^^.« 
 
 • 'V*^ 
 
 
 
 ,T<1«<& 
 
 
 Lf«l^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 c c 
 
 * 
 
 j^.':'^Xijr- •' 
 
 
 
 
 *■ 
 ■^ 
 
 ri^JK-v^^l^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 "S*^ 
 
 ^40. 
 
 
 
 ■H 
 
 ^•' « 
 
 
 
 > 
 
 c<.^-. 
 
 
 < 4 
 
 C t 
 
 < < 
 
 < 
 
 ■ c< 
 
 c*- 
 
 
 , T *. 
 
 <• 
 
 < <^ rr < 
 
 . < 
 
 
 * < 
 
 
 < '^r r 
 
 * Ci^ 
 
 t 
 
 « ■< •«: 
 
 _« 
 
 • r -r r 
 
 . <'0r 
 
 C ' 
 
 r^^r 
 
 <wr 
 
 \%* 
 

 
 ' :juyu^ A^ ^ ^'"^^^ ^^""-^^^ ^/-^^/^ 
 
 fL^j^t. .iU'^'^U(c^J iu^Ji/MX^^.
 
 A PLEA 
 
 MIDDLE CLASSES. 
 
 ' The children of Thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall he 
 established before Thee." — Ps. cii. 28. 
 
 LONDON : 
 PRINTED BY JOSEPH MASTERS, 
 
 ALDERSGATE STREET, &r /«, NEW BOND STREET ; 
 
 FOR ALLEVER Bl'TI.ER, HIGH STREET, 8HOREHAM. 
 
 MDCCCXLVm.
 
 lom;ow : 
 pri.vthd by joseph 3iastkrs, 
 
 Al.DERSGATK STREKT,
 
 A PLEA FOR THE MIDDLE CLASSES. 
 
 My Dear -, 
 
 You ask me about my school : the object of it, and 
 its plan ; both which I will give you in few words. The 
 object of it is, to provide a good and complete education for 
 the middle classes, at .such a charge as will make it available 
 to most of them. The need of such an undertaking must 
 liave sujjgested itself to many; but it will i)e impressed uptm 
 thera more fully, if they only consider what miserably im- 
 perfect schools now abound all over the country ; schools as 
 devoid of sound principle as of sound knowledge; — the con- 
 ductors of which have no other object in view than to secure 
 a scanty subsistence by the credulity of that class of society 
 which is unable to judge of the requirements necessary to 
 make a competent schoolmaster. When the seventy-seventh, 
 seventy-eighth, and seventy-ninth Canons were in force or 
 fashion, the people had some suarantee for the qualitications 
 of those who taught their children ; but now, a statistical 
 return would show that a very large number (perhaps a ma- 
 jority) of the present schoolmasters are persons who have 
 failed in other jnirsuits, and have turned to this as tlicir last 
 resource. If this were not a matter of life and death, 
 securitv to the state, peace to society, and the moral regene- 
 ration of the masses of the people, it might be endured as 
 nothing more than one illustration of the sharpness which 
 poverty gives to very sober wits ; but as the political and moral 
 
 A 2
 
 well-being of the country depend upon the middle classes, 
 and that by neglecting them you can neither have sound 
 legislation, peaceable parishes, or the children of the poor 
 successfully instructed, (notwithstanding the millions spent 
 in national education,) why then we are bound to make a 
 grace of necessity, and seek to educate them, if we wish for 
 peace and even national prosperity. Much as there is in this 
 consideration, there is a good deal more behind ; and that of 
 a nature to move, it is hoped, the sympathies and affections 
 of those who feel that the love of God is the soul of exist- 
 ence to a rational creature, and that the best employment of 
 a sincere Christian is, next to his love of God, that pure love 
 of our neighbour, which is exhibited in an unceasing effort 
 to rescue souls from error, and to train them up in " the 
 truth." I think a very cold-hearted man might see the evils 
 of leaving the middle classes — the strength of England — to 
 their present uncertain mode of gaining information, secular 
 and rehgious; and might desire some plan for counteracting 
 those evils ; but the same evils pointed out to one imbued 
 with Christian philanthropy could scarcely do less than engage 
 him heart and soul in a diligent and never-tiring effort to 
 remedy the innumerable evils of our present neglect. This 
 is the design of my school : a design, as might have been 
 expected, which has met with the hearty and substantial con- 
 currence of all to whom it has been mentioned. 
 
 But before giving you a rough draft of my plan for accom- 
 plishing our object, it will be necessary (as copies of this letter 
 will be circulated amongst those likely to promote it,) briefly to 
 review the real state of the middle classes at this moment. 
 
