IN the reigne of King Stephen, FamonsI.e., Famous ſchooles of Philoſophy by priviledge in London. and of Henry the ſecond, (ſaith Fitzſtephen) there were in London 3. principal Churches, which had famous Schooles, either by priviledge and ancient dignitie, or by fauour of ſome particular perſons, as of Doctors, which were accounted notable and renowned, for knowledge in Philoſophie. And there were other inferior Schools alſo.

Vpon Feſtivall dayes,Solemne meetings and diſputing of ſcholars Logically and demonſtratively. the Maſters made ſolemne meetings in the Churches, where their Schollers diſputed Logically and demonſtratively: ſome bringing Enthimems, other, perfect Syllogiſmes: some diſputed for ſhew; others to trace out the truth; and cunning Sophiſters were brave ſcholars, when they flowed with words. Others uſed fallacies: Rhetoricians ſpake aptly to perswade, observing the precepts of Art, and omitting nothing that might ſerve their purpoſe. The Boyes of divers Schooles did cap or pot verſes, and contended of the principles of Grammar.

There were ſome,Grammar ſchooles & ſcholers their exerciſes. which (on the other ſide) with Epigrams and Rimes, nipping and quipping their fellowes, and the faults of others, though ſuppreſſing their names, moved thereby much laughter among their Auditors.

Hitherto Fitzſtephen, for ſchooles and ſcholars, and for their exerciſe in the Citie in his dayes,: ſithence the which time, as to me it ſeemeth, by increaſe of Colledges of ſtudents in the Vniverſities of Oxford and Cambridge, the frequenting of ſchooles, and exerciſes of ſcholars in the Citie, as had beene accuſtomed, very much decreaſed.

The three principall Churches which had theſe famous ſchooles by priviledges, muſt needs be the cathedral Church of S. Paul for one: ſeeing that by a generall Councell, Mat. Paris. Every Cathedrall Church had his ſchoole for poore ſcholars. holden in the yeere 1176. at Rome, in the Patriarchie of Laterane, it was decreed, that every Cathedrall Church ſhould have his ſchoolemaſter, to teach poore ſchollers, and others, as had bin accuſtomed, and that no man ſhould take any reward for licence to teach. The ſecond, as moſt ancient, may ſeeme to have beene the Monaſterie of S. Peters at Weſtminſter, whereof Ingulphus, Abbot of Crowland, in the reigne of William the Conqueror, writeth thus: 1 Jngulphus, an humble ſervant of God, borne of Engliſh parents, in the moſt beautifull Citie of London, Free ſchoole at Weſtminſter in the reigne of Edward the Confeſſor. for to attaine to learning, was firſt put to Weſtm. & after to ſtudy at Oxford, &c. And writing in praiſe of Queene Agitha, wife to Edward the Confeſſor: I have ſeene (ſaith he) often, when being but a Boy, I came to ſee my Father, dwelling in the Kings Court, and often comming from Schoole, when I met the Queene, ſhe would oppoſe me touching my learning and leſſon. And falling from Grammar to Logicke, wherein ſhe had some knowledge, ſhe would ſubtilly conclude an Argument with me. And by her handmaiden give me three or foure peeces of money, and ſend mee unto the Palace, where I ſhould receive ſome victuals, and then bee diſmiſſed.

The third Schoole ſeemeth to have beene in the Monaſtery of S. Saviour, at Bermondſey in Southwarke. For other Priories, as of Saint Iohn by Smithfield, Saint Bartholomew in Smithfield, Saint Mary Overie in Southwarke, and that of the Holy Trinity by Ealdgate, were all of later foundation, and the Friers Colledges, and Hoſpitals in this Citie, were raiſed ſince them, in the reignes of Henry the 3. Edward the 1, 2, and 3. &c. All which houſes had their Schools, though not ſo famous as theſe firſt named.

