the among them men of the highest rank and station, and in their es schools the great principle of the board is carried into complete effect. The following table, extracted from the last Report, shows the progress of the system, in despite of the opposition made to it from its commencement to the present time: TABLE showing the progressive Increase in the NATIONAL SCHOOLS, and the NUMBER OF CHILDREN in attendance upon them, from the date of the First Report of the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland, to the 31st December, 1845. No. and Date of Report. No. 1, 31st December, 1833 No. of Schools No. of Children tha the Ind rav Af It re In 1844, the Board obtained their Charter of Incorporation, granted to Richard, Archbishop of Dublin; the Most Rev. Archbishop Daniel Murray; Franc Sadlier, D.D., Provost, T.C.D.; Right Hon. A. R. Blake; Robert Holmes, Esq., Barrister-at-Law; Sir Patrick Bellew, Bart.; R. W. Greene, (then) Solicitor-general; P. S. Henry, D.D., President of Queen's College, Belfast; Alexander M'Donnell, Esq.; the Marquis of Kildare, (son of the duke of Leinster.) During the year they trained in their schools in Dublin 260 teachers of whom, 173 were males, and 87 were females. About one-fourth of the number were protestants. They have besides trained a number of others for schools not national; and they have now in training, at the public expense, 165 teachers. There are in operation five agricultural model schools, and the Board have undertaken to make grants to five more. There are, besides, seven ordinary schools which have land attached to them, and in which the pupils are instructed in the science of agriculture. Bearing in mind the circumstances of Ireland, and the fact that civilization has never made any considerable progress in the absence of trade and commerce, we think it highly desirable that the national schools should assume more of an industrial character; and that some of the children should be taught useful handicrafts, at least, in those districts where the raw materials for domestic manufactures are most abundant. After all, the greatest want of Ireland is industrial education. It is on many accounts important that productive employment, requiring habits of order and industry, should be associated with agricultural pursuits. To this association the Belgian peasantry owe much of their comfort. The same is true of the north of Ireland, where linen weaving has prevailed very generally in connexion with the management of small farms. Why not add other trades, for which the materials are on the spot, or might be easily procured? Exclusive guilds and trade combinations are among the legion of evil spirits which have possessed and tortured poor Ireland through a series of ages. Why not put an end to them for ever, by diffusing the trades over the country, so as to cheapen articles of clothing at home, and help to supply the American market? This would lessen the overwhelming supply of agricultural labour; would produce habits of neatness, order, cleanliness, and self-respect, and put an end to agrarian outrages. Then Irish emigration, too, would be of a different character, and exercise a far different influence on other countries. We have not space to enumerate the trades which would be likely to prove most profitable in Ireland, if they were taught extensively in the national schools. We shall merely mention those connected with fishing, which might be taught in schools near the sea-coast. The Dutch fisherman is also a net-maker, a sail-maker, a fish-curer, a cooper. He has useful work for every season; whereas the Irish fisherman generally waits idly till the time of his work comes round, and then, perhaps, he has not his apparatus fit to go to sea, nor the means of making it so, though the fish should tempt him in shoals. Hence his family starve; and there is rarely any one to teach him any better mode of proceeding. Surely, then, this kind of education should not be neglected longer, now that Divine Providence seems interposing to change the habits of the people. We cannot believe that this field would not richly repay the culture. Of the vast undeveloped resources of Ireland there is no doubt; nor of the abundance of its native talent, which asks only to be trained and inspired with hope. The names of Shee, Mulready, Maclise, Hogan, Barry, and many others equally eminent in every department of the fine arts, are sufficient to prove that Ireland is not wanting in genius, even in those departments of art where, owing to unfortunate circumstances, she has been, as a nation, most deficient. There are now many auspicious indications that she is about to emerge from her difficulties and disadvantages, and to put forth her own strength freely in the path of improvement and prosperity. 541 CRITICISMS ON BOOKS. 1. Faber's Eight Dissertations. 6. Memoir of the Rev. S. Dyer. 9. The Eternal. By Robert Philip. 10. Brown on the Second Advent. 11. The Divine Panoply. 