’ 
! 
Tnutility of Tontines—Books for Charity-Schools...Adr.. Burke. 87 
. Had» the deaths and defaulters been 
given feparate, it is probable that the 
latter would have appeared the greater 
number; from which the prefent mem- 
bers may draw the fatisfactory inference, 
that they have acquired about tao thoujand 
pounds trom the poorer fub{cribers, who 
have beconie incapable of continuing their 
payments, and thus, inftead.of deriving 
any benefit from the fcheme, have loft the 
little fums that, if they had not been 
drawn from them by the hope of improve- 
ment, might have been laid by, and af- 
forded them fome relief in a time of want. 
But it is not my objeé&t at prefent to no- 
tice, particularly, the immoral tendency 
of encouraging hopes of gain from the 
diftvefles of others, or to fhow how delufive 
and unprofitable moft of the Tontine 
fchemes appear, when examined upon the 
principles on which they pretend to be 
tormed; the latter was done, at a time 
when thefe mifchievous projects were very 
prevalent, ina manner that muf have de- 
termined every one, who could be con- 
vineed by demonttration, or biafled by the 
opinion of acknowledged abilities and 
judgment on the fubjest*. It is evident, 
however, that the majority of the fub- 
feribers to the different Tontines muft 
have been ignorant of the very finall pro- 
fits they coul@ reafonably expe trom 
thefe {chemes, and, pernaps, placed too 
implicit a confidence in {pecious propofals, 
fanétioned by the names of perfons of cha- 
raster, whom they confidered better ‘in- 
formed than themfelves. Such fubfcribers 
muft, by this time, have been undeceived, 
or very foon will be; and it is to prove 
to- others the neceflity of underftanding the 
nature of any fpeculation, that may be 
propofed to them, before they engage in 
it, that the following fact is ftated :---The 
whole amount of ftock purchafed with 
the above fum of 81,090]. 5s. 8d. is 
718,198]. 8s. 4d. in the three per cent 
confols, which is now to be fold, for the 
purpofe of making the expected divifion 
of accumulated capital, intereft, and pro- 
fits. If fold at the prefent price of 48, 
wt will produce 56,735]. 4s. 10d. which, 
divided among the prefent members, gives 
them 15].19s. 7d. each. So that, after 
the trouble of making quarterly, or half- 
yearly payments, for {even years, the pof- 
fibility of having been unable to continue 
the fub{cription, the rifk of lofing what 
they had paid, by the death of the no- 
minee, and the lefs of all intereft what- 
ever, they muft be content to receive 
alas, sd. des than they have eciually 
paid, and confefs that they have beei 
grofsly deceived. by falle expectations. 
Feb. 82798000 SA5 Gs 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. | 
. SER, 
AM a fubfecriber to a charity-fchool, 
the regulations of which are in many 
refpeéts judicious and liberal; but where, 
from time immemorial, the ** Bible” and ~ 
** Church Catechifm’ are the..only books 
which have been ufed; and I find, upon 
enquiry, that this remark will apply to 
many other fimilar foundations, efpecially | 
fuch as have been long eftablished. Now, 
though it may be eafy to produce reafons 
why thefe are not the moft fuitable {chool- 
books that. might be thought of, yet it is 
not quite fo eafy, for thofe who are not 
converfant in fuch matters, to recommend 
the moft proper fubftitutes. . If, there- 
fore, any of your intelligent correfpons 
dents, who may have turned, their atten- 
tion to the fubject, would have the con- 
defcenfion to fuggeft a few popular works 
on religion, morality, natural and civil 
hiftory, &c. proper to be adopted in cha- 
rity-{chools ; orto communicate any other 
praétical information relative to the ad- 
miniftration, ‘of fuch inftitutions, they 
would, probably, render an effential fer- 
vice to the public, and would greatly 
oblige your conftant reader, _ M.S. 
Lincola’s Inn, Feb. 751798. 
IA? | ee 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, : 
Correfpondent of your’s, in the laft 
XX. Magazine, is hardy enough to affert, 
that the late Mr. Burke was ionorant of 
the Greek alphabet; and knew fo little 
of Latin,‘as not to be able'to tranflate his 
own quotations. 
Of Mr. Burke’s claffica! attainments, 
I know nothing trom any other fources of 
infermation than thofe already before the’ 
public, and Mr. M‘Cormrck, in his life 
of that fingular man, is filenton the fub- 
ject; but I think the public know enough 
to render the affertion of your corref- 
pondent very doubtful; and, as one of 
that public, I will here ftate the probable 
evidence in favour of Mr. Burke’s learn- 
ing.---Mr. Burke was early devoted to 
clafiical purfuits, under the direétion of a 
mafter, who has not been charged with 
entire ignorance of letters. Me Burke 
{pent fome years at college in Dublin, and 
ootained honours in the college. The _ 
whole lite of Mr. Burke was {pent in li- 
terary purfuits. He was the. conttant 
companion of Dr, Johnfon,' a man as fu- 
perfiitiouily 
