696 Outline of a Plan for 



destined to be common labourers, the guitar or horsemanship, farther than 

 to repeat that our principle is that of keeping every child at school till the 

 age of puberty, whether he or she learn little or much; and to give to 

 each, previously to that period, an equal chance of acquiring all useful 

 knowledge, and as many accomplishments as possible. We wish to repeat, 

 that our principle is that of making no distinclion between the studies of rich 

 and poor previoushj to the age of puberty, e^ce^X. in the single article of lan- 

 guages; the dead languages not being generally useful, and the most uni- 

 versal and easily acquired living language, the French, being sufficient for 

 every other purpose. We contemplate, indeed, as an ultimate, and perhaps 

 not very distant, result, the total disuse of the dead languages, except 

 for scientific nomenclature; the universal prevalence of the English and 

 French languages; the universal use of one nomenclature in natural history 

 and natural science, of one system of money, weights, and measures, and, to 

 a certain extent, of laws, religion, and government ; and the total disuse 

 of professional soldiers and sailors. We consider it good, at all events, to 

 encourage the idea of such a result. 



II. Scliools. — We propose that there should be established in eveiy parish 

 at least one suitable school-house, with not fewer than three school-rooms, a 

 room for a library and museum, and another for public lectures in the evenings 

 for the benefit of adults; a piece of ground for a garden, and for exercises 

 and amusements; a house for the master,and another for the mistress.* These 

 houses should not be liable to assessed taxes, nor their occupants to serve in 

 the militia or as constables, &c. A plan might be given for such school-houses 

 and gardens; but, providing that the house consist of not less than five rooms, 

 one for the boys, one for the girls, one for the infants, a fourth room for the 

 library and museum, and the fifth for the lecture room; the size and disposi- 

 tion of these rooms might be left to the vestries of particular parishes. ■\ So 

 might the size of the garden, provided it contained not less than an acre, and 

 exhibited an exemplification of twelve of the Linnean classes, and of six of 

 the orders under each of the leading subdivisions of the Jussieuean classes. 

 The minimum accommodation of the dwelling-houses of the masters and 

 mistresses may be three sitting-rooms and five bed-rooms. Both of the 

 dwelling-houses and the garden ought, if possible, to be near the school ; but, 

 as this might not be always convenient, the garden, in the case of towns, 

 might be at some distance. A few books and philosophical instruments, and 

 an anatomical model (such as are made by Mr. Simpson, Charles Street, 

 London), would be required to make a beginning in the museum, and to 

 enable the master to go through the proper instructions ; but these being 

 purchased, the more wealthy parishioners would not fail to present dupli- 

 cates of books, models, curiosities, &c., and no author or artist would ever fail 

 to send specimens of his works to his native parish. Very little expense would 

 be required to stock the garden. Twenty shillings would procure the plants 

 requisite to illustrate the orders ; or the master, if a practical botanist, might 

 collect most of them in the fields. Nurserymen and gentlemen's gardeners, we 

 are persuaded, would, in many cases, supply not only these plants, but all else 



* One house might often serve for both master and mistress ; but in large 

 parishes and in towns the mistress might' often be the wife of some of the 

 occasional teachers, as the drawing-master ; or of a clergyman, or of some 

 person in trade. Much of this part of the details must be left to circum- 

 stances, and to the vestry. 



t In many, a commencement might be made in buildings already existing; 

 even the parish churches might be made use of in this way, as in many places 

 in Ireland. Dwelling-houses might in some cases be hired for the teachers, 

 till certain houses in England, and others in Scotland, fell in to the parish, 

 in consequence of the deaths of their occupiers. 



