Roman emperor. Besides, the master for his encouragement should have liberty to make what benefit he can by tabling-in strangers; and every one of the abler sort of inhabitants in the town should pay him (at least) 10s. per quarter for a son's teaching, but all the poorer children should be taught gratis, on condition that they be sent constantly to the school, and that their parents do engage that they shall keep good order and be cleanly and neat in their apparel, that they may not seem to disgrace their fellows or to be disdained by them for their poverty.

It would withal be a great encouragement to this poorer sort of children to learn, if some whom God hath enriched with more than enough would spend the supererogation of their wealth (as Mr. Mulcaster terms it,) in affording exhibitions of 81. or 10l. per annum towards keeping them at the school, or sending them abroad, as they are fit, to trades or universities. They that go thither should have larger exhibitions allowed them, upon condition that they employ more time than others in the study of tongues and critical learning, for the promoting whereof I shall only propound Mr. Mulcaster's question in his own words, which are these: "If there were one college where nothing should be professed but languages only, (as there are some people who will proceed no further) to serve the realm abroad and studies in the university, in that point excellently and absolutely were it not convenient? nay, were it not most profitable," &c. As for what he writes further, (in chap. 41 of his Positions) touching the division of colleges by professions and faculties; and Mr. John Drury bath lately published (in his Reformed School and his Supplement thereto) concerning the bringing together into one society such as are able to exercise themselves in any or all kinds of studies, that by their mutual association, communication, and assistance in reading, meditating, and conferring about profitable matters, they may not only profit their own abilities, but advance the superstructures of all learning to that perfection which by such means is attainable; I refer the more judicious to their books, and leave it to the consideration of those that endeavor to promote school-teaching, whether such a school as I have now delineated would not be of great concernment to the church and commonwealth, whereout to pick more able schoolmasters that by degrees have been exercised in teaching all sorts of scholars for (at least) seven years together, than many men that have scarce saluted or are newly come from the universities can suddenly prove to be. For I think it one thing to be a good schoolmaster, and another thing to be a good scholar, though the former can not well do his duty as he ought except he be also the latter.

I might here bewail the unhappy divertment of Jesus College in Rotherham, in which town one Thomas Scot, alias Rotherham, (a poor boy in Ecclesfield Parish) having had his education, and being advanced to the Archbishopric of York, in the time of Edward the Fourth, did out of love to his country and gratitude to the town, erect a college as a school, for a provost, who was to be a divine, and to preach at Ecclesfield, Laxton, and other places, (where the college demesnes lay;) and three fellows, whereof one was to teach grammar, another music, and the third writing; besides a number of scholars, for some of whom he also provided Fellowships in Lincoln College, in Oxford. But in the time of Henry the Eighth, the Earl of Shrewsbury (who, as I have heard, was the first lord that gave his vote for the demolishing of abbeys) having obtained Roughford Abbey in Nottinghamshire, (to the Prior whereof the lordship of the

town of Rotherham belonged) took advantage also to sweep away the revenues of Rotherham College, (which, according to a rental that I have seen, amounted to about 2000 per annum) and after a while (having ingratiated himself with some townsmen and gentlemen thereabout by erecting a cockpit,) he removed the school out of the college into a sorry house before the gate, leaving it des titute of any allowance, till Mr. West (who wrote the Precedents) in the time of Queen Elizabeth, (and when Mr. Snell was schoolmaster,) obtained a yearly salary of ten pounds per annum, which is since paid out of the Exchequer, by the auditor of accounts. I remember how often and earnestly Mr. Francis West, who had been clerk to his uncle, would declaim against the injury done to that school, which indeed (as he said) ought still to have been kept in the college, and how when I was a schoolmaster there, he gave me a copy of the foundation, and showed me some rentals of lands, and told me where many deeds and evidences belonging thereunto were then concealed, and other remarkable passages, which he was loth to have buried in silence.

But I only mention thus much touching that worthy foundation, to show how charitably some men have been addicted to cherish the roots of learning, and how covetously others have been bent to destroy the whole body of it, even in former ages. And I hope none will be discouraged from pious undertakings, for fear lest his benevolence should in these or after times be perverted, when he considereth that God looketh upon the sincerity of his ends, and will accordingly reward him, though what he religiously intended may unhappily be abused by others, contrary to his mind.

I shall now, to end this chapter, recite some remarkable passages of Mr. Mulcaster's out of his Positions (ch. 40,) which I leave to the consideration of others to think how far they concur with what I have said, as well concerning the foundation of a petty as of a grammar school.