 And first, as the condition of gentlemen of small incomes, 
 solicitors and surgeons with limited practice, unbeneficed Cler- 
 gymen, naval and military officers, &c., &c., is well known, and 
 the difficulties they have to contend with in educating their 
 children in a suitable way, likely to come home to many who 
 read this, I shall leave this large portion of what may be de- 
 nominated the middle class, to tell their own tale in the 
 thoughts of every educated person who reflects on the object 
 of this letter; and shall turn to that portion which may be 
 designated the "trades-class." This comprises persons of 
 very different grades, from the small huckster, who obtains 
 his livelihood by his dealings with the poor, up, step by step, 
 through third and second rate retail shops, publicans, gin- 
 palace keepers, &c., to the highly influential and respectable 
 tradesman, whose chief dealings are with the higher ranks of 
 
 ,UMC ^
 
 society. Yet this great mass is so linked together by common 
 interests that it moves as one body to an extent scarcely 
 credible. Now, from beginning to end, with how many of 
 these is the Church, through cither her Clergy or otherwise, 
 brought into a healthy intercourse? Take London as an 
 example. The Clergy scarcely think it either their duty or 
 interest to be on very free terms with even the most in- 
 fluential part of their trading parishioners. For this prac- 
 tice there may be excuses offered, and some undoubtedly 
 reasonable ones, but it does not alter the fact that trades- 
 people, as a class, although by far the majority of the Church's 
 children, and the most able to do her service in times of dif- 
 ficulty, are yet neglected by the Clergy. Some will say, 
 *•' familiarity breeds contempt," and that the Clergy would 
 lose their influence by anj' intimacy with such persons. If it 
 be so, the fault must rest with us, in forgetting the dignity of 
 our calling as Ministers of Christ. However, without 
 dwelling on the amount of blame which attaches to us, this 
 fact remains, with all its solemn reality, staring us in the 
 face wherever we turn, that the great mass of the people, the 
 real life and strength of England, occupy so anomalous a 
 position that they can never enjoy the fatherly and friendly 
 ministrations of their spiritual guides. One of this class, a 
 good and excellent Christian man, who gives donations in 
 large sums to all Church objects, complained to me, that 
 while the Clergy of his parish would visit the poor readily 
 enough, and frequent the tables of the upper classes, no one 
 had ever done him the honour to go further than knock at 
 his door and ask for a subscription. Another, whose occu- 
 pation is that of a printer and })ublisher on a large scale, 
 stated that his Clergyman had never at any time been in his 
 house or offered to guide himself or family in any way what- 
 ever. The Clergy, however, are not alone to be blamed, and 
 perhaps are to a great extent free from fault ; for i\w. evil has 
 now proceeded so far that it is impossible to know how to 
 meet it, or what to do. In ninety-nine cases out of a hun- 
 dred, a Clergyman in London would find it impossible to 
 gain an entrance to the family of his tradcsj)eoj)le. aild where 
 he did succeed, it would put them out of their way, and 
 cause them ])ain and inconvenience rather than any pleasure. 
 This is the fruit of ages of neglect, whicli will not be remedied 
 without great exertion and much jiatiencc. But the visible 
 consequence is, that an unpleasant feeling exists between the 
 Clergy and the mass of the people. They do not sympathise
 
 6 
 
 with each other ; ami, so when difficulties arise, they cannot 
 feel alike or pull together. They have no thoughts in com- 
 mon, and the people could not possibly understand the 
 genius of the Church, if ever so well inclined. The dreadful 
 consequences which daily result from this coldness between 
 Priest and people are too many to be numbered, and too 
 great to be thought of, without the deepest emotion by those 
 who have the best interests of mankind at heart. These will 
 suffsest themselves to vour own mind without any observa- 
 tions of mine ; for who has not been struck with the secular 
 cast of mind of the great bulk of the population ? Even 
 their religion takes that form. They have no idea of the 
 Church as a Divine institution ; never once think that they 
 have any share in her fortunes ; could not be brought to un- 
 derstand the privileges secured to them when they were ad- 
 mitted into the Church by Baptism ; test all the acts of the 
 Church by the same rule by which they try their secular 
 affairs, viz., that of success ; think all payment for religion 
 unendurable, and expect a competent return for all subscrip- 
 tions and donations of charity, in the shape of influence by 
 right of voting or otherwise. And for the injury done them, 
 what can be greater than this? Once baptized, they are left 
 to themselves ; they never receive any intelligible dogmatic 
 teaching. They have no arguments whereby to sustain their 
 minds in times of temptation. The religious instruction 
 they received at school may have been of the very worst kind, 
 or, at best, of such an indefinite character, that, in after life, 
 they could make no use of it. Even the Holy Scriptures 
 have not been made familiar to them, and the helps to their 
 interpretation not so much as alluded to. When are they 
 then to learn even the Apostle's " first principles "? They 
 start without knowledge ; they enter on the duties of life 
 without any rule except that which is given them by the 
 world around them. They rush heart and soul into the 
 bustle and cravings after this world's goods ; they practise 
 the conventional arts of their calling, unconscious of any 
 harm even where it exists. If they have any qualms of con- 
 science, OT plan of religion, it is rather an effort of outraged 
 nature to throw off a burden and an inconvenience, than any 
 settled choice of truth. And how can it be otherwise ? 
 They began without a guide ; they have gone on without one. 
 The world has been against them. The system in which they 
 were born was the most inimical to the practice of the pre- 
 cepts of the Gospel. They have no standing ground so as to
 
