1655. Our school was kept in the town house.

1656. A committee are empowered to have 'the schoolehouse repayred.' 1657.-A bill came to hand to make a rate for the Colledge' for £5 68. 1663.-Tax for the same, £6 12s.

1668.-Voted £3 to Edward Norris so that he may have a chimney built in his school-house, and £5 for his incouragement for teaching of children for the yeare ensuinge.' £8 to the College.

1669.-Business to be done about a schoole for the towne.'

1670, Feb. 21.-A meeting of inhabitants ordered in March, to consider 'of a grammer scoole maister.'

April 5.-The selectmen shall take care to prouide a Grammer scool maister and agree with him for his mayntenance.'

July 5.-A committee are to agree with Daniel Epes, Jr. 18th. He was to have £20 a year from the town 'in such pay as may be sutable for him; to haue, besides, halfe pay for all scollers of the towne and whole pay from strangers.' His salary was £60.

1671.-Colledge money' £6. The expression, where the scoolhouse formerly stood,' was used in an account. 'Voated that the selectmen shall take care to provide a house for Mr. Epps to keep skoole in.' 'Edward Norice shall haue £10 allowed him for the year ensueing, towards his maintainance and this to be paid out of the towne rate.'

1672, Jan. 16.-Bill granted by selectmen to pay Daniel Andrews 'for keeping skoole in his house and mending the skoole house, that now is.' £1 188.

That we may have a general view of education, at this time, in Massachusetts, and thus have some idea of what it then was in Salem, the subsequent extract is given from the election sermon of Rev. Thomas Shepard, delivered in the same year :

'O that inferior schools were every where so settled and encouraged, as that the College (which the Lord hath made to be a spring of blessing to the land) might not now languish for want of a sufficient supply of young ones from them! There is a great decay in inferior schools, it were well if that, also, were examined and the cause thereof removed, and foundations laid for Free schools, where poor scholers might be then educated by some public stock.'

1673, Jan. 4.-The town records show that Mr. Norris resumed the Grammar school the preceding July 17, for one year, and that a rate of £10 is now ordered for him accordingly. They, also, speak of bills, due Mr. Eppes for similar service 'till he went out of towne.' This implies, that the latter had left his employment here and gone elsewhere. How long he staid is unknown. It will be seen, under 1677, that he was invited to take the school, and in so formal a manner, as to indicate, that he may then have been about to return. If so, Mr. Norris may have superintended the school, during his absence, though such was the distressed condition of the whole Colony, on account of the Indian war, that it is likely there was not so great a call, as usual, for such service for about two years.

In Nov. of 1676, the town allowed Mr. Norris £3 for the use of his house, 15 months, which time, it is likely, he spent in teaching the Grammar scholars.

1673, Dec.-As five men neglected to have their children instructed and brought up to some useful calling, our selectmen advertised that such children would be put out to service.

1675.-At the May session, General Court ordered letters for all town clerks, in which the ministers were desired to promote the payment of contributions, due for the new College building, and the subscription of more for its completion.

1677, April 7.—'Voted by y towne y' Mr. Daniell Epps is called to bee a grammar schoole master for y towne, soe long as hee shall continue and performe y said place in y towne, prouided hee may haue w' shall bee anually allowed him, not by a towne rate, butt in some other suteable way.'

June 28th.-The selectmen 'agreed with Mr. Eppes to teach all such scholars, as shall be sent to him from persons in town in y English, Latin, and Greek tongue soe as to fit them for y Vniuersity, if desired and they are capable; alsoe, to teach them good manners and instruct them in y principles of Christian Religion.' He is to receive for each scholar 20s. a year, and if this is not enough to make £60, the selectmen will make up this sum; or, if more than enough, to have it and the price of tuition for scholars out of town and a right to commonage, and be free from all taxes, trainings, watchings, and wardings.

1678, Feb. 17.-Mr. Eppes had received from his scholars, toward a half year's salary, £17 19s. 10d. The balance he was to have from rent of certain commons, of Baker's and Misery Islands, as the proportion from the town.

May 9.-Joseph Brown, son of William, who had preached several years at Charlestown, left £50 toward paying for education at the Salem Grammar school.

1680, April 5.-A return is made from Salem to the committee in Boston, 'concerning y colledge money and Lt. John Pickering chosen and sent for that end.' For this edifice our townsmen gave £130 2s. 3d., of which Rev. John Higginson gave £5, Messrs. Edmund Batter £20, and William Brown, Jr., £40. 1682, Dec. 18.-£25 5s. 3d., a donation for the Grammar school, by William Brown, Sen., was loaned on interest.