But touching Schooles more lately advanced in this Citie, I read, that King Henry the fifth, having ſuppreſſed the Priories Aliens,Priories Aliens. whereof ſome were about London, namely, Our Lady of Rouncivall by Charing-Croſſe: one other Hoſpitall in Oldborne: one other without Creplegate; and the fourth without Alderſgate: beſides other that are now worne out of memory, and whereof there is no monument remaining, more than Rouncivall, converted to a Brotherhood, which continued till the reigne of Henry the eighth, or Edward the 6. This, I ſay, and other of their Schooles, being broken up and ceaſed, King Henry the 6. in the 24. of his reigne, Henry the ſixth appointed Grammar Schooles. by Patent appointed, that there ſhould be in London Grammar-Schooles, beſides S. Pauls, at S. Martins le grand, S. Mary le Bow, in Cheap, S. Dunſtans in the weſt, and S. Anthonies. And in the next yeere, to wit, 1394.Stow’s two dating methods do not correspond here. The year following the 24th year of Henry VI’s reign (i.e., his 25th year) should be between 31 August 1446 and 30 August 1447. the ſaid King ordained by Parliament,Grammar ſchooles appointed by Parliament. that foure other Grammer-Schooles ſhould be erected, to wit, in the Pariſhes of Saint Andrew in Oldborne, Alhallowes the great, in Thames ſtreet, Saint Peters upon Cornhill, and in the Hoſpitall of Saint Thomas of Acons in weſt Cheape. Since the which time, as divers Schooles, by ſuppreſſing of religious houſes (whereof they were members in the reigne of Henry the eighth, have beene decayed: ſo againe have ſome others beene newly erected and founded for them. Pauls Schoole new builded. As namely, Pauls ſchoole, in place of an old ruined houſe, was builded in moſt ample manner, and largely endowed in the yeere 1512. by Iohn Collet, Doctor of Divinity, and Deane of Pauls, for 153. poore mens children: for which there was ordained a Maſter, Submaſter or Vſher, and a Chaplaine.Free ſchools in Chriſts Hoſpitall. Againe, in the yeere 1553. after the erection of Chriſts Hoſpitall, in the late diſſolved houſe of the Gray Friers, a great number of poore children being taken in, a ſchoole was alſo ordained there, at the Citizens charges.

Alſo in the yeere 1561. the Merchant Taylors of London, Free ſchooles founded by the Merchant Taylors. founded one notable free Grammar-ſchoole, in the Pariſh of Saint Laurence Poultney, by Candle-weeke ſtreet; Richard Hils, late Maſter of that Company, having given 500. pound toward the purchaſe of an Houſe, called the Mannor of the Roſe, ſometime the Duke of Buckinghams, wherein the ſchoole is kept.

As for the meeting of Schoolemaſters on feſtivall dayes, at feſtivall Churches, and the diſputing of their ſchollers Logically, &c. whereof I have before ſpoken, the ſame was long ſince diſcontinued. But the arguing of ſchoole-boies about the principles of Grammar, hath beene continued even till our time: for I my ſelfe (in my youth) have yeerely ſeene, on the Eve of Saint Bartholomew the Apoſtle,Celebrated on 23 August. the ſchollers of divers Grammar-ſchooles,Scholars diſputed in S. Bartholomews Churchyard. repaire unto the Churchyard of Saint Bartholomew the Priory in Smithfield, where, upon a banke boorded about under a Tree, ſome one ſcholar hath ſtepped up, and there hath appoſed and anſwered, till he were by some better ſcholler overcome and put downe. And then the overcommer taking the place, did like as the firſt: and in the end, the beſt oppoſers and anſwerers had rewards, which I obſerved not: but it made both good ſchoolemaſters, and alſo good ſcholars (diligently againſt ſuch times) to prepare themſelves for the obtaining of this Garland.

I remember there repaired to theſe exerciſes, (amongſt others) the Maſters and ſcholars of the free ſchooles of S. Pauls in London, of Saint Peters at Weſtminſter, of Saint Thomas Acons Hoſpital, and of Saint Anthonies Hoſpitall: whereof the laſt named, commonly preſented the beſt Scholers, and had the prize in thoſe dayes.

This Priorie of Saint Bartholomew being ſurrendred to Henry the eighth, thoſe diſputations of Scholers in that place ſurceaſed,Diſputation of ſcholars in Chriſts Hospitall. and was againe, onely for a yeere or twaine, in the reigne of Edward the ſixth, revived in the Cloiſter of Chriſts Hoſpitall, where the beſt Scholers, (then ſtill of S. Anthonies Schoole) were rewarded with Bowes and Arrowes of ſilver, given to them by Sir Martin Bowes, Goldſmith.

Nevertheleſſe, howſoever the incouragement failed, the Scholers of Pauls, meeting with them of Saint Anthonies, would call them Saint Anthonies Pigs, Anthonies Pigs. and they againe would call the other Pigeons of Pauls; Pigeons of Pauls. becauſe many Pigeons were bred in Pauls Church, and S. Anthonie was alwaies figured with a Pig following him: and mindfull of the former uſage, did for a long ſeaſon, diſorderly in the open ſtreet, provoke one another, with Salve tu quoque, placet tibi mecum diſputare? placet. And ſo proceeding from this to queſtions in Grammar, they uſually fell from words to blowes, with their ſatchels full of books, many times in great heaps, that they troubled the ſtreets and paſſengers: ſo that finally they were reſtrained with the decay of Saint Anthonies Schoole.

