The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-10-09 00:00:00

FATAL MISTAKE.

A Mr. Bridge, a Gentleman very fond of field
sports, resident twin, Dorchester. met with a serious
loss ■ few weeks since. tyo his leaving home for
Church he was follosetl by a Ind who had the nue
of his dogs, who said the meal was exhausted,
end that the dogs would he *tweed. He requested.
therefore. to know what was to he done—" Hang
the dogs!" exclaimed Mr. Bridge, in HO angry tone,
vexed at the abrupt and unseasonable manner in
*Welt be was addresser,. The lad mode no reply,
and returned to the house full of sorrow and bur-
prise. The angry exclamation of hie master was
mistaken for a peremptory order : the poor lad,
with an aching heart. lost not 14 moment to carry it
into execution; and Mr. Bridge, on his return
home from Church, hail the inisfurtune of finding
his line brine of greyhounds and a leash of the
best spaniels in Durseishire bonging dead in his
stables. _ _ _

We have authority to state that their Royal 1
Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of KENT will
occupy the lower proscenium box on the Prince's 1
side of Drury-lane theatre this evening. The PER-
SIAN Ans,..4s.tnost and Suits., wills other Foreign
Ambassadors, will be seated in the Prince Regent's
box.
Mr. PHILIPPS, lifter a short visit to Brighton,
resumes his place this night et Covent-wireless
Theatre. in the opera of 7he Lord If the Namur.
The performance of this old and favourite piece
has excited great expectation.
Governor POWs attention to those who have
shewn any mark of friendly good-natured civility
towards the Outliners Society, and the Lectures
which he patronizes, and which caused the enter.
teitsinesit lately given to them principally is New.
street, Spring-lc:adroit, wee again 'hewer on Mos.
day at Portland Castle, where a public breakfast
was given its the true style of hospitality, which,.
notwithstanding the unfavourable state of tliP
weather, was honoured by the presence of a RH.
WWII* patty of theitirst Fork aid fielsiso.

)

`~.

~1 r

PETER'S LETTERS to kis KUISFOLIV.

4 We had jest ieished a leborines Session. of Parliament,
and were pursuing the quiet aN44 regular busmen of
the Bummer •Veclation„ when the lamentable affair of
the pith of Angwft, •at. Manchester, unfortunately ar;ore
to interrupt the peaceful tenor of our way Among
the etiaeelleneous matter brought into the Reid to re.

tia.ve the weight of political debates, we relied not a little
'upon the lively, iateresting, and amasiog work, entitled
Peler's Liners Is his Kinsfolk, a work well calcidated
improve the miss!, and by ifs life and spirit awe
away the earn of many a dull and lazy hour. It i. Ind
without having been reminded by many of our Sttbscrilwrg
of our siegleet of this interesting work, that we now rt,,erie
owe extracts front it. In eneripliance with their nishe,, we
begin with the following description of the Unttefirify of
Dlioborglit‘L.
• - •

_
4, When you reproach me with being so long at
the seat or a celebrated university. anal yet 'if PSYTY•

log the most profound silence concerning tutor,,
professors, examinations, degrees, and all the °flirt
mighty iternt of academical life, you do no more
than I Might have expected from our, who his t}..
rived Ins only ideas of an university from 00;r11
and Catinbridge. to these places, the univertev
every thing; the houses of the town seem meetly
to be the appendages of the colleges, owl the towns-
men themselves only a better sort or menials to tilt
gownsinen. If you hear a bell ring there, coo may
he sure it is meant to call together thwe tvli(Kk. ,i,sty
it is to attend in some chapel, hall, or le,
room; if you see a man pull off his het in the
street, you may be sure it is in honour of eorr►c
tuft, sleeve, or scarf, well accustomed to .1101
obeisances. Here the case is very different, The
academical buildings, instead of forming the hulk
and centre of every prospect—instead of 5i.0,01,,r
up towers and domes and luttlemei,.s in evrrvdi.
reckon, far above, not only the common dwellings
of the citizens, hut the more ancient and more

