The Compleat English
Schoolmaster.
OR THE
Most Natural and Easie Method
Of Spelling English.
ACCORDING
To the present proper pronuntia­
tion of the Language in OXFORD and 
LONDON.
WHEREIN
Children and Foreigners shall have the whole Body
of English words in the plainest order digested
and divided to their hands.

To which is added

An Appendix of useful Observations
on Orthography.

Est etiam sua Loquentibus Observatio, sua scribentibus. Quint. Iust. I. I.c.6
Consuetudinem sermonie, vocabo consensum Eruditorum; sicut vivendi
consensum Bonorum, id. ib.
Verum Orthographia quoque consuetudini servit, ideoque sæpe mutata
est. l. I.c.7.

LONDON,

Printed for Peter Parker, at the sign of the Leg
and Star, over against the Royal Ex­
change, in Cornhil, 1674.

 





To the Reader.


I hope, after twelve years experience in the busi­
ness of Schooling, I may be thought sufficiently
sensible of those distracting troubles, and anxieties;
that perpetually attend the Calling. The removal
of some of these is the principal end of the present
undertaking.

The contradictions that are every day propos'd
to little Children, how can they choose but puzl and
torment them, when the Masters themselves (that
pursue the common method) are so miserably con­
founded, and utterly unable to reconcile their way
of spelling with an English pronunciation?

The Rule that I lay down is brief and plain
and easie: viz. All words must so be spell'd, as
they are afterwards to be pronounc'd. But this
they dare not venture on, for fear (forsooth) of
straying from the common road, or slighting of
a rule that was made and intended only for the
Latin tongue. See, I have broke the ice: and
that in such a natural, familiar, and pleasant me­
 



that, the Child shall have waded thorow three
parts (at least) of all the words that are used in
English Authors, before he meets with any conside­
rable irregularity.

I could enlarge, but I reserve it for another place.
The trial of a few hours will fully satisfie the man
that doubts, and more than answer any reasonable
expectation.

C. Coles

 




The Alphabet.


27-letter alphabet (including long-s) in roman, italic, and black-letter fonts is not included here.