View source for Rudiments of the Latin Tongue

{{DISPLAYTITLE:''The Rudiments of the Latin Tongue or, a Plain and Easy Introduction to Latin Grammar; ... with Useful Notes and Observations, Explaining the Terms of Grammar, and Further Improving Its Rules''}}
===by Thomas Ruddiman===
__NOTOC__
{{BookPageInfoBox
|imagename=RuddimanRudimentsOfTheLatinTongue1769 TitlePage.jpg
|link=https://wm.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01COWM_INST/g9pr7p/alma991034101254403196
|shorttitle=Rudiments of the Latin Tongue
|author=[[:Category:Thomas Ruddiman|Thomas Ruddiman]]
|lang=[[:Category:English|English]], [[:Category:Latin|Latin]]
|publoc=[[:Category:Edinburgh|Edinburgh]]
|publisher=Printed by Wal. Ruddiman, J. Richardson, and Company and sold by the widow of the author and the booksellers there
|year=1769
|pages=viii, 104, 31, [1]
|desc=[[:Category:Octavos|Octavo]] (17 cm.)
|shelf=H-1
}}[[wikipedia:Thomas Ruddiman|Thomas Ruddiman]] (1674-1757) was born on the farm of Raggel in the county of Banff, in the parish of Boyndie in October 1674.<ref>George Chalmers, ''The Life of Thomas Ruddiman, A. M.: The Keeper, for Almost Fifty Years, of the Library Belonging to the Faculty of Advocates at Edinburgh'' (London: J. Stockdale, 1794), 2.</ref> His father, a farmer and dedicated monarchist, is believed to have influenced Ruddiman’s work.<ref>Chalmers, ''Life of Thomas Ruddiman'', 3.</ref> He enrolled in Inverboyndie parish school where he displayed a proficiency for classical studies under the tutelage of George Morison.<ref>A. P. Woolrich, "[https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-24249 Ruddiman, Thomas (1674–1757)]," ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', accessed February 5, 2025.</ref> At sixteen, he went to Aberdeen and won an annual bursary competition for classical studies at King’s College.<ref>A. P. Woolrich, "Ruddiman, Thomas (1674–1757)."</ref> After matriculating in November 1690, Ruddiman received the degree of Artium Magister in June 1694. Working briefly as a tutor to the families of George Ogilvy of Inverquharity and then Robert Young of Auldbar, Forfarshire, Ruddiman was appointed schoolmaster at Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire in 1695.<ref>Douglas Duncan, ''Thomas Ruddiman: A Study in Scottish Scholarship of the Early Eighteenth Century'' (Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd, 1965), 2.</ref> There he met Dr. Archibald Pitcairne and received an invitation to Edinburgh under his patronage.<ref>Duncan, ''Thomas Ruddiman'', 2.</ref> With Pitcairne's help, Ruddiman began working as a copyist at the library of the Faculty of Advocates in 1700, rising to "bibliothecar's servant" (assistant librarian) in 1702.<ref>Duncan, ''Thomas Ruddiman'', 3.</ref> 

Ruddiman joined the printing business of Robert Freebairn in 1706 as a proofreader and editor.<ref>Woolrich, "Ruddiman, Thomas (1674–1757)."</ref> At Freebairn’s suggestion, Ruddiman and his brother Andrew opened their own printing business in 1712, catering mainly to the schoolbooks market.<ref>Woolrich, "Ruddiman, Thomas (1674–1757)."</ref> After serving as keeper to the Advocates Library' beginning in 1730, Ruddiman retired in 1752 to be succeeded by David Hume.<ref>Woolrich, "Ruddiman, Thomas (1674–1757)."</ref> He died in Edinburgh on January 19th, 1757 and was laid to rest in Greyfriars churchyard.<ref>Woolrich, "Ruddiman, Thomas (1674–1757)."</ref>

His greatest contribution to educational books was ''The Rudiments of the Latin Tongue''. Although the book was first published by Freebairn in 1713, it went through several revisions and established itself as the preeminent Latin grammar book taught in schools across Britain.<ref>Woolrich, "Ruddiman, Thomas (1674–1757)."</ref> Ruddiman saw ''The Rudiments'' as the “plain and easy instructions, teaching beginners the first principles, or the most common and necessary rules, of Latin.”<ref>Thomas Ruddiman, ''The Rudiments of the Latin Tongue'' (Edinburgh: Murray and Cochran, 1779), 2.</ref> As Ruddiman compiled his text on Latin grammar, he struggled to choose between different pedagogies and ideas about the best possible method to communicate the Latin tongue.<ref>George Chalmers, ''The Life of Thomas Ruddiman'', 64.</ref> In the end, he decided to reduce it into a “short text,” and included an English version alongside the Latin, so readers could choose whichever version suited them better.<ref>Chalmers, ''The Life of Thomas Ruddiman'', 64.</ref> He engaged in thorough research to collect the opinions of the greatest grammatical authorities of the time to inform his work.<ref>Duncan, ''Thomas Ruddiman'', 87.</ref> He believed that the Latin tongue was “designed to be the common Language of learned Men in all the civiliz’d Parts of the World.”

==Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library==
Listed in the [[Jefferson Inventory]] of [[Wythe's Library]] as "Ruddiman's larger Latin grammar 8vo." [[Thomas Jefferson]] gave Wythe's copy to his grandson [[Thomas Jefferson Randolph]]. The precise edition owned by Wythe is unknown. [http://www.librarything.com/profile/GeorgeWythe George Wythe's Library]<ref>''LibraryThing'', s.v. "[http://www.librarything.com/profile/GeorgeWythe Member: George Wythe]," accessed on June 22, 2015.</ref> on LibraryThing indicates "Precise edition unknown. Numerous octavo editions were published." The Brown Bibliography<ref>Bennie Brown, "The Library of George Wythe of Williamsburg and Richmond," (unpublished manuscript, May, 2012, rev. October, 2023) Microsoft Word file, on file at the Wolf Law Library.</ref> lists the 1768 edition published in Edinburgh based on the octavo copy Jefferson sold to the Library of Congress in 1815.<ref>E. Millicent Sowerby, ''Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson'', (Washington, D.C.: The Library of Congress, 1952-1959), 5:81 [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015033648133&seq=97 [no.4782]].</ref> Since we cannot know which edition Wythe owned, the Wolf Law Library purchased an available copy of the 1769 Edinburgh edition of ''Rudiments of the Latin Tongue''.

==Description of the Wolf Law Library's copy==
Bound in contemporary biscuit calf, boards bordered with double gilt rules. Spine features raised bands with gilt rules and blind compartments. Purchased with the [[:Category:George Wythe Boswell-Caracci Room Acquisition Fund|George Wythe Boswell-Caracci Room Acquisition Fund]].

Images of the library's copy of this book are [https://www.flickr.com/photos/wolflawlibrary/albums/72177720313042200 available on Flickr.] View the record for this book in [https://wm.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01COWM_INST/g9pr7p/alma991034101254403196 William & Mary's online catalog.]

==See also==
*[[Jefferson Inventory]]
*[[Wythe's Library]]

==References==
<references />
[[Category:George Wythe Collection at William & Mary's Wolf Law Library]]
[[Category:Language and Rhetoric]]
[[Category:Thomas Jefferson Randolph's Books]]
[[Category:Thomas Ruddiman]]
[[Category:Titles in Wythe's Library]]

[[Category:George Wythe Boswell-Caracci Room Acquisition Fund]]
[[Category:English]]
[[Category:Latin]]
[[Category:Octavos]]