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for searching only. CHAPTER IX
EDUCATING THE "PRINCE"; PRINCESS MARY
THE THEORISTS and practitioners upon the "Prince" during the reign of Henry VIII also throw light upon the contemporary educational ideas of a group at the English court, which would thus presumably have had important influence upon English pedagogical ideals and practices generally. First of these is Vives, with his instructions for the education of Princess Mary.
Catherine had given her her earliest instruction in Latin. In 1523 Linacre wrote a Latin grammar, 'Rudimenta Grammatices,' for her use, and in the dedication he commended her Jove of learning; while William Lily added some verses in which he described her as `Virgo, qua nulla est indole fertilior.' The queen also sought the advice of Johannes Ludovicus Vives, a Spaniard, who prepared early in 1523, for the guidance of Mary, his 'De Institutione Foeminae Christianae,' Antwerp, 1524, 4to, and dedicated it to Catherine . . . In the autumn of i 523 Vives visited England and continued his counsels in his 'De Ratione Studii Puerilis.'i
In the De Ratione,2 Vives says that since the tutor of Princess Mary is a competent one, he himself will merely refer to the desired studies, leaving the rest to the tutor, except in the case of grammar, where he thinks some necessary things have been either treated obscurely or omitted in the current writers. One wonders just how Linacre reacted to this exception-rand Lily had he not been dead.
Vives gives instructions on the sounds of letters, the eight parts of speech, and writing. If in reading an author any ward or sentiment pleases, let Princess Mary copy it, since what we write out is better impressed on memory, and the mind so occupied is diverted from levity or evil.
The verses which are assigned for imitation, let them contain some grave little sentiment, which it will profit to have learned.
Let her memorize something every day. On going to bed, let her read something carefully twice or thrice and repeat it next morning. Let her begin to inflect nouns, learning the six genders, two numbers, seven cases, five declensions, then the congruence of adjective and
n Lee in D. N. B. While some of these statements are not accurate, they will do for our present purpose.
S I have used the reprint by George Buchanan attached to his Latin translation of Rudi. mtnta Grammatices Thereat Linatri, my edition being that published at Lyons in 1552.
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