been recorded of Wiclif's life at all of the mies, that he was implicated in them, makes character of a personal anecdote. His ene them a part of the history of his times not to mies, the mendicants, hoping to extort some || be omitted in a sketch of his life. confession of error and some amends for his | After many symptoms of feebleness in the attacks upon them from his weakness, took government, and of disaffection in the people, the opportunity of sending a deputation of the Commons at length [1381] granted a their number to his sick-bed, and, to pursue capitation-tax of three groats on every perthe narrative in the words of Le Bas, “in order | son above fifteen years of age, which was, to heighten the solemnity of the proceeding, || however, to be so assessed, that the imposithey took care to be attended by the civil || tion fell on the individual according to his authorities. Four of their own doctors or estate, no man paying less than one groat, or regents, together with as many senators of more than sixty, for himself and his wife. the city, or aldermen of the wards, accord The collection of this tax gave occasion to ingly entered his chamber; and finding him || a series of popular tumults, which formed a stretched upon his bed, they opened their || characteristic feature not only of Richard's commission by wishing him a happy recovery | reign in England, but of the affairs of other from his distemper. They soon entered, how-|| nations at that time. The lower orders had ever, on the more immediate object of their been long oppressed by the feudal systein, of embassy. They reminded him of the grievous | which almost all the burden fell upon them, wrongs he had heaped upon their fraternity, I though indirectly : for whatever claims thé both by his sermons and his writings; they || sovereign had upon the mesne lord, the same, admonished him that, to all appearance, his l or the like, the mesne lord had on his vassals; last hour was approaching; and they express- || while the lower of these, or the villeins, were ed their hope that he would seize the oppor- || | kept in a state of bondage, in which not only tunity thus afforded him, of making them the || their property but their very persons were only reparation in his power, and penitently enslaved. At the same time, the numerous revoking, in their presence, whatever he miglıt || wars in which they had served placed arms in have uttered or published to their disparage- || their hands, and taught them their use. On ment. This exhortation was heard by him in the continent the most frightful rebellions had silence; but when it was concluded, he or- l occurred, in which many thousands of armed dered his servants to raise him on his pillows; || peasants appeared in the field, under their and then fixing his eyes upon the company, chosen leaders, and murdered the nobility he said, with a firm voice, I shall not die, || wherever they found them, and even stormed but live, and again declare the evil deeds of and carried their strongest castles. Numberthe friares.'

| less proofs had already appeared that there 6 The consternation of the doctors,” con was too much sympathy in the villeins of Engtinues Le Bas, “may easily be imagined. land with what was passing abroad. There They immediately retired in confusion." Yet || can be no question that the absence of the parsurely it is not very easy to imagine that such || ticular provocation of a capitation-tax would a body of men would be appalled under such | only have deferred the outbreak a little longer. circumstances, or that they would retire ex- || The riots, which threatened the most disascept with contempt, however ill bestowed, || trous consequences, began almost simultanefor the apparently dying man. The story, in- | ously in various places, and were excited by deed, does not look very like a true one from as various incidents. At Brentford the peothe beginning, the kind of visit being as un- || ple murdered the jurors and clerks of the comlikely to a sick man under such circumstances | mission appointed to inquire into the conduct as its conclusion is strange: yet it always of the collectors of the tax; and fixing their makes a part of the account of Wiclif's life. | heads on poles, soon arrayed all the commons

The death of Edward III, had intervened || of Essex under these dreadful ensigns. In between these several events. Richard II. | Kent, one of the collectors having demanded was still a minor, when a series of rebel- || the tax from a girl, whose mother declared lions broke out in England, as they had done that she was under the specified age, proshortly before in many parts of the continent. || ceeded to ascertain the fact by an indecent In England the instigators of these rebellions | exposure of the girl's person; when her father contrived to give a religious colour to their || came in, and beat out his brains with a hamproceeding, by mingling with their own still || mer. The people of Kent abetted the murmore lawless principles the doctrine that all derer, and were soon in arms. Nor were these property and authority are founded in grace, outbreaks confined to the south. The houses to which Wiclif had given much popularity by || and possessions of the nobility were every his preaching. The bare relation of the seve- || where pillaged, and the lawyers, justices, col. ral scenes which then occurred, will suffi-| lectors of taxes, and jurors, murdered. A few ciently evince the impossibility that Wiclif plebeian names have been rescued from the could have been accessory to any of the deeds obscurity to which the rest are doomed, by of the rioters; yet the assertion of his ene- || their greater violence and wickedness, among

whom are Jack Straw a priest of Essex, anon, in sufficient numbers to destroy the Wat the tyler of Maidstone, and an itinerant || houses of those who, from having wealth and preacher named John Ball.

