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ter.

metan delusion, nor he who was the infatuated devotee of a superstitious and sanguinary creed; but it is the unfaithful minisHis appearance on that day will cause a fiendlike yell of horror and madness from his former unhappy hearers, and he ; but the scene is too awful to

be pursued!

But I do not think that ministerial fidelity, and abusive raillery, are synonymous terms; yet this seems to be the opinion of a certain quondam popular orator, in his sermon, as reported in the " Pulpit" for August last. I should like to ask this said orator, who authorized him to anathematize Arminians, and to doom them to perdition, after charging them with tenets which they uniformly disavow? What right has he to erect a sort of Procrustean standard of truth, which perhaps exists no where except in his own heated imagination, and "to stretch and lop" all who do not speak as he speaks, and think as he thinks? He may hurl the gauntlet of defiance against his ministerial brethren, but he ought to have known, that the denomination he now condemns can produce men inferior to himself in no respect, except in grimaces and attitude, and much superior to him in learning, usefulness, and activity. Dursley, Gloucestershire.

J. G.

TRUE CHARITY EXEMPLIFIED.

--"Wherefore then her form

So exquisitely fair? her breath perfumed With such ethereal sweetness?

and whence the robes of light Which thus invest her with more lovely pomp Than fancy can describe? Whence but from thee, O Source divine of ever-flowing love, And thy unmeasured goodness ?"

Akenside's Pleasures of Imagination, book iii. lines 481.

"FORGIVE US our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us." There are many, who, possessed of a gloomy imagination, discredit the idea that there is such a lovely object in this world of woe as virtue in infancy. Few are its instances I confess, but beautiful indeed is it to behold a child, taught as it were from God, lisp its innocent prayers, its heavenly thoughts, and its cherubic blessing, on its parents. I was once a witness to so interesting a sight.

I had strayed through a favourite copse on a beautiful evening, and found myself suddenly on the borders of a garden, whose fence but ill concealed an inimitable group that were assembled beneath its shade. On the rough garden-seat, curiously wrought with dried roots and stakes of the most twisted and grotesque form imaginable, sat the father of a lovely offspring.

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His inclined head was supported by one hand; the other was resting on the inspired volume, which he appeared to have been lately perusing-he seemed to be musing on its contents. His face was concealed from my view by the envious leaves of a jessamine bough that shaded his countenance; but, undoubtedly, it bore that meditative aspect which well accorded with the scene. The mother occupied a chair placed by the side of a rustic table, on which was spread a profusion of flowers, and a bunch of wild strawberries bound with a pink ribband. At her feet knelt a blooming boy, apparently five years old; his head, beautifully clustered with flaxen curls, was in his mother's lap: his little hands were raised in a suppliant gesture to the Father of all mercies; he was concluding the Lord's prayer, the last accents were faltering on his tongue. Scarcely had he finished, when he addressed his parent in a sweet pathetic tone, "Mamma, forgive Charlotte; I do—and I am sure God does : do, mamma, forgive her." His sister, who sat with her head averted, burst into tears. Henry," said she, sobbing, "I'll never, never wrong you any more. You may forgive me; but I cannot forgive myself."

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The sternness of a parent was immediately moved, and the severity of her features dissipated, by all the soft emotions of maternal love. Who would not have envied her feelings, when, bending over their infantile forms, she joined their hands-a softer tie had bound their hearts and kissed the tears from their cheeks with thể sweetest affection. Inexpressible is the hallowed delight that thrills through the soul of a mother, when she beholds her child actuated by principles revealed to him apparently but by the voice of his Maker; when she beholds him treading the path of virtue, before even reason can be supposed to influence his mind, or direct his heart. If such then, mothers, is your well-merited bliss, be it ever your care, as it is your peculiar province,

"To pour the fresh instruction o'er the mind,
To breathe th' enlivening spirit, and to fix
The generous purpose in the glowing breast."
Thomson's Spring.

A description of so many particulars may seem trivial to the uninterested reader, but I trust I have a claim upon his forgiveness; the sight of a family at their devotions elicits no common feelings. Something within prompted my lips, as I left the sequestered spot, to repeat the words our Saviour has taught us in his prayer, "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us." And my heart

.....

received the most salutary impressions from the forgiving temper of this amiable child.

