Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-03-25

HOW THEY TAUGHT GRAMMAR, FLoGGED THE
BOYS AND PAID THE TEACHERS.

HOW THET TAUGHT GRAMMAR, FLoGGED THE
BOYS AND PAID THE TEACHERS.
From the New York Times
Prof. +. +. Leighton, Phi. D., read
paper on The System Of Education IN
Ancient Rome" before the Long Island
historical society last evening. Great at
tention, the reader said, was paid among
the Romans to the study of grammar and
Of correct modes of expression. In socie-
tv pure grammer was a subject of fashion
able conversation. Crates, the Greek
professor. instituted the first course of
lectures on the subject Lucillius, in
the ninth book of his Satires, inaugura-
ted the first spelling reform. Dionysius
Thray wrote the first elementary gram
mar. After the Punic wars the Greek
culture became so fashionable that by
many il WAS preferred TO their mother
tongue. Gieek VAS the language of
diplomacy, art, science, poetry and phil
osophy. At seven years of age the Ro-
man bows studied Greek and Latin gram
mar together. The sons of centurions
went to school at > o'clock A. N, with
their satchels and counting tables slung
over their shoulders, and studied IN
school-rooms on the ground floor, where
they were so well and thoroughly tiogged
that their howls-aroused the neighbors at
yery unreasonable hours. Martial and
satirists spoke OF their cries and blubber-
ing as one Of the chief nuisances of the
early morning hours-almost as great
nest to late risers rs our street cries III
TACT. The masters were great discliplina-
rians, and esteemed corporal punishment
one Of the chief means of Inducing that
precious boon, knowledge, into dull
heads. If boy pronounced single
SYLLABLE wrong, he was beaten black and
blue, and his body so covered with weals
and welts that it resembled a patchwork
coverlet, or a coat OF many colors. The
ancients believed that boys were naturally
vicious, and required tanning. So great
teacher as Plato laid down the axiom
that "A boy was the most feroclous OF
animals" Others, like Quintilian. pro-
tested against undue ilogging. Pictures
found in Herculaneum showed that the
English system of fiogging was likewise
in vogue also, that IN some schools both
sexes were taught together, although the
education Of girls was comparatively ne
elected. In the higher social circles girls
were taught music and dancing and othei
fashionable branches, as nowadays.
School books were as cheap IS with us
fifty years ago. A textbook Of 200 verses
could be had in three separate editions
for 50. 80, end even as low as eight cents.
Tuition wGs very cheap, less than cent
day. The boys had holidays i'll March
and December. and q long vacation in the
summer, from June 2i TO October 10, Q
great part of which was spent with theil
parents at Roman Newports and Coney
Islands. At IA they were put into hi8l
schools, where they studied rhetoric
poetry, and belles-lettres generally, thei
previous efforts having been confined t,
reading, writing and arithmetic, will
Greek and Latin grammar and verses
The younger children were taught thei
letters and numerals by means OF smal
ivory blocks, as at the present day. III
paw of teacher was $50 a year-abou
100 times less than that oi ballet dan
Ger