=_The Great Didactic._=--But these books on teaching Latin realistically were only part of the work that Comenius contemplated. During his whole career he had in mind a definite idea of the aim of education, and of what, in consequence, he wished the organization, subject-matter, and methods to be. His ideas on the whole question of education were formulated in his _Great Didactic_ even before the _Janua_ appeared, but the work was not published until 1657. In it he strove to assimilate all that was good in the realistic movement and use it as a foundation. He developed many of the principles and methods of Ratich, Bateus, and others, but he owed a greater debt for the suggestions he took from Bacon’s _Advancement of Learning_, and even more from the _Encyclopædia_ of Alsted, one of his teachers at Herborn. In the _Great Didactic_ Comenius formulated an educational aim and constructed an educational organization of his own. Probably, as an outgrowth of his religious attitude, he held to ‘knowledge, morality, and piety’ as the ideals of education, and advocated universal education for ‘boys and girls, both noble and ignoble, rich and poor.’ His organization of education consisted of four periods of six years each. The first period of instruction was that through infancy, or up to the age of six. It was to be given in the school of ‘the mother’s lap,’ which should exist in every house. For childhood, or from six to twelve, was to be organized the ‘vernacular school,’ which should appear in every hamlet and village. From that time up to eighteen comes the ‘Latin school,’ to be maintained in every city; and, finally, for youth from eighteen to twenty-four, there should be a university in every kingdom or province. Such an organization would have made education universal, and would tend to bring about the custom of education according to ability, rather than social status, which was a suggestion some three centuries in advance of the times.
_Muntero Caps_, 20. &c. | _Amiculum_, 20. &c. So the _Furrier_ | Sic _Pellio_ maketh _Furred Garments_ | facit _Pellicia_ of _Furs_. | è _Pellibus_. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Shoemaker. LXIII. Sutor.