 be able to resist the form into which the world around moulds 
 them. Their life and death is a sad spectacle, and yet 
 infinitely better than could have been expected ; but they go 
 to their graves with the bitter (though silent) complaint, " No 
 man cared for my soul." You will think this, perhaps, an 
 exaggeration, but it is not so. The middle classes may be as 
 virtuous as any other class, and indeed, as being shielded 
 from the dangers of the two extremes, by far the most vir- 
 tuous, (though this now is very doubtful,) yet the Church 
 must ever feel herself open to reproach, while she leaves un- 
 trained and uninstructed the most numerous, influential and 
 best disposed body of the community; and till she provides 
 some remedy whereby they may be retained as her dutiful, 
 and intelligent, and faithful sons 
 
 But an argument of another kind, and that of great force 
 and importance, is this. That till the Church do educate 
 and train up the middle classes, she can never effectually 
 educate the poor. All national and parochial schools must 
 to a great extent prove unsuccessful ; our money, labour, 
 and anxiety be, in a great measure, thrown away, so long as 
 we seek to form religious principles in the minds of the 
 poor, while we neglect their masters. For with us the boys 
 in the national schools remain not more than threi' or four 
 years on an average, during which time we must teach them 
 much that is to them unpleasant to learn, and but little that 
 is agreeable, or that will attach them to us ; while with their 
 masters they spend a whole life, hear their opinions on 
 every subject, watch their habits and modes of life, and in 
 time come to think as they think, and to make common 
 cause with them in their unfriendly feeling towards the 
 Church, and the more sacred institutions of the State. And 
 what else was to be expected ? that which we hear every <lay 
 asserted as true, we soon believe to be so, in sj)ite of the 
 best of intentions: but the poor man knows no higher au- 
 thority than his master for facts or faith ; he is so deeply 
 aifected by what his master does, and how he acts, that it is 
 to him of oracular dignity. Prol)ably, if you could overhear 
 the conversation of a labourer and his wife, or of fellow 
 workmen, more than one half of their talk would be about 
 their employers. I must then think that this is a great and 
 important argument why the Church should use every ett'ort 
 to secure the training of the youth of a class that has such 
 power for good or evil. But at present how arc the mass of 
 the masters qualified to iufluence beneficially those large
 
 8 
 
 numbers of work-people who so implicitly depend upon 
 them ? let those who think the hitjhest of their virtue go and 
 question them either on the Scriptures or the Articles of 
 Faith, and see if they have, many of them, a knowledge of 
 even tlie elements of the Christian religion. The painful 
 ignorance of the majorit}' is a stanchng disgrace to the 
 Church, who cannot escape from the charge of having left 
 her children without information on the most momentous 
 questions of faith and morals. The Church receives at 
 least nine-tenths of the population into her bosom by 
 baptism, but this done, all is done. She has not confidence 
 to believe that they are hers after all. If they find not her 
 out, she shrinks from claiming them. In cases of this sort, 
 the Church resembles an unnatural mother, who gives 
 birth to children, and then exposes them, as if she could 
 not feel for them as her own ; for go from house to house, 
 up and down one street, and inquire how many adults, even 
 among trades-people, who have been baptized into the 
 Church, are yet unconfirmed ; add house to house, and 
 street to street, and the aggregate of one parish will present 
 such a disclosure of practical weakness on the part of the 
 Church that the chief wonder is, how the people of this 
 country have been kept together so well as they have. Poll 
 again, a parish of 80,000 inhabitants, which I could name, 
 and you shall not find one in two hundred who is a commu- 
 nicant, and yet nearly all have been baptized. Perhaps you 
 will say, "We must look to the exertions of the Clergy." 
 The exertions of the Clergy will increase this number, but 
 in no sensible degree : the evil has gone too far — a distrust 
 has been created, which cannot on a large scale be removed ; 
 the people have chosen their courses, some one, and some 
 another ; the education they have received has disqualified 
 them for comprehending the necessity of the constitution 
 of the Church — those who lead, corrupt those who follow ; 
 and the master, instead of being the guardian of the morals 
 and Faith of his dependants, adds the irresistible weight of 
 his own example to plunge them deeper in licentiousness 
 and error. But another branch of the same argument is, 
 that by neglecting the employers, you are, in the ])reseut 
 pressure of civilisation, hastening on a very general state of 
 barbarism. A high state of civilisation and barbarism are two 
 extremes which have a constant tendency to meet. The 
 demand for labour lessens the time for education and training, 
 and as the nation becomes more and more refined and pros-
 
