ΜΝΗΜΟΨ●ΟΡΟΠΑΙΚΤΗΣ  
THE Brainbreakers-Breaker: OR, The apology of Thomas Grantham, for his Method in teaching; dwelling in Lothbury, London.  
Herculeâ cecidisse manu tot monstra negamus, Quot methodo & calamo jam pe●i●l● tuo.  
we do deny Herculean arm did ere such monsters slay,  
As have thy method and strong pen, already tain away.  
Joh. Nisby, Professor of the Greek, Latin, and French Tongues, in jule Lane, London.  
{non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.  
Ingenieida, tenebr●o, fungus, cluniferitor, Impos Granthamo cum fit obesse, latrat.  
Brain-breaker, Lout, Sot, and Bumbeater, you Cannot bite Grantham, only bark you do.  
{non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.  
Printed at London, 1644.   

Encomium DNI. Granthami, Ludimagistri Londinensis extraordinarii.  
Granthamum celebrat Trinobantum Augusta Scholarcham,  
Promethodo facili, Grammatic âque brevi.  
Hellada namque docet Latias resonare Camaenas,  
Nectare dum pueros pascit & Ambrosia.  
ALIUD Ex tripod Apollinis, loco strenae.  
Granthamo calathis Tamesinae applaudite Nymphae, Auspiciis vestrum promovet ille chorum.  
J. S.   

