H́nh ảnh trang
PDF
ePub

altogether suppressed in France in the year 1444, when the faculty of theology at Paris issued circular letters for that purpose; but it seems impossible to state with any precision, when it disappeared entirely at any place, except at Sens, where it ceased in 1528, because it is said to be mentioned in edicts of a much later date, and 'particularly in one so low as 1620; but there is very good reason for supposing it to have been confounded with the Feast of the Innocents, which, from the best consideration I have been able to give it, appears to have been a very different ceremony, and to have existed long after the abolition of the Feast of Fools.

M. Ducange has cited the ceremonial for this festival, belonging to the cathedral of Viviers, in 1365, and another for Sens has been described by M. Lancelot, in vol. 7, of the " Mem. de l'Acad. des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres." The latter is a long folio, covered with ivory, on which some of the ceremonies of the festival itself are said to be rudely sculptured. Of this a transcript on vellum is preserved in the French national library at Paris. No. 1351, which is thus described " Officium stultorum ad usum metropoleos et premitialis ecclesiæ Senonensis: cum notis, musicis. At the beginning is written, "Transcriptus est liber sequens, vel potius officium, ex originali perantiquo in thesauro metropolitana Senonensis ecclesiæ conservato, ex utraque parte foliis eburneis munito, nunc in auctivis capitularibus incluso.' Engravings from these ivory covers would be very desirable, and I shall take this opportunity of hazarding a remark, that many of the grotesque figures in the illuminated religious manuscripts generally, but erro

neously, called missals, as well as some of the sculptures in ancient cathedrals, have a reference to the subject in question.

The Feast of Fools soon made its way into England, but its vestiges here are by no means so numerous as among our neighbours. The ear liest mention of it that I have traced, is under the reign of Henry III. when Grosthead, bishop of Lincoln, in a letter addressed to the dean and chapter of that diocese, about the year 1240, thus speaks of it"Execrabilem etiam consuetudinem que consuevit in quibusdam ecclesiis observari de faciendo festo stultorum, speciali authoritate rescripta apostolici penitus inhibemus, ne de domo orationis fiat domus ludibrii, et acerbitas circumcisionis Domini Jesu jocis et voluptatibus subsannetur. Qua propter vobis mandamus in virtute obedientiae firmiter injungentes, quatenus festum stultorum cum sit vanitate plenum et voluptatibus spurcum, Deo odibile et damonibus amabile, de cetero in ecclesia Lincoln die venerande solemnitatis circumcisionis Domini nullatenus permittatis fieri." Whatever effect this inhibition might have had in the place to which it immediately related, it is certain that the Feast of Fools continued to be ob served in various parts of the kingdom, for more than a century afterwards. It was probably abolished about the end of the fourteenth century; for, in some statutes and ordinations, made by Thomas Arundel, archbishop of York, for the better government of the collegiate church of St. John, at Beverley, in 1391, there is the following regulation:-"In festis insuper sanctorum Stephani, Diaconis, et Johannis, Vicarîis; ac sanctorum innocentium, Thuribulariis et Choristis; in die 3 S4

etiam

etiam circumcisionis domini, subdia-
conis et clericis de secunda forma de
victualibus annis singulis, secundum
morem et consuetudinem ecclesiæ ab
antiquo usitatos, debite ministrabit
(i. e. præpositus) antiqua consuetu-
dine immo verius corruptela regis
stultorum infra ecclesiam et extra
hactenus usitata sublata et extirpata."
This festival has by many writers
been strangely confounded with the
ceremony of electing a boy-bishop
in cathedrals and other places.
Ducange, followed by Du Tilliot,
quotes from Dugdale's Monasticon,
an inventory of ornaments, &c.
belonging to the cathedral of York,
in 1510, wherein are mentioned a
small mitre and a ring, for the
"episcopus puerorum," from which
he has inferred that the Feast of
Fools continued till that period in
England but it is evident that this
refers to the clection of a boy-bishop,
a ceremony not only of a serious
nature, and instituted in honour of
St. Nicholas, or, as some have, I
think erroneously, conceived, in
remembrance of the massacre of the
Innocents, but which uniformly took
place on the 6th of December, St.
Nicholas's Day, from which time to
the Feast of the Innocents, this boy-
bishop remained in office. But I
purposely wave any further discus-
sion of this subject, because I feel
much pleasure in reflecting that it
will most probably find a place
amidst a general exhibition of our
popular customs and antiquities, by
the masterly hand of my valuable
and learned friend, the secretary of
this society, and shall conclude my
remarks on the Feast of Fools, with
stating that numerous imitations of
it arose in various places, and on

