portant of them are his Elevations and Meditations, of which Mr. Butler gives some beautiful and interesting specimens, well deserving the notice of our readers.

Among the miscellaneous writings of Bossuet, one of the most valuable is, his Introduction to Universal History, written for the use of the Dauphin, for whom he also wrote, by the desire of Louis XIV., a short course of anatomy. His last work was a commentary on the 22d Psalm, written during his painful disorder, in the intervals of ease.

"That Psalm has always been considered to be a prophetic description, remarkably distinct and clear, of the bodily and mental sufferings of Christ on the cross, of the resurrection of Christ, and of his establishment of his church. It was the aim of Bossuet, by the frequent meditation of the subject of this Psalm, to raise himself to an imitation of the great model of patience, which it describes. It appears to have been a favourite theme of Bossuet: he has left us four sermons upon it. In each of them, his eloquence takes its highest flight; and each of them abounds with those terrible beauties which Longinus so greatly admires in the Grecian orator, and with that strong pathos, which equally subdues and satisfies reason." P. 173-4.

The biographer of Bossuet touches but slightly on his controversy with Fenelon, simply remarking that both were blameable; and as he is also the biographer of Fenelon, we might look for impartiality. Yet as we recollect that Fenelon was supposed to lean towards Protestantism, and that therefore Mr. Butler, being a Catholic, may feel a little indisposition towards him, we should wish to examine farther into the merits of the controversy, before we form an opinion. We have always felt a high admiration for the piety and christian simplicity of Fenelon, who in the corrupt court of Louis XIV. dared to speak unpleasant truths at any risk, and seemed wholly unmoved by the influence of Royal ascendancy, against which Bossuet was by no means so fortified. It appears even from Mr. Butler's account that he was a courtier, and that his opinions were at times warped by a desire of recommending himself to the favour of Louis le Grand.

On the whole, however, we are induced to think very respectfully of the character of Bossuet, both intellectual and moral. In addition to his splendid talents, he possessed much warmth of devotion, and much zeal in promoting the interests of what he conceived to be the true religion. After the copious extracts we have made, it is scarcely necessary to add, that we also entertain a very favourable opinion of the talents displayed by his learned and respectable biographer in this " ludus literarius."

ART. XXIV.—1. The Barrington School; being an Illustra tion of the Principles, Practices, and Effects of the New System of Instruction, in facilitating the religious and moral Instruction of the Poor. By Sir Thomas Bernard, Bart. London: printed for the Society for bettering the Condition of the Poor. Hatchard. March, 1812. 8vo.

2. A Vindication of Mr. Lancaster's System of Education from the Aspersions of Professor Marsh, the Quarterly, British, and Anti-jacobin Reviews, &c. &c. By a Member of the Royal Institution. London: 1812. Svo.

3. The Origin, Nature, and Object, of the New System of Education. London: Murray. 12mo. 1812.

4. An Experiment in Education, made at the Male Asylum of Madras:-suggesting a System by which a School or Family may teach itself, under the Superintendance of the Master or Parent. By the Rev. Andrew Bell, late one of the Directors, and Superintendant of that Establishment; Chaplain of Fort St. George, A. M. &c. &c. London: Cadell. 1797.

12mo.

5. The Report of the Military Male Orphan Asylum at Madras, with its original Proofs and Vouchers, as transmitted from India, in 1796, and published in London 1797 under the title," An Experiment in Education, &c. &c." A new Edition, to which are subjoined additional Documents and Records, illustrative of the Progress of the new System of Education in the School in which it originated; and of its Fruits in the Character, Condition, and Fortune of its Pupils. By the Rev. Andrew Bell, D. D. &c. &c. London: Murray. Edinburgh: Blackwood. Dublin: Cumming. 1812.

EVERY succeeding mouth brings forth facts and incidents, casting a glow of novelty and interest over the noblest and most important of the questions that now agitate the public mind; viz. how best to train up the rising generation of the poor, and those which are to follow for succeeding ages, in the paths of industry and virtue. God be thanked, the expediency of the object is at length finally settled. All the authorities in church and state, together with every virtuous and enlightened individual, seem now to be convinced, that gaols and solitary cells, workhouses and penitentiary houses, (excellent as their effects may sometimes be,) are of too confined a scope, and require a management too complicated, to be successful in operating a general reformation in the morals and manners of the people.

All parties seem now to be agreed, that the hardened mind of an adult criminal is very impenetrable; that when his reformation is effected, the evil which his example has brought upon society is by no means counteracted; and that in fact under the lenient administration of our laws their vengeance alights upon the heads of only a very small proportion of offenders. Of the comparative unprofitableness of the immense sums which have been expended of late years for the above purposes, the return of the criminals annually committed to our gaols, which have been lately laid before the House of Commons, exhibit ample proof: they ascertain a gradual and no inconsiderable increase of crimes. Within the last seven years the committals to the various prisons in England and Wales have increased from 4,605 to 5,337; nor can we perceive in the returns any proof that the progressive increase has been less in those counties where the greatest attention has been paid to the economy and arrangement of their prisons.