station, were obnoxious to them: and in this The malcontents from the south moved to- || way they demolished Lambeth, the Marshalsea, wards London, sweeping the country like a | the King's Bench, Newgate, the Temple, and desolating hurricane; and from their several the house of the Hospitallers at Clerkenwell. localities assembled (June 11, 1381) at Black But their deadliest rage was expended on the heath; where they were excited to deeds of || magnificent palace of the Savoy, which beviolence and blood by a sermon of John Ball, longed to the Duke of Lancaster, the especial on the doggrel lines

object of their hatred. Even their cupidity " When Adam delved, and Eve span,

here yielded to their rancour: the rich gold Who was then the gentleman ?"

and silver plate they cut in pieces, instead of The deductions from such premises have appropriating it to their own use. Murder been in all ages alike, though a little varied in every where followed their steps : but the particulars by different circumstances. Man Flemings suffered most from their violence; kind were created, and ought to have re- || and many were dragged from the altars of the mained, equal; thé mere fact of being man city churches, and slain. affording the only true nobility; and nothing, This was on Corpus Christi day (June 13), not even possession, however hardly obtained, || Thursday. On the Friday the rabble, who sanctioning exclusive property. Learning, had disturbed the city during the night by and every other advantage and distinction, is their yells, assembled in vast numbers under either in itself contrary to man's natural and the Tower. A proclamation ordered them to just equality, or has a tendency to create and | retire to Mile End, where the king promised perpetuate disparity; and must therefore be to receive their petitions; and thither 60,000 visited with extreme penalty. And as for of them followed Richard, who rode first, with spiritual distinctions, they are, for two rea- || a few unarmed attendants; but Tyler and sons, still more odious, because they claim to | Straw, the moment the gates of the Tower be from God, and because they have great in were opened, broke into the fortress with 400 fluence over men. But if any thing is more murderers, and seized on the Archbishop of obnoxious than all beside, it is law, and the Canterbury, the treasurer, and Hales, and officers of the law, because all men being || two or three others, whom they dragged to equal, none have a right to dictate to and co immediate execution. The archbishop had erce their neighbours. “Therefore,” said Jolin || spent the night in prayer, and was just conBall, “we must put to death the lords spiri cluding divine service in the chapel when the tual and temporal; the judges, the lawyers, mob entered the Tower. He came forth with and all who can read and write. And now it great courage and dignity; and addressing is in our power to do this: and if we are not the rioters, declared that he was ready to die, henceforth free, there will be none to blame and thanked God that he trusted he was prebut ourselves.”

pared. Having prayed for his murderers, he The rebels, as they passed through Roches- || knelt down, and received eight blows from ter, had seized Sir John Newton, the constable his barbarous executioner before his head was of the castle, and forced him to take the com- || severed from his body. The heads of the archmand of their force. Him they compelled to || bishop and of his companions in death were carry a message to Richard, who was at the tossed about the Tower for a while, and then Tower, demanding that he should come forth fixed on London Bridge, the hat which the and hear their grievances. Richard consented; || prelate wore being nailed to his skull, that and the next day took his barge, and went his head might be distinguished from the rest. down to Rotherhithe, attended by the earls of Meanwhile those who had followed the king Salisbury, Warwick, and Suffolk. He was to Mile End demanded of him the abolition met by 10,000 of the insurgents, who uttered of slavery, the reduction of rent to four pence such terrific shouts when they saw the barge, | an acre, free markets in all places, and a parthat the earls were alarmed for the king's don for past offences. Their second request safety, and would not let him land. And it was in itself impossible; the rest were too rewas well that they so determined ; for it ap- || mote from the spirit of the times to be expeared afterwards that it was the intention of torted by a single effort of force, or to be the insurgents to murder his attendants, and l yielded by a single effort of principle. Richard, to seize upon the king, that they might make | however, promised all; and clerks were emuse of his person to serve their own cause: || ployed in transcribing copies of the charter, a lesson which they had been taught by the || thus extorted, for each parish. previous policy of the Duke of Lancaster, in || The next day (June 15), as he rode through Edward the Second's reign. Disappointed || Smithfield, attended by Walworth the mayor in their plans to seize the king, the rebels | of London, and several horsemen, the king marched to London, and entered the town in met Wat Tyler at the head of 20,000 rebels. small companies; but assembled, ever and || Tyler, riding up to the king, commenced a

