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;

Quique Scholam struxit celebrem cognomine
JESU.

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.

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.

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;

Mente
Velis,
Possis,
Adsis,
hac Lege recludor.

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.

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:

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.

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.

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.

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