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conducted not only throughout the whole of the principality, but will extend to the hills and mining districts of Monmouthshire, where a vast proportion of the miners and labourers speak the Welsh language. Mr. J. C. Symons, barrister, the commissioner for the midland and part of the mineral districts, has been making his inquiries in Aberystwith, and neighbourhood. Mr. Henry Vaughan Johnson has nearly completed the circuit of the Island of Anglesey, having visited Beaumaris, Llangeful, Holyhead, Bodedern, &c. He has now commenced his labours in the adjoining county of Caernarvon. Mr. R. R. W. Lingen, of Balliol College, commissioner for the south, has been prosecuting his inquiries throughout the various towns in Carmarthenshire, and will shortly extend them into the other counties in his district. The commissioners are each accompanied by several gentlemen well conversant with the language, and competent to give valuable and local information, which will tend materially to expedite the inquiry. We rejoice to state that the beneficial object of the commission seems to be fully appreciated by the inhabitants, and that every aid is afforded to facilitate the collection of the necessary details.-Times

New College at Brighton.-A college of a superior kind is to be opened at Brighton after Christmas, comprising a lower school for younger boys, a higher department of a more collegiate character for older pupils, and classes for occasional students in the highest branches of classical, scientific, and theological reading. The students will be fully prepared for the universities, and for the naval and military professions. The times require that places of sound education should be multiplied in our land; that the advantages of the old public schools should be retained and rendered more accessible, while their defects are avoided;

and that the principles of an intelligent piety, and enlightened attachment to the Church of England, should be more intimately and cordially blended with the general plan of education. It seems scarcely possible to name a locality better adapted for such a design than Brighton, from its increasing population, resident as well as occasional, and from its acknowledged healthiness. The names which stand at the head of the institution, and the high character and classical and mathematical attainments of its principal and viceprincipal, are a sufficient guarantee to the public that it will fulfil all that it proesses.

Diocese of Gloucester and Bristol.-It appears that, during the past twelve months, eleven young women had been received into training as schoolmistresses, most o whom were now holding situations in different parishes of the diocese. For the purpose of assisting young women of competent attainments and good character towards preparing themselves to become schoolmistresses, the board resolved upon offering an exhibition of £10 per annum to the most promising candidate, to be selected, after examination, from such young women as shall apply for the same. It was a matter of regret that the funds at present at the disposal of the board were insufficient to offer more than one such exhibition; but it was hoped that when the object was made fully known, charitable members of the Church would aid in maintaining other exhibitions at the training school. It was stated by the lord bishop that the training school for masters at Bristol was in a most satisfactory condition. There are at present three youths there from this archdeaconry preparing to become schoolmasters; one an exhibitioner of £10 per annum. The commercial school connected with the training establishment is very numerously attended.

To Correspondents and Readers,

Persons into whose hands this Journal may come, are requested to make it known to any friends who may be likely to support it. Though it has been in existence four years, it is comparatively unknown. Every subscriber gained forwards our aim, and increases our means of utility.

To those who are living in distant places, the stamped edition is recommended. This will be sent regularly by the publisher to parties remitting 6s. 6d. for one year's numbers, in advance. Attention to this is requested, because an account cannot be opened for so small a sum.

Advertisements for situations and for masters, will be charged at a reduced price, namely five shillings.

USEFUL KNOWLEDGE IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. WHETHER We consider the effects already produced by the spread of education, or the circumstances likely to influence its future progress, no particular is more deserving our attention than the increased and increasing number of cheap publications daily issuing from the press in every department of literature. For if, as political economists maintain, there be so intimate a connection between supply and demand that either may be taken as a measure of the other, we have in the present flow of such works no doubtful indication of a vast increase of readers. The different collections published under the titles of the Family Library, the Home and Colonial Library, Knight's Weekly (now Monthly) Volume, Bogue's European, and Bohn's Standard Libraries, (each series rivalling or surpassing its predecessor in lowness of price or quantity of matter), need only be mentioned as proofs of a rapidly enlarged supply. And few will hesitate to attribute the demand which has called it forth, to the increased diffusion of instruction in reading and writing which has been going on for the last thirty years, and to which the National Society, commenced in 1811, has so greatly contributed.

