34 THE president's address. 



Druid, that in them were educated the sons of the kings and 

 nobles, and the heads of these schools had lands for their 

 support. 



So also were there communities of Druidesses, to whom 

 were committed the fostering and education of the daughters of 

 the nobility ; and these Druidesses shared with the Druids the 

 privilege of sanctuary, and the function of blessing and cursing. 



By no other way can we explain the marvellous expansion 

 of the educational establishments which took place after Ireland 

 became Christian, than on the supposition that the saints occu- 

 pied institutions already existing, and brought into them a new 

 life. 



St. Lasrian is said to have ruled over 1,500 disciples, St. 

 Guana had 1,746 scholars under him ; in the establishment of St. 

 Q-erald, of Mayo, there were 3,300. 



Now at first the saint took charge of the education of the 

 sons and daughters of the free men, and held a mixed school. 

 As many of the pupils tarried on to prepare for the clerical life, 

 and some of the damsels resolved to embrace the ecclesiasti- 

 cal profession also, these young people were thrown together a 

 good deal, and the results were not always what might be 

 desired. 



This led to a change in the system, and several of the saints 

 induced a sister, or a mother, or some other approved matron, to 

 establish a girls' school, subject to his supervision, yet at a 

 distance from his college for youths sufS.cient to prevent the 

 recurrence of scandals. 



But such a division of the sexes was not universal, and the 

 persistence of double monasteries among the Northumbrians and 

 East Saxons, moulded on the Celtic type, shows that the mixed 

 school still had those who favoured it. The modern American 

 system is a recurrence to the early pattern. 



Another force was in operation to alter the character of 

 these schools. Owing to the teaching capacity of the principals 

 in some being considered of a high order, there ensued a resort 

 to certain schools from all quarters, even from abroad, so that 

 they lost their character of tribal institutions, and became 

 instead colleges open to all comers. 



