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precisely suited to our age and country. But this we say, that only a spirit such as his appears to us likely to be able to cope successfully with the accumulated mass of ungodliness which has grown around us, and spread the practical knowledge of christian truth amongst our neglected millions. Our readers will probably ask what was the system-what the means employed by which these Christian Brothers were enabled to work such great results, and in an incredibly short space of time reduce the most disorganized schools to order and discipline? We answer, they were men entirely devoted to their business—their whole hearts and souls were in their work - the management of children occupied all their thoughts and time; they knew the temper and disposition of those with whom they had to deal; they brought their own energetic minds to bear upon the minds of those whom they taught. It was not by mechanical system, but by the action of mind on mind. The poor children, as well as their parents, soon perceived that the whole object of the Christian Brothers was to do them good; they had no single ulterior view beyond working for the good of their souls. Some of the younger members of the institute were, at one time, unable to command the respect of the children placed under them: the venerable superior knew the source of the evil, and exhorted his young brethren to watch over themselves. If teachers," he said, "would but watch over themselves, they would learn to influence others." His instruction and example had the desired effect, and the Christian Brethren are to this day characterized by that imperturbable patience, joined by kind benevolence, which are the most valuable qualities for the teachers of youth.

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We have only to add that the number of associate "Brothers" amounted in 1844 to 3,346; the number of schools under their management to 717; of children to 170,179. There are Brothers established in 422 towns, and many other applications have been made from places desiring to be supplied with masters as soon as they can be afforded.

It is with great regret that we have heard a report that the French government has become jealous of their extension and popularity, and prohibited their increase. We earnestly hope this report may not be true.

W. G.

NATIONAL EDUCATION IN WALES.

A GOVERNMENT commission is busy in Wales. The British and Foreign School Society is rearing a seminary at Brecon. The methodist camp is in movement everywhere. Welsh tracts are emanating in shoals from the dissenting tract societies. The friends of government schools without Christianity, and of christian schools without doctrinal teaching or sacramental privileges, are claiming each their share of public sympathy. All whom the church has lost, or whom she has never claimed,—all who doubt her ability, even though they admit her Apostolical commission, to teach Christianity, are intent on doing her work, in their own way, some blindly, some erroneously, some contentiously; but all, more or less, actively and earnestly, like men knowing what they are about. Nor do they labour uncared for and unsympathised with. The Centenary Hall in Bishopsgate Street, the Borough Road society, and the officials of government in Downing Street, are all centres of pecuniary resources, and stimulators of school activity. For once dissenting England has sought in Wales a

counterpoise to discouragements in Otaheite; and the less its native inhabitants are able or willing to teach themselves, the more desirous are others to sharpen their intellects and abbreviate their labours, with Phonic, Simultaneous, and Lancasterian systems.

Where is the Church, in the midst of all these heterogeneous elements?-the Church, whose traditionary founder was St. Paul?—the Church which once gave light to those that sat in darkness, whose chapels beetled on the mountain top, and whose abbeys and priories, like that of Brecon, raised daily chaunts of prayer and praise to Heaven in every valley and every glen ?-the Church, whose patrimony came from, belonged to, and was shared among the people, high and low, rich and poor, one with another?—the Church, whose former revenues have passed into lay hands, but whose landmarks, diocesan, parochial, and collegiate, still remain, 'monumentum ære perennius'?—the Church, which even now clings to its ancient bishoprick of Bangor with enthusiasm worthy of better times, and whose struggle is not for an empty mitre, but for the truths, the privileges, and the prescriptive popular rights, with which that mitre is identified?

