John Brinsley
17th-Century Pioneer in Applied Linguistics
John Brinsley (1566-c.1630) seems to have been the first English scholar to publish a comprehensive language-teaching course for students of Latin. His first textbook, which appeared in 1612, was a lengthy discussion of teaching method; it was followed by a grammar, and by translations of Latin texts of varying degrees of difficulty, arranged in a special format to assist private study. His last publication was a dictionary devoted to the kind of vocabulary relevant to the practical needs of the early 17th century, when Latin was still the language of the professions. So valuable did English schoolmasters find his works — which also stressed the necessity of studying the vernacular — that they were reprinted two or three times, and one (the grammar) reached a fifteenth edition. But they did not attain the continuing success which they deserved, because they were superseded from the 1630’s by the textbooks of Jan Amos Comenius (1592–1670) which were more specifically directed towards the growing scientific interests of the seventeenth century. Although the name of Brinsley has long been known to historians of education, no comprehensive account has previously been given of his writings or of his biography. This study is an attempt to supply more detailed information about both, and to assess his importance in the history of applied linguistics.
References
Adelung, J(ohann) C(hristoph
1732–1806) 1784
Fortsetzung und Ergänzungen zu Christian Gottlieb Jöchers allgemeinem Gelehrten-Lexico. Vol. I1. Leipzig: Gleditsch.

Alston, R(obin) C(arfrae)
1972 A Bibliography of the English Language from the Invention of Printing to the Year 1800. Volume X1, “
Education and Language-teaching”. Leeds: printed for the author at the University of Leeds. (New. ed., Ilkley, Yorks.: Janus Press 1974.)

Ascham, Roger
(
1515–68) 1570
The Scholemaster. Or plaine and perfite way of teachyng children, to understand, write, and speake, the Latin tong. London: John Daye. (Facs.-repr., Menston: Scolar Press 1967; re-ed. by
Lawrence V. Ryan, Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell Univ. Press 1967.)

Baldwin, T(homas) W(hitfield)
1943 William Shakspere’s Petty School. Urbana: Univ. of Illinois Press.

Baldwin, T(homas) W(hitfield)
1944 William Shakspere’s Small Latine & Lesse Greeke. 21 vols.
Ibid.

Brinsley, John
(
1566-C.1630) 1612a
Ludus Literarius: Or, the Grammar Schoole; shewing how to proceede from the first entrance into learning, to the highest perfection required in the grammar schooles, with ease, certainty and delight both to masters and schollars; onely according to our common grammar, and ordinary classicall authours. London: printed for Thomas Man. (Facs.-repr., Menston: Scolar Press 1968.) (2nd ed., London: Felix Kyngston for John Bellamie 1627 Repr., with an introduction and bibliographical notes by
E(rnest) T(rafford) Campagnac, Liverpool: Liverpool Univ. Press, London: Constable Co. 1917.)

Brinsley, John
1612b The Posing of the Parts. Or, a most plaine and easie way of examining the accidence and grammar, by questions and answeres, arising directly out of the words of the rules. London: printed for Thomas Man. (Facs.-repr., Menston: Scolar Press 1967 2nd ed. 1615, 7th ed. 1630, 10th ed. 1647, 12th ed. 1669, 15th ed. 1687.)

Brinsley, John
1612c Cato Translated Grammatically; directing for understanding, construing, parsing, making, and prooving the same Latine: and so for continuait practice of the grammaticall analysis and genesis. Done for the good of schooles, and of all desirous to recover, or keep that which they got in the grammar-schoole, or to increase therein. London: printed by H. L. for Thomas Man. (2nd ed. 1622.)

Brinsley, John
1612d Sententiae Pueriles Translated Grammatically. London: printed by H. L. for Thomas Man.

Brinsley, John
1614 Corderius Dialogues Translated Grammatically. For the more speedy attaining to the knowledge of the Latine tongue, for writing and speaking Latine. (Reference in Adelung [1784]: title quoted from new ed., London: printed by Anne Griffin, for the assignes of Joane Man and Benjamin Fisher 1636 New ed. 1653.)

