and Mr. Thomas Poynder, and also the Marquis of Exeter, the Earl of Arundel and Surrey, and other governors. Her Majesty sat in the chair of state usually filled by the president, who sat on this occasion on her Majesty's left. The treasurer was on the right of Prince Albert; the Duchess of Buccleuch and the Countess of Dunmore were on the right of the treasurer, and the noblemen and gentlemen in waiting occupied seats on the left of the president. The chair of state was placed in front of the raised seats at the west end of the hall, and behind the Queen sat Mrs. Thompson the wife of the president, and Mrs. Pigeon, the wife of the treasurer. The steward of the hospital was stationed underneath the magnificent window of stained glass in the middle of the hall, which contains the arms of its four royal governors, viz., the Queen, Prince Albert, the Prince of Wales, and Prince George; and those of Edward VI., the founder of the hospital, and of Charles II., founder of the Mathematical School; also the arms of the president and the treasurer. On a signal from the steward the service commenced by the whole of the scholars singing the first two verses of the 100th psalm, written copies of the psalm being presented to the Queen and Prince Albert by two of the scholars kneeling. The reader for the evening, Edward A. Newton, one of the senior Grecian scholars, then read a portion of the 10th chapter of the gospel of St. Luke, beginning with the 21st verse. Then followed several prayers. The scholars sang four verses of the 139th psalm, copies in ornamental penmanship being presented to Her Majesty and the Prince by the scholars by whom they were written. Grace having been said the supper was served. Her Majesty and Prince Albert then rose, and, followed by the royal suite (including the Marquis of Exeter), passed down the whole extent of the tables in the hall while the scholars were at their meal. The president and the treasurer attended the august visitors. The Queen and the Prince having returned to their seats, and the supper being ended, an anthem (composed by Hayes) was sung. The whole of the scholars then passed in procession before the Queen and Prince Albert, the 12 Grecians (proceeding to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge) passing first, followed by the 12 King's scholars, destined for the naval service. The other boys followed with their nurses in the order of their wards. The scholars having made their obeisance to the Sovereign and the Prince retired from the hall. The organ continued to play during the procession of the scholars. The Queen and Prince Albert then rose and quitted the hall, attended by their suites; the president and the treasurer conducting Her Majesty and his Royal Highness to their carriage. Governesses. A society is about to be established for the purpose of raising the condition of the very useful class of persons called governesses, and of improving the means of preparatory education which is to enable them to undertake the instruction of others. The prospectus, which is dictated in a truly benevolent spirit, remarks, " In order to form governesses who may hope eventually to be regarded as the friends of the parents, after establishing a claim to their gratitude, we must select minds whose natural endowments will enable them to profit by the advantages bestowed, and ascertain that they have also a turn for imparting instruction. Accomplishments must hold a due place, and remarkable talent in any line will not be neglected. Cheerfulness and energy will be promoted and encouraged, and these may be aided by the cultivation of kindly affections, the encouragement of innocent amusements, and the formation of habits of self-control. Three months' gratuitous instruction will be offered to pupils properly recommended, and willing to go through the required probationary residence. If admitted, £50 annually paid by them will include the best masters, and every other expense, during three or four years of training." Among the ladies of rank and station at the head of this society we perceive the names of the Countesses of Mount Edgecumbe and Rosebery, Dowager Lady Lyttelton, Lady Noel Byron, and the Hon. Miss Muray. Medical Students.-Rev. Dr. Warneford has signified his intention of presenting another thousand pounds to Queen's College, Birmingham, to enable the council to carry out his great ends in view-namely, "to make medical stu dents good Christians as well as able practitioners in medicine and surgery." Isle of Man.-King William's College. -The whole of this building, with the exception of the chapel, which is in progress, has been completed within twelve months from the fire which destroyed it, Jan. 14, 1844. The principal and students have returned to their lodgings. The bishop has issued the following advertisement, requesting contributions towards the re-establishment of the library : "The liberality of their friends in England has enabled the inhabitants of the Isle of Man to restore the building which was consumed in 1844. The library, the only public one on the island, consisted of books given by Bishop Wilson and subsequent benefactors, and was destined for the use of the students, and of the clergy generally. Those friends who have expressed their wish to contribute books for its re-establishment, or who may be induced to do so, are informed that the new library is now ready for the reception of such volumes as they can spare. The works which will be most required are-books of reference, theological, classical, and such as are calculated to promote sound education as connected with history, English literature, and science. "Books may be sent to Mr. Darling, Bookseller, Little Queen-street, Lincoln's Inn; Mr. Parker, Bookseller, Oxford; W. G. Wilson, Esq., Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge. "If persons from distant parts of the kingdom wish to contribute small quantities of books, they are requested to consult the Rev. R. Dixon, Principal of the College, as to the best and cheapest method of forwarding them. Larger quantities may be sent directly to the College Library, Isle of Man. "Thos. Vowler, Sodor & Man." Scotch Parochial Schoolmasters.