314 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1686. 



An Essay concerning the Universal Primer, By Mr. Lodwich. 



N" 182, p. 134. 



As the present alphabets are imperfect, so are also the primers, or first books, 

 by which children and others are taught to spell and read. First, in not having 

 a perfect alphabet ; secondly, in not being digested in such a method, as is fit 

 and proper to teach them ; for the usual way of teaching to spell, is to dismem- 

 ber every syllable, of more than one letter, into many syllables, by expressing 

 every letter a-part, and syllabically, and the consonants with such a vowel as 

 they are usually named with ; and then requiring them to join all these syllables 

 into one word. But how preposterous this method is, one instance will show ; 

 suppose the monosyllable brand be to be spelled; they teach them thus to dis- 

 member it, bee, er, a, en, dee, and then require them to join these into one 

 syllable, which it is impossible to do ; and they must be necessitated, as they 

 have began, to express this one syllable by five syllables ; whereas they should 

 be taught to express every syllable entire at first sight, without dismembering 

 it. And to do this, they must proceed gradually, first beginning with the most 

 simple syllables, and so by degrees proceeding to the more difficult and com- 

 pounded, till they can readily pronounce a whole syllable at first sight, even the 

 most diflicult. 



To that end let all the primers be thus contrived : at the top of the leaf let 

 all the vowels be placed singly in order as they follow in one rank ; and under 

 the same, place syllables ; first, of one vowel and one consonant, following it 

 throughout all the variations; then of one consonant and one vowel following; 

 2dly, of two consonants before, and one vowel following, throughout the 

 yariations; 3dly, of one vowel and three or four consonants following, and of 

 three consonants going before, and one vowel following ; 4thly, of one, two, 

 or three consonants going before a vowel ; and one, two, three, or four consonants 

 following: 5thly, of some syllables with diphthongs or triphthongs. For instance» 



a e i o u &c. 



ab eb ib ob ub &c. 



ad ed id od ud &c. 



ba be bi bo bu &c. 



aid eld ild old uld &c. 



dra dre dri dro dru &c. 



balm belm bilm bolm bulm &c. 



After this, place a number of words of two, three, or four syllables, from 

 the more easy to the most difficult expressions, without regarding their signifi- 



