Page:VCH Rutland 1.djvu/325

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SCHOOLS He Recovered bought and procured the oldc hos- pitalle of William Dalby in Okeham and caused it to be renewed established and confirmed which before was found to be Confiscate and consealed wherein divers poore people bee releeved. He was also beneficiall to the towne of Northluffen- ham And also to the towne of Stamford where he was borne of worshipfull parentes. It is the grace of god to give a man a wise harte to laie up his treisure in heaven. Theis be good fruites and effectes of a Justifieing faith and of a trew profession of religion And a good example to all others to be benefactors to theise and suche like good workes That so they maie glorifie god and leave a blessed remembrance behinde them To the comfort and profile of all posteritie. All the glorie honor praise and thanckes be unto god for evermore amen. Sic luceat lux vestra. Let youre light so shine. Archdeacon Johnson's ideas with regard to the scope of a liberal education may be gathered from the curriculum which he provided for his own son. He was — in his young yeres brought up carefully and chargeably by his father, for his Latine, Greek and Hebrew, by choice schoolmasters, from time to time, that he was able to understand this last, and make a short Hebrew speech, and hath readd over the whole Bible in Hebrew, and understood it reasonably well, but was well able both to understand and write and speak the Latine perfectly, and in choice phrase, and with variety ; and to understand and write Greek and to speak it too prettily, and hath read over the Greek Testament very many times reading therein daily. Also he had a speciall good instructor that taught him the Frenche, Italian, and Spanish languages, read- ing many severall authors in each tongue, that he could understand and write and speak everyone of them. He was also trained up in Rhetorick, and in Logick, and in Arithmetick and Geometry and Natu- rall Philosophy, and in Musick both to play and sing. And had one of the best writing Mrs that those times had, or he thinks any since, for teaching, who taught him to write faire the secretary, romaine, court hand, or chancery hand, text hand, bastard hand, all these both in the small letters and the great or capitall. Also he learned to write fairly the Greek and Hebrew, so as when he was about 13, his father having him to his honoured friend Sir Walter Mildmayes, to Apethorpe, who examined him in his Latin, and took delight to hear how elegantly and Ciceronian-like he could vary phrases and sentences ; and his father desiring his honour his said sonne might have his leave to be of his coUedge, namely Emmanuel, which he had built then lately : ' Yes, Mr. Johnson,' said he, ' I give you leave, and I give you thanks that you will grace my colledge with so well profited and towardly a young student.' And so about 1 3 years of age, or something better, he was of the said Emmanuel Col- ledge under an excellent tutor, Mr. Gilby, in the famous University of Cambridge ; and after some four years spent sometime there and sometime at home. as his father thought good to dispose of him, he be- came a gentleman of . . . that honorable society of Lmcolnes Inne, and studied the law for many years together.'* Truly a scheme Miltonian in comprehensiveness, and, in the aims of its language-teaching, worthy of the most direct of modern methods. The privilege of making statutes for the schools and hospitals granted to the founder by the foundation charter was not exercised by him until 7 June 1625, not two months before his death. Then he drew up in Latin a compre- hensive scheme for the management of the foundation in nine chapters, headed respectively, ' Of the Governors,' « Of the schoolmasters,' ' Of the ushers,' Of the poor people,' ' Of the scho- lars,' ' Of the receiver,' ' Of letting the land,' ' Of the treasury,' ' Of accompts.' The original of these statutes has disappeared ; we have to depend on a transcript contained in an ancient register of the foundation." The first chapter repeats and confirms the provisions contained in the letters patent with regard to the constitution of the governing body. It also states that only two of the original 17 elective governors were still living, and nominates 1 5 others, among them ' John Clarke, my school- master of Uppingham,' and 'Jeremy Whitaker, my schoolmaster of Oakham,' for appointment by the survivors — an indication that the direc- tions in the foundation charter with regard to such vacancies had not been observed. The founder also ordains that — after my decease my right heir male from time to time, if he be of full age when his next ancestor died, and that there be a governorship void, shall be then actually a governor . . . and shall then be nominated, chosen and confirmed one by the governors. For the future, in case of vacancy among the elective governors, the governors are instructed to — choose either a knight, esquire or gentleman, well known and reputed of by them who dwell in the diocese of Peterborough, or some minister whom they know to be a learned and pious man, a Master of Arts at least, and a parson or vicar within the diocese of Peterborough, in Rutland, or of my schoolmasters of Oakham and Uppingham. The schoolmasters are to be honest and dis- creet men. Masters of Arts, and diligent in their place, ' painful in the educating of children in good learning and religion, such as can make a Greek and Latin verse.' In case of neglect of '" Abraham Johnson's MS. Account. Although the statement is part of a piece of special pleading, it may be accepted with regard to the scope and aim of the education. " The English version of the statutes is given at length in Carlisle, End. Gram. Schools, ii, 3 2 3-3 2, and in C. R. Bingham, Our Founder, Appendix. 65 34