lolly groves of oak and elm, in which, for cent°.
ties, they have beets embosonted—instead of Ai: dill
proud stud sweeping extent of venerable inagotiti-
cencey the academical buildings of Edinburgh toe
piled together in one rather obscure corner of 4
splendid city,. which would scarcely be less splendid
than it its, although they were removed altogether
from its prettititts. In the society among which I
have lived since my arrival here (mid I a.mfre vou
its circle has been by no moans a very confined on.),
I am cosivinced there are few subjects about which
so little is said or thought, as ihe University of
Edinburgh. I rather think, that a wed-relocated
stranger, who had no previous knowledge tl at an
university had its seat in this place (if we can sop.
pose the existence of such a person), 'night s. joottt
in Edinburgh for many weeks, without making the
discovery for himself. And yet, from all I can
hear, the number of resident members of this um.
versify is seldom below two thousand, and among
those by whom their education is conducted, there
are unquestionably some, whose mimes, in whatever
European university they might he placed, could
not fail to be regarded as among the must illus.
tritons of its ornaments.
" The first and most obvious cause of the small-
ness of attention attracted to the University of
Edinburgh, is evidently she want of any avail. role
cal dress. There are no golenneen here, and dug
circumstance is one which, wish our Oxford idea%
would alone be almost sufficient to prove the not.
existence of 3111 university. This, however, is s
small matter after all, and rather an effect than a
cause. The members of the university do slot reside,
as ours tio, within the walls of colleges; they go
once or twice every day, as it may happen, to hear a
discourse pronounced by one of their professors; but
beyond this they have little connexion of any kind
with the locale of the academical buildings; and it
follows very naturally, that they feel °tentatives to
have comparatively a very slight connexion with
academical life. They live in their fathers' houses
ilia a great proportion of them belong to the city
'Orli), or they inhabit lodgings in whatever part id
the city they please; and they dine alone or toge-
ther, just as it suits them ; they are never cola.
peNrd to think of each
they areseatedbeyond
the i
n brief i s
other
lecture-room; in short, the whole course and hoot
of their existence is unactidemical, and by persons
aille
whichof the day in
thinking and living in a way so independent of
each other, and so dispersed among the crowds of
a city such as Edinburgh, any such badges of
perpetual distinction as our cap and gown, coild
scarcely fit to be regarded as very absurd aid
disagreeable encumbrances. The want of these,
however, has its disadvantages as well m its arbor
Loges, even in regard to their own individual cosy

fort.
es So far as I comprehend the first part of the
general ',Mem of university education in this pier,
it is as follows u—The students enter at fourteen,
fifteen, or even much earlier—exactly as used lobe
the case in our own universities two centuries ago.
for I remember it is mentioned in Lord Herbert t
Cliernoory's Memoirs (and that, too, as a matter b±
uo mews: out of the common course), that he son
not twelve veers old whets he came to reideat
Oxford. Whet' they enter, they are far less skillTd
in Latin titan boys of the same age at oily of air
great schools; and with the exception of thee
educated at one particular school in Edinburg',
they have no Greek. Their acquisition of thee
languages is not likely to be very rapid under tiro
professors of Greek and Litho, to whose care Os
university intrusts them; for eachof these geotk
men has to do with • class of at least two hundred
1 pupil's; and in such • close, it would be impossible
j
to adopt, with the least effect, any other method of
teaching than that by formal pi selections. Now, ol all
ways, this is the least adapted for seizing and ce!rs
mending the attention of a set of giddy urchins
who, although addressed by the name of , Gentle
men,' are, in fact, as full of the spirit of 101;0
ramping, as at any previous period of their lives
A slight. attempt is sometimes made to keep shv
their attention, by examining them the one do
concerning what they had heard on the other; se.
this plan,l understood, begins to be carried int.
execution, in is more regular way thou heretofore
But it is not possible to examine so great a numbe
' of buys, either very Imply or very closely I tot
should be very apprehensive, that their many tem
tenons to idleness must in general overcome, wit
little difficulty, this one sleuder stimulus to en
tion.
" As for the professors of these languages, then
i
tore of the duties which they perform. of CO
reduce them to something quite different ir
6 what we *OW understand by the same they lies

