The School in Kingswood.

A SHORT ACCOUNT

OF

THE SCHOOL IN KINGSWOOD, NEAR

BRISTOL.

[PUBLISHED IN THE YEAR 1768.]

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1. OUR design is, with God’s assistance, to train up children in every branch of useful learning.

2. We teach none but boarders. These are taken in, being between the years of six and twelve, in order to be taught reading, writing, arithmetic, English, French, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, history, geography, chronology, rhetoric, logic, ethics, geometry, algebra, physics, music.

3. The school contains eight classes.

In the first class the children read “Instructions for Children,” and “Lessons for Children;” and begin learning to write.

In the second class they read “The Manners of the Ancient Christians;” go on in writing; learn the “Short English Grammar;” the “Short Latin Grammar;” read “Prælectiones Pueriles;” translate them into English, and the “Instructions for Children” into Latin; part of which they transcribe and repeat.

In the third class they read Dr. Cave’s “Primitive Christianity;” go on in writing; perfect themselves in the English and Latin Grammar; read “Corderii Colloquia Selecta,” and “Historæ Selectæ;” translate “Historæ Selectæ” into English, and “Lessons for Children” into Latin; part of which they transcribe and repeat.

In the fourth class they read “The Pilgrim’s Progress;” perfect themselves in writing; learn Dilworth’s Arithmetic; read Castellio’s Kempis, and Cornelius Nepos; translate Castellio into English, and “Manners of the Ancient Christians” into Latin; transcribe and repeat select portions of “Moral and Sacred Poems.”

In the fifth class they read “The Life of Mr. Haliburton;” perfect themselves in arithmetic; read Select Dialogues of Erasmus, Phaedrus, and Sallust; translate Erasmus into English, and “Primitive Christianity” into Latin; transcribe and repeat select portions of “Moral and Sacred Poems.” In the sixth class their read “The Life of Mr. De Renty,” and Kennet’s “Roman Antiquities;” they learn Randal’s Geography; read Caesar, select parts of Terence and Velleius Paterculus; translate Erasmus into English, and “The Life of Mr. Haliburton “ into Latin; transcribe and repeat select portions of “Sacred Hymns and Poems.”

In the seventh class they read Mr. Law’s “Christian Perfection,” and Archbishop Potter’s “Greek Antiquities;” they learn “Bengelii Introductio ad Chronologiam,” with Marshall’s “Chronological Tables;” read Tully’s Offices, and Virgil’s Aeneid; translate Bengelius into English, and Mr. Law into Latin; learn (those who have a turn for it) to make verses, and the “Short Greek Grammar;” read the Epistles of St. John; transcribe and repeat select portions of Milton.

In the eighth class they read Mr. Law’s “Serious Call,” and Lewis’s “Hebrew Antiquities;” they learn to make themes, and to declaim; learn Vossius’s Rhetoric; read Tully’s Tusculan Questions, and “Selecta ex Ovidio, Virgilio, Horatio, Juvenale, Persio, Martiale;” perfect themselves in the Greek Grammar; read the Gospels, and six books of Homer’s Iliad; translate Tully into English, and Mr. Law into Latin; learn the “Short Hebrew Grammar,” and read Genesis; transcribe and repeat “Selecta ex Viryilio, Horatio, Juvenale.”

4. It is our particular desire, that all who are educated here may be brought up in the fear of God; and at the utmost distance, as from vice in general, so in particular from idleness and effeminacy. The children therefore of tender parents, so called, (who are indeed offering up their sons and their daughters unto devils,) have no business here; for the rules will not be broken in favor of any person whatsoever. Nor is any child received unless his parents agree,

(1.)That he shall observe all the rules of the house; and, (2.)That they will not take him from school, no, not a day, till they take him for good and all.

5. The general rules of the house are these: —

First. The children rise at four, winter and summer, and spend the time till five in private; partly in reading, partly in singing, partly in self-examination or meditation, (if capable of it,) and partly in prayer. They at first use a short form, (which is varied continually,) and then pray in their own words.

