Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (UK Und.) a brothel.

1660		Wandring Whore I 4: I tell you plainly that ever since I was a Loose-liver or gamester in the School of Venus, I never read nor heard of ten such exact precepts.
1672–75		‘Merry Discourse Between a Country Lass and a Young Taylor’ in Farmer Merry Songs and Ballads (1897) II 73: And tell him that Dame Venus / at him is almost mad, / For sending to her School / such an unfit Lad.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: School of Venus c. a Bawdy-house.
c.1700		London-Bawd (1705) 103: The House which I now keep, is a House of Convenience for Gentlemen and Ladies; and goes under several Denominations: Some calls it The School of Venus; others a Vaulting School; others the Assignation-House; And some that are my Enemies, bestow upon it the Title of a Bawdy-house.
1715		‘Church of Scotland’s Lamentation’ in Chappell Roxburghe Ballads (1880) III 553: Concourse of people meet by night, in Venus School to play.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.

2. a synon. for buttock-ball n. (1)

1709

N. Ward Secret Hist. of Clubs 171: The chief Motives that induc’d such a swarm of two Leg’d Caterpillars to give their constant Attendance at this School of Venus, was, . . . to Ogle, Prattle, Wheedle, give convincing Testimonies, by their airy Agility, of their being charming Bedfellows; the Women to draw in Cullies; the Men to furnish themselves with new obliging Mistresses [...].