with every verb in the language in this fashion, and yet not be able to analyse a single verb correctly.

Whatever plans are good, those which dispense with the exercise of thought must be bad. What is got without labour, is lost without regret. Mechanical learning must be injurious; and yet mechanical learning is often attended with labour. But this is not the kind of labour that we would advocate, which oppresses, not exercises the mind; to be salutary, the labour must be of a reasonable kind; it must not consist in the committing to memory of irregular rules and arbitrary exceptions; it must not consist in learning the 'go fit xi's, or the furo fit insanivi's' of Lily's or the Eton grammar; it must not demand the accurate recollection of doggrel lines, as little connected as the articles in an auctioneer's catalogue. The natural effect of such instruction (if it deserve the name at all) is to dishearten the pupil; he is dismayed at the planless patchwork which lies before him, and is disgusted at the disorder which pervades the language. He conceives that the fault is in the workmen, and not in the materials. When the ancient languages are taught in this manner, the time spent in their acquirement must be considered as wasted. No one, possessing the slightest knowledge of the matter, will deny that the benefit derived from the acquisition of them, greatly and even mainly depends on the manner in which they are acquired; and it must consequently be allowed, that the years spent in learning on the plans we have objected to, are worse than thrown away. The mind receives a distaste for knowledge generally, which will not easily be got rid of. Labour which is beneficial, on the contrary, will encourage and not dishearten, strengthen and not impair the faculties; it will be directed to discovery, arrangement, and classification, and will only be satisfied with the attainment of general principles.

EDUCATION IN KENT.
BENENDEN.

EDWARD GYBBON, Esq., of Benenden, gave lands, estimated at eighty acres, for the foundation of a grammar-school, and the maintenance of a master in this parish, in 1677. John Gybbon, Esq., in 1707, gave by will an Exchequer annuity of 147., out of the excise of beer, &c., which expired in 1791, for augmentation of the salary of the master, provided he were neither vicar, curate, nor reader here; if he should be so, the bequest was to be applied to other purposes. Edmund

Gybbon, Esq., gave a house and land, called Sarnden, in this parish, estimated at seventy-three acres, for the maintenance of an usher to the school. The feoffees, by the sale of timber, purchased a house and sixteen acres more. Reading and writing only are now taught in this school.

BIDDENDEN.

William, or John Mayne, Esq., of this parish, by a deed of feoffment in 1522, founded in it a free grammar-school, and endowed it with a school-house, garden, and certain payments out of lands in Biddenden, Tenterden, and Bethersden, of the present yearly amount of 25l. or thereabouts. The management of the school, and the appointment of the master, were vested in trustees, the visitorship being in the Archbishop of Canterbury. The master was directed to be a Master of Arts of one of the universities: but, from the inadequacy of the funds, and the condition of the population, that direction is now necessarily dispensed with, and instruction in reading and writing only is given.

CRANBROOK.

Simon Lynch, of this parish, founded by deed, in 1574, a grammar-school to be open to the sons of all the inhabitants; assigning for its maintenance and support a house and land in Cranbrook, and a farm in Horsemonden. Queen Elizabeth at the same time granted a charter of incorporation, by which the management of it was placed in thirteen trustees, resident-freeholders in the parish, the vicar being always one. The produce of the endowment is at present such as to allow the master an annual salary of 1007. He has, besides, an excellent house, capable of accommodating a considerable number of boarders. The extra charge for boys on the foundation is 15s. per quarter, classical books being provided by the trustees. The charge for boarders for instruction in the usual branches of education is fifty guineas per annum. There is at this time but one boy on the foundation; a circumstance somewhat surprising, considering the populousness of the town, the character of the master, and his known anxiety to fulfil the terms of the endowment. The Rev. D. W. Davies, M. A., is the master.

DEPTFORD.

Dr. Robert Bretton, in 1670, gave by will 2001., part of a larger sum secured on a mortgage of the lands of Richard Maddox, the interest to be paid in the public school for teaching twelve poor children grammar and writing, (to be laid out in the purchase of lands, the rents to be paid for a

salary to the masters); and if any of his four children died under age, he gave 2007. more out of the said larger sum for teaching twelve other poor children, the same to be laid out in the purchase of lands or houses; and if a second of his four children died in like manner, he appointed 1007. more of the said portion to be paid to the churchwardens, to be laid out in the purchase of rents for the schoolmaster, for teaching six other poor children. Only 4007. were received on account of these bequests; and that sum was vested in South Sea Annuities for the purposes of the will. We are unable to state any further particulars about this charity.

GOUDHURST.

John Horsemonden, of this parish, by will, in 1670, charged his real estate in Tenterden with the payment for ever of 351. per annum for the endowment of a school, for the teaching of grammar, and of the Latin language. He likewise gave a house for the residence of the master, which however is insufficient for that purpose; the rent of it, which is about 10., is received by him together with the above named salary. He is bound to instruct any children of this parish, provided the number do not exceed twenty; each boy now pays 31. per annum for such other instruction as the founder's will does not require. The specified number is not often complete. Twelve inhabitants of Goudhurst, of whom the vicar is one, are the trustees, and the management of the school is entirely vested in them.