"If any well disposed wealthy man, for the honor that he beareth to the murthered infants, (as all our erections have some respect that way) would begin some building even for the little young ones which were no increase to schools, but a help to the elementary degree, they all would pray for him, and he himself should be bound to the memory of the young infants which put him in remembrance of so virtuous an act.

"The opportunity of the place, and the commodity of able trainers, whereof a small time will bring forth a great many, will draw many on, and procure good exhibitors to have the thing go forward.

"I could wish we had fewer schools, so they were more sufficient, and that upon consideration of the most convenient seats for the counties and shires, there were many put together, to make some few good.

"The use of under-teachers is not as we now practice it in schools, where indeed ushers be masters of themselves, but to assist the master in the easier points of his charge, who ought to have all under his own teaching for the chief points, and the same under the usher's for the more usual and easy."

II.-How the Master should maintain his authority amongst his Scholars. Authority is the true mother of all due order, which the master must be careful in every thing to maintain, otherwise he may command what he pleaseth, but withal he must give the scholars liberty to do what they list. Which what an horrible confusion in their places, what insufferable neglect of their tasks,

what unruliness in point of behavior, what perpetual torment to the painful master and his ushers, and what unavoidable disgrace it bringeth upon a school, let them that are actors or spectators thereof give testimony. That therefore the master may have all his lawful commands put in execution with due alacrity, and his decent orders diligently observed, I conceive it requisite that,

1. He be sure in all things to behave as a master over himself, not only by refraining from those enormities and grosser faults which may render him scandalous to every one, but checking his own passions, especially that of anger; and if at any time he seem to have cause to be provoked to it, and feel it to come too violently upon him, let him rather walk aside awhile out of the school to divert it, than express it openly amongst his scholars by unseemly words or gestures. He should indeed endeavor to behave himself unblamably in all Christian-like conversation before all men, but so amongst his scholars that they may have much wherein to imitate him, but nothing whereby to disgrace him. And towards his neighbors his affability should be such as to win their love and respect, so that they may be ready at all times to countenance the master's well-doing, and to vindicate the credit of him and his school when they hear it unjustly traduced.

2. When he commands or forbids any thing to be done, he should acquaint his scholars with the end intended, and the benefits or inconveniences which attend such or such a course. For children have so much use of reason as to delight to hear persuasive arguments of reason, though the declivity of corrupt nature makes that they do not much mind them, where there is no fear of a rod for doing amiss. Yet sometimes it may be best to say only, "Do this," or "do it not," where you think it of no concernment to them to know the reason, and would make trial of their readiness to obey, without asking why or wherefore.

3. One main way to bring scholars to a loving and awful respect of their master, is for him to show himself at all times cheerful and pleasing towards them, and unwilling to punish them for every error, but withal to carry so close an eye upon all their behavior, that he can tell them privately, betwixt himself and them alone, of many faults they commit when they think he knows nothing, and let them see how he dare correct them for the like offenses when they presume to commit them again, and especially if they behave themselves stubbornly before their fellows. Yet to win a boy of a more stubborn spirit, it is better sometimes to forbear blows, when you have him submit to the rod, than to punish him so for a fault as to make him hate you, and out of a despite to you to do the like or a worse mischief. And when any general misdemeanor is committed, the master should show himself impartial towards all, so as either to pardon or punish all. But in inflicting punishments, as he should let none escape, so he should let the most untoward feel the most smart; but beware that he deal not rigorously, much less cruelly with any; for that will cause an utter dislike in all the scholars towards the master, fearing he will deal so with them in case they so offend, and thinking it to be no argument of love where severity of correction is used.

4. But nothing works more upon good-natured children than frequent encouragements and commendations for well-doing; and therefore when any task is performed or order observed according to his mind, the master should commend all his scholars, but especially the most observant, and encourage the weak and timorous, and admonish the most perverse amongst them to go on in

imitating their exampie, in hopes of finding as much favor at his hands as they see them to have.

5. In some places a master is apt to be molested with the reproachful clamors of the meaner sort of people, who can not (for the most part) endure to have their children corrected, be the fault never so heinous, but presently they must come to the school to brave it out with him; which if they do, the master should there in a calm manner admonish them before all his scholars to cease their clamor, and to consider how rash they are to interrupt his business, and to blame him for doing that duty with which he is intrusted by themselves, and others their betters. But if they go about to raise scandalous reports upon him, he may do well to get two or three judicious neighbors to examine the matter, and to rebuke the parties for making so much ado upon little or no occasion. Thus we shall see scholars abundantly more to respect the master when they know how grossly he is apt to be wronged by inconsiderate persons, and that wise men are ready to vindicate his cause. Whereas if they once see their master liable to every body's censure, and no man take his part whatever is said of him, they themselves will not care what tales they make to his utter disgrace or ruin; especially if he have been any whit harsh towards them, and they be desirous to outslip the reins of his teaching and government.

