purport of the Founder's deed. And here it is to be noted that the Founder did not leave a will for lawyers to explain away and the next heir to evade. No! he was a lawyer himself; so he took care to see his lands and donations handed over to feoffees of his own selection in his own lifetime, for the use of and on behalf of the School he thereby founded. The contents, then, of the deed were evidently these; "Know all men, that I, John de Combe, "have delivered over, enfeoffed, demised, and confirmed to N or 'M, all my lands and tenements, meadows, pastures, rents, "reversions, and services, with all their appurtenances in "Crewkerne (specified) and Merriott (specified), in the county of "Somerset, together with an annual rent charge of xxiijs iiijd " issuing out of Combe St. Reigne in the aforesaid county TO "HAVE AND TO HOLD to the USE AND INTENTION "contained and specified in a certain schedule or charter to this "my present writing annexed."

We have

This deed, thus far, would of course be in Latin. copied it thus far from the earliest existing enfeoffment deed (also in Latin) handing on the trust to new feoffees (1588). And as there is no reason to believe that the said re-enfeoffment would differ in any way from the original enfeoffment of John de Combe; nor that the said "schedule or charter" would be altered at all in transmission, we therefore proceed to copy exactly the earliest "schedule or charter" which has been preserved. It is on a separate piece of parchment annexed to the enfeoffment deed (it is in English) and reads thus :—

THE ENTENTE AND WILL to this our ffeoffemente annexed ys this that or said ffeoffes shall stande seased of and in all the said landes and tenements and other premysses conteyned in the said

ffeoffemente to the use and yntente folowinge. THAT IS TO SAY that the saide feoffees so thereof beynge seased shall receive or suffer to be received all the yssues, rentes, profitts, and advantages comynge and growinge out of the sarde landes, tenements and other the premisses by one such person or persons as shall be electe and chosen by the more part of the said feoffees and other sixe of the moste discreeteste men of the Town of Crukerne in the countye of Somerset to the use of the Free Grammer Scoole in Crukerne aforesaid and there to be kepte and taught by one honeste and discreet lerned parson there to be appointed by the said ffeoffees and the sixe Townesmen or the more part of them from tyme to tyme. AND IF hit happen for nonhabilitye or otherwise that the said Free Grammer Scoole by the space of one year and a daye be not kepte within the said towne of Crukerne aforesaid unlesse hit be for cause of sickness or anye other lawfull cause proved by the said ffeoffees and sixe townesmen, THAT THEN the said issues and profits of the said landes and tonements so receaved yearlye shal be by the discrecon of the said ffeoffees and sixe townesmen or the more part of them putt and imployed to the reparacons and amendinge of the said Town and the hieghewayes about the saide Towne as neede shall require from tyme to tyme for ever.

The above intention of the Founder is repeated in all subsequent enfeoffment deeds up to modern times, copied exactly word for word. It is a most interesting document; drawn up by the Founder himself. We can trace in it his shrewd and far seeing personality, his legal training, his keen desire for the continuity of his scheme and foundation, and his concern for the lasting benefit, mentally and bodily, of the inhabitants of his native place.

It was with great reverence and attention to detail that the Founder's wishes were in the days of old carried out to the very letter. Like every other foundation the School has had its ups and downs, but one thing may safely be said, and that is this. Never, during four centuries and more, has Crewkerne been without its Grammar School for the term of a year and a day; never, so far, have the revenues of the school been expended in "amending" the town pump or cracking stones for the Crewkerne "hieghewayes."

A word or two about the scheme of government. Those estimable noblemen and gentlemen who freely give their time and attention towards guiding, regulating, and improving the Grammar School in these days are called 'Governors.' That is quite a modern term in our School. Until 25 years ago they were always called by the term our Founder gave them; they were either "feoffees or "townsmen.' They rather liked those names-maybe, because the Founder gave them to them-and until Parliament interfered none of them would have dreamt of giving the old names up.

"

There are many interesting entries in the earliest extant account book of the school-which begins in 1609-shewing how the Founder's system of government worked. The feoffees and townsmen elected from among their number, a