Retrofpect of Domeftic Literature—Mifcellanies. 
is preparing to publith fome works for 
children of all ages. 
The following is a work of fome 
merit ;—** Juvenile Philofophy; con- 
taining amufing and inftruétive Dif- 
courfes on Hogarth’s Prints of the In- 
duftrious and Idle Apprentices; Ana- 
losy between Plants and Animals, &c. 
&c. defigned to enlarge the Under- 
ftandings of Youth, and to imprefs 
them at an early Period with juft and 
liberal Conceptions.” 
Mr.EDWARD AuGusTUSKFNDALL 
has compiled, from the beft authori- 
ties, * A Pocket Encyclopedia.” This 
felection is made with great judgment, 
fkill, and tatfte. 
«¢ The Juvenile Plutarch,” M. Jau- 
FRET’s ‘*Vifits to the Menagerie and 
Botanic Garden at Paris,” the * Lit- 
tle Hermitage,” and Mifs Arxin’s 
“Poetry for Children,” are all well 
adapted to their refpective purpofes, 
and are among the beft books for chil- 
dren which have lately appeared. 
~ A Grammatical Game in Rhyme, 
by a Lady.” The object of this opuf- 
culum is to blend information with 
amufement, and to introduce young 
perfons to a knowledge of the rudi- 
ments of grammar, in an eafy and fa- 
miliar way, by a grammatical game. 
The whole is an ingenious contri- 
vance, and the map, and book of de- 
finitions, are neatly executed. 
Mifs EpGEWoRTH continues her 
*¢ Early Leffons :”’ nine parts are now 
publifhed, and they do her much cre- 
dit. To this lady the rifing genera- 
tion will be under the greateft obliga- 
tions. 
Mr. Butcuer’s ‘ Moral Tales’ are 
entertaining and inftructive :—but it 
is time that we fhould proceed to the 
laft divifion of this article: itis now 
become fo much the fafhion to write 
books for children, that a fimple tran- 
fcription of the title-pages of the Lilli- 
putian volumes which make their ap- 
pearance within the courfe of fix months 
would occupy much more room than 
we can afford for the purpofe. We 
fhall only notice one more work of un- 
equal merit, and this is addrefied not 
to children, but to thoie who under- 
take the tafk of inftrucéting them :— 
** The Art of Teaching, or Communi- 
cating Inftruction, examined, method- 
ized, and facilitated, as well as applied 
to all the Branches of Scholattic Edu- 
€ation, by Davip Morrices.” 
MONTHLY Mac..No. 89, 
ee 
661 
MISCELLANIES:; 
A fevere controverfy was carried on 
fome months ago by men of high emi- 
nence in the republic of letters, on the 
important fubject of public education. 
It originated in a Sermon preached fe 
long fince ‘as June, 1799, by Dr. Ren- 
nell, Matter of the Temple, at the ge- 
neral meeting of the charity-children 
in the metropolis, and which was af- 
terwards publithed at therequeft of the 
Society for promoting Chriftian Know- 
ledge. In this fermon the Preacher 
adverted to the moft lamentable and 
notorious defectivenefs of Chriftian 
Education in many of our public 
fchools and other great feminaries of 
this nation, and ‘on the elementary 
ignorance of Chriftianity, in which 
young men are permitted to remain in 
the greater part of our public inftitu- 
tions.” When the fermon was printed, 
a long note was added on the fubject, 
wherein Dr. Rennell reprobated, with 
greater feverity, this general remiffe 
nefs on the part of our public educa- 
tors. Dr. Vincent, the learned and 
venerable Matter of Weftmintter, juftly 
conceived himfelf implicated in this 
fweeping cenfure, and was refolved to 
‘vindicate the character, at leaft, of his 
own public fchool, when by the friend-~ 
ly interpofition of Dr. Gafkin, an ex- 
planation took place between the par- 
ties, and the matter was hufhed. Since 
that time, fome reverend writers of 
great refpectability, among whom were 
Dr. Randolph and Mr. Gifborne, ad- 
verted to the fame fubject in the fame 
tone of reproach: ftill, however, no 
further notice was taken of the bufinefs 
till the Bifhop of Meath attacked the 
degeneracy of our public fchools, from 
the fame pulpit and on the fame oc- 
cafion, which Dr. Rennell had, two 
years before, felected for that purpofe. 
In the compromife between Dr, Ren- 
nel] and Dr. Vincent, the former had 
{pecifically exempted the latter from. 
the charge which had been generally 
made: the Bifhop of Meath made no 
fuch exemption, and Dr. Vincent has 
in confequence publifhed ‘‘ A Defence 
of Public Education, addrefled to the 
Moft Reverend the Lord Bifhop of 
Meath, in Anfwer to a Charge an- 
nexed to his Lordfhip’s Difcourfe, 
preached at St. Paui’s, on the Anniver- 
fary Meeting of the Charity Children, ~ 
and. publifhed by the Society tor pro- 
moting Chriftian Knowlege,.” In this 
4Q. defence 
