modes of punishing the unfortunate fags at Westminster were brutal in the extreme, and calculated to injure a youth for life. And yet we are told, "if you have not a recognized fagging system, you will have a bullying system." Credat Judæus! Parents have but one remedy if their sons are ill treated, namely, removal from the school.

Constituted as human nature is, boys are not fit to be entrusted with such power as the senior boys are permitted to exercise over the juniors. I could, if it were necessary, relate instances of cruelty that occurred at Eton in my time, in consequence of there being no effective surveillance, and no master near when the collegers were locked up.

The sticklers for traditional and medieval customs who are in favour of fagging, maintain that it is a very different thing now from what it was formerly. There may be some truth in this; the Report of the Commissioners, however, proves that many and great evils are still connected with the system. If the Commissioners, whose general leaning is towards the schools, are not convinced by their own Report that fagging ought to be entirely abolished, others will be convinced by it, and thank them for it. Sooner or later, such a report must prove a death-blow to fagging.

Your correspondent is quite mistaken in representing me as saying that the Commissioners took my view of the question as to the expediency of abolishing fagging.

There can be no doubt that those great public seminaries which are peculiar to, and the boast of, our country, must exert a powerful influence for good or evil in the formation of the national character. The welfare of the country, therefore, will materially depend on the manner in which these institutions are conducted; the system of education adopted; the religious principles inculcated; and the discipline and supervision observed. It would be difficult to exaggerate the importance of this subject. Impressions are made in our schoolboy days which cling to us through life. If the moral and religious training be defective, if our youth are educated for time rather than for eternity, they will not fulfil the great end of their existence, and they will lose sight of the fact that they are beings of immortal destinies. Should such be the case, they are not likely to turn out patriotic statesmen, or prove a blessing to their country; a godless expediency will be the mainspring of all their movements, and selfish ambition their ruling passion. Enough has transpired of late years to furnish humiliating proofs of the truth of these remarks. Men who at one time thought themselves utterly incapable of truckling to Popery for the sake of place, have, like Hazael, done the very thing which they indignantly disclaimed.

If our statesmen were better instructed in the elementary truths of the Gospel, and profited by such instruction, they would not be under the influence of that selfish ambition which steels the heart against everything that is noble, generous, and patriotic. Such as are under its influence will never be able to look back on their political career with any feeling of satisfaction.

"Z." charges me with speaking untruthfully respecting the religious teaching of our public schools. Admitting that a considerable outward reform has taken place of late years, if this religious teaching be

of a sensuous and sentimental kind, like Tractarianism, there may be more outward decency without any true piety. During the time I was at Eton, very little attention was paid to religion. It is true, there was the form of it, for Saints' Days were observed, and prayers said every night, in the presence of the head master, when all the collegers attended; but it was all mockery and formalism, for those prayers were in Latin, and but little heeded by the boys.

The facts elicited by the Commissioners show that religion is still at a very low ebb in our public schools, and that much ignorance prevails, even as to its very rudiments. This ignorance is manifested when the young men go up to the Universities; they are said by the tutors there frequently to know "next to nothing." It is also admitted by one of the masters at Eton, that the religious instruction is very defective. This he attributes to the preponderance of secular instruction, and the indifference to sacred things on the part of the masters.

I am not an enemy, but a friend, to our public schools. What I wish is, to see them reformed, not ruined; but I do think that reformation, or ruin, awaits them; and that reformation must be a bonâ fide, not a sham one.

In combating the opinions of your correspondent, I have endeavoured to avoid anything personally offensive to himself. I now take my leave of him with kindly feelings, and hope that ere long we may rejoice together in the total extinction of fagging, and in the introduction of a higher tone of religion and morals.-I remain, &c.,

G. POYNDER.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

Horham Hall, Thaxted, Essex; Jan. 24, 1865. SIB,-Having just read the article in the January number of the Christian Observer, entitled "Sir R. Hill and Rev. Adam Gibb," I venture to inform you that the hymn beginning "My guilty soul, &c.," may be found in Sidney's Life of Sir Richard Hill, pp. 530, 531; and in that Life you will find (p. 502), that Sir Richard was never married: it was his brother, Sir John Hill, who was the father of the three heroes, Lord Hill and his two brothers.-Yours faithfully, FRANCIS G. WEST.

