Henr. Stephani Dialogus de bene instituendis Graecae linguae studiis

HENRICI STEPHANI

he could remember. PH. I find that comparison even more pleasing than the previous one. COR. I think I am right to compare to one or the other of those whom I mentioned, those who impose so much labor upon their memory, while they wish for it to be a faithful guardian of the number of such or such Conjunctions or Adverbs. But there are also some who believe that the total number of classes, or orders, of these words is a matter most worthy of being committed to memory. Furthermore, they think that one ought to ἐνθησαυρίζειν treasure up in the memory from the Prepositions: how many and which are construed with this case, how many and which with that one, and how many and which with both (though with a different meaning).

Grammatical vain-science. For can this not be called ματαιοτεχνία γραμματική grammatical vain-science, or acting ματαιοτεχνῶς γραμματικῶς in a grammatically vain manner? PH. Not all grammarians impose such a burden upon the memory. COR. I admit it; but I say that some impose an even greater one, especially those who chant various long songs about accents, and also about breathing marks. But there are others who treat these matters, and especially syntax, separately; that is, they publish a treatise separated from the rest of their grammar, so that it does not grow into such a massive volume that it might deter the reader. Others, on the contrary, mix what should rather be treated separately concerning dialects with the grammatical elements, as if their goal were to overwhelm the memory of the learners.

Certain other grammatical things to be learned, when one has come to the reading of authors. PH. What, is it not necessary to learn these things too? COR. Certainly these things must be learned, and many others, but I say they are wrongly mixed in with the first elements; they must be learned (I say) at their proper time and place. For they are learned more easily and quickly when one has come to the actual subject matter, that is, when we have approached the reading of those very authors from whom examples are to be taken. For when from thence