er Elliot entered he laid down fourpence, which
he found was the fee for his admission into the school. This sum was
given to a certain poor scholar, who was engaged to attend to the
schoolrooms, swept them out, and also kept the seats and desks clean--
John Tobin was his name. Ernst took a liking to the lad because he
seemed so humble and quiet, and ready to oblige. His cheeks were
somewhat hollow and his garments threadbare, for in truth the fourpence
he received, though not a sum to be despised, was not sufficient to
maintain him in much luxury. John Tobin had also a widowed mother,
already advancing in life, whom he did his utmost to support, and he
looked forward to the time when he should, by the result of his labours,
enable her to live in more comfort than she then could. Ernst, in
course of time, made friends with several of his schoolfellows, who will
be mentioned hereafter. He had to be up early every morning to take his
breakfast and be away to school, as the hours of study were from 7 to 11
a.m., and from 1 to 5 p.m.

On one side of the hall was a chapel, where the pupils assembled for
prayers on first collecting in the morning, as also at noon, and again
in the evening. Ernst, having been brought up a strict Calvinist, was
not altogether pleased at seeing, over the chair of the head master, an
image of the boy Jesus, albeit it was a beautiful work of art.

It was in the gesture of teaching. All the scholars on going into the
hall, as also on departing, were taught to salute it with a hymn. Above
the figure there was a painting, intended to represent God the Father,
under which was written the words, "Hear ye Him!" These words were
placed there, Ernst heard, at the suggestion of the great Dutch scholar
Erasmus, who was a friend of Dean Colet, and who, some years before, had
visited London. Under the figure also were some lines in Latin, written
by the same learned person. Behind the school was a playground
surrounded by cloisters, where the pupils played in rainy weather.

As is well-known, it was the custom for the elder boys in some schools,
and other youths, to assemble on stages at Barthelmy Fair, where they
held disputations on various subjects, much in the way as is done in the
Netherlands. The scholars at Dean Colet's school were, however,
interdicted from this amusement, he considering it as tending only to
idle jabbering.

His great wish was that they all should learn pure and chast