Geoffrey Bateman, B. A., of Trinity College, Cambridge, is the master.

HAWKHURST.

Sir Thomas Dunk, by will, in 1718, gave the sum of 2000l. to be expended in the erection and endowment of a free grammar-school and six almshouses at Highgate, in Hawkhurst; the alms-houses being appointed for the reception of six decayed housekeepers, three men, and three women; the master of the school to have a stipend of 167. per annum, and the almspeople 67. each. The school and almshouses were accordingly erected, and endowed by William Richards, Esq., his executor (the surplus, after the completion of the buildings, being applied to the purchase of lands), who, for the better perfecting of the buildings and endowments, added to the original sum 600/. of his own money; and further by his will, ordered that a sum, not exceeding 250., should be laid out in the purchase of lands, the income of which should be employed to augment the stipend and pensions of the master and almspeople. In

pursuance of this bequest, George Dunk, Earl of Halifax, who married Anne, daughter and heiress of the said William Richards, in 1753, in consideration of the said 2501., and of 701. raised from the sale of timber growing on the estate previously settled upon this charity, conveyed to the trustees of it, and their successors for ever, being the minister of Hawkhurst, and ten others, a messuage and land in this parish and in Sandhurst, of the then yearly value of 177., by which means the stipend of the schoolmaster was increased to 201. per annum, and the pensions of the almspeople to 71. The present revenue is about 1307.; and the terms of the foundation are complied with. The number of boys, however, who require classical instruction in this parish is small.

LEYBORNE.

The Reverend Edward Helme, vicar of the adjoining parish of Birling, conveyed to trustees, in 1775, a piece of land in this parish, with the dwelling-house, schoolroom, and other buildings, erected upon it; and transferred 1000/. four per cent. Consols, Bank Annuities, to them for the endowment of a school for ten boys and as many girls, of the parishes of Leyborne and Ryarsh, and five from the parishes of West and East Malling, to be recommended by the churchwardens of the respective parishes, and approved by the trustees; the children to be instructed by the master of the school in reading, writing, and accounts (the boys also in Latin) and other useful learning and religious duties, according to the principles of the Church of England, until they should attain the age of fourteen years. Mr. John Price was by the deed appointed to the mastership, with an allowance of 301. per annum at the least; but, if the revenue would admit, it was to be increased to a larger sum; and, in case the scholars should be reduced to the number of fifteen, the master was to be dismissed, unless it should appear to the satisfaction of the trustees that such deficiency was not occasioned by his neglect or misbehaviour.

As often as one or more of the trustees should die, the survivors, at their next general meeting, were to appoint in his or their room. The trustees were directed to meet in Birling church on the 1st day of July in every year, to examine into the state of the school, and to make such rules and orders for the government of it as they should think proper.

LEWISHAM.

The Rev. Abraham Colfe, vicar of Lewisham, who died in 1657, by his will, dated 7th September, 1656, devised

certain estates to the Leathersellers' Company, in trust for various charitable uses, and, among others, for the foundation of a grammar-school within this parish, with exhibitions for the maintenance of some of the scholars at the universities; the oversight and government being vested in the said Company. This bequest was confirmed by Act of Parliament in the sixteenth year of King Charles II. By direction of the will, a salary of thirty pounds was to be paid yearly "to a learned scholar and exact grammarian, who is sound in the true religion, for teaching freely thirty-one youths, or male children of the laity (besides the children of the ministers incumbent,) chosen out of all the parishes of the Hundred of Blackheath," These thirty-one free scholars are to be taken from different parishes, in a proportion ordered by the will; and if any of the proper pastors and ministers incumbent of the several parishes of the Hundred of Blackheath, and also of Chiselhurst, have any sons, every one of them shall have power to send one son, yet but one only at once out of one house, to the grammar-school, to be taught freely." The master, previously to election, is to undergo an examination before the trustees, by the head masters of Westminster and Merchant Tailors' School, the deputies of the president and assistants of Sion College, and the clergy of the Hundred of Blackheath, and must be found to be "a very able and sufficient scholar to teach the Latin and Greek tongues, both in prose and verse, and also able to teach the Hebrew; and so to make every way fitting scholars to be sent to the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge." The present number of foundation scholars in this school is eighteen. The master is the Rev. J. Prendergast, who takes boarders at 50 and 40 guineas per annum, according to age*. We are informed on good authority that, under the present master, no difference is made in the instruction or treatment between the foundation scholars and those who board with the master. There is a library attached to this school, which contains some valuable books. The master has also a house and garden, with nearly an acre of ground. By the terms of the foundation there is to be, besides the master, an usher with 201. a-year.

EXHIBITIONS.

Seven exhibitions of ten pounds per annum each for seven years were founded, under the same endowment, for seven scholars, who should be judged fit, after a strict examination

* See a small pamphlet entitled "Plan and Terms of the Grammar-school, Lewisham Hill." And also Parliamentary "Reports from Committees: Education of the Lower Orders, Five Reports," 1818.

July—October, 1835.

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