loss that we mourned for him: the general sorrow was of a higher character. The people of England grieved that funeral ceremonies, and public monuments, and posthumous rewards, were all that they could now bestow upon him, whom the King, the Legislature, and the Nation, would have alike delighted to honour; whom every tongue would have blessed; whose presence in every village, through which he might have passed, would have wakened the church bells, have drawn children from their sports to gaze upon him, and "old men from the chimney corner," to look upon Nelson ere they died. The victory of Trafalgar was celebrated, indeed, with the usual forms of rejoicing, but they were without joy; for such already was the glory of the British navy, through Nelson's surpassing genius, that it scarcely seemed to receive any addition from the most signal victory that ever was achieved upon the seas: and the destruction of this mighty fleet, by which all the maritime schemes of France were totally frustrated, hardly appeared to increase our security or strength; for, while Nelson was living, to watch the combined squadrons of the enemy, we felt ourselves as secure as now, when they are no longer in existence.

EDITOR-L.

ON NATIONAL SCHOOLS.

To the Editor of the Plain Englishman.

DEAR SIR,-A few days ago I had a conversation with a friend on the subject of the National Schools. Though prejudiced to early habits, and suspicious of all alterations, yet his zeal for the public good, and fear of insubordination, render his opinion deserving of attention. I have therefore sent you the conversation, as nearly as I can recollect it, which you may use in any way which may appear serviceable to the object of "The Plain Englishman."

Your humble servant,

N. P.

O. In all these questions theory must yield to practice; and you must allow that the National Schools have done harm. They have raised people above their class in life; their pride has led to poverty; their principles are undermined; they become vicious; and, between vice and insubordination there is but one step; nay, they co-exist, where fear does not restrain.

P. So you will put down all the evils which exist in this age to education, and forget the various causes which you must allow have co-operated at least to produce these bad effects. You forget the discontent occasioned by the unavoidable stoppage of trade, the re-action of a forced expenditure. The advantages of education, likewise, are quite overlooked. Do you see no families improved; no children, instead of being useless and dirty, now diligent and clean; none that never attended church now regularly there morning and evening? Do you mark no difference on the Sunday evening? (I wish, indeed, this were more general, but you cannot hope for it without education ;) will you not now find reading and prayer instead of drunkenness ?

O. People who have the means of ascertaining this fact have said, that in many individuals this improvement is perceptible; yet I think you have been drawing a picture more flattering than the reality. I should have said, that the chief difference was, that some years ago the lower orders got drunk at bowls and skittles, or at cricket, and now they get drunk over the disloyal papers of the day; and, with all your fancied improvement, I think the latter the worse. If you destroy subordination to the higher powers, you destroy obedience to God. "Love God; honour the King:"-these duties are more closely united than people fancy.

P. Undoubtedly they are very closely united; and I conceive it to be the duty of every clergyman to promote Christian subordination. But what argument do you draw from this against Charity Schools?

O. Are you not supplying the means of insubordination? Are you not facilitating the operation of the poison?

P. No; we administer the antidote, we retard the operation. Ignorance cannot exist at the present day; and, if it could, the Church of England would not seek such support. The Reformation has taught us all to open our eyes and see the truth.

O. Yes, every body to judge for themselves; all teachers, no learners.

P. That people may be over-taught I am ready to allow; but whatever instruction enables them to read and understand their Bibles I do not think too much. The knowledge of arithmetic in large towns, if it be reasonably restrained, in proportion to the wants of the individual, and to the habits of the place, is both useful in itself, and serves to open the mind. In country parishes, where the object is the education of labourers, I think this unnecessary.

O. Would you then put the the means of destruction in the hands of thousands, because it might do good to a few?

P. You have stated your question in such a way that my answer might appear unreasonable. But I will tell you what I would do;-I would put the means of salvation in the hands of all, though one half, though nine-tenths, should use it to their injury and now I will tell you why I would do it ;-because, speaking with regard to their eternal salvation, and (as you allow the best men are the best subjects) therefore, politically speaking likewise, I do not think that the men who turn their instruction into libertinism or infidelity would have been one bit better without it.

O. But then you give them the greater power of doing harm. P. I think you are mistaken; the class that is educated at these schools must be the instrument, in the hands of others; and many who would otherwise have been deceived, are kept to their duty by the knowledge of the Bible which they there receive.

O. I wish you would state your reasons.

P. With all my heart. That this is an age of inquiry beyond those which have preceded the present day, cannot, I think, be doubted. That vicious people have used this spirit of investigation as an engine for the introduction of bad principles, and that the power of reading has facilitated this object among the lower orders, are facts which do not admit of a doubt. The question, however, which was to be decided, was not, whether we should begin to instruct the lower orders, (on this point I should not hesitate to say that it was our duty to attempt it;) but whether we would guide them to the right application of their knowledge. And, as most of the attacks on the Bible presuppose a partial ignorance of its contents, as the consistency of it can be only known by a full acquaintance with it, we supply the latter to prevent the evil effects of the former.

