About a year after the establishment of the Probation, it was for the better satisfaction of the Masters, Wardens, and Court

Angliæ, &c. quarto et Scotie quadragessimo, it was with a generall assent concluded and agreed, that these orders following, concerning a probation of the companies grammer schoole in London, three severall tymes in the yere shalbe duly observed, for the reasons therein mencioned. Which orders were devised for the great good of the schoole, by learned men at the prosecucon, and by the greate paynes and care of Mr. Robert Dow, a grave maister and liberall benefactor to this company, and after confirmed and allowed, as very good and necessary by the most grave and learned men, whose names are subscribed to the same.

"The Marchaunt-tailors schoole in London, was founded at the companies charge, nowe fforty-fyve yeres past, and by them mainteyned with pencions to a maister and three ushers, and other charges yerely, to their contynuall burden and cost, and being scituat neere the middest of this honorable and renowned citty (the eye of this kingdom), is famous throughout all England, and also in some remote places beyond the seas well spoken of, and that for these three consideracons, viz. :

"Ffirst, for number of schollers, it is the greatest schoole included under one roofe.

"Secondly, the schollers are taught iointly by one mr and three

ushers.

'Thirdly, it is a schoole for liberty most free, being open especially for poore mens children, as well of all nations, as for the marchauntailors themselves.

"And whereas it hath fallen out of late daies, that some persons (having had their children five or six yeres in our schoole) have complained that their sonnes have not risen in learnyng, to be worthely placed in the highest formes, as others have ben of like contynuance, it is to be thought that such a complaynt of the schoole-maister and ushers is noe novelty, or that it should (as they report) proceede comonly of the maisters default; but rather rise by faults in such parents, as have not due regard in houlding their children to the schoole, or by want of capacity in such schollers, or by other defects, rather then by any negligence in their teachers. But, howsoever it be, the company greatly disliketh any evil report of their schoole or teachers, and doe rather wish and desire all good deservings and good reports both of the maister and schoole. And thereupon, and to that end and purpose, they have spent their labor and industry, with the help and advice of some learned men, to devise a PROBATION for reformation, and better triall of the state of the schoole hereafter, and this regard being had, the more care is to be required that this probation and triall be handled with such a faithfull circumspeccon as the company (ffounders of this schoole) understanding from tyme to tyme how every forme in their schoole pro

of Assistants of the Merchant Taylors' Company, proposed and determined that the Probation itself should be examined

ceedeth and groweth in knowledg and exercises, may receave their just and due contentment, and parents and friends of children may have their full, or at least convenient satisfaccon, and the credit of the teachers, with the fame of the schoole, preserved. It is therefore concluded that these good orders hereafter following shall, by the maister and three ushers, be duly and truly observed:

"I. A probacon of the whole schoole shall bee made onely by the master of the schoole and the three ushers, and at these three tymes, viz. the first on the eleaventh day of March; the second on the eleventh day of September; the third on the eleaventh day of December; not being Sundaies. And if anie of the said daies happen on the Sunday, then upon the next day following.

"2. The mr of the schoole, eight or nine daies before the said probacon-day, shall admonish all the schollers of the school, as well them that bee absent, by messengers, as them that be present, by himself: first, that they prepare all such necessaries as are required on the probacon-day; secondly, that they com to the schoole, on the said probacon-day, in the morning, at half an houre after six of the clock at the furthest, and so to continue till an eleaven; and in the afternoone, likewise, at half an hour after twelve, and to contynue till five.

“3. The mr of the schoole, the day before thè probacon-day, shall see that every scholler in the schoole bee furnished with paper, pennes, and ynck, for the next daies exercise; and also that every ones name, his age, the day, moneth, and yeare of his coming first to school, bee written with his own hand on the outside of his paper, or paper-book, or on the topp of his first page.