The Brainbreakers-Breaker.  
WHen I consider the misery that youth groans under, in common schools, their pains great, the severity of the Master intolerable, schools more like Bridewell then Seminaries of learning, the Master many times whips his Scholars for making false Latin, when he never taught them clearly and plainly how to make true, What is this but to expect Brick, where no straw is allowed?  
When I consider also, the great expense of time, expense of many yeer●, and very seldom to any purpose, may be a little smattering of Latin, and less of Greek: After all these considerations, pity to Youth, and indignation against these furious whipsters, conspired in me, to redeem those tender years from this great captivity: Would it not pity any man who had the bowels of compassion, to see those cheeks, may be such as our Saviour kissed, when he took the little children up in his arms, to see th●m torn, luged, tuged, pulled, and cuffed, by a rude unhallowed hand? He that hath seen this, as I myself have seen a great part, although nature had denied him the happiness of his pen, yet indignation itself would make him write.  
In this Treatise you may not only see the cruelty of the Master, but the folly of him. I will undertake to prove by learned Authors & reason, 〈◊〉 free-schools, & other common schools, do make their Scholars spend their prime and choicest time, in that which is to no purpose at all, in that which is so far from doing good, it doth a great deal of 〈◊〉 Let any man read Ascham, Tutor to Queen Elizabeth, he shall see how he condemns this lip-labour, this learning word by word without book, which is the Diana of the common schools, O how great is this Diana of the common schools! he and others show, it is a heavy and grievous burden, which is imposed merely out of ignorance, or knavery, to make one go his journey with a great deal of sorrow and grief, and dishearten thousands from being Scholars.  
Ascham, in his first book, hath these words: So as the Grammar Book be always in the scholar's hand, and also used of him as a Dictionary, for every present use, this is a lively and perfect way for teaching of Rules, where the common way used in common schools, to read the Grammar alone by itself, is tedious for the Master, hard for the Scholar, cold and uncomfortable for them both.  
Now you see according to Ascham, Grammar must be used as ● Dictionary, and he that knows any thing, knows that a Dictionary is not to be learned word by word without book, therefore not a Grammar; he tells you in this place that it is tedious to the Scholar, let any man consider, who hath not the patience of an ass, what a tedious thing it is to have all the Grammar, or most of it, leapt up in his head word by word, and presently to apply every rule word by word, or else up he goes, if he were as good as George a green.  
Read Ascham, in his second book these are his words; I remember when I was young in the North, they went to the Grammar school little Children, they came from thence great Lubbars, always learning and little profiting, learning without book every thing, understanding within book little or nothing; their whole knowledge by learning without the book was tied only to their tongue and lips, and never ascended up to the brain and head, and therefore was soon spit out of the mouth again; They were as men always going; but ever out of the way, and why? for their whole labour or rather great toil without order was even vain idleness without profit; indeed they took great pains about learning, but employed small labour in learning, when by this way, prescribed in this book, being straight, plain and easy, the Scholar is always labouring with pleasure, and ever going on forward with profit.  
Here this Scholar famous all over Christendom, and the glory of his kingdom for Languages, tells you learning without book was vain idleness without profit; he tells you they took great pains about learning; but employed small labour in learning.  
Erasinus the restorer of the Fathers, Greek and Latin, the greatest written of his time, incomparable for wit, learning, and eloquence, hath the same words; Some make it their greatest care to learn the rules word by word without book, which thing saith he, I allow not of, for it is great pains to no purpose nor profit at all.  
Brinsley, a famous Schoolmaster, in his book called A Consolation for our Grammar schools, writes of one Mr. Tovey a Schoolmaster equal to the best, that teaching Aschams way, that is, only the sense of the rules, brought a Nobleman to a perfection beyond all expectation.  
Comenius, a man admired for his quickness in teaching the Languages, hath writ sharply against this dogbolt way. Innumerable are the learned men who have sought to take away the servitude and slavery that youth hath undergone, some Authors I have quoted in my Animadversions upon Cambden's Greek Grammar, made for the use of Westminster school, and I have showed, and will show more hereafter, that it is a false, obscure, imperfect Grammar, abounding with above twelve gross errors, besides many little ones; and those who are Schoolmasters of great Schools and make men believe they know much, when alaffe it is very little they know, they might blush if they had any shame, to let so many errors go uncorrected in a Grammar which is the foundation ● Language: If foundations be false and rotten, what will the build 〈…〉? I need not spend much time upon this point, because I have represented in a Comedy often acted by my Scholars, the cruelty, folly and nonsense of common Schoolmasters, which I intend to print as soon as I can.  
Look upon Aschams success in this way in his first book he speaks thus of Queen Elizabeth; It is your shame, I speak to you all (you young Gentlemen of England) that one maid should go beyond you all in excellency of learning, and knowledge of divers tongues; point forth six of the best given Gentlemen of this Court, and all they together show not so much good will, spend not so much time, bestow not so many hours daily orderly, & constantly for the increase of learning and knowledge, as doth the Queen's Majesty herself. Yea I believe that besides her perfect readiness in Latin, Italian, French and Spanish; she readeth here now at Windsor more Greek every day, th●n some Pro●endary of this Church doth read Latin in a whole week. And that which is most praise worthy of all, within the walls of her privy Chamber she hath obtained that excellency of learning to understand, speak and write both wittily with head, and fury with hand, as scarce one or two rare wits in both the universities have in many years reached unto. Amongst all the benefits that God hath blessed me withal, next the knowledge of Christ's true Religion, I count this the greatest, that it pleased God to call me to be one poor Minister in setting forward these excellent gifts of learning in this most excellent Prince.  
Look upon his success, in his second book, amongst many others, one Whitney, a most accomplished Gentleman; these are his words, I gave him a translation to turn into Latin, which he did so ob●●sely, so orderly, without any great miss in the hardest points of Grammar, that some in seven years in Grammar. Schools, yea and some in the university too cannot do half so well. And this perfection he obtained from Christmas to Alhollantide, and this Scholar was altogether Ignorant of the Latin tongue, and the rules before.  
Now briefly take some few reasons against this way of saying word by word without book.  
All Arts, as Geometry, arithmetic, logic, Navigation, men attain to, and never learn rule word by word without book, and what offence hath Grammar done that it must be cuffed into a boy word by word without book?  
If learning without book word by word be necessary for the understanding of a thing, than it is before a boy understands, or after he understands. Now for a boy to learn without book like a parrot that he understands not, is very laborious and ridiculous, and to learn without book after he understands, that is to no purpose; for the Mr. understanding himself the sense of the rule, neglects saying word by word without book, and whips Scholars for that he cannot do himself.  
If saying without book word by word be profitable to the understanding than he that saith best without book understands best, but this is false; there are many that can say much scripture without book, but understand not so well as those that can say none.  
I have had boys come from common Schools could say all the Grammar word by word without book, and yet could not make half a line of true Latin; and that which is most absurd of all, they teach a boy to make Latin by the Latin rules, when a boy understands not Latin; Just as if a man should teach one an Art in French, when he understands not French. Then there are many boys can say without book to their companions, or by themselves, but the Master strutting with the rod in his hand, and his imperious look, and threatening, puts a boy clear out. As for a Master to talk thus to a boy, sirrah I'll smoke you, I'll make your buttocks blush, I'll make you fear me; These words confound a boy, and fright him out of all; If a boy be to say this rule, Adjectives that signify fullness, emptiness, plenty, &c. if he misplace a word, although the sense be the same, presently the Master fells him all along, whereas some Grammars have the first words last, and the last first, the sense being still the same.  
Observe Doctor webs words in his appeal to Truth; Now if Grammar should be the best course to languages, and Kings may have their choice of best courses, I wonder what choice of Grammars was made by Mithridates. And that that makes me wonder more, we that have no business but a language, spend all our life and are not perfect in one, and be that had a kingdom's affairs to look unto, had two and twenty complete languages.  
Now if a language cannot be got but by learning word by word without book, than Mithridates who had a kingdom's affairs to look to, must learn two and twenty Grammars word by word without book, and to learn a Grammar in this manner will take up five years, to be complete in a language as he was, will take up at least five years, more, which reckoned makes up two hundred and twenty years: Now Mithridates lived not a quarter of the time. Doctor Webbe in that learned work quotes above one hundred learned men, who inveigh bitterly against Grammarians; And he undertakes to prove by learned Authors that a language may be learned without a Grammar, which needs no proof at all to men that have common sense; How many are there can speak French and Latin that never saw a Grammar? many young Gentlemen and Gentlewomen have learned to speak French in half a year who never knew any Latin.  
Doctor Webb names many Noble men who spoke Latin excellent well at five years of age, having nothing but Latin spoken to them before.  
And I have known many who have spoke Latin and French admirable well and understood Greek very well in a twelve month, and this is easily done by joining Doctor Web's way with Aschams.  
I have boys that have been but a year at most with me; and in these four points we will contend with any school in England:  
First, who understands the Greek and Latin Grammars best, in Accents and Dialects and all things necessary.  
Secondly, who understands a Greek or Latin Author best.  
Thirdly, who can prove a Greek or Latin verse best.  
Fourthly, who can make a Greek or Latin Oration, or a Greek and Latin verse best and soonest: And the highest of my Scholars is but thirteen years of age, and another in my highest Seat is but Ten.  
Some I have, I confess, cannot do a quarter so much, which is no fault of mine, for I often tell them, if they be careless and will not mind, and will not learn without cuffing, pulling, lugging, and whipping, they must go to Masters that delight in this way of teaching, they may be taught in may places very reasonably this way, as for a Noble or seven shillings a quarter, at some free schools they may have it for nothing. Some schoolmasters think they pay me home when they say I make Scholars unfit for other schools; truly I confess it, I teach without any correction, and they teach with great correction, and in this we differ.  
We teach to understand the Rules first, and they teach to learn without book first, In this we differ; Our Scholars understanding the rules and often applying them, the rules come without book whether they will or no. Then we differ in severity.  
Some keep their Scholars so strictly for four or five hours that they allow them not so much as a mouthful of fresh air, not so much as to ease nature. I have read and heard many Scholars speak against this severity; let a boy be tied three or four hours to that game he likes best, and let him be soundly cuffed and whipped when he doth not play his game well, you shall see this boy as weary of his play as his book, and the reason is because of great severity.  
Socrates the wisest man of his time, and many who have writ concerning the instruction of youth, often say, learning must be taught with love; and some Scholars I have, being thus taught, seriously profess, they had rather come to school then go about any pleasure or delight.  
What fruits I have here to show in London, any man may come and see, and what fruits I have showed in other places these subscriptions may testify.  

