VI.
Auxiliary books—Vulgaria of Terence—His Comedies printed in 1497—Some of them popular in schools—Horace—Cicero—His Offices and Old Age translated by Whittinton—Virgil—Ovid—Specimens of Whittinton’s Cicero—The school Cato—Notices of other works designed or employed for educational purposes.
I. There is a class of books which, while they were not strictly intended for use in the preparation of the ordinary course of lessons, were most undoubtedly brought into constant requisition, at least by the higher forms or divisions, as aids to a familiarity with the dead languages, and eventually those of the Continent.
The earliest and one of the most influential of these was the Vulgaria of Terence. As far back as the reign of Edward IV., I find it annexed to the Compendium Grammaticæ of Johannes Anniquil, printed at Oxford about 1483; and at least three other editions of it exist. It is on the interlinear plan, as the following extract will serve to indicate:—
“Here must I abyde allone this ij dayes
Biduus hic manendū; est mihi soli.
Though I may not touch it yet I may see
Si non tangendi copia ē videndi tā; erit.
The dede selfe scheweth or telleth
Res ipsa indicat.
If I had tarayed a lytill while I hadd not found hym at home
Paululū si cessassē eū domi nō offendissē.”
No one will be astonished or displeased to hear that Terence soon acquired great popularity among school-boys and a permanent rank as a text-book. In 1497 Pynson printed all the Comedies, and a few years later selections were given with marginal glosses. In 1533 the celebrated Nicholas Udall, many years before he gave to the world the admirable comedy of Ralph Roister Doister, edited portions of the Latin poet with an English translation, doubtless for the benefit of the scholars at Eton; it was a volume which long continued a favourite, and passed through several impressions, both during the author’s life and after his death.
In 1598, a century subsequent to the appearance of the first, came a second complete version of the Comedies, from the pen of Richard Bernard of Axholme in Lincolnshire, and being more contemporary in its language and treatment, drove out of fashion the old Pynson. Bernard’s remained in demand till the middle of the next century, and concurrently with it renderings of separate plays occasionally presented themselves.
In 1588 the Andria was brought out by Maurice Kyffin with marginal notes, his professed object being twofold, namely, to further the attainment of Latin by novices and the recovery of it by such as had forgotten the language. In 1627, Thomas Newman, apparently one of the masters of St. Paul’s, prepared for the special behoof of students generally the Eunuch and the Andria, dedicating his performance to the scholars of Paul’s, to whom he wished increase in grace and learning. The treatment of these two favourite dramas was influenced, as we are expressly informed, by the idea and ambition of adapting them for theatrical exhibition at a school.
But they were, at the same time, considered by our forefathers particularly well suited as vehicles for instruction, as well perhaps as for amusement. In the early days of Charles I., Dr. Webbe brought out an edition of them, both on a novel, principle of his own, which he had taken the precaution to patent. The safeguard proved superfluous, however, for the book never went into a second edition.