Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

clandestine marriage were contemplated, might be supposed to be doubly so, could not possibly anticipate or expect to be chosen for the performance of such a ceremony. The noble lord, by this bill, intended, too, to withdraw the limits of time for the celebration of the marriage contract, and allow it to take place at any hour. After this bill was passed into a law there would be nothing to prevent a member of the church of England from being married in any part of the country, by any person not being a minister of the established church, in any place not recognised as a place of religious worship, and without any kind of protection against the clandestine performance of the marriage contract. The existing protection being withdrawn, what security did this bill give? Why, that on notice of marriage being given, a caveat might be entered by a parent or guardian without being liable to costs; but that notice must be quite ineffectual in a case where a married man should take it into his head to marry a second time, inasmuch as his first wife could not enter a caveat under this bill without being subject to the costs. The bill, then, in his (Mr. Goulburn's) opinion, was a dangerous innovation of the law, and one against which the house ought to guard. After looking at the first clause of the bill, he wished to know whether it was intended that clergymen of the established church should be prohibited from publishing bans ?

Lord J. RUSSELL.-No.

Mr. GOULBURN.-The noble lord said no. Therefore, it would appear that members of the church of England would be compelled, in addition to the publication of bans, to give notice to the registrar. Was that intended by way of relief, or as something to render this bill more acceptable to the churchman? Was it not imposing an additional burden and expense upon him? (Hear.) There were many other objections which he had to urge against this bill, but he should reserve them for a future opportunity, his present object being chiefly to shew its weakness as a law to prevent clandestine marriages. Indeed, it would give persons an opportunity to do that legally, or at least without rendering them liable to punishment, which could not now be done without a direct violation of the law. The bill even went to remove the solemn obligation of an oath, which was at present indispensable, in the case of persons marrying by licence, the party applying for the licence being compelled to swear that there was no lawful impediment to the marriage. This formed the ground of another serious objection to the measure. (Hear.)

LAYING OF THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THE NEW SCHOOL IN THE VILLAGE OF BOWNESS, WINDERMERE.

(From the Westmoreland Gazette.)

We have, in former Numbers, said, that John Bolton, Esq., of Storrs, was about to erect, at his sole expense, two separate schools in this village for boys and girls, open to the two townships of Applethwaite and Undermillbeck. Mr. Bolton, at present residing in Liverpool, could not, from age, having completed his 80th year, and the very precarious state of his health, undertake so far a journey to preside over the ceremony, and therefore deputed his longtried and sincere friend, William Wordsworth, Esq., Rydal Mount, to represent and officiate for him; the arrangements being under the direction of the Rev. R. P. Graves, curate, and the trustees. Mr. Wordsworth was introduced to the meeting by the Rev. R. P. Graves, as the representative of Mr. Bolton; and standing near the place where the corner stone was, he briefly addressed the assembled throng-compressing into a very narrow compass what he had intended to say, had the weather been more propitious. Mr. W. has kindly furnished us with the substance of what he wished to convey to his hearers, as follows:

"Standing here as Mr. Bolton's substitute, at his own request, an honour of which I am truly sensible, it gives me peculiar pleasure to see, in spite of