bullying conversation, evidently intended to an axe into the hands of a settler in the backwoods irritate him to violence, or, at the least, to an of America; whereas to give the child a few lessons offensive reply. But Richard kept his tem in geography, or history, or any other such science, per, and spoke calmly to the rebel. Tyler

is only like cutting down a tree or two for the added insults and menaces to several of the

settler. Now it is highly important, especially in royal suite; and, at last, while the rebel was

days like our own, in which so many persons look

chiefly for show and immediate results, that we playing, in a suspicious manner, with his

should bear continually in mind the principle so dagger, and offered to lay hold on the king's

happily illustrated, viz., that the most useful inbridle, Walworth, the lord mayor, struck him || struction we can give to a child is that which can from his horse, and he was despatched by || be turned to most account in after-life, particuRobert Standish, one of the king's esquires. || larly as a means of self-improvement. Upon this The mob saw his fall; and crying out, " They ground, I would make instruction in language, next have killed our captain !” drew up in for to religion, and as most subsidiary to religion, the midable array, each with his bow bent upon great business of our schools. And the three the king and his attendants. Richard, with

means to which I wish to call your attention (for I a noble presence of mind, which he had too

can do little more) are grammar, etymology, and seldom at command, rode towards them, and

easy composition, so far as you have time and op

portunity to teach them in your schools. The last said, “ Sirs, what are you doing? I am your

of the three, though of considerable importance as king; you shall have no captain but me.”

the practical application which creates an appetite They were struck with his lordly carriage,

for the other two, and almost as necessary for the and followed him into the fields at Islington, Il complete acquisition of language as reading itself, and there supplicated for mercy. Richard || I can but name on the present occasion-if I have wisely rejected the counsel of those who would not, for want of a better word, dignified it with too have had him take summary vengeance on the fine a name, as applicable to a parochial-school. whole body. Straw and Ball, however, were With regard to grammar, I suppose I need not apprehended, and their heads, together with stop to answer an objection which is some centuries that of Wat Tyler, replaced those which they

old, and best answered by being put into the mouth had exposed on London Bridge. Commis

of a Jack Cade: “ Thou hast most traitorously corsions issued for the trials of the chief offend

rupted the youth of the realm in erecting a gram

mar-school; and whereas before our forefathers ers; and throughout the country many exe

had no other books but the score and the tally, thou cutions took place. Perhaps the king shewed

hast caused printing to be used. It will be proved too little inclination to carry out the merciful

to thy face that thou hast men about thee that principles on which he acted at the moment of

usually talk of a noun and a verb and such aboprovocation; and it was a happy event for minable words as no Christian ear can endure to England when Anne of Bohemia' came over | hear. Moreover, thou hast put poor men in prison ; to be married to the king of England; and and because they could not read, thou hast hanged gained the title of “The good Queen Anne,” || them; when, indeed, only for that cause, they have by her successful intercession for the remain been most worthy to live."! I may pass on to a ing criminals.

