to obloquie, though wholly without cauſe. As by the example folowing may partly appere. As our english Saxons out of doubt did, ſo at this day the Germain vpper and nether, the Italian and the Spanyard to teach the, h, with this voyce Hah, or ha, and am perſuaded that no nation, doth teach it with ſo little reaſon as we do, and yet wee are as it were drovned in the error, which came to our predeceſſours in maner following. The French (which the Normans in the time of the conqueſt ſpake, and is lefte in our cõmmon lawes at this daye) in teaching their letters, they remember their ſcholers of certain things, after the order of the portraytures now taught hereafter, and for the, d, they note vng deel, in english a thimble: & for h, vn hache in english a hachet. wherof it commeth, that our predeceſſours of long tyme haue abuſed to call it ache, by ignorance of the inuention, leauing out the firſt h, whoſe office and qualitie shoulde be as well expreſſed vnto vs, by the names of chalke or cheeſe, as by the name of ache, as shall be further ſayd in the preface hereafter: And the like reaſon is there in teaching the moſt of our letters, and abusing them ſo diuerſly, as it bringeth to the lerner, rather cõfusion than help. which I find as reaſonable, as if a nurſe should take in hand to teach a child, to go firſt vpon high pattens or ſtiltes, or vpon a coarde, or on the hands, before he should be taughte as the narurall and reaſonable order is: alledging that when he can go ſo, he shall be the ſurer of foot all his life. If our preſent maner of teaching be by experience proued to be of lyke reaſon to this, how can it be maynteined for good? But the reaſon of the folowing order is ſuche, as the reaſonable from .xij. to .lx. yeares old may with eaſe and pleaſure learned to read in a very short time, ſome in more, ſome leſſe, according to the naturall diſpoſition, whiche is from .xij. to .xxx more enclined to learned, than euer before or after. and yet one of :lx: and vpwards, may wel and eaſily learne it. It would be thought a ſtraunge matter, or a playn lye, if I should write that one which neuer knewe letter