this stormy weather, so numerous a company of his friends and neighbours upon this occasion. How happy would it have made him to have been eyewitness of an assemblage which may fairly be regarded as a proof of the interest felt in his benevolent undertaking, and an earnest that the good work will not be done in vain. Sure I am, also, that there is no one present who does not deeply regret the cause why that excellent man cannot appear among us. The public spirit of Mr. Bolton has ever been remarkable both for its comprehensiveness and the judicious way in which it has been exerted. Many years ago, when we were threatened with foreign invasion, he equipped and headed a body of volunteers, for the defence of our country. Not long since, the inhabitants of Ulverston (his native place, I believe,) were indebted to him for a large contribution towards erecting a church in that town. His recent munificent donations to the public charities of Liverpool are well known; and I only echo the sentiments of this meeting, when I say that every one would have rejoiced to see a gentleman, (who has completed his 80th year,) taking the lead in this day's proceedings, for which there would have been no call but for his desire permanently to benefit a district in which he has so long been a resident proprietor. It may be gathered from old documents, that upwards of two hundred years ago this place was provided with a school, which, early in the reign of Charles II., was endowed by the liberality of certain persons of the neighbourhood. The building, originally small and low, has long been in a state which rendered the erection of a new one very desirable; this Mr. Bolton has undertaken to do at his sole expense. The structure, which is to supersede the old school-house, will have two apartments, airy, spacious and lofty, one for boys, the other for girls, in which they will be instructed by respective teachers, and not crowded together, as in the old school-room, under one and the same person; each room will be capable of containing at least one hundred children. Within the enclosure there will be spacious and separate play-grounds for the boys and girls, with distinct covered sheds to play in in wet weather. There will also be a libraryroom for the school, and to contain books for the benefit of the neighbourhood; and, in short, every arrangement that could be desired. It may be added, that the building, from the elegance of its architecture, and its elevated conspicuous situation, will prove a striking ornament to the beautiful country in the midst of which it will stand. Such being the advantages proposed, allow me to express a hope that they will be turned to the best possible account. The privilege of the school being free, will not, I trust, tempt parents to withdraw their children from punctual attendance upon slight and trivial occasions; and they will take care, as far as depends upon themselves, that the wishes of the present benefactor may be met, and his intentions fulfilled. Those wishes and intentions I will take upon me to say, are consonant to what has been expressed in the original trust-deed of the pious and sensible men already spoken of, who in that instrument declare that they have provided a fund towards the finding and maintenance of an able schoolmaster, and repairing the school-house, from time to time, for ever; for teaching and instructing of youth within the said hamlets, in grammar, writing, reading, and other good learning and discipline meet and convenient for them; for the honour of God, for the better advancement and preferment of the said youth, and to the perpetual and thankful remembrance of the founders and authors of so good a work.' The effect of this beautiful summary upon your minds will not, I hope, be weakened, if I make a brief comment upon the several clauses of it, which will comprise nearly the whole of what I feel prompted to say upon this occasion. I will take the liberty, however, of inverting the order in which the purposes of these good men are mentioned, beginning at what they end with-The perpetual and thankful remembrance of the founders and authors of so good a work.' Do not let it be supposed that your forefathers, when they looked onwards to this issue, did so from vanity and love of applause, uniting with local attachment; they wished their good works to be

remembered principally because they were conscious that such remembrance would be beneficial to the hearts of those whom they desired to serve, and would effectually promote the particular good they had in view. Let me add for them, what their modesty and humility would have prevented their insisting upon, that such tribute of grateful recollection was, and is still, their due; for if gratitude be not the most perfect shape of justice, it is assuredly her most beautiful crown-a halo and glory with which she delights to have her brows encircled. So much of this gratitude as those good men hoped for, I may bespeak for your neighbour, who is now animated by the same spirit, and treading in their steps. The second point to which I shall advert is, that where it is said that such and such things shall be taught for the better advancement and preferment of the said youth.' This purpose is as honourable as it is natural, and recals to remembrance the time when the northern counties had, in this particular, great advantages over the rest of England. By the zealous care of many pious and good men, among whom I cannot but name (from his connection with this neighbourhood, and the benefits he conferred upon it) Archbishop Sandys, free schools were founded in these parts of the kingdom in much greater numbers than elsewhere. The learned professions derived many ornaments from this source; but a more remarkable consequence was that till within the last forty years or so, merchants' counting-houses, and offices, in the lower departments of which a certain degree of scholastic attainment was requisite, were supplied in a great measure from Cumberland and Westmoreland. Numerous and large fortunes were the result of the skill, industry, and integrity, which the young men, thus instructed, carried with them to the metropolis. That superiority no longer exists; not so much, I trust, from a slackening on the part of the teachers, or an indisposition of the inhabitants to profit by their free schools, but because the kingdom at large has become sensible of the advantages of school instruction; and we of the north consequently have competitors from every quarter. Let not this discourage, but rather stimulate us to more strenuous endeavours, so that if we do not keep a-head of the rest of our countrymen, we may at least take care not to be left behind in the race of honourable ambition. But after all, worldly advancement and preferment neither are, nor ought to be, the main end of instruction, either in schools or elsewhere, and particularly in those which are in rural places, and scantily endowed. It is in the order of Providence, as we are all aware, that most men must end their temporal course pretty much as they begin it; nor will the thoughtful repine at this dispensation. In lands where nature in the many is not trampled upon by injustice, feelingly may the peasant say to the courtier

