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for searching only. THE ETON SYSTEM UNDER QUEEN ELIZABETH 379
Francis is now studying rhetoric, as is shown by Sherry's figures in English. This is a book on the figures of speech, elocutia, or rhetoric proper. The form of the title indicates that the reference is to the second edition, 1555, which was prepared specifically for grammar school, and presents the conventional materials of rhetoric both in English and in Latin. At Eton in 156o, Susenbrotus came here, with-out benefit of English. Francis was also improving his Italian hand, his music, and his arithmetic, all outside of grammar school, for he had regularly received instruction in these and other accomplishments which we have not included. Doubtless, too, numerous other aids to his schooling fail to appear in these abstracts, if indeed they are preserved in the accounts themselves. But these are sufficient to give us a fair idea of the process.
On October 17, 1558, Francis "went to Cambridge to schole wyth Docketer Carre," when he was probably a little above fourteen.7' This appears to be Nicholas Carr, fellow of Trinity and Regius Professor of Greek. For the Cambridge period, we find recorded, "For Cepori[n]us' grainer for hym . . . xd.,"7B showing that he is only now beginning his Greek. It seems clear that Greek was not taught at Saffron Walden in the 'fifties. Here the record of the education of Francis Willoughby ceases, but we are told that he later gathered many learned books, which are still at Wollaion.77 Apparently, the god. spent on sugar candy and comfits at the outset of his career had been effective in making him "lame his booke," though it seems not to have sweetened his life in other respects. From the initial impetus of comfits and candy Francis had in eight years progressed from the hornbook to Cambridge. This is the theoretical time assigned for such progress. Apparently, too, Saffron Walden was on the Eton system, but probably was divided into five forms under a single master, who taught only Latin, without Greek or Hebrew. It should be remembered here that this is Gabriel Harvey's school just before he enters it.
The most important adaptation of the Eton curriculum was that at Westminster. But since Westminster was in turn much adapted, we discuss it in a separate chapter.
" Ibid., pp. 413-414. I have Dr. Carr's Suidas, Basle, 1544. "Ibid., p. 414. " Ibid., p. 544
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