 f) 
 
 perous, the mass of the hibourers must be left >vithout 
 siitficient time for even sneh a seeulnr eihication sis is suffi- 
 cient to fit them to hi' intelh^eiit members of tlieir class. 
 And this ])e;ha])s will in part aeeount for the fart, that there 
 is so little (lilference in the number of those who ean write 
 now, and fifty years since.* They cannot be kept at the 
 national school now a sufficient time to do them any perma- 
 nent <rood, and when they leave the}' are so absorbed by the 
 pressure which civilisation causes, that they lose in a short 
 time the little they did know. Now perhaps, some may think 
 it no very serious evil that they cannot write : but w hat do 
 they know of the creeds, of the ])arables, the Old and New 
 Testament history, the Psalms, <S:c.? Or again, of the Church, 
 her divinely-appointed institutions, the i?acraments, divine 
 services, or ministry ? They are distressingly ignorant on all 
 these subjects, and that, too, in spite of the tliousands that 
 are spent yearly in national education. And why is this? 
 because the Church has left the cm])loyers uneducated, has 
 suffered them to seek instruction where they chose, regardless 
 of the injury that must ensue to society. AVhereas, w hen the 
 seventy-seventh, seventy-eighth, and seventy-ninth Canons, 
 relating to schoolmasters, were in force, you could scarcely 
 have asked a ])oor person about his faith without obtain- 
 ing an intelligent reply. There were no national schools 
 then, nor could the ])eoj)le read or write, but their masters 
 had received a Church education, and this, though scanty, 
 found its way eft'ectually to their dependants. While, there- 
 fore, we spend all our strength upon educating the poor, 
 our forefathers spent theirs on those of the middle ranks j for 
 besides requiring schoolmasters "to be license<l by the 
 Bishop, to give guarantees for their faith and morality, and 
 to take their scholars to church on Sundays and holidays," 
 
 * Our parish register gives the following statistics. Of the first 
 forty signatures, commencing at 1800, thirteen make their mark; 
 of forty signatures in 1836, only nine make their mark, showing 
 a great increase of those who can write ; while of forty signatures in 
 lS46,fonrtee}i make their mark ; showing a rapid decline. In 
 1800, there was only a very indifferent Church school kept in the 
 belfry ; in 1836, the present national school had been at work 
 only seven years. We have now the best masters and mistresses 
 that can be obtained ; but it is doubtful if we shall succeed in 
 stoj)piiig the decline which these particulars disclose. If religious 
 knowledge could be tested in the same way, the same results, it 
 is to be feared, would appear.
 
 10 
 
 the chief schools of the kingdom, — founded, some of them, 
 by the most holy and learned men of their age, — aim ex- 
 pressly at training up the middle classes in the faith and fear 
 of God, and in such sound principles of knowledge as 
 might fit them to serve their country in their several stations 
 with the greatest advantage. The two extremes — the rich 
 and the poor — will both find means in abundance for obtain- 
 ing the education best suited to each. But the middle classes 
 are above charity on the one hand, and on the other, as a 
 body, cannot give sufficient remuneration to secure compe- 
 tent teachers when the Church withdraws her help. 
 
