190 Xafmis lately become Literary. [Ch. XXVI, 



Beside the establishment of a college in Mas- 

 sachusetts, the inhabitants of that colony directed 

 early and particular attention to the erection of 

 subordinate schools in every part of the country. 

 In 1641 the following law was enacted: " If any 

 do not teach their children and apprentices so 

 much learning as may enable them to read per- 

 fectly the English language, to forfeit twenty 

 shillings ; and the selectmen of every town are 

 required to know the state of the families, &c." 

 Not long aftCTward a law was made, that when 

 any town increased tj» the number of one hundred 

 families, they should set up a grammar school, the 

 master thereof being able to instruct youth so far 

 as that they may be fitted for the university, under 

 certain penalties. To these schools, after a few 

 years, academies were added ; thus forming a 

 system of general education, which has been 

 from time to time improved, and which in the 

 eighteenth century became one of ihe distin- 

 guished honours of New England. 



It was not till towards the close of the seven- 

 teenth century that a seminary of respectable 

 character, for general instruction in literature and 

 science, was established in Virginia. The origi- 

 nal settlers in that colony were, in several re- 

 spects, of a very different description from their 

 countrvmen who settled in New Eno^land. But a 

 small portion of them could boast of any consi- 

 derable acquirements or taste in literature. Ac- 

 tuated chiefly by the love of gain in coming to a 



Stamford, in Connecticut, about the year 1731, carried into his 

 pulpit a Hebrew Bible only, and made use of no other. 