"4. The mr of the schoole shall propound to every form in the schoole, for fowre howres in the forenoone, and as manie in the afternoone of the probation-day, several exercises to bee done in writeing by every one of them within the sett-tyme hereafter mentioned.

"5. The mr of the schoole, and the three ushers (while the schollers are doing their work, and dureing the prescribed time,) shall carefully, and with a watchfull eye, provide, that no scholler of anie forme do prompt or once lean towards his fellow for help, that the founders may the better know how they proceed, by doing of their own act and exercise, without any help.

"6. The mr of the schoole and the three ushers at th' end of every howre (dureing the whole day), shall see that every empty space, and also the last line of every exercise, bee crossed, that afterwards there may bee no adding of anie thing, but that the work of every boy doe stand to bee viewed hereafter as hee of himself did perfom it in that sett-time; and that

twice in the year by two learned men. And this check is still adopted.

the forenoon's worke shall be alwaies taken from the scholars at their going away by the ushers, and delivered to the mr, wch at one a clock shall be delivered to them again to write the rest of their taske.

"7. The mr of the schoole shall not propound to anie forme the same dialogue, epistle, theme, sentence, or verse, twice in one yeare.

"8. No scholler of any forme shall bee urged to write more of the taske prescribed within the lymitted howre than hee is well able to perform.

"9. If any scholler shalbee found on three several probation-daies either by his owne negligence, or his friends will, to bee absent from the school; or having been p'sent, by his over-slender and weak exercises, to be unapted and unmeet to learn, or els a non-proficient, that then everie such scholar, that soe shalbe found absent, unapt or not competently profiting, shalbee (according to the companie's order, heretofore provided in the like behalf,) dismissed the school.

"10. The mr of the schoole, receaving all the schollers exercises done by them on the said probation-day, shall cause everie formes papers of exercises to bee sowed together into six several volumes or bookes, every forme apart by itself, and afterwards lay them up in some convenient place appointed thereunto. And hee shall not in anie wise diminish any one of them, that the succeeding posterity, as well of the company as of the schoole, by comparing their present exercises with them of former tymes, may see how much and wherein they exceed or come behinde them.

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"II. The mr of the schoole, within fowre daies after the said probacon-day shall enter into a booke, called THE REGISTER OF THE SCHOOLE'S PROBATION, conteining 400 leaves of large paper, in forme of a brief table or callender: Ffirst, that the said tryalls were performed the xith day of that present moneth according to the orders prescribed; Secondly, all the schollers of the six formes, every form by itself in this order, viz. the name of every boy as hee sitteth in his forme, his age, and time of continuance; next, what books and how far in them hee hath read; lastly, what exercises hee usually makes, with the school-master and three ushers own hands subscribed thereunto: wch table or kalendar thus entered into the said register the mr of the schoole, accompanied with one of his ushers, shal shewe to the mr and wardens at their hall upon the first or second ordynarie court-day, next after following (the day of probacon being past fowre daies before), to th' end that, yf they so please, they may appoint some persons to repaire to the schoole, to take knowledge and view of the exercises done by every boy on the said probacon-day; and also that they themselves, or some other for them, may presently, or after when they think best, compare the last things registred with the like things registred at former probacons, to see every boye's contynuance

A few months after the introduction of the revised rules, King James I. was pleased to intimate his intention of dining with the Merchant Taylors at their Hall on the day appointed for the election of the Master and Warden. The Company were very desirous that the School should figure on this august occasion. Accordingly, Buckeridge, the President of St. John's College, was appointed to preach the sermon, and some of the

either in any forme, or in the schoole, and other like circumstances there mentioned. And the mr and wardens, or som one of them shall subscribe to the register so brought and confirmed under the schoole-mr and ushers hands; and also cause to bee entred into their court-book the day on wch the said mr of the schoole, with one of his ushers, came and presented the same, for testimony to the company as well of the said dutifull p'sentment, as also of their care towards the schoole, and desire they have to know how their schollers doe proceede; and even then shall bee given to the said master of the schoole xxvis. viiid, by the name of a reward to bee distributed equally (for considerations in the giver), to himself, and his three ushers, vis. viiid. to each of them for their good care and pains taken in the premisses, and their further encouragement, PROVIDED alwaies herein, that uppon any fraudulent dealing in the master of the schoole, or the three ushers, the aforesaid reward shall cease, and the blame and shame shall rest with them for their wilfull default.