It is time then to resort to other modes; and, in addition to the example of Scotland, we may cite the gratifying circumstance, that of children brought up in Dr. Bell's and Mr. Lancaster's schools scarcely an instance has occurred of their committal to prison, or of their conviction for any criminal offence; which, considering the many thousands who have now passed through those schools, is a fact highly worthy of remark. The utter impossibility, under the ancient systems, of imparting instruction to the mass of the people at any reasonable rate of expence, affords the best apology for the substitution of other measures, with a view to their reformation. But after all that has been said and written, that apology can now be set up no longer; and it only remains for every honest man, who has the interests of his country and the welfare of his fellow-creatures really at heart, to consider, without prejudice or predilection, by the patronage of what application of the new or Madras system of education, to the full extent of his means, he can best promote the glorious object of the universal instruction of the poor in the principles of religion and morality. Nor will a philanthropist confine his views on this subject merely to his own country. The new system of education is an engine applicable to all states of society, to all countries, and to all religions. It may with equal facility be made subservient, under Dr. Bell, to the extension of the church of England; under Mr. Lancaster, to the spread of general knowledge, independent of peculiar doctrines; under the Mufti, to the dissemination of the moral code of Mahomed; or, under the Bramins, to the improvement of society among the Hindoos. But in all cases it will invariably lead to the further cultivation

of the human mind, and it will be the object of the statesmen in each country to discover under what form or modification it promises, under all the circumstances, to be most conducive to the moral and religious improvement of the people.

In the prosecution of this object, as applied to our own country, we shall endeavour as far as possible to avoid the feelings of partizans. The indignation which we could not help expressing a year ago*, at the unwarrantable attempt made to deprive Dr. Bell of the credit due to his genius and industry, has been considerably softened by perceiving the degree in which the attempt has been instrumental in eliciting the real truth, and in reflecting upon his merits that light which nothing else perhaps could have kindled. The progress of such a controversy, embittered as it has been by the collision of religious differences, could hardly fail to be fruitful in asperities. But those who come in, as we now do, at the end of the fray, who have only to collect and concentrate the scattered arguments, (and many still remain to be gathered,) may exercise our office with minds undisturbed by any other emotion, than regret that so many bad passions should have been excited in such a cause. The works enumerated at the head of our article are sufficient to afford to a patient and attentive reader a complete idea of the controversy that has been carried on, as to the origin and invention of the new system, and also concerning the mode in which it can best be put into practice by a person desirous of establishing a school. They have all been published within the last six months, except the original Report of the Madras Asylum, now republished; their authors have therefore availed themselves of what has been previously known and written on the subject, at the same time that they exhibit it with an aspect somewhat new. We recommend the works themselves to the perusal of the curious on this subject; but as some of them are diffuse and desultory, and may perhaps be said to contain the arguments rather than to array them in their due order against each other, it is our intention after a brief account of each work, to bring at once into view the leading points of the question as it now stands, and then to draw a few practical inferences for the use of those, who are anxious to serve, not: their own party merely, but their country, and the cause of humanity.

We must, however, premise that there are many other excellent publications on the same subject, which want of space only. prevents us from noticing. Among these we would strongly re

See British Review, No. I. Art. X.

commend Mr. Hollingsworth's Sermon and address, printed for Rivingtons, &c. 1812; and Mr. Grimwood Taylor's Sermon. It is fair also to state, that a paper on Mr. Lancaster's side, that has attracted some attention, and is much recommended by his advocates, appeared in a new periodical work, entitled the Philanthropist, of January 1812. We have perused the paper, and think, notwithstanding its sophistry, that it is worthy the attention of an impartial inquirer. But the ability with which it is written will not deceive those who also read the works recommended to their attention in this article.

1. The Barrington School, by Sir Thomas Bernard, is a plain statement of the method and practices of the Madras system, as embodied in the schools of the Bishop of Durham, at Bishop Auckland. Sir Thomas is a private friend of the excellent prelate, and passes some weeks with him every summer. The philanthropy and sagacity of the worthy baronet are well known; we are not therefore surprized that many of his leisure hours were passed within the walls of the school, or that his mind should have fully embraced all the essential points of practice, however minute. Accordingly we find in his book a perspicuous and pretty accurate summary of almost all which need be known by a person wishing to establish a school on the new system. And we have no doubt, that under its directions, assisted by a lad from the Military Asylum, the Whitechapel school, or any other that has been some time established, a new school might be organized, and in operation in a very few weeks.

2. "The Vindication of Mr. Lancaster's System" is a party production, being a brief recapitulation of all the arguments which have been brought forward in Mr. Lancaster's behalf by Mr. Fox and the various periodical writers who have advocated his cause, without the least regard to selection, or to the propriety of omitting those which have been recently and triumphantly answered by his opponents. It is, therefore, a very indiscreet work, and will probably do more harm than good to the cause it espouses. It is, however, the more valuable to a candid and impartial inquirer, as he will there find brought together the whole of the arguments on one side of the question, and will of course be more capable of judging of the means by which it has been supported, and of bringing their accuracy with greater facility to the test of the arguments on the opposite side. Among the most prominent and valuable of these is,

3. The little work on "The origin, nature, and object of the new system of Education." This is the production of a strong advocate of the Madras System, fired with indignation at the

VOL. III. NO. VI.

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