LON 
months’ notice was required. If the mafter had a life of' 
convalefcence in illnefs, his falary was continued, and the 
fur-mafter officiated for him, for which he had a'reafon- 
able compenfation from the high mafter. The dean he¬ 
llo wed his houfe at Stepney on the office. The attain¬ 
ments of the fur-mafter are required by the dean to be 
equal to thole of the high mafter, and he veils his ap¬ 
pointment in that officer. The furveyors attended at 
the fchool when the mafter prefented his affiftant to them, 
and they charged him to execute his duty faithfully 
on pain of difmiffion. He lodged in the Old Change, 
and his falary was 6s. 8d. per week, with a gown like the 
high mailer’s. He was to dine with him if convenient. 
And, when decay and age rendered the fur-mafter unfit 
for the office, the worthy dean recommended him to the 
charity of the company of the mercers. His notice of re- 
lignation was fix months only. If both mailers were ill of 
any contagious diforder, the founder orders the fchool to 
be <hut, and the falaries of each continued; neither of 
them is permitted by the ftatutes to enjoy “lecuture or 
profefl'orlhips.” A poor child was to keep the fchool 
clean, and fweep it on Sathrdays, “and alfo the leades 
and the mercers to repair it. The chaplain was to be an 
honell virtuous prieft, appointed by the mercers. “He 
lliall alfo learne, or yf he be learned helpe to teache in 
the fchool.” The dean requires that the chaplain fhould 
have no preferment or other occupation; that he teach 
the children their catechifm, and inftruft them in the ar¬ 
ticles of the faith, and commandments, in Englifli. He 
was to hold his office only during good behaviour, and to 
have butone vacation in the year, and that not withc-nt per- 
miffion from the furveyors; to be clear of all difeafes 
when chofen ; but to enjoy his falary of 81. during illnefs. 
His gown was valued at il. 6s. 8d. and lie lodged either 
with the mafter or in “ the Old Chayn.” This prieft faid 
mafs every day in the chapel, and prayed “for the children 
to profpeir in good life and in good literature, to the ho¬ 
nour of God and our Lord Chrift Jefu.” And, at “his 
malTe, when the bell in the fcole (hall knyll to facringe, 
then all the children in their feats (hall, with lift-upp 
handes, pray in the time of facringe. After the facringe, 
when the bell knylleth agayne, they (hall fitt downe 
agayne to their bokes learninge.” 
"The dean permits the children admitted to be of any 
nation ; and mentions that they rand previoufly read, 
write, and be capable of repeating their catechifms. The 
high mafter is permitted to receive 153 (alluding to the 
number of fifti taken by St. Peter, John xxi. 11.) with the 
trifling fum of four-pence admiflion-money, which he or¬ 
ders to be given to the poor fcholar who lwept the fchool. 
Each child finds his own candles of wax; for thofe of 
tallow are exprefsly forbidden. 
He direfls that one fcholar (hall prefide on every form, 
and that the teaching commence at feven in the morning, 
continue till eleven ; re-commence at one, and terminate 
for the day at five, “ with prayers in the morninge, none, 
and at eveninge.” He allows neither eating or drinking 
in the fchool, cock-fighting, “ rydinge about of viiftorye,” 
and no holydays, or “ remedyes,” (play-days,) under a 
penalty of 40s. from the high mafter, unlefs commanded 
by the king, the arehbilhop, or bilhop, at the fchool in 
perfon. The fcholars were to attend at Sr. Paul’s on Chil- 
dermas-day to hear the boy-biftiop’s fernion ; when at high 
mafs every member of the inftitution was to offer one penny 
to the faid boy-bithop. The boy-bifhop was one of the 
chorifters of a cathedral, chofen by the reft to officiate 
from St. Nicholas-day to the evening of Innocents'-day, 
in the habit of a bifliop ; and, if he died in the interval, 
was buried in that habit. During their proceffions, the 
boys were to repeat feven pfalms, and the Litany, in a de¬ 
vout manner, “and notfinge out.” If a perfon, having 
a fon at this fchool, was fo indifcreet as to permit him to 
attend any other, expulfion, without a poffibility of re- 
admiffion, enfued. 
Von.. XIII. No, 916. 
