Eton College Author(S): Dotted Crotchet Source: the Musical Times, Vol
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Eton College Author(s): Dotted Crotchet Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 49, No. 790 (Dec. 1, 1908), pp. 765-774 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/907820 Accessed: 05-11-2015 10:05 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/ info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Musical Times Publications Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Musical Times. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 159.178.22.27 on Thu, 05 Nov 2015 10:05:08 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE MUSICAL I, TIMES.-DECEMIBER I908. 765 who foundedWinchester College and New College, mZusi ime. Oxford,the one being a nursery,so to speak, of 6b ccal the other. Thus the gentle and saintly scholar- king did for Cambridge what the eminent DECEMBER I, I908. ecclesiastic had done for Oxford. The original charterof Eton- dated October i i, I44o-decreed that the College was to consist of 'a Provost,ten Fellows, four Clerks, six Choristers, a School- ETON COLLEGE. master, twenty-fivepoor and indigent Scholars, and the same number of poor and infirmmen.' Ye distantSpires, ye antiqueTowers, To quote furtherfrom Sir Henry Maxwell Lyte's That crownthe wat'ryGlade, History of Eton College (1889): 'This scheme Wheregrateful Science stilladores be said to have united the characteristicsof a Her Henry'sholy Shade ; may And thatfrom the Brow college of secular priests,a school for boys, and ye stately an almshouse for men. The Almshouses Of WINDSOR'S th' Expanse below poor Heights the own Of Grove,of Lawn, of Mead survey, were suppressed during Founder's life- Whose Turf,whose shade, whose Flowersamong time; the College of priests,after more than four Wandersthe hoaryThames along centuriesof honourable existence,has lately been His Silver-windingWay. doomed to destruction; while the School has risento an unrivalled of Ode on a distantProspect of Eton College. 1747. gradually pitch prosperity, and has the revenues THOMASGRAY (An Etonian). practicallymonopolised and the veryname of Eton College.' King Henry the Sixth had not completed his To return to the original Statutes. The four nineteenth year when he founded 'The Kynge's Clerks were to be 'skilled in chant, of whom one College of our Ladye of Eton, beside Windsore.' only, the organist and instructorof the choristers, Born at Windsor, the boy monarch naturally may be married.' All the Clerks were to receive desired that his noble conception should be placed 'commons and livery,' and the stipend of the within the range of his vision, and under the organist was fixed at ?/6. The Scholars were to shadow of the castle in which he drew his first be 'poor and needy boys of good character,with breath. In founding Eton College and its a competentknowledge of reading,of the grammar complement, King's College, Cambridge, Henry of Donatus, and of plain song.' It is very followedthe good exampleof Williamof Wykeham, interestingthus to findthat music (plain song) was A-PA 4T 'tlpXA-S ) /jE::, ElI ..:..o MAX::;:imp,-iii~---_::i-::1?i--ii~-ii j::::-:::z ip-: :::j::UL.:It :::::-i_--:l~--:l:-_-:--:--:j::;-_-:i~-ii:i:i~i-:-i:ii-. -::- :Fi:i-i : j -. - : ::: -. i --:::i-: :- : ::"- wiii--iiAL il--ii-iii~~_:ii-~-, -~?i?-'-:::::-'-: ::: :--:- :::W A?: i~i~i~iii~iiii:::i:'-i::?:i~ii--:i~ii-:~ii~iiiiii~i~i~ iii4i-m- ETON COLLEGE, circa 169o. (From Loggan's 'Cantabrigia Illustrata.') This content downloaded from 159.178.22.27 on Thu, 05 Nov 2015 10:05:08 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 766 THE MUSICAL TIMES.-DECEMBER I, 1908. 4Ar ...... .... ............ LUPTON'S TOWER. THE FOUNDER'S STATUE. THE CHAPEL. THE SCHOOL YARD. (Photograhk by Messrs. Hills & Saunders, Eton.) one of the three essentials required for all boys now been resumed. In Chapel the Provost who came to Eton. By inference, music occupies the firststall on the south side, and the undoubtedly formed part of the original curri- Vice-Provostthe correspondingone on the north culum,only to be ignored througha long period side. of years; now, however,it rightlyassumes its place The boyson theFoundation are called Collegers. in the list of studies, and the warmencouragement Sir Henry Maxwell Lyte says that the earliest the art receives from the present Head Master known instanceof the use of the termOppidans- (the Hon. and Rev. E. Lyttelton) is nothing more boys who live in the houses of theirtutors (assistant or less than a return to the intentions of the masters)-is in the Audit Book for1557-58, which Founder of this splendid College which has contains a charge 'for two newe chandlestycksfor become one of the greatesteducational institutionsthe opydans in the Churche,ijs. vjd.' Mr. Wasey of