We have interesting light upon general methods of class instruction as pursued in the school. The retention of the mediaval disputation, in the rational form of mutual questioning under the control of the form (class) master, was a safeguard against the prevalent fault of lecturing or dictating to the class which Erasmus so frequently ridiculed as the practice of the unskilled teacher or of the pedant parading his erudition. The construing lesson lasted as a rule for one hour, and was followed by such disputation: the pupils asked questions of each other, propounded difficulties, discussed the matter of the text and the notes given by the master. This exercise occupied half an hour. On Saturdays, in place of a set lesson at midday, disputations were arranged in which form was pitted against form. Six pupils from each brought up as many compositions in prose or in verse which had been worked in advance. These were written out in large text hand, and pinned to a screen or on the wall of the class-room: Below each line of the script was left a clear space for interlinear correction and criticism. Thus the opposers could make careful examination of each exercise, detect errors and propound improvements. This disputation lasts an hour.

Although French, as has been shown, was regularly employed for an instrument of Latin construing and composition, it was not allowed to be used in school or play-ground except by the juniors: . . . Elder boys were required to use Latin in addressing little boys, and only when not understood were they to repeat their words in French. The words of the statute of the University of Paris as revised in 1599 show that to the very end of the century the same principle was upheld in the authoritative seat of French learning. . . .

The school hours were from 8-10, 12-1, 3-5, with an extra hour twice weekly in the case of pupils reading Greek and mathematics. Sunday was, apart from one exercise for the upper forms, a whole holiday, as were certain Saints' days. On some important vigils, about fifty during the year, a half holiday was allowed. Mass was attended daily by the entire school. The school year began in September, and continued till the beginning of August.

137. Sturm's Course of Study at Strassburg

(Reconstructed from Sturm's Plan (1538), his Classical Letters (1565), and the Examinations (1578)

In 1537 Johann Sturm (1507-89) was placed at the head of the municipal Latin school, founded some years earlier by the city of Strassburg. The school had not been successful, and Sturm was given a free hand. He reorganized the school as a humanistic Latin school, omitting, however, the sports and contests of the Italian Court Schools and the English Grammar Schools; divided it into ten classes, with a teacher in charge of each; and soon

made it the most famous Latin school of its day in Europe. For forty-five years he directed this school, which he called a Gymnasium. The following was the course of study:

1. Tenth Class - Entered at the age of 7.

learned, especially names of common objects, as much like Roman children did as possible.

Much reading of simple Latin and memorizing of words and phrases. Inflection of all nouns and verbs.

3. Eighth Class-Age 9 to 10.

Special care that the boys do not forget what has been learned
in earlier classes.

Thorough grounding in each of the eight parts of speech.
Each declension and conjugation to be fully mastered.
To read Sturm's Letters of Cicero, with constant reference to
grammatical construction, and certain Latin dialogues.
Written exercises in style to replace oral drill.

4. Seventh Class-Age 10 to 1I.

Rules of Latin syntax, based on Cicero, to be well ground in.
Subjects to be assigned for exercises in style.

German Catechism to be translated into Classical Latin.
Learn the scale and intervals in music.

Read two dialogues in Sturm's printed collection, the second

book of Letters of Cicero, the precepts of Cato, the Catechism in Latin, and the "Sunday Sermons."

Written exercises in style.

Read Cicero's longer Letters; also the Andria of Terence, and selections from Æsop, Bishop Ambrose, Martial, and Horace. Written exercises to secure greater elegance in style.

Saturday and Sunday to be given to the shorter Latin catechism of Luther, and the reading of some letters of the Hieronymians.

Greek to be commenced in this class.

In music emphasis on time.

Boys now to be proficient in grammar, and to have a store of
Latin words for every-day objects.

6. Fifth Class Age 12 to 13.

Enlarge Latin vocabulary to words for unknown objects.
Meter in Latin poetry to be studied, with scanning.
Mythology to be learned.

Read Cicero's Cato and Lalis, and the Eclogues of Vergil.
Boys to complete their encyclopedias of Latin words.

Style to be still more thoroughly cultivated. Verse writing to
be begun.

Examples of eloquence for translation, and then re-translated into Latin.

Greek to be continued; vocabulary to be enlarged; simple reading.

Pauline epistles to be read.

Now to be well grounded in Greek and Latin grammar.

7. Fourth Class Age 13 to 14.

Much drill on what has been so far learned.

"Diligent practice" to be continued on style.