They are not employed in &listing 'rung men to
"de, with greater facility or advantage, the:poets.,
the historians, or the philosophers of antiquity ; nay.
It can scarcely be said. in any proffer mewling of
the term, that they are employed 'in Italicising the
rinciples of language. They are schoolmasters
in
the strictest sense of the word-L-for their time is
went in living the very lowest part of the founda-
tion, on which a superstructure Of erudition must
be reared. A profound and accomplished scholar
mar, at times, be found discharging these duties,
I,,ii most assuredly there is no need either of deio'h
Or of elegance to enable him to discharge them as
weii as the occasion requires. The truth is, how's.
ever, that very few men give themselves the trotitie
to become tine scholars, without being pushed On
hv mane kinds of stimulus, and I know of no very
powerful stimulus within the action of which these
gentlemen are placed. They have not the milt-
nou aim dtl,ghs of making their pupils tine schor•
Jars—feelings which, in England, are proctor-slyest
so mane admirable results—because the system sir
the univers.ty is such, that their pupils are hue.
rich cut of their hauls tong before they could hope
to inspire them with any thing like a perinament
lore for studies attended frith so many difficulties.
Nile', they hive not the ambition end delight of des
rating themselves to a high and honourable rank
in public estimation, by their own proficiency in
classics! lore; for this is the Only country in civi-
lized Europe (whatever may be the cause of the
phenomenon) wherein attainments of that kind are
regarded with a very slender degree df admiration.
flow this may have happened I know nut ; but the
fact is certain, that for these two bombed years,
scoththd has produced no man of high reputistiOn,
whose fame rested, or rests, upon what we cull clas-
sical learning, nor, at the present day, does she
possess any one who might be entitled to form an
exception to this rule of barrenness.
4. Before these boys, therefores have learned Latin
enough to be able to read any Latin author with faci-
lity, and before they haVe learned Greek enough
to enable them to understand thoroughly Hoy out
line in soy one Greek book in existence, they are
handed over to the professor of Logic, Rhetoric.
and Belles-Lettres, quasi jam lingsrarults sulis perilf.
You and I know well enough that it is no trifling
matter to acquire any thing like a mastery, a true
and effectual command, over the great languages
of antiquity ; we well remember how many years
of husy exertion it cost us in boyhood—yes, and in
manhood too—before we found ourselves in a con-
dition to make any complete use of the treasures
of wit and wisdom to which these glorious lan-
gouges are the keys. When we then are told that
the whole of the classical part of Scottish *code-
wield education is completed within the space of
two years, and this with buys of the age I have
mentioned, there is no occasion for saying one word
more about the matter. We see and as well
as if we had examined every lad in Edinburgh,
that not one of them who has enjoyed DIP better
means of instruction than these, can possibly know
ally thing more than the merest and narrowest rush.
meats of classical learning. This one simple fact
is a sufficient explanation, not only of the small
advances made by the individuals of this nation its
the piths of erudition, strictly so called—but of
much that is peculiar, and, if one may be permitted
to say so, of much that is highly disagreeable ion,
in the getieral tone of the literature wherein the
national mind isiond has been expressed. It thew.,
at once, the origin of much that distinguishes the
authors of Scotland, not from those of Englaud
alone, but from those of all the other nations of
Europe. I do not mean that which honourably
distinguishes them (for of such distinction also
they have much), but that which distinguishes
them in a distressing and degrading manner—their
ignorange of the great models of antiquity—nay,
the irreverent spirit in which they have the viola.
city to speak concerning men and works, whom
(considered as a class) modern hints have as yet in
vain attempted In equal."

Some time ago a gentleman in Galloway. while
walking over his estate, observed a peasant boy
rapidly mounting to the top of a very high tree, in
search, no doubt, of a crow or a ;rye's unit. Being
concerned for the little fellow's safely, as well as
anxious to banish such mischievous intruders from
his plantations, he bawled out " Hoy ! you little
scoundrel ! what are you about there ? Come down
immediately, and never let me see your face in this
place again." The climber, nowise alarmed at this
addreas, rested himself upon a branch. and anowered
very laconically, 44 Na ! if I was to coma dorm, you
wad lick tae."—" No," said the gentleman, "
though you well deserve to be imotalted, I won't
heat you for this offence—so conic (loan home-
diately."" Say as sure's death yell no lick me,"
rejoined the culprit, " and I'll collie clown."—
" What ! you impudent rogue, do you pre Home
to doubt my word, and treat me like one ut your
schoolfellows?"" 1 dittos ken," whimpered the
pertinacious boy, 6$ but unless you say as sure's
death, I'll oa come doon the day 1" The grittier.
man, who is a distinguished Initnoterist, arid a Mem.
Ler of the present Parliament, had rinw great AA.
catty in preserving his gravity, aid hurling further
remonstrance vain, he at last fairly capitulated with
the enemy, and agreed to let him march ofr with all
the honours of war. It is aloartst lorrilless to sold,
that the terms of this capitulation were better oh-
Served than some of those that have made a greater
noise in the world. The boy was dismissed with a
trifling reward, and a strong injunction Haver again
to climb a tree, or break through an eneloaure—an
Injunction which, on the part of the rising gene&
ration, will probably be 'mewled to when “te birds
cease to build, and the wild cherries to ripro.
Authentic Intelligence ! !—" meeting of Ilea
formers held at Norwich, and at whit:lt they blamed
the Minister and Magistrates of Marichester, was
brought about by the intrigues of a Member u 1 the
Opposition, the richest lauded proprietor in Eng-
lund, Mr. Coat. It was composed of Ito other than
persons under the orders of Mr. OAF., who is 11""
verbially called King of Norfolk ! Witims throe
few days 600 of the principal inhalverats of the city
of Norwich have united in disavowing the ittehra•
Lion of the Valets de Monsieur COE."--Ideurmel
des Deliats.l—h would seem from the woneworr in
which this precious asorfease appears im the Parts
Paper, that it has been extracted (sum u Lueodutt
Treasury Print. Can we then be surprised that
foreigners should entertain false sod er ttttt eon. no.
Lions respecting the internal state of Busload f

