Character and Qualifications of Schoolmasters. 4lp 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magazime, 



alie doubted not would do it, were her con- 

 dition known to tiie English residing in 

 Lisbon ; but, as she knew nothing of that, 

 her resolution was to continue a Protes- 

 tant, though she were to burn for it. To 

 this tiiey answered, that her being llie 

 Queen of England's subject sigiiilied no- 

 thing in the dominions of the King of Por- 

 tugal ; tiiat the Enghsh residing in Lisbon 

 were heretics, and would certainly be 

 damned ; aiid that it was the mercy of that 

 tribunal to endeavonr to rescue her out of 

 the flames of liell ; but, if her resolution 

 were to burn rather than profess the Ro- 

 mish religion, tliey would give her a trial 

 of it beforehand : accordingly tiie officers 

 were ordered to seat her in h fixed cliair, 

 and to bind her arms and iicr legs, that 

 she could make no resistance nor motion, 

 and llic physician being placed by her, to 

 direct the court how far tlicy might tor- 

 ture her without hazard of her life, her left 

 foot was made bare, and an iron slipper, 

 led-hot, being inniiediately brought in, 

 her foot was fastened into it, which conti- 

 nued on, binning her to the bone, till such 

 time as, by extremity of pain, she laniti>d 

 away ; and, the physician declaring her 

 life was in danger, tliey took it off, and 

 ordered her again to prison. 



On the 19th of August she was again 

 brougiit ont, and whipped after a cruel 

 manner, and her back was all over torn ; 

 and being threatened with more and 

 j;reater tortures, and, on the other hand, 

 being promised to be set at liberty if she 

 would snbscribe such a paper as they 

 should give her, though she coidd have un- 

 dergone death, yet not being able to en- 

 dure a life of so much misery, she consent- 

 ed to subscribe a» they would Inve her ; 

 and accordingly, as they directed, wrote 

 at the bottom of a large paper, which con- 

 tained she knew not what; after which 

 they advised her to avoid the company of 

 all English heretics; and, not restoring to 

 her any thing of all the plate, goods, or 

 money, she brought in with her, and en- 

 gaging her by oath to keep secret all that 

 liad been done to her, turned her out of 

 doors, destitute of all relief, but what she 

 received from the help and compassion of 

 charitable Christians. 



The above-said Klizabelh Vasconcllos 

 did solemnly affirm and declare the above 

 written deposition to be true, the day and 

 year above written. John Mii.ne. 



JOSIiPIiVVlLCOCKS. 



Lisbon; Jan. 8, 1707, S'.S. 



A copy, t'xaniiucd I'ruin Ihc ori>^itial 

 by, J. Bi-issE. 



The above unJioli/ tribunal, and cruel 

 pii-ce nj'lenitimuri/, is restored, Willi all 

 its liurrors and riiiiiihcatioii.s, in the du- 

 minions of our worlJiy ally the King; of 

 iipiiui, b^ a decree dutcii m July 18H. 



SIK, 



THE advantages of edticalion are 

 well iiJidcrsiootl in this country, 

 and effectual means arc using iu every 

 part of the empire to impart the blessing 

 to all. liut, while the jiooier classes are 

 thus wisely proTidcd for, the manner in 

 which education is :ic(|uired by those 

 in the middle rtiuks of life is overlooked. 

 It is almost proverbial that any one is fit 

 for a schoolmaster; and, indeed, llie peat 

 number of dunces who fill that olliee, 

 shows fhtit parents are contented to let 

 any one superintend the instruction of 

 their children. 'I'he charge of teachiiio- 

 children has long been regarded us labo- 

 rious drudgery; ;ind those who professed 

 themselves ready to tinilerfake it lia\c 

 generally been indiscriminately sup- 

 ported. Few per.-ons are aware of the 

 total incompetency of the mtijority of 

 the present schoolmasters of the country. 

 I know men, who have long been at the 

 head of what aie termed respectable 

 academies, who are ignorant of the very 

 elements of grammatical knowledge; 

 they can write a good hand, and per- 

 form some operations in common arilh- 

 metie; but are as ill qualified for the im- 

 portant office of educating >oti1h, as a 

 private soldier, who is a good swords- 

 man, is unfit to command an at my. 



Too many parents are satisfied with 

 the mere externals of education ; and, if 

 their sons make tolerable j)rogrefs in 

 penmanship, and can read a paragraph 

 ill a. newspaper correctly, they are satis- 

 fied, and make no enquiry as to what 

 cultivation has been bestowed on their 

 minds; and too frequently the moral 

 qualifications of the master are thought 

 not worth consideration. The superfi- 

 cial method of instruction has enabled 

 many blockheads to establish school.^, 

 and has brought the profession into dis- 

 repute. 



It is common to hear parents speak 

 degradingly of- school-masters in the 

 presence of their children; is, then, the 

 formation of the minds of the rising race 

 a charge of no weight or importance? — 

 Rules ate enforced 1o secure the respec- 

 tability of other professi(jns, why not v(, 

 school-keeping.' \o iintufoi-ed booby 

 can intrude into the profession of law or 

 physic; why then arc not legiilaf ions es- 

 tablished and sanctioned by the legisla- 

 ture to eiisuie the fitness of men, who 

 etfgagc to educate the joiitli of the na- 

 tion .' 

 To a tiiinkiitj; mind, tlio internal 

 3 11 2 rcgtiliitioa 



