The language which he ufed, was plain and fimple. The fame plainnefs and fimplicity diftinguished his followers, until the Gofpel difpenfation was perverted into the inftrument of prieftcraft and tyranny; and the fources of divine knowledge, the foun tains of living water, were fhut to them, for whofe benefit they were peculiarly intended. The knowledge of the fcriptures has thus been withheld from thofe (to ufe our BLESSED LORD'S Owe language, recognizing and giving authority to the evangelical prophet) to whom the Gofpel was originally preached. Weak and worldly indeed, would be any fyftem of inftruction, that looked no further than the prefent frail and fleeting period of existence. If the univerfal adoption of education is to be of any ufe, it must be by diffeminating freely and generally among the most numerous clafs of mankind, thofe pure principles of religion and morality, which, with the aid of divine grace, are competent to renew the age of innocence and purity in a fallen world. "The fame natural principle of fhort and eafy tasks, well understood, that is applicable to elementary knowledge, may alfo be applied to the acquifition of moral and religious inftruction. A practice, however, directly oppofite to this principle, has obtained in the generality of fchools for the poor. Instead of confidering what the infant mind is capable of receiving and digefting,-inftead of fupplying it with that which is eafily converted into intellectual nourishment,-and giving "the fincere milk of the word, to thofe, who have need of milk, and not of ftrong meat *," the schoolmafter, as foon as his pupil can hobble through a fentence, conducts him at once, and without any preparatory fe lection, through all the New Teftament; and among other parts through St. Paul's Epiftles, in which (though excellent and ad. mirable) even the chief of the Apoftles found things hard to be understood t. Yet thefe epiftles are among the firft Leffons of a young child; who labouring on, in wearifome ignorance of the object of his labour, acquires an indifference for all religious inftruction, too often followed by an habitual neglect of the holy fcriptures through life. "The ambition, however, of the mafter does not ftop here. If he can but obtain bibles for his fchool the clafs then goes through (as he expreffes it) the whole of the Bible at once: and the child is bewildered for a long time in the Levitical law, in the building of the temple, and in the annals of the Jews; in which many things occur, which cannot be understood, without thofe extended views of the general hiftory of mankind, of which their infant faculties are incapable. In the courfe of their labour they reach the prophetical writings; parts of which have baffled “* Heb. v. 12, and 1 Pet. ii, 2.” "+2 Pet. iii. 16.** the the research of the most learned and ingenious men of all after ages; men, who poffeffed faculties to underftand, and yet could not understand, that prophecy, when firft delivered, was a SEALED BOOK, to be gradually unfolded and opened by the fubfequent events of the world; and destined to remain to future ages, a perpetual and increafing proof of the divine origin and unfailing truth of the holy fcriptures. "When thefe teachers have fo often read that Queen Candace's prime minifter, reading the prophet Ifaiah, exclaimed, "how can I understand what I read, except fome man should guide me ;"—it feems very extraordinary that the fame question has never occurred to them, as natural to be put on the part of their pupils; but that this and other fimilar parts of the Bible fhould have been made a kind of iniatory spelling book, for children learning to read, without a guide or director, and without selection or preparation. The manner in which the youthful mind is prepared for the reading of the Bible in the new fchool, is by giving them, in feparate books, thofe parts of it, which are either most easy to understand, or moft interefting to children. After fpelling through the child's first and fecond book, each of which contains re ligious inftruction, the child begins his reading with Our bleffed Saviour's Sermon on the Mount; publifhed feparately, under diftinct explanatory heads, in a good type, and containing 24 pages. The next book in order, is Oftervald's Abridgement of the History of the Bible, a work of the fame fize, and calculated to give the child a fufficient degree of general knowledge on the fubject of fcripture hiftory, until he is fo far advanced as to have the Bible itfelf put into his hands. To Oftervald's Abridge. ment fucceeds the Church Catechifm, broke into fhort questions, and an account of the chief truths of religion; books, very little varying in fize from the two firft. The Pfalter comes next; or at leaft next after four little books, intitled the Parables, the Miracles, the Difcourfes, and the Hiftory of our bleffed Saviour, which have been very recently published by the Society, for the ufe of the fchools for the poor. In this manner, when fome knowledge of the revealed word of God has been gradually ob tained, the difficulties of reading conquered, and the mind prepared for the reception of the treafures of divine knowledge,then and not till then, let the Bible be placed in the pupils' hands. "I have been the more earnest on this fubject, because I am convinced that great injury has been done to the interests of religion, by the manner in which the Bible has been given to young children. Let it not, however, be supposed that I wish to with hold it from any one. I confider the Bible as the basis of all moral and religious improvement: and that the great object of all education is this;-THAT EVERY INDIVIDUAL SHALL HAVE FREE AND UNRESTRAINED ACCESS TO THIS SACRED BOOK; AS HIS INSTRUCTOR IN YOUTH, HIS CUIDE AND DIRECTOR IN ACTIVE LIFE, AND HIS RESOURCE AND CONSOLATION IN The Appendix contains a copy of fchool regulations, which may be very ufeful in the improvement of every old, and in the establishment of every new fchool; together with a detail of the manner of teaching adopted in the Kendal Schools, and the forms of the Regifter Tables proper to be used where Dr. Bell's fyftem is introduced; and concludes with fome obfervations on "Improvements on this fyftem;" in which juftice is done to the merits of Mr. Jofeph Lancafter, for his exertions in refpect to the education of the poor. The Society, from whence the preceding and many other ufeful publications have emanated, has very frequently been noticed by us *. Now, that their Reports occupy five octavo volumes, and contain a mass of evidence and information on the fubject of the labouring class, not to be found in any other collection, we fhall think it our duty to give our readers a further view of the fubject. The forming of this Society had been during the year 1796, the fubject of fome converfations, between the Bishop of Durham and the three gentlemen whofe fignatures appear to the circular letter, propofing the first meeting on the fubject. The letter is inferted in the appendix to the first volume of the Reports; and as it contains a pretty accurate account of their objects, we fhall make no apology for fubmitting it to our readers. It is as follows: "Sir, "17th Dec. 1796. "The purport of this letter is to propose the formation of a 'Society for bettering the condition and increafing the comforts of the poor;' an establishment, which, we truft, may be the means of adding much to the general mafs of national happiness.