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interests besides his own." Only such an one can hope to revive the old spirit of the school, now demoralized by the sight of vacillation and failure.

The governors must address themselves to speedy reform, and that without respect of persons. Official thrift is wont to make a show of some trifling saving or alteration at the expense of subordinates, the better to screen the interests of superiors-to strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. This will not satisfy: much better to yield at once with a good grace what must be granted, than oblige the ratepayers to force it from their grasp, as they did the erecting of elementary schools, and the publishing of the accounts in the newspapers, in 1831. And the Press must aid. Almost all improvements in this country are forced upon the authorities by public opinion in despite of themselves. If it had not been for the Press our soldiers would be armed at this moment with the old firelock, and our regiments reported, as our grammar school is half-yearly, "in the highest state of efficiency."

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Sir, I trust that in fairness you will insert the following remarks and corrections of Mr. Ingleby's letter in your paper of the 2nd instant. The list of mathematical honours which he presents as "tolerably correct and complete" is not so. He sets down Lightfoot twice, and omits 1843, Male, 34th Wrangler, and in 1844, Yates, 10th Wrangler and fellow of his college. But, in fact, as the head master never himself teaches mathematics in the school, he is but very indirectly responsible for success or failure in them at the University degree. And as not a single school exhibition is given for them, and the time allotted to them in the school is comparatively insignificant, any honours they gain are really notwithstanding the school system, instead of being due to it; and the school therefore must be judged by its success in classics, to which the head master continually devotes himself, and which consume far the greatest portion of time, and receive all the exhibitions, which the school list for Midsummer, 1858, states as thirteen of £50 per annum each, tenable for four years, and "likely to be increased."

The following list contains much that Mr. I. omits. It is taken from the honour list issued by the present head master in 1852, and the Oxford and Cambridge calendars. It begins with the year which Mr. I. admits to have been affected by Dr. Lee's training and influence. The honours are classical only, and were gained at Cambridge, unless otherwise expressed; the year prefixed is that of the degree of the pupils gaining them :

THE REV. P. LEE'S SCHOLARS.

1844.-Third Classic. Bell Scholar. Fellow of Trinity, Lusby Oxford Scholar. Fellow of Brazenoze.

1845.-Two First Classics. Fifth Classic. Senior Bell Scholar. Fellow of Corpus College, Oxford. Fellow of Brazenoze. First Chancellor's Medal. Two Fellows of Trinity. 1847.-First Classic. Eighth Classic. Craven Scholar. First Chancellor's Medal. Fellow and Assistant Tutor of Trinity College. Fellow, Tutor, and President of St. Catherine's College. Two Lusby Oxford Scholars.

Chancellor's Medal. Two University Members'

1848.-First Classic. Battie Scholar. Prizes. Two Brown Medals. Fellow of Trinity. Fellow of St. John's, Oxford. 1849.--Fellow of All Soul's, Oxford. First Class in Classics at Oxford.

1850.-Tenth Classic.

1951.-First Classic.

Sixth Classic. First Chancellor's Medal. Fellow and Tutor of
Open Scholarship at Jesus College, Oxford. Tutor of

Trinity. Fellow of St. John's.

Jesus College, Oxford.

1852.-Eighth Classic. Two equals as Ninth Classics. Bell Scholar. First Chancellor's Medal. University Members' Prize. Two Fellows of Trinity. 1853.-Second Classic. Thirteenth Classic, and Bell Scholar.

THE REV. E. H. GIFFORD'S SCHOLARS.

1854.--Last Classic 1855.-Ninth Classic.

1856.-Eighth Classic. First Class in Classics, Oxford.

1857.-Eleventh Classic.

1858.-None.

1859.-Eleventh Classic.

The pupils of 1852 were Dr. Lee's throughout the course, except that one was for half a year, and the other two each three quarters of a year under Mr. Gifford. The pupils of 1853 were twice as long in Dr. Lee's classes as they were in Mr. Gifford's.

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The reader can now judge whether Mr. I has ". utterly refuted the assertion,” that our classical honours at the Universities have become few and poor as compared with those of former days." As to quantity there seems no doubt. As to quality, it will be observed that all five Chancellor's Medals, all five First Classics, all ten Scholarships, and all sixteen Fellowships, are confined to the earlier parts of the list.

Your obedient servant,

L.

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59

THE BLUE COAT SCHOOL.

FOUNDATION.

By Indenture, dated 6th November, 1722, between the Right Honourable William Lord Digby and others, appointed to be commissioners, supervisors, and trustees, by John late Lord Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, pursuant to an Act of Parliament, intituled, "An Act for building a parish church and parsonage house, and making a new churchyard and new parish in Birmingham, to be called the parish of St. Philip," of the first part; the Right Rev. Father in God Edward Lord Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, patron of the parish church of St. Philip, and William Higgs, clerk, rector of the parish church, of the second part; and Richard Banner, clerk, and ten others, described as inhabitants of the town of Birmingham, of the third part; reciting, that by the Act power was given to Elizabeth Phillips, and others, to convey to the supervisors and commissioners, to be appointed as therein mentioned by the late bishop, a piece of ground known by the name of the Horse Close, in trust, for building the church thereon, for setting out a cemetery, and for building a parsonage house thereupon, which conveyance had been accordingly made; and that after building the church and parsonage house, with all conveniences, and setting out a cemetery, there still remained a little piece of ground not yet made use of, which ought, or was directed by the Act, to be disposed of for the

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