
FINIS.  
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