The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-05-14 00:00:00

VERSES

SENT BY A YOUNG LADY TO HER NEWLY-MARRIED FRIEND,

(From the French of Beranger.)
Love, Hymen, Interest, and Folly,
Once Puss-in-the-corner played ;
Friendship—foe to melancholy—
To be of the party prayed.
When the mind 's to pleasure given,
Wiedom soon will cease to warn her ;
Friendship, now by Folly driven,
Finds it hard to keep her corner.
Love—the sly, malicious boy,
. Whose delight is to betray—
Neat his wiles 'gan to employ,
To drive Friendship far away.
To jealous Love, the adoring heart
All must yield, or else he'll scorn her ;
poor Friendship ! play your part,
Or Love will siip into your corner.
Hymen comes ! all on him wait ;
His mantle Friendship must prepare ;
Hymen, marching forth in state,
Leaves her in company of Care ;
At home, the god puts on wise airs,
Declares that Friendship 's a mere fawner,
And, beckoning Interest up-stairs,
Instals him quickly in her corner.
Far from thy gentle breast, my dear,
Folly and Interest must fly !
Love and Hymen yet I fear,
Lest they pass poor Friendship by.
Ah ! whilst you welcome to your heart
The brother gods who so adorn her,
. One little nook preserve apart,
And let Friendship keep her corner.
(London Saturday Journal, Part 4, April, 1839.)

CONTEMPORARY PRESS.

'..,NATIONAL EDUCATION.
(Front the Staffordshire Gazette.)
We have always been of opinion that " Defender of
the Faith" is the highest and most awful attribute of
the British Crown, because it implies an authority of a
spiritual nature—an authority in virtue of which the
Kings. and Queens of England are as sternly called
upon to watch over the souls as to protect the persons
of their subjects. But the power once vested in the
Crown, for weal or woe, has been so completely ab-
sorbed by its late ministers, that the responsibility
which Would otherh ise have attached to the reigning
Sovereign, has now devolved almost entirely upon her
advisers, and it is with them therefore that we have
now -to deal. , . •
All must be aware, that they who are stationed at
tI foot of the throne, and in whose keeping the con-
lence. of their royal mistress is placed, are bound by
virtuous pr .
every ihetple—by every generous feeling—
by every honourable tie—to protect her honour from
the Slightest stain, and most scrupulously to guard
against any violation of the sacred engagement to pro-
tect the Protestant religion of these realms, to which,
when she mounted the throne, she became so solemnly
pledged. But we have already been too well and too
long` acquainted with the defunct ministers to suppose
fora moment that any righteous motives would sway
them.for an instant, or that they would be influenced
by any higher considerations than those of self-interest
ari4love of place. Accordingly, we had no reason
to e:,ipect.that-the " Scheme of Education" which they
were known to he concocting, would, when it come to
be announced, offer any security to the Established
Church, or in any way to discountenance the various
forms of religion (or of irreligion) which are so di-
rectly, opposed to her doctrines. Nor did they disap-
point oar expectations : its " scheme" is at length be-
fore the public, and such a scheme it is as they alone
would have stooped to sanction, who are alike indiffe-
rent to the forms, ignorant of the principles, and stran-
gers to the feeling of all religion whatsoever.
Take a few specimens. Schools are to be established,
in which Roman Catholics.are not only to be admitted,
but. are to use, if they think fit, their own version of
the Scriptures ! Licensed teachers of bodies dissent-
ing from the Established Church are to be appointed
whenever the number of scholars in their respective
persuasions seems to require it, and other enormities
are to be countenanced which must be equally shock- .
ing to both Churchmen and Dissenters ! Although
religion, as they set out with affirming, is to be made a
grand feature ih the scheme which they proposed, and
(we quote the very words) " is to be combined with
the whole matter of instruction, and to regulate the
whole system of discipline," still the precise kind of
religion that is to be inculcated is a thing too trivial to
be taken any cognizance of ! They declared that to be
indispensable as a whole, about which in the details •
they are utterly ebareiess ! But the charge, however
serious, of indifference in religious matters, is not the
heaviest accusation with which their reputation is now
blasted. Though their Sovereign has sworn—though
they themselves have sworn—to preserve in al! its in-
tegrity our Protestant constitution—see how regardless
they have been both of their own reputation, and of
that of the august lady for whose acts they were re-
sponsible If they had openly avowed infidelity—if
they had publicly embraced Popery, we might have
pitied; but could not have blamed them ; but to swear
to uphold, and yet be ready to throw down—to desig-
nate in their oaths. as .‘; damnable and idolatrous" the
very religion Which they now take under their protec-
tion—it is impious—it is monstrous !
Mucli'mOre we had intended' to say, but we shall re-
serve any further remarks for another time ; and for
the present content ourselves with inquiring how far
this iniquitous scheme of mongrel education is likely
to be supported by
.our county representatives.
specting Lord Ingestre and Mr. Baring no questions
need be asked ; not so as regards Colonel Anson and
Mr. Buller. As to the former, we are not aware that
he has at all concerned himself about matters either of
education or religion, and where there is indifference
we have but too much reason to apprehend impiety.
Mr. Buller, on the other hand, may be virtually consi-
dered as pledged to support the government scheme ;
so much at least may fairly be inferred from the sen-
timents which he expressed in January last, at a meet-
ting held in the " British School," Shelton, where he
was entertained at tea by those Kilhamite leaders, the
Messrs. Ridgway, and other congenial spirits, who (it
must not be forgotten) complimented their guest on his
opinions, and were in return complimented by him on
their- own. Amongst other things he deplored the
difficulty which existed of bringing together the chil-
dren of persons of different persuasions, which, if
others did but think as he did, would never have oc-
curred ;• he was for education " without distinction of
creed ;" he was disposed teithink that " differences of
npin7son on religious subjects would appear of minor
importance when - compare(' with the momentous ob-
ject-•inhvhicii all were alike interested—the diffusion of
a sound, moral, and religious education." Without
-CoraMeht on the palpable absurdity of the concluding
pa7zlgruplL (which we. have copied from the report as
given by the Advertiser,) we would ask Mr. Buller the
foffewitzgr, question :—" Would you, sir, allow your son
to he placed at a school where lie might have a Roman
(,"e:o:ic for a form-fellow on his-right hand, and a
SoCinian, o:- Kilhamite on his left ? If you
...0.47!_1et, we have not a word to say, (until next election,)
,404:if you would object to it in the case of your own
• how then can you in honour and conscience
preeeeibe such a course for the children of others ?"
le , e:1): to the remark of a free-thinker—" that it was
fai4er wall. than divided the Churches of England
s me," well 'gild truly 'observed, " Yes, but
the whole Bible is printed upon it." Mr...Bidler, how
3°T I°'