This list may be compared with another in the Liber Scholae Colcestriensis of books left to the School by Kemp, with some later additions by other benefactors. Kemp's books are listed as:
"Cooper's Dictionary, printed at London, 1578. Minshaei Dictionar. printed at Lond. 1627 An old torn Scapula's lex. An old torn tome of Servius uppon Livy."
Scapula's Lexicon was replaced in 1660 with money given by Joseph Thurston, and later additions were Erasmus' Adagies, and a folio copy of the Bible.
Kemp was succeeded by William Dugard, who did not take up residence for several months; and in this gap appears an intruder-Mr. Prost. Prost seems to have had possession of the school house, and may have been an ambitious usher baulked of the expected mastership. Morant had a document that read :
" At the Audite daie in the Moot-hall the seacond daie of January Anno Dni. 1638. p'sent Mr Furlie Mayor and eight Aldermen and others—it was agreed that the twentie poundes (the ramainder of the fowerscore poundes received of the Duch) and remaininge in Mr Barrington's hands, shall bee paid to Mr Harrison in full paiement of those moneyes he disbursed about the puttinge out of Mr Prost from being Schoolemaster of the free Grammar-schoole of this towne. — John Furlie Mayor."
We are left to wonder how the twenty pounds had been spent. Were "those moneyes disbursed" to disreputables who hurled Mr. Prost out of the building, or was he enticed into Culver Street by the promise, or perhaps the sight, of the gold?
Dugard held the post for over five years, and improved the School in that time to a very great extent. Finding in 1637 10 scholars, by 1641 he had enrolled more than 60, and he spent his own money upon repairing the school-house. He was "a most excellent scholar," and a most conscientious schoolmaster, but he incurred the hostility of a section of the municipality (probably the Puritan) and was eventually forced to resign.
Dugard's politics are very difficult to determine, but he seems to have been a Royalist. In 1650, after leaving Colchester and becoming master of the Merchant Taylors' School, he was imprisoned for printing a defence of Charles I; yet he was a friend of Milton, and in 1647 several supporters of the Parliamentarian party, including the Earl of Manchester and Sir Harbottle Grimston, wrote to the Mayor and Corporation on Dugard's behalf. This letter, dated January 6th, 1642, five days after the attempt by Charles to arrest the five members which the writers may have witnessed, spoke of Dugard's "faithfulness and integrity," and said that he "may justly expect from the Parliament protection in all his rights and priviledges, and encouragement and maintenance from you." It was also rumoured "that a disaffected party"