Secondly. At five they all meet together. From six they work till breakfast; for as we have no play days, (the school being taught everyday in the year but Sunday,) so neither do we allow anytime for play on any day: He that plays when he is a child, will play when he is a man.

On fair days they work; according to their strength, in the garden; on rainy days, in the house. Some of them also learn music; and some of the larger will be employed in philosophical experiments. But particular care is taken that they never work alone, but always in the presence of a Master. We have three Masters: One for teaching reading, and two for the languages.

Thirdly. The school begins at seven, in which languages are taught till nine; and then writing, etc., till eleven. At eleven the children walk or work. At twelve they dine, and then work or sing till one. They diet nearly thus: — Breakfast. — Milk-porridge and water-gruel, by turns.

Supper. — Bread and butter or cheese, and milk, by turns. Dinner. — SUNDAY. — Cold roast beef.

MONDAY. — Hashed meat and apple-dumplings.

TUESDAY. — Boiled mutton.

WEDNESDAY. — Vegetables and dumplings.

THURSDAY. — Boiled mutton or beef.

FRIDAY. — Vegetables and dumplings. And so in Lent.

SATURDAY. — Bacon and greens, apple-dumplings.

They drink water at meals: Nothing between meals. On Friday, if they choose it, they fast till three in the afternoon. Experience shows, this is so far from impairing health, that it greatly conduces to it. Fourthly. From one to four, languages are taught; and then writing, etc., till five. At five begins the hour of private prayer; from six they walk or work, till supper; a little before seven the public service begins; at eight they go to bed, the youngest first.

Fifthly. They lodge all in one room, (now in two,) in which a lamp burns all night. Every child lies by himself. A Master lies at each end of the room. All their beds have mattresses on them, not feather-beds. Sixthly. On Sunday, at six, they dress and breakfast; at seven, learn hymns or poems; at nine, attend the public service; at twelve, dine and sing; at two, attend the public service; and at four, are privately instructed.

6. The method observed in the school is this: —

The First Class.

Morning, 7. Read. 10. Write till eleven.

Afternoon, 1. Read. 4. Write till five.

The Second Class.

Morn. 7. Read “The Manners of the Ancient Christians.” 8. Learn the English Grammar; when that is ended, the Latin Grammar. 10. Learn to write.

Aftern. 1. Learn to construe and parse Prælectiones Pueriles. 4. Translate into English and Latin alternately.

The Third Class.

Morn. 7. Read “Primitive Christianity.” 8. Repeat English and Latin Grammar alternately. 9. Learn Corderius; and when that is ended, Historiæ Selectæ. 10. Write.

Aftern. 1. Learn Corderius, and Historiæ Selectæ. 4. Translate. The Fourth Class.

Morn. 7. Read “The Pilgrim’s Progress.” 8. Repeat the Grammar. 9. Learn Castellio’s Kempis; and when that is ended, Cornelius Nepos. 10. Write; and learn arithmetic.

Aftern. 1. Learn Kempis, and Cornelius Nepos. 4. Translate. The Fifth Class.

Morn. 7. Read Mr. Haliburton’s Life. 8. Repeat the Grammars. 9. Learn Erasmus; afterwards Phaedrus; then Sallust. 10. Learn arithmetic. Aftern. 1. Learn Erasmus, Phædrus, Sallust. 4. Translate. The Sixth Class.

Morn. 7. Read Mr. De Renty’s Life. 8. Repeat the Grammars. 9. Learn Caesar; afterwards Terence; then Velleius Paterculus. 10. Learn geography. Aftern. I. Learn Caesar, Terence, Paterculus. 3. Read Roman Antiquities.

4. Translate.

The Seventh Class.

