Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III SCHOOL AND COLLEGE DAYS Philip's first preferment — Sent to Shrewsbury School—Public school life in the sixteenth century—Roger Ashton chief master —The daily task—Greville's estimation of Philip as schoolboy— Sir Henry's letter to Philip—Wrangles between the school authorities and Corporation — Philip goes to Oxford — A marriage project that fails—Philip is ill—He goes to Paris— Is placed there under the care of Walsingham EFORE Philip was ten years old he received, by v proxy, his first preferment, being appointed J Rector of Whitford, in Flintshire. The complacent Rector of Skyneog appeared before the no less complacent Bishop of St. Asaph. The Pope was duly denounced, then an oath of allegiance to the Reformed Church and its saintly head, Queen Elizabeth, as cordially sworn. While yet in his nursery Sidney declared war on Rome. The babyish oath was faithfully kept. But it is strange to read of this induction. In a country wracked to the very heart by religious controversy the simplest decencies were violated without comment. Even in a frankly material age such a scandal would provoke criticism. A deputy, of course, was appointed, and probably not overpaid ; but no one protested against a little boy receiving sixty pounds a year for the nominal cure f souls. Church and State in all ages can show a plentiful record of scandals : there is not one more curiousthan this. We may be quite certain that it was not the only transaction of its kind. These proceedings were regarded with absolute equanimity by men who would willingly kill each other, and torture each other, over a difference of opinion on abstruse theological questions, imperfectly understood on either side. Of Hugh Whitford, the outgoing incumbent, little is known. Perhaps he was an old man and desi...