De ordine legendi.
The Four Modes of Order
Order is understood differently across disciplines, books, narration, and exposition, each governed by its own principle.
Order is considered in one way in the disciplines — for example, if I were to say that grammar is older than dialectic, or arithmetic prior to music; in another way in books — for example, if I were to say the Catilinarian comes before the Jugurthine; in another way in narration, which lies in a continuous sequence; and in another way in exposition. In the disciplines, order is observed according to nature; in books, according to the person of the author or the subject matter; in narration, according to arrangement, which is twofold: natural, namely when the thing is told in the order in which it happened, and artificial, that is, when what happened later is told first, and what happened first is said later; in exposition, order is considered according to inquiry.
The Three Layers of Exposition
Exposition unfolds through the letter, the sense, and the sentence, and is complete only when all three have been sought in order.
Exposition contains three things: the letter, the sense, and the sentence. The letter is the fitting arrangement of words, which we also call construction. The sense is a certain easy and open meaning, which the letter presents at first glance. The sentence is a deeper understanding, which is not found unless through exposition or interpretation. In these things the order is that first the letter, then the sense, then the sentence should be sought. When this has been done, the exposition is complete.
Read the original Latin
Ordo consideratur alius in disciplinis, ut si dixerim grammaticam dialectica antiquiorem vel arithmeticam priorem musica, alius in libris, ut si dixero Catilinarium Iugurthino priorem, alius in narratione, quae est in continua serie, alius in expositione. ordo in disciplinis attenditur secundum naturam, in libris secundum personam auctoris vel subiectam materiam, in narratione secundum dispositionem, quae duplex est; naturalis, videlicet quando res eo refertur ordine quo gesta est, et artificialis, id est, quando id quod postea gestum est prius narratur, et quod prius, postmodum dicitur, in expositione consideratur ordo secundum inquisitionem. expositio tria continet, litteram, sensum, sententiam. littera est congrua ordinatio dictionum, quod etiam constructionem vocamus. sensus est facilis quaedam et aperta significatio, quam littera prima fronte praefert. sententia est profundior intelligentia, quae nisi expositione vel interpretatione non invenitur. in his ordo est, ut primum littera, deinde sensus, deinde sententia inquiratur. quo facto, perfecta est expositio.
Didascalicon de Studio Legendi (On the Study of Reading) companion
Hugh said begin with small daily portions. Start tomorrow.
Chosen Portion serves one short, ordered devotional reading each day — the medieval lectio pattern, free on iOS.
Hugh taught that formation comes from ordered, incremental daily reading, and Chosen Portion is that ordered daily portion delivered to your phone.
- A curated daily portion in 2-3 minutes, no decision fatigue about what to read
- Progress through complete historic works in order, the way Hugh prescribed
- Free app plus a weekly email unpacking one reading in depth