It is obvious that the manifold publications thus called into existence will have no small share in influencing and carrying out the education, of which reading and writing are the mere instruments and inlets. These, like the faculties of hearing and speaking, are but mechanical parts of education, whereby information is received or communicated. But, as levellers have long been dinning into our ears, the knowledge thus conveyed is power, and, unhappily, power which by no means necessarily implies the presence of any good principles to direct it aright. Further, not only is knowledge power, but, as no mean authority has observed, "it is the gaining knowledge, not the having of it, which is the entertainment of the mind." Hence its mere acquisition being accompanied with a perception of pleasure as well as of increased power, it is not only seized with avidity when placed within reach, but men are apt to regard the consciousness of gratification thus afforded as a sufficient guarrantee of the usefulness and value of the knowledge they have gained. Accordingly, as one might naturally anticipate, to meet these two requirements-to afford amusement and to inspire a consciousness of increased information-form the main object of those caterers for the reading public, whose profits depend upon providing such a supply as shall both answer the present demand and also react upon it by rendering it still more extensive. If the reader will cast his eye over a list of the volumes in any one of the collections named above, he will find that the titles of the various works contained in them will give rise to the expectation of entertainment and information, but few to that of moral or religious instruction. In speaking thus, we have no intention of casting any slur upon the collections of the enterprising publishers alluded to. Nay, we are willing to appeal to the following statement in one of their advertisements now lying before us, in support of what we are saying. The editor of Knight's Weekly Volume, upon the occasion of its being changed to a monthly one, after mentioning that the series had been in course of publication for two years, during which the weekly issue had not been omitted in a single instance, so that the list now comprised 105 volumes, proceeds,-"the steady sale of the current volumes, and the constant demand for the past publications, furnish

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the best evidence that, in catering for no merely temporary appetite, ut, on the contrary, endeavouring to supply a body of valuable copyright works of permanent interest and utility, the editor has not counted too securely upon a very extended desire for sound and amusing knowledge."

Now we are willing to admit, that, as far as our own observation has gone, the contents of this series are such as would present themselves to the ordinary reader as containing knowledge of this description. Amusing they certainly for the most part appear to be, and if we should hereafter take occasion to raise exceptions to the soundness of portions of their contents, this will not lessen the truth of our remarks as to the view under which they may appear to the generality of readers. Such persons regarding them as containing information both interesting and useful, will look no farther, but suffer their minds to be engrossed by what is thus readily brought before them. It is, indeed, true, that there is no subject which has not its religious aspect to the mind that habitually seeks for such a view, and, further, that religion is often most successfully inculcated indirectly; but it is no less true, that this indirect religious teaching is hardly to be expected, and certainly seldom found, in volumes professedly written for all readers; and it need scarcely be added, that the religious aspect of a subject is perhaps the very last thing that the generality of readers would ever dream of looking for in these degenerate days. It would, moreover, be inconsistent with the professed object of supplying what to all readers may appear sound as well as amusing, to introduce into such volumes the mention of religious principles and motives; and, consequently, their writers can do little more than offer worldly maxims and objects. Now such a course of reading must have a direct tendency to form the irreligious habit of regulating the actions by the opinions of men, and not by the law of God. This, as an able writer on the secular-andsacred-severance system, has lately observed,—this is an unchristian education, and its bad effects cannot be counteracted by merely occasional religious instruction. Such, however, we fear, is the process of self-education going on among no small portion of our population at the present day, and to a considerable extent carried out by the circulation of the cheap publications of which we are speaking. That the evil to be apprehended is not wholly unperceived by one, at least, of those who have taken part in the preparation of these works, we may gather from the following confession in one of Knight's Weekly Volumes, entitled,-"The Lost Senses: Deafness, by John Kitto." The writer, after giving an interesting narrative of his having raised himself by literary labours, notwithstanding the entire loss of hearing at twelve years of age, from a mason's apprentice to honourable competency, thus apologises for the imperfect manner in which he has represented the motives of his conduct and the workings of his mind, during the period of which he has given an account in the above named volume. "I trust," he says, "that I have not been insensible to the influence of the highest considerations; but it may sometimes happen that, as I am forbidden to make this work the record of religious impressions, or of the intercourse between the higher world and my own soul, I may seem occasionally to give undue prominence to secondary influences." (p. 86). We cannot refrain from adding, that we are afraid that the very amusement and information on worldly matters, which the writers of these popular works contrive to make them the means of conveying, will have the effect of not only keeping out of sight, but also of creating a distaste

for the more solid and important, but less tempting subjects of religion and morals.

