TO
OUR FRIENDS AND PUPILS
WHO HAVE INSPIRED AND ENCOURAGED US IN OUR WORK
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED.
PREFACE.
How times have changed!
Formerly it was thought that a nation existed only for the sake of its ruler; to-day the belief is that the man at the head of a people is only a first servant.
The schoolmaster of olden time was the ruler of the school; to-day every good teacher considers himself in the service of the students intrusted to his care, and concedes that each of them possesses individuality and has rights that he must respect; he deems it his duty to consider above all things the true interest of those under his charge, and consequently will carefully prepare their way, so as to make it as easy and pleasant as possible, and assist them in attaining their ends with the least loss of strength and time.
It is because of such ideas as those just mentioned that our best teachers have been moved to consider the methods and textbooks in common use, and the mode of improving upon them. The result is that great improvements have been made in all branches of study.
In order to study a language years ago, the student went directly to the works of the best writers, but found that learning in this way was impracticable: those great authors had written for such as knew their language and understood it well—not for those who were to study it for the first time; hence, teachers came to write textbooks containing rules of grammar in connection with sentences to illustrate such rules, and afterward used and applied extracts from the writings of standard authors.
This was a step forward and a better way, because of its greater system; but, though the method proved useful, it was not found easier or more agreeable than the old one.
Famous men have studied and learned languages in both of these ways; but they were men who, on account of their great abilities, would have acquired the knowledge in any other way: many less gifted have also learned languages in these ways; but with what sacrifice of time and strength; what labors they had to endure, and how many of them have had to give up the study!