more modern objection which is often started in These disturbances were attributed, with

the shape of a question, Whether the little we are about equal truth perhaps, by two opposite

able to teach is worth teaching at all? Certainly,

if only a grammar is learned, or rather just comparties, to the designs of Wičlif, and to the

mitted to memory and repeated by rote, it is not, anger of the Almighty against the Church and

except as a good lesson in mechanical reading, state for allowing his doctrines to spread un much better than lost labour. But if grammar be checked. There were, doubtless, Wiclifites taught intelligently, rather orally than from a book, among the rioters; and some use was of course I must say that, independently of the subsequent made of the doctrines concerning property use in various ways of the knowledge gained, there which he had contributed to render popular; | is, as far as I can observe or judge, as much exerbut it would be most unjust to draw the bond || cise for a child's thinking faculties, as much done of connexion closer between the parson of towards developing a child's mind, by some of the Lutterworth and the followers of Jack Straw.

earliest lessons in grammar, as by any other means

except religious catechising. Let me only mention [To be continued.)

two instances, viz., the first operation with words, and the first with sentences. How closely must a

little child look into words in order to sort them ON THE STUDY OF LANGUAGE.?

into parts of speech! And how much is done toIt has been observed, with as much truth as in- | wards clearing and strengthening a child's percepgenuity, that to teach a child to read is like putting tion so soon as he can but divide a long sentence

into subject and predicate, and take in each part as 1 She was daughter of the Emperor Charles IV., and

one idea or one thing! These, of course, are the granddaughter to the heroic John, king of Bohemia, who fell at the battle of Cressy.

veriest elements. How great, then, must be the ? From an excellent Lecture, on the Importance of Lan gain, in point of general intelligence, when he can guage as a leading branch of Elementary Instruction, de

explain grammatically the syntax and punctuation livered before the Parochial and National Schoolmasters' Mutual Improvement Society, by the Rev. George Moody,

of a long paragraph! He who has been trained to M.A., president.

1 Henry VI., Second Part, act iv. scene 7.

speak orderly, has been also trained to think or- || confess that I have never known it done to any derly. Several of the best effects produced upon adequate extent, and only seldom to any good or the mind and general character of the higher classes lasting purpose, in any other manner. Upon the by the study of the learned languages might be en present system it is sorry piecemeal work, and for joyed, to a certain degree, by the lower ranks, in the the most part to be accomplished by mere desultory diligent, if not equally systematic, study of their efforts of the memory. The battle is half won so native tongue.

soon as the child really feels that every word has a Without dwelling, however, upon the advantages meaning, and knows how to set to work to discover of grammar in general, it will be more to our pre that meaning. It then becomes a pleasure, upon sent purpose to pass on to the newer part of our meeting for the first time with a word of rare occursubject, viz., Etymology, only premising that if rence, to try whether it may not be associated with I seem to insist more upon this branch, it is not || some familiar term; and he is glad to be introduced because I deem it of greater importance, but to another member of a family in which he has albecause, as a recent introduction into a merely ready more than one old friend. He is amused, too, English education, it is by no means so well under with the variety of the exercises that engage his stood or generally appreciated. And yet it may attention-at one time tracing a word unexpectedly safely be affirmed, that it needs only to be seen in to a very simple and familiar root, as e. g. 'stranger, active operation to be admired and highly valued. | to ex' (stranger, étranger, extraneus, extra, ex); The various benefits which have been mentioned at another time resolving a complex term into its as resulting from the study of language are in their component parts, as e. g.'antepenultimate ;' at anomeasure reaped very early in etymology. Indeed, || ther comparing the different secondary applications I know no part of our labours which tells so soon of words with the primary or radical meaning, as or so largely upon their progress. How soon is e. g. prevent,' in its two opposite senses of guide' evident to all who have ever witnessed what a flood and 'hinder;' or again, discriminating between the of light seems to burst in upon a child's mind im- | nice shades of meaning in words almost synonymediately upon his becoming acquainted with the mous, as e. g. synod' and convocation. The prefixes and affixes. And as to the large extent of | knowledge is not only acquired with more ease, but the benefit, I need only mention in a cursory man | invariably retained with greater fidelity, as depende ner a few of the most palpable results, in all of ing upon an agreeable variety of mental exercises, which you will observe most efficient assistance is and not being merely a hard dry tax upon the me. rendered to other branches of instruction. On this mory. And, indeed, few persons are yet aware to account it may be said to take up no time, but what extent it may be carried even with the limited rather to save time in every thing else ; for I know opportunities of a national-school; how easily the no subject within the range of our teaching which children may be taught, with the help of a few is not a considerable gainer by it.

