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Mr. URBAN,

Nov. 5.

Tand the Education and Employ: HE Jews' Hospital for aged Poor, ment of Youth of both sexes, is situated in Mile End Road, on the South side, between White Horse Lane and Bancroft's Buildings.

It appears from the Report of Mr. J. Van Oven, that this Institution arose from the philanthropic exertions of Benjamin and Abraham Gold smid, esqrs. who in 1795 commenced a collection among their friends for a fund for the benefit of the Jewish poor of that class denominated Ger man Jews, which proved so success ful as to enable them in 1797 to purchase 22,000t. imperial three per cents. In 1806, after very mature deliberation, it was determined to establish an Hospital for the reception and support of the aged poor, as well as the education and industrious improve ment of youth of both sexes; 30,000l. were placed in trust as an inviolate fund for its maintenance, yielding 9001. per annum ; and the freehold, now the Hospital, was completed, and furnished for the reception of five aged men and five aged women, ten boys and eight girls, and opened June 28, 1807. An annexed freehold was also purchased for 20001. for the purpose of enlarging the building as soon as convenient.

By subsequent Benefactions and Subscriptions, the Managers have been enabled to increase their number of objects-there being now supported in the Establishment 40 boys, 26 girls, and 12 aged persons, viz. 6 men and 6 women.

No aged person can be admitted who has not been resident in London ten years; nor youth whose parents have not been resident the same period.

petent masters; one of which is in the boot and shoe line, and the se

cond is a mahogany-chair manufac tory. The Girls are also taught read ing, writing, and arithmetic, house hold work, and plain cooking, and at the age of fifteen are placed in respectable families as apprentices or articled servants; and if at the age of 19 they can produce a certificate of proper conduct, each girl receives five gui neas from the Institution as a reward.

Both Boys and Girls receive hand some encouragements in premiums to stimulate them to habits of industry; and the Boys who are apprenticed in the Establishment have certain tasks assigned them, which are so adjusted as to afford them opportunities of earning something considerable over and above what is required, three fourths of such over-earnings are saved for them until their apprenticeships are expired, which serves as a little capital to begin the world with, and in most cases will be sufficient to provide tools and other necessaries, the remaining fourth being given to them for pocket money. The Lads who have commenced business since the completion of their term in the House, have turned out industrious characters, and promise to become useful and exemplary members of Society. Several Girls have been already disposed of in the manner specified, fourteen of whom have received the aforesaid premium of five guineas.

The annexed view of the Hospital, from a drawing made in 1816, (see Plate I.) represents the building as it appeared previous to the late material alterations.

Since this view was taken, an addition has been made to the Hospital, of a separate habitation for the The Boys are received at the age Aged, where they are comfortably of about nine years; and when ad- placed; and some very necessary enmitted must be able to read Hebrew, largement of the Kitchen and other and those who add to this a know- Offices has taken place, as well as ledge of English reading are preferred. a new Dining-room and a place for From their admission, to the age of Divide Worship equally requisite fourteen, they are taught Reading, by which means, space is procured Writing, Arithmetic,andother branches for the reception of many more Inof useful learning. At fourteen they mates. The irregular appearance of are bound apprentice to the Manufac- the front occasioned by these new turing Trades which are established and erections, has, however, induced some carried on upon the premises. There friends of the Institution, to wish for are at present two of these manufac-a further improvement in its aspect tories under the management of com- by the rebuilding and uniting the old

GENT. MAG. December, 1819:

with

with the new front, and thus to make it uniform; this has been effected, and the Building now exhibits a handsome front, characteristic of its importance and descriptive of its purposes.

The interest which the Public, not only of the Jewish persuasion but of other descriptions, take in the welfare of this Establishment-seems to warrant a confidence that the number of the Inmates of this well-directed effort of benevolence will very shortly be considerably augmented. Annual Subscriptions from one to five or ten guineas are taken, and even lower H. F. R.

sums.

Mr. URBAN,

THER

Newcastle-on-Tyne,

Nov. 8. HE concluding remarks of A. C. R. (p. 318), merit the greatest attention; and I now take up my pen 'for the purpose of still more strongly impressing their importance on your Clerical readers, who, I am afraid, consider the copying the Parish Register as an intolerable grievance.

It is a well-known fact, that by a Canon of James the First, the Clergyman of every Parish was required to send a copy of the Register annually to some particular place appointed by the Bishop of the Diocese: at present I believe this Law is regularly complied with; but this has not always been the case, or at least if it has, the most shameful negligence is attributable to the person in whose keeping they have been placed; indeed I have some reason to suppose this, as I lately saw, in the possession of a friend, a great number of extracts from the Register of a certain Parish in this neighbourhood, and on questioning him as to the way in which he became possessed of them, was informed they were given to him by his Cheesemonger, and that they were copies, forwarded by the Clergyman of the Parish to the proper Office in a bordering Diocese, and had been allowed, through the negligence of their keeper, to obtain the distinguished honour of wrapping up cheese and bacon.

I can also attest, from my own knowledge, that no such records exist in the diocese of Durham, (except for the few last years) having lately had occaion to enquire for them, owing to the registers in the Parish

being partly lost, and the remainder much mutilated.

