When we travel from our homes, vacant intervals of time necessarily occur-at an inn, or at the house of a friend. Conversation is pleasing and instructive: but the hour of retirement will intervene. The excellent person, of whom I now write, eagerly desirous of improvement, and "never less alone than when alone," was always furnished with books fitted for the pocket. These little volumes, the delightful companions of his leisure, afforded him continual employment. He may be said, literally, to have perused them by day and by night.' Hence he retained an intimate and habitual knowledge of the best writers. And this method he strongly recommended to his pupils, whom on their departure from school, he usually presented with an Elzevir, or some similar edition of a favourite classic. Let not this be thought too trifling a circumstance to be noticed. Mr. Dodwell, one of our most learned in his diocese: I mean, Alexander Nowell's Lesser Catechism. 'Christianæ Pietatis prima Institutio. Ad Usum Scholarum Latinè scripta. Editio nova Annotatiunculis aucta.' Oxonii, 1795. [It has recently gone through another edition.] It is required of the scholars, who succeed to the exhibitions founded by Lady Elizabeth Hastings, that from their first admission at Queen's College, Oxford, they shall spend one hour every morning in the study of the Holy Scriptures, and write their own explications of such particular places and passages of Holy Scripture, as their tutors may think proper to appoint, and which they are directed to call for at proper times. writers, adopted this system. "For this end he carried with him, in his journeys, the Hebrew Bible in four volumes, the Greek New Testament, and the Common Prayer accordingly. For the same purpose he had Thomas à Kempis, St. Augustine's Meditations, and other books of the like nature and size." 66 The predominancy of pride tends peculiarly to corrupt the human heart. It is, indeed, incompatible with the Christian character. Mr. John Clarke was the sweet exemplar of humility and condescension. When occasionally he held an interview with one of inferior condition in life, they conversed with each other like good Mr. Hooker and his parish clerk, who never talked together but with their hats on, or their hats off, both at the same time." He accommodated himself with equal affability and kindness to all. Whatever inequality of rank might subsist among his scholars, he observed no other discrimination than that which was adjusted by the rule of a most impartial equity. The modest and diligent young man ever experienced his fostering favour. And so gentle withal was his disposition, as to render the path of science smooth and easy, even to those who were less attentive. But if unfortunately the exertion of magisterial authority became necessary, as the expanse of the ocean does not always remain unruffled, he assumed the aweful dignity of a superior determined to restrain petulance and to punish delinquency *. In his severity, however, at all times was mingled that glow of endearing affection, with which the parent anxiously consults the welfare of his child. His zeal for the promotion of elegant literature induced him to embrace every opportunity of enriching the schools of Beverley and Wakefield with a valuable collection of books. The *The severity formerly exercised in many of our public schools was, probably, necessary to enforce salutary discipline, to check thoughtless levity, and to chastise stubborn laziness. It will not displease the reader to know the reasons, which induced the celebrated ROGER ASCHAM to compose his Treatise on Education. This elaborate work of the Latin Secretary and Tutor for the Greek tongue to Queen' Elizabeth (published about three years after his death by his wife Margaret, who dedicates it to Sir William Cecil, principal Secretary of State) was first undertaken on occasion of some discourse which happened at the Secretary's table, in his apartment at Windsor, when the Court was retired thither at the time of a great plague in London, in 1563. Sir William telling the company, he had heard that divers scholars of Eton had run away that morning from the school for fear of beating,' it produced their different sentiments, "Whether mildness or severity had the best effect in the scholastic education of youth?" Mr. Ascham inclined, as Cecil had done, to the milder course; and used such arguments, that Sir Richard Sackville, Treasurer of the Exchequer (then present) afterward prevailed upon him to draw his thoughts out upon the teaching and training of youth into a regular Treatise, for the use, among others, of his grandson Master Robert Sackville. (Catalogue of Pamphlets in the Harleian Library, p. 221.) libraries in each of those schools were furnished, through his means, with volumes more precious than the gems of India; the best editions of the Greek and Latin classics, and the works of modern critics, historians, and poets. For this instance of benevolent and judicious care, the Corporation of Beverley expressed their sentiments of grateful remembrance, by causing a marble tablet to be erected with the following inscription : VIRO REVERENDO JOHANNI CLARKE, A. M. AD QUAM PENÈ INANEM ACCESSERAT, QUICUNQUE IN POLITIORE HUMANITATE CONSILIO-CUR—AUCTORITATE SU PARATIS QUIBUS INSIGNI CUM DOCTRINÆ ET DILIGENTIÆ LAUDE HUIC SCHOLÆ PRÆFUIT, MUNERE DECEDENS ANNO MDCCLI PRÆTOR ATQUE SENATUS BEVERLACENSIS If any part of his professional character was objectionable, it was the scrupulous exactness, which he observed in revising and correcting the exercises of his pupils *. A perfect judge of fine writing, I had almost said a hypercritic, he assigned to that employment a much larger allotment of time than seemed to be consistent with his other engagements. He scrutinised every word, and even weighed every syllable, with a diligence which was not, perhaps, always necessary. He was exquisitely nice in the choice of his language, even in the daily task of writing letters on the topics of common life; and the elegance and correctness, with which they were penned, cost him more labour than can be thought requisite for the despatch of the ordinary business of the world. It may be deemed almost a misfortune to possess such a delicate refinement of taste, as approximates to fastidi ousness. From the temper and disposition of a pedant he was entirely removed. No supercilious frown contracted his brow; words of contemptuous insolence, or of petulant censure, never flowed from his lips. No affectation of superior learning, no bold confidence of dogmatical assertion, de. based his demeanour. Such was his native distrust of himself, that in public company he seldom ventured to declare his sentiments upon subjects, which were per * This paragraph excited the animadversion of a respectable critical Journal, the Monthly Review. VOL. II. C |