tirely eclipsed his fame as a schoolmaster, and which was to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries what Donatus had been to the Middle Ages. For this book Colet wrote the following Introduction:

I haue... made this lytel boke, not thynkynge that I coude say ony thynge beter than hath be sayd before, but I toke this besynes, hauynge grete pleasure to shewe the testymony of my good mynde vnto the schole. In whiche lytel warke yf ony newe thynges be of me, it is alonely that I haue put tese partes in a more clere ordre, and haue made them a lytel more easy to yonge wyttes than (methynketh) they were before. . . . Wherfore I praye you, all lytel babys, all lytel chyldren, lerne gladly this lytel treatyse, and commende it dylygently vnto your memoryes. Trustynge of this begynnynge that ye shal procede and growe to parfyt lyterature, and come at the last to be gret clarkes. And lyfte vp your lytel whyte handes for me, whiche prayeth for you to god. To whom be al honour and imperyal maieste and glory. Amen.

141. Foundation Bequest for Sevenoaks Grammar School (Will of William Sevenoaks; trans. by A. F. Leach, Educational Charters, p. 399. Cambridge, 1911)

The following bequest, under date of July 4, 1432, to provide for a grammar-school master who should be "by no means in holy orders," but be in connection with a parish church, is a type of a number of similar foundations for grammar schools made in England between 1200 and 1500. This foundation is particularly interesting as showing an effort to provide a school that should be taught by a university-trained teacher, instead of by a cleric.

In God's name, Amen.

Whereas among other works of piety which flow from the fountain of charity to think upon the needy and poor is before all called blessed: led by this consideration, I, William Sevenoaks, citizen and grocer of London, being of good understanding and perfect memory, on the fourth day of the month of July A.D. 1432, and in the year of the reign of King Henry the Sixth after the Conquest, the tenth, concerning all my lands and tenements with a wharf adjoining, and the buildings built thereon and all other the appurtances which I lately have had by the demise and feoffment of Margaret, who was the wife of Robert Walton, in Petty Wales street in the parish of All Saints Barking church, near the tower of London, do frame make and ordain my present testament in this manner.

First, I bequeath and commend my soul to God Almighty, my Crea

tor and saviour, to the Blessed Virgin Mary his mother and all saints, and my body to be buried where God has arranged.

Also, I give and bequeath all my aforesaid lands and tenements with a wharf adjoining and with the buildings thereon built, and all other the appurtances, unto Mr John Charlton, Rector of Sevenoaks church in the county of Kent, to Master Vicar of the same church, and to the church-wardens of the same church and to other parishioners of that church, To Have and to Hold to them and their successors the Parsons, Vicars, Church-wardens, and Parishioners of the said Church hereafter for the time being all the said lands, tenements (etc.) of the chief Lord of the fees thereof by the services thereof due and of right accustomed, for ever; after the manner and form and under the conditions hereafter expressed, that is to say:

First, (to pay an annuity of 20 marks to Margaret Walton for life, and after her death) do find and maintain forever one Master, an honest man, sufficiently advanced and expert in the science of grammar, B.A., by no means in holy orders, to keep a Grammar School in some convenient house within the said town of Sevenoaks with my goods, having obtained the license of the King or by other lawful means according to the discretion of my executors, and to teach and instruct all poor boys whatsoever coming there for the sake of learning, taking nothing of them or their parents or friends for the teaching and instructing them. For I will that the said rector (etc.) and their successors for the time being out of the issues and revenues of all the lands and tenements aforesaid with their appurtances, do pay yearly to the aforesaid Master of Grammer by way of salary or stipend for his service and labour to be done and exercised as aforesaid, 10 marks sterling at the four principal terms of the year by equal portions. Moreover I will and order that if any, and as often as it happens that any such master or teacher in grammar decease, depart or for the least time voluntarily cease from such determination, that then within at least the next quarter following another such master, if any such can conveniently be found, be newly elected and chosen by the said rector or vicar, wardens and parishioners and their successors to inhabit and keep school and determine in the same house in ways, manner and form aforesaid.

142. Foundation Bequest for a Chantry Grammar School (Document executed by John Percyvall, January 25, 1503. Reproduced by A. F. Leach, Educational Charters, p. 436. Cambridge, 1911) This document established a combined chantry and grammar school, instead of the usual elementary song-chantry, and is typical of many earlier as well as later medieval foundations for the founding of an advanced type of school.

Foundation of Free Grammar School by ex-Lord Mayor
25 Jan. 1503

To all people to whome this present writyng indented shall come, John Percyvall, Knyght and late Maire of the city of London, sendith Gretyng in our Lord God euerlastyng.