Where then is that reformed church, of which the Queen should be the nursing mother, and her ministers are the sworn defenders? Where are her bishops, her priests, and her deacons ?-her lay catechists and readers? -her communicants of high and low degree? Do they seek to maintain the faith of apostolic times, to propagate it pure and entire, to recommend it by sanctity of life, and to render it the fountain of national advancement in arts, letters, and scientific industry? Do they assert their will, to educate the whole Welsh people, to elevate them, physically, morally, and spiritually, up to the highest christian standard, and to avail themselves of every resource which English sympathy and liberality may afford, less as strangers than as brethren? Is a sense of humility and penitence for past neglect the neglect not of our days only, but of past centuries-to take the place of vain attempts to bolster up a defective system, by untaught teachers and child monitors in Bell model schools, and half starved ushers in decayed grammar schools? Are the working classes to be treated as paupers, to whom the minimum of instruction is more than a sufficient boon, and are the souls of farmers' children to be uncared for, when those of day labourers form the subject of annual charity sermons? Is national education to mean spelling and ciphering, and school building, or is the spirit of the collective church to be diffused gradually throughout Wales, as through other parts of Christendom?-at the font-before the altar-in the pulpit-by pastoral visits at the fire-side ?-in universities, and colleges, and schools, endowed and unendowed?—by boards, diaconal, archidiaconal, and diocesan? by corporations, lay and clerical?-by landlords and tenants; by mill-owners and miners ?-by all in short who own allegiance to the ancient church of their father-land? Grave questions these, and propounded in no spirit of vain declamation, but with a deep sense of responsibility, and an earnest desire that the land, which founded universities, and sent bishops to Arles in the fourth century, should take a conspicuous place in the nineteenth, at the head of true christian civilization. Thank God we are not without hope, that the Welsh dioceses, which in 1838 were unable to join the educational movement of that day, are now in a state to render efficient local aid to every church school undertaking!

As then, the movement originated in London among the bishops who preside over the National Society, and the committee who direct its operations; but this time Wales has responded immediately to their recommendations. The four Welsh bishops gave each £100 per annum towards the fund, and

Earl Powys at the head of many distinguished laymen, evinced his sympathy, by joining the National Society's committee, and contributing as liberally towards its resources. Thus in a short time a fund, exceeding £2,000 per annum, has been raised for Welsh exigencies; and, considering the poverty of the native clergy, we cannot doubt that Archdeacon Sinclair's powerful appeal to the English public will be answered with as much satisfaction in England, as that of his spirited and active coadjutor, Sir Thomas Phillips, in Wales. Already have the clergy, in their respective localities, taken the initiative. Boards are being formed, where layman may co-operate with clergymen, and through them it is to be hoped, that the National Society's grants will flow, as stimulants to local activity. Church visitation, or inspection, will emanate naturally from the same bodies, and every church school, whether choral, grammar, or national, will partake of their fostering energy. collegiate foundations, as at Brecon, for instance, now lost or desecrated, may be restored to public use; new training colleges, like those of Chelsea, Battersea, York, and Chester, will be established in the most central localities. The period of training for the master, as for the clergyman in higher spheres, will be measured by years and not by months. The Welsh and English tongue will be made alike available to national instruction, and catechists once trained to pursue their vocation in schools, may eventually take their place among the clergy, of whom they will have been the faithful assistants. God grant that the picture of Welsh educational improvement here drawn by anticipation may ere long be realised!

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But let us not stand aloof when our brethren call to us. Let us aid them with our prayers, our sympathies, and our substance, if we have any. We may not feel the same constraining motives as Welsh proprietors and clergymen, but those who love their church, will love her children, whether they tread the same mountain heather, or live in the midst of metropolitan destitution. When the claims of English factory children were pleaded by Lord Ashley, we sent our money freely from London to Leeds and Manchester. Welsh bishops and clergymen, and laymen, like Lord Kenyon, did the same from Welsh localities. The offertories and other collections of rural parishes found their way to distant manufacturing towns, and no one hesitated to do a benevolent act, because others neglected an obvious duty. The Archbishop of Canterbury now heads the Welsh subscription, as he then did that for Lancashire and Yorkshire. The Bishop of London is intent on raising a metropolitan school fund, but if his charity begins in London it does not end there. Welsh claims have been liberally responded to. We know from sad experience, how slow is the growth of every sound church institution-how hard it is to contend with local prejudices-how difficult to reconcile in any one scheme all classes of professing churchmen. In proportion, therefore, to our sense of the difficulty, should be our support of those who strive to overcome it, and we are quite sure that all our readers will join us in saying" God speed," to the National Society, in its attempt to extend and develope the resources of the Church throughout the Principality. M.

MASTERS FOR SCHOOLS, AND SCHOOLS FOR MASTERS.

PROPOSED REGISTER.