If religion has such charms, if religion renders human nature so much allied to the beings of a heavenly sphere, why is it so despised? Answer, ye who call yourselves the great, the noble, the philosophic; divest yourselves of your frothy state, and reply, "Rank coward to the fashionable world; Art thou asham'd to bend thy knee to heaven?" Young.

There is a pause-your lips are sealed; but I hear the voice of eloquence responding, "I am not of the world."

Of all the qualities that adorn the Christian character, few are so beautiful as charity; it is a benevolent feeling to all around us, arising from the consciousness that we are at the same time the objects of a condescending love, and that a merciful Father is dispensing his blessings to us and to all men. If we are thus impressed with the consideration that our offences, though beyond all comparison in magnitude, continually receive the pardon of a mighty God, it should surely influence our conduct for it behoves us to remember, that the spirit of love and charity renders the possessor a striking though faint emblem of Him whose peculiar attribute is mercy. We have oft provoked his displeasure, and we are continually offending against his holy law; and have long, ere now, merited the condign and exemplary punishment that is prepared for the wicked: yet here we still remain, the monuments of his forbearance. Still sounds the trumpet in our ears to call us from death unto life, and still we have trifled if we felt but a spark of that love which glows in the bosom of our Saviour,

we should know that there is no offence too great to be pardoned, no provocation too enormous to be forgiven.

The Christian receives an insult; with a heavenly meekness he bows beneath the voice of reproachful scorn, and it passes on; its emptiness leaves him uninjured. The man of the world receives an insult, perhaps an imaginary one; he erects his stubborn front, inflated with pride, and furiously resents: the blast encounters him, and he, trusting in his feeble strength, opposes; but mighty is the crash. He is uprooted, and cast on the plain, to be trampled upon by those who were once spurned with contempt. But charity is patient in endurance, not yielding to an implacable spirit; mild in forbearance, not piqued with an affront by the fantastical rules of honour. "She rather waves than will dispute her right, And, injur'd, makes forgiveness her delight." Cowper. J. A B.

Beaconsfield.

110.-VOL. X.

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METHODS RECOMMENDED TO BE ADOPTED FOR THE INSTRUCTION OF THE IRISHTHE HIGHLANDERS-AND THE WELSH.

Ir is confidently asserted that there are nearly three millions of inhabitants in the British Isles who speak the Celtic language; and have either no knowledge, or a very imperfect knowledge, of the English. Now it is evident, that to be unacquainted with the language in which books are written, business conducted, is a species of civil intelligence circulated, and the public proscription, which reduces those who endure it, to the condition of strangers in their own country, and condemns them to a state of pristine ignorance and barbarism in the midst of advancing civilization. There are but three modes of dealing with the evil. The first is, to mix the inhabitants of the district with a more intelligent population, by colonizing it; but this is out of the question, in the case of a territory so barren as the Highlands, to which for the The second present we confine our view. is, to dispense instruction to the inhabitants in their own language :-and the third is, to introduce the language of the more improved population among them, by means of education and the press. The first mode, as we have already stated, is, in this case, impracticable; the last offers the greatest advantages, but is attended with peculiar The second may difficulties in execution. be considered as a dernier resort, where the other two modes are inapplicable.

It is material to observe, that the absolute number of persons speaking Celtic, in the empire, has probably increased within the last century, though the proportional number may have diminished; and surely, if we are to have two or three millions of fellow-subjects using a peculiar language, it is better that they should rethan remain in the lowest abyss of ignoceive instruction in their own language,

rance.