"12. It is thought meete that this probation of the whole schoole shalbee committed unto the honest and faithfull trust and disposition of the mr of the schoole and the three ushers alone, without any association, for these three causes: Ffirst, the ffounders have good experience of their faithfull governement and assured confidence of their care of this trust reposed uppon them. Secondly, this triall of the schollers being made by an act onely in writeing, it is without doubt that strange assembly will but hinder them in their said exercises. Thirdly, the watchfull eye of the mr and the 3 ushers onely, wilbee sufficient to make the boyes the more serious and earnest in their work, and cause every boye's act to bee entirely his owne worke, without any help; whereas, yf further assembly were, this probacon could not by the mr and the three ushers bee so carefully attended, neither the schollers worke be so heedefully and dutifully intended and done by them as it should.

"13. These orders, with the exercises following, shalbee written in the booke of the schoole's probacon; and shalbe, by the mr of the schoole, read and made knowne unto the three ushers on the first or second day of the aforesaid monethes, March, September, and December."

Then follows a description of the exercises appointed to be done by every form, in the forenoon and afternoon of each Probation Day.

boys were to be trained to welcome the royal party with speeches and verses. Unfortunately for this arrangement, some one at Court, who probably knew what would be most agreeable to the king and queen, recommended the employment of Ben Jonson to produce an entertainment with "musique and other inventions," which was agreed to.1

The eminence which the School had attained by the early part of the seventeenth century, encouraged several benevolent and opulent citizens to augment the number of its Exhibitions.

1 There is some reason for thinking that this festival, which took place soon after the detection of the Gunpowder Plot, and at which John Bull, Mus. Doc. presided at the organ, was the occasion when the earliest version of God Save the King was first sung publicly.

Of the entertainment itself (not included in Jonson's published works), the Company's chroniclers have left us a particular description

"At the upper end of the Hall there was set a chair of estate, where His Majestie sat and viewed the Hall; and a very proper child, well spoken, being clothed like an angel of gladness, with a taper of frankincense burning in his hand, delivered a short speech, containing 18 verses, devised by Mr. Ben Jonson, which pleased His Majestie marvellously well," &c.

So well, indeed, was King James pleased with this rich banquet, and the accompanyment of "a purse of gold presented to him by the Maister," that on the Clerk of the Company offering him "a roll, wherein was registered the names of seaven kings, one Queene, seaventeene Princes and Dukes, two Duchesses, one Archbyshoppe, one-and-thirtye Earls, five Countesses, one Viscount, fourteene Byshoppes, sixty-and-sixe Barons, two Ladies, seaven Abbots, seaven Priors, and one Sub-Prior, omitting a great number of Knights, Esquires, &c., who hadde beene free of that Companie, his Majestie very gratiously accepted it and sayed, that he himself was free of another Companie, yet he would so much grace the Companie of Merchant-Taylors, that the Prince his eldest sonne should be free thereof, and that he would see and bee a witnesse when the garlande shoulde bee put on his head."" The Prince, accordingly, with upwards of twenty of the principal noblemen, English and foreign, who accompanied him, were made free that evening of the ancient and renowned fraternity. On the 4th January, 1613-14, the city gave a banquet to the King in honour of the illfated nuptials of the Earl and Countess of Somerset, “and because the Lord Maiors house is not held spacious enough to receive so great a trayne as is expected will attend the King, therefore it is agreed and so ordered that the Merchant Taylors Hall shall be prepared and made ready against that night for this solemnitie."