counties of Gloucefter, Somerset, Hereford, Monmouth, and even to the fartheft part of South Wales. The education which this excellent man received was liberal, and well adapted to his future defignation. At a proper time of life he was initiated into the employment of his father, which was not limited to the bufinefs of a jourmalist, but extended itself to other branches of typography: and, though I will not compliment my hero by comparing his literary attainments with those of a Bowyer or a Franklin; yet I can venture to pronounce, that he entered on his line of business with acquirements fuperior to the nature of his employment, which, however, has always been con fidered, when conducted by men of fcience and education, as very respectable; and in which he is not lefs remarkable for his accuracy, than he is for his fidehity and integrity in every part of his conduct. The first object which drew forth the exertions of this friend to mankind, was the wretched ftate of the county-bridewell, within the city of Gloucefter, which being a part of the county-gaol, the perfons committed by the magistrate out of feffions for petty offences, affociated, through neceffity, with felons of the worst description; with little or no means of fubfiftence from labour; with little, if any, allowance from the county; without either meat, drink, or cloathing; dependent chiefly on the precarious charity of fuch as vifited the prifon, whether brought thither by bufinefs, curiofity, or compaffion. We shall not wonder to find the Father of the poor" exerting himself in behalf of these forlorn and destitute creatures, in order to render their fi fuation fupportable at least, if not, in fome degree, comfortable. He was Carneft in his folicitations, through the channel of his paper, and in perfonal applications to his friends, for money to procure them the neceffaries of life. We remember to have feen remonftrances, memorials, and addreffes, to those whom it more immediately concerned, to remedy an evil which did fuch difhonour to our national humanity. And whereas extreme ignorance was very properly confidered by him as the principal caufe of those enormities which brought them into their deplorable fitus ation, precluding all hope of any lafting or real amendment from their punishment; his great defire was, if poffible, to procure for them fome moral and religious inftruction. If among the prisoners he found one that was able to read, he gladly made ufe of him to inftruct his fellow-prifoners, encouraging his diligence and fidelity in this undertaking by pecuniary rewards, and procuring for him fach óther kinds of indulgence as his fituation would admit of. Having thus put them in a method of improving their time, he has met with inftances of perfons, efpecially among the younger offenders, who have attained to a competent proficiency in reading; which has ferved both as an amufement to them during their confinement, and as a recommendation of them in their restoration to the community. It may more easily be conceived than expreffed, what that benevolent heart müft have felt (and this pleasure he has often received), when he has heard the prifoner thank God, that by being detected in his crimes, apprehended, and imprifoned, he has had opportunities afforded him of learning that good, which otherwife he would probably have never known in his whole life. The choice of books being judiciously made, and religious inftruction going, hand in hand with other information, the teacher himself has often learned while he was inftructing others, and, from the very nature of his employment, became imperceptibly a better man. But the care of this philanthropift was not confined merely to the business of literary improvement; it was not lefs his defire to form their hearts, if it were poffible, to fentiments of kindnefs to each other. Indeed, it was one of his principal endeavours to fubdue in them, if it were poffible, that favige ferocity of temper and behaviour which only ferved to render their fituation more hateful and intolerable. Obferving that idleness was the parent of much mifchief among them, and that they quarrelled with one another because they had nothing else to do, he endeavoured to procure employment for such as were willing, or even permitted to work: 1 fay, permitted; because, strange as it may feem, though, to the dishonour of our police, not fingular, there were no materials or employment found for fuch as were fentenced to confinement and and hard labour; nor were they allowed to earn, by the labour of their hands, What would have been fufficient, and much more than fufficient, for their fubfiftence *. Hence I will venture to fay, that infinitely more mifchief arose from the imprisonment of petty delin quents, both to themselves and the community, than any benefit which could poffibly refult from it. The refractory apprentice, whom folitude, and filence, and labour, might have brought to his senses, and returned him well-difpofed to his duty, was herded with the felon and atrocious villain; and he, who, though deftitute of virtuous principles, had vet been inured to labour before his confinement, could not but contract fuch babits of idleness, during a long imprifonment, as would render him, perhaps, an useless and worthless member of fociety all the reft of his life. It has been owing to the unparallelled exertions of one of the best men, and the remonstrances of others, his fellow labourers in the fame good caufe, and, in no small degree, to the fpirited reprefestations repeatedly inferted in the Gloucester Fournal by Mr