[blocks in formation]

the feast of the ass; the elections of
an abbe des conards on cornards, of
an abbe des esclaffards, of an abbe
de malgouverne, whence our abbot.
or lord of mis-rule, ofa prince des sets,
(sometimes called mere folle, or folt
of a prince de plaisance, a prince de
l'estrille, a prevot des etourdis, &
roi des ribauds, and some others ofa
similar nature. It is now time to
advert to the more ned:ate su
ject of the extrbon which has
given rise to this imperfect commu
nication. It is a girdle which tra
dition reports to have been worn by
the abbot of fools, in the cathedr!
of Dijon, on his election into office.
From the style of it, I conceive it
to belong to the fourteenth century.
It consists of
of thirty-five square
pieces of wood, so contrived as lo
let into each other, by which means
it easily assumes a circular form
On these are carved a variety
ludicrous and grotesque figures.
consisting of fools, tumblers, hunts
men, and animals, with others, that
from their licentiousness do M
admit of a particular description.
They bear, on the whole, a very
striking similitude to the sculptures
on the seats of the stalls in our co-
thedrals and monastic buildings,
which were, no doubt, conceived
ridicule of the clergy in general, b
more particularly of the friars; of.
as I have already observed, they
may, in some instances at least, telet
to the mockeries that were practised
in celebrating the Feast of Fools. E
only remains to add, that for the
possession of this, perhaps unique
curiosity, I am indebted to the lite
rality of monsieur l'abbe de Terses
of Paris.

MISCELLANEOU

[ocr errors]

MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS.

State of Education in France. From Recollections of Paris, in 1802-34-5. By J. Pinkerton. Vol. I.

THE

HE state of education, in any country, is of infinite consequence to its prosperity and glory. It may be doubted whether even the form of government have such decided influence on the talents and happiness of the individual.

In the Roman Catholic countries of Europe, education had become extremely neglected, before the Jesuits lent their attention to this department. Their method of education has been highly praised: and it is to be supposed that they studied the character of the youth entrusted to their care, and, by the spur of a predominant passion, instigated them in the path that was most adapted to their capacities. It is, however, to be wished, that some patient writer would, from their own publications on this subject, delineate the complete plan of education practised by the Jesuits.

Numerous universities were also scattered over the kingdom; but the mode of education there followed, was far from being the best, as, instead of changing their forms, and adapting themselves to the progress of national illumination, they re

tained a pedantic routine and jargon, wholly useless in the high road of human affairs. This obstinacy led, as usual, to their own destruction; as they could not bend they must break while some colleges, as that of Louis the Great, still exist, because the professors did not choose to sacrifice an useful institution to their own obstinacy or caprice.

As it often happens in human affairs, that the useful is sacrificed to the splendid, the foundation of universities, of very dubious utility, supplanted that of common schools, which may be regarded as the chief pillars of national education. For, if we except divinity and medicine, in which regular degrees are bestowed, it may be questioned whether the education at the French universities, were of the smallest advantage to any other class of mankind. As the military schools have been found to confer such great advantages, it would seem to follow that similar institutions might be allotted to other professions, after the bias of the child has been discovered, which may generally be done about the age of twelve years; before which period the gymnastic exercises ought to be the chief part of education, but might be interspersed with.

the

the native language, writing, and arithmetic. To these, in a French education, ought to succeed a long course of the mathematics, in order to allay the volatility and evaporation of the character.

In the parochial, or common schools, might therefore be taught horsemanship, swimming, fencing, and other gymnastic exercises, and amusements, interspersed with the French language, writing, and arithmetic, and followed by the course of mathematics, which would be found useful in every possible profession. If the conscription must be continued, it is to be regretted that the lots are not drawn at the age of twelve, that needless care and expence might be saved in the education of the boy for another pursuit. At the age of twelve, the boys might be transferred to the Lyceums, or to the special schools for each profession. This separation at the age of twelve, would also be attended with certain beneficial effects, moral and physical, which may easily be divined by parents; the mixture of little boys with those more advanced being of so pernicious a tendency, as to require prohibition by positive laws. In some schools, containing generally boys from the age of seven to that of twelve, a great lad of seventeen or eighteen arrived from some colony for the first rudiments of his education, has been known to corrupt the morals and health of thirty little boys, who before had not even an idea of vice.