Where afore this tyme I, consideryng that in the countie of Chester, and specially aboute the towne of Maxfeld, fast by the which Towne I was borne, God of his habundant grace hath sent and daily sendeth to the Inhabitaunts there copyous plentie of children, to whose lernyng and bryngyng forth in conyng and vertue right fewe Techers and Scolemaisters ben in that contre, wherebye many children for lake of such techyng and draught in conyng fall to Idleness, and so consequently live disolutely all their dayes, whiche cause with the graciouse mocion of the most Reverende ffader in God and my singler good Lord Thomas, Archebyshop of Yorke, hath moch stered me of such litle good as God of his grace hath me sent to purvay a preist to syng and pray for me and my freends at Maxfeld aforesaid And there to kepe a Free Gramer Scole for children for euermore.

...

Wherefore and whereupon I, the said John Percyvall, by this present

(After a woodcut printed in De Heteroclytis Nominibus. London, 1521)

wrytyng indented, make and declare my wille, as to the disposicion of all the said londs and tenements, as well as x marcs by yere redy purveied as of the said other yerely v marcs, that is to wete of the said hole x li by yere in the maner and fourme hereafter ensuyng, that is to say

the same londs and tenements by good and adequate conveyaunce shall be put in ffeoffement to [17 persons named].

To th' entent that they and their heirs of the issues and profects of all the said londes and tenements shall fynde and susteyne a vertues Preest conyng in Gramer and graduate. The same preest to synge and saye his deuyne seruice dayly, as his disposicion shall be, in the parisshe

churche of Maxfeld aforesaid, praying for my soule and for the soule of Dame Thomasyn my wyf, the soulles also of our Faders Moders benefactors and the soule of Richard Sutton, gentilman, for the good and holsome counsell which he hath given me to the perfourmance of this my will, and for all Cristen soules.

And I woll that the said Preest shall alwey kepe and contynew in the said Town of Maxfeld a Fre Gramer Scole techyng there Gentilmens Sonnes and other godemennes children of the Towne and contre theareabouts, wherby they shall more grow in conyng and vertue to the laude and praise of Almyghtie God and to their owne confort and profett. And I woll that the said Preest and his scolers with him every evynyng upon feryall or wurchyng dayes shall synge afore some Image of Our Lady in the said Chirch an antempne of our Blessed Lady, and after antempne doon to say the psalm of De profundis with the colletts for my soule and other souls aforesaid. And I woll that the said Preest daily in his Masse after his first lavatory at the South ende of the awter shall turn him aboute to the people and there say the psalm of the De profundis with the Colletts for my soule and other souls aforesaid.

And that the same preest with his scolers euery yere aboute such tyme of the yere as it shall hap me to decease shall holde and kepe in the circh of Maxfeld aforsaid myn obyte or annyuersary by note, that is to say, Placebo and Dirige on nyght and Masse of Requyem on the morow folowyng praiyng for my soule and other souls above reherced.

Also I woll that the said Preest shall well ouersee the said scolers and cause theym euery hold day to be at the said chirche there at the tyme of Mateyns, Masse and Evensong, there helpyng to syng and to say their seruices wele and vertuously without jangling or talking or other idell occupacion.

And I woll that the said Preest shall alway be chosen elect and admitted to the same seruice by my feoffees [etc.] and the so chosen and admytted to contynue in the same seruice as long as he shall be of good and vertuous disposicion and duely kepe his seruice and Gramer Scole as is aforesaid.

[Power to remove him at a quarter's notice, except 'my kynnesman Maister William Bridgys,' who is to hold 'without any expulsion or ammovyng from the same."]

And I woll that all the residue and surplusage of the said yerely £10 above the reparacions of the same londs and tenements and other ordinary and casuall charges of the same And ouer the said yerely 6s. 8d. for the wages of the rent-gaderer shall alwey goo and remayne to the said preest for his yerely salary and wages. . .

In witnesse of which premyssis to either parte of this my Will endented I have put my seale, Writen the xxv day of January, the yere of Our Lord God m1 fyve hundreth and two, and the xviijth yere of the reigne of King Henry the vijth.

143. English City Grammar-School Foundations

(Boys, William, History of Sandwich, p. 199. Canterbury, 1892) After the reformed grammar-school idea had taken root in England, and the humanistic type of secondary school, with its emphasis on pure Latin grammar and speech, religion, manners,

and play, with some Greek, had become the established type, a few such schools were founded or aided by the cities. The following selection from the Records of the Corporation of Sandwich, England, describes the foundation of such a school, in 1579, and forms an interesting precedent for the later New England town action in founding town grammar schools.

21st may 5th. Elizabeth. It was moved by the maior what a godly acte and worthie of memorye yt shuld be to make and fownd a free schoole within the towne for the godly educacion of children in the knowledge and feare of God, and