A HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE 



As regards the boys' inner life, we know that they were divided 

 then as now into the two great classes of 'prefects' and 'inferiors.' 

 Wykeham is commonly credited with the invention of the prefectural 

 system not only per se but in all its ramifications, including the institution 

 of ' tunding,' which some writers seem to regard as the special glory 

 of Winchester and the public school system. Wykeham certainly did 

 provide for prefects, 1 three scholars in each chamber to oversee the 

 rest and inform the authorities of their morals, behaviour and advance- 

 ment in learning. This provision was not however of Wykeham's 

 devising. 2 It has escaped notice that it appears in the statutes of 

 New College, 3 in the very same words, except that one fellow only 

 is assigned for the purpose in each chamber ; but the proportion of 

 prefects is as nearly as possible the same, there being at New College 

 only four ' scholars or fellows ' in each chamber, save one which had 

 only three. It was imported into the Statutes of New College from the 

 Statutes of Merton of 1 274,* the last clause being in the same words as 

 those found in the Statutes of Oriel in 1329. 



We can hardly credit Wykeham therefore with the invention of a 

 prefectural system. In this as in other matters, he was only repeating 

 for the scholars of Winchester a provision made for scholars at Oxford, 

 which applied at Oxford also to the boys 6 at Merton, as well as to the 

 young men there. 



It is clear that he did not contemplate that the prefects should be 

 not merely magistrates, but ' administrators of the law.' They were 

 not magistrates at all but policemen. Their duty was to inspect and 

 report only. There is not a hint that they were to enforce the laws or 

 themselves inflict punishment. There is no mention of the ' officers ' 6 of 

 later days the prefect of tub (now extinct), the prefect of hall, of 

 school, and two of chapel. 



It is to be inferred that the prefect system was developed when the 

 warden and fellows became mostly non-resident, or when resident did not 

 dine in hall ; and the masters devoted themselves to looking after 

 commoners, leaving college to itself. When finally, the warden retired 

 to a married life outside chamber court altogether, and the headmaster 

 removed to ' commoners,' the fagging and ' tunding ' system developed 

 itself. 



Of holidays, it may be said that there were plenty of holy days, but 

 no general holidays. The collegiate example was directly followed. To 

 the fellows of a college, the college was their home for life. The 

 collegiate schoolboy was regarded as under much the same conditions. 

 No holidays were contemplated. For more than a century there was no 

 breaking-up day and no general emigration home. There were however 



1 Rubric zxziv. 



* As stated in Wykehamica, by H. C. Adams, p. 56. 

 8 Rubric, Hi. * Caput vii. 



6 At Merton one of the boys actually acted as bursar for the rest in 1347-8 (English Miscellany, 

 loc. cit. p. 425). 



6 Wykebamica, loc. cit. 



2 7 6 



