pounds; but if he resigns voluntarily, then ten months' notice was required. If he was afflicted only with temporary illness, his salary was to be continued, and the Surmaster to be paid by him for extraordinary duty. On his demise, the Surmaster to be chosen in preference to other candidates. The dean's house in Stebenhigh, or Stepney, were also given to the High Master, and the Mercers' Company to keep it in repair.

The attainments of the SURMASTER were to equal those of the High Master, by whom he was appointed. The surveyors attend at the school, when the Master presented his Assistant to them, and they solemnly charged him to fulfil his duties, or expect a discharge from it. The Company of Mercers must, however, approve the choice, and assign him his lodgings in the Old Change. His wages were 6s. 8d. a week, and a livery gown like that of the High Master; and, if convenient, he might take commons with him. When overtaken with decay and age, he was strongly recommended by the pious and humane Founder, to the kind consideration of the Mercers' Company. If both the Masters should be so afflicted with illness as to be both at the same time disqualified for their duty, the school was to be shut, but the salaries continued. The Surmaster's notice of resignation was to be six months. Neither of the Masters were to enjoy lectures or professorships.

A poor child was to keep the school clean, and sweep it on Saturdays, as well as the leads; and the Mercers to repair it.

The CHAPLAIN was also to be an honest priest, appointed by the wardens and assistants of the Mercery. He shall also learn, or, if he be learned, teach in the school, if the High Master shall desire it. He was to have no benefice with cure or service, nor other office or occupation, but attend only upon the school. He was also appointed to teach the children their Catechism, the Articles of their faith, and the ten Commandments, in English. His wages were 81. by the year, with a livery-gown of 26s. 8d. His chambers or lodging were to be in the new house in the Old Chayn, or in the Master's house, as might be most convenient. It was his duty to sing mass every day in the chapel; and to pray that the children might prosper in good life and good literature, to the honor of God and our Lord Christ Jesu. And it was ordered, "at his masse when the bell in the schole

shall knyll to sacringe, then all the children, in their seats, shall, with lift up hands, pray in the time of sacringe. After which, when the bell knylleth agayne, they shall sit down agayne to their bokes and learninge."

The school was to receive children of all nations and countries indifferently, to the number of one hundred and fiftythree, according to the number of seats in the school; but they must be already qualified to read, write, and repeat their Catechism. Each scholar was to pay 4d. admission money, to be given to the poor scholar who swept the school; and bring his own wax candles, as in no time of the year was tallow permitted. One scholar was appointed to preside over every form; and the teaching was to commence at seven in the morning and continue to eleven; to recommence at one, and close for the day at five: with prayers in the morning, at noon, and in the evening. There was to be neither eating nor drinking in the school; nor cock-fighting, nor "riding about of victorye," and no holidays or "remedyes,' under the penalty of 40s. from the High Master; unless commanded by the king, archbishop, or bishop, at the school in person.

The scholars were ordered to attend at St. Paul's on Childermas day, to hear the boy-bishop's sermon: when, at high mass, every member of the institution was to offer one penny to the boy-bishop.‡

In their processions they were to proceed two and two, and devoutly repeat, but not sing aloud, seven Psalms and the Litany.

If a scholar of this school were permitted by his parents to attend any other, he would be expelled, without a possibility

* Alluding to the number of fish taken by St. Peter, John xxi. 11.

+ Play days.

It may be mentioned, that the boy-bishop was one of the choristers of the cathedral, chosen by the rest to officiate from Nicholas day to the evening of Innocents-day, in episcopal vestments; and if he died in the interval, was buried with prelatic state and ceremonial. Dr. Knight does not reconcile the apparent superstition of this statute to the enlightened mind of Dean Colet: but it is probable, that he wished to give his school the figure aud publicity of the procession connected with it; or that this old custom, as some one has observed, gave a spirit to the children, and encouraged the hopes, that they might one time or other attain to the real mitre; and consequently incited them to that learning and those virtues which might qualify them to attain it.

of readmission; and this notice was given on his first en

trance.

The dean thus expresses himself as to what shall be taught in his new foundation: "As touching in this scole what "shall be taught of the Maister and learned of the Scholars, "it passeth my witte to devyse and determyne in particular, "but in general, to speake my mynde, I would they were "taught always in good litterature bothe Laten and Greke, "and good autors, such as have the very Romayne eloquence joined with wisdom, especially Cristen autors that "wrote their wisdome with clean and chaste Laten; others "in verse and prose; for my entent is by this scole especial"ly to encrease knowledge and worshippinge of God in our "Lord Christ Jesu, and good Cristen life and manners, in "the children. And for that entent, I will the children "learne, first, above all, the Catechism in English, and after "the Accidens that I made, or some other, yf any be better "to the purpose, to induce children more spedely to Lat"en speeche. And then Institutum Christiani Hominis, "which that learned Erasmus made at my requeste, and the "boke called Copia of the same Erasmus. And that other "autors Cristen, as Lactantius, Prudentius, with Proba "and Sedulius, and Juvencus and Baptista Mantuanus, and "suche other as shall be thought convenient and moste to "to the purpose unto the true Laten speeche; all barbary, "all adulterate Laten which ignorant blinde soles brought "into this worlde, and with the same dystained and poy"sonyd the old Laten speeche and the veraye Roman tongue "which, in the tyme of Tully and Salust, and Virgil and

