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accidence in English by Colet, so described by Colet himself, and the rudiments of construction or syntax, also in English, by Lily.
Dean Colet in his "lytell proheme" points out that there are similar works both in Latin and in English.
In whiche lytel warke yf ony newe thynges be of me, it is alonely that I haue put tese partes in a more clene ordre, and haue made them a lytel more easy to yonge wyttes than (methynketh) they were before . . . In whiche lyteI boke I haue lefte many thynges out of purpose, consyderyng the tendernes and small capacyte of lytel myndes: And that I haue spoken, also, I haue affyrmed it none otherwyse, but as it happeth moost comynly in latyn tongue. For many be the excepcyons, and harde it is ony thynge generally to assure in a speche soo varyous.'
From a statement at the end of the leditio it is apparent that Dean Colet's whole concept of the proper function of formal grammar is that of Erasmus.
Of these viii partes of speche in ordre well construed, be made reasons and sentences, and longe oracyons. But how and in wat maner, and with what construccyon of wordes, and all the varietees, and diuersitees, and chaunges in latyn speche (whiche be innumerable), if ony man wyI know, and by that knowlege attayne to vnderstande latyn bokes, and to speke and to wryte the clene latyn, Let hym aboue all besyly lerne and rede good latyn authours of chosen poetes and oratours, and note wysely how thy wrote, and spake, and study alway to folowe them, desyryng none other rules but their examples. For in the begynnynge men spake not Iatyn, by cause suche rules were made, but contrari wyse, bycause men spake suche latyn, Vpon that folowed the rules were made. That is to saye, latyn speche was before the rules, not the rules before the latyn speche: wherfore welbeloued maysters and tethers of grammer, after the partes of speche sufficiently knowen in your scholes, rede and expounde playnly vnto your scholers good authours, and shewe to them euery worde, and in euery sentence what they shal note and obserue, warnynge them besyly to folowe and to do Tyke, bathe in wrytynge and in spekynge, and be to them your owne selfe also spekyng with them the pure latyn veray present, and leue the rules. For redyng of good bores, diligent informacyon of taught maysters, studyous advertence and takynge hede of lerners, heryng eloquent men speke, and finally [best'] imitacyon with tongue and penne, more auayleth shortly to gete the true eloquent speche, than all the tradicions, rules, and preceptes of maysters .4
which he reproduces in facsimile the first page (p. 84). A copy or copies alleged to be by Pynson of this approximate attributed date were sold and resold at the beginning of the century. See Book Auction Records, Vol. I, Pt I, p. 143; Pt. II, pp. 261-'262; Vol. III, p. 91; and Book Prices Current (1898), p. 61; (1902), p. 95; (1903), p. 422; (1904), p. 590; (1906), p. 174. I do not know whether in any instance the attributed date and printer are correct.
Shakespeare 7ahrbuch, Vol. XLIV, pp. 73-74¹
Shakespeare 7ahrbuch, Vol. XLV, p. 55.
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