Brinsley, John
1616 The First Book of Tullies Offices Translated Grammatically, and also according to the Propriety of our English Tongue; for the more speedy and certain attaining of the singular learning contained in the same, to further to a pure Latin stile, and to expresse the mind more easily, both in English & Latine. London: printed by H. Lownes for Thomas Man. (New ed. 1631.)

Brinsley, John
1617 Pueriles Confabulatiunculae: Or childrens dialogues, little conferences, or talkings together, or little speeches together, or dialogues fit for children. London: printed by H. L. for Thomas Man. (Facs.-repr., Menston: Scolar Press 1971.)

Brinsley, John
1618 Ovids Metamorphosis Translated Grammatically, and also according to the propriety of our English tongue, so farre as grammar and the verse will well beare. Written chiefly for the good of schooles, to be used according to the directions in the preface to the painefull schoole-master, and more fully in the booke called Ludus Literarius, or the grammar-schoole, chap. 8. London: Humfrey Lownes, for Thomas Man. (New ed. 1656.)

Brinsley, John
1620 Virgils Eclogues, with his booke De Apibus, concerning the Government and Ordering of Bees, translated grammatically, and also according to the proprie tie of our English tongue, so farre as grammar and the verse will well permit. London: printed by Richard Field for Thomas Man. (New ed. 1633.)

Brinsley, John
1622a A Consolation for our Grammar Schooles: Or, a faithfull and most comfortable incouragement, for laying of a sure foundation of all good learning in our schooles, and for prosperous building thereupon. More specially for all those of the inferiour sort, and all ruder countries and places; namely, for Ireland, Wales, Virginia, with the Sommer Ilands, and for their more speedie attaining of our English tongue by the same labour, that all may speake one and the same language. London: printed by Richard Field for Thomas Man. (Ed., with an introduction and a bibliographical note by
T(homas) C(lark) Pollock, New York: Scholars’ Facsimilies & Reprints: 1943 (Facs.-repr.,
The English Experience, 203; Amsterdam: Theatrum Orbis Terrarum; New York: Da Capo Press 1969.)

Brinsley, John
1622b The Third Part of the True Watch, containing the call of the Lord, to awake all sorts to meet him with intreatie of peace, and so turne unto him by true repentance: shewing what causes we have forthwith to breath our selves to watching and prayer. London: printed by John Haviland for Thomas Pavier.

Brinsley, John
1624 Esops Fables. Translated both grammatically, and also in propriety of our English phrase; and, every way, in such sort as may be most profitable for the grammar-schoole. London: J. D. for Thomas Man.

Brinsley, John
1630 Stanbrigii embryon relimatum, seu vocabularium metricum olim à Iohanne Stanbrigio digestum, dein â Thoma Newtono aliquantulum repurgatum, nunc vera locupletatum, defaecatum, legitimo nec non rotundo plerumąue carmine exultans, & in maiorem pueritiae balbutientis usum un-dequaq accommodatum, extrema opera & industria Joh: Brinslaei. London: Clement Knight. (New eds. 1636 1645 1647.)

Burman, Charles
ed. 1774 The Lives of those Eminent Antiquaries Elias Ash-mole, Esquire, and Mr. William Lilly… with several occasional Letters. London: T. Davies.

Butler, Charles
(c
1561–1647) 1618
Rhetoricae libri duo. 4th ed., Oxford: J. Lichfield & J. Short.(First? ed., London: Joseph Barnes 1598; many reeds.)

Charlton, Kenneth
1965 Education in Renaissance England. London: Rout-ledge & Kegan Paul; Toronto: Toronto Univ. Press.

Clarke, M(artin) L(owther)
1959 Classical Education in Britain, 1500–1900. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press.

Comenius, Jan Amos
(
1592–1670) 1631
Porta linguarum trilinguis reserata et aperta sive seminarium linguarum, & scientiarum omnium. London: George Miller for Michael Sparkes and Thomas Slater. (Facs.-repr., Menston: Scolar Press 1970.)