1684, March 8.-Having appropriated annually from £10 to £15, for the use of Mr. Edward Norris, from the first and last resignation of his office in favor of Mr. Eppes till the present, the town once more voted him the latter sum, which was the last of the kind he lived to receive and enjoy. Thus to smooth the passage of so worthy a man to the grave, was an act of justice, as well as of kindness to him, who had expended the vigor of his life and intellect to enlighten this community with useful instruction. Such expressions are among the redeeming traits of fallen humanity, and lead us to feel that there is some flesh in mortal hearts.

1687, Feb. 7.—We hear again from the family of noble views and liberal hands. William Brown, Sen., gave to the Grammar school the remainder of a

farm which had been granted to him by Salem, but not surveyed.

1688, Jan. 20.-Breathing his last amid the influences which crowned his life, the same benefactor, besides his other literary bequests, left £50 to the same school. This donation was made to lessen the charge of tuition.

1691.-An interesting notice is contained in a Boston Almanac. It relates

to the New England Primer of a second edition then in press. The purpose of this little book in our schools is denoted by its name. It is represented as being enlarged with more directions for spelling, the prayer of Edward VI., and the verses said to have been written by John Rogers, the martyr. One edition of it, issued at Providence, 1774, has a likeness of George III.; another at Hartford, Conn., 1777, has the portrait of Samuel Adams; and a third, at Boston, of the same year, has a profile of John Hancock. As well known, such a work, of far more utility than size, contained the catechisms of John Cotton, printed 1656, and of the Westminster Assembly. How far it resembled the Primer of Great Britain, which existed before our fathers came to America, is not known to the writer. Locke, the philosopher, mentions a book of this name, in his writings. One called the Royal Primer was common here in 1759. In one form or another, it was probably used in the Primary schools of New England from its first settlement till within a half century.

Here we are reminded of other books, once considered indispensable, but long since laid aside. The Hornbook seems to have been of a simpler plan than the Primer. It was so called because of its horn covers. Shakspeare spake of it as the teacher of boys in his day. It was employed, for a like purpose, in Massachusetts, ninety years ago. It gave rise to an ancient remark, as expressive of ignorance, 'he does not know his hornbook.' This is equivalent to a more modern saying, 'he does not know his letters.'

Under

Another book, early imported, was 'the English Schoole Master,' a 15th edition of which was printed in London, 1624. Its main object was to teach correct reading. The Psalter was long employed for a similar purpose. different modifications, it was known in Europe prior to the colonization of our territory. One, styled the New England Psalter of 1784, has the psalms of David, the proverbs of Solomon, the sermon of Christ on the Mount, and the Nicene creed. It was advertised in Salem, 1771. It was read, in some Massachusetts schools, to 1793. The Testament and Bible appear to have been read in our schools, for the most part, from their first formation. A bare hint to exclude them from this use would have alarmed our fathers, as treason, to say the least, against the claims of Protestantism.

Among our earliest Arithmetics was James Hodder's. A 28th edition of his was printed in London, 1719. Of the aids to study Geography were the works of G. Meriton, printed in London, 1679, of Laurence Eachard, issued there in a third impression, 1693, and other authors.

Of our ancient English Dictionaries was E. Coles's, published in London, 1692, and another of John Bolloker, the ninth edition of which was printed in London, 1695.

For the Latin language, there was John Brinsley's Accidence, by question and answer, first issued in 1611-12. Another called, 'Directions for young Latinists,' printed in London, 1639. An American publication by Ezekiel Cheever, called the Accidence, and printed about 1650, was long noted for such a study. Hoole's Accidence, 1681. For the Greek, there was the Westminster Grammar of 1671, and other like works. In the Hebrew, was the grammar of William Schickard, issued 1623, and of Buxtorf, printed before 1629. With this view of some books for different branches of education within the first century of our Commonwealth, we pass on to a later period.

1694.-Each able scholar of the town paid 15s. a year at the Grammar school; 1697, paid 12s. in money, and, 1698, paid 18s.

1698, March 15.-The village ask aid in support of their school.

1699, March 1.-Samuel Whitman, who came from Hull, succeeded Mr. Eppes in the Grammar school.

May 9.-The town, in their communication to the selectmen, said, 'you shall giue y Gramer school-master such instructions and directions, as you shall think needfull for regulation of y schoole.'

June 26.-The selectmen ordered that Mr. Whitman have £50 salary in money, each scholar to pay 12 a month, and what this lacked should be made up to him out of the funds 'sett apart for y° Grammer school.'

Aug. 25.-They concluded to call John Emerson of Charlestown, as successor to Mr. Whitman; to teach Greek and Latin, writing, ciphering, and 'to perfect such in reading, as can read a chapter competently well.' They were to give him £50 salary out of the funds, and what these fell short, was to be 'proportioned on yo scholars by yo selectmen.' A contract was made with Mr.

