and Usher were not wholly ungenerous.
Mulcaster, who had founded Merchant Taylors' School and had two hundred
and fifty boys under his charge received only L10: at Rotherham the
Grammar Master received L10 15_s._ 4_d._; this was in 1483 but it was
extremely good pay for the period. Even Eton College which had a revenue
of over L1,000 at the time of Edward VI's Chantry Commissioners' Report
was only paying its Schoolmaster L10. It is true that these Schools had
also a varying number of boys paying small fees, but such additional
income was not part of the foundation. For Giggleswick with a revenue
of L20 (exclusive of the King's rent of L3 3_s._) and a further possible
revenue of L30, to pay the whole of its L20 as a stipend to the
Headmaster and Usher was a distinctly liberal proceeding.

The discretionary power of the Master with regard to the discipline of
the School appears to be greatly limited. He is bidden appoint two
prepositors, he is even advised as to some particular occasions on which
he shall correct the scholars. But these regulations probably only
codify existing custom, and in practice, no doubt, the Master would find
himself almost entirely free from control. Nevertheless such regulations
were not without their danger.

[Illustration: Decoration]

[Illustration: Decoration]

CHAPTER III.

Schools and their Teaching in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries.

From the fifteenth century at least the local Grammar School was the
normal place of education for all classes but the highest. In 1410 an
action for trespass was brought by two masters of Gloucester Grammar
School against a third master, who had set up an unlicensed school in
the town and "whereas they used to take forty pence or two shillings a
quarter, they now only took twelve pence," and therefore they claimed
damages. In the course of the argument the Chief Justice declared that
"if a man retains a Master in his house to teach his children, he
damages the common Master of the town, but yet he will have no action."

Instances such as this tend to shew that it was the exception for boys
to be taught either at home by a private tutor or under a man other than
the Public Schoolmaster.

In England, Schools, from the first, that is from their introduction
together with Christianity, had been exclusively ecclesiastical
institutions and were under ecclesiastical authority and regulation. In
1215 the Fourth Lateran Council had said th