Page:Sussex archaeological collections, volume 9.djvu/215

Rh passions, a frequenter of the holy communion, possessing a genius for teaching, writing a good hand, and understanding arithmetic well: amongst other duties he was to be particularly careful of the manners and behaviour of the poor children committed to his care. To these rules were subscribed the names of John Gorman, vicar; the mark of John Kent x, Edward Sawyer, Samuel Baker, John Diplock, Ansell Day, and John Russell.

There is something very interesting in the wise and careful way in which the duties of a schoolmaster are enforced in the rules of many of our old grammar-schools. "He shall be a man," say the statutes of the school of St. Mary Overy, passed in 1614, "of a wise, sociable, and loving disposition, not hasty or furious, nor of any ill example; he shall be wise, and of good experience to discern the nature of every child, to work upon the disposition for the greatest advantage, benefit, and comfort of the child, ever proposing to clear up and put life and spirit into the capacity and memory; love, patience, diligence, gentleness, and moderate desire of praise in the scholars." And Archbishop Harsnett, in founding his school at Chigwell, in Essex, 1629, says:—"I publish the true intentions of my heart, that I more affectionately desire that the poor scholars of my schools be nurtured and disciplined in good manners, than instructed in good arts; and therefore I charge my schoolmasters, as they will answer it to God and to good men, that they bring up their scholars in the fear of God and reverence to all men."

No such happy accident as that which caused the ample foundation of the schools at Wickwar, in Gloucestershire, in 1684, had ever occurred at Mayfield. No poor boy, apprenticed, as young Hosea was, to a weaver of that place, in carrying, according to custom on a certain day in the year, a dish called whitepot to the bakers, let it fall and broke it, and, fearing to face his mistress, ran away to London, where he prospered, and, remembering his native village, founded the schools there which bear his name. No William Jones was there, who, if the traditions of Monmouth be true, left that place to become a shopboy to a London merchant in the time of James I., and by his good conduct rose first to the counting-house, and then to a partnership in the concern; and, having realized a