The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-09 00:00:00

FEIN BURGH HIGH SCHOOL.

The following is the speech of the Lord Provost at
the examination of the scholars last week. It may
he interesting to our readers to state, that the pre-
sent Lord Provost is the eminent publisher in Edin-
burgh, and that some of the most distinguished men
of the age were reared at this school ; among other.,
Lord Brougham, Lord Jeffrey, Lord Cockburn, the
Lord Justice Clerk, Mr. Horner, Mr. Rutherford,
Mr. Alison, and, last, not least—for he has made, we
believe, a fortune surpa.sing that of all named—Mr.
Matheson, the celebrated Canton merchant, and Mem-
ber for Ashburton :

The LORD PROVOST, addressing the Rector, Dr.
Carson, said—Sir, those who have been privileged to
witness the exhibition of this day cannot fail to be
impressed with the immense advantages which this
school confers upon Edinburgh.—(Great applause.)
From its walls have come forth men whose names are
now illustrious in science and in art, who have held
the highest situations in this kingdom, and whose
influence has been felt over the whole civilised world; r
so that the wisdom and- the mortd:ty gathered here
has not been confined to the individuals who received
it, hut has been spread abroad, not only over this
country, but through other lands; so that it may he
truly said this school is a light, not to lighten Edin-
burgh alone, but the world at large.—(Great
applause.) To you, Sir, and to your colleagues,
we consider ourselves eminently indebted. It is itn•
possibt, that the pupils of this school could have
made the progress they have done, unless intelligence,
affection, and zeal, on the part of the teachers had
been eminently manifested:—(Applause.) We hear
much said of tiv. vdvantages. of schools in other gull.-
ters ; hut I am bold to say that there is not in Scot
land, or in the three kingdoms, a literary establish-
ment which stands higher, or is better fitted for the
discharge of the duties it has to perform, than the
High School of Edinburgh.—(Applause.) I am
prowl to say that the sons of the humble citizens
of Edinburgh may here acquire an education as
good as is elsewhere received by the sons of the
highest nobles in the land.—(Lowl applause.) %e
have witnessed with great satisfaction the progress
which has been made in all the classes ; but I was
particularly struck, Sir, with the attainments made
by the class which has been under your care. I
recollect when I was in that class—alas ! now some
forty or fifty years ago—(Great applause)—and it
seems to me that the boys on the lowest form now
are better Greek scholars than those on the highest
form were then ; so that here is a proof that the
school not only maintains its efficiency, but that it is
making progress and keeping equal pace with any
other institution.—(Applause.). I have to say for
myself that I regard this school With gratitude and at'-
, fection ; and I shall never cease in that way to regard
it, because to it. I am indebted for all the advantages
I have obtained in the course of my after life —(/ap-
plause.) • Any other place would have required
larger. expenditure for education : than my parents
could boast of; and I am proud to think that
here the sois of the humblest meet on equal
terms with the sons of the highest, and compete
with them for the highest prizes.—(Great applause.)
I can only say to the young gentlemen, that I trust
they will make such a use of the education they re-
ceive here as will do credit not only to themselves,
but to the school where they received it. T here is
one point, however, to which I think it of consequence
to advert. We often hear it slid, of what use is Greek
and Latin to boys, most of whom are not to spend
their time in literary professions, but are to be en-
gaged in commerce or trade ? I would ask those who
have witnessed the exhibition of this day if the edu-
cation given is confined to Latin and Greek? Have
we not had an opportunity, even in this hall, of seeing
the progre-s made by the boys in English com-
position ? From one we have had a philo-
sophical essay; from others we have had poems
which would do credit to much more ex•
perienced versifiers ; and we have here taught,
besides, geography, arithmetic, writing, and, in
fact, all the branches that are necessary for a young
gentleman to acquire. And it is farther to be borne
in mind, that when a boy acquires a knowledge of
Latin and Greek, he has not only acquired those
languages, but his mind has by that act of acquisi-
tion become disciplined and prepared for any intel-
lectual exercise to which he may be called in any
after part of his life.—(Applause.) A boy so
df•sciplieed and obliged to give great attention to the
exercise of his mental faculties, and who has thus
obtained a knowledge of the niceties of language—
let the mental powers of that boy he applied to any
other purpose in the arts, in commerce, or in trade,
and he will find that his previous training has
admirably fitted him for the discharge of his duties,
in w hat-ver sphere his lot may he cast. I trust,
thetefore, that my fellow-citizens will not consider
that the education affbrded in this school is of a
limited nature ; for, independent of the direct benefits
of classical education, it enables those who engage in
it, when they ha- e got hold of this instrument of
language, more easily to master any other subject in
which they may he engaged. I trust that the pupils
of this school will so conduct themselves as not only
to carry off a large amount of knowledge from this
seminary, but that they will, in after life, do cred.t
to themselves, to their friends, and to their country.

THE Two VACANT SEATS.--Mr. Thomas Wye,
M.P. fur the city of Waterford, has given formal no-
tice to the House of Commons that he will inov,a,
early next session, that the two seats recently ren-
dered vacant by the disfranchisement of the
borough of Suribttry be transferred to such
county or counties in 'lreland as shall - from its po•
pulation and the present state of its r-pratllitation, &e ,
appear most fit. to return additional Members to Parlia-
ment. The said two seats have now been Unfilled fur
ital:llstrea session% autit ooneovently, the- number of
to Mined it presort to sit. • •