The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-12-24 00:00:00

EDUCATION of the LOWER ORDERS.

EXTRACT FROM TIIR MINUTES OF THE. EVIDENCE
REFS/1M TIIR SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE HOUNE
OF COMMON.. ANNEXED TO THEIR TIIIRU RE.
FORT ON THE EDUCATION OF THE LOWER
ORDER/.

(Confinue4l from oar Paper of Yeaerday
HENRY BROUGHAM, E. is the Chair.

Williams Parsell., Esq. a Member of the Horse, ender

crotaimation.

Is this roriety in a prosperors slate?—Very.
lc there a crest disporition in the children to attend, and
the parents tu semi them?—Very.
Rove any ilitßewlties arisen In consequence of .lifferenees
in religion ?There have been, in conserporuce of the priests
objecting to the Pramminnt version of the Scriptures ; but that
is got red of by introducing Mrs Trimmer's abridgment of
the New Testament, in which thine passages which have the
Dimity notes are left unt ; this abridgment has received the
permission of the Riv. Dr. Trey.
When was this permission given by the Rev. Dr. Troy, for
the use of Mrs. Trimmer's abridgment ?—About 'antler,
last.

Was it subssiriently or before be had given his sanction
to the replication of the Roguish Testament, with annotations,
published by Coyne, in Dublin, said to be revised, correct.
ed and approved by the Rev. Dr. Troy ?—Yes, I have heard
that there is owe authorised by the Rev. Or. Troy.
You are nut acquainted with the disavowal (011ie Rev.
Dr. Troy, and the explanation el Me. Coyne, of Dublin?—
! am nut acquainted with the circumstances.
Can you state any further particulars to the Committee,
with regard to education atcueqrst the lowest classes in Ire-
land ?---The Sunday school system appears to me Nearly per-
fect, as calculated to their particular wants, and to the pur-
-1 it'll laf circumstances of the lower classes in Ireland, from
the great cheapness or g 4, and the immediate reformat'
whicL seems to be produced in the morals by religions in-
struction ; the teachers consisting very frequently of the
better class of soriely, has a great tendency to remove the
hostility which subsists on the part of the lower orders.
The teaches. (who act gratuitously) have havoi found to
lake more pains with the children than pay teachers ; and
the children being sensible of the kindness which they pay
them, have been found to lake more pains than iu must other
schools In general, the children make a much more rapid
progress in Sunday schools than in the day schools ; the
Orions tie the pasts of the children king entirely soliontuy,
when they leave the school, the desire for knowledge still
continues I would beg to state In the Committee, that the
great want which is experisneed is school houses; Sunday
schools being generally carried on its waste houses and
barns, they are greatly interrupted iu winter, so that they
are frequently Ogled to leave WY.
(Henry Brougham, Rea Chairman of the Committee, used.
the folloarixg statement
I consider AM I shall render sit acceptable service, and
assist the inquiries of this Committee, by gime an account
of • vcsy important institution, connected intimately with
the iestruction and improvement of the poor, at Hofeyl,
near Berne, in Switzerland, under the management of the
owner of that estate, Mr Ft-Wilbert, a patrician of that
Canton.

Happ►ning to he in Switzerland in the autumn of 1816,
went to Screw, efor the purpose of visiting Mr. Fellenberee
institution, which is situated in a pleasant country, about
four unties from the twee. I was received by him with great
courtesy ; be spew. rt lOW himself every part of his establish-
ment, and appeared anxious to have the whole details of its
management inveatigaterl. My intention was to reliant, and
pass a few weeks thole fur the purpose of acquiring further
informatiou respeetiug the system', and more especially the
extraordinary reuturimy s Mch prevails, and which enables Mr.
F. to effect au much with Weil slender means. This can only
he learnt by a daily examination of minute particulars : to fa-
cilitate which Mr F. was kind runtish to offer me the use of a
chateau in the neighbourhood of his owe resldence; but the
state of the weather for many weeks, sod of my own health,
made it desirable that I should proceed to Italy, without sc-
cumplisbiug my purpose. I cannot, however, avoid strongly
reeoniniending a residence at Hofwyl, to any one who may
interest himself in these important inquiries; and I Can ven-
ture to engage fur Mr. Fellenberg, that he will give such a
one, if properly recommended, the same facilities which he
so readily offered to me.
Several tracts have been written upon the subject; the
best of which is emitted, .4 happort Ale ra A.M. I. L'Empe-
rear Akistaflre, ear l'Elaidissement de Itritryi." It pu-
ppets to In. the work of tlw Count of Copt, Mama, but was
in fact written entirely by Mr. C. Piriet of Geneva, who has
paid great attention to the pleas of Mr. Fellenberg, and exa-
mined them carefully in different stages of their progress.
The work of M. Itengger deserves also to be consulted; mid
Mr. F. himself has published some tracts in Cerium,. All
these publications are to be bad at the bookseller Paachund'a,
in Genera sad Paris.

