2 Public Charities. [JULY, 



prehensively and practically used, schoolmasters have, every where, by 

 degrees, lawyer like, narrowed down to its literal sense, and, unless by 

 compulsion, will teach nothing but Latin and Greek. The consequence 

 at Monmouth is conspicuous : not more than twenty-one boys can be 

 found to be thus taught, and of these, probably, not half-a-dozen are 

 really sent to the school for classical instruction. The fact is, times are 

 changed, and education has changed with them. Nobody now requires 

 these languages but such as are destined for the church, or the higher 

 departments of law and medicine, and, for distinction's sake, the sons of 

 gentlemen. But though, at Monmouth, not twenty require such acquire- 

 ments, ten times twenty require the instruction which the common busi- 

 ness of life demands, and schools alone can furnish ; and here are abun- 

 dant means of supplying this essential instruction, were those means wisely 

 applied. But then, it will be repeated for the thousandth time, trustees 

 are bound by the terms of the founder. Once for all, trustees have, all 

 of them and the Haberdashers are no exception in numerous instances, 

 done just as they please, without caring a straw for the will of the 

 founder; and they might, of course, if they would, do the same in this. 

 Who would interfere especially where, in any changes, the spirit of the 

 original institution was kept in view; that is, to extend the benefits of 

 education to the town. No penalty would be incurred, and the appro- 

 bation of the country would go with them. 



NEWLAND CHARITIES. The same William Jones bequeathed to the 

 same company 5,000/. for the maintenance of a lecture and an alms-house 

 at Newland, in Gloucestershire ; and pretty liberties appear to have been 

 taken with this bequest. About three-fifths of the sum, after some chop- 

 ping and changing, were finally mixed up in the purchase of the leases 

 of Hatcham-Barnes, and the remainder thrown into the company's 

 general funds. Out of the produce of this Hatcham-Barnes estate were 

 made the payments to both the Monmouth and the Newland Charities, 

 till the Newland people, indignant at this unjustifiable diversion of the' 

 endowment, bestirred themselves and petitioned the Chancery. Petition- 

 ing the Chancery, though always bad enough, was not, in those days, a 

 remedy worse than the disease. The court, in 1708, passed a decree a 

 very lenient one and the company were bound to the payment of 200/, 

 to the Newland Charity. The present payments, at the end of 120 

 years, amount to 229 /. 6,$. \OcL ; of which 66/. go to the lecturer, and 

 *three shillings a week to each of the alms-people. Now here, had this 

 trust been faithfully managed, the people of Newland might at this 

 moment be benefitted to at least three times the amount ; and, in common 

 equity, the company surely are responsible for such a sum. 



The POOR OF THE COMPANY. The same William Jones left 1,440/. 

 for pensions of 8/. to each of nine poor persons of the company that is, 72/. 

 Seventy-two pounds is the interest, at live per cent., of 1,440/.; there- 

 fore Mr. Jones meant the poor of the company should receive the whole 

 benefit of this 1,4-JO/. What has become of this sum? If invested in 

 land, the produce by this time must have risen considerably above 72/. ; 

 and the poor are therefore defrauded by the amount of the difference 

 for 72/. is all that the company pay. 



LECTURESHIP OP ST. BARTHOLOMEW. The same bountiful Mr. Jones 

 left also a house, which had cost him more than J ,000/., and a sum of 600 , 

 afterwards laid out on a house in Fleet-street, to institute a lecture in the 



