"and (to use Erasmus's words), Virtutem simul "odisse et nôsse."-In fact, the great object of Erasmus was to combine pleasure with profit in the education of boys, and according to some anecdotes given in his work "De Pueris institu"endis," he goes so far as to recommend that they should play and learn at the same time.*

This course is distinctly prescribed in the letter of Cardinal Wolsey, and is evidently adopted from the directions of this eminent scholar, who took a particular interest in furnishing details of instruction for the school which his friend Colet had founded. But besides the evidence we have from the writings of Erasmus (particularly his letters to Dean Colet), whence whole sentences are transferred to that address, we find that a friendly correspondence and communication of assistance then subsisted between the founders of St. Paul's and Ipswich schools, though Colet died about nine years before the date of that letter. The division of the boys into eight classes was derived from the regulations of the school in London: and most of the other prescribed forms at Ipswich bore

* This direction appears perfectly conformable to the original intention of schools; for ludus or play, is the very term used by the Romans for "school," and the Greek σxon, whence our own word is translated, signifies ease or leisure.

great affinity to this same model. It is stated in Knight's Life of Dean Colet, that "the great Car"dinal Wolsey, when he had founded a school in "his native town of Ipswich, and was to recom"mend some little system of grammatical rules to "it, did Dean Colet and himself the honour to reprint those Rudiments of Colet, for the use of Ipswich, as well as Paul's school, and prefixed

an epistle dated at Westminster, 1 Sept. 1528. "The title page of which book runs thus: Rudi"menta grammatices, et docendi methodus, non "tam scolæ Gypswichiana per Reverend. D. "Thomam Cardinalem Ebor. feliciter institutæ, 66 quam omnibus aliis totius Anglia scolis præscripta.

"Antw. 1534."

note:

To this paragraph is subjoined the following "No one of our writers had a true notion "of Cardinal Wolsey's building on this first foun"dation of the Grammar Rudiments of Colet, till "the excellent author of Reflections upon Learn

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ing, (printed at Lond. 1699) who has rightly ob"served. 'In our times the common grammar [now the Eton], that goes under the name of M. Lilye, was done by some of the most considerable "men of the age; the English Rudiments by Dr. "Colet, dean of Paul's, with a preface to the first

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editions, directing its use, by no less a man than

"Cardinal Wolsey. The most rational part, the

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Syntax, was writ or corrected by Erasmus; and "the other parts by other hands: so that though "Mr. Lilye now bears the name, which, while

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living, he always modestly refused, yet it was

carried on by the joint endeavours of several "learned men, and he perhaps had not the largest "share in that work.'

We have given thus at large the foregoing quotations from the founders of our public schools, not only to show that there existed among them the strictest uniformity of sentiment on the subject of education, but also to demonstrate that the present system of school discipline, which is pretended to be derived from remote antiquity, is directly contrary to the spirit and the letter of original enactment. If the antiquity of corruption was admitted as a recommendation, the arguments in favor of this corrupt system would indeed be considerably strengthened: for there is every reason to believe that the plan of instruction prescribed by these great authorities, began to be infringed very soon after its promulgation. Considering the too general tendency in human nature to avoid all personal trouble which does not involve certain worldly advantages, either immediate or remote, we must acknowledge it a subject rather

of regret than of surprise, that school-masters should shrink from the laborious duties imposed by the injunctions of their patrons. We can scarcely wonder that the Tutor of extensive attainments, should feel insuperable disgust to the office of "lessoning" each Latin book again and again to the class, till every boy perfectly remembered its meaning; to which monotonous occupation might fairly be applied the expression of Erasmus himself, concerning another scholastic imposition which he calls" the going round as it were in a "mill with sweat and noise." We can scarcely wonder that the fastidious Scholar, as well as the ignorant pretender to learning, should gladly seize the opportunity which the circulation of Dictionaries afforded, of relieving himself from his former drudgery. Hence was early introduced the plan of devolving all the toil and difficulty of learning on the pupil, and merely reserving the part of examination for the master; which distribution of functions is still recognized in our schools, and can scarcely be expected to be altered for the better, unless by the compromise of a middle course for relief of both parties. We might perhaps presume on the early introduction of this method from the boasted antiquity of the custom, but we have specific testimony to the existence of

such abuses in grammar schools, not many years after the date of the institutions above noticed, as recognized by government; and the complaint has been forcibly reiterated down to the present time by men well able to estimate its justice.

For two centuries past the necessity of a change in the accustomed method of school instruction has been strongly felt and insisted upon by various learned men; and alterations have from time to time been proposed, which, had they been adopted, would have greatly tended to counteract its disadvantages. But no complete system professing to lay a firm foundation, and conduct the learner directly to the highest degree of attainment, has ever been brought forward, with sufficient minuteness of detail, if we except those of ASCHAM, MILTON, and LOCKE. The views of these eminent men were taken at different periods, and therefore might scarcely be expected to embrace the same objects: - nevertheless they generally coincide, and may always easily be reconciled. Each notices the evils most prevalent in his time, and endeavours to guard against them, while he lays down rules for the advancement of school learning. But as no one succeeded in removing those evils, they were still found when the last

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