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for searching only. EDUCATING THE "PRINCE"; PRINCE EDWARD 203
second part of the grammar had been assembled, and these are the sections upon which ordinary grammarians were drilled. For in practice the principles of Erasmus remained intact; the boys were drilled thoroughly and unmercifully on the minimum essentials of grammar; but the complete system was for reference only in case of need. So far, modern authorities have tended to Iook at the grammar itselfil instead of the way in which it was used, and hence to conclude that the principles of Erasmus had been deserted. But so late as Hoole the drill is still mainly if not solely on these minimum essentials, as were also the construes of the grammar. So Prince Edward has grubbed'2 away at the minimum essentials with the best of them. Since he is still scribbling his name as Edward Prince of England at the end of Etymologia, he had probably mastered the work at least up to Syntaxis before in January 1547 at nine and a quarter he be-came King of England.
In the arrangement of July 7, 1544, Cox was in command and Cheke only a "suppliment." Cox, who was now forty-four and well placed, had been trained at Eton and King's College, Cambridge, and had for a time been head-master at Eton, where we have already met him. He was thus well qualified for directing a grammar school education. Cheke was only thirty, but had already become an out-standing teacher of Greek at St. John's, Cambridge. He had little except his scholarship to contribute, and doubtless did the actual teaching, especially of the classical material. Cox wrote Sir Richard Paget on December io, 1544, almost exactly five months after his appointment in July, that Edward
hath expugned and utterly conquered and (sic) great nab[er] of the captayns of ignorance. The eight parts of speche he hath made the his subiects and servaunts, and can declyne any man' latyne noune and coniugate a vrbe pfectly onlesse it be anomalu. These parts thus beten downe & conquered, he begynneth to buylde the vp agayn and frame the aftr his purpose wt dew ordre of construction, lyke as the Kyngs maid fframed vp Bullayn whan he had beaten it downe. He undrestondeth and can frame well his iij concordes of gramr and hath made all redy xl or 1 prety latyns and can answere welfavourdly to the parts, and is now redy to entre in to Cato, to so ppre & pfitable fables of Esops, and othre holsom and godly lessons yt shall be deuised for hym. Euery day in the masse tyme he redeth a portion
11 Even so, they ought to compare it with other current grammars, which were much more voluminous.
u If this grammar had not been used by a Prince and King, one might be tempted to speak of it as being "a bit grubby" in spots.
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