pages of prefixes and affixes, and a small book of 1. The most obvious advantage is in the light roots, to discover the primary and radical meaning thrown upon the significations of words, which are of a great proportion of the difficult terms in our learned by this means more easily and more tho vocabulary; after which they have seldom any great roughly than by any other. More easily, because trouble in detecting the more remote and accidental nearly all the hard words of the language are re significations, or in defining them with almost logi. duced to comparatively few elements, which are cal precision. He carries, as it were, a dictionary mastered in an agreeable way; especially agree in his head, and one, also, often less bewildering able, as contrasted with the method practised in than any he could carry in his pocket. some private schools of committing a meaning-book 2. Another advantage which, though not so ob. or dictionary to memory, which is, I suspect, oftener vious at first sight as the former, has struck me in begun than ended; and certainly such irksome school-keeping quite as much is, that the children drudgery, that the task of to-day is commonly are obliged to give accurate and precise answers. obliterated by that of to-morrow. How much plea- || They soon discover that a vague, off-hand answer, santer the lesson and more lasting the impression however it may serve their turn in some other when the mind is employed in tracing analogies for matters, will not stop a question here. Nor is it itself! I have often remarked that I used to have merely that, by the help of etymology, they are more trouble in fixing in a child's understanding able to attach exact and radical meanings to words and memory the meaning of the one word 'sanctify, - they are also led by the very terminations to put than I now have with all the words from the saine all their answers in a precise form or shape; the root, including sanctus,' saint,' sainted,' sanc. first symptom of which, perhaps, is the sort of intifier,' ' sanctification,' unsanctified,' • sanctity,' stinctiveness with which they reply in the right • sanctitude,' sanctimonious,' sanctuary,' 'ter- || part of speech. They are thus trained in a pracsanctus,' &c. It is something, too, to the point, tice and habit of great moment in all matters. that the larger the number of words derived from || This advantage it would not be easy to overrate, one root, the more readily is the root remembered, || when we consider the inoral effect of habitual accuand along with it all the derivatives. And to shew | racy and precision of speech, especially in giving a how great a help this may prove, I may mention | sort of taste for truth and candour, as well as a that I counted the other day in a dictionary no || sense of responsibility in such little matters as fewer than one hundred and eighty-nine real En- || “ words by the way." It is chiefly on a similar glish words traced to one Latin root. The happy account that I value “ object-lessons," which are little fellow now fishes with a net instead of a hook. || only likely to leave a moral or permanent imThis will surely set at rest the question, which is pression, so far as they are made lessons in “ lanthe easiest way of teaching the meanings of words? Jguage” too. And as to the point of thorough teaching, I must | 3. Another important point is, the assistance

which etymology affords in orthography. A child || paragraph; because, over and above the arguments can scarcely avoid regulating the spelling of a word || under the other heads, which are equally applicable by the sound, whereas it depends quite as much to this, it is desirable in this, as distinguished from upon the derivation. Every master knows the || all secular branches, that the explanation of the trouble given to the pupils (and of course to the Il words and phrases should be, as far as practicable, teacher) by silent letters. What a comfort, then, Il a separate and distinct business from that of the must it be to find them a help, rather than a diffi- || subject-matter. This arrangement is most desirculty! which is the happy change when the pupil || able for reverence-sake, especially at a time when recognises in them, in many cases, the very root || the temptations to a temper the very opposite of of the word. For instance, so soon as he asso- | reverential are so many. A right-minded teacher ciates with the word “reign other words from the will do well to prepare the way for the coming les. same root, as 'regent,' regal,' in which the g is | son in Christian knowledge (whether in the shape audible, he will not again, in spelling, stumble at of reading or repetition), by previously analysing the silent g, which he can now no more forget, or || the difficult words upon the black board, and then overlook, than the r. The same remark applies to giving them out as a dictation exercise; this he the silent o in people,' as associated with popu. will regard as a lesson in etymology or language. lar,' and to numberless other words. He will easily || And here let any one who is acquainted with the remember, too, that almost the only instances in subject, only call to mind how many words of comwhich he must write the diphthong ei, and not ie, | mon and indeed necessary use in religious instrucare in the family of words derived from the root || tion will be readily and intelligently associated 'capio. In spelling, as in explaining, long or with the roots credo,'.medius,' doceo,' typus,' difficult words, he will have the advantage of being "unus,''voco,' mors,' 'caro, carnis,' patior, pastrained to look closely into them, and the comfort sus,' 'scribo, scriptus.' After this preliminary of knowing at once how to set about the task. || lesson, which might be given well enough by a English will no longer be to him, as it too often is | monitor, the sacred subject will be approached with now, like Chinese; in which I am told that every || more solemnity and quietness; the mind of both word, in regard to alphabetic writing, stands alone || teacher and pupil will be less scattered; there will in thorough independence. He learns words now | be less excitement and emulation; the modest but not singly, but in classes; and “ one leads to the || not less thoughtful boy will stand more upon a par knowledge of many, as a cluster of leaves or flowers with his bolder and therefore sharper class-fellow; is acquired by seizing the stem on which they there will be a far better tone throughout; the stand."

