=Source.=--_Excerpta Historica_, p. 5. (London: 1833.)
Henry by the grace of God King of England and of France and Lord of
Ireland: To our Chancellor of England greeting. Forasmuch as the right
reverend father in God the Archbishop of Canterbury and the reverend
father in God the bishop of London, considering the great abuses that
have been of long time within our city of London that many and divers
persons, not sufficiently instructed in grammar, presuming to hold
common grammar schools in great deceit as well unto their scholars as
unto the friends that find them to school, have of their great wisdom
set and ordained five schools of grammar, and no more, within our
said city. One within the churchyard of St. Paul's, another within
the collegiate church of St. Martin, the third in Bow church, the
fourth in the church of St. Dunstan in the East, the fifth in our
hospital of St. Anthony within our said city; the which they have
openly declared sufficient, as by their letters patent thereupon made
it appeareth more at large. We, in consideration of the premises,
have thereunto granted our royal will and assent. Wherefore we will
and charge you that hereupon ye do make our letters patent under our
great seal in due form, declaring in the same our said will and assent,
giving furthermore in commandment by the same our letters unto all
our subjects of our said city that they nor none of them trouble nor
hinder the masters of the said schools in any wise, but rather help
and assist them inasmuch as in them is. Given under our privy seal at
Guildford the 3rd day of May, the year of our reign xxiiij.