CANTERBURY SCHOOL.
Sehota Regia Cantuarensis : a History of Canterbury School. By H. E. Woodruff, M.A., and H. j. Cape, M.A. (Mitchell, Hughes, and Clark.)—The " School," Canterbury, as it is commonly called, claims to be the oldest in England. If it has a rival in this matter, it is -.St. Peter's School at York. No absolutely certain date can be assigned to either, but as the See of Canterbury has unquestioned precedence in point of time, as well as of dignity, the distinction may, at least provisionally, be conceded to the school. That there were schools in Kent at a
very early time is clear from Bede, who tells us that Sigebert, who succeeded to the kingdom of East Anglia in 631, set up a school for boys, and was helped in the matter by Bishop Felix, who Supplied teachers "after the manner of the Kentish folk." Schools in Kent, and presumably in Canterbury, were in working order thirty-four years after the coming of Augustine. If the York school is as old as the See—the writer does not hold a brief for either—it goes back to 626. As an actual existence it comes into prominence in the days of Theodore (668-690), when it was attended by a crowd of scholars, some of them afterwards very distinguished men. Then comes a blank,—the author sees a cause in external troubles, the Danish invasions, &c. When we come to Archbishop Lanfrano (1070-1089) it is disappointing to find no reference to it. Lanfrano provided for the education of the choirboys. Our authors infer that the grammar school was efficient. It is not till past the middle of the thirteenth century that we have a definite record. This mentions one "Master Roberts, rector of the schools of the city of Canterbury." After this we have a succession of documents which enable us to trace the history of the school without difficulty. This task has been efficiently performed. The foundation has had its ups and downs, but its recent history has been one of prosperity and progress. We will say "Floreat aeternum!"
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