After these considerations the present plan of the Lyceums cannot be approved, as there is a great mixture of ages, while they ought not to be permitted to receive any scholars till after the age of 12 years complete. Other foundations might be allotted

to the earlier years of the children of officers killed in battle, or others deserving the public care, an institu tion, by-the-bye, worthy of imita tion. Such foundations might still be styled Prytanées, as maintaining those who have deserved well of their country; while the Lyceums derive their name from a famous university at Athens.

with.

At present the primary school are those which deserve the greatest attention, and would attract the chief care of an enlightened g vernment; but the masters of the Lyceums, and other persons consulted on education, unhappily either affect a contempt for the primary schools, which can alone diffuse a general national education, open the bud of the village rose, increase its scent, and destroy its thorns; et regard them as rivals who may draw a part of their gains. Hence, in conversations with directors and professors of the Prytanées and Ly ceums, I have been not a little hurt by their apparent spirit of monopoly, and their estrangement from the idea of a national education, which might deeply influence the public character, and by opening the mind to modera tion and modesty, the usual concomitants of knowledge, prevent recurrence of scenes of outrage blood, the fruits of ignorance ducted by knavery. These effects of rivalry and jealousy, between the Lyceums and primary schools, would also be effectually prevented by the division of ages above proposed.

the

and

COD

There were formerly two Pryla neums in France, one at Paris, another at St. Cyr, chiefly destined, as the name imports, for the children of men who had deserved well of their country, though they als

boardei

boarded and educated other scholars. But within these two years the name has been formally changed for the common appellation of Lyceums. The most important is that at Paris, formerly the college of Louis the Great. The director Champagne, a member of the Institute, and a man of considerable talents, gave me a plan of the education here pursued, with a work written by himself, on the organization of public instruction. The importance of the subject will merit a few extracts and observations.

It was under the administration of François de Neufchâteau, that the new name of Pry aneum was adopted; and when Chaptal became minister of the interior, one hundred and eighty scholarships were granted at the public expence, and soon after one hundred others, all to be named by the first consul. It was at the same time permitted that other children might share the advantage of the caretul education proposed, on paying a moderate salary. This institution is immediately under the care of the minister of the interior, who names the directors and professors. Mass is celebrated every morning, but no blame is attached to those who do not attend: gymnastic exercises are also mingled with instructions in the moral duties towards their parents, their country, and the Supreme Being; but each scholar is at perfect liberty to follow his own mode of worship.

Instead of the old pedantic routine, simple and practical methods have been adopted. Instead of a general tinge of superficial knowledge, the talents and inclination of the scholars are carefully observed, and directed to such studies as they may pursue with most advantage.

The course of study is divided into three distinct parts. Children are first taught the French language and grammar, a first and indispensable branch, which is never neglected during the whole period of instruction. The Latin tongue is carefully taught by the methods of Condillac and Dumarsais, which spare the time, and sometimes prevent the disgust of the scholars. In this first course, all are taught the elements of arith metic.

To this course, merely elementai and grammatical, succeeds another, in which the scholars are taught composition; and instituted in the elements of literature, French, Latin, and Greek.

In the third course, the education is completed by that kind of instruction which is adapted to their talents and inclinations: rhetoric, philosophy, and the mathematics, with mechanics, surveying, and the first principles of astronomy and chemistry, are laid before the students. Geography is not only studied, but accompanied with the practical art of drawing maps and plans. In history, the scholars write down the lessons, so as to form a little collection of their own composition. In the second and third course all are taught the German and English languages; and the study of drawing is alike universal. A fencing master and a dancing master are each charged with a class of twenty-five scholars, chosen for their good behaviour; but any may be taught these arts, and music, at the expence of their parents. Gymnastic and military exercises, and swimming, are practised by all on the days of vacation. The instruction is not uniform, a plan rather calculated to enchain than to develope the facul

« TrướcTiếp tục »