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The Scholemaster
Excerpt from The Scholemaster: Written Between 1563-8, Posthumously Published
These three instances may suffice to Show the close connection between their study of the ancient Literature and their care over their native speech. Some of these Classical Students were the best Prose Writers of their time: just as the best Poets then, were those who drew their inspiration trom Italy. The two literary in uences prepared a way. By creating a favourable literary atmosphere, for our Master Writers in Elizabeth's reign, Spenser and Shake speare; Bacon and Hooker.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."
These three instances may suffice to Show the close connection between their study of the ancient Literature and their care over their native speech. Some of these Classical Students were the best Prose Writers of their time: just as the best Poets then, were those who drew their inspiration trom Italy. The two literary in uences prepared a way. By creating a favourable literary atmosphere, for our Master Writers in Elizabeth's reign, Spenser and Shake speare; Bacon and Hooker.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."
- GenresTeaching
180 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1568
About the author
Roger Ascham
224 books2 followersborn circa 1515
English scholar Roger Ascham as Latin secretary to Edward VI, Mary I Tudor, and Elizabeth I advocated the use of the vernacular in literature.
Roger Ascham wrote his famous didactic prose promotional style and his theories of education. He acted as tutor of princess in Greek between 1548 and 1550 and served in the administrations.
From Askham near York, the name derived properly.
He lived in a village in the north riding near Northallerton as the third son of John Ascham, steward to Scrope, baron of Bolton. From the Conyers family, Margaret Ascham, his mother, supposedly came, according to speculation. Thomas Acham and John Ascham preceded Roger, and Anthony Ascham joined the family as the youngest son and brother. Edward Grant, better known headmaster of the royal college of Saint Peter at Westminster, his close friend, and the authority on his early life, collected and edited his letters and delivered an oral panegyric in 1576.
English scholar Roger Ascham as Latin secretary to Edward VI, Mary I Tudor, and Elizabeth I advocated the use of the vernacular in literature.
Roger Ascham wrote his famous didactic prose promotional style and his theories of education. He acted as tutor of princess in Greek between 1548 and 1550 and served in the administrations.
From Askham near York, the name derived properly.
He lived in a village in the north riding near Northallerton as the third son of John Ascham, steward to Scrope, baron of Bolton. From the Conyers family, Margaret Ascham, his mother, supposedly came, according to speculation. Thomas Acham and John Ascham preceded Roger, and Anthony Ascham joined the family as the youngest son and brother. Edward Grant, better known headmaster of the royal college of Saint Peter at Westminster, his close friend, and the authority on his early life, collected and edited his letters and delivered an oral panegyric in 1576.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 18, 2017
Well, you can definitely tell this is a posthumous work: the material here is haphazardly organized, prone to random excursions, and the ending is abrupt. Nevertheless, this is a very worthy little classic on education. Ascham writes with a witty and friendly voice that makes you feel he is right beside you despite the separation of ages. Of course, in writings about education even moreso than normal, modern readers are prone to Whig readings, praising past writers on education only insofar as they anticipate what are presently considered progressive practices, so that everywhere if you see mention of Ascham his importance is invariably reduced to the fact that he advocated less beating of children in schools. He does, and that is good (incidentally, I am not so sure Ascham would think any better of our modern Prussian-inspired grading system), but this Whig reduction obscures the fact that Ascham was a writer of pedagogical genius as well. His system of double translation is one that should be employed much more often. His praise of Sturm's collection of Cicero's letters is spot on; it is a crime that those letters are not more commonly used as introductory readings after the grammar has been taught. His thoughts on paraphrase and imitation are excellent; it is tragic he never got to complete his plan for the work De Imitatione, which he outlines here. His pithy wisdom is quite memorable: "Ye know not, what hurt ye do to learning, that care not for wordes, but for matter, and ſo make a deuorſe betwixt the tong and the hart."
June 25, 2016
First published posthumously in 1570, Ascham's 'The Scholemaster' is a rambling (as many Elizabethan prose works were) treatise on the humanist curriculum and teaching methods, especially for Latin and Greek literature. He is especially interesting on issue of 'imitatio' (imitation) in literature and poetry, and its distinction from mimesis; also the difference between imitation of 'verba' (words) and 'res' (matter or content).
He himself is a disciple of Cicero and his eloquent Latin prose style. Ascham's comparative analysis of Cicero versus Demosthenes is therefore of interest, even if his great concern with Cicero's authorial intentions becomes problematic for us as post-Barthesians.
Ascham was Elizabeth I's Greek and Latin tutor, and the deviser of the famous double translation method where she had to translate a piece from Greek into Latin and then back into Greek. For anyone working on humanism, classical reception, or early modern education systems, this is an invaluable insight into the way Elizabethans themselves constructed education and the centrality of literature.
He himself is a disciple of Cicero and his eloquent Latin prose style. Ascham's comparative analysis of Cicero versus Demosthenes is therefore of interest, even if his great concern with Cicero's authorial intentions becomes problematic for us as post-Barthesians.
Ascham was Elizabeth I's Greek and Latin tutor, and the deviser of the famous double translation method where she had to translate a piece from Greek into Latin and then back into Greek. For anyone working on humanism, classical reception, or early modern education systems, this is an invaluable insight into the way Elizabethans themselves constructed education and the centrality of literature.
January 11, 2013
An interesting piece of practical teaching wisdom from 17th century England. Anyone involved in so-called "classical education" ought to read this to see how it's really done.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews