SOMETIME COBDEN SCHolar of neWNHAM COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE
MISTRESS OF METHOD AND LECTURER ON THE HISTORY OF EDUCATION
AT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, BRISTOL

"Ces lettres incorrigibles, qui s'étaient laissé toucher par la doctrine du Christ, mais conservaient au fond de leur âme les souvenirs et les admirations de leur jeunesse, et qui, tout en lisant l'Évangile, ne pouvaient entièrement oublier qu'ils avaient commencé par lire Homère et Cicéron."

G. BOISSIER.

"My child, thou hast asked a perilous gift from God; many out of undue love of knowledge have made shipwreck of their souls. "My father, if I learn to know God, I shall never offend Him; for those only offend Him who know Him not.

"Go, my son, remain firm in the faith, and the true science shall conduct thee on the road to Heaven."

S. COMGALL, Abbot of Benchor and his pupil Luanus.

"Nothing but innocency and knowledge can make the mind truly easy." BISHOP WILSON.

BRAR

OF THE

UNIVERSITY

OF

CALIFORNIA

PREFACE

THE aim of the following pages is to indicate the rôle played by the primitive Christians in education. Drane's Christian Schools and Christian Scholars is out of print, and not readily accessible to the general reader; moreover, the account given there of the first five Christian centuries is brief and scanty.

The excerpts from the Fathers have been taken from (1) The Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, published by Messrs. Parker & Co. of Oxford in conjunction with the Christian Literature Company of New York; and (2) from The Ante-Nicene Christian Library, published by Messrs. T. & T. Clark of Edinburgh; and (3) from The Library of the Fathers, published by J. H. Parker of Oxford. Were the subject of the book theological, the Fathers could hardly have been used in translations; but our appreciation of their treatment of learning, of their methods of instruction, of

their mode of discipline, of their general attitude in bringing up and forming young minds, does not depend on the right and subtle interpretation of a few words of disputed meaning. For the purposes of the historian of Education, the English translations suffice, and are perhaps more convenient for the general run of students of this subject. What is true of the Fathers in this respect is true also of Quintilian.

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It is hoped that all other references to, borrowings from, and suggestions by writers on this or cognate subjects have been acknowledged in the text of the book. If objection be taken to the number of these, may be said that the book is intended for the use of students, who for the most part have little time for independent research, and to whom the utility of a book depends upon its trustworthiness. If the authors be quoted accurately, students are not in doubt as to the origin of the statement or opinion.

GERALDINE HODGSON.

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, BRISTOL.