 You are aware, perhaps, that a society has been formed, 
 the object of which is, to grant diplomas to schoolmasters, 
 without any theological test. If they should succeed, they 
 may do much mischief, unless we forestal them. As yet, in 
 England, when the Church does offer help, her children, after 
 all, would sooner have it of Her than elsewhere. If our claims 
 were equal, the majority would listen to us rather than to 
 others ; but if we neglect them altogether, they must go where 
 they can. The present news from Paris will suggest the 
 result. Some, I know, look to Governments for everything. 
 For my part, in the present state of parties in this kingdom, I 
 beartily trust that Government will not interfere, it would be 
 unjust. But if it did, and its arrangements and teaching were 
 unexceptionable, it yet could not cure one of the chief evils of 
 which I complain, nor fill up that void which now exists in 
 the disseverance of the Clergy and people. Nothing but the 
 Church can do the Church's work : and if ever there was a 
 time when the call to labour was urgent, it is now. All 
 Europe, seemingly, is about to reap the fruits of its neglect, 
 and we can scai'cely hope to be exempted. Duties neglected 
 will ever avenge themselves. " Be sure your sin will find 
 you out" is the Divine monition. Religious commotions are 
 ever the most bitter and fatal. Blessings abused are God's 
 scourges wherewith He chastises the disobedient. Wealth 
 well applied "purchases us a good reward in the day of 
 necessity ;" abused, it plunges us deeper in impenitency and 
 ruin. Children, well trained up in the way they should go, 
 are the stay and comfort of declining years; neglected, they 
 bring down the grey hairs with sorrow to the grave. The 
 sons and daughters of the Church, if cherished in her bosom, 
 are her glory and delight, — the fruit of promise, the joy and 
 light of her countenance, '*' as she speaks with her enemies 
 in the gate :" but the same, east out and left to wander, are
 
 11 
 
 the thorns with which she is crowned, the reed that |)ierce3 
 her hand, the worm that gnaws at her vitals. Thcv tvill 
 avenge themselves. An injury has been tlone them which, 
 if they feel not what it is, they feel all those bitter passions 
 of revenge and contempt which add vigour to their natural 
 hostility to the restraints of religion. Almost, therefore, 
 periodically the neglected children of the Church band 
 together against her. At intervals of about a hundred or a 
 hundred and fifty years, the reckoning is made up, and the 
 penalty paid with fearful interest. 
 
 But an additional argument, confirmatory of the evil effects 
 of the Church's neglect, is suj){)lied in the debased princi})les 
 of trading. This is a subject of observation in all quarters. To 
 me it has always appeared an infallible sign of the decay of 
 honesty and high principle amongst us, that scarcely any un- 
 dertaking of imj)ortance can now be safely commenced without 
 binding down those who are employed in it by the most 
 stringent covenants and contracts. This has grown upon us 
 of late in a way never heard of before, and requires a distinct 
 consideration ; certain it is that tradesmen generally complain 
 of the princii)le on which trade is conducted, and confess their 
 desire to be emancipated from it, if it could be accomplished, 
 — our duty is to labour to loose them and let them go. 
 Those, indeed, who slight the use of means, deny that all 
 ])aj)tized ])eople are the children of the Church, and trust to 
 the conversion of a straggling individual here and there by 
 a sort of fatality, will give no attention to considerations 
 such as these ; but those who know and feel that the Church 
 is responsible for every soul that has passed through the 
 waters of regeneration, will com])rehen(l the im])ortance of 
 speculations, which aim at devising a plan whereby the con- 
 sciences and affections of the great masses of the population 
 may be secured. It is an object that cannot be deferred any 
 longer, everything depends upon it ; our peace and pros- 
 perity as a nation, and the salvation of the people intrusted 
 to our care. P^ery son of the Church who is ])asscd by 
 without a |)roi)er Christian training, is I'urnished with a swj>rd 
 to draw against his own s])iritual mother, and (h'aw it he uilf, 
 sooner or later, and that too etfectually. How large an army 
 is there of such at this moment waiting for the first oppor- 
 tunity which shall offer for thrusting their swords into the 
 breast of her who gave them indeed spiritual birth, but who 
 afterwards cast them away and deserted them, because of 
 evils and difficulties real or fancied.
 
