Education. 91 



In 1808 there occurred an event which is thus recorded by the 

 School Committee : — 



" Oct. 23. Met for the purpose of making some arrangements for a pro- 

 cession of the scholars of the town to the Meeting-house of the First 

 Parish on Wednesday the 26th inst. at 2 o'clock p. m., to attend a 

 Lecture to be delivered to the Youth of the town by the Rev. Joseph 

 Richardson. 



" Six marshals were chosen and the singers of the town were requested 

 to attend the Lecture ' and that those who play on instruments be re- 

 quested to attend the procession as well as Lecture.' " 



On the appointed day upwards of two hundred and eighty 

 scholars of both sexes formed in procession and marched to the 

 meeting-house, where " a well-adapted and highly pertinent dis- 

 course was pronounced to them and a crowded auditory by the 

 Rev. Mr. Richardson, from the 4th chapter of Proverbs, and 

 13th verse : ' Take fast hold of Instruction : let her not go : keep 

 her : for she is thy life.' " 



Similar " Lectures " were delivered in the same place by Rev. 

 Mr. Richardson in 1809 and 1810. 



Before leaving this second period, some of the votes passed by 

 the School Committee will be found interesting; : — 



i o 



1796. "The masters are to observe a uniform system of government 

 in their schools and inculcate in their scholars a decent and respectful de- 

 portment towards their superiors out of school and in particular to instruct 

 them not to enter the Gardens, Orchards, or other enclosures of the In- 

 habitants or in any measure to injure or rob the same." 



1797. "Voted, that the Masters and Mistresses of the several schools 

 be directed to read a chapter in the Bible every morning to their scholars 

 and that those of them, who are far enough advanced in reading, use the 

 Bible as their school book on Saturdays." 



1800. "Voted that the Instructors of the several schools be directed to 

 see that the scholars be each furnished with suitable books, that they be 

 kept clean, that the scholars have clean face and hands and their hair 

 combed when attending school." 



a 



1809. List of Books adopted : — 



Primer — Columbian Orthographer. Morse's Geography. 



Child's Assistant. Bible. 



American Reader. 1 Judson's Grammar. 



Juvenile Instructor. Perry's Dictionary. 



Beauties of the Bible. Adams's Arithmetic. 

 Constitutions of Massachusetts, United 

 States, &c. 



The following votes of the town relating to the heating of the 

 schoolhouses indicate the course of popular opinion upon the 

 subject : — 



1 This was the first school reader published which consisted wholly of selections 

 *S A ™ en ™ n authors ; and was compiled by Rev. Joseph Richardson, the minister 

 of the First Parish in Hingham. 



