minster Selden, the celebrated scholar and politician, at the grammar-school of Chichester. In this reign too must be mentioned Francis Bacon, lord chancellor in the reign of James I. who was noticed for his vigour of intellect by Queen Elizabeth: and among the learned ladies, Mary Sidney, countess of Pembroke, a sister of Sir Philip Sidney, known by her poetry, and upon whom Ben Jonson wrote this epitaph: Underneath this sable herse Sir Walter Raleigh, of an ancient though not wealthy family in Devonshire, was sent at an early age to Oriel College, Oxford, where he was soon distinguished for the vivacity of his genius, and the variety of his attainments. His History of the World is one of the noblest works of a noble mind, and his Counsels to his Son contain wisdom and world-knowledge for all generations. The two principal schools founded in the reign of Elizabeth, were the Westminster and Merchant Tailors'. The first was established by her majesty in 1560, for the education of forty boys, denominated the Queen's scholars, who are prepared for the university. It is situated within the walls of Westminster Abbey: besides the scholars on the foundation, many of the nobility and gentry now send their sons to Westminster for instruction, so that this establishment vies with Eton in celebrity and respectability. Merchant Tailors' School was founded by that company in 1561: here about three hundred boys are educated, of which number one hundred are taught gratis, fifty at two shillings and sixpence per quarter, and one hundred at five shillings; and several of the scholars are yearly sent to St. John's College, Oxford. James I. the successor of Elizabeth, was, when a child, placed under the tuition of Buchanan, an eminent Latin scholar, in Stirling Castle, in Scotland, where his progress in school learning was unusually rapid; though his knowledge did not afterwards prove of the most useful description. In his reign, and by his order, was prepared the last and best English translation of the Bible, by forty-seven learned men, who completed their work in three years, and dedicated it to the king. James received during his life a great deal of flattery on the score of his literary abilities, but he merits far more as an encourager of learning, than for any fruits of it displayed by himself. The celebrated earl of Clarendon, chancellor to Charles II. was born in this reign: he received his early education in his father's house, under the tuition of the vicar of the parish: he was sent to Magdalen College, Oxford, at thirteen, and we obtain a glimpse of the manners of the students at the university, from Clarendon's quitting Oxford "in consequence of the habit of hard drinking which then prevailed there." Butler, the author of Hudibras, received his grammatical education at the free-school at Worcester; Milton was first educated by a learned minister, and then placed at St. Paul's School; but education in his time made slow progress; for, he says he did “amiss to spend seven or eight years in scraping together as much miserable Latin and Greek as might be learned otherwise easily and delightfully in one year." To the benevolence of Thomas Sutton, an opulent London merchant, we owe the foundation of the Charter House Hospital and freeschool, in the year 1611, He purchased the property, (which had previously been a convent,) for thirteen hundred pounds; and under his will the charity was perfected at an expense of twenty thousand pounds with estates for its endowment, valued at four thousand five hundred pounds per annum, the income from which is now immensely increased. The scholars are instructed, boarded, and lodged; some are sent to the universities, with an annual allowance of twenty pounds for eight years; and others are put out as apprentices: the pensioners are allowed fourteen pounds each annually, besides a gown, provisions, fire, and lodging: there are forty-four boys, and eighty pensioners. Little is recorded of the youth of Charles I., and, from its being said that " he learnt more by the ear than by the study," it may be inferred that his early talents were not very strikingly displayed. One of his adherents says, "There were few gentlemen in the world that knew more of useful or necessary learning than this prince did, and yet his proportion of books was but small. His exercises of religion were most exemplary; for every morning early, and evening not very late, singly and alone, he spent some time in private meditation, and he never failed, before he sat down to dinner, to have part of the liturgy read to him and his servants; and when any young nobleman or gentleman who was going to travel, came to kiss his hand, he cheerfully would give him some good counsel leading to moral virtue, especially a good conversation." His biographers also describe Charles's mind as cultivated by letters, and a taste for the polite arts, especially painting. He had also a feeling for poetry, and wrote in a good style in prose. The education of the wealthy classes in this reign would appear to have been much neglected; for, a writer of the time says, "Parents either give their children no education at all, (thinking their birth or estate will bear out that,) or a very slight one. age, however, produced many distinguished scholars; as Cowley, the poet, who was admitted into Westminster school as king's scholar; where also Dryden was removed from the country; The he is considered one of the most lasting of the English poets, and his prose abounds with excellent specimens of English composition. John Locke also received his early instruction at Westminster; and, in considering him as the benefactor to mankind by his writings and example, we should not underrate his valuable Thoughts on Education," and other works. Of the childhood of Sir Isaac Newton, born in 1642, many interesting particulars have been preserved: he was sent to two day-schools at Skillington and Stoke, in Lincolnshire; and thence to the public school at Grantham, where he was at first very inattentive to his studies, and low in the school. During the hours of play, when other boys were engrossed with amusements, the mind of Newton was occupied in mechanical contrivances, and thus he constructed a windmill, (from watching the progress of one erecting near Grantham,) a water-clock, and a carriage put in motion by the person who sat in it. He introduced into the school the flying of paper kites, which he made with great nicety, as also paper lanterns, by the light of which he went to school in winter mornings; and he is likewise said to have excelled in making verses. We find but scanty record of the childhood and education of Charles II., except that he was brought up by his mother till he was thirteen years of age. He was, however, a man of wit and a judge of good writing in certain lines; and he had a laboratory, and possessed |