Read sixth oration against Verres, second book of Cicero's
Letters to Friends, part of Adelphi of Terence, and the epis-
tles and satires of Horace in Latin; in Greek, the "Book of
Examples."

Much drill on Greek grammar.

Pauline epistles to be read.

8. Third Class-Age 14 to 15.

Range of previous studies to be enlarged.

Rhetoric to be begun.

Read third book of Cicero's Letters to Friends, the Menippus of
Lucian, and the sixth book of Vergil's Æneid in Latin; in
Greek, the first book of the Iliad or the Odyssey, and the
best efforts of Demosthenes to be carefully studied.

Select orations in Greek to be translated into Latin, and vice

versa.

Change Odes of Pindar and Horace into different meter.
Comedies of Terence and Plautus to be acted.

9. Second Class-Age 15 to 16.

Literal interpretation of Greek poets and orators.
Connection between oratorical and poetic usage.

Striking passages to be copied into books for learning.
Similar work with Latin authors, with comparisons.

Daily exercises in style very important.

Rhetoric to be studied now from a text, and applied to orations of Demosthenes and Cicero.

Logic to be introduced in this class.

On Sundays, the Epistles of Saint Paul to the Romans to be
learned by heart.

Acting of plays to continue, being extended to include those of
Aristophanes, Euripides, or Sophocles.

Read the second Philippic of Demosthenes, Cicero's pleas in
behalf of Roscius Amerinus and Caius Rabirius, and the
first book of the Iliad.

Elementary work in mathematics.

10. First Class Age 16 to 17.

Logic and rhetoric to be extended, and applied to Cicero and
Demosthenes.

Readings from Vergil, Homer, Thucydides, and Sallust.

Much translation and re-translation, writing in prose and poetry, and declamation. Dramatic representations every week.

Epistles of Saint Paul to be expounded, after the manner of the old rhetoricians.

In geometry, first book of Euclid studied.

Some very elementary instruction in astronomy.

138. Colet's Statutes for Saint Paul's School, London (Statutes of 1518, the original Statutes of 1510 being permanently lost. Lupton, J. H., Life of Colet. London, 1887)

John Colet (1465-1519), an enthusiastic humanist, was made Dean of Saint Paul's Cathedral in London, in 1500, and in 1510 he re-founded the school of Saint Paul's Churchyard as a NewLearning school. In a series of Statutes, first in 1510 and again in 1518, he made detailed provision for its government and the instruction in it. The Statutes begin with the words:

John Colett, the sonne of henry Colett Dean of paules desiring nothing more thanne Educacion and bringing vpp chyldren in good Maners and litterature in the yere of our Lorde a mli fyve hundreth and twelff bylded a Scole in the Estende of paulis Church for cliij to be taught fre in the same.

From the Statutes of 1518 we quote three selections which show the care he exercised to put around the pupils the proper religious atmosphere, to prevent the instruction being wasted on poorly prepared or inattentive children, and to insure that pure Latin and Greek, and not monastic Latin, be taught. Many of his expressions are very interesting and quaint. The Statutes are also interesting as having been written in English instead of in Latin. (a) Religious Observances

There shalbe also in the Scole a preist that dayly as he can be disposed shall sing masse in the chapell of the Scole and pray for the children to prosper in good lyff and in good litterature to the honor

of God and oure Crist Jesu. At this masse whenever the bell in the scole shall knyll to sacryng thenne all the children in the scole knelyng in theyr Settes shall with lift upp handis pray in the tyme of sacrying. After the sacryng whenne the bell knilleth agayn, they shall sit downe ageyn to theyr lernyng.

This preist sum good honest and vertuouse manne shalbe chosyn fro tyme to tyme by the wardens and assistence of the Mercery, he shall also lerne or yf he be lerned helpp to teche in the scole yf it shall seme conuenient to the hye Maister or ellis not.

He shall haue no benefice with cure nor service nor no other office nor occupacion but attend allonly vpon the scole he shall teche the children the catechyzon and Instruction of the articles of the faith and the X commaundmentis in Inglish. His wages shal be viiili by the yere and lyvery gowne of xxjs viid delyured in cloth.

(b) Admission of Children

The Mayster shal reherse these artycles to them that offer theyr children, on this wyse here followynge.

If your chylde can rede & wryte latyn & englisshe sufficiently, soo that he be able to rede & wryte his owne lessons, then he shal be admytted into the scole for a scholer.