Raikes, that this matter has been very seriously agitated; and such a system of reform in this refpect has already begun to take place, and is about to be generally adopted throughout the kingdom, as will do honour to our national character as a wife, humane, and understanding people. Mr Raikes could not but have found, from painful experience, what up-hill work he was engaged in, while he was endeavouring to humanize thofe difpoSitions which had been long inured to habits of uncontrouled ferocity and felf will. He could not but have obferved the flowness and dulness of scholars unhabituated to any application of the mind, except to mifchief; and must needs have feen with concern how very unfufceptible even fuch as were willing • See Thoughts on Prison, in a Letter to W. Mainwaring, Efq; fold by Gardner. No 200, Strand; in which there is a ftriking defcription of the œconomy of a well-regulated pri On this occafion the truly refpectable name of HowARD and HANWAY will be uppermoft in the mind of every reader; the first of whom has raised himself a monument are perennius; and the latter of whom is reap ing the fruits of his labours in the harveft of a bleffed eternity. to learn, were of literary, moral, or religious inftru&tion. He could not but have frequently reflected, in his intercourse with those wretched delinquents, on the profound ignorance in which they had grown up to maturity, in an utter contempt of the wholefome reftraints, and a profeffed disregard of the facred duties of religion. The return of every Sabbath, which gave liberty to the lower claffes of the people to fhew themselves, exhibited to his view multitudes of the rifing generation of the poor, pursuing, as he conceived, precifely the fame plan which had been fo unfortunately adopted by thofe already mentioned within the walls of the prifon. The streets were full of noise and disturbance every Sunday; the churches were totally unfrequented by the poorer fort of children, and very ill-attended by their parents; they were no where to be feen employed as they ought to be. Had they been disposed to learn, or attend to any thing that was good, their parents were neither willing nor able to teach or to direct them; they were, therefore, a perpetual nuifance to the fober part of the community. They were riotous, impudent, and regardless of all authority whatfoever; in their mode of behaviour, difrespectful in the extreme, and frequently detected in such petty offences, as plainly indicated that they were in the high road to perdition, unless some. thing could be done to rescue them. It occurred to him, and to a worthy clergyman (Mr Stock) to whom he complained of the diffolute state of thofe poor children, that infinite would be the benefit, as well to the community as to themselves, if any method could be contrived of laying them under fome proper reftraint, and inftilling fome good principles into their minds. The foundation, they well knew, must be laid in the fear and love of GOD, in a reverence for the duties of religion, and for all things relating to the divine honour and fervice. Mr Raikes foon began to make known his intentions to the parents, and, without much difficulty, obtained their confent, that their children fhould meet him at the early fervice performed in the cathedral on a Sunday morning. The numbers at first were small; but their increase was rapid. The gentleness of his behaviour towards them, the allowance they found A 2 him 4 Anecdotes of the excellent Founder of Sunday Schools. Vol. 5o. him difpofed to make for their former mifbehaviour, which was merely from a want of better information, the amiable picture which he drew for them, when he reprefented kindness and benevo lence to each other as the fource of real happiness; and wickedness, malice, hatred, and ill-will, as the caufe of all the mifery in the world; the intereft which they foon difcovered him to have in their welfare, which appeared in his minute enquiries into their conduct, their attainments, their fituation, and every particular of their lives; all these circumftances foon induced them to fly with eagerness to receive the commands, and be edified by the inftruction, of their belt friend. Mr Raikes very foon faw himself furrounded with fuch a fet of little raggamuffins as would have dif gufted other men, lefs zealous to do good, and lefs earneft to diffeminate comfort, exhortation, and benefit to all around him, than the Founder of SUNDAY SCHOOLS. The children now began to look up to him with fuch a mixture of refpect and affection as endeared them to him, and interefted him ftill more and more in their welfare. At first they were, as it may be fuppofed, utter ftrangers to the common forms of public worship, and it required fome time to drill them to a decent obfer vance even of the outward ceremonies of religion; I mean to teach them to kneel, ftand, and fit down, in the dif ferent parts of the fervice. But they had their eyes fixed on their commander in chief; and they borrowed every mo. tion from him before they could be made acquainted with the reason of it. But it was by no means his defire or intention that their obfervances of the Sabbath should end here. To prevent their running about in wild disorder through the streets during the reft of the day, was the great object which he had in view; and to place them under the care of proper perfons, to inftruct them in their Chriftian duty, was the prevailing object of his wishes. how to effect this, and whence the reBut fources were to arife, hic labor hoc opus. He loft no time in communicating his ideas to thofe