We would say, Teach the Highlanders where it is practicable; but rather let them be taught something in Gaelic, than learn nothing at all. We are convinced, however, that the second and third methods ought to be conjoined. In small towns and considerable villages, English may be advantageously taught, because when once introduced in such places, it will continue and extend itself by oral communication. But in scattered hamlets, the English learned by the child at school is laid aside when he returns home, where Gaelic only is spoken; and it is thus gradually lost by disuse. The Highlanders have, in general, no aversion, but rather a

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desire to be taught English; but the difficulty is, first, that as it stands to them in the situation of a dead language, in many cases neither adults nor children can spare the time necessary to learn it; which is twice or thrice as long as the time usually spent in learning to read the vernacular Gaelic and secondly, that after a slight knowledge of it is acquired, it soon fades from the memory, in consequence of Gaelic being the medium in which they habitually think and converse. As a parallel case, we may suppose a boy in an English village, to receive one year's schooling in French, at the age of twelve, and to hear nothing but English afterwards; would he be able, at the age of twenty-four, to exchange ten words with a Frenchman, or to translate three lines in a French book? The common objection to teaching Gaelic is, that it perpetuates a language which excludes those who use it from all access to the great sources of knowledge and social improvement. But it is found, in point of fact, that teaching a people to read their vernacular tongue, is often the most advantageous method of introducing the knowledge of a foreign language. It reconciles them to the drudgery of educa tion, by beginning the process with what is most easy, and what brings the most immediate reward;-it gives them a knowledge of letters, and the composition of written speech, which facilitates further acquisitions; and it creates a thirst for information, which can only be gratified by acquiring the language in which books are written. Unless two nations live intermixed, the difficulty of communicating the language of the one to the other is almost insuperably great. Education operates only upon a small fraction of the people at once; and upon that fraction, its influence is speedily extinguished by the powerful instinct which impels the child to imitate the speech, tone, and sentiments, of his parents.

A small tribe of Wends, a Sclavonic race, lived in the Prussian province of Lusatia, and had a dialect of their own, entirely distinct from that of their German neighbours. About the year 1678, an attempt was made by the government to change their language. German pastors were appointed to the congregations ;* a German school was set up at every church;

This account was published in "The Memoirs of Literature," in 1711, in a letter from Dr. Jablonski to John Chamberlayne, Esq. See also, Cambro-Briton, vol. iii. p. 477; where it is proved that the affinity between the Welsh and Wendish languages is so great, that in the seven years' war of Frederick the Great, some Welsh and Wendish goldiers were observed to converse familiarly together.-P. B. W.

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and no books were printed in their own tongue, that the love of knowledge might drive them to cultivate the other. The experiment was continued long, but failed entirely. The people living widely dispersed, sent their children to school reluctantly and partially, and what was learned during a few months was speedily forgotten. The ministers beings "barbarians" to their hearers, never made themselves well understood; at length, after a fruitless trial of thirty years, the system was abandoned. The people were supplied with schoolmasters who taught, ministers who preached, and bibles which they could read, in their own language; and the result is thus stated: "The small progress that some of the Wends have made in reading, hath so much raised their appetites, that they do now of their own accord apply themselves to learn the German language, that so they may enjoy the benefit of the books written in it; whereby it is come to pass, that what it was believed would be a hinderance to the German tongue, doth, on the contrary, tend very much to its increase." A similar effort was made about 1765, to extinguish the use of the Bohemian tongue, but with the same bad success.

For a long period pains were taken to force the Welsh into a disuse of their native tongue by a process somewhat similar. But English preaching and English charity schools left the people still as ignorant as barbarians; at least of the English language. At length, the pious and benevolent Griffith Jones, vicar of Llanddauddwr, in Carmarthenshire, by great exertions, and aided by the powerful co-operation of the charitable and excellent Mrs. Bevan of Laungharne, established a number of Welsh charity schools, about the year 1730; which were gratefully received by the people, though discountenanced by some of the upper classes.