When we consider the great value of the information contained in Parish Registers, not only to Genealogists and Antiquaries, but to the people in general, as they are often required to establish claims to property which otherwise would probably be the source of endless litigation ; I confess I am surprized that none of our reverend Divines (many of whom are distinguished for the great light they have thrown on Antiquarian subjects) should not, long ere this, have lent their aid to endeavour to remedy this evil, so generally felt by Genealogists and County Historians, by completing the copies of all the Parish Registers; and thus preventing the possibility of a complete loss which the burning of a Church, or other accidents, might occasion. Yours, &c. DE THIRLEWALL.

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who had so long ornamented our Stage, admits of large additions.—I beg to add a few: Mr. Smith, among other excellencies, possessed, in an uncommon degree, the power of conveying the language of the old comedies so as to make it seem familiar

to the ear. He was very little short of his great master GARRICK in this peculiarity of the art. I say his master, for he constantly professed that, from the commencement of his theatrical career, he had made GARRICK his model in all the characters of Shakspear, Beaumont and Fletcher, and Jonson. In a Letter of Mr. Smith's, which a short time ago fell under my notice, his expressions were, "I derive a gratification from the recollection of the scenes in which I bave witnessed Garrick triumphing in his art, and baffling all competition: It is my pride to have lived in his time.” Many like declarations of his high admiration of GARRICK I am conscious will be found in other of his Letters; and as Mr. Smith was a very elegant scholar, I entertain a hope that I may frequently see your pages favoured with some of his Letters touching the Stage.

An allusion has been made to the Dramas of the days of Elizabeth.— In all those in which Mr. Smith had a cha

a character to sustain, every scene of interest was wrought up to a natural and powerful effect: he had neither finesse nor trick-the impression was the result of genuine feeling and clear sense, and he awakened in the audience a portion of intelligence, by which their attention became fixed to every expression that fell from his lips. Among Shakspeare's characters, Hotspur, Falconbridge, and Edgar, were exquisite performances. In Henry the Fifth his fine declamation realized the hero of our history, and placed him before us. And it may with truth be asserted, that his acting in these characters has not been equalled by any attempts since.

The Writer of these remarks would feel himself warranted, by good authorities, were he to apply the preceding observation to an extensive variety of other characters personified by Mr. Smith in the ranges of the Drama; and he cannot omit mentioning that in the year 1768 (to the best of his recollection) he saw him play Hamlet for the first time; it was a fine performance, and highly applauded.

GARRICK, who witnessed it, sent his commendations by a friend when the curtain dropped. The week ensuing, Powell, at the same Theatre, played the same character, he having become a short time before a joint proprietor with Messrs. Harris, Colman, and others. Powell never appeared without fascinating; but the prevailing remark was, that he had played Hamlet, and Smith PRINCE Hamlet.

The following circumstances, connected with Mr. Smith's act of friendship to Mr. King, by re-appearing, ten years after his retirement, for that Actor's benefit, have not been noticed, nor are they wholly known. The PRINCE REGENT, who bad in his earliest days distinguished Mr. Smith, attended with a party, and gave the return of his favourite performer, the marking welcome of an applauding hand. Save a momentary agitation created by the cheering thunder of approbation when he came forward, the charac ter of CHARLES was never exhibited in higher spirit and colouring than on this occasion, to the moment when the curtain fell.

It is remarkable that after this

Mr.

performance of the School for Scandel, three of its original supporters withdrew from the public eye for ever; viz. Messrs. SMITH, PALMER, and KING; but there arose a few days after the performance, a probability that they all would appear again in the following season. Smith, with his accustomed generosity of feeling, hinted to King, that he" was sensible, from the appearance of Palmer, that some distress lay heavy at his heart." "He has not been more careful of his purse," answered King, "than I have.""Not a word more," (replied Mr. Smith,) "if I continue strong, and you will co-operate, Palmer shall be assisted."-Poor Palmer departed for Liverpool, and dying there suddenly, the design Mr. Smith had formed of again appearing in the School for Scandal, with Mr. King, for his be nefit, was relinquished. W. P.

Mr. URBAN,

HA

Nov. 5.

AVING lately heard much conversation about Evening Lectures, and that they have been estab lished in some large towns, and being myself persuaded that they will be productive of much good, I will, with your permission, offer a few reflections which may tend to shew the necessity of them.

On the Sunday evening many people do not well know what to do with themselves. Some are unaccustomed to reading; and even if they were not, having but few,. perhaps with the exception of the Bible, no books in their possession, cannot employ it profitably to themselves: some have been prevented from attending public worship in the morning, and perhaps in the afternoon they had not the benefit of a sermon, and therefore feel a great desire to receive some public instruc tion: some find the whole of the evening unusually dull and heavy, and if it is not interrupted by compauy, are apt to cry out, When will this Sabbath be over? Some, rather than sit at home, go to a Methodistmeeting to hear a religious mountebank, or to a Dissenting Conventicle, where they hear doctrines utterly at variance with those inculcated in the Church; the consequence of which is, that they first become unsettled and uneasy, and then get freed from

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