The Sermon of Dr Grosvenor on Luke xxiv. 47.-Extracts from Owen, Richard Baxter, and some from the Honourable Robert Boyle, would be of great use.

With regard to useful and safe but entertaining smaller works thirty or forty of a most valuable description have been published in Dublin, by the Society for promoting the Education of the Poor, and the Cheap Book Society, from which at first two or three of the fittest might be selected for translation.

A very cheap periodical work, if well-conducted, by a man of principle, who, upon certain subjects, well understood the doctrine of non-interference, but was thoroughly imbued with the desire of benefiting his countrymen in every way; cautious of admitting speculative opinions, and determined to insert no mere idle reports, on whatever authority, but resolved to put the Native Irish reader of the day in possession of what is indubitable as to Nature, Science, and Art, would be of essential service. There is not a people upon earth who would read such a thing with as much avidity, nor would any reader have a greater number of such eager hearers.

Certain very desirable elementary things will occur more naturally under the next section.

SECTION VIII.

DESIDERATA-EDUCATION

Through the medium of the Irish language, whether by means of Stationary or by Circulating Schools.

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"IT certainly were ridiculous enough," says Mr Foster, fix on a labouring man and his family, and affect to deplore that he is doomed not to behold the depths and heights of science, not to expatiate over the wide field of history, not to luxuriate among the delights, refinements, and infinite diversities of literature; and that his family are not growing up in a training to every high accomplishment, after the pattern of some neighbouring family, favoured by wealth, and perhaps unsual ability, combined with the highest cultivation in those at their head. But it is a quite different thing to take this man and his family, unable perhaps, both himself and they, even to read, and therefore sunk in all the debasement of ignorance,—and compare them with another man and family in the same sphere of life, but who have received the utmost improvement within the reach of that situation, and learnt to set the proper value on the advantage; who often employ the leisure hour in reading, (sometimes socially and with intermingled converse,) such instructive and innocently entertaining things as they can procure, are detached from constant and chosen society with the absolute vulgar, have acquired much of the decorums of life, can take some intelligent in

terest in the great events of the world, and are prevented by what they read and hear, from forgetting that there is another world. It is, we repeat, after thus seeing what may, and in particular instances does exist, in a humble condition, that we are compelled to regard as an absolutely horrible spectacle the still prevailing state of our national population.”

Again he says" One of the most melancholy views in which a human being can be presented to us, is when we behold a man of perhaps seventy years sunk in the gross stupidity of an almost total ignorance of all the most momentous subjects, and reflect that more than three thousand Sundays have passed over him, of which every hour successively has been his time, since he came to an age of some natural capacity for mental exercise. Perhaps some compassionate friend may have been pleading in his behalf. Alas! what opportunity, what time, has the poor mortal ever had ? His lot has been to labour hard through the week, throughout his whole life. Yes, we answer, but he has had three thousand Sundays; what would not even the most moderate improvement of so immense a quantity of time have done for him? But the ill-fated man (perhaps rejoins the commiserating pleader) had no advantages of education, had nothing in any sense deserving that name. There, we reply, you strike the mark. Sundays are of no practical value, nor Bibles, nor the enlarged knowledge of the age, nor heaven nor earth, to beings brought up in estrangement from all right discipline of their minds. And therefore we are pleading for the schemes and institutions which will not let human beings be thus brought up."

All this language, and much more to the point in which we heartily concur, the esteemed author, about eight years ago, expressed with reference to England*-though at the same time a place is reserved throughout these pages, of which of course he would approve, for the appropriate, and, blessed be God, the ordained power of oral instruction on the character of sinful men, though sunk and hardened by long-practised habits. But, oh! how affecting does this subject of longevity become, when carried across the channel and applied to Ireland! Here we can point, as it were with the finger, to

* Essay on the Evils of Popular Ignorance, pp. 98. 148.

about three hundred and fifty individuals who have spent their four thousand five hundred Sabbaths-to nearly two thousand who have measured their four thousand, and to more than eighty thousand who have spent the number dwelt upon in the preceding passage! But let the reader reflect, as he now can, on the comparative difference between these four provinces, and then observe, that of the three hundred and fifty alluded to, here are not far from two hundred who had lived in Connaught and Munster since or before the year 1721nearly two thousand, of whom seven hundred and sixty had there resided since or before 1731, and more than twentyeight thousand since or before the year 1751!

It would certainly be wrong to leave this subject here, though it should detain us for a little while before we get down to the interesting youth and children; but this it need not do. The better way will be to bring the infants of five years old and under into view, along with the old man of silver grey, who stoopeth for age, even although the picture should prove the most affecting which can be held up before the British eye, in reference to the united kingdom. When poring over the minuter details of the last parliamentary census, again and again we had been interrupted and struck by this subject, and intended to enter into it most fully. Happily, however, it has been taken up in an interesting volume by two Irish authors, and I prefer their statement at present to one of my own, because it is drawn out upon the ground, and because it is indicative of that precise kind of interest in Irish gentlemen, which is ultimately sufficient to raise up the country in which they dwell.

It is worthy of observation, that in each province instances of longevity are most numerous in those counties bordering on the sea. That they should prevail in those districts where employment, and consequently superior nourishment, and other comforts abound, is not a matter of wonder. Hence the longevity of Ulster exceeds that of Leinster by a ratio of one-fifth, and that of Munster and Connaught by two-fifths per cent. This may also be in part attributable to its northern situation.

Dividing the population of Ireland into four grand classes with respect to age, the census of 1821 presents to our view the following lamentable picture of the state of the country abounding with every means of industry, and with able and willing hands to cultivate it, in the most civilized period of the world :

Infants of 5 years and under,...1,040,666...one-half at least badly clothed and fed. Children from 5 to 15,.............1,748,663...1,300,000 destitute of education. Operatives from 15 to 70, ........3,931,660...1,094,845 destitute of employment. Aged 70 to 100,............................................................................81,191...a great proportion of whom are paupers.

These particulars are taken from a valuable piece of local history, Fitzgerald and M'Gregor's History of Limerick, published in Dublin about two years ago. At the same time it is to be remembered that the population now is seven millions and a half.-That education in English has been making rapid progress during the last seven years-so much so that at this moment the average in that language is above that of England. Very much indeed remains to be done in Ireland, though this fact gives point and meaning to the language quoted from Mr Foster, as well as to many other passages in his essay. But as for the Irish tongue I may here now leave it to the reader's own judgment, whether the subject has been even estimated; and what encouragement is due to those classes who have already made a beginning, or to such judicious and humane individuals as may henceforth determine to employ it in the business of education. At the same time it must be remarked with regard to Irish education in the native language, that some consideration is due, even at this moment, to the peculiar and most interesting complexion of the pupils; many of them, and in two or three counties by far the largest majority, consisting of persons in mature age. Some provision as to a safe and useful variety of reading is therefore naturally suggested. Would some of the gentlemen connected with "The Society for the Diffusion