From the obvious good effects of the schools, however, prejudice at length gave way. The same benevolent individual, the Rev. Griffith Jones, published a plain and judicious exposition of the Church catechism, in the Welsh language,—and through his means the Society for the promoting of Christian Knowledge reprinted several thousands of Welsh Bibles in 8vo. with the Common Prayer annexed in the same language. Prior to that time, Bibles were very scarce in Wales, and mostly in folio, and those generally confined to churches. The late Rev. Peter Williams, of Carmar. then, was also a very great benefactor to his countrymen in this respect, as he was the first person who published, and that at a great risk, and at his own expense, a Welsh

Bible with explanatory notes, and exposition on each chapter. This work was printed in 4to, in the year 1770, and was principally a translation from Ostervald's, with additions and compilations from Matthew Henry and other authors.**

Owing to the laudable exertions of these two individuals, and some other pious and benevolent persons, the Welsh soon became more sober and civilized; whereas before this time, the Sabbaths were shamefully profaned in Wales;-kicking foot-ball, playing at fives, &c., dancing, wrestling, cock-fighting, being the usual amusements on that holy day. The Methodists, including both the followers of Whitfield and Wesley, were also very serviceable in this respect; so that at present the Sabbath is as strictly observed (if not more so) in Wales as in any part of the united kingdom; and there are generally two or three Sunday schools in each parish-there being a kind of laudable competition and friendly rivalry with regard to these institutions, between the church of England and the Methodists and other nonconformists, each of them contending for the honour of instructing the poor.

But to return to our observations on the success of the circulating Welsh charity schools, established by the Rev. Mr. Griffith Jones. It was soon found that the people were by these means rendered more intelligent and orderly in the first place; and ultimately it was found that the mental excitement produced by this most natural mode of instruction, viz. that of teaching them to read the Word of God in their own language, led, eventually also, to the increased diffusion of the English language. Experience now proves beyond dispute,' says Mr. Griffith Jones, in one of his annual reports, "that if it be attempted to bring all the Welsh people to understand English, we cannot better pave the way for it, than by teaching them to read their own language first."

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,,

The late Rev. Mr. Thomas Charles, of Bala, with whom is said to have originated the first idea of a Bible Society, and who was a great promoter of Sunday and other schools, makes the following remark in his memorial in 1811. "That previous instruction in their native tongue, helps the Welsh to learn English much sooner,”—and, "that the ideas thus acquired, and the want of books to satisfy their thirst for knowledge thus excited, create a desire to learn English."-And he adds, I can vouch for the truth of the following assertion, from

A beautiful and correct folio Edition of this work, adorned with elegant plates, has been lately published in London, by Mr. Henry Fisher.

my own observation; that there are twenty to one who can now read English, to what could when the Welsh was entirely neglected. Thus the knowledge of the English is become necessary for the treasures contained in it. English books are now generally called for; there are now a hundred books, I am sure, for one that was in the country, when I removed from England, and first became a resident of these parts.† English schools are now every where called for, (whereas the children, previous to learning their own language, were not prepared for them) and I have been obliged to send young men to be trained as English teachers, that I might be able, in some degree, to answer the general demand for them. In short, the whole country is in a manner emerging from a state of great ignorance and ferocious barbarity, to civilization and piety-and that principally by means of the Welsh schools.

To these testimonies as to the advantages of beginning with instruction in the vernacular language, we may add a few others. The Rev. Mr. Townsend, in his Survey of the county of Cork, speaking of the Catholic population, says, the greater part derive no eventual advantage from their schoolings; being recalled at an early age, and mixing then with a family who speak only Irish, even the little smattering they had acquired of English, is soon lost.—In a letter from the Rev. Mr. Clark of Eriboll, printed with the Gaelic Schools' Report for 1822, he says, "The people are the more ready to give the necessary accommodation, being informed that after two years the Gaelic schools will be followed up by English. You ask my opinion, which of the two should precede? I now take the liberty of giving it freely. A child will come to read his mother tongue much sooner than a language which is unintelligible to him; and what he reads in that tongue, he not only understands, but is, I may say, incapable of forgetting. The case is otherwise where instruction begins with a language of which the child is ignorant. It costs him the labour of years, before he is able to read his Bible correctly; and even afterwards, he reads so as in some measure to please the ear, yet not so as to understand what he reads. This is not all; without much practice afterwards, no such proficiency is ever made in a foreign tongue at school, as not to be soon forgotten by disuse; and in many districts of the Highlands, English

Mr. Charles was a native of the neighbourhood of Carmarthen, and after leaving Jesus College, Oxford, served a curacy in England. He th married a lady from Bala, and settled there