nefs to all parties; but their particular duties are fo well known, that an abstract of them would rather fatigue than entertain the reader.

The exhibition of drawings and fpecimens of writing takes place in the hall. Each boy is feated at the tables with his performances before him. Many of the latter are of fuperlative excellence, and the worst would procure the writer a fituation in the most faftidious merchant's counting-house. The drawings exhibited are generally well performed, in good perspective and clearly coloured, and certainly full as much fo as any, produced within a school, can be.

The publick-fupper is a grand spectacle: a table extends up the midst of the hall, and there are others on the fides, which are covered with clean white cloths, neat wooden platters, and little wooden buckets for beer, with butter, grace the board. At the fouth end, either the Prefident or the Treasurer, with fuch Governors as it may fuit to be present, are seated; and behind them fuch vifitors as obtain tickets of admiflion. The mafters of the fchool, with the matron and the fteward, attend at the upper-end; and the nurfes of each ward prefide at the tables, on which are a great number of candles, which, with many patent lamps and a large luftre, form the light of the hall.

A

The ceremony of the evening commences by three strokes with a mallet, which produces a moft profound filence. youth then reads from the pulpit a chapter from the fcriptures. During prayers the boys ftand; and the refponfe Amen, pronounced by about 800 youthful voices, has a moft extraordinary effect. A pfalm, or hymn, is fung by the whole affembly in unifon, accompanied by the organ. Such is the modulation. and restraint of the voices, that, though numerous enough to deafen the hearer, the founds afcend in powerful yet gentle ftrains to the Throne of Mercy, for bleffings on the founders and benefactors. Indeed, the harmony would be complete, were it not for the unpleasant that hifles through our language, which is particularly perceivable in the hymn fung by the boys of Christ Church, and may perhaps be unavoidable.

When fupper is concluded, the doors of an adjoining ward are thrown open, and the fpectators are invited to view it; after which the wards pafs before the Prefident and Governors in proceffion, in the following order: The nurfe; a boy carrying two lighted candles; others with the bread-bafkets and trays; and the remainder of the members of the ward in pairs, who all bow before the Prefident.

Besides the establishment in London, confiderable numbers of the younger children are maintained in the country at Hertford, and at Ware in the fame county; at each place is a

school

school-mafter with a proper falary; and the children, when fufficiently grown and inftructed, are brought to the fchool in London At Ware is a fine building, like a college, making a large quadrangle, for boys, containing a fchool-house and 'a mafter's houfe, and thirteen houses for nurfes to keep the children. Sir Jonathan Raymond, Knight, formerly Alderman of London, bought and gave them a field near adjoining to play in. At Hertford are alfo a fchool-houfe, and a matter's houle, and twenty houfes more, each with two rooms on a floor, and gardens belonging.

The revenues of this moft noble charity are, as they ought to be, very ample, being increased by the donations and tellamentary benefactions of many generous and pious individuals: The Governors have alfo a duty of three farthings on every piece of cloth brought to Blackwell-hall. Of late years, a refolution has been adopted to re-build the hofpital by degrees, it being found altogether deeayed and ruinous, and to prevent the reduction of the eftablishment by this inevitable expence, a large, though as yet infuflicient fum, has been fubfcribed.

CHARITY SCHOOLS. Far inferior to the free fchools, in rank and in extent of education beftowed, are the establishments now found in almoft every parish in England, where children of both fexes, either by the benevolence of individuals, or at the publick expence, are taught to read, write, and few; and thus qualified, at a proper age, to be received as apprentices or fervants by refpectable perfons, with a profpect of advancing themfelves in life, according to their ability and induftry. Thefe children are generally clothed in a plain decent uniform; in some schools they are, and in others they are not, boarded and lodged; but perhaps no inftitutions could, on the whole, be conceived more honourable or bencficial to the nation, than those which at once favour early habits of application, fupply useful knowledge, and impart the rudiments of the proteitant religion. Once in every year, on Afcenfion day, the charity children educated in the metropolis and its immediate vicinity, go in a body through the principal fireets to the Cathedral of Saint Paul; they are clean and newly clothed, their countenances beaming with health and cheerfulnefs, the effect of rational industry and temperate plenty; the fight always interefts the publick curiofity, and callous indeed must that heart be which does not experience the trueft fatisfaction in the contemplation of this moft dignified and honourable national proceffion. In thefe fchools, in the metropolis alone, it is reckoned that 9000 children are inftructed; and this number is exclufive of thofe received into free fchools, who are estimated at 5000; of the chil dren of diffenters, Jews, and others, who have eftablishments

of their own, and of the private schools eftablished in all parts of the kingdom for the education of young people in confideration of an annual ftipend, and which, in and within a few miles of the metropolis, are faid to be 3730.

SUNDAY SCHOOLS. For the inftruction of those whose time is devoted, during the week, to the pursuits of industry, fome pious and benevolent perfons have, of late years, formed and Tuperintended Sunday Schools, which are established in many parishes, and where the children gain the rudiments of religion, and fome other knowledge. To further the purposes of thefe undertakings, a fociety is formed, under the denomination of the Sunday School Society, the members of which have by fubscription raised å fund, which is employed in the purchase of bibles and religious books, and otherwife promoting the great end of Sunday Schools.

Such is the outline of the provifion made by law, bounty, or cuftom, for the communication of early inftruction; but in England there are, befides, many expenfive and honourable eftablishments for the diffufion of knowledge, and for the promotion of art, and reward of artifts, fome of which are to be particularly noticed.