cOmmok kvALL.

virE LOIRD MAYOR.

Yesterday, at ono ft'clock. k Common ,Ylews
held to declare ltd iiiitilksers at the clow of the poll.
fur a person to fill the office of Lord Mayor fOrlthe
pupating year. At th it hour the Sheriffs aria. t,Nty
Officers appeared on the hustings, awl after i.the
11.11 was opened in the ovoid Form..by hr Contthsiii
Crier, the Colui 11111 l -Serj-ant came forward and
crawl—
'* Gentlemen of the Livery, the Sheriff. do
'Chet the mollifier of votra or polls to be as fellows:

ef •11 '

For Mr. Alderman Friates ...... 3.0a11

......
Mr. Alderman Thorp ......2 074
Mr. Alderman tVOO/1
Mr. Alderman Heygte t
The Sheriff'. therefore do declare that yonr eteCtinn
has fallen upon George Bridges and .1% T. Thorp.
to be returned to the Court of Aldermen, that of
those they should select one to he declared Lord
Mayor for the entail ng year."
The Sheriff. and Conn Serjeant then retirerl
Gone the kw...lmp to tue Court of Aldermen., Troia
which, in about half all hour, they roomed. pre.
ceded by the Lord :114yor. the Lord Mayor threr,
and Aldermen Waldman. Thorp, 3.ll.rgowy, and J.
J. Smith, C. Stunk. and Cox. were receiV.
led with applause.
The C ..... mon Crier again proclaimed silence. and

The RECORDER came forward and announced,
in the usual form (after stating the unmet And mini.
of the reillerillre Candidates). that the Choice
of the Court of Aldermen had fatten 611 George
Bridges. Esq. Al.lerman, who was therefore Lord
Ilayor lin the rustling yesr.--( elpplastst.)
The worthy Alderman then &riled the summons
of the Common Crier, and came forward to the
hoot of the hustings. where the ceremon y ~r 11,1.
vesting him with the chain took place, amidst the
applause of Ins friends. After the iiivestiture took
place he addressed the Livery, and returned his
warmest thanks to them for the honour they had
conferred upon him its so Mattering arid
gstoilitri a 1111110er. To his friend,. particularly
his Chairman (Sir C. Pike), he kiww not liiiw
to ackisowledge or repay the Zral they had
manifested in his cause. To his opponents he had
also to retsina his thanks, for the courteous express
*ions or personal civility he had exiserierice from
them ; 111111 he begged to a:gime them, that 110 104i11$
' 11111011;1 Ire spired by 6' iu the discliare of his
duty, to promote ttttt mg all good-will, harmony,
and good humour. hi the perforinance of his duty
he thuuld take the hest measures iii his power to
suppress vice and immorality ~r whatever kind, and
to promote as far as lay in his power the well.
bring of his fellow citizens, the honour ~r hi. Kraig,
aml the general good of his country.—( Loud op.
plains..)- Ile repeated hts thanks fur the honour
they hid dune him.

Jr. Alderman THoaP then came forwards and
was received oith the warmest applause. He said
that he could not do ju-tice to his own feelings if lie
Mil Hot take this liplittrtoitiry of returning his most
cordial thanks to the Livery for the honour they had
dune him, iu resulting I to the Court of Aldermen
as one of the per*ons who were, in their judgment,
fit to fill the office of Lord Mayor for the eitstiiiig
year. He was proud to Hod himself an much in
their coofitletice, and should always rep ty t less mark
of their attachment by a steadfast ndherenee to the
presemdion of their rights awl liberties. ‘Vheii they
had put him in nomination, he wee in the North of
Ireland, endeavouring to ameliorate the condition
of that class of people who belonged to the So.
ciety of which he was Governor.—(Applause.)—
Ile did out hear of the kindness they had dome hint
until Saturday lest, and he then determined to join
them as soon as possible, to express in person his
thanks. They would ever ILO bites the steadfast
adherent to the principles which had emoted him
the rusk of being chosen one of their Representa.
tires ; they trl Id ever find him the advocate of
reform anti retrenchment, which in his opittio:t could
alone save the country. He repeated the expression
of his thanks for the honour they had done hon.—.
(Applause.)
The Hall was then dissolved by the Common
Crier in the usual terms, and the people retired in
the most quiet and orderly summeer.—rewer of the
Livery attended this Hall titan we ever remember
on any former occasion.