The sun that bids your diamond blaze
To deck our lily deigns.

Contentment, according to the common adage, is better than riches, and why is it better? Not merely because there can be no happiness without it, but for the sake, also, of its moral dignity. Mankind, we know, are placed on earth to have their hearts and understandings exercised and improved, some in one sphere and some in another, to undergo various trials, and to perform divers duties; that duty which, in the world's estimation, may seem the least, often being the most important in the eyes of our heavenly Father. Well and wisely has it been said, in words which I need not scruple to quote here, where extreme poverty and abject misery are unknown

'God doth not need

Either man's work or his own gifts; who best

Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best; his state

Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed
And post o'er land and ocean without rest;
They also serve who only stand and wait.'

Thus am I naturally led to the third and last point in the declaration of the ancient trust-deed, which I mean to touch upon "Youth shall be instructed in

grammar, writing, reading, and other good discipline, meet and convenient for them, for the honour of God." Now, my friends and neighbours, much as we must admire the zeal and activity which have of late years been shewn in the teaching of youth, I will candidly ask those among you, who have had sufficient opportunities to observe, whether the instruction given in many schools is, in fact, meet and convenient? In the building about to be erected here, I have not the smallest reason for dreading that it will be otherwise. But I speak in the hearing of persons who may be active in the management of schools elsewhere; and they will excuse me for saying, that many are conducted at present so as to afford melancholy proof that the instruction is neither meet nor convenient for the pupils there taught, nor, indeed, for the human mind in any rank or condition of society. I am not going to say that religious instruction, the most important of all, is neglected; far from it; but I affirm, that it is too often given with reference, less to the affections, to the imagination, and to the practical duties, than to subtile distinctions in points of doctrine, and to facts in scripture history, of which a knowledge may be brought out by a catechetical process. This error, great though it be, ought to be looked at with indulgence, because it is a tempting thing for teachers unduly to exercise the understanding and memory, inasmuch as progress in the departments in which these faculties are employed is most obviously proved to the teacher himself, and most flatteringly exhibited to the inspectors of schools and casual lookers on. A still more lamentable error, which proceeds much from the same cause, is an overstrained application to mental processes of arithmetic and mathematics; and a too minute attention to departments of natural and civil history. How much of trick may mix with this we will not ask, but the display of precocious intellectual power in these branches, is often astonishing; and, in proportion as it is so, may, for the most part, be pronounced not only useless, but injurious. The training that fits a boxer for victory in the ring, gives him strength that cannot, and is not required to be kept up for ordinary labour, and often lays the foundation of subsequent weakness and fatal disease. In like manner there being in after life no call for these extraordinary powers of mind, and little use for the knowledge, the powers decay, and the knowledge within drops off. Here is then not only a positive injury, but a loss of opportunities for culture of intellect and acquiring information, which, as being in a course of regular demand, would be hereafter, the one strengthened and the other naturally increased. All this mischief, my friends, originates in a decay of that feeling which our fathers had uppermost in their hearts-viz., that the business of education should be conducted for the honour of God. And here I must direct your attention to a fundamental mistake, by which this age, so distinguished for its marvellous progress in arts and sciences, is unhappily characterized-a mistake, manifested in the use of the word education, which is habitually confounded with tuition or school instruction; this is indeed a very important part of education, but when it is taken for the whole, we are deceived and betrayed. Education, according to the derivation of the word, and in the only use of which it is strictly justifiable, comprehends all those processes and influences, come from whence they may, that conduce to the best development of the bodily powers, and of the moral, intellectual, and spiritual faculties which the position of the individual admits of. In this just and high sense of the word, the education of a sincere Christian, and a good member of society upon Christian principles, does not terminate with his youth, but goes on to the last moment of his conscious earthly existence-an education not for time but for eternity. To education like this, is indispensably necessary, as co-operating with schoolmasters and ministers of the Gospel, the neverceasing vigilance of parents; not so much exercised in superadding their pains to that of the schoolmaster or minister in teaching lessons or catechisms, or by enforcing maxims or precepts (though this part of their duty ought to be habitually kept in mind), but by care over their own conduct. It is through the silent operation of example in their own well-regulated behaviour, and by

