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Schools. St. Paul's School. | 164 |
Schools. St. Paul's School.
said City. This School was founded, and a Master for it provided at the Year
1509, for
one Hundred Fifty three Children to be taught freely; the Dean perhaps in that
precise
Number, having his Mind upon the like Number of great Fishes caught by St.
Peter, in
that miraculous Draught, upon the Direction that Christ gave to cast down the
Net on
the right side of the Ship, John xxi. 11. And such was his generous and liberal
Mind,
that he settled his whole Patrimony upon it in his Lifetime. The School House
is large
and spacious, fronting the Street on the East of St. Pauls Cathedral. It
consisteth of
Eight Classes or Forms; in the first whereof Children learn their Rudiments; and
so
according to their Proficiency are advanced unto the other Forms till they rise
to the
Eighth. Whence, being commonly made perfect Grammarians, good Orators and
Poets, well instructed in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and sometimes in other
Oriental
Languages, they remove to the Universities; and many of them enjoy Exhibitions,
some
of Ten Pounds a Year for Seven Years (if they tarry so long) towards their
Maintenance
there. The School is governed and taught by two Masters, viz. an High Master,
and a
Surmaster, and a Chaplain: Whose customary Office was to read the Latin Prayers
in
the School (framed for the peculiar use thereof) and to instruct the Children of
the two
first Forms in the Elements of the Latin Tongue, and also in the Catechism and
Christian Manners; for which there is a Room called the Vestibulum, being the
Anti-
room to the School, where the Youth are to be initiated into the Grounds and
Principles
of Christian Knowledge, as a good and proper Introduction into other Human
Learning. The pious Founder dedicated this his School to the Child JESUS, (who
sat
among the Doctors at Twelve Years old) as the great and compassionate Patron of
the
Children here to be educated. This, Part of the Founders Epitaph shews;
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Quique Scholam struxit celebrem cognomine
JESU.
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so that the true Name of this School is Jesus School, rather than Pauls School;
but the
Saint hath robbed his Master of his Title.
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The Founder delighted in Inscriptions and Mottoes, which he appointed to be set
up in
several Parts and Places of the School, as short and pithy Intimations of his
Mind and
Intentions, which were all there remaining before the great Fire. Over the
Windows on
the Outside toward the Street were these Words ingraven in great Capital Letters
SCHOLA CATECHIZATIONIS PUERORUM IN CHISTI OPT. MAX. FIDE ET
BONIS LITERIS. Over the School Door, INGREDERE UT
PROFICIAS. Upon each
Window on the Inside were to be read these Words painted on the Glass, AUT DOCE,
AUT DISCE, AUT DISCEDE, suggesting both to Scholar and Teacher their
Duty or
Doom; which I remember the upper Master, in my Time, used often to inculcate
upon
such Scholars, as were idle and negligent: Either Learn or be gone.
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Inscriptions upon the School.
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In the Vestibulum, which was the Antichamber to the School Room, was this
Inscription in Capitals upon the Wall, shewing for what End and Purpose this
Apartment was intended. HOC VESTIBULO CATECHIZENTUR PUERI
IN FIDE,
MORIBUSQUE CHRISTIANIS, NEQUE NON PRIMIS GRAMMATICES
RUDIMENTIS INSTITUANTUR, PRIUSQUAM AD PROXIMAM HUJUS
SCHOLæ CLASSEM ADMITTANTUR. In another Place of this Vestibulum
was Ingraven, PUERITIæ CHRISTIANæ JOH. COLLET.
DEC. Scti.
PAULI HANC SCHOLAM POSUIT: Denoting how qualified, (viz. with Christian
Knowledge and
Manners) it was the Founders Will those should be, that were to be Scholars
here.
Over the Door entring out of the Vestibulum into the School Room this Verse;
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The Vestibulum.
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Mente
Velis,
Possis,
Adsis,
hac Lege recludor.
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In the School Room over the Door was this Inscription PUERI
IN HAC SCHOLA
GRATIS ERUDIENDI C. L. III. TANTUM, AD NUMERUM SEDIUM. Underneath
which, since the rebuilding of the School by the Mercers, for ever grateful
Remembrance, were these Lines added, composed, I conjecture, by Mr. Crumleholm,
then the worthy Master.
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The School Room.
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Quod Faustum sit et Felix.
Ad seræ Posteritatis imitationem, æternitatem Famæ suæ;
Post luctuosam Urbis Londinensis deflagrationem M Dc Lxvi, amplissima
MERCERORUM Societas Fidem Fundatori MAKAPITHTO,
datam sanctissimè per solvens, Scholam hanc de integro
extruendam
instaurandamque, curavit: Perfecitq; Dno. RICHARDO FORD Equite, Urbis
Præfecto, Custode vero, totiusq; Negotii assiduo diligentissimoq;
Procuratore,
Dno. ROBERT WARE.
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Dignos laude Viros Musa vetat mori.
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At the upper end of the School, facing to the Door, was a decent Cathedra, or
Chair
placed, somewhat advanced, for the high Master to sit in, when he pleased, and
to teach
and dictate there. And over it was a lively Effigies, (and of exquisite Art) of
the Head
of Dr. Colet, cut (as it seemed) either in Stone or Wood; and over the Head in
Capitals,
DEO OPT. MAX. TRINO ET UNI JOHANNES COLETUS DEC. Scti. PAULI
LONDIN. HANC SCHOLAM POSUIT.
On which Figure an excellent Poet, and
once
a Scholar of this School, made these Verses:
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Eloquio juvenes ubi Lillius ille polivit,
In Statuâ spiras, magne Colete, tuâ.
Quam si Praxiteles fecisset magnus, & ille
Forsitan æquâsset, non superâsset opus.
Hac Sâlva Statuâ, divina Forma Coleti
Temporibus longis non peritura; manet.
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But this Figure was destroyed with the School in the great Fire; yet was
aftewards
found in the Rubbish by a curious Man, and Searcher into the City Antiquities,
who
observed (and so told me) that it was Cast and Hollow, by a curious Art now
lost.
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Mr. Bagford.
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From this School I was sent to Cambridge, having had my Education there, by the
good Providence of God, for near the Space of six Years. And therefore it will
be
pardoned to my publick Gratitude to that Place, if I insist a little longer in
my
Declaration of the first founding of it, and of Matters relating thereunto; as,
of the Laws
and Institution of it, made by the Founder; of the School-Masters that have been
set
over it by the Mercers, to whom the Care of it is committed, of some of the
eminent
Persons bred up in it. And lastly, Of the Benefactors, beside the first
Founder.
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Some further Account of this School.
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As soon as Colet had built his School, he provided a Book for his young
Scholars:
Which he called, An Introduction of the Parts of Speaking for Children and young
Beginners, into Latin Speech. Which is the Ground and first Draught of that
Book we
now commonly call The Accidence. By this Introduction he put the first
Rudiments
into
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Colet makes a Book for his School.
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The Stuart London Project, Humanities Research Institute, The University of Sheffield,
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