Mr. Wesley's man, a coat, £1. 13s. 6d.; a chaise for Mr. Wesley to Chorley, 9s. 9d.; Cash on the road, 4s." This principle of maintenance was carried out to a great extent as to the preachers, and is so at the present day. As late as the year 1833, in a circuit like Blackburn, the stipend was paid in this form :—the preacher and his wife each received four guineas per quarter for what was called quarterage; 15s. per week for board; £6 a year for a servant, and half a guinea per quarter for postages and stationery. Hence, assistance in the education of a preacher's sons became recognised as a necessity, and it was seen that this could be provided better at a large school than otherwise.

It has been well said "that the evangelistic side of the history of Methodism is properly so prominent and so truly marvellous that it eclipses in some measure its educational spirit." The Wesleys themselves were educators before they were evangelists, John being a "Fellow" and Charles a tutor at the time the so-called Holy Club began its meetings. So that it was quite in accordance with their practice that they maintained that to be a Christian was a man's first necessity, and to be a scholar was a consequent necessity.

Whitefield had no sooner witnessed the effects of his preaching to the degraded colliers of Kingswood, than he set about establishing a school there for the education of their children. Being under the necessity of visiting America, he handed to Mr. Wesley his scheme, which the latter heartily entered into. His more practical instinct led him to widen Mr. Whitefield's basis. Instead of a school

merely for the children of the miners, he endeavoured to found a "Christian school such as would not disgrace the Apostolic age," for the benefit of Methodist children generally, not only of Kingswood, but of other places. He happened one day to state his plans to a lady of wealth, who was so impressed by his statement, that unsolicited she presented him with bank notes to the value of five hundred pounds, to which, with equal readiness, she added three hundred more. This handsome gift enabled him to establish Kingswood School, to which he gave a curriculum of which he said, "Whoever carefully goes through this course, will be a better scholar than nine-tenths of the graduates of Oxford or Cambridge." Wesley was before his day, for the school was not supported as he expected. Nevertheless, through many embarrassments, it struggled on until in 1787, when it was changed from a school for Methodists generally, and became a school for "the education of the sons of itinerant Methodist preachers."

The Rev. John Hammond, a contemporary of Mr. Wesley, in his Memoirs of him, says: "The rules of the school discover a large mixture of singularity and good sense. The general plan of education was well calculated to give the pupils a good share of classical learning. Most of the classics, for obvious reasons, he extracted. He permitted no translation whatever; and his grammars, which are very concise, are in English. The order in which the higher books were read was much the same as in other schools; but in the first class, instead of Corderius or Eutropius, he introduced a book of his own composition, entitled, Prælectiones Pueriles, and written in easy yet not

inelegant Latin. The second class read Kempis and Erasmus. Pope's observation, that 'whate'er is best administered is best,' may be applied with great propriety to Kingswood School. Had it been ably governed, it must have been more extensively useful. There were some errors in the management of this institution, which to mention is to condemn." It was a rule that the boys should rise at four. They were not permitted to play on any consideration, because, as Mr. Wesley says, "he that plays while he is a boy will play when he is a man;" and the frequent returns of prayers and sermons, and exhortations, were such as to give, not a taste for religion, but a loathing. Each of these rules carries absurdity upon the face of it. What shall a boy do, shivering in the cold, from four till eight in a winter's morning? It is true he may hear prayers and sing hymns, but we venture to say he will be so heartily weary of both that they will scarcely do him much good! The rule concerning play is, if possible, still more unreasonable than the former. Everyone knows that much and even vigorous exercise is necessary for boys. They have in all ages been indulged in youthful sports and recreations, from the courtly and elegant Horace to the most illustrious of modern heroes, and yet it did not prevent their future eminence!

The father of Dr. Adam Clarke and afterwards the famous commentator, Joseph Benson, held the office of head master at Kingswood School.

At the commencement of the present century the number of ministers was increasing so very fast that it became evident that one school for their sons would not be sufficient, and there was one far-seeing mind that grasped

the fact.

That one was Jabez Bunting. In his life of his father, Mr. T. P. Bunting tells his readers that "during this Conference," which was held at Sheffield in 1811, and of which Charles Atmore was president, "a principle was established, the adoption of which must be attributed mainly, if not exclusively, to my father's patient and judicious exertions. It had become necessary to acquire a second school for the education of ministers' sons. Yorkshire was selected as the most favourable situation, and the Woodhouse Grove estate was fixed upon. It was

the largest pecuniary enterprise in which the Conference had ever engaged. Yorkshire Methodists were sensible, hearty, and liberal; and it was obvious that their services in the management of this secular concern might be turned to good account. Hence, six gentlemen of that county were placed upon the committee appointed to superintend the fitting up and furnishing of the academy, and to prepare it for the purposes of education. I believe no opposition was offered to this important measure, All that Dr. Clarke had to say as he left the platform of the Conference, ere its close, was to beg that not a single tree on the estate about to be purchased might be cut down. Wise men," adds Mr. Bunting, "sometimes concern themselves greatly about trifles, while revolutions pass unobservedly before their eyes." At that time James Wood, George Marsden, and Charles Glayne were stationed at Leeds; Thomas Bartholomew, John Kershaw, and John Storey at Bradford; whilst at Halifax were Jabez Bunting, William Leach, and Mark Dawes. As it was from these three towns that the laymen were drawn who afterwards formed the committee of the

school, there is no doubt that the members of this preliminary committee were found there. When the committee met, they resolved that a subscription should be opened, and that each preacher should be asked for a guinea towards the purchase.

A printed list still exists of the subscriptions of the preachers, a copy of which is in the possession of Mr. Matthew Harrison, of Chester, who was a scholar at Kingswood when the Grove was opened as a school. His father, Robert Harrison, was a preacher, and contributed for himself £5, and a pound each for his two sons, Matthew and Stephen; his brother Thomas' name also appearing for £5. The following preachers' names and subscriptions are found in the list, amongst others: William Atherton (father of a former Attorney-General), £5. 5s.; Joseph Benson, 10. 1os.; Jabez Bunting, £5. 5s.; Charles Burton (afterwards Dr. Burton, for many years a well-known clergyman in Manchester), £5; Dr. Adam Clarke, £5. 5s.; Marshall Claxton (father of the celebrated historical painter), £5. 5s.; Jonathan Crowther, £5. 5s.; Joseph Entwistle, £10. 10s.; James Everett, £2. 2s.; John Farrar (father of the late minister of that name), and Abraham E. (John's elder brother), each £2. 2s.; Thomas Fletcher (father of the last governor of the school), £2. 2s.; Joseph Fowler (father of H. H. Fowler, M.P.), £1. IS.; Benjamin Gregory (father of the editor), I. Is.; Thomas Jackson, £2; George Marsden, £10. Ios.; Miles Martindale (afterwards governor),

1. IS.; Robert Melson (father of Dr. Melson), £3. 35.; Robert Newton, £5. 5s.; John Rigg (father of Dr. Rigg), £2. 25.; Thomas Slugg (the author's father), £2. 2s.; John