Richard III: His Life & Character, Reviewed in the Light of Recent ResearchMarkham, Clements R. (Clements Robert), Sir
History
Richard III: His Life & Character, Reviewed in the Light of Recent Research
Markham, Clements R. (Clements Robert), Sir
Great Britain -- Kings and rulers -- Biography; Richard III, King of England, 1452-1485
Rivers and Worcester were not the only men of their day with literary
tastes. The colleges at Oxford and Cambridge numbered among their
_alumni_ laymen as well as churchmen. The three great public schools
of England already existed. The grammar school of Westminster,
afterwards to become St. Peter's College under Queen Elizabeth, had a
continuous existence from the time of Edward I. Winchester College had
been founded by William of Wykeham. Eton College was a foundation due
to Henry of Windsor. All three were flourishing. Boys went very young
to the universities, and parents showed anxiety for their {117}
advancement in learning as well as for their due supply of clothing.
Mrs. Paston desired a tutor named Grenefeld to send her word how her
son Clement is doing his duty as regards his lessons. If he does not
do well, and will not amend, Grenefeld is to lash him until he does
amend, as his former tutor did, who was the best that ever he had at
Cambridge. She is no less particular about his clothes, which were to
be looked to. Clement had a short green gown, a short musterdevelers
(gown of grey woollen cloth), a short blue gown, and a russet gown
furred with beaver: a pretty good supply.
Later there was a Paston boy at Eton, one of whose letters has come
down to us (1478). He desires hose clothes to be sent to him, one pair
of some colour for holidays, and one for working days. It does not
matter how coarse the one for common use is. He also asks for a
stomacher, two shirts, and a pair of slippers. 'But,' adds the Eton
boy, 'if it lyke you that I may come by water, and sport me with you in
London a day or two this term time, then you may let all this be till
the time that I come; and then I shall tell you when I shall be ready
to come from Eton.' He wanted a holiday in the middle of term time,
and he wanted the fun of boating down the river. So it was with many
hundreds of other boys then as it is now; liking play better than work,
but still learning, with or without the lash which Mrs. Agnes Paston
believed to be so efficacious. The Etonian was about ten years younger
than King Richard.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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