III.-Of School times. Of Scholars going forth from the School, and of Playdays.

Though in many schools I observe six o'clock in the morning to be the hour for children to be fast at their books, yet in most, seven is the constant time, both in winter and summer, against which hour it is fit that every scholar should be ready at the school. And all they that come before seven should be permitted to play about the school till the clock strike, on condition that they can say their parts at the master's coming in; else they are not to play at all, but to settle to their books as soon as they come.

But here the master is to take heed that he be neither too rigorous with those of weaker age or constitution for coming somewhat tardy, nor indulgent toward those who through manifest sloth and frequent loitering, neglect the hour. For in the one it will breed a daily timorousness, and in the other it will make way to licentiousness; and on the one side parents will clamor, on the other side the school will receive disgrace. However, it is best to be as strict as possibly may be, in seeing that every scholar come at the just hour, and to note it as a punishable fault in him that cometh late, except he bring a note of excuse from his parent's or host's hand, and a promise withal that he shall not often offend in that kind.

It is not amiss for every scholar in every form to put down his name in a book (kept common for that purpose) so soon as he comes to school every day, that it may be upon record whether he used to come with the foremost or the hindmost, and how often he was absent from the school; likewise every scholar's name should be called over according to the bill every school hour, and they that are present should answer for themselves by saying adsum, and his next fellow should give notice of him that is absent, by saying abest.

The common time of dismissing scholars from school in the forenoon is eleven o'elock every day, and in the afternoon, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, five o'clock, but on Tuesday afternoons, four; and on Thursdays, three. Touch

ing which, care should be taken that the tasks of every form may be fully dispatched rather a little before those hours than after; that then the scholars which intend writing or ciphering, or the like, may go to the writing school, as they yet use to do about London. Neither would I have the scholars to be so precisely observant of the clock as just upon the first stroke of it to rush out of the school; but notice being given to the master that it is stricken, and he having given the word for dismissing the school, all the scholars should come one by one orderly out of their seats according to their forms (the lowest beginning first, because they are commonly next the door,) and salute him with their hats in their hands, and so quietly depart out of the school without thrusting, or striving one to get out before another. It were good if there were hourglasses in the school, to give notice how the time goes on.

And for their readily going home, or to the writing school, there should be private monitors appointed to inform the master, so soon as they return to the school again, who they are that neglected their duty therein.

That space of intermission, about nine and three o'clock, which is used at Westminster School and some others, and is so much commended by Mr. Brinsley (chap. 33 of his Grammar School,) can not so well be observed, nor is it so requisite in those schools in which scholars meet not till seven in the morning; for the variety of their several tasks will take away that tediousness that seems to occur by the length of time, and those subsidiary books provided for the lower forms will prevent the over-toiling of themselves by their present work. And that those disorders which usually befall in scholars running forth in school-time may be somewhat remedied, this or the like course may be taken:

1. Let it not be lawful for above one boy in twenty to go forth at once; and at his going forth, let every one come to the master, or that usher to whose charge he belongs, and in his hearing repeat four or six vocabulas or phrases which he hath not said before, and then lay down his book, with his name written in it in a place appointed within the master's view, so that it may be known at once both how many and who are out of doors, and how long they tarry abroad. At their coming in, they should again repeat the like number of vocabulas and phrases as they did at their going forth.

The master would do well now and then to send a private spy, who may truly observe and certify him how every scholar spendeth his time abroad, and if any be found to go forth upon no occasion or to truant it without doors, let him be censured or reproved according to his demerits.

2. The granting of a playday is to be referred wholly to the discretion of the master, who must in this be as fearful to work his scholars' hindrance and the school's discredit, as willing by such a courtesy to gratify his deserving friends; who, if they be any whit reasonable, will be easily satisfied with a just excuse of denial; but if they be unreasonably importunate, they ought to be served with as unreasonable a nay-say; so that playdays should be rarely granted, except to such as may seem to claim more than ordinary interest in the school, and to whom the master is bound to show his due respects, especially before his scholars.

In places of great resort, and where often solicitation is made for play (espe cially by mothers who come to visit their children which are tabled at school,) it were good that a portion of an afternoon were designed constantly beforehand, on which (in case any suit should be made) the scholars might have leave