 12 
 
 Alas ! for the number ! when ^ve hear daily of public opi- 
 nion apart from the Chureli, and the thoughts and feelings 
 of a Christian man ; and that in a country where all have 
 been baptized, and where nearly all would be the dutiful 
 children of the Church but for her long, long neglect. How 
 ominous a word is " public opinion," when we see it take 
 against the solemn institutions of religion, and in some cases 
 even against Christianity itself. Who is to blame for it ? 
 Are the people reprobated in such cases, or has the Church 
 been neglectful of her duty ? Things have gone far enough 
 already to call for scrutiny and retrospection. Public opinion 
 is setting in strongly against laic, order, and religion, and 
 public men dare not oppose it — the best and bravest give way. 
 The only power on earth which has the means of directing it, 
 is the Church ; and unless she takes steps to do so by some 
 great effort, it would be the height of presumption to expect 
 to escape the infection which has seized on the whole of 
 Europe. The Church's mission is becoming every day of more 
 and more importance to the interests of mankind. She is 
 not now as she was of old : she does not depend now upon 
 civil rulers for her stability. In her childhood and infancy it 
 was so, that " kings were her nursing fathers, and queens her 
 nursing mothers ;" but those times have passed away, and 
 she has now to make her reckoning with her own children. 
 The stability of thrones now depends upon the way in which 
 she fulfils her mission, and that particular class of her chil- 
 dren f^r which I now plead, have more than once changed 
 the destinies of this empire ; and when it is matter of history 
 that they have such power as this, can we be good subjects, 
 good citizens, and what is a more serious inquiry, can we be 
 good or even sincere Christians, if we neglect them or even 
 allow them to escape us? I feel satisfied it is the great work 
 of the age, and that we ought not to be deterred from enter- 
 ing upon it by any consideration of difiiculties. AVe ought 
 not to be put down by too great delicacy of feeling in making 
 efi^orts, nor by the discouraging views of others. If we wish 
 to work for the good of souls, we cannot do better than work 
 in this way, for this is laden with j)romises of the richest 
 harvest, since hereby we shall get hold of the main strength 
 of the nation — the best disposed people in the kingdom if 
 fairly dealt with ; and, if God give His blessing, if we gain 
 them, a way is opened for effectually securing the poor. 
 The national school children may then go home, and I will 
 have no fear of their being corrupted, because they shall not
 
 \3 
 
 then hear an evening's tale of blasphemy and irreligiou, of 
 disloyalty and licentiousness, which is fresh imported from 
 the oracular lips of the employer. 
 
 And now having justitied, 1 hope, my object, I will give 
 you some account of the means to be used to accomplish it. 
 You know what I have done, and am doing in the way of 
 schools. My hope is to enlarge them, and to make them 
 suitable to the wants of the middle classes generally. The 
 chief thing to be desired, no doubt, is to remove the children 
 from the noxious influence of home, but this cannot in all 
 cases be accomplished. I purpose, therefore, that we should 
 use three means ; first, to offer board, education, and certain 
 undoubted advantages, by way of exhibitions, &e., at such a 
 rate as most tradesmen, in a fair way of business, can afford. 
 Secondly, to receive weekly boarders at a reduced price, and 
 thus partially remove them from home. Thirdly, to have 
 good and efficient grammar schools in populous neighbour- 
 hoods, where boys may gain a sound and Christian education 
 at about four or five pounds per annum, and daily boarders 
 fourpence or fivepence per day extra for dinner. This last is 
 the least we can do, and it will lay the foundation of some- 
 thing better for the future. In all cases a Clergyman to be 
 at the head of the school, to accustom boys to the Clergy and 
 to remove distrust. Further, the schools should be divided 
 into two classes at least : the first would be suitable for the 
 sons of the higher kind of tradesmen, professional men, and 
 gentlemen of limited means; the second for the children of 
 quite small tradesmen or even hucksters. These latter are a 
 very important class, perhaps the most important ; and with 
 a httle dihgence and management might be picked up by 
 thousands. In the first class schools the Church should offer 
 education at a lower rate than any other body can, and 
 should conduct her plans on the most im])osing scale, to raise 
 the thoughts and feelings of the boys in reference to the 
 Church. Forty, fifty, or even sixty pounds j)er annum are 
 now paid for even the very poorest education at vulgar, 
 flashy boarding schools ; we shall begin at thirty pounds per 
 annum, without any extras, except books. I have ascertained 
 from the large ])ublic schools, that the victualling department 
 will cost about twelve pounds ten shillings ])er annum each 
 boy. With numbers, therefore, sLxteen j)ounds per annuuj, 
 or a little more, will amply meet every demand, the cost of 
 education excepted. The responsible masters will all be in
 
 14 
 
 holy orders, and in the first school, will, several of them, be 
 volunteers, fellows of colleges, &c., willing to labour at a very 
 small rate for the good of the rising generation. In its pre- 
 sent infant state such a gentleman has charge of the school — 
 a first class Oxford man. To every twenty-five boys there 
 will be a principal master, and in the whole of the present 
 establishment, which is ultimately designed to contain three 
 hundred boys, twelve masters, in holy orders. The profit from 
 each boy, when the cost of board, servants, &c., &c., is paid, 
 will be k!li per annum. This, in the case of three hundred 
 boys, will give ^M200. Salary for twelve masters at an 
 average of .£■'100 per annum each, ^€1200; boardmg, &c., for 
 ditto, ,^500; total expense of masters, ^'1700. Further, I 
 purpose to have ten scholars, chosen from those of the 
 elder bovs who wish to devote themselves to education : the 
 cost of boarding these at £16 each will be <^160 per annum ; 
 their stipends, at an average of £20 each, Jt'200. Total 
 expenses of the establishment, ^^2060 ; balance, ^''2140 : 
 deduct ^140 for rates, taxes, &c., and you have ^^2000 per 
 annum clear with which to help the less fortunate schools in 
 connection, and to establish exhibitions in the Universities for 
 persons of talent. A.t the end I will give you vouchers for 
 the statistics. 
 