accustoming their children early to the discipline of daily and hourly life. in such offices and employment as the situation of the family requires, and as are suitable to tender years, that parents become infinitely the most important tutors of their children, without appearing, or positively meaning to be so. This education of circumstances has happily, in this district, not yet been much infringed upon by experimental novelties; parents here are anxious to send their offspring to those schools where knowledge substantially useful is inculcated, and those arts most carefully taught for which in after-life there will be most need. This is especially true of the judgments of parents respecting the instruction of their daughters, which I know they would wish to be confined to reading, writing, and arithmetic, and plain needlework, or any other art favourable to economy and home-comforts. Their shrewd sense perceives that hands full of employment, and a head not above it, afford the best protection against restlessness and discontent, and all the perilous temptations to which, through them, youthful females are exposed. It is related of Burns, the celebrated Scottish poet, that once while, in the company of a friend, he was looking from an eminence over a wide tract of country, he said, that the sight of so many smoking cottages gave a pleasure to his mind that none could understand who had not witnessed, like himself, the happiness and worth which they contained. How were those happy and worthy people educated? By the influence of hereditary good example at home, and by their parochial schoolmasters opening the way for the admonitions and exhortations of their clergy; that was a time when knowledge was perhaps better than now distinguished from smatterings of information, and when knowledge was more thought of in due subordination to wisdom. How was the evening before the Sabbath then spent by the families among which the poet was brought up? He has himself told us in imperishable verse. The Bible was brought forth, and after the father of the family had reverently laid aside his bonnet, passages of Scripture were read, and the poet thus describes what followed :

"Then kneeling down to Heaven's Eternal King,

The saint, the father, and the husband prays;
Hope springs exhulting on triumphant wing,
That thus they all shall meet in future days:

There ever bask in uncreated rays,

No more to sigh or shed the bitter tear;

Together hymning their Creator's praise,

In such society, yet still more dear;

While circling time moves round in an eternal sphere."

:

May He who enlightened the understanding of those cottagers with a knowledge of himself for the entertainment of such hope, "who sanctified their affections that they might love Him, and put His fear into their hearts that they might dread to offend Him,"-may He who, in preparing for these blessed effects, disdained not the humble instrumentality of parochial schools, enable this of ours, by the discipline and teaching pursued in it, to sow seeds for a like harvest! In this wish, I am sure, my friends, you will all fervently join; and now, after renewing our expression of regret that the benevolent founder is not here to perform the ceremony himself, we will proceed to lay the first stone of the intended edifice."

CHURCH LIVINGS.

Copy of a letter from the Rev. Charles Simeon, of Cambridge, on the subject of purchasing livings with a view to secure a gospel ministry in the respective churches :

"I had got to the length of my tether, as you will readily imagine with 21 livings in my possession. But being strongly urged to purchase the living of Bridlington with 6,000 souls, I broke my tether and bought it .... After having purchased it, five of those who had urged me to it, knowing how ill able VOL. IX.-May, 1836.

4 B

« EdellinenJatka »