the instruction of boys, you should have the method and plan of teaching principally necessary for this tender age. It will now in turn be your part, who are masters in our new school, here to exercise the boys with diligence in the rudiments of education; that as well in elegance of literature, as in purity of morals, they may advance in due order to higher views. And if you strive after this object as carefully as we shall exhibit the plan before your eyes, you will not only now, while we earnestly favour your pursuits, lay us under obligation to yourselves; but you will absolutely make us survive on happy terms with all posterity. Farewell.

From our own palace, Sept.1. A.D. 1528.

In what order boys, admitted into our Academy, should be taught, and what authors should be lessoned to them.

METHOD FOR THE FIRST CLASS.

In the first place, it has been not improperly resolved

docendi, apprimè huic pubi necessariam, omni nostra cura, studio, diligentia, ut haberetis, curavimus. Vestræ partes erunt nunc vicissim, qui huic novæ scholæ nostræ præceptores estis, hic rudimentis ac docendi ratione diligenter exercere hos pueros: deinceps cum elegantissima literatura, tum optimis moribus ad majora profecturos. Ad quod si pari cura enitimini, atque nos ad oculum vobis commonstraturi sumus, nos non tam vobis vestro studio impense faventes jam demerebimini, quam plane apud posteros felices reddideritis. Bene valete. Ex ædibus nostris, anno Domini millesimo quingentesimo vigesimo octavo, calend. Septembris.

Quo ordine pueri, in nostrum gymnasium admissi, docendi sint; quique authores iisdem prælegendi.

PRIME CLASSIS METHODUS.

Principio, scholam hanc nostram in classes octo partiendam esse non

that our school be divided into eight Classes. The first of these is to contain the less forward boys; who should be diligently exercised in the eight parts of speech; and whose now flexible accent it should be your chief concern to form; making them repeat the elements assigned them, with the most distinct and delicate pronunciation : since raw material may be wrought to any shape whatever; and according to the hint of Horace,

"The odours of the wine, that first shall stain

The virgin vessel, it will long retain ;"

on which account it were least proper to deprive this time of life of your due care.

FOR THE SECOND CLASS.

NEXT in order, after pupils of this age have made satisfactory progress in the first rudiments, we would wish them to be called into the second form, to practise speaking Latin, and to render into Latin some English proposition; which should not be without point or per

incongruè placuit. Quarum prima pueros rudiores in octo orationis partibus diligenter exercendos contineat. Quorum os tenerum formare præcipua cura vobis sit: utpote qui et apertissima et elegantissima vocis pronunciatione, tradita elementa proferant : siquidem rudem materiam licet ad quodvis effingere; et Horatio monente, Quo semel est imbuta recens servabit odorem testa diu.

hanc ætatem justa vestra cura defraudare minime par est.

SECUNDE CLASSIS.

Quamobrem

Deindè, postquam ætas hæc satis feliciter illis primis rudimentis adulta profecerit, eam in secundum ordinem vocari velimus, ad usum loquendi Latinè, et ad vertendum in Latinum aliquod propositum vulgare non insulsum neque ineptum; sed quod argutam aliquam

tinence; but should contain some piquant or beautiful sentiment, sufficiently suitable to the capacity of boys. As soon as this is rendered, it should be set down in Roman characters; and you will daily pay attention, that each of the whole party have this note-book perfectly correct, and written as fairly as possible with his own hand.

Should you think proper that, besides the rudiments, some author should be given at this tender age; ; it may be either Lily's Carmen Monitorium, or Cato's Precepts; of course with a view of forming the accent.

FOR THE THIRD CLASS.

Of authors, who mainly conduce to form a familiar style, pure, terse, and polished, who is more humorous than Esop? Who more useful than Terence? Both of whom, from the very nature of their subjects, are not without attraction to the age of youth.

aut venustam habeat sententiam, quæ ab ingenio puerili non nimium abhorreat. Quod simul ac versum fuerit, quam mox characteribus Romanis mandari oportebit: dabitisque operam quotidie, ut libellos quam emendatissimos, quamque elegantissimè sua quisque manu scriptos habeat universus grex.

Si authorem aliquem præter rudimenta, adhibendum tenellæ pubi censueritis, id erit vel Lilii Carmen Monitorium; vel præcepta Catonis; nimirum formandi oris gratia.

TERTIE CLASSIS.

Ex authoribus, qui ad quotidianum sermonem purum, tersum, elimatum, magnoperè conducunt, quis facetior, quam Æsopus? aut quam Ter. utilior? Uterque vel ipso argumenti genere adolescen

tiæ non injucundus.

Furthermore, we should not disapprove of your subjoining, for this form, the little book composed by Lily on the genders of nouns.

FOR THE FOURTH CLASS.

AGAIN; when you exercise the soldiership of the fourth class, what general would you rather have than Virgil himself, the prince of all poets? Whose majesty of verse, it were worth while, should be pronounced with due intonation of voice.

Lily will furnish the
But although I con-

As well adapted to this form, past tenses and supines of verbs. fess such things are necessary, yet, as far as possible, we could wish them so appointed, as not to occupy the more valuable part of the day.

FOR THE FIFTH CLASS.

AND now at length you wish to know what plan of

Rursum, huic ordini de nominum generibus libellum quem Lilius conscripserat, si adjunxeritis, non improbaverimus.

QUARTE CLASSIS.

Præterea, cum quartæ classis militiam exercebitis, quem ducem malitis, quam ipsum Virgilium, omnium poetarum principem, vobis dari? Cujus majestatem carminis, voce bene sonora, efferendam esse operæ pretium fuerit.

Verborum præterita et supina huic ordini convenientia commodabit Lilius. Verum ut hujusmodi fateor necessaria, ita velimus tamen tradi, quoad fieri possit, ut potiorem diei partem non occupent.

QUINTE CLASSIS.

Nunc demum video vos cupere, quam docendi rationem hic præ

teaching we should here prescribe. Your wish shall be indulged. One point that we think proper to be noticed, as of first importance, is, that the tender age of youth be never urged with severe blows, or harsh threats, or indeed with any sort of tyranny. For by this injurious treatment all sprightliness of genius either is destroyed, or is at any rate considerably damped.

With regard to what this form should be taught, your principal concern will be, to lesson them in some select epistles of Cicero; as none other seem to us more easy in their style, or more productive of rich copiousness of language.

FOR THE SIXTH CLASS.

MOREOVER, the sixth form seems to require some history, either that of Sallust, or Cæsar's Commentaries. To these might not improperly be added Lily's Syntax; verbs defective and irregular, in short any you may

cipiamus. Agite, mos geratur vobis. In primis hoc unum admonendum censuerimus, ut neque plagis severioribus, neque voltuosis minis, aut ulla tyrannidis specie, tenera pubes afficiatur. Hac enim injuria ingenii alacritas aut extingui, aut magna ex parte obtundi solet.

Huic ordini, quod doceatur, præcipuum erit, ut aliquot selectas Ciceronis epistolas prælegatis: quibus sane nullæ aliæ videntur nobis ad divitem sermonis copiam parandam, neque faciliores, neque

uberiores.

SEXTE CLASSIS.

Porro, sextus ordo historiam aliquam, vel Sallustii, aut Commentariorum Cæsaris, postulare videtur. Quibus syntaxim Lilii non