Lumen 2018

him, so that he would not have to experience their disastrous conse- quences.” 100 After a year of unpleasant experiences and thinking things over, Johnny finally overcame the spiritual inertia and asked his father for permission to return to school, to which the father gladly agreed. 101 Thus, in 1642, he found himself again at the parish school in Pode- grodzie. At that time, the middle school was a school of Latin with three grades of “grammar:” infima , media, and suprema . 102 Johnny began to attend the first grade of grammar. After he had completed it in 1643, he wanted to continue his studies with a certain teacher who was famous for his knowledge. Therefore, he transferred to a school in Nowy Sacz, where he began the second grade of grammar. The transfer took place in dramatic circumstances. Johnny’s par- ents took him, twelve years of age at that time, to the market in Nowy Sacz, where he got lost in the crowd. The parents, frantic with worry, looked for their son at the homes of their relatives and friends, but did not find him and returned to Podegrodzie. Meanwhile, the boy wandered about the streets and squares of the city, until he finally ran into one of his relatives. Early next morning, Johnny asked him to enroll him at the local school. Seeing the boy’s eagerness, the rel- ative fulfilled his wish. This is how a new stage in Johnny’s education began. Following his example, his older brother, Peter, and other friends from Podegrodzie also enrolled in the same school. 103 At school, Johnny dedicated himself to the studying of not only gram- mar and rhetoric, but also other subjects, including singing. 104 Johnny Runs Away from School Johnny’s stay at the school in Nowy Sacz was disturbed by the behavior of a morally perverted teacher, who made inappropriate ad- vances towards the boy. It was known that the teacher had already demoralized many other students. 105 One day, wishing to free himself from the teacher’s influence, 106 Johnny ran away from school. When S TANISLAUS P APCZYNSKI 64