the country. Sterrystates that ' their[i.e., theOppidans'] original As a matterof conveniencethis briefsketch may style was "Commensales," These Commensales be divided thus (i), historyof the School; (2), its seem to have been of two orders,corresponding to buildings; (3), the College Library; (4), the commonersand gentlemen-commonersat Oxford; Chapel Services,and (5), the musical curriculum. they were to be admitted to board and lodge in The School was opened in the year 1442. Its the College, paying therefor,but to be instructed firstHead Master was William Waynflete,founder in grammargratis.' * William Paston (died 1466) of Magdalen College, Oxford. He was a great was one of the earliest Oppidans (Commensales), favouritewith Henry VI., who induced him to as was probably also Sir Thomas Pope (1507?- exchangethe headmastership of WinchesterCollege 1559), founderof TrinityCollege, Oxford. forthat of Eton. Waynfleteaccordingly came to At that time (the 16th century)the title Custos Eton, bringingwith him fiveFellows and thirty-five(or dunce) was applied to any boy who was scholars from Winchester,who thus formed the detected talking in English during lesson time, nucleus of a school which has in course of time missing three words in repeating a rule in developed into its present state of prosperityand grammar,or making three mistakes in spelling. fame. The first Provost was Henry Sever, As at Winchester, the Eton Scholars were chaplain and almoner to HenryVI., and afterwardsawakened at fiveo'clock by one of the praepostors Warden of Merton College, Oxford. And here it (monitors),who shouted 'Surgite.' While dressing should be stated that the important office of they chanted prayers,probably Latin psalms in Provost (since 1884 successfullyheld by the Rev. alternateverses. Each boy had to make his own Dr. Hornby,a formerHead Master) carrieswith it bed, and to sweep the dust fromit into the middle the duties of chairmanof the governingbody, or of the Long Chamber, whence it was removed by to be more accurate, 'The Provost and Fellows,' * ' Annals of the King's College of our Lady of Eton beside Windsor. forafter a period of transition,the old title has By Wasey Sterry, M.A. London: Methuen & Co., 1898. P. 53. This content downloaded from 159.178.22.27 on Thu, 05 Nov 2015 10:05:08 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE MUSICAL TIMES.-DECEMBER I, 1908. 767 four juniors selected for the purpose by the (the Translation of King Edward the Confessor) pra;postors. When these chambermaidduties had and Easter, the boys had to rise at four o'clock been discharged,the scholars marched downstairs in the morning in order to receive religious two and two to wash at the 'children's pump.' instructionbefore beginning the ordinarylessons of Their ablutions ended, they at once proceeded to the day. After dinner on All Souls' day they their places in the school-room. The Usher repeated prayersfor the dead, read aloud mournful entered at six (a.m., it should be remembered) passages selected by the master,and wroteverses and, kneelingat the upper end of the room, said about the gloryof the resurrection,the blessedness prayers. While he was engaged in teaching the of souls, and the hope of immortality! Such was lower forms,one of the praepostorsmade a list the life of an Eton boy three-and-a-halfcenturies of those who were late for prayers, while the ago. How differentfrom his school in this * days Praepostor immundorumhad to examine the year of grace 90o8! faces and hands of his schoolfellows,in order To make mention of all the various changes- to report to the Master, at seven a.m., any educational, administrative,and social-that have who had appeared dirty. Work was then carried taken place at Eton College during its wonderful on until afternine, when the boys were doubtless history,would be beyond the scope of this article. quite ready fortheir breakfast,and at ten o'clock Referencewill be made to some of these changes one of the praepostorsshouted 'Adprecesconsurgite,' in due course. In the meantime it should be to recall the boys to school, where, standing in stated that the original statutes were repealed in order on each side of the room they recited 1872, and that since then the educational system further prayers. Dinner was at eleven, school has been much modernized,though classics still again fromnoon till three,playtime ended at four, retain theirpre-eminence. and after another hour of lessons the boys left Despite those inevitable numerical fluctuations school, apparently for supper; more lessons which take place in schools, Eton has steadily between six and eight; at seven a slice of bread increased in public favour, so much so that it and a draught of beer, and at eight o'clock those occupies the premierposition among the public wearychildren went to bed chantingprayers.