It is ill-mannered for boys:—
To lean their elbows on the table,
Or to hold their hands beneath the table.
To place morsels of excessive size in their mouths.
To gnaw bones with their teeth,
Or to hand on to others food that they have half-eaten.
To take food out of their mouths.
To scratch their heads, or chatter and laugh while eating.
To drink with their mouths full, or to make a noise while drinking.
To pick their teeth with their nails or with their forks.
At table a boy should not speak until first spoken to.
In the playground, boys are urged to run, to jump, and to play games with balls, since it is necessary to put the body in motion and allow the mind to rest. Forbidden pastimes are games played with dice, wrestling, boxing, and swimming, since these are either useless or dangerous.
On getting up in the morning, a boy is first to say his prayers, then to comb his hair, wash his hands and face, and dress neatly. He must remember to wish good morning to all whom he may meet. At night, he is to go straight to bed after evening prayers, and should not forget his private devotions. Once in bed, he should take care not to lie on his back, but must sleep half the night lying on his right and the other half lying on his left side. If several boys are sleeping in one room, there must be no talking after a given hour, and in any case all conversation out of school must be carried on in Latin.[1]
The Laws of a well-ordered School repeat many of what we may call the commonplaces of the Comenian method, but also contain much that is new and to the point. Each class must have a separate class-room, and this should contain a raised desk for the master and a suffi-
- ↑ Op. Did. Omn. iii. 776–784.
6
