"In July, 1694, Francis Nicholson arrived in the Province. In September he summoned an Assembly to meet at St. Maries, and at once began to impress upon the members the importance of public education. He desired the doors of knowledge to be thrown open to the poor: the rich could open them for themselves; and what he wanted was a free school in every county...He argued and pleaded with the Councillors and Burgesses...He would himself give more than anybody...In fine, he pushed and dragged and shamed them into liberality...Indeed they thought they saw their way clear to two free schools, one...