23S 
1811.] Tioyal BntUli Education for the Poor I 
scarcely to be able to bear with life it- 
seiF; and, in truth, \ye every day hear of 
suicides from this cause only. To pre- 
Tent them, and to prevent rriuiiiplied 
miseries inflicted and accumulated in 
every possible shape, will be the worthy 
and glorious object of an as^jciation for 
promotion against the tricks and enor¬ 
mities of unprincipled petty-foggers, and 
practitioners in the law. 
The truly honourable and Isumane part 
of the profession will rejoice in the esta¬ 
blishment, and lend it their support. 
Hum ANITAS. 
To the Editor of the Monthly iilagazine. 
SIR, 
WAS much pleased with the spirit of 
a communication signed I. P. which 
appeared in your excellent publication. 
Part of your correspondent’s letter 
seemed to exnress an indifference about 
the invention of the system which, with 
■your permission, induces me to give tlie 
outline of an history of persecution, that 
would b,e no disgrace to the Inquisition 
itself. 
If the plan is Dr. BelPs, and he has a 
fair claim to it, let him come boldly for¬ 
ward and substantiate his claim, and not 
’think that merely making a claim, is 
proving a right. If he has a right, a 
generous public will surely do him justice, 
they will do the same by Lancaster. 
Ingenious inventors abridge labour, and 
^ave time and trouble merely by their 
invention. They are the servants of the 
public, and entitled in every just claim 
to public protection. An inventor, with 
a patent, has a legal claim ; an inventor, 
without a patent, is under the protection 
of his country j and sfiould not fare 
worse, or seek redress in vain, when 
trusting to itsTonour. 
These observations apply in the same 
manner to Mr. Lancaster, to Dr. Bel!, 
or to the inventor of the steam-engine. 
It is for the public interest that all its 
servants should be rewarded and en¬ 
couraged. Take away the palm from 
merit; take away the hire from the la¬ 
bourer, arid what public encouragement 
would remain a stimulus to industrious 
application? Fair justice is not only an 
encouragement to a meritorious inventor, 
but an example to others, and an excite¬ 
ment to a future exertion of his own 
talents. Let them who think this a 
matter of indifference, read the lines on 
the monument of the great Ciiatham, in 
Guildhall. Away with the doctrine of 
indifferenie.—If Mr, Lancaster’s claims 
4 
areju^t, let him have them granted. If 
they are not, let Dr. Bell have his, if he 
can prove them. There is reason to 
fear, he has been influenced by an in¬ 
tolerant and bigoted party long enough. 
Let him come forward in Ihs own 
name, and convince tlie public if he can ! 
7’hcy will deal generously, but they will 
do impartial justice. 
Sir, it is well known that, in 1793,Lan¬ 
caster alone, and on his own sole respon¬ 
sibility, laid the foundation of what is 
now lire Royal Free School, in tlie Bo¬ 
rough Road. That, Sir, was a happy 
day""for Southwark. Thousands of her 
poor children have been already edu¬ 
cated, and before this can appear m 
your publication, the extension of tiiat 
seminai'y to 2000 children will be rea¬ 
lized. 
Lancaster was the first and only man 
to establish in this nation, a seminary 
of 500 boys with one master only; no 
man whatever, even the great Dr. Bell 
himself, does not pretend to assert the 
contrary. 
This" institution prospered, till the 
King sent his commands to the inventor, 
shewing a personal regard for the edu¬ 
cation of his poor subjects. After lio- 
nouring Mr. Lancaster for near two 
hours with a gracious interview, and ex¬ 
pressing many ieelings that do honour to 
his heart, he personally introduced him 
to the Duke of Kent and tlie royal fa¬ 
mily ; when each then joined a sub¬ 
scription to enalile Lancaster to carry 
his plan into effect in the country, 
the king leading the way. Here began, 
(say the bigots) all the mischief. The 
royal family, masters of their own actions, 
judging for themselves of a subject wor. 
thy the attention they honoured it with, 
had committed sin (what an heinous 
offence to be sure !) against the designs of 
interested hirelings, who did not feel 
pleased with the royal patronage being 
extended to any man, without consulting 
them frst. The power of the papists 
had expired in these realms, and no mo¬ 
dern 'A Becket was found to threaten the 
pains of excommunication to such dis¬ 
tinguished personages. The days when 
priests put their teet on the necks of 
kings and princes, were gone for ever; 
and bigots might sulk at the loss of power, 
but could not recal it. 
It is well known, that some of these 
modern dictators attempted in vain to 
controul, by secret influence, the bene¬ 
volence of the father of his people. Their 
evil designs to direct it into a different 
and 