ROYAL SOCIETY. The origin of this most learned, respectable, and ufeful body, is afcribed to the honourable Robert Boyle, and Sir William Petty, who, together with Seth Ward, Wilkins, Wallis, Goddard, Willis, Bathurst, and Wren, doetors of divinity and phyfick, and Matthew Wren, and Mr. Rook, frequently met in the apartments of Dr. Wilkins, in Wadham College, Oxford. This party of ftudious friends, while at Oxford, were not only eminently distinguished at home for their learned productions, but likewise highly revered by the Literati abroad. The Society continued at Oxford till 1658, when the members were called to various parts of the kingdom, on account of their respective functions, and the majority coming to London, they conftantly attended the aftronomical and geometrical lectures at Gresham College, where being joined by feveral perfons of the greatest learning and diftinction, they continued to meet there once or twice a week till the death of Oliver Cromwell, when the college was for a time converted into a barrack, or military quarter, for the reception of foldiers.

But this ftorm being difpelled by the restoration, the fociety began to resume their meetings; and for the more effectual carrying on their great and laudable design, to purchase inftruments for the performing experiments, and to defray their neceffary expences, they bound themselves by a written obligation.

The king, willing to encourage fo honourable and useful an enterprife, as a diftinguishing mark of his affection for the fociety, by his letters patent of the 22d of April, 1663, conftituted them a body politic and corporate, by the appellation of the Prefident, Council, and Fellows, of the Royal Society of London, for improving Natural Knowledge.

By this charter, in which the king declares himself their founder and patron, the prefident, council, and fellows, are impowered to have a common feal; and to break, change, and renew it at pleasure. And his majefty, in teftimony of favour and esteem, granted a coat of arms to them and their fucceffors, viz. On a field argent, a canton of three lions of England; for a creft, an eagle proper, on a ducal coronet, fupporting a fhield charged with the lions aforefaid; and for fupporters, two talbots with coronets on their necks.

For the good government of the fociety, the charter eftablithes, that the council fhall confift of twenty-one perfons (the prefident always to be one); and, that all perfons who, within two months next enfuing the date of the faid charter, fhall be chofen by the faid prefident and council; and in all times after the faid two months by the prefident, council, and fellows, and noted in a register to be kept for that purpose, fhall be fellows of the faid fociety, and fo accounted and called during life, except by the ftatutes of the faid fociety to be made, any of them fhall happen to be amoved.

They were alfo licensed to meet in any part of the metropolis they might think fit, to make and alter laws for their own regulation, and to build, according to their difcretion, for the use of the fociety. And it was further provided, that if any abuses or differences fhould arife about the government or affairs of the fociety, whence its conftitution, progrefs, improvement, or bufinefs might fuffer, or be hindered; in fuch cafes his majesty affigned and authorized the archbishop of Canterbury, the lord chancellor, or keeper of the great feal, the lord high treasurer of England, the keeper of the privy seal, the bishop of London, and the two principal fecretaries of state for the time being, or any four or more of them, to compofe and redress any fuch differences or abuses.

The ftatutes which were afterward framed, and approved by the king, established the affairs of the fociety on a more refpectable and prudent footing. Their principal provifions were that each fellow fhould fign an obligation promifing to promote the good of the fociety, attend its meetings, and obferve its ftatutes, with a provifo that any one may withdraw on giving notice in writing to the prefident. Each member pays an admiffion fee of five guineas, and is fubject to an annual payVOL. III.

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ment of two guineas and a half, unless he redeems it by paying at once thirty-one guineas.

The ordinary meetings are held once a week; on Thursdays; and by the ftatutes none can be prefent befide the fellows, without the leave of the fociety, under the degree of a baron in one of his majefly's three kingdoms, or of his majesty's privy council, or unlefs he be an eminent foreigner, and thefe only with the leave of the prefident. The bufinefs of the weekly meetings is, to order, take account, confider, and difcourfe of philofophical experiments and obfervations; to read, hear, and difcourfe upon letters, reports, and other papers, containing philofophical matters; as alfo to view and discourse upon the productions and rarities of nature and art; and to confider what to deduce from them, or how they may be improved for ufe or difcovery. The experiments are then to be made at the charge of the Society; two curators at least are to be appointed for the infpection of those which cannot be performed before the fociety; and whofe report of matter of fact fhall be ftated and returned.

The election of Fellows is made by ballot; and their admiflion by a folemn declaration from the prefident of their election; but this regulation not being deemed effectual to prevent perfons unqualified from being chofen members of the fociety; a new ftatute was made, ordaining, that every person for the future (not a peer, or foreigner of diftinction), defiring to be admitted a fellow, must be recommended by an attestation under the hands of three, or more members, fetting forth his name, place of habitation, his qualifications, works, and productions; which is to be put up in the affembly-room at ten feveral meetings, to give each member an opportunity of inquiring into the character of the candidate before they proceed to ballot. But all peers of Great Britain and heland, and their fons, together with all foreign princes and amballadors, are eligible, at the recommendation of one member, and to be elected as foon as propofed.

The election of the council and other officers is made once a-year; eleven of the existing council being continued by lot for the next year, and ten new ones chofen in like manner. Out of this new council are elected a prefident, treasurer, and two fecretaries, in the fame way.

The Prefident prefides in all meetings, regulates all debates of the fociety and council; ftates and puts queftions; calls for reports and accounts from committees, curators, and others; fummons all extraordinary meetings upon urgent occafions, and fees to the execution of the ftatutes. The Vice-President has the fame power in the abfence of the prefident.

The