D O N. 4 IS 
The dean was rather at a lofs what he fhould appoint 
to be taught; but he determined that the Greek and Latin 
languages fhould be pure, and neither of them read from 
thofe authors whofe works were not claffical, eloquent, 
and polifhed. He perceived the abufes which had ren¬ 
dered the latter almoft unintelligible, and exprefles his in¬ 
dignation againft the innovators very bitterly. Chriftiaa 
authors are recommended in preference to the heathen ; 
and for the Latin rudiments his own Accidens, then InjU- 
tutvm Chrijliani Hominis, which that “ learned Erafmus made 
at my requefte,” with the Copia of Erafmus; Laftantius, 
Prudentius, and Proba; and Sedulius, juveneus, and 
Baptifta Mantuanus. He gives the direction of the infti- 
tution to the mercers, and charges them to appoint eleven 
perfons annually, free of the company, as “furveyors of 
the fcole.” Thefe men are to receive the rents of the en¬ 
dowments, and t ran fa ft all affairs relating to them and the 
fchool. The dean'then bellows 20s. per annum on the 
renter, and a gown of 13s. 4ft. value; and commands the. 
furveyors to pay the different falaries in the fchool quar¬ 
terly. When the annual accounts were audited, he al¬ 
lowed “a litell dinner ordeyned by the furveyors, not ex- 
ceedinge the pryce of fower nobles,” three days before or 
after Candlemas. The “ mafter-warden” of the mercers 
to have a noble if prefent, and the other wardens 5s. each. 
The furveyors 2I. per annum, and the fame fum if they 
rode to viiit the lands. The leafes of the lands were not 
to exceed five years. Finally, dean Colet folemnly charges 
the company of mercers to guard and promote the in- 
terefts of tife foundation for ever, to the utmofl of their 
ability, as they fear the juft vengeance of God for neglefl- 
ing them ; and to make l'uch other regulations for the go¬ 
vernance of the fchool as time and circumftances may 
render neceflary, with the advice and aftiitance of “good 
lettered and learned men.” 
Dr. Roberts, fays Malcolm, has been fo good as to in¬ 
form me, that the captain of the fchool leaves it at Eafter 
with an exhibition, which is not confined to any particu¬ 
lar college, amounting to 40I. per annum for four years, 
and 50I. for three fucceeding years. This is tenable with 
any collegiate preferment except a fellowftiip. There are 
twenty-feven exhibitions belonging to this valuable femi- 
nary. The lands and tenements given by the munificent 
founder for fupport of the fchool were of the annual 
amount of 118I.4S. 7d. The manors were in Buckingham- 
flrire, thofe of Benrich and Vach in Barton. According to 
Dr. Knight, the dean eftimated the annual expenfes of the 
fchool at 79I. 8s. 4d. and the annual overplus a1381. 16s. 3d. 
The ancient fchool was burnt down in 1666. It was 
rebuilt in 1670 by the mercers’ company, under the par¬ 
ticular direction of Robert Ware, warden of the fchool. 
It is a very handfome, though fingular, edifice. The 
middle building, in which is the fchool, is of ftone ; it 
is much lower than the ends, and has only one feries of 
windows, which are large, and raifed to a confiderable 
height from the ground. The centre is adorned with 
rultic, and on the top is a handfome pediment, in which 
are the founder’s arms placed in a fliield ; upon the apex 
Hands a figure, reprefenting Learning. Under this pedi¬ 
ment are two fquare windows, and on each fide are 
two circular windows, crowned with bulls, and the 
(paces between them are handfornely ornamented in re¬ 
lievo. Upon a level with the foot of the pediment runs, 
on either fide, a handfome balultrade, on each of which 
is placed a large buff, with a radiant crown between two 
flaming vafes. In the front of the building are written 
thefe words: Schola Catechizationis Puerorum iu 
ChRISTI OPP: MAXIMI FIDE ET BONIS LlTERIS. Tlltt 
buildings at each end are of brick, ornamented with ftone. 
They are lofty and narrow, confilting of three /lories, 
each (lory of three windows; the central windows are 
arched, and thofe on each fide rectangular. A fourth 
central window is continued above the cornice, fuppOrted 
with fcrolls; and over that a balultrade. 
5 N Uno& 
