in what ſhort time their vnlearned parentes, friendes, and other acquaintance which they haue occaſion to trafick and deale with, haue learned to reade, and ſome peraduenture to write, after the following maner, they knowe they may turne their penne to vſe it, or leaue it when they liſt. And then there may be good hope that in ſhort time therafter, it will be generally vſed. For if euery one learned may vſe it with the turning of his hande, they all maye conſent therevnto, within the turning of one Moneth. Nowe in what maner we doe miſname our letters, you may vnderſtande by that which followeth. As for example. For ſuch as are learned in the names of things, by termes of other languages than their mother tongue, and yet vnderſtanding thereby the thing ment, no doubt but they finde it ſufficient for them ſo to vſe the ſame names they haue learned, though vnderſtanding the etymologie and meaning of ſuch termes by their owne ſpeach, they may well thinke howe it ſhoulde giue the hearers (being onely acquainted with their mother tongue) the better ſignification of the thing wherfore it is ſpoken. But it muſt néedes be, that eyther blind affectation in ſome, and nice curioſitie, or vaine imitation in others, haue cauſed our predeceſſors to conſent to certaine ſtraunge termes, when their owne mother ſpeach might much better expreſſe the qualitie of the thing (from the mother and nurſe) to their ſucceſſion. Howbeit, I muſt confeſſe it beautifieth an Orators tale, which knoweth what he ſpeaketh, and to whom: but it hindereth the vnlerned from vnderſtanding of the matter, and cauſeth many of the Countrie men to ſpeake chalke for chéeſe, and ſo nickname ſuch ſtraunge tearmes as it pleaſeth many well to heare them: as to ſay for temperate, temporall: for ſurrender, ſullender: for ſtature, ſtatute: for abiea, obiea: for heare, heier: certiſffied, for both certified, and ſatiſfied: diſpence, for ſuſpence: defende, for offende: ſurgiant, for ſurgian: which the French terme chirurgian, which is fleſh clenſer. In like maner the French and we doe vse Biſcuyte, which ſignifieth twiſe backt: and for the Duen héeder, furner, deriued from Four an Duen: Barbier of Barbe, we ſaye Barber, which deriued from the Engliſhe Primitiue Bearde,
Page:A methode or comfortable beginning for all vnlearned (1570).djvu/5
The Preface.
should
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/A_methode_or_comfortable_beginning_for_all_vnlearned_%281570%29.djvu/page5-1024px-A_methode_or_comfortable_beginning_for_all_vnlearned_%281570%29.djvu.jpg)