O. Do speak a little plainer.

P. I will give you a few examples. Some of the most favourite attacks against the Bible (of course I am speaking of those which are addressed to the lower orders) are, "that David, who was guilty of two most notorious sins, is called a man after God's own heart: now this is not consistent with the acknowledged attributes of God; therefore the revelation which says so is false." Again; "that the people whom the Bible calls the chosen people of God are most notorious for their obstinacy and sin: a just and good God would never have chosen such people; therefore the Bible, which says he did, must be false." Again; they exclaim against the mysteries of the Christian religion, as if they could not be true, because some things occur beyond their comprehension. What can withstand and answer these attacks but a thorough knowledge of the Bible? Then it is evident that David was not called a man after God's own heart without suffi

cient reason:--he kept the Israelites from idolatry; he was obedient to his God, and repented of his transgressions. Then it is evident that the Israelites were not chosen on their own account, but for the sake of Abraham, to keep alive the knowledge of the true God; and, above all, to mark the descent of the promised Messiah. What, again, but a knowledge of our Bibles, can make us know that there are trials of faith as well as of practice; that if man is too proud to think God wiser than himself he will make shipwreck of his faith. From his Bible, and that alone, he will learn, that the secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but the things which are revealed to us and to our children for to do them; that the judgments of God are unsearchable, and his ways past finding out. We therefore teach the children the Bible, that they may have faith and knowledge sufficient to withstand these attacks. You know that the object of these attacks is to make radicals as well as infidels; and therefore I think we make good subjects while we make good Christians.

O. On this point we do not disagree; but why do you not wait until the attack is made? You raise the ideas of the poor people, and endanger their contentment for the sake of giving an antidote.

This is an

P. You are wrong; the attack is now going on. age of inquiry; and, unless the truth is established, the objectors have soft clay put into their hands which they may mould as they please. Consider, again, the great advantage of an immediate answer; and the still greater advantage of answering from their own resources, rather than having it supplied from another. A knowledge of the Christian religion cannot generally produce pride. Some ill-judging persons may have done harm by attempting to raise people artificially out of their station, and Charity Schools must bear the blame.

O. What do you mean by artificially raising them?

P. Taking the children of labourers, and teaching the boys mathematics, and the higher branches of ciphering; teaching the girls fine work; in short, giving them a taste for greater refinement than they are likely to meet with in the world; if you and I were forced to associate with labourers, we should find, I have no doubt, many who were our superiors in religious feeling and knowledge, but we should find a deficiency in those points of refinement and literature to which our education has habituated us. Thus the children of labourers, who are carried out of their line, are made unfit for their station; the boys, unless religion. prevents them, become disaffected; and the girls unhappy, if not vicious. You must first prove to me that God is a respecter of persons, before I can think such refinement in education necessary.

O. What then do you do in your National Schools? for you seem to approach to my sentiments, and yet are as firm as ever about your National Schools.

P. The whole reading is founded on the Bible; their religious instruction is derived from the Bible or the Church Catechism. In the evening they learn to write and cipher. Great care is taken to make them understand what they read; and, for this purpose, the teachers in the lower classes are provided with books containing questions, the answers of which the children must derive from the books they have read. As they advance the books increase in difficulty. In the higher classes the Bible is put into their hands, and they become more immediately under the eye of the master, and are more frequently examined by the visitors, who ought to attend the school once or twice during the week, and on one appointed evening go round the classes, and see what has been done and how it has been done. O. But how can you get any body to undertake this?

P. There are several visitors appointed, who undertake it by months; and the clergyman of the parish should, if possible, be present at the weekly examination, to direct it.

O. But can you find people enough, who understand the system, to undertake the office of visitor?

P. It is not necessary that every visitor should understand the system; if there is one person present who understands it, and can direct the examination, the others serve as supports, and can judge, and indeed are the best judges, whether the education is carried too far; whether the master is pushing a few boys into notice; or whether he is really seeking the general good of the school.

O. I understand you, the old proverb, "the master's eye;" things will not go on by themselves. It is the same in business, it must be looked after.

P. It is the same in every thing; the man that does not look after himself will soon be vicious.

O. I will go down and see the school. But are you quite sure that there is not a class ready for a visitor, in which a few impudent clever boys get patted on the head, and made ten times as bad as they were before, and the company expected to praise the school because a dozen such can answer questions readily?

P. Go down at any time and take any class; I should recommend one of the lower classes; observe whether the boys are steady, none speaking out of their turn, and obedient to their teacher. If all the lower classes are taken care of you are sure of having a steady and attentive upper class ready to receive instruction.

O. Would you then have more attention paid to the lower classes than the upper?