This comparative disregard to the refinements of grammar in early education, is enjoined with equal explicitness by contemporary scholars. In St. Paul's school, founded by DEAN COLET, who was not only contemporary, but familiarly intimate with ERASMUS, we find the same principle forcibly maintained. Although the very work, which is now generally received in schools under the title of the "Eton Latin Grammar," was composed by LILY, the first master of St. Paul's school, in conjunction with DEAN COLET and ERASMUS, yet the mode of administering grammar recommended by its authors was entirely different from the present practice. Whereas it is now made the starting point of all instruction, and its rules forced upon the memory, without any relief from their application, it was then considered merely an auxiliary to facilitate the progress of the student in the later stages of his course, and was very sparingly enjoined as an exercise to the novice in classic learning. The Dean has himself recorded his opinion on the relative importance of grammar to the study of the learned languages, which entirely coincides with the spirit of the directions given in the Cardinal's letter. He recommends attention to nothing more of grammar than the

mere distinction of the parts of speech, before entering on the reading of classic authors; and asserts, that the study of such authors will better familiarize the pupil with the regular forms of language, than any dry rules given at the outset in the shape of abstract principles. In the address to the masters of his school, to which we here advert, the following passages are found, relating to this subject: —

"Of these eight parts of speech, in order well "construed, be made reasons, and sentences, and long orations. But how, and in what manner, " and with what construction of words, and all the "varieties and diversities and changes in Latin

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speech (which be innumerable), if any man will

know, and by that knowledge attain to understand "Latin books, and to speak and to write clean Latin, "let him above all busily learn and read good Latin

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authors, of chosen poets and orators, and note

wisely how they wrote and spake, and study always to follow them, desiring none other rules "but their examples. For in the beginning, men

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spake not Latin because such rules were made, "but contrariwise, because men spake such Latin, upon that followed the rules and were made. "That is to say, Latin speech was before the rules,

and not the rules before the Latin speech. "Wherefore, well-beloved masters and teachers "of grammar, after the parts of speech sufficiently "known in our schools, read and expound plainly "unto your scholars good authors. And shew to "them every word, and in every sentence what they shall note and observe, warning them busily "to follow and to do like, both in writing and in

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speaking; and be to them your own self also speaking with them the pure Latin very present, " and leave the rules. For reading of good books, di

ligent information of learned masters, studious "advertence and taking heed of learners, hearing

eloquent men speak, and finally busy imitation "with tongue and pen, more availeth shortly to get the true eloquent speech, than all the tradi❝tions, rules, and precepts of masters."

Such are the injunctions given by the founder of St. Paul's school, in the preface to the very same grammar now in use, of which he was one of the original authors. It would be easy to multiply quotations from Erasmus, to show that he entirely coincided with his friend upon these points. We have however already exhibited his sentiments, as embodied in the letter of Cardinal Wolsey; and shall only make a few general extracts from his

other works. Speaking of the importance of grammar, (in his Ecclesiastes)-he explains, " when "I speak of grammar, I do not mean the inflec"tion of nouns and verbs, and the agreement of

one word with another according to its place; "but the modes of speaking correctly and properly, "which can only be acquired from multifarious "reading of the ancients, who excelled in elegance "of speech." He elsewhere refers expressly to the opinion of Colet, who "could not bear that "the standard of a good style should be taken "from the exact rules of grammar: which he "would often affirm, did rather obstruct the purity "of the language; not to be attained but by the reading of the best and purest authors."

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With regard to the propriety of a gentle and conciliatory method of instruction, Erasmus, in his tract on the Education of youth, gives his own opinion in these strong terms: "You may kill some "children before you can make them one whit "better by beating; and yet at the same time, "with good words and good usage, you may do "what you please with them. Of this temper I "own myself to have been, when a boy. And my "master, of whom I was a great favorite, because " he was pleased to have conceived great hopes of

"me, having a mind to get a thorough knowledge "of my disposition, did therefore make a trial how "I could bear a sound whipping. Upon this a "fault was cooked up, of which (God knows) I never so much as dreamed; and accordingly I "suffered the discipline of the school. Imme

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diately I lost all manner of relish to my studies; "and this usage did so damp my spirits, that it "almost broke my heart. From hence we may "see, that these illiterate butchers (to give them

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no better term) ruin many a hopeful lad. And "it is an observation, not ill-grounded, that the "most ignorant school-masters are generally the "best at this exercise."

To this principle of Erasmus, Archbishop Tillotson adverts, in approving of the well-known practice of an Athenian philosopher, who caused pictures of joyfulness to be set round his school,—" to

signify that the business of education ought to "be rendered as pleasant as may be; and that "children stand in need of all enticements and en

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couragements to learning and goodness imagin“able: for, (as one says), Metus haud diuturni magister officii.-Fear alone will not teach a man

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his duty, and hold him to it; but rather causes "a lasting disgust to both learning and virtue,