A copy of

this work is extant.

SCENA-Grammaticæ Provincia."

Such is the plan of one of these old Tonbridge plays, which were annually performed on "Skinners' Day" for two centuries and a half. Of this work in particular there is a copy in the British Museum; of similar plays a specimen will be found at the end of the book. The boys who acted in the plays had each to pay a small fine, or were in later times expected to make a donation towards the School library, which was built during Mr. Cawthorn's time. An entry in one of the library MS. books says:

"Benefactors to the library from the year 1718 to 1725. Extract "The scholars that then acted the Bellum Grammaticale gave 17. 15s."

from a MS. in the School library conold Ton

plays.

The first known gratuity that was given to the Master cerning the in addition to his salary, was in 1721, when on June 8th, bridge it was ordered by the Skinners' Company, that "twenty guineas be given to Richard Spenser, schoolmaster of Tunbridge School, to encourage his care and diligence therein," and, June 13th, 1734, "five guineas to Mr. Elcock, usher, for the year last past." Again, in 1742, June 17th, "thirty guineas to Richard Spenser, and ten guineas to Mr. John Maynott, usher." These sums continued to be paid

annually for many years.

Rev. J. Cawthorn's

UPON

JAMES CAWTHORN, M.A.

1743-1761

PON the resignation of Mr. Spencer, the Rev. James Cawthorn filled his place. He is known to the public as a poet, beginning, about the age of seventeen, in 1738, the same year that he went to Clare Hall, Cambridge, with "The Perjured Lover." He was born at Sheffield, and was educated partly in a school at Kirby Lonsdale, early edu- Westmoreland, and partly at Rotherham, Yorkshire. While at the former school he started a periodical called "The Tea Table," probably more laudable for its aim, than for actual literary merits. After leaving the University, he was Usher to Martin Clare', author of the "Treatise on Fluids," whose daughter he

cation.

1 There is an inscription in the first volume of the Philosophical Transactions, in the School Library at Tonbridge, in the following words: - "Bibliothecæ Scholæ publicæ grammaticalis apud Tunbrigienses, comitatu Cantii; in usum

married; but their children

studiosæ juventutis, humanioribus literis ibidem incumbentis, sub auspiciis generi sui doctissimi Jacobi Cawthorn, ejusdem Scholæ Archididasculi-Martinus Clare, A.M. F.R.S. Dono dedit. Anno 1745."

racter and

died in infancy. Indeed, his most beautiful poem is "A Father's Extempore Consolation," written on the death of his twin children. In 1743 he went to Tonbridge, and gained a reputation for great strictness and severity. His His chacharacter was peculiar; though harsh in school matters, fondness in society he was pleasant; with a great love of fine arts, for literahe was passionately fond of music, and yet this was almost music. the only art with which he had no technical acquaintance. He was a bad horseman, but a constant rider; indeed, he had been known to ride from Tonbridge to London, to hear a concert, between the afternoon of one day and seven o'clock in the morning of the next. He was constantly in the habit of giving his boys lessons in rhetoric every week, His system throwing on the floor of the School-room a Virgil or Shakespeare, or some such book, and challenging any of his pupils. to speak a speech against him. It is a notable example of the system of oral and colloquial instruction, now too much shelved to make room for book learning, which was much in vogue at that time.

of oral instruction.

works.

Mr. Cawthorn's works were published by subscription in His literary 1771. Among the list of subscribers are many of the surrounding gentry, as J. Children, Esq., W. Scoones, Esq., William Woodgate, Esq., of Summer Hill, Sir Sampson Gideon, Rev. Johnson Towers, Master of Tonbridge School, several of the Woodfalls, and the Master of the Skinners' Company, to whom the book is dedicated. The editor, by mistake, attributes to him, and inserts in his collection, a little poem called "Poverty and Poetry," of which he was not the author. His imitation of Pope's "Abelard to Eloisa," however peculiar the subject, shows much depth of feeling; and his collection of poems proves him capable

His

dialogues for "

of great variety of power, from the gay style of Horace, to solid reflection and satires on men and manners. He composed several dialogues for the annual recitations on Skin- "Skinners' Day." In the year of his death he had apners' Day." pointed Virgil's fifth Eclogue for the approaching visitation. Eight of these dialogues are given in "Chalmers' English Poets," vol. xiv. p. 229. These are the subjects

(1) 1746. "The equality of human conditions."

(2) 1752. "Nobility: a moral essay."

(3) 1753. "Lady Jane Grey to Lord Guildford Dudley : an epistle. In the manner of Ovid."

(4) 1755. "The regulation of the passions the source of human happiness: a moral essay."

(5) 1756. "Of Taste: an essay."

(6) 1757. "Wit and Learning: an allegory."

(7) 1760. "Life Unhappy, because we use it improperly: a moral essay."

(8) 1760. "The Temple of Hymen: a tale."

He printed two occasional sermons in 1746, one of which was preached before the Governors of the School at St. Antholin's, in London. Lord Eardley was at School under Mr. Cawthorn, and though he never mentioned his Master's name without trepidation, yet as a mark of respect he bought for him the next presentation to a valuable living, which, however, did not become vacant during his life. His acci- That life was unfortunately cut short by an accident which happened in 1761. Mr. Cawthorn was out for a ride, and while his horse was preparing to drink at the pond opposite the house built by Mr. Hayton, and since bought by Mr. Deacon, on Quarry Hill, Tonbridge, it stumbled and threw its rider. This caused Mr. Cawthorn an injury of a broken

dental

death.