Morn. 7. Read Mr. Law’s “Christian Perfection.” 8. MON., WED., FRI. — Learn the Greek Grammar; and read the Greek Testament. TUES., THURS., SAT. — Learn Tully; afterwards Virgil. 10. Learn chronology. Aftern. 1. Learn Latin and Greek alternately, as in the morning. 3. Read Grecian Antiquities. 4. Translate and make verses alternately. The Eighth Class.

Morn. 7. Read Mr. Law’s “Serious Call.” 8. MON., THURS. — Latin. TUES., FRI. — Greek. WED., SAT. — Hebrew; and so at one in the afternoons. 10. Learn rhetoric.

Aftern. 3. — Read “Hebrew Antiquities.” 4. Mon., THURS. — Translate. TUES., FRI. — Make verses. WED. — Make a theme. SAT. — Write a declamation.

All the other classes spend Saturday afternoon in arithmetic, and in transcribing what they learn on Sunday, and repeat on Monday morning. The price for the board and teaching of a child, including his books, pens, ink, and paper, is fourteen pounds a year, while he is in the school: After he has gone through the school, twenty; and he is then to find his own books.

N.B. The following method may be observed by those who design to go through a course of academically learning: —

FIRST YEAR.

Read Lowth’s English Grammar; Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French Grammars; Cornelius Nepos; Sallust; Caesar; Tully’s Offices; Terence; Phaedurs; Aeneid; Dilworth; Randal; Bengel; Vossius; Aldrich and Wallis’s Logic; Langbaine’s Ethics; Hutchinson on the Passions; Spanheim’s “Introduction to Ecclesiastical History;” Puffendorf’s “Introduction to the History of Europe;” “Moral and Sacred Poems;” Hebrew Pentateuch, with the Notes; Greek Testament, — Matthew to the Acts, with the Notes; Xenophon’s Cyrus; Homer’s Iliad; Bishop Pearson on the Creed; ten volumes of the “Christian Library;” Telemaque.

SECOND YEAR.

Look over the Grammars; read Velleius Paterculus; Tusculan Questions; Excerpta; “Vidæ Opera;” “Lusus Westmonasterienses; “ Chronological Tables; Euclid’s Elements; Wells’s Tracts; Newton’s “Principia;” Mosheim’s “Introduction to Church History;” Usher’s “Annals;” Burnet’s “History of the Reformation;” Spencer’s “Fairy Queen;” Historical Books of the Hebrew Bible; Greek Testament, ad finem; Kurou Anabasiv Homer’s Odyssey; twelve volumes of the “Christian Library;” Ramsay’s Cyrus; Racine.

THIRD YEAR.

Look over the Grammars; Livy; Suetonius; Tully “De Finibus;” “Musæ Anglicanæ;” Dr. Burton’s “Poemata;” Lord Forbes’s Tracts; Abridgment of Hutchinson’s Works; “Survey of the Wisdom of God in the Creation;” Rollin’s “Ancient History;” Hume’s “History of England;” Neal’s “History of the Puritans;” Milton’s Poetical Works; Hebrew Bible, — Job to the Canticles; Greek Testament; Plato’s Dialogues; (Greek Epigrams; twelve volumes of the “Christian Library;” Pascal; Corneille. FOURTH YEAR.

Look over the Grammars; Tacitus; “Grotii Historia Belyica;” Tully “De Natura Deorum;” “Prædium Rusticum;” “Carmina Quadragesimalia;” “Philosophical Transactions abridged;” Watts’s Astronomy, etc.; “Compendium Metaphysicæ;” Watts’s Ontology; Locke’s Essay; Malebranche; Clarendon’s History; Neal’s “History of New England;” Antonio Solis’s “History of Mexico;” Shakespeare; rest of the Hebrew Bible; Greek Testament; Epictetus; Marcus Antoninus; Poetæ Minores; end the “Christian Library;” “La Faussete de les Vertues Humaines;” Quesnel sur les Evangiles.

Whoever carefully goes through this course will be a better scholar than nine in ten of the graduates at Oxford or Cambridge.