The groutidwork of tbc establishment is a farm of mode-
rate extent, from 210 to 220 puttee, answering nearly to our
English acres, which Mr. f' cultivates himself with greet as-
siduity and success. Upon this be bas ingrafied the other
branches of his institution, which consist of a Seminary for
the education and moral and religious improvrmeet of the
poor; an Academy fur the richt,. cheeses of society; an
Agricultural lost awhile EU, a limited number of pupils; end
• Manufactory of agricultural implements.

_ -
The Academy consists of Arty or sixty pupils, who are
taught every branch of useful learning, from Latin and
Greek (which last they are peculiarly well grounded is, from
the plan adopted of begiuwing with it) to the higher branches
of the mathematics and of physical science. These pupils are
chicly of patrician families. When 1 was there, 1 found scree
or right German Princes among them, beside several sows of
German nobles; awl the Prior, asid Princess of Wirteusherg
(the present Xing and Quays) were expected in a few days tr
visit the plate, with the dais% of prevailing un Mr. F. to
make room fur sootier young Prism sailer their care. All
these pupils gu through the same discipline; est et the table
with Mr. F. and his family; and pay abort not. sterling a
year for all expenses, exclusive of clothes, 1 ought to add,
that when the troubles upon the Co finest had reduced so
many families to great dirgress Mr. F. kept above • dozen
of the young men for outhing'dering two yeses. This part
of the establishaseut creates the principal expense, as about
twenty eminent professors belong to it, triba salaries
amount to betwato 1,000/ and 3,0001. a year. On the other
band, they ford • very interestiog society, sad raider • re.
silence he the oeiglibtourhuud alike iastructivs and agree-
able.

The Agricultural InMitutlon Is peculiarly ander Mr. F.'s
Own care, and corgis's of about twenty pupils more advanced
in years than the former class. They are taught practically
in the farm ; and have likewise hours of aeholastic instruc-
tion, and of meetings fur discussion with Mr. F. They are
separately lodged and boarded at fluchsee, *chateau about
a mile distant from Pr. F's house. The Manufactory of
agricultural impkatents is extremely beautiful, from the
neatness and excellence of the voftinanship, but especially
from the valuable improvements is mechanism which Mr. F.
has introduced. Amon; these Say he mentioned his horse-
hoe, his scarifier or extirpator, bis root and straw cotters;
sad above all, his drill, whiclolhas been highly admired by all
competent itidges, and, I believe, heels ho eel with the
approbation of the Board of Airrieoltnre in this country.
The beau!) of the establishment, however, which is more
parttrularly deserving of atteattern, and with which all the
others are more or less cououted, is the *emissary our the
Poor. Mr F. having long remarked the extreme prodlf•eY
of the lowest orders iu the Swiss towns, soil the halide of
ignnraace and vice in which their children were hruseht up,
funned many years ago the design of attempting their re_
formation, upon principle* equally wand and le•nevolesit.
Ilia leading doctrine was, that to Make those poor people
better, it was necessary to make them more comfortable;
and that this end wonSI be best attained by forming in
their earliest yeara bsirtt.o of industry, whirls tnicht coot ri-
hate to their subsbde, ee. mud by juiuiva wait them • Prater
decree of intelleetwal cultivation the.. bas reel yet been ex-
tended to the hbossring classes of the castnismully, or been
imagined to he compatible with their Lunatic purauite. He