 Now let us turn to the second class schools. The London 
 Orphan Asvlum shall be our guide in the financial depart- 
 ment : the bovs that are there are for the most part the sons 
 of the smaller kind of tradesmen, such as I aim at securing. 
 The average cost of victualling them, &c., taking a period of 
 ten years is, <:€lO per annum, without hoUdai/s. In our case, 
 with" two months' holidays, it would not exceed ^""9 ; extra 
 expenses, servants, &c., making it up to £\Q \0s. per annum. 
 These bovs I would take at ^^14 per annum, and in a school 
 of two hundred boys clear ^'700 for the cost of education. 
 For these two hundred boys I would have four Clergymen, at 
 an average stipend of <£'100 per annum each, with four lay 
 assistants, sent gratuitously from the school class No. 1, and 
 simply kept out of the funds of class No. 2. Here, again, 
 then,! should have sufiicieut funds to keep my second school 
 going, especially when you take in the suras paid by day 
 scholars in each of the schools. It only requires the absence 
 of selfishness, and an earnest impression of the magnitude 
 and dignity of the work, to make it entirely successful. The 
 whole scheme will in the end, as you see, be self-supporting,
 
 15 
 
 but if otherwise it is a greater charity than even national 
 schools. However, in procuring money for the buildings, 
 &c.. I shall propose to gentlemen, that contributors of .4^50 
 should send for their life one boy to either school at £5 per 
 annum less; contributors of ^100, for <j£10 per annum less, 
 and so on : one half of this will be funded to form endowments, 
 and to supply means for increasing the number of scholars, 
 who will be found able lay assistants in schools, either gram- 
 mar or parochial. At first this perhaps will be a small loss, 
 as the interest on the A!25 will not compensate for the ^5 
 less per annum in each case ; this for a few years must be 
 made up by the zeal of individuals ; but as these sums fall in, 
 a large fund will be created. 
 
 This is a rough sketch of my schools, to which I will only 
 add, that the boys in any of the schools will be eligible to 
 stand for the scholarships or any other prizes which the 
 whole scheme has at its disposal. 
 
 Now for the constitution of my first school, for the building 
 of which I am soliciting contributions. My intention is that 
 it should be as simple as possible, conforming as far as may be 
 to the rule of Winchester as it was at first, and only changing 
 those things which time requires to be changed. In forming 
 the internal rules and regulations of the school, the practical 
 wisdom of those best acquainted with boys' natures will be con- 
 sulted, and from the names of the promoters (given in the 
 enclosed list of contributors) you will see I have a choice. 
 Further, the building will be in the hands of trustees, but they 
 will have no power to interfere with the Head master, whose 
 appointment will be for life, or until he shall be removed by 
 the visitor in a legal way. Three of the trustees will be ap- 
 pointed by those who contribute to the undertaking a sum of 
 not less than d!\0. I shall appoint the fourth, and the fifth 
 will be the Vicar of the parish for the time being. The 
 duties of the trustees will be to take charge of the building, 
 promote the j)rosperity of the school, audit the accounts 
 annually, and sup])ly a copy of them to the Visitor, and to the 
 Bishoj), if he be not the Visitor: and in conjunction with the 
 President, Head master and seniority, and the Head masters 
 of each of the dependent schools, make such votes and grants 
 of surplus funds towards the promotion of education, as to 
 them shall seem good : and further, with the aid of the 
 same assistants they shall be able by a majority to veto any 
 appointment of Head master which may be attempted to be
 