-The Earl of Minto presented a petition to the House of Lords on the 17th inst., from the Presbytery of Wigton, and from another place, praying that some better provision should be made for the parochial schoolmasters of Scotland. This question had been brought under the consideration of her Majesty's government last year, and he wished now to ascertain whether or not her Majesty's government intended to do any thing decisive this session. He apprehended that there were no impediments in the way; or, if there were, they must be such as could easily be removed. He thought that the salary of a parochial schoolmaster ought not to be less than £50 a year; and he was anxious that the law should be so constructed as to deal with the cases of those who misconducted themselves, or who, from other circumstances, were incapable of doing their duty properly. Some provision also should be made for those who, through age or infirmity, became incapacitated. He would, however, be perfectly satisfied to leave the matter in the hands of her Majesty's government, if they would undertake it. The Duke of Buccleuch assured the noble earl, that this subject had engaged the attention of her Majesty's government. It was not without its difficulties, some of minor importance, and others of greater. No doubt that several matters ought to be considered, not only with regard to the provision of annual incomes of schoolmasters, but the state of the law with respect to their appointment and removal. As those were most difficult points to deal with, an investigation before a committee of their lordships' house would be the best means of bringing the subject more fully in all its bearings before the legislature, and such a committee would be able to decide on the measures which would be most proper to bring forward. He would therefore propose, that a select committee be appointed-(" move! move!" from the Duke of Wellington;) he would move for the appointment of a select committee, to inquire into the condition of the parochial schoolmasters in Scotland. The Earl of Minto rose and said, he could not refrain from expressing his satisfaction at the course which her Majesty's government contemplated in reference to this subject. The motion was then put from the woolsack and agreed to. Bombay. The Lord Bishop of Bombay, in a letter dated Surat (on visitation), Nov. 28, 1844, wrote as follows: On the other side is a list of books very much required by the Rev. G. Candy, superintendant of the school of the IndoBritish Mission in Bombay, towards the erection of whose buildings the venerable Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge made so liberal a contribution about five years ago. The experience of the society's great liberality emboldens mc, I trust not blameably, to appeal to it again. The boys and girls' schools are now in full operation, and are affording christian instruction to many destitute children, who without them must have remained in ignorance. When I saw the schools before the monsoon, there were 80 boys and 45 girls in them; their progress was generally satisfactory. "Since the establishment of the IndoBritish Mission School, it has been a comfortable reflection, that (with our present European and Indo-British population) no child need now be without christian education in this diocese. The various regimental schools educate the children of the soldiers; the Education Society receives for board and education the orphan children of soldiers and IndoBritish children, whose parents have been in the service of government, besides many other European Indo-British, whose parents or friends can pay something toIwards the education of their children. The Indo-British Mission school receives those children who have no claim upon the Education Society, or regimental schools. In it are some children of native Christians, and of Indo-Portuguese parents. Many parents or friends pay something for the children in the school. But we are, from the want of funds, often under the painful necessity of refusing or of delaying to admit applicants. We have, therefore, very little to meet the expense of books, &c. The diocesan committee have afforded the school assistance by some grants of books. donation of books (£15 sterling), which arrived in good order, in the month of October last. The consecration of the church, for which the books for the desk and communion-table were intended, has taken place. The books were deposited in their places in the presence of the Indians; and the valuable stock of well-selected elementary publications with which you have supplied me, I am carefully distributing. With the Divine blessing, I trust this donation from the society will be productive of much good. As the supply of tracts and small books is rather larger than will be required for the Indians, I have assumed the liberty of distributing a few among the destitute settlers in the interior, to whom I pay periodical visits. On my last missionary tour, I took a few of the smaller books with me; and at the various stations at which I performed service, I distributed them to the children, with some encouraging remarks of the use to be made of them; and the eagerness and delight with which they pressed forward to obtain them, would have gratified the supporters of your beneficent institution. The little tracts entitled, Prayers for Children," I highly prize, as they will enable me to insist upon that most essential duty of the Christian parent-teaching their children to pray. And where I find parents unable or unwilling to discharge this duty, I undertake it myself, with the aid of these little books. This practice of teaching children their prayers in the presence of their parents, at these humble assemblies for public worship, was adopted with signal success by one of the earliest missionaries sent by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts to this part of the province-the late Rev. John Langhorne, whose memory is embalmed in the best affections of those who knew him. Many of those who received instruction from him, as 'babes in Christ,' now grey-haired patriarchs, have borne grateful testimony to me of the benefit they derived from this excellent method. The labour of sowing the precious seed in so promising a soil as the youthful mind, is beguiled by the bright hopes of an abundant harvest. The seed with which the society has furnished me shall be faithfully scattered, and devoutly will I implore God's blessing on it; but, oh! how many briars and thorns are springing up in this wilderness to choke it!" ON MAINTAINING A CONNECTION WITH CHILDREN AFTER THEY LEAVE OUR NATIONAL SCHOOLS. REV. SIR,-As an apology for this letter, and in explanation of its intent, I would beg leave to refer to an article in the 23rd number of the Journal, in which the difficulties at present experienced