Emerson, Sept. 23.

1700, Feb. 9.-As a sample of the income for this school at the date here given, the subsequent items are presented:

The school bell was to be rung at 7 A.M., and 5 P.M. from March 1 to Nov. 1, at 8 A.M. and 4 P.M, from Nov. 1 to March 1, and 'ye school to begin and end accordingly.' The selectmen, in order to proportion the balance due Mr. Emerson, gave the ensuing facts. He had 20 scholars. For the first quarter of his tuition, each scholar was to pay 3s., and, in future, when the pupils are 20 and under, 3s., when 25, 2s. 6d., when 30, 2s, and when 40 and more, 1s. 6d. If any surplus, from this source, it should be for the use of the school.

1700, May 20.-Voted that the inhabitants, without the bridge, have £15 annually, for three years, toward 'learning their children to read, write, and cipher.' Grants, in this direction, as comprising Ryall Side, Middle Precinct, and the Village, were continually made. John Cromwell, who died this year, indicated his judicious and benevolent regard for our community, in a bequest of £20 in money, for a writing and ciphering school. He ordered this sum to be laid out in land and increased until such a school should be set up.

1712, March 10.-As Mr. Emerson had died, a committee are chosen 'to procure a suitable Grammar school master for ye instructing of youth in Grammar > learning and to fitt them for y Colledge and also to learn them to write and cipher and to perfect them in reading.' Thus we have notice of the first Board, who were kept distinct from our selectmen, to superintend the concerns of education. Then commenced the separate records of such a new organization.

June 25th.-John Barnard of Boston, began to keep the Grammar school at £50 a year.

Sept. 1.-Nathaniel Higginson commenced the school for reading, writing, and ciphering 'in the north end of the town,' at £30 a year. Boys, in each of the schools, except those unable, paid 8s. apiece for a year's instruction. In looking over a list of them, we are reminded, that a larger proportion of the indigent scholars became distinguished than of the others.

Dec. 16.-The people at the village voted £5 to 'widow Catherine Dealland,' for teaching school among them, and invited her to do the same service another year, for the like sum. She accepted.

1713, March 9.-The committee, perceiving that 2s. a quarter for each boy of the Latin and English schools, in the body of the town, was insufficient, agreed that it should be 2s. 6d. in money, payable at the commencement of the term. Every 'scholar that goes in winter, to find three feet of wood, or to pay to their masters 4s. 6d. in money, to purchase wood withal.'

Sept. 25.-Obadiah Ayres succeeded Mr. Barnard in the Grammar school at the same compensation. The latter took another school in Boston.

1716, Feb. 14-Departing this life, William Brown left £100 to the Grammar school. The interest of this sum was to be used for lessening the price of tuition there.

1718, July. As the Grammar school was destitute of an instructor, and the town liable to prosecution therefor, they sent off Mr. Pratt, on horseback, to Cambridge, so that their deficiency might be supplied. On this emergency, Col. Samuel Brown, of the kindred whose benevolence always throbbed quick and strong for the honor of Naumkeag, lent 188. to meet the expenses.

1724, Jan 10.-The village schoolmaster was to instruct, one month at a time, in four places, namely, at Will Hill and three positions in the plantation.'

'Samuel Brown grants unto the Grammar school in Salem, to be kept in or near the town house street, £120 passable money, to make the same a free* school, or towards the educating of eight or ten poor scholars, yearly, in the Grammar learning or the mathematics, viz: the mariner's art; the interest thereof to be improved only for that end forever, as a committee, chosen by the town of Salem, for the taking care of said school may direct, with the advice of the minister or ministers of the first church and myself or children or two of the chief of their posterity.' Mr. Brown then stated, that he gave £60 to the English school, so that its income might be applied 'towards making the same a free school, or for learning six poor scholars;' and a like sum to a woman's school, the interest thereof to be yearly improved for the learning of six very poor children their letters and to spell and read, who may be sent to said school six or seven months in the year.'

When Mr. Brown had announced his intention, the selectmen, for themselves and the town, 'did immediately signifie their gratefull acceptance and hearty thanks for so generous and honorable a gift.' Judge Lynde expressed his obligations and asked 'liberty to call for a vote of thanks from the whole assembly, which was done, by a very cheerful lifting up of hands, none excepted.+

1743, May 11.-Voted that the Latin and English schools be united under a

• We here get the meaning of free, as applied to a school-a school in which grammar learning is the staple instruction-a grammar school in the English sense.

↑ Mr. Brown died in May, 1731, bequeathing £150 to the schools, which was apportioned by the town as follows: £50 for the Latin; £50 for the English, and £50 for the Woman's school.