 16 
 
 forced upon them contrary to the spirit of the whole scheme. 
 For the sake of uniting it with the University and to remove 
 all suspicion of party purposes in this undertaking, it 
 has been considered best to offer the nomination of the 
 head master of this school to the President, Vice-President, 
 and Di\dnity Dean, and the two Deans of Arts, of Mag- 
 dalen College, Oxford. That society has, as you will 
 see, already promoted the plan in an unusually friendly 
 way, and there is every reason to believe that it will be a 
 very hberal patron as the scheme matures. The masters 
 of the dependent schools will be in the patronage of the 
 parent society, as will be specially provided in the statutes. 
 It is impossible for me to give you in a letter anything like 
 an adequate account of this part of the arrangements, but 
 everything will be submitted to the chief of the contributors 
 and have the signatures of the trustees and the Bishop of 
 the Diocese, before passing into law. The first cost of all 
 this, and the diflBculties to be encountered, may perhaps star- 
 tle some, who yet wish well to it ; and I also should be 
 alarmed at my present boldness in making this appeal, if I 
 stood alone and unassisted ; but everybody, apparently, feels 
 alike on the subject, and every private letter 1 have written 
 to friends has been successful, and brought a contribution, in 
 no case under J:f 10, and in many a much larger amount. Then 
 several difficulties have already vanished. I have a good site 
 offered me at the foot of a range of Downs, with the sea in 
 front, and within a few minutes' walk of the beach ; the 
 locality also is most suitable, so near to Brighton that it gives 
 promise of a large supply of boys from that populous town, 
 while no place can be more healthy, and its being by the sea- 
 side and close to immense ranges of Downs will make it 
 attractive to many parents in London and other inland places : 
 and lastly, the Vicar throws no obstacle in the way, but is a 
 contributor towards it, and promoter of it. On the whole, 
 therefore, nothing seems wanting but funds, and they, I 
 doubt not, will come in due time. For agents to work the 
 scheme there need be no fear ; if hereafter we should require 
 the services of a large body of Clergymen at the smallest sti- 
 pends, I feel convinced I could secure them. Here then I end 
 for the present, leaving you to reflect on the sum and substance 
 of this letter, which is, first, that the Church's neglect of the 
 middle classes is a fact, awful in itself, and dangerous to the 
 peace of society ; secondly, that by neglecting them, we vir-
 
 17 
 
 tually neglect the poor ; and thirdly, that by returning to 
 the practice of our forefathers, we may hope to render the 
 present parochial and national school system thoroughly 
 effective for the work it has undertaken. 
 
 Relying on your help and counsel, 
 
 Believe me, my dear , 
 
 Sincerelv vours, 
 N. WOODARD. 
 New Shoreham Vicarage, 
 March \st, 1848. 
 
 P.S. I have taken a temporary residence and shall begin 
 receiving boarders forthwitli at ,:i£^t3() per annum; this first 
 school being designed, chiefly, for the sons of tlie upper 
 portion of the middle class, such as professional men, &c. 
 
 Sum required for the first establishment, .£'6000. 
 
 Donations and Subscriptions may be paid at the under- 
 named places. 
 
 Messrs. Coutts and Co., 59, Strand. 
 
 Messrs. Gosling and Sharpe, 19, Fleet Street. 
 
 Messrs. Barclay, Bevau, Trittou, and Co., 54, Lombard 
 
 Street. 
 Mr. Masters, 78^ New Bond Street. 
 Oxford : — Robinson, Parsons, and Co., (Old Bank.) 
 Cambridge : — Mortlock and Sons. 
 Brighton : — Hall, West, and Co. 
 Chichester : — Dcndy, Comper, and Co. 
 
 Treasurer: — IIenuy Tuitton, Esq.
 
 18 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 A LARGE PUBLIC SCHOOL IN LONDON. 
 
 The expense of each boy's and servant's diet per day : 
 
 d. 
 
 Meat, I lb., at 7d. per lb. 5i 
 
 Bread, 1 lb., at Hd. per lb U 
 
 Potatoes and other vegetables (say) i lb., at Id. per lb. i 
 
 Milk, 1 pint, at Ud U 
 
 Pudding or pie (once a week), at 2d. per week (about) ^ 
 
 Beer, 1 pint f 
 
 Total . . 10 
 
 N.B. If beer instead of milk for suppers, then 2 pints of 
 beer, and only half a pint of milk, which would make no 
 difference in the total. 
 
 LONDON ORPHAN ASYLUM. 
 
 Average number of children, with cost of Provisions, fuel, and 
 washing at per head, per annum, without hohdays : 
 
 1837. 
 
 1838. 
 
 1839. 
 
 1840. 
 
 1841. 
 
 342. 
 
 342. 
 
 351. 
 
 354. 
 
 364. 
 
 £ s. d. 
 
 £ s. d. 
 
 £ s. d. 
 
 £ s. d. 
 
 £ s: d 
 
 9 8 6 
 
 9 16 7 
 
 9 3 6 
 
 9 10 7h 
 
 10 7 
 
 1842. 1843. 1844. 1845. 1846. 
 
 372. 382. 382. 368. 354. 
 
 £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 
 
 10 8 6 9 14 1 10 1 10 10 11 1 11 6 9
 
 
 ■^ 3» 
 
 
 
 
 
 t:^^'^^ 
 
 >>^.>" 
 >^»^^>. > 
 
 
 
 J> 2^..y -5 
 
 
 
 -^-> :'J>j . 
 
 
 9y ■