of his friends who were as fenfible of the need of fome reform in this respect as himself; and a fuffi eient fum of money was. fpeedily raifed, to procure mafters and miftreffes for a large number of children of both sexes, to be educated in the principles of Chriftianity. The city of Gloucefter foon began to wear a very different afpect on the LORD's Day. Instead of peace; inftead of quarrelling and fightnoife and riot, all was tranquillity and ing, as heretofore, all was concord and harmony; inftead of lying, fwearing, and all kinds of profligacy, the children gradually imbibed principles of honefty and truth, of modefty and humility. Iuftead of loitering about the streets in observer as it was mifchievous to thema state of indolence, as painful to the felves, they were now feen, in decent regularity, frequenting the places of public worship, evidently much happier in themselves than in their former state of irreligious idlenefs. been much affifted, and their fuccefs The labours of the teachers have attention of Mr Raikes to thefe chilhas been promoted, by the unwearied dren on every Sunday morning. When the early service is ended, it has been nutely into their conduct, and even to his conftant practice to enquire miinfpect their perfons, to reprove fuch as mend thofe who are neat and decent, conte dirty and flovenly, and to com however homely, in their apparel. The diftribution of little rewards and the flighteft expreffion of difpleafure, from the man they love, have each its proper effect; and even the external appearadvancement not lefs in civilization than ance of these children demonstrates their morality. Mr Raikes's ideas have met the public It is needlefs to obferve how happily cellent plan has been adopted and enapprobation, and how generally his exlooked upon it with coldness and difcouraged. Some few perfons have regard; ftill fewer have ventured to oppofe and object to it. The former we venture to pronounce, have mifconceived the nature and defign of the inftitution; the latter are advocates for a lavish fubjection in the poor, which keeping them in a state of abject ignothey know will be be favoured by lowing is a remarkable inftance, extracted from a letter from Mr Raikes: rance, rance. I will not go fo far as to fuppofe any one that calls himself a Chritian, capable of envying the advancement of religion, which certainly may be expected from these endeavours to inftruct the children of the poor. It is now a period of four years fince this inftitution was firft set on foot; and this grain of mustard-feed is now grown to fuch an incredible extent, that, under its fhadow, not fewer than 250,000 of our poor fellow-Chriftians are sheltered and protected. From this fpark, excited by the zeal, and fupported by the indefatigable attention, of a worthy in dividual, fuch a flame of piety and charity has been kindled, as diffufes its brightness through our own and a neighbouring kingdom, and is even about to extend itself to our fettlements in diftant countries, comprehending all defcriptions of the poor, and affording a moft delightful prospect, to every ferious mind, of a national reformation of manners among the lowest orders of the people, Gent. Mag. A Vindication of the conduct of the English forces employed in the late war, under the command of Brig.-Gen. Mathews, against the Nabob Tippoo Sultaun. AT a general court of the proprietors ftorm, at the fame time offering him fa vourable terms. The offers were rejected, the breach was ftormed the next day at noon, and, according to the rules of war, all who continued in arms, or made any refiftance, received no quarter; but we folemnly declare, that, as soon as quarter was demanded, it was granted, and none but those who obftinately refifted, felt the effects of our fuperiority. The number of the enemy killed and wounded did not exceed three hundred and fifty; fome few made their escape; and upwards of two thousand were ta ken prifoners. Capt. Okes, who commanded a party that was detached to cut off the retreat of the enemy across the river, gave quarter to 812 of them the inftant it was demanded, and would not permit one of them to be plundered, though by the cuftom of war in the prefent inftance it was certainly allow able. The whole of the prisoners, except three of the principal officers, being first difarmed, were released the next morning, permitted to go where they chofe, and allowed to carry with them their private property. The wounded were received into our hofpitals; were attended and cured by the European surgeons and their affiftants, and afterwards per mitted to go to their own homes. Charge II. " Upon this occafion we beg leave to transcribe three lines from the private letter of one of the officers concerned in the expedition.—“ The carnage (fays he) was great; we trampled thick on the dead bodies that were ftrew of Eaft India Stock, lately held at their Houfe in Leaden-hall ftreet, it was obferved on the part of the officers who fought under Gen. Mathews in India, and who had survived their cruel imprifuament in the Myfore country, that they had been grossly calumniated in certain publications of great authority in Enged in the way. It was rather shocking land; and a motion being made, that their refutation might be printed by or der of the general court, the fame was agreed to, and is as follows. Charge 1. "The campaign of 1783 was opened in the kingdom of Canara, by Brig.