Thur. lay n \\*ordinate war held at flatter' -hall,
Flarp-lanr, for the rlecinne of a represekstatite nt
CHI2OIIOII Council fair the %Yard of Tower, iu the
MOM of SAiIEEI. Esq. &tricked,
when Mr. JAMES HUNT was isinkisienouoly
A Requisition, ,rued by about 100 inliabitants,
has liven placarded oboist Sl'ol'6lll. calling a Ge-
neral Meeting on Monday next. the 11th instant,
to tutibiiier the conduct of the Alaiichomer Magi's-
notes on the 16th of August lest.s4Slitlield Iris.)

PEDESTRIANISM.-Mr. oho diotio.
collated is ,vll with Cntor. at Reading and Neu.
bury. I. snatched to teak (for '24 .urcritrire hour.)
against Jolt ES, the thrust! tortlcariais. The thatch
will take place on Nlontlity the Ifith instom, at fire
o'clock, p. tn. in an arljoittiog field to Bleulteim
Gordeste, Gloucester.

Thursday Aeration, during a very healry gale, a boat,
with a sail to it, was observed in a most danxerotot sitUation
by the *stream% oil Ilrrmitaje•stai's. Two inexperienced
yobtlu were seen vainly iryint to steer the little balk aright,
best it was plain In a skilful 05417 Vet that is this they would
hewer Powered, and in anticipation of the worst two of the
acitersyeit arty hookhly put off in their wherries towards
the sailing last, h. order to lake darts the roil rot them.
Tlwy hail not procritled far before a 'oaten gnat of wind
upset the boat, and floe Ittro lads were seen to oink. The
*aterarto ►edonh'ed their speed, and tame up its suffeient
lime to rave one of tiara, lost the oiler hail been canal'
away by the current, itnil *as unfortunately dru*ur.l.

Tises.lay, M hide girl, tive years old, named
111-Altusatl• 11131MINGWAY, was at play with some
other children in Red Loon.itiarket. St. Liiltes,
when a Lady, dewed in Ilse first style I.r elegance
and frshintp decoyed the child away with the pro.
noise of buying her some fruit I several or the other
cichlreii *antra to accompany their playmate, hot
the I..dy told them to retort:, and eke would semi
them Dome I neither her nor the child, however.
have been seen or heard sir *inter. The mother Of
the child has kept her lira ever since she heard of
the loss, and little hopes are etitertaiued of bet re.
cusery•

THS TCRA

NEn'dLl'l&ET VIIIST OC TORE*. E 166.

tifinvianAv. ireroask 7.• ,
The Kist's Plate of 190.:*. far 4-yr I.l4eriorryhar Inst. 416,
s.yr olds ; 6 yr olds, 126.:, sad iged 12st. Itib.
B.C. •
I.oord Farreo's hr. V. Advance. 4 yr* 01d...::. • 1
Mr. Forth'. b. r. %Papilla/4y, 4 yrs DUI • 6
Mr. Nealee Is. r. Repro,4 yr* Us4l
Mr. H. FAlward•'', b. wt. }Mode, 4 yre old '‘: 4
Duke of Portland's hr. e. Screw. 4 yea oolt
Even un Advassoe-5 tee 2 OW lirPibliqe.
Ur. Hastert's Can-
.
Loral SII C.onsienl. 44. 51b. heat
vase, ast.6lb. D.M. 100 p —5 to 4ea Comical.
The Town Plate of 50/. for 3-yr old colts, 'O6. 716; end
Allies. Md. 311). 1)4. The vri 111 l er of Sloe Onberriptiont fur
3.yr old. MI Wednesday, to. carry 711). clam.
1-sord Exeter's eh. f Marines., by Cervenka l
,
lholte ufGreftco sn' hr. f. Ceti at
Crockraird's ch. e. &apes or.
. .

5 to 4 use Dolciisea.