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which the Jesuits sought to work on their pupils' amour propre, such as, on the one hand, the weekly publication of offences per præconem, and, on the other, besides prizes (which could be won only by the externs), titles and badges of honour, and the like. It appears that in each class a kind of magistracy was formed, who, as prætors, censors, &c., had in some cases to try delinquents. There are,' says Jouvency, 'hundreds of expedients of this sort, all tending to sharpen. the boys' wits, to lighten the labour of the master, and to free him from the invidious and troublesome necessity of punishing.'

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The school-hours were remarkably short: two hours and a half in the morning, and the same in the afternoon; with a whole holiday a week in summer, and a half holiday in winter. The time was spent in the first form after the following manner :— During the first half-hour, the master corrected the exercises of the previous day, while the Decurions heard the lesson which had been learnt by heart. Then the master heard the piece of Latin which he had explained on the previous day. With this construing was connected a great deal of parsing, conjugating, declining, &c. The teacher then explained the piece for the following day, which, in this form, was never to exceed four lines. The last half-hour of the morning was spent in explaining grammar. This was done very slowly and carefully in the words of the Ratio Studd.: Pluribus diebus fere singula præcepta inculcanda sunt.' For the first hour of the afternoon, the master corrected exercises, and the boys learnt grammar. If there was time,

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the master put questions about the grammar he had explained in the morning. The second hour was taken up with more explanations of grammar, and the school closed with half an hour's concertation, or the master corrected the notes which the pupils had taken during the day. In the other forms, the work was very similar to this, except that Greek was added, and also in the higher classes a little mathematics.

It will be observed, from the above account, that almost all the strength of the Jesuit teaching was thrown into the study of the Latin language, which was to be used, not only for reading, but also in writing and speaking. But some amount of instruction in other subjects, especially in history and geography, was given in explaining, or rather lecturing on, the classical authors. Jouvency says that this lecture must consist of the following parts:-1st, the general meaning of the whole passage; 2nd, the explanation of each clause, both as to the meaning and construction; 3rd, any information, such as accounts of historical events, or of ancient manners and customs, which could be connected with the text; 4th, in the higher forms, applications of the rules of rhetoric and poetry; 5th, an examination of the Latinity; 6th, the inculcation of some moral lesson. This treatment of a subject he illustrates by examples. Among these is an account of a lesson for the first (i.e. lowest) class in the Fable of the Fox and the Mask:-1st, comes the argument and the explanation of words; 2nd, the grammar and parsing, as vulpes, a substantive of the third declension, &c., like proles, clades, &c. (here the master is always to give among

his examples some which the boys already know); 3rd, comes the eruditio-something about foxes, about tragedy, about the brain; and hence about other parts of the head; 4th, the Latinity, the order of the words, choice of words, synonyms, &c. Then the sentences may be parodied; other suitable substantives may be found for the adjectives, and vice versâ; and every method is to be adopted of showing the boys how to use the words they have learnt. Lastly, comes the moral.

The practical teacher will be tempted to ask, How is the attention of the class to be kept up whilst all this information is given? This the Jesuits did partly by punishing the inattentive. Every boy was subsequently required to reproduce what the teacher had said, and to show his written notes of it. But no doubt this matter of attention was found a difficulty. Jouvency tells the teachers to break off from time to time in their lectures, and to ask questions; and he adds: Variæ sunt artes excitandæ attentionis quas docebit usus et sua cuique industria suggeret.'

For private study, besides written exercises and learning by heart, the pupils were recommended subjects to get up in their own time; and in this, and also as to the length of some of the regular lessons, they were permitted to decide for themselves. Here, as everywhere, the Jesuits trusted to the sense of honour and emulation-those who did extra work were praised and rewarded.

One of the maxims of this system was: 'Repetitio mater studiorum.' Every lesson was connected with two repetitions-one before it began, of preceding

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work, and the other at the close, of the work just done. Besides this, one day a week was devoted entirely to repetition. In the three lowest classes the desire of laying a solid foundation even led to the second six months in the year being given to again going over the work of the first six months. By this means boys of extraordinary ability could pass through these forms in eighteen months, instead of three years.

on.

Thoroughness in work was the one thing insisted Sacchini says that much time should be spent in going over the more important things, which are ' veluti multorum fontes et capita;' and that the master should prefer to teach a few things perfectly, to giving indistinct impressions of many things.* We should remember, however, that there were usually no pupils in the Jesuit schools under fourteen years of age. Subjects such as grammar cannot, by any expenditure of time and trouble, be perfectly taught to children, because they cannot perfectly understand them; so that the Jesuit thoroughness is not always attainable.

The usual duration of the course in the lower schools was six years-i.e., one year in each of the four lower classes, and two years in the highest class. Every year closed with a very formal examination. Before this examination took place, the pupils had lessons in the manner of it, so that they might come prepared, not only with a knowledge of the subjects, but also of the laws of writing for examination ('scri

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* Stude potius ut pauciora clare distincteque percipiant, quam obscure atque confuse pluribus imbuantur.'

bendi ad examen leges').

The examination was

conducted by a commission appointed for the purpose, of which commission the Prefect of Studies was an ex officio member. The masters of the classes, though they were present, and could make remarks, were not of the examining body. For the vivâ voce the boys were ushered in, three at a time, before the solemn conclave. The results of the examination, both written and verbal, were joined with the records of the work done in the past year; and the names of those pupils who had distinguished themselves were then published in order of merit, but the poll was arranged alphabetically, or according to birthplace.

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As might be expected, the Jesuits were to be very careful of the moral and religious training of their pupils. Quam maxime in vitæ probitate ac bonis artibus doctrinaque proficiant ad Dei gloriam.' (Ratio Studd., quoted by Schmid.) And Sacchini tells the master to remember how honourable his office is; as it has to do, not with grammar only, but also with the science and practice of a Christian and religious life: atque eo quidem ordine ut ipsa ingenii eruditio sit expolitio morum, et humana literatura divinæ ancilletur sapientiæ.' '*

Each lesson was to begin with prayer or the sign of the Cross. The pupils were to hear Mass every

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* Sacchini writes in a very high tone on this subject. The following passage is striking: 'Gravitatem sui muneris summasque opportunitates assidue animo verset (magister).' Puerilis institutio mundi renovatio est;" hæc gymnasia Dei castra sunt, hic bonorum omnium semina latent. Video solum fundamentumque reipublicæ quod multi non videant interpositu terræ.' Perhaps he had read of Melancthon's address to a school, Hail reverend divines, learned doctors, worship ful magistrates, &c.'

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