beemi his repecimenta open a small irniii!ror Of e" I t.•
which he has slow OW:rased to bet weer thirty and 1,.. ;
this miry be moonset, the est •I limit 41191,t1 a coo. of co
hootei.te an estrus. Those childeris were tillkett f the
very wisest deseripti ~,, tor sio irty ; ti.i• minas tlegtaill• 11l of Ilin
toriolimint poor in tri; cit. :not Wirt I %%viol Sono. %rob hardly
any tom loom, they out siiiik it• the cicilms awl idle habits
of their uarcul•. a ciao. of dL.ulutr •a:r intr. reeenittitive the
worst kisetut N. Tile I. cLange 1111111 SW bares
effeued i,. them ail, t • mire( the evi•c esti...idiots', and at.
fectidg sights that c.v.' i.e tied Mier 1 saw Vat mu,
the., were snore who 6vl been tio i e hie several rare, 'Ad
had crown op towards maid I ; but the ref.., teatime in al-
-51,041 Al look place allisrint f• our In lett, year., w a very
little "r. a. cording they 1111.1 r So 17.111• I" or
more advanced age. The remelt: aloch I made. is that
which inemedialdy strikes all who visit I 1.101 I; the a eawar.
:owe of the childreu Moue, their ei eiimice and trimmer,
;matt WC% yeti wills a couriction of their excellent disposi-
tions. To di scribe all the step% of the process by which
this refound' has heels effected, would he iuhyossildr, as
riql,•ll depends uo 1111 l circumstances. mill ~pun Ilia great
..lid juilriiient of Vidirli a young mallwho has demoted
his Itie, under hlr Felleith;eg, lo the superintendence of
this tied of the esteldishment, and to whose extramilionry
Millie and ability its success i. oicipally owing. fiat I
shell eudesvour to Kivu the Cibillaillthe mouse idea of this
mode of treatment pursued.
The that principle of the system i• to skew the children
gentleness and kindlier.., •0 as to win tit it uaecticois, suit
always to treat them al rational creatures, cultivatitig
their reason, slid mope:ding to it. It is equally essen-
tial to inipreas upon their minds the is. ceesity of s
Inoue and thtnous conduct to thew balminess, 0,.1 tile
inevitable effects of the opposite brio a sir, m r,dunog
them frum the comfort in which they now lire to di, state
of misery from which they were rescued. A cowl:oil and
even mitotie auperintemletwe, at every instant Of their hers,
Commit( cituise part of the system ; mot, :is may easily hr sup.
posed, the elder boy% who have already piofiled by the case
of the simmer, aid lion in extending it to the new cutters,
who fur this purist:spare judiciously distributed notating them.
These are, I ant aware, very general pnnciplrs, mod upon
their judicious application to (gooier in each partteular
*mace, according to the diversities of individual elvir.,,Ler,
their whole virtue depends. But a someohnt more vpieiftc
notion of the plan may be formed by übsert Mg, that it is
never allowed for a moment to lie Ancor front their Ilrottichls,
'bur manual laborer, in eullival on the ground, is the grand
and paramount care which must employ their whole byes,
and upon which Iheir very existence depends To this airy
thing elms is made subordinate ; but with this are judiciously
connected a variety of intellectual pursuits At their limos
of relaxation, their amasetneuts have au instructive teit-
dency; certain hours are *et apart fur the purposes of learn.
ing ; and while at work in 11w fields, the conversation, with-
out interrupting for a moment the necessary business of their
lives, is always directed towards those branches of knowledge
in which they are improving themselves daring 11w iiiterval•
of labour. Beside writing and cyphering (at which they are
very expert) they ripply themselves to geography and history,
and to the different branches of natural history, Particu-
larly mineralogy and botany, in which they lake a singular
delight, and are considerable proficieute. The connexion
of these with agriculture render them most appropriate
studies fur those pour children ; and as their daily labour
brings them constantly 1,110 contact with the object, those
sciences, a double relish is thus afforded at mice to the
science and the labour. You may see tow of them every
now and then stepping aside from the furrow where se.
venal of them have been working, to deposit a specimen,
ur a plant, fur his little Immix Piece's, ur cabinet; and
Mr. Fellenberg rarely goes into the field where any of
them arc labouriug, without !wing called upon to decide
some controversy that bas arisen upon wafters relating to
sntneralogy or hot•ity, ur the parts of cheivical seis see
which Issue most immediate relation to sericulture. There is
one other subject which is ever preveill to their minds ;
mean a pitre and rational theology. Mr. F. is deeply imbued
himself with the sense Of religion; and it enteis tutu all his
schemes fur the improvement of society Regarding the state
of misery in which the poorest flatlet: live, as rather calculated
(if 1 may use his own expression) to make them believe in
the agency of a devil than of a God, his first care, upon res-
cuing those children (ruin that wretchedness, is to inspire
them with the feelings of devotion which he himself warm.
ly entertains, and which he regards as natural to the human
heart, when misery has slot chilled nor eice hardened it.
Accordingly the conversation, as well us the habits of the
poor at liufwyl, partake largely of religious influence. The
evidences or design observable iu the operations of nature.
and the benevolent tendency of those operslinsus iu the great
majority of instances, form censtant topics of discourse in
their aludiea, and during the labours of the day and
though no one has ever obi:loved she slightest appear-
ance of fanaticism or of superstition (against which, in
truth, the course of instrtiction purimed is the surest safe-
guard), yet ample testimony is borne by all travellers to tke
prevailing piety of the place. One of these has noted an
affecting instance of it, when the harvest once required the
labourers to work fur aft butte or Iwo after night.fall.lllll4 the
full moon rose in extraunlivai y beauty ~v,-r the map, (scent
mountains that surround Ow plain of Horwyl. Suddenly,
as if with one accord, the pour children began to (haunt a
hymn wlsictr they had learnt among many others, bus in
which the Supreme Being is adored, as having " lighted up
the great lamp of the night, and projected it in the firma-
ment."