A Letter from Master Foucks belonging to Sir Jervis Clifton in Nottinghamshire.  
Good Mr. Grantham,  
I Never thought to have been so happy in this world as you have made me in little Henry; you have created him an Infant-Grecian, which is a miracle at London, for here they are only known by their long beards. Sir, your Letter was delivered to Sir Thomas Hut●hinson, & he did promise to examine him, but his employment at the Parliament diverted the business; I got some others to do it, and he came off with good applause both to you and himself; I could not have parted with him so soon, but by reason of a journey to the Bath, and I durst not trust him in this place of iniquity in my absence. Sir, Mr. Clifford's going to the university is not yet this three months, which I hope will not be the worse for Henry because of his Zachean stature, which by that time may be increased. Good Sir except of a poor token from him which can be no otherwise then your most affectionate Servant,  
London this 6 of June, 1642. Ralph Foucks.   

We whose names are here subscribed, do witness that Thomas Grantham, curate of East Neston, hath a very ready and credible way of profiting Scholars in learning; and although we fully conceive not his method in teaching, yet we highly commend him in this, that his Scholars are able to give a rule out of the Latin and Greek Grammar for every thing they do.  

William Farmar, Knight Baronet.  
Charles Stafford, Esquire.  
Ha●● Farmor, Esquire▪  
Eusehy Wyrley, Gent.  
William Buncher, Rector de Tiffield.  
William Curlis, Rector de Saxton.  
Thomas Arundel, Rector de Stoak.  
Henry Hall, Cler. de Easton magna.  
Jo. Barradale, Vicar de East Neston.  
John Lockwood, Vic de Towester.  
E. Johnson, R●ctor de Paul's Perry.  
Benjamin Austen, Rector de Bradden.  
Guliel. Bland, Mag. in A●●ihus.  
Guliel. Thornton, Art. 〈◊〉.  
Tho. Bayley, Rector de Col●higham.  
Superiora testor, Joseph Bernard.    
FINIS.