that our Situation gave us the Opportunity of receiving Intelligence from Italy, and other Countries which moft excelled in Arts and Sciences, more early and readily than they could be conveyed to the remoter Parts of the Ifland. And that this CITY, being the Center of the Roman Settlements hereabouts, muft have enjoyed a good Share of all the Learning which was tranfported hither from the Southern Countries.

Whatever Learning Auguftin brought with him, CANTERBURY was the Repofitory of it, and was in that Age the METROPOLIS Of Learning, as well as of Religion. Felix, the Burgundian Bishop, when he was employed by Sigebert, King of the Eaft-Angles, to fettle a School in his Dominions, modelled his Seminary according to the Pattern of that at CANTERBURY. And if CAMBRIDGE was the Seat of King Sigebert's Seminary, as fome learned Men have fuppofed, then the School of this City may be justly esteemed the Mother of that now ILLUSTRIOUS UNIVERSITY.

THEODORE, who was as great a Man as any in the 7th Century of Chriftianity, whofe Learning and Magnanimity of Spirit qualified him for the higheft Dignity in any Church of any Age; who was born and bred a Greek, and had lived long enough in Italy to make himself Master of every Thing that was valuable there; when from thence he removed to this City, and became Arch-Bishop

of

:

of it, brought with him a Collection of Books in the Greek, as well as Latin Tongue, and of Humanity as well as Divinity; and, with the Help of his Abbot Adrian, taught both thefe Tongues to many of the English. Bede tells us, fome of them, who were yet alive when he wrote his Hiftory, were as expert in these two learned Languages, as in their own Mother-Tongue. But (fee the Viciffitude of Learning and Ignorance, as well as of all fublunary Things) within two hundred Years, continual Wars and Invafions had brought Knowledge to fo low an Ebb, that the Clergy did not understand their own Latin Prayers, till the great King Alfred provided a Cure for this fhameful Evil, by not only calling over the Help of learned Men from Abroad, and planting a Seminary at Oxford, as is commonly faid, but by performing the Office of a Master of the Latin Letters in his own Palace, and by giving the good Example in tranflating Latin Books into English for the Benefit of his own Prelates.

While CANTERBURY was the Seat of a King and an Arch-Bishop, it could not want Encouragement for fuch Learnings as could in thofe Times be had. But fince the KINGDOM of KENT hath been happily fwallowed up in the MONARCHY of all ENGLAND, and our Arch-Bifhops have not found it convenient to make this See the Place of their Residence,

Refidence, it could not in the Nature of Things be expected that we fhould excel. It is fufficient, that we have never wanted a School; and that this hath not been the leaft confiderable of all others; and that if we have wanted learned Men of our own raifing, we have had that Defect abundantly supplied from other Parts of the Kingdom, and from other Nations abroad.

The prefent School is indeed of Royal Foundation, but in its Endowments far infe rior to fome that have been erected by Subjects. And, I believe, few City Schools in England have fewer Emoluments annexed to them in each of the Universities; yet under all these Difcouragements it produced in the laft Century two mitered Heads; for I am well affured, that

The memorable THOMAS WHITE, afterwards Bishop of PETERBOROUGH, was a Scholar here. And I need not tell you, that he was one of thofe feven Prelates that made fo notable a Stand against Arbitrary Power in the Year 1688. and yet afterwards, by his Conduct made it appear, that his Love to English Liberty had not at all tainted the Affection which he bore to his own natural Lord and Sovereign.

The other, PETER GUNNING (much elder of the two) was a Man of wonderful Industry, profound Learning, and eminent Virtue, by which he merited the Mastership

of St. JOHN's College, and the Chair of the Regius Profeffor of Divinity, in CAMBRIDGE, and was afterwards fucceffively Bishop of CHICHESTER and ELY. Few Schools can boaft of a more able, pious, primitive Bishop in many hundred Years together..

I cannot but mention another, who, for his Age, might have been, if he actually was not, School-Fellow to the Bishop laft mentioned, I mean, WILLIAM SOMNER, the greatest English Antiquary that ever was, excepting only the immortal HICKES, who yet owns the former as his Father in the Saxonic Tongue. He the rather deferves this honorary Commemoration, because he wholly owed his Learning to this School, and to the Excellency of his own Genius. He never proceeded to either of the Universities, nor did he ever, while alive, receive any Reward or Emolument in any Measure equal to his Merits.

The most learned JOHN SPENCER claims a Right to our Commemoration upon this Occafion, as one of the chief Ornaments of this School, as he afterwards was of the Univerfity of CAMBRIDGE, where he finifhed his Education, and more particularly of Corpus Chrifti College, of which, he was, for many Years, a very prudent Governor. None that know his Writings will envy the Honour

*De nobis, de Patria, de veneranda Antiquitate optimè meritus Literatura Saxonic Pater. Differt. Epiftol. Pag. 149.

now

now done him; for he must be allowed to have deferved well of the learned World, even by those whofe Zeal for Religion is most moderate. They of this School do in common Gratitude owe him an honorary Remembrance for the Addition which he made to their Scholarships in his own College.

Few Schools, how great foever, can fhew four greater Examples of Learning and Virtue within the Compafs of one Century. However, these are fufficient to provoke the Emulation of rifing Pofterity, which I take to be one principal End of our present Affembly.

But the chief End of all, is to pay our Acknowledgments to the divine Providence, for caufing us to be born in a Country of found Religion and good Letters, and for giving us the Advantage of a liberal, Chriflian Education. Therefore,

To the Father of Spirits, from whom defcends every good and perfect Gift; to the Son and Word of God, who hath disclosed to us all the heavenly Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge, and who enlightens every Man that comes into the World; to the Holy Ghoft, the Paraclete, who opens and quickens thể Understandings of Men, and gives them a Readiness to every good Word and Work, be afcribed all Honour, Glory, Power, for evermore, Amen,