Terence, was said; which also Sainte Jerome and Sainte "Ambrose and Sainte Austen, and,many holy doctors, lern"id in theyre tymes. I say that fylthiness, and all suche "abusion whiche the later blynde worlde brought in, "whiche more rather may be called blotterature,than litera"ture, I utterly abannyshe and exclude out of this scole; and charge the Maisters that they teache alwaye that is beste, and "instruct the children in Greke and Laten in redynge to "suche autors that hath with wisdom joyned the pure "chaste eloquence."

To the Honorable Company of Mercers of London, and all the assistance of the fellowship, were entrusted the care and charge, rule and governance, of the school; and they

are charged to elect eleven persons annually, free of their company, as "Surveyors of the scole." These men are to receive the rents of the endowments, and transact all affairs relating to them and the school. Twenty shillings was also bestowed per annum on the "Renter," and a gown of 13s. 4d. value. The Surveyors were, at the same time, commanded to pay the different salaries in the school quarterly; and when the annual accounts were audited, which was some time about Candlemas, an assembly should be appointed, and "a litell dinner ordeyned by the Surveyors, not exceeding the price of fower nobles." The MasterWarden of the Mercers to have a noble if present, and the Wardens 5s. each. The Surveyors 11s. each for their labor for one year; and the same sum if they rode to visit the estates. The Bailiffs were to renew their rentals every year; and the lands of the school were to be let by the space of five years.

Dean Colet solemnly charges the Company of Mercers to guard and promote the interests of the foundation for ever, to the utmost of their ability, as they fear the just vengeance of God for neglecting them; and to make such other regulations for the governance of the school as time and circunstances may render necessary, with the advice and assistance of good-lettered and learned men.

According to Dr. Knight, the dean estimated the annual expenses at 791. 8s. 4d. and the annual overplus at 381. 16s. 3d.

Thus having established his foundation, which will perpetuate his name to the latest posterity, he selected the most approved and qualified persons to be Masters of the same, Mr William Lily and Mr John Righthouse. The former was recommended in the strongest manner by Erasmus for his learning. talents, and virtues; and whose name has been perpetuated by the grammar which bears it, though the labor was divided between him and Colet and Erasmus, in which some improvements were afterwards made by Cardinal Wolsey for his projected school at Ipswich. Indeed it is to the honor of St. Paul's School, that the principal grammars for the study of the Latin and Greek languages, throughout the kingdom, should have been the work of its Founder and first Master, and Mr Camden, who was one of its scholars.

The love of retirement now seemed to increase upon him, and to indulge it the dean built a suitable house near Richmond, in Surry, for his future residence; but being twice seized by the sweating sickness, and relapsing into it a third time, a consumption ensued, which proved fatal September 16, 1519, in his fiftythird year. Thus closed the life of the Founder of St. Paul's School, an honor to his own day and his own age, as he would have been to any day and any age.

He was buried in the choir of his cathedral, with an humble monument, which had been prepared for him several years before, and with no other inscription than his solitary name. A memorial more suited to his character than his fame, was afterwards erected to him by the Company of Mercers, which was destroyed with the cathedral in the dreadful conflagration of that church in 1666; but the representation is still preserved in Sir William Dugdale's History of St. Paul's,* and in Dr. Knight's Life of the Dean. On the two sides of the bust was this inscription: "John Colet, D. D. Dean of St. Paul's, and only Founder of Paul's School, departed this life anno 1519; the son of Sir Henry Colet, Knight, twise mayor of the cyty of London, and free of the company and mistery of Mercers." Beneath there

were other inscriptions in Latin. In about 1680, when the church was taking down to be rebuilt, his leaden coffin was found inclosed in the wall, about two feet and a half above the floor. At the top of it was a leaden plate fastened, whereon was engraved the dean's name, his dignity, benefactions, &c. Besides his preferments already mentioned, he was rector of the fraternity or gild of Jesus in St. Paul's church, for which he procured new statutes, was chaplin and preacher to Henry VIII. and, if Erasmus is correct, one of the king's Privy Council.

His works are as follows: 1. "Oratio habita a Doctore Johanne Colet, Decano Sancti Pauli, ad Clerum in Convocatione, anno 1511."-2. "Rudimenta Grammatices a Johanne Coleto, Decano Ecclesiæ Sancti Pauli, Londin. In usum Scholæ ab ipso institutæ," commonly called "Paul's Accidence," 1539, 8 vo.-3. "The Construction of the eight Parts of Speech, entitled Absolutissimus de octo

* The skeleton part of this fine old monument was discovered in 1782 to be still existing, and was placed under the care of Mr Gould, the deputy surveyor and principal verger.