in maintaining a connection with children after they leave our national schools are lamented, and an earnest wish is expressed, that some general scheme could be devised for the attainment of so desirable an object. Your remarks on this article, and offer of the Journal of Education as a medium of correspondence, have induced me to trouble you with a few suggestions, should you deem them worthy of publication. My object is not to descant on the great importance of the subject in question; this must be evident to every one interested in the education of our poorer brethren, and needs not to be supported by elaborate arguments. Every one who looks back on his past life must, I think, acknowledge the peculiar dangers of that period, when the child leaves his home to enter the world, where, alas, he will be beset by temptations and snares, and " many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in perdition." If we only consider, that at this critical period of his career, this "turning point" of his life, when he stands most in need of admonition and encouragement, our influence over the individual ceases; I conceive every one will admit the necessity of so extending our present system, that the instructor of childhood may continue the guide and counsellor of youth, till, by the divine blessing, the young man, led on by continued counsel and practice, may be thoroughly established in the fear of God. But the difficult question is,-How can this be effected? In the first place, we must bear in mind the various circumstances for which we shall have to provide. These will not only vary in different localities, but will also be liable to change in each. To suggest a universal scheme I do not pretend; indeed, I think such a thing impossible, as arrangements well suited to one place might be entirely unfit for another. However, "in the multitude of counsellors there is safety," and if several plans be proposed, we may perhaps be enabled eventually to blend them into one, or at all events select one adapted to our own peculiar circumstances. The scheme I would now propose is the cultivation of church music on some decided and well matured plan, and that not merely for the purpose of imparting a certain amount of musical knowledge, but as conducive to a definite object, to the great and holy purpose of praising God. Music of a miscellaneous character has done much towards softening and improving the minds of our children, and the cultivation of psalmody has raised many voices in the praise of God's "excellent greatness;" but still I conceive that much more might be done by careful training in the use of compositions specially set apart for the worship of the sanctuary, in which we are told to lift up our hands and praise the Lord," The mere acquaintance, however, with the music will VOL. III.-MAY, 1845. K be of little avail, unless we give them opportunities of actually using it in the solemnity of worship. These opportunities may be afforded in school and church. As regards the school prayers, I speak with reserve, fearing that I may be considered as dictating to the clergy, who are, of course, the sole judges in this matter; yet I would respectfully suggest the advantage and propriety of making the daily school devotions consist of selections from our incomparable liturgy.* As an instance, I would propose the confession and Lord's prayer, followed by the versicles, the Venite, and one of the psalms for the day, concluding with the creed, the responses "Lord have mercy upon us," and a few collects. Such a selection, affording the interchange of prayer and praise, would make the children feel the solemnity of worship, and would not be too long; while it afforded every opportunity of using, in God's service, the music they had previously learned, By a little care and attention the prayer, read by the master in a clear audible tone, would be answered by the united voices of his scholars, chanting to an easy cadence, the Amen; while a very trifling amount of labour would enable them to chant the versicles, canticles, and psalms. There may be some, perhaps, who will feel disposed to question the propriety of making such a use of music in our devotional exercises. In reply to these objections, I would refer to places where such an attempt as the above has been made. Let them hear the supplication, and the psalm of praise, uttered in the solemn tune of "meet and holy song,' by 200 of our little ones; let them mark the interest with which they join in the service, and they will, I think, acknowledge how much cause there is of thankfulness that we have thus been enabled to secure their united aspirations of prayer and praise; and of hope that, while raising their voices, God may in mercy raise their hearts also. And now, Rev. Sir, to show the application of these remarks to the subject in question, I would propose, in the second place, that a choir should be formed at the church attended by the school; and that, as far as may be deemed expedient, the chanting be conducted in a similar manner. Let the boys who leave the school be allowed to continue * Perhaps some persons may be surprised at this suggestion, and say that I am only advocating that which already exists. Now, while it is admitted that the prayers which are used in our national schools, are extracted from the liturgy; it must also be allowed, that, in the majority of cases, there is little approach to a regular selection from the daily offices of prayer, appointed by our church. Doubtless, the best arrangement would be a daily attendance on public worship; but as this is a privilege which few have the opportunity of enjoying, I think it is very important so to frame our school service, that it may present at least the outline of the worship of the sanctuary. Viewed in this connection, the advantages of such an arrangement must be obvious. An intimate acquaintance with many of our church formularies would be acquired; and the child taught by daily practice, would understand and be eager to perform his part in public worship. It might be productive of much benefit, if according to the direction of the church, part of the Litany were used on Wednesday and Friday. In suggesting that part should be used, let me not be supposed to entertain an idea, that this admirable composition is too long, or to depreciate any parts of it; my only motive is, a regard for the natural feelings of children, and a consequent fear that by attempting too much we may defeat the great aim of all our labours. |