Part 5 (1/2)

5. _Monastic and Cathedral Schools._ Herbert Losing, Bp. of Thetford, afterwards Norwich, between 1091 and 1119, in his 37th Letter restores his schools at Thetford to Dean Bund, and directs that no other schools be opened there.

Tanner (_Not. Mon._ p. xx. ed. Nasmith), when mentioning ”the use and advantage of these Religious houses”--under which term ”are comprehended, cathedral and collegiate churches, abbies, priories, colleges, hospitals, preceptories (Knights Templars' houses), and frieries”--says,

”Secondly, They were schools of learning & education; for every convent had one person or more appointed for this purpose; and all the neighbours that desired it, might have their children taught grammar and church musick without any expence to them.[60]

In the nunneries also young women were taught to work, and to read English, and sometimes Latin also. So that not only the lower rank of people, who could not pay for their learning, but most of the n.o.blemen and gentlemen's daughters were educated in those places.”[61]

[Headnote: LYDGATE'S TRICKS AT SCHOOL.]

As Lydgate (born at Lydgate in Suffolk, six or seven miles from Newmarket) was ordained subdeacon in the Benedictine monastery of Bury St Edmunds in 1389[62], he was probably sent as a boy to a monastic school. At any rate, as he sketches his early escapades--apple-stealing, playing truant, &c.,--for us in his _Testament_[63], I shall quote the youth's bit of the poem here:--

[Line numbers in the following selections were added by the transcriber for use with sidenotes.]

Harleian MS. 2255, fol. 60.

Duryng the tyme / of this sesou{n} ver I meene the sesou{n} / of my yeerys greene Gynnyng fro childhood / strecchith{e}[A] vp so fer to e yeerys / accountyd ful Fifteene bexperience / as it was weel seene The gerissh{e} sesou{n} / straunge of condiciou{n}s Dispoosyd to many vnbridlyd pa.s.siouns 7

[Sidenote: [fol. 60 b.]]

-- Voyd of resou{n} / yove to wilfulnesse Froward to vertu / of thrift gaf[B] litil heede loth to lerne / lovid no besynesse Sauf pley or merthe / strau{n}ge to spelle or reede Folwyng al appet.i.tes / longyng to childheede lihtly tournyng wylde / and seelde sad Weepyng for nouht / and anoon afftir glad 14

-- For litil wroth / to stryve with my felawe As my pa.s.siou{n}s / did my bridil leede Of the yeerde somtyme / I Stood in awe to be scooryd[C] / that was al my dreede loth toward scole / lost my tyme in deede lik a yong colt / that ran with-owte brydil Made my freendys / ther good to spend in ydil / 21

[Sidenotes (by line number): [1] In my boyhood, [4] up to 15, [10] I loved no work but play [17] yet I was afraid of being scored by the rod.]

-- I hadde in custom / to come to scole late Nat for to lerne / but for a contenaunce with my felawys / reedy to debate to Iangle and Iape / was set al my plesaunce wherof rebukyd / this was my chevisaunce to forge a lesyng / and therupon to muse whan I trespasyd / my silven to excuse 28

[Sidenote: [fol. 61.]]

-- To my bettre / did no reverence Of my sovereyns / gaf no fors at al wex obstynat / by in.o.bedience Ran in to garydns / applys ther I stal To gadre frutys / sparyd hegg[D] nor wal to plukke grapys / in othir mennys vynes Was moor reedy / than for to seyn[E] matynes 35

-- My l.u.s.t was al / to scorne folk and iape Shrewde tornys / evir among to vse to Skoffe and mowe[F] / lyk a wantou{n} Ape whan I did evil / othre I did[G] accuse My wittys five / in wast I did abuse[H]

Rediere chirstoonys / for to[I] telle Than gon to chirche / or heere the sacry[K] belle 42

[Sidenotes (by line number): [22] I came to school late, [25] talked, [27] lied to get off blame, [29] and mocked my masters. [32] I stole apples and grapes, [36] played tricks and mocked people, [40] liked counting cherry-stones better than church.]

-- Loth to ryse / lother to bedde at eve with vnwa.s.sh handys[L] / reedy to dyneer My _pater noster_ / my _Crede_ / or my beleeve Cast at the[M] c.o.k / loo this was my maneer Wavid with ech{e} wynd / as doth a reed speer Snybbyd[N] of my frendys / such techchys fortame{n}de[O]

Made deff ere / lyst nat / to them attende 49

[Sidenote: [fol. 61 b.]]

-- A child resemblyng / which was nat lyk to thryve Froward to G.o.d / reklees[P] in his servise loth to correcciou{n} / slouh{e} my sylf to shryve Al good thewys / reedy to despise Cheef bellewedir / of feyned[Q] trwaundise this is to meene / my silf I cowde feyne Syk lyk a trwaunt / felte[R] no maneer peyne 56

-- My poort my pas / my foot alwey vnstable my look my eyen / vnswre and vagabounde In al my werkys / sodeynly chaungable To al good thewys / contrary I was founde Now ovir sad / now moornyng / now iocounde Wilful rekles / mad[S] stertyng as an hare To folwe my l.u.s.t / for no man wold I spare. 63

[Sidenotes (by line number): [43] Late to rise, I was; dirty at dinner, [49] dea to the snubbings of my friends, [51] reckless in G.o.d's service, [54] chief shammer of illness when I was well, [57] always unsteady, [60] ill-conducted, [62] sparing none for my pleasure.]

[Collations: A: strecched. (These collations are from Harl. 218, fol. 65, back.) B: toke. C: skoured. D: nedir hegge. E: sey. F: mowen.

G: koude. H: alle vse. I: cheristones to. K: sacryng.

L: hondes. M: atte. N: Snybbyng. O: tamende. P: rekkes.