Foster, C(harles) W(ilmer)
1926 “
The State of the Church in the Reigns of Elizabeth and James I as illustrated by documents relating to the Diocese of Lincoln”.
Publications of the Lincoln Record Society, No. 23. (Printed, Horncastle.)

Fox, Levi
1967 A Country Grammar School: A history of Ashby-de-la-Zouch grammar school through four centuries. Oxford: printed for the Governors of the Foundation.

Haine, William
(d
1631), transi, and ed. 1638
Lilies Rules Construed. London: Roger Norton.

Hall, Thomas
(
1610–65) 1651
Wisdoms Conquest; or, an explanation and grammaticall translation of the thirteenth Book of Ovids Metamorphosis. London: Philemon Stephens.

Hoole, Charles
(
1610–67) 1660
A New Discovery of the Old Art of Teaching Schoole, in four small treatises. London: J. T. for A. Crook. (Ed. by
Earnest) T(rafford) Campagnac, Liverpool: Liverpool Univ. Press 1913 Facs.-repr., Menston: Scolar Press 1969.)

Horman, William
(d
1535) 1519
Vulgaria. London: Richard Pynson. (Repr., with an introduction by
M(ontague) R(hodes) James, Oxford: Roxburghe Club 1926.)

Kelly, L(ouis) G(erard)
1969 25 Centuries of Language Teaching; An inquiry into the science, art and development of language teaching methodology, 5O0B.C-1969. Rowley, Mass.: Newbury House.

K(empe), W(illiam)
(fl
1590) 1588
The Education of Children in Learning: declared by the digniñe, u tili tie, and method thereof. London: Thomas Orwin for John Porter & Thomas Gubbin.

Leech, John
(
1565-? 165b) 1605
Certeine Grammar Questions, for the better furthering of young scholars to understand the accidence. London: John Norton. (An abridgement of
A Booke of Grammar Questions, date unknown.)

Lily, William
(?
1468–1522), and
John Colet (? 1467–1519) 1549
A Shorte Introduction of Grammar. London: R. Wolfe. (Facs.-repr. of edition of 1567, with introduction by
Vincent J. Flynn, New York: Scholars Facsimiles & Reprints 1945; facs.-repr., Menston: Scolar Press 1970.)

Mulcaster, Richard
(?
1530–1611) 1582
The First Part of the Elementarie which entreateth chefelie of the Right Writing of our English Tung. London: T. Vautroullier. (Facs.-repr., Menston: Scolar Press 1970.)

Peile, John
1900 Christ’s College … 1560–1662. London: F. E. Robinson & Co.

Peile, John (comp.), and J. A. Venn
ed. 1910 Biographical Register of Christ’s College 1505–1905 and of the earlier Foundation, God’s House, 1448–1505. Volume I1 1448–1665 Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press.

Pollard, A(lfred) W(illiam), and G(ilbert) R(ichard) Redgrave
1926 A Short-title Catalogue of Books printed in England, Scotland and Ireland, 1475–1640. London: Bibliographical Society.

Salmon, Vivian
1961 “
Joseph Webbe: Some seventeenth-century views on language-teaching and the nature of meaning”.
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Seaver, Paul
1970 The Puritan Lectureships. Stanford: Stanford Univ. Press.

Simon, Brian
1968 Education in Leicestershire 1540–1940. Leicester: Leicester Univ. Press.

Venn, John and J. A. Venn
1922 Alumni Cantabrigienses: A biographical list of all known students, graduates and holders of office at the University of Cambridge, from the earliest times to 1900. Volume I1. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press.

Wing, Donald
1972 Short-title Catalogue of Books printed in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and British America… 1641–1700. Volume I1, 2nd ed., New York: Index Society.

Watson, Foster
1908 The English Grammar Schools to 1660: Their curriculum and practice. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press.

Watson, Foster
1909 The Beginnings of the Teaching of Modern Subjects in England. London: Isaac Pitman.

Cited by
Cited by 3 other publications
Plett, Heinrich F.
1985.
Quellen. In
Englische Rhetorik und Poetik 1479 – 1660,
► pp. 41 ff.

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