Out of this Schoole have ſprung divers famous perſons, whereof although time hath buried the names of many, yet in mine owne remembrance may be numbred theſe following: Sir Thomas Moore, Knight, Lord Chancellour of England: Doctor Nicholas Heath, ſometime Biſhop of Rocheſter, after of Worceſter, and laſtly, Archbiſhop of Yorke, and Lord Chancellour of England: Doctor Iohn Whitgift, Biſhop of Worceſter, and after Archbiſhop of Canturbury, &c.

Of later time,Lecture in Chirurgerie. in the yeere of Chriſt 1582. there was founded a publike Lecture in Chirurgerie, to be read in the Colledge of Phyſicians in Knight-ridersſtreet, to beginne in the yeere 1584. on the ſixth of May, and ſo to be continued for ever twice a week, on Wedneſdſy & Friday, by the honourable Baron, Iohn, Lord Lombley, and the learned Richard Chadwell, Doctor in Phyſicke: the Reader whereof to be Richard Forſter, Doctor of Phyſicke, during his life.

Furthermore,Mathematicall Lecture read. about the ſame time, there was alſo begun a Mathematicall Lecture, to be read in a faire old Chappell, builded by Simon Eayre, within the Leaden-hall; whereof a learned Citizen borne, named Thomas Hood, was the firſt Reader. But this Chappell, and other parts of that Hall, being imployed for ſtowage of goods, taken out of a great Spaniſh Caracke, the ſaid Lecture ceaſed any more to be read, and was then in the yeere 1588. read in the houſe of Maſter Thomas Smith in Graſſe-ſtreet, &c.

Laſt of all, Sir Thomas Greſham. Sir Thomas Greſham knight, Agent to Queene Elizabeth, by his laſt Will and Teſtament, made in the yeere 1579. gave the Royall Exchange, and all the buildings therunto appertaining; that is to ſay, the one moity to the Maior and Communalty of London, and their ſucceſſors, upon truſt, that they performe as ſhall be declared: and the other moity to the Mercers,Lectures to be read in London. in like confidence. The Maior and Communalty are to finde foure, to reade Lectures of Divinity, Aſtronomy, Muſicke and Geometry, within his dwelling houſe in Biſhopſgate-ſtreet, and to beſtowe the ſumme of two hundred pound; to wit, fifty pound apeece, &c. The Mercers likewiſe are to find three Readers; that is, in Civill Law, Phyſicke and Rhetoricke, within the ſame dwelling houſe, the ſumme of 150. pound, to every Reader 50. pound, &c. Which gift was (ſince that time) confirmed by Parliament, to take effect, and beganne after the deceaſe of the Lady Anne Greſham, which hapned in the yeere 1596. and ſo is to continue for ever.

Wherupon,Names of the 7. firſt Lecturers. the Lectures were accordingly choſen, and appointed to begin their Readings in the Moneth of Iune, 1597. Whoſe names were, Maſter Anthony Wotton, for Divinity; Maſter Doctor Mathew Gwyn, for Phyſick; Doctor Henry Mountlow, for the Civill Law; Doctor Iohn Bull, for Muſicke; Maſter Breerewood, for Aſtronomie; Maſter Henrie Bridges, for Geometrie; and Maſter Caleb Willis, for Rhetorick. Theſe Lectures are read daily, Sundaies excepted, in the Termetimes, by every one upon his day, in the morning betwixt nine and ten, in Latine: in the afternoon betwixt two and three, in Engliſh; ſave that Doctor Bull was diſpenſed with to reade the Muſicke Lecture in Engliſh onely, and upon two severall dayes, Thurſday and Saturday in the afternoons, betwixt 3. and 4. of the clock.

The Readers of the ſeven Liberall Sciences at Greſham Colledge, Iune 27. 1631. were theſe following:

Firſt, Maſter Richard Holdſworth, Reader of Divinity, on Munday.

Doctor Eaton, Reader of Civill Law, on Tueſday.

Doctor Winſton, Reader of Phyſicke, on Saturday.

Maſter Iohn Taverner, Reader of Muſicke, on Saturday.

Maſter Henry Gilibrand, Reader of Aſtronomy, on Wedneſday.

Maſter Iohn Greaves, Reader of Geometry, on Thurſday.

And Maſter Edward Wilkinſon, Reader of Rhetoricke, on Friday.