The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-11-08 00:00:00

MB. GLADSTONE ON PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.

Mr. Gladstone (who since Friday in last week had been
staying at Wellington College, near Wokingham, with his
son-in law, the Rev. E. C. Wickham, Head Master of that
institution), delivered a speech to the students on Monday
morning. At noon the right hon. gentleman, who was ac-
companied by Mrs. Gladstone and Mrs. Wickham, proceeded
to the great school, where an address was presented to him
by the head of the school, D. J. Medley.

Mr. Gladstone, in reply, said he could assure them
in return, with equal sincerity, and truth, that it was
an occasion of great interest to those who had run
their career—in his case a somewhat long one—to
come into company and close contact with the young,
with the very young among their countrymen, with
these who were passeing through the same stage of life
that they had passed through, with those who were
passing through the same school discipliine, with its
perils, its opportunities, its responsibilities, and its ad-
vantages. The public 4 chools of England corresponded
with the general character of the picture Eton pre-
sented in bringing into most intoreating association
what was old and what was new. At the beginning
of this century they could hardly be called more than
about four or five in number. Since that time the
population of Great Britain had fully doubkd in
number, but the public schools of the country had
increased in a much larger proportion, and might
probably be called now four times as many as they
were at the beginning of the century. This had been
a completely natural growth, because, remarkable as
had been, the advancement of the country in the
mere figure of its population, its advancement in
wealth, in the means of edueation, in the desire for edti.
cation—the growth of its leisured class possessed of
ample resources for the purpose of obtaining good and
high education—had been great in a still larger pro.
portion.
Lion The new competitors for honour in that die-
anguished rank of institutions had not been received
with any grudging welcome, but had been hailed as
new members of the family with all the interest and
all the affection that could be said to belong even to the
growth of a private and particular family. A healthy
rivalry and competition might be felt, and he hoped
always would be felt, among our public schools; but
that rivalry and competition would remain, just as the
competitions of individuals are among us, wholly free
from all selfish jealousy. There was no institution, no
form of institution, more characteristic of the country
than its public schools. There was nothing to which
it would be more difficult to find a precise parallel in
any other country. It had grown out of the wants
and out of the convictions of the country, and
had become rooted in its usages and associations. But
it was an English institution, and it was most im-
portant that the young as well as the old should well
know what this institution was. What were its
peculiar features? Its peculiar feature above all, he
would venture tosay, was this : that for everyone of those
before him the arrival at their public school was an
anticipation of after life. It was an early assumption,
In great part, of the duties and responsibilities of
advanced lift,-of manhood brought into boyhood. It
was hardly possible for them to c(Meeive the interest

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