The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-22

O ~ MERE are good bargains 10 De
found in old book-stalls." as
Queen Charlotte remarked TO
IAxVgNI Miss Burney, and among the
most interesting of these bat
tered old book bargains are the old gram
mars. 1t might seem probable that Mr..
Clifton Johnsons delightful volume on
"Old-time Schools and School Books" con-
tanned the final word on this subject. but
in the matter of old grammars the enter
tanning pages offer really but meager sat
isfaction in a few specimens.
Grammar, defined by DR.. Johnson as "the
knowledge of speaking and writing a lam
guage correctly and with precision" began,
with the old-time schoolboy, in his spelling
book. Noah Webster's spelling book, of
1852, bore the ponderous title. Grammatical
Institute" and presented tender urchins
with some heavy information concerning
verbs and lenses The columbian SPELL
ing and Reading Book" of Matthew Carey,
1898, containing ten Bible flyleaves, back
and front, from the Old Testament, fur
nished to young students on three pages "a
short English grammar in verse;" begin
ming:
Grammar, that useful. ornamental art.
Does rules to speak, and read, and write I'M
part"
AS the old-time log-cabin schoolboy was
not deemed intelligent enough to study
arithmetic until he was twelve years old, 1t
is surprising to learn, from old chronicles,
that al the age of seven, ''the little boy
in the homemade, home-dyed pea-green
cotton jacket and trousers on the second
high seat from the 'front.'" could be seen.
with his eyes fixed on vacancy. moving his
lips slowly over his grammar lessons. hop
ing. by mumbling repetition. to fix in his
memory the parts of speech
Eight parts of speech in grammar you will
find;
Four are declined and four Underlined"
So dull and hard was the task, at the end
of one week the little pea-green boy decided
that he could get along very well without
grammar, as his grandfather had done
before him.
After three summers and winters over
Lindley Murrays grammar, small boys
began TO parse. or 'pars," as schoolmasters
then termed this grammar exercise. "Ac-
coYding to Lindley Murray" was once the
favorite phrase of all grammariaEs; and
Murrays English grammar still holds high
prestige as a classic amcng old grammar
books
BORN IN PENNSYLVANIA
1t is pleasant to learn from Clifton John
son that Lindley Murray was born in Penn
sylvania. in 1745. practiced law rTosperously
in New York city; went TO England in 1884.
and there. at Holdgate. near York, wrote
the grammars and readers which have
made his name famous. Ii would be in
teresting indeed to know what the seven
year schoolboy could extract from Muir
rays 600 pages of photography, etymology
syntax and prosody- interspersed with
lengthy STRUCTURES which were intended
to illustrate important grammatical appli-
cation. and give soidity ana permanence to
grammatical knowledge" ''Introductons"
and "seauels' to school-books were In
vogue in that day, aud Murray's grammar
was attended by yellow backed volume Of
equal size, called Eng ish Exercises
Adapted to MurTays Grammar" Excel
lent as a thorough system in grammar.
these books surely were. and. In due time.
the district schooboy became las wonder
fully acute and dextrous with his parts OF
speech as with the buttons and button
holes of his little pea-green Jacket" pars-
ing fiuently In Pope's Essay on Man"
Young's Might Thoughts" and Milton s
Paradise Lost" Recently in the Boston
Transcript a New England man declared
II began with Murrays grammar in the
SO's. at seven years Of age. and it has
been lifelong satisfaction. Brief, corr
prehensive and always TO the point. / think
it exactly all that a grammar should be"
Now, a relishable old English flavor
mother-land color-abides in Murray's pars-
ing examples: Every nun is not a New
ton. That is the Duke of Bridgewater 5
canal We stayed a month at Lord Lyttle-
tons. The fleet was seen sailing up the
channel Thy forests. Windsor. and thy
green retreats"
In the old days learning and piety went
hand-in-hand, and Murray's grammar
classes with an Address to Young Stu
dents" pointing out the bond between
knowledge and virtue, exhorting the
scholar TO pure and humble states OF mind
to habits of piety TO God and benevolence
| TO man.
Unique among early English grammars
| stands a slim little drab-backed volume
| entitled "Cobbetts English Grammar
| Price. shillings. sixpenee. Printed anc
published b. William Denbow. 269 Strand
London, 1890" William Cobbett's title page