[We did not publish Sir J. Hill's poetry, supposing it was the first time Mr. Gibb speaks of it as being already in print. But though we read Mr. Sidney's Life of his great and good relation, when it appeared, we had forgotten that it was there reprinted. We had already discovered our error as to the paternity of Sir J. Hill, but are obliged to our correspondent for giving us this opportunity of correcting it.-ED.]

CLASSES FOR YOUNG LADIES IN ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY AND THE OUTLINES OF THEOLOGY.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

Weston-super-Mare, Dec. 13th. SIR,-In reading your notice on Cardinal Wiseman's "Social position of Catholics in England," in the October number of the Christian Observer, I have been struck with the practical sense and utility of your remarks on the advance of Romanism in our upper and middle classes, and on the inadequacy of our preparations for defence. That mothers and wives and sisters exercise a strong influence over the minds of their male relatives, none will deny; but how many of our "ladies" have their minds awakened to the magnitude of their responsibility? how many are able or inclined to take an intelligent interest in the religious questions which occupy so large a number of the thinkers among the younger members of society? while of those who have what be called a may religious bias," many fall an easy prey to the emissaries of Rome, or, as I have myself seen, to zealous proselytizers from among the Plymouth Brethren.

Now our "lower classes" have much more chance of being wellinstructed in matters concerning our faith and our Church, than our upper and middle classes. Why do not clergymen in towns hold classes, not in preparation for confirmation only, but permanently, for the instruction of the "young ladies," of their congregation, in the outlines of theology and ecclesiastical history? Numbers of these young ladies are admirably well-informed in history, ancient and modern-in geology, philology, and the belles lettres, besides being tolerably "well up" in many of the subjects of the day-sanitary reform, prison discipline, pre-Rafaellitism, biology, &c. &c.-their total ignorance of such things as you speak of-the underlying differences between their own Church and that of Rome,- of the authority of our Church of the Scriptural foundation of her services, of the value of inspiration of the true connection between Church and State-and similar topies of vast importance, is owing-not to their incapacity, but to the fact of their never having had their attention drawn to them. Teach them these things-show them the history of human error, synchronising and running parallel with divine revelation-the uninterrupted chain of falsehood (often closely resembling truth) that runs through history, from Ninevite symbols, through sun and moon worship, through the grosser heathenisms, and the refined paganism of Greece and Rome-show the system cropping out in Brahminism, Buddhism, and Mariolatry-unmask before them them the magnificently clear system of modern Jesuitism, and see if their stout English hearts do not close against Rome's seductions, and if you can stay the sisters, the future wives and mothers of Englishmen from drinking or even sipping at Rome's fatal Circe cup, may you not hope with God's blessing to arrest our young men ?

I offer these remarks with diffidence, being myself one of the class for whose better instruction I plead; but should you deem them worthy of consideration I shall be happy indeed to have been the means of drawing attention to what I have long felt to be a desideratum.-I am, Sir, yours, &c., C. F.

NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS.

We lately drew attention to the fact, that in consequence of the reprints of some of the best commentaries of the Puritan divines, members, with scarcely an exception, of the Church of England, our younger clergy, who are seldom rich, had an excellent theological library within their reach; and that, if to these were added the cheap editions of their critical labours on the New Testament, by Dean Alford and Canon Wordsworth, an almost critical knowledge of that portion of Holy Scripture was now attainable by men of little scholarship. To these we now add two commentaries with which we were previously unacquainted.

1. A Practical and Explanatory Commentary on the New Testament. By the Rev. Edward Henry Bickersteth, M.A., Incumbent of Christ Church, Hampstead, and Chaplain to the Lord Bishop of Ripon. London: James S. Virtue, City Road, and Ivy Lane.

Mr. Bickersteth has conceived the plan of a commentary, if not on entirely new principles, yet in a great measure such. It was to write one in which the more prominent features of the narrative or argument in every chapter would be noticed, allusions to Jewish and Roman customs briefly explained, the solution of difficulties given which had satisfied the writer's own mind, and a few devotional thoughts suggested, which might naturally flow from the passages under consideration; so that the whole New Testament with the commentary, might be read through in the course of one year, in households where twenty or thirty minutes at most were assigned to family prayer-that golden girdle of home life. He quotes the expositors and critics to whom he has had recourse, chiefly those of our own day. "And if any apology," he adds, "is needed for the occasional introduction, within brackets, of the Greek text, it will be found in the fact that so many of our intelligent young men (and may I not add young women ?) have learned enough of their Greek Testament to find pleasure in seeing the original words before them, and thus sometimes in tracing the more delicate shades of thought."