teacher will come amongst them with more of the 4. I am particularly anxious that you should father and less of the pedagogue, and will naturally appreciate the effectual and (I may say cheap | be led to talk more to them in a practical way. assistance afforded to all other subjects. What || In a word, there will then at the hour of religious difficulty there always is on the common plan, in instruction be nothing else to do but to give reli. getting the children to understand and apply rightly gious instruction,-a consummation to be wished, the definitions and technical terms, without which | as affording a better opportunity of speaking to the they cannot advance a step, and the meaning of | heart as well as the head. which is in most cases involved in the derivation ! These are a few of the benefits that may be I need only instance, in geography, such terms looked for as the immediate result of making the as 'continent,' promontory, peninsula ;' and systematic study of language, as the universal among proper names,' Mediterranean,'' Mesopo vehicle of thought and of truth, a leading branch tamia,' &c. In arithmetic, I have found the mere | of elementary instruction; fruits that will be reaped knowledge of a few terminations prevent blunders even while the child remains at school. Yours, which seemed before to be beyond either preven however, is a work of faith, and you are unworthy tion or cure; as, e. g. in the terms 'multiplier,' of your high and noble profession if you are chiefly divisor,' &c., on the one hand, and multiplicand,' anxious for immediate results, if you have not dividend,' subtrahend,' on the other. In gram learned to “cast your bread upon the waters." mar, the leading terms explain themselves to a We are, of course, all of us happy and thankful to child who is only acquainted with the common pre see the forming fruit, or opening bud, or even the fixes, as, e. g. adverb, preposition,' 'pronoun,' || tender blade just peeping out of the ground. The 'interjection, conjunction,' &c. The remark is |harvest, however, is hereafter. And who can calalmost equally applicable to geometry; e. g. in culate the effect likely to be produced upon the . diameter,' circumference,' parallel,' triangle,' || character of the men of the next generation by &c.; and to music, e. g. in semibreve,' diatonic,' being taught and trained, as children, to read good

discord,' • interval,' &c. Nearly all the new and hard books,-in many cases as hard as they are difficult terms in history may be explained by the good, and as good as hard ? For I much question, same easy method; and as to botany and natural whether the giving to a child the mere power of history, the assistance that would be rendered is mechanical reading, and that only to the extent of quite too palpable to need further remark. It is what is called easy reading, proves in the majority of evident, that in every subject time would be saved cases a blessing or a curse. It is a point I should by thus previously furnishing the pupil with a be slow to pronounce upon, for I confess that I master-key to unlock the various storehouses. His have many and painful doubts. If he can only progress, too, would be as much pleasanter as read, perhaps not without labour, easy books in quicker; and he would soon feel the instruction to which the meaning lies upon the surface, I fear be “full of the seeds of things."

that, should he, in the days of his coming inde. 5. The assistance rendered by this humble ally | pendence, care to read at all, he will choose books to the religious instruction is placed in a separate and publications in which the subject is easy too,