-In other liberal purfuits, the joint labours of intelligent and active men have never failed to produce confiderable effects. Models, inventions, and experiments have been improved, and applied to purposes of great importance. The fame degree of fuccefs may reasonably be expected from a fociety, formed for the improvement of the most beneficial of all sciences-the promotion of the welfare of our fellow-creatures. "Its object would be-every thing that concerns the happinefs of the poor-every thing by which their comforts can be in. creased. To remove the difficulties attending parochial relief, * See Brit. Crit. Vol. xii. 558. xv. 87. xxii. 92. xxix. 205 and 309. Cc BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXXV. APRIL, 1810. and and the difcouragement of induftry and economy by the prefent mode of diftributing it; to correct the abufes of work houfes; and to affift the poor in placing out their children in the world :-in this, and in the improvement of their habitations and gardens; in affiftance and information as to the ufe of fuel, fo as to give them more benefit from it; and in adding to, and meliorating their means of fubfiftence, by public kitchens, and by other means, much may be done by the union of liberal and benevolent minds, -much by the circulating of information, and by personal affiit. ance and influence. "It muft afford a strong additional inducement to efforts of this nature to confider, that, in proportion as we can multiply domeftic comforts, in the fame degree we may hope to promote the cause of morality and virtue. For a very gratifying illuftra. tion of this, as well as for the most important improvements in fuel, food, and in the mode of affifting the poor, the world is indebted to the philanthropy and abilities of Count Rumford. "It is not, however, merely the increafe of the comforts and morals of the poor, great as that benefit would be, that may be effected by the propofed eftablishment: its improvements and experiments will be more or lefs applicable to farms, manufactories, private families, and to every fituation of life. Bat, fuppofing it otherwife, were its object confined to the poor only, yet to add to the plenty of a nation, by economifing its means, and to ftrengthen by increafe of happiness, the attachment which every true Englishman feels to his country and its invaluable conflitution, must be deemed, at any time, objects of no trifling confideration. "If you fhould fo far concur with us, as to give a general approbation of the plan, we fhall hope to be honoured by your attendance at Mr. Wilberforce's, Old Palace Yard, on Wednefday, the 21t inftant, at a quarter before two o'clock; in order to confider of the formation of the Society, and of the outline of the neceffary regulations." ❝. We are, Sir, Your obedient humble Servants, W. Wilberforce, A meeting was accordingly held and the refolution adopted, of forming "a Society for bettering the condition and increafing the comforts of the poor;" of which HIS MAJESTY was graciously pleafed immediately to declare himfelf the Patron. The Members were fo much occupied in forming their regulations and arranging their eftablishment, that it was not until fome time in May, 1797, that the firft report of their communications appeared. It was preceded by a prelimi mary addrefs, in which the author endeavoured to give in tereft tereft to the fubject, by obferving on the motives for exertion, on the confequences of fuccefs, and on the effects of that mafter-fpring of action, on which equally depends the profperity of individuals and empires :--THE DESIRE IM 66 PLANTED IN THE HUMAN BREAST, OF BETTERING ITS CONDITION."-But we fhall here put a limit for the prefent to our obfervations on this fubject, intending to refume them at the next convenient opportunity. (To be continued.) ART. XII. A Geographical and Hiftorical View of the World; exhibiting a complete Delineation of the natural and artificial Features of each Country, and a fuccinct Narrative of the Origin of the different Nations, their political Revolutions and Progrefs in Arts, Sciences, Literature, Commerce, &c. the whole comprising all that is important in the Geography of the Globe and Hiftory of Mankind. By John Big. land, Author of Letters on Ancient and Modern Hiftory, Effays on various Subjects, &c. &c. In 5 vols. 8vo. 81. 15s. Longman and Co. 1810. NOTWITHSTANDING publications on the fubject of geography are fo numerous, and many of them fo excellent, and although every fucceeding year produces an acceffion to this branch of knowledge, it is till exceedingly defective, and offers an ample field of refearch to the inquifitive adventurer. Geographical hiftory muft neceffarily be commenfurate with geographical difcovery, and it is the combination of both, fo far as the knowledge already ac quired extends, which gives the work before us a particular claim to our attention. If there be any book of the kind poffeffing equal merit, and alike claiming our recommenda tion for the inftruction of youth, it is not at prefent in our recollection. There are many books of hiftory in which geographical defcriptions are agreeably and inftructively interfperfed, and there are profefled geographical productions, in which a great abundance of hiftorical knowledge is judiciously exhibited, but the plan of this author appears to us fo fatisfactory, that it is but rendering him juftice to place it before our readers. In the first place, his object is to treat of the geography of each particular country, its phyfical peculianties, its mineral, vegetable, and animal productions. He then proceeds to a minute and circumftantial defcription of the principal Cc 2 тори |