Specific and very particular agreements were made with these several schoolmasters, which are entered at large, upon the town records. It may be interesting to present one or two of these, to show the duties which these persons formerly were required to perform, and the manner in which they were to instruct the children. The following is a translation of the agreement made with Johannes Van Eckkelen, who commenced his duties as schoolmaster, in Flatbush, in the year 1682.

Johannes Van Eckkelen, a young man from New-Albany, is hereby called and accepted, on the first day of October, 1681, with the advice and consent of the Honorable Magistrates, to perform the duties heretofore required of Jan Thibaud, in manner following: (1.) He shall serve the Church and School, according to the existing ordinances, in the same manner, as they have been heretofore performed by the above named Jan Thibaud, and as hereunder written.—(2.) This contract shall take effect, from the first day of October, Inst. and continue to the first day of May next, for the purpose of making a trial of each other in the mean time.—(3.) For the performance of the above duties, he shall be entitled to receive the sum of 234 guilders, in grain, valued in Seewant, with the other privileges appertaining to the calling, during the time specified.

School Service.—I. The school shall begin at eight o'clock, and go out at eleven; and in the afternoon shall begin at one o'clock, and end at four. The bell shall be rung when the school commences.*

II. When the school begins, one of the children shall read the morning prayer, as it stands in the catechism, and close with the prayer before dinner; in the afternoon it shall begin with the prayer after dinner, and end with the evening prayer. The evening school shall begin with the Lord's prayer, and close by singing a psalm.

III. He shall instruct the children on every Wednesday and Saturday, in the common prayers, and the questions and answers in the catechism, to enable them to repeat them the better on Sunday before the afternoon service, or on Monday, when they shall be catechised before the congregation. Upon all such occasions, the schoolmaster shall be present, and shall require the children to be friendly in their appearance and encourage them to answer freely and distinctly.

IV. He shall be required to keep his school nine months in succession, from September to June, in each