THERE is no complaint more frequent among those who are practically engaged in the promotion and the work of education, than that there exists no medium of communication between school-managers in want of school

masters or schoolmistresses, and masters, &c. in want of appointments. Of course, both parties would naturally look to the National Society for the supply of this want; and we cannot but think, as we always have thought, that it would be no difficult or (what is more to the point) dangerous matter for that society with its ample machinery, and other means and appliances to boot, to do all that is needed in this respect without in any degree compromising itself. Certainly, if it could be done at the Sanctuary, it would be better done there than elsewhere, and would be as great a boon to the public as any it has yet conferred. Meanwhile, so long as the society restricts itself to the recommendation of those who have just passed through its own training institutions, it can do no harm if an attempt be made elsewhere in some small measure to supply this deficiency. It is evident that a private individual can do but little in such a case, and that, the less he undertakes at the outset, the better chance of success in the long runthat the very endeavour should be on a small scale and within certain well-defined limits. Thus, it has been thought that some such simple scheme as the following might be not without its use; namely, if the editor of this Journal were to keep, for the especial benefit of its subscribers and advertisers, two ruled books,—one for schools in want of masters, mistresses, or assistants; the other for masters, &c. in want of appointments. All that he can do, however, is to put into mutual communication parties likely in his estimation to suit each other; he would not recommend, but introduce. As the sole object is to supply good masters, &c., with suitable appointments, he trusts that he will not be deemed needlessly exclusive in saying that none will be entered on his list but such as, (1) have been confirmed; (2) are communicants; (3) forward to him satisfactory testimonials as to religious and moral character from their parish priest; (4) also from their late employer, principal of training institution, &c., as regards professional qualifications. The editor cannot undertake to supply copies of these testimonials. School-managers, however, may safely assume, that he has been furnished with testimonials satisfactory to himself, on those essential preliminary points, in the case of parties with whom he may put them in correspondence; and they can easily apply to the parties themselves for a sight or for a copy of the originals. Of course, advertisers will avail themselves of this part of our scheme or not, as they think proper; it will be something in addition to the usual advantages of an advertisement. It is obvious, that both parties could thus state their wants or qualifications at greater length than in a mere advertisement, as well as in a more "standing" form.

HOW TO MAKE A PEN.

REV. SIR,-Seeing no answer to the above query in your Journal, I do myself the pleasure of making the attempt.

First seize the top or feather end of a "purple and green Hambro' quill" with the forefinger and thumb of each hand; and tear the longer series of filaments from the plume as at a.

Then, with a keen edged "Rogers' penknife", lop off an inch from the feather end in a sloping direction as at b.

Scrape the lining membrane (or skinny covering) from the nib end of the quill, in order to secure a more uniform flow of ink and a clean slit. Next, chip half an inch from the nib end, and at the back or convex side

of the quill, at an acute angle as at c. Turning it half round, cut an inch from the under or concave side as at d. Make a slit the sixteenth of an inch long with the knife blade, and spring up about three times that distance with the thumb nail or flat side of the knife blade, or by thrusting up the conical handle of a desk knife made for the purpose. On this operation mainly depends the excellency of the future pen. If the slit is jagged, the strokes will be coarse; if the quill is crippled in slitting, the elasticity will be impaired so that the nibs will not meet, as they should do, every time the pressure is removed.

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The slit being made a little longer than is requisite for the pen itself, commence paring off the side edges to a point; and be sure the nibs are equal in length and breadth. Lastly, bringing the nib to rest on the thumb nail of the left hand, and retaining it in that position with the first finger of the same hand, as the feather end bears also on the top joint of the second finger, proceed to sever the extreme point of the nib by bringing the knife to bear obliquely at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the pen. This part of the manipulation must be done dexterously and at one emphatic cut.

A magnified representation of the side view of the nib will then appear as at e; a front convex view as at f; and a front concave view as at g. Query. How to hold a pen?

I have the honour of being, Rev. Sir, yours obediently,

Cornwall, October, 1846.

A BATTERSEA SCHOOLMASTER.

Notices of Books.

THE NEW SPEAKER AND HOLIDAY TASK-BOOK. BY THE REV. W. SEWELL,

B.D., FELLOW AND TUTOR OF EXETER COLLEGE, OXFORD. 12mo. pp. 426. (Longman & Co.)

It

may be questioned whether, upon the whole, the moral school-books (if we may so call them) of the present generation, are any improvement upon those in use among our forefathers. The greater portion of the new ones exhibit a sad falling off in many important respects: they are more ́exciting, and yet less imaginative; simplified, it is true, so as often to im

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