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models both for poetical and epistolary composition. As Erasmus recommends, the boys turn verse to prose and prose to verse. Inserted is the requirement of memorizing something over night to be repeated in the morning as Erasmus had recommended, and a statement upon gentlemanly relaxation.
In the eighth and final class, the boys concentrate upon rhetorical matters for their rules; that is, oratory. They now study the figures as given in Donatus, in Valla's Elegantiae, and in various ancient writers. Here is the list of Erasmus for this process, and here is the Erasmian caution to explain every passage in need of explanation. No author is mentioned, but, of course, Cicero would be predominant here.
Within this curriculum are hints of procedure, and at the end some general directions. Wolsey instructs that the masters shall give in English the groundwork for an elegant essay, together with directions upon handling the particular subject. Here is the theme of Erasmus handled in the Erasmian manner. Epistles were at least studied in the fifth form; and poetry, including poetic epistles, was written in the seventh, with an oratorical capstone in the eighth. On teaching authors, Wolsey has lifted the directions of Erasmus on Terence.
This Ipswich-Paul's curriculum is founded very exactly upon the principles of Erasmus. Authors are the fundamental. The boy gets enough grammar to begin reading, and perfects it as needed by actual observation from the authors as models. Similarly, authors serve as models for oral and written composition. The written composition is based on the theme, expanding into the different types of composition as epistle, poetry, oratory. It is all very close to Erasmus. Of course, Wolsey has given only the skeleton. Many other things would be found in the detailed curriculum. But the skeleton is from the closet of Erasmus.
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