The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-29 00:00:00

Speech of a Lady on Education.

A meeting was held a few days ago at Cowlings, sum,
moned by the following notice, which had been affixed to
the doors of the church and chapel :—" I hereby give
notice that it is my intention to call a public meeting
of the inhabitants of this parish on Friday, the
22d instant, for the purpose of discussing proposals re-
garding the formation of a school, library, and reading-
room, and other improvements for the welfare of the
general public of this village, and I earnestly pray all the
farmers, tradesmen, and other influential people, as well as
tbelabourers who aro connected with the dissenting chapels,
to attend and give me their advice and help towards carry-
ing out the same.—(Signed) EMILY, LADY PICIOT,—
Branches Park, Cowlinge, Jan. 10, 1864." An influential
and numerous assemblage filled the largo club .room at-
tached to the Green Man Inn. The Rev. S. H. Banks, the
curate of the parish, having taken the chair, briefly, but
with much earnestness, introduced the subject, bestowing
on the efforts made by Lady Figot the praise which they
deserved.
Her LADYSHIP then rose, and with much zeal and energy
addressed the meeting at considerable length. She ob-
served that the school was of primary
importance, since
without education the life of an Englishman would be but
slightly removed from that of the savage—she had almost
said slave; but the slave-master had far greater considera-
tion for his slave than in free England a farmer has for his
men. A man cannot work unfed. In the north of Eng-
land wages are 12s. and 14s. a week; a man does work
there, but does not altogether neglect his education. lam
surprised wo do not follow in these parts the better system
of other counties. Education, consistent with the station
of life God has seen fit to place him in, must raise a man
morally and physically. You give him a power of recrea-
tion which will surely, even though slowly, raise him from
his animal stupidity to a life of thoughtfulness and thank-
fulness. How many curse in their despair the God who
made them I How many curse the day that gave them
life, because they have no knowledge of God, no feeling,
and no knowledge of lifa beyond the present. But the man
possessing a fair share of knowledge has a power of enjoy-
ment which his uneducated neighbour knows nothing of.
He can beguile weary hours by reading. He can read and
learn and judge for himself God's Word; he can read
works which tell him of the wonders of the world he is
living in ; he can read to his less favoured neighbours,
thanks to education. Lady Pigot then went on to state
that iu that parish there were 840 souls, and no school,
no resident clergyman, no library, nowhere for a young
man on leaving work ea go to but the publichouse,
They were in a deplorable condition. Their children were
sent to schools far from home, and inferior to what their own
might be if they undertook to have one, and, by God's bles-
sing, to keep it as it ought to be. The want of education led
mehaenp,
ainndthtehe suriloleenietiy of
ignorance of
epally ignorant and weak in
his poor neglected intellect,
away from the peace and comfort of his home to the beer-
moral and religious character. Such men too often went
from bad to worse, till they became convicted thieves,
poachers, burglars, or incendiaries. I want (continued Lady
Pigot) to give to the poor man an education suited to his
\vents, and thereby to give him also an interest in his daily
occupations. I want to tighten the bonds of fellowship and
frie.'idship between the rich and poor, between the labourer
and his master. We can do nothing without each other ;
one haioura with his hands, and others should labour with
their heads for him. We must strive to better his state, to
make him feel ho is not a mere beast of burden, worth so
many shillings a-week to his employer, but a fellow-creature
with ourselves, with a soul to be saved, with feelings to be
considered, and with an intellect given to him by God to be
turn ed to account. You remember the parable of our Lord
and the talents. Gentlemen, you have all talents, some have
station, some money, some• intellect, some even have only the
influence cf a good example,. but we may be assured that to
each of us here now has God given a talent, whether wo
acknowledge it or not, for the good employment of which to
God's glory (firstly), to the satisfaction of our own con-
sciences, and the benefit of those around us, we shall surely
be called to rertder an account. Well then, we must none of
us say we have Ito little wecannot give, and that we are so low
in our social position, in our life and cleans that we have no
inguence. Nor na.gst this intellect which God has given us be
hid in the earth or under a bushel, wo must make all the use
wo can of it. In Scotland the labourer is twice as intelligent
as a Suffolk man, Ev Pry man there has some amount
of general knowledge, bee ides writing, reading, &c. Tho
middle class in Cowlinge L lust see the want and feel the
necessity of a school, and that the moral and corporeal
health of their labourers dep ended on the exertions made in
their behalf. These men were 'ander their influence, and they
were bound by every tie of nat.
ire, by every law of Go and
man, by Christian sympathies a ..a.d their obligation to one
another, as part of a large, rich, ,
eraosperous, and God-fear-
ing people, to help these who sera
ar them early and late.
After pointing out the practical det fails which would have
to be considered in carrying put the Vaaerae, her ladyship