256 
Ashes) not ren Tufcan, is accounted 
exquintely elegant by the Italians them- 
felvese Ihave, .of purpofe, here confined - 
my felf to fpeak of the form ana acccidental 
ornaments. of ‘¢ J): Gortegigns,” > without 
cenfidering ‘its merits, as a'treatife on its 
peculiar dubject.; in refpet of which, at 
lest equal praife might be, with juthice, 
beftowed Bpon ais A fhould-like to fee 
this charming book more generally read 
in Britain than it, isa is. noid ods 
(Ee 
To the Editor of ‘the Monthly Magazine. 
@ hh 
HE intellicence which I have jut 
received from the country. gives 
gre fo much pleafure, and imprefles my 
yuind with fo re igh an opinion of its va- 
Wwe, that I cannot well refift the inclina- 
tion I feel of-making it public. When 
gay thing is done for the improvement 
or- ornament of fociety, I think it isa 
tgibute we owe the benefactor, not to 
withhold. the praife he merits, nor to be 
Slent on a fubjeét which concerns the 
general welfare. I could have wifhed even 
to have introduced you to the name of 
“my worthy friend, as well as to his li- 
erality, but this not meeting his ideas, 
oF fhall content, mylelf with recommend- 
ing-to-the imitation of others whatjuftly 
,entitles him tothe thanks of his country. 
Ttoceurred then to him, and more par- 
Ltiselerly. as beingia clergyman, for he is 
_one, -and. what is more, a true minifter 
of be! gofpel, that nothing is fo muchto 
_be regrettéd, as the want of that. infor- 
mation amongftthe lower clafles of people, 
which is fo effential to their femme? 
~gnd-eternal intereft.. It is indeed butte 
jutia refie&ion upen the policy of ay 
ftate, where the means of cultivatin gz the 
underfianding- of its members are not 
-provided:. -We--have only to turn ov a 
eyes to Scotland, to evince the truth o 
this remark, im whofe fuperior witdom 
> we vead. our own reproach. It is quite 
-wnneceflary. to. detail, or particularize, 
any of the numerous inftances that have 
cecurred, and which are recent in almoit 
every one’s recoliection, of fo many. of 
tne inferior orders jof- her. community, 
who have attained to eminence, opu- 
lence,)vand honour. An incitement to 
induftry and ability, a general door to 
merit.is thrown open, by. the edoption of 
feminaries for the ec Lucation of youth 
in every town and village of that provi- 
dent country. ‘To enumerate the gre 
advantages which refult from fuch wife 
infiitutions weuld far exeeed my prefent 
Interefiing Eftablifoment of a Country School. 
purpole ; ; Lfhall sence therefore to ela. 
cidate fome of them afforded us in. thie». 
Rees: of my generous correfpondent .. 
And furely it is a noble proof of.diin- 
tereftednefs and of cha arity in a private 
individual, the re€tor of an imconfidera- 
able parifh, to fink (and while living py 
above two thoufand pounds of his for- 
tune in the founding of a {chool fer the 
inftruction of the children of his flock. 
It. is an occurrence, Mr. Editor,. fe 
firiking, that I {carcely think the prefent 
age can furnifh a fimilar example. Not 
many miles fouth of Oxford, ina village 
in. the county of Berksy is erected a 
ftrong but handfome edifice, ef brick 
and tile; the {chocl is on cne fide of the 
entrance, and the mafter’s houfe on the 
other, with the feveral refpeétive offices 
adjoining: the approach from the ftreet 
is by two fteps of afcent; on each fide 
a a parterre ot flowers and fhrubs, with 
a paved walk to the houfe twenty feet in 
length, behind which there is a good 
kitchen garden. Here, by the found of 
a. bell, the children, forry in number, 
(boys and girls) are fummoned to repair 
at an early hour, and are inftruéted 1 in. 
reading, writing, and arithmetic, : 
The {chool opens. and clofes with 
prayers read by the mafter, to whom. 2 
very liberal falary is given; which, to- 
eether with an an nual fam ee providin 
books, paper, pens, and ink, for, the 
{chelars, and repairs, arifes io the 
public funds, and is properly fecured for 
ever, My friend, who attends even to 
the minutiz of propriety, has left no- 
thing undone; for there 1s fomething ap- 
propriated | for a handfome dinner forthe 
childrenon the anniverfary, and likewife 
for the entertainment hereafter‘of trui- 
tees who will audit the accounts, and in- 
{pect the {choolonthatday. T fhallnow 
conclude my letter by fubjoining a fpe- 
cimen of the fruit, which this im faties m- 
ftitution has already produced’; a fpeei- 
men I think of genius almoft as extraor- 
dinary,-as the fplendid inftance of charity 
by which it was brought to light.. ‘Itas 
the compofition of a boy of eleven yéars 
of age, who has been but three years at 
fchool: the ideas were his own, ‘and: the: 
ory alteration made by the mafter was. 
in a trivial error or two of orthography: 
it was prefented-by the boy to his: bene- 
faétor on the morning of the anniverfary. 
Pam, Sir, your's, ‘&e. PHILOLOGUS.. 
SPECIMEN. 
School; Odtober 3, 1797. 
«« Mott refpected and mot generous be- 
nefaglor, permit me, in the humbled. 
manner, 
