Henr. Stephani Dialogus de bene instituendis Graecae linguae studiis

when I was complaining about the long time he was keeping my son in those rules, said that one must linger so long in their theory, and that all the tedium of them must be devoured all at once, before coming to the practice. CORNELIUS. What theory (or rather, theoretics) and what practice are you telling me about? PHILIP. I am repeating his words. CORNELIUS. Indeed, you are repeating not more his words than those of the mob. For this is that vulgar error: no smaller (in my judgment) than that of those who would establish a certain theory of warfare, and would contend that it should be so separated from the practice of warfare, that they would want someone whom they desired to make an excellent soldier to serve his apprenticeship somewhere other than in war itself. PHILIP. What? Or would you think it better for a boy to be taught the first elements of grammar and for some writer to be read to him at one and the same time? CORNELIUS. By no means: but a short delay would certainly have to be interposed between those two for him who would be content to have learned its first elements. PHILIP. How much? CORNELIUS. As much as might be sufficient for committing to memory the declensions of Articles, Nouns, and Pronouns, and the conjugations of Verbs: as much also for learning how many and of what kind (or of what nature) are the other parts of speech, which are called indeclinable. At most, as much as might suffice for fixing in the memory a few precepts concerning construction, and other fundamental rules (if I may speak so): finally, all those for which we have examples most obviously available among writers. PHILIP. What? Those which are taught concerning the formations of the tenses of Verbs, concerning their various conjugation, and concerning the likewise diverse declension of Nouns, according to the diversity of dialects: and what are written concerning the various classes of indeclinable parts

You wrongly constitute a certain theory no less than practice in grammatical matters.

What of grammar ought to be committed to memory before the reading of any writer.