[Nov. 1, 
510 ^dvaniages to be expected from the 
ferently. He apprehended that a boy 
ought to be accustomed to that kind of 
diet wiiich he was likelv to be used to 
when older 5 and it was on this principle 
that he allowed, wine to his pupils, and 
did not, like Mr. Venables, restrict them 
to small-beer. 
Jtfrs. Shallow. —What amiable senti¬ 
ments ! It is amazinor to me that anv 
parent should be so infatuated as to suf¬ 
fer his child to be fed on milk and small- 
beer 1 
Mrs. IMontague then 
touched with considerable feeling on tiie 
enormous length of the school-hours at 
most seminaries. It was cruel and unne¬ 
cessary. Mr. Venables, he observed, had 
deservedly suffered in his owni health by 
the unreasonable confinement of his 
scholars; but, addtd he, I have always 
made my health and that of my pupils a 
primary consideration : for it is a maxim 
with me, that want of health is want of 
ability to prosecute ray labours; and I 
accordingly arrange matters so, that the 
hours of recreation much exceed those 
of business. He then proceeded to the 
discussion of several other points, in all 
of which it plainly appeared that his 
system bad a decided superiority over 
that of Mr. Venables: and this I main- 
rained yesterday in a pretty warm alter- 
^oation I had with Mr. Johnson on the 
subject. 
'Lrtter a Servant, with a letter for Mrs. 
Tozcnly. 
Servant. —My master, madam, ordered 
me to wait till you had read the letter: 
be wishes it to be returned to him. 
Mrs. Toicnly .—What is the meaning 
cf this.^ Mrs. Shallow, I will take the 
liberty of opening it. 
Mrs. Shallow. —Oh ! by all means, 
ma’am. 
Townly z'eads. 
Dear madam,—I cannot resist the in¬ 
clination which I feel to communicate to 
you the contents of the inclosed letter, 
which I received this morning. I have 
lust been told where rav servant mav 
meet with you; and, as I am on the point 
of setting out on some unexpected bu¬ 
siness into Devonshire, where I must 
remain for some weeks, I will trnnhle 
you to return the letter, when you have 
read it, by the bearer, whom I have or¬ 
dered to wait for it. Yours, truly, 
IIEKRY JOIIXSOI^. 
What is all this? [Jie< 2 d.s- theinclosedletter^ 
To Mr. Johnson. Oxford. 
My dear sir,—I have just witnessed, 
with no little surprise and with extrema 
satisfaction, the examination of your son 
preparatory to his being admitted of our 
college. The manner in which be has 
acquitted himself is such as reflects the 
highest credit not only on the young man 
himself, but on the gentleman by whom 
he has been educated, and whose name, 
I understand, is Venables. I wish I 
could speak with equal praise of the son 
of your neighbour, Mr. Eton, who, with 
every indulgence that could be extended 
to him, could not get through his exami¬ 
nation, and was consequently rejected. 
Yours, dear sir, very truly, 
JOHN DONE. 
Bless me! and this Eton has been many 
years under the care of Dr. Montague! 
Mz's. Shallow. —My Tomoiy shall never 
go to the university. I dare say Dr. 
Montague thinks Latin and Greek of 
very little consequence. 
Mrs. Townly. —I do assure you, ma¬ 
dam, I received a most beautiful letter 
from my nephew’ the other day; it was 
so well written and wordeiJ, and so cor¬ 
rectly spelled. But, w’ould you believe 
it, Mr. Johnson insinuated that he might 
have been assisted in it by the master, 
or one of his assistants. 
Mrs. Shallozv. —I will not be influenced 
by the opinion of Mr. Johnson. My 
son shall be sent immediately to Dr. 
Montague's. Scipioniger, 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, 
SIR, 
ryMiE extraordinary zeal with wliich 
A the forming of public canals and 
bridges has lately been undertaken, will 
perhaps give sufficient interest to the 
toilowing remarks, as to render them de¬ 
serving a place in your valuable Maga¬ 
zine. By a residence near the spot, I 
have opportunities of observing the acti¬ 
vity and spirit witii which the intended 
Strand Bridge is conducted;* and it is 
much to be regretted, that, by reason of 
bad roads to the works on the Surry 
side, its progress is but little observed 
or known. But the new Commercial 
Road, and streets blanching from it, are 
already much advanced, and promise 
soon to obviate this inconvenience : in¬ 
deed, to one w ho has not for this last four 
months visited the neighbourhood of old 
Cuper’s Bridge, the late alterations and 
improvements are astonishing. An in- 
* The foundation-stone was laid on Old 
Michaehiiis-day, 1311. 
tended 
