ROBERTSON, William.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

The First Gate, or the Outward Door to the Holy Tongue, Opened in English; First editions of both parts of this English-Hebrew dictionary and grammar, intended to make accessible the language of the Old Testament to every Christian; the first title is the secondary issue of the 1653 A Gate or Door to the Holy Tongue with cancel title page and three additional preliminary leaves, and additionally carries the additional bifolioum bearing a dedication to the author's "respected friend" (another reissue)."A pedagogical revolutionary with an egalitarian message and a passionate and parenthetical style, Robertson believed that Hebrew was not an esoteric language and that almost any man, given plain and careful instruction, could learn Hebrew even without the aid of a teacher so that he might perceive 'truth in its first fountain, and Primitive purity'. He challenged the 'pre-conceived prejudice... that all almost hitherto have had about the difficultie of it'. The student need not know Latin but may study Hebrew through the medium of English, for Hebrew 'hath no more dependence upon, nor nearnesse or connexion with either Latine or Greek; then [sic] with either English or Spanish, or any other Tongue or Language Vulgarly spoken in Europe'. Robertson, moreover, was convinced that the female sex was fully capable enough 'of this kinde of learning; of which I had often before in my own thoughts perswaded my self, in consideration of that readinesse of wit, and quicknesse of understand

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.