Mr. Bickersteth's Notes were first issued in numbers, and many thousands have been bought by middling tradesmen and the working classes, which is a high tribute to their worth. They are now issued in a moderate folio, at a very reasonable price, together with the text. It deserves a wide circulation, and will, we trust, introduce a fuller knowledge and a deeper love of the Gospel into many a family.

2. Brief Notes on the Greek of the New Testament. By Francis Trench, M.A., Rector of Islip, Oxon. London and Cambridge: Macmillan and Co.

These brief notes have been composed, the author says, with one single object in view, viz., that of bringing some contribution towards an accurate perception of the force and meaning of the original Greek in the New Testament. He, too, has conferred with all the great critics and expositors of our age, with a view of making these brief

notes available to all intelligent persons, whether acquainted with the Greek and Latin languages or not; all Greek and Latin words are excluded from the body of the page, and placed below, as not essential, although helpful, towards the comprehension of the book. It will be read chiefly in the study, where they will be a great assistance to the pious and intelligent English reader. We subjoin the notes upon a single chapter:

"St. John vi. 3.-' A mountain.' 'The mountain;' evidently some special one, though we may not be able to decide which, with any local certainty. So again in v. 15.

"4.] A feast.' 'The feast.'

"14.] That prophet.' The prophet.' See on i. 21.

“17.] ́A ship.' 'The ship;' as one attending them. 'Went over.' 'Were going over; the imperfect tense, denoting the unfinished action.' (Alford.) 26.] 'Miracles.' 'Signs,' perhaps better; same Gr. being so rendered at v. 30, in connection with the subject on hand.

66

33.] 'He which,' &c. That which,' &c.; viz., the bread;' Alford and Scholefield adding, 'The great truth of himself being this bread, of its being any personal substance, is not opened by our Lord till the 35th verse, in answer to the petition of v. 34.' So Revision of Five Clergymen.

40.] May have,' &c.

'Should have everlasting life, and that I should

raise Him up at the last day.'

42.] 'He saith.' This man saith.' Same Gr. repeated, no doubt with an expression of contempt, as in Matt. xxvi. 61, and elsewhere.

"48.] "That bread.' 'The bread.' So in v. 69, the Christ.'

54.

'Whoso.' Simply, 'He that.'

"62. What and if.' "What then if.'

"63.] 'They.' The italics needless in each case.

"67.] 'Will ye,' &c. ; i. e. 'Do ye desire to go away. Two verbs. Same Gr. construction as in ch. v. 40.

"69.] Believe.' 'Have believed.'

"70. Twelve.' 'The Twelve,' officially.

71. It was he,' &c. It was he that was about to betray Him,' &c. " Sketches from the Life of the Rev. Charles Smith Bird, M.A., F.L.S., late Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, Vicar of Gainsborough, and Chancellor of Lincoln Cathedral. By the Rev. Claude Smith Bird. Nisbet & Co. 1864.-The outlines of Mr. Bird's honourable career have already been traced in our Obituary notice. It is very different, however, to see those outlines filled up by his own graphic and animated pen, in papers which form the staple of his biography, and bear, like coin fresh from the mint, the direct impress of his peculiarly sound Christian spirit. We wish the great theological doctors of Printing House Square, who weigh all country parsons as chaff in the balance, would throw such students as Mr. Bird into the scale. Educated for the law, and having spent between four and five of the best years of life in a solicitor's office, he went up to Cambridge at twenty-one as a non-ens, and employed his two first terms to such purpose, that from entire ignorance of mathematics, excepting a few propositions of Euclid, he attained to the discovery of a new method of solving equations, whose roots are in arithmetical progression, up to nine dimensions, a high place in the first class at the Trinity May examination, and the public compliment of Professor Sedgwick's declaration, that no one had done so much in the college for the last fifty years. In the Tripos list Mr. Bird stood third, to the disappointment of his admirers; but he shortly consoled them by obtaining the second Smith's prize, contrary to precedent, and a Fellowship

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