The details which will be found in the works 1 have al-
ready referred to, give minute and satisfactory illusive! 1111 l s of
the virtuous habits of these labourers, and of the happy and
couteeted lives which they lead. 1 trust that one or Iwo of
them, such as the " Rapport," will be translated 100 Elle.
lish. That the complete education which it is Mr. rel-
it-ob.-rem principle to give the children, interferes in tto
degree with the business of their lives, but rather forvraids
it; and that the firm cultivated by them sweet-rds per-
fectly, the inspection of his accounts (Which be lays open to
every visitor as a matter of coulee) clearly demsnistrates.
The prulits of the farm, mutilate's; of 21141 pores. (nearly
equal to our acre) for the four years ending 1814, were run's.
ally 14,176 Swiss hese% or about 061. sterling, twin: shove
41. an actv, including the interest on the original wirrhase
mosey or the land. The cattle cuoceris it rut itely kept out
of thss accost's., which therefore exhibits more clearly the
success of the cultivation depending upon labour. It is lobe
observed, that Mr. Frllenberg has bad to commit with power-
ful prejudices on the part of his country meu, and has certain-
ly received neither encouragement nor cmintenanee from the
Guversoneut of the Canton. Oa the contrary, the belief very
universally prevails, that he is reputed by them with an tau-
favourable eye, and that strangers are not much encouraged
to visit Hufirryl. The first Impression, propertied silk
some isdrstry, was, that his visionary schemes would be his
ruin. When the undertaking seemed to prosper, the attack
was changed, and he is now upbraided with 'miming a time
fortune; an accusation equally unfounded, as the account
which 1 have given of his great liberality sud charity may
serve to stew. The patrician order (to which he belongs) also
took umlwage at his devoting himself to "hal Ws' trimed " •
schuolatitster's liCe" (fie piedugogiqueJ. But 1 tryst that
these prejudice' are now wearing away; and cermiuly he is,
tu this respect, largely indebted to she rolightened assist-
ance of 61. de tiondetten, M. Pietet, and slue usher men of
letters at Geneva, ale/ have always traioasly fat owed
his undertukitig.

(To be continued.)