-Gen. Mathews, with the ftorm of Onore, on Jan. 5. "The drama commenced upon this occasion in a manner worthy of the ewents that were to follow. No quarter was given by the victorious English; every man they met was put to the fword." Refutation. On the evening of Jan. 4. a practicable breach being made, Gen. Mathews fent in a flag of truce, fummoning the garrison to surrender, and warning the Killahdaur of the fatal confequences that would ensue if he stood a to humanity, but fuch are only fecondary confiderations; and to a foldier, whose bofom glows with heroic glory, they are thought accidents of courte. His zeal makes him afpire after farther victory.” Refutation. These lines are extracted from a letter faid to be written by Enfign John Hubbard.-At the period this young foldier's bofom "glowed with heroic glory," it is well known he was ftationed at a small fort, called Compton, feveral leagues diftant from the scene of action, and did not join the army until the reduction of Hydernagur.-As this young gentlemen is dead, we shall make no further comment upon his extraordi. nary epittle. Charge III." In the fortress of Onore were found fums of money to an unknown amount, befides jewels and dia monds. monds. A confiderable part of this appears to have been fecured as private plunder by Gen. Mathews: the com. plaints of the military were loud; they thought, and naturally, that the acquifi. tion of riches was the fair and reasonable confequence of the perpetration of bloodfhed.' Refutation. There were many vague reports of money being found in Onore; but, as they were never confirmed, the army could not, nor even did they, murmur at being deprived of what never exifted: confequently the inference, which the candid editors have been pleafed to draw, muft of courfe fall to the ground. Charge IV. "The English had, however, already obtained a confiderable re. putation by their executions; and the ufe of the bayonet, the most fatal inftrument of war, and which was employed by them on all occafions, created fo extreme a terror in the enemy, as to enable them to furmount this otherwise impreg. nable defile." Refutation. This mode of relating the circumstance carries with it a strong impreffion of cruelty. The bayonet was certainly used, and it was abfolutely neceffary, being considered the most speedy and effectual means of executing the or ders of the commander in chief, to dif lodge the enemy from their strong holds in the Ghauts, the natural ftrength of which had been confiderably added to by ftrong batteries, redoubts, &c. and as the numerous foe fhewed every appear. ance of defending them, the British troops of course used the arms they were provided with, and their exertions were attended with the wished-for fuccefs. But there was no wanton or unneceffary effufion of blood. Charge V." The wealth of this metropolis (Hydernagur), in gold alone, is variously reprefented. By the accounts of Bombay, it was stated only at 175,000l.; but the officers concerned in the expedi tion ftated it as amounting to 1,200,000l. or 1,920,000l. It must be remembered, that this was only public treasure: the private property that was feized on by the army, exclufive of this fum, was doubtless confiderable. The treasure was at firft fhewn by the general to his officers, and declared to belong to the army. He afterwards received new light upon the fubject, and informed them, that it actually belonged to the Mahometan governor of the place, and was fecured to him by the terms of furrender." "If the army was discontented with the felfish and interested conduct of their commander at Onore, their displeasure at this new inftance of the fame kind was boundlefs and extreme. Col. Macleod put himself at the head of the malcontents; and the controversy grew to fo great a length, that this officer, together with fome of the principal people in the army, quitted Hydernagur, and returned to Bombay. The bittereft recriminations between the General and his officers fucceeded this event. The latter charged Gen. Mathews with a spirit of peculation, equally fuperior to fhame and incapable of fatiety-the General, in return, declared of his whole army, that they had done every thing that was difrefpect ful and injurious to him ; that order and difcipline were at an end, and that the foldiery, encouraged by the practice of their officers, were become loose and unfeeling as the moft licentious freebooters." Refutation. It is not poffible to ascertain the exact fum, but we believe about eighteen lacks of pagodas (801,000l.), together with a quantity of jewels, were found at Hydernagar. A moiety of this treasure was undoubtedly the property of the captors, and the army were, no doubt, much dissatisfied at being deprived of their right; yet this difcontent never retarded the public fervice. Owing to the embarraffed fituation of the Company's affairs, a great part of the army were eighteen months in arrears, and at that time even their current monthly fubfiftence was not paid them; yet they readily underwent every fatigue, and yielded at all times implicit obedience to the commander in chief: the rapid fuccefs of the troops fully evinces that order and discipline were not at an end. Col. Macleod and Humberstone were the only gentlemen, among the principal people in the army, who quitted Hydernagur, and returned to Bombay. It is very evident the credit which the select committee of Bombay gave to Gen. Mathews's charges against the army, by appointing Col. Macleod (the officer who had com plained against`him) to superfede him in the command. The editor's information refpecting the private plunder seized by the army is totally groundless. The ftrictest orders were iffued, prohibiting private plunder; and we know of no in ftance 1 |