What, then, our readers may exclaim, would you stop this wide-spreading stream of knowledge, or have us refrain ourselves and cause others to refrain from partaking of it? Such is not our object; and, if we thought its attainment desirable, we are well aware how fruitless would be the attempt. Our object is to point out to those to whom our observations are mainly addressed, namely, to heads of families, sponsors, teachers—in short, to all whose duty it is to promote sound education, the existence of certain obstacles to its successful progress, and to suggest, as far as we may be able, the means of removing them, and of turning to good account what, if neglected, will inevitably run into evil. In concluding our remarks upon the pernicious tendency of an extensive circulation of popular works, devoid of religious and moral instruction, to produce an unchristian habit of mind, we cannot refrain from laying before our readers the words of wisdom contained in the following extract from a sermon "Upon the Ignorance of Man," by the great Bishop Butler, and to which we have already referred. "Knowledge is not our proper happiness. Whoever will in the least attend to the thing will see, that it is the gaining, not the having of it, which is the entertainment of the mind. Indeed, if the proper happiness of man consisted in knowledge considered as a possession or treasure, men who are possessed of the largest share would have a very ill time of it; as they would be infinitely more sensible than others of their poverty in this respect. Thus he who increases knowledge' would eminently increase sorrow.' Men of deep research and curious inquiry should just be put in mind, not to mistake what they are doing. If their discoveries serve the cause of virtue and religion, in the way of proof, motive to practice, or assistance in it; or if they tend to render life less unhappy, and promote its satisfactions-then they are most usefully employed; but bringing things to light, alone, and of itself, is of no manner of use, any otherwise than as entertainment or diversion. Neither is this at all amiss, if it does not take up the time which should be employed in better work. But it is evident that there is another mark set up for us to aim at; another end appointed us to direct our lives to; another end, which the most knowing may fail of, and the most ignorant arrive at...... The only knowledge which is of any avail to us, is that which teaches us our duty, or assists us in the discharge of it......' The fear of the Lord, and to depart from evil,' is the only wisdom which man should aspire after, as his work and business......Our ignorance, and the little we can know of other things, affords a reason why we should not perplex ourselves about them; but no way invalidates that which is the conclusion of the whole matter, Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole concern of man'......Our province is virtue and religion, life and manners; the science of improving the temper, and making the heart better. This is the field assigned us to cultivate: how much it has lain neglected is indeed astonishing. Virtue is demonstrably the happiness of man; it consists in good actions, proceeding from a good principle, temper, or heart. Overt acts are entirely in our power. What remains is, that we learn to 'keep our heart;' to govern and regulate our passions, mind, affections, so that we may be free from the impotencies of fear, envy, malice, covetousness, ambition-that we may be clear of these, considered as vices seated in the heart, considered as constituting a general wrong temper; from which general wrong frame of mind, all the mistaken pursuits, and far the greatest part of the unhappiness of life proceed. He, who should find out

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one rule to assist us in this work, would deserve infinitely better of mankind, then all the improvers of other knowledge put together."

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EDUCATION IN CONNECTION WITH THE PAROCHIAL

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SYSTEM.

SIR, You have been kind enough to insert the remarks which I have forwarded from time to time on the question of adult schools as a part of the parochial system. Those remarks hitherto bave had for their object simply the enunciation of certain broad principles which seem to me to lie at the root of this great question; and I now propose to recapitulate them, with a view of showing their fundamental bearing upon the subject. I beg to refer your readers in the first place to the communication in Vol. II, p. 321. Here, it will be seen, the one point urged for consideration is, that the institutions in question should be based upon the Church as the only permanent foundation. Now I would just remark on this expression, "the Church," that it is not to be taken in the vague sense in which it is popularly understood, but as denoting the instrumental means of divine appointment by which the nation is, throughout time, to be educated for eternity. Viewed in this light, two characteristics of the Church suggest themselves to our notice, viz.: that it has an essential constitution, which is ever to be preserved, and that it is otherwise to be externally modified or adapted to the peculiar features of the age, with a view to its real development in all classes of the population. What, then, is the essential constitution of the Church in England? The Church was planted in this kingdom in obedience to the command of God the Son-" Go ye and teach all nation." And its perpetuity was guaranteed by the divine promise-"Lo! I am with you always, even to the end of the world." Thus, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever," is the living Head of the Church in this country, as well as elsewhere, and the apostles and their successors his appointed teachers throughout all ages. As far, then, as we have information on the subject in the New Testament, it may be submitted, that there is no sanction therein given to any departure from the order originally established by the apostles themselves. Neither is there any reason to doubt the principle of perpetuity contained in such institution by reason of the divine presence therein, unless we are at liberty to doubt the absolute truth of God's word respecting things future. this ground, then, my confidence in the permanency and soundness of institutions like those in question, is limited to such as recognize the principle of bishops, priests, and deacons, as the only authorized teachers of christianity in this country.

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But besides this unvarying principle of the Church, it is possessed of sufficient elasticity to adapt itself to the peculiar character of every age, and even of every individual. He who in words sent the Church to all, did so also in fact; for he speaks not in vain. And we are accountable for the discharge of our duty in this respect, which is, that so far as we can, we remove every obstacle which stands in the way of any individual's progress in the divine life. Now it will occur to every one, that in the present state of society we find much that is artificial and opposed to the simplicity of christian truth; indeed, great masses of the population seem to be entirely trained in habits of this nature; and to human eyes, vast mul

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