John Clare, writing in 1821, on his attempt to use a school primer to help improve his written English: '"Borrowing a school book of a companion having some entertaining things in it both in prose and verse, with an introduction by the compiler [...] in this introduction was rules both for writing as well as reading [...] stumbling on a remark that a person who knew nothing of grammar was not capable of writing a letter nor even a bill of parcels, I was quite in the suds, seeing that I had gone on thus far without learning the first rudiments of doing it properly [...] I determined to try grammar, and [...] by the advice of a friend, bought the "Spelling Book" as the most easy assistant for my starting out. But finding a jumble of words classed under this name, and that name and this such-a-figure of speech and that another-hard-worded figure, I turned from further notice of it in instant disgust. For, as I knew I could talk to be understood, I thought by the same method my writing might be made out as easy and as proper".'