12. Fleming on the Papacy. 13. Barnes on the Thessalonians, &c. 14. King on the Lord's Supper. 15. Stuart on the Canon of the Old Testa ment. 16. Garrett on Church Polity. 17. Wycliffe Society Publications. 18. Brook's Life of Cartwright. 19. Bonar on Leviticus. 20. Ephesus. By the Rev. P. Pounden. 22. The Jesuits. By R. W. Overbury. 24. Dr. Payne's Lectures. Third Edition. 26. The Herald of the Churches. 27. Dr. Burton's Lectures. 28. Oughton's Sermon. 29. Binney's Two Discourses. 30. Sedgwick on Christian Fellowship. 31. Watson's Hill of Zion. 32. Glendearg Cottage. 33. Traditions of the Covenanters. I. Eight Dissertations on certain connected Prophetical Passages of Holy Scripture, bearing more or less on the Promise of a Mighty Deliverer. By GEORGE STANLEY FABER, B.D. 2 vols. 8vo, pp. 447, 392. Seeley, London. 1845. These eight dissertations are on the following subjects :-The Promised Seed of the Woman; The Prophecy of Noah; The Sceptre and Law-giver of Judah; The Star and Sceptre of Jacob; The Long-tarrying of the Children of Israel; The Desire of all Nations and the Delight of the Jews; The Universal Expectation of a Mighty Prince; The Predicted Final Triumph of Christ's Church over all Opposition and over every Apostasy. Mr. Faber has been long known as a writer who has brought large stores of learning to the illustration of his views on the subject of prophecy. His theories on that subject, as well as upon the origin of idolatry, are often more ingenious than accurate; but even when his theory is unsound, the material which he brings to it is often deeply interesting and of solid worth. He is an author, in consequence, who may always be read with advantage. The first six of these dissertations were written nearly thirty years since; but the two remaining, and a considerable body of notes included in these volumes, are of a more recent date. The aim of the writer in the whole series is to give a consistent view of the development of the divine purposes towards the human race from the beginning, and to indicate the character of the events expected to take place before the restitution of all things. Had Mr. Faber employed his learning as a defender of Revelation, rather than as an expositor of Prophecy, he might have been one of the most useful writers of his time. Even now, it is in this respect that his works are chiefly valuable. II. Tracts on Liberty of Conscience and Persecution. 1614-1661. Edited for the Hanserd Knollys Society, with an Historical Introduction, by EDWARD BEAN UNDERHILL. 8vo, pp. cxxi. 401. Printed for the Society by J. Haddon, Castle Street, Finsbury, London. 1846. The object of this Society is, to reprint, by an annual subscription of ten shillings and sixpence, all or such of the works of the early English or other 'baptists as the council shall decide. The series will include the works of both General and Particular Baptists; Records and Manuscripts relating to the 'rise and formation of the Baptist churches; Translations of such works as may illustrate the sufferings of the Baptists and the extension of their prin'ciples, together with such documents as are to be found only in large his'torical collections, or may not yet have appeared in an accessible form. On the baptismal controversy only those treatises will be given, which are of ac'knowledged worth or historic value. The whole will be accompanied with 'biographical notices of the authors, and with such notes and illustrations as 'may be essential to their completeness. The publications will consist of 'works produced before the close of the seventeenth century. The following are the contents of the present volume. I. Historical Introduction. II. Religious Peace, a Plea for Conscience. III. Persecution for Religion judged and condemned. IV. An Humble Supplication to his Majesty. V. The Necessity of Toleration. VI. An Humble Petition and Representation of the Anabaptists. VII. A Plea for Toleration. VIII. Sion's Groans for her distressed. The earliest of these pieces is dated 1614. We doubt the cor rectness of one or two material historical statements made by the editor, but in nearly all respects he has acquitted himself in a manner which entitles him to much commendation. We wish the Council of the Knollys Society all success in their very laudable enterprise. III. The Modern British Plutarch, or the Lives of Men distinguished in the recent history of our country, for their Talents, Virtue, or Achievements. By W. C. TAYLOR, LL.D. 8vo, pp. 405. Grant and Griffith, London. 1846. 'Intelligent young persons,' says Dr. Taylor, hear names, familiar as 'household words' to their parents, but of which they themselves know nothing. It is sometimes forgotten that the eminent men who have departed 'from the stage of life within our memory, though they cease not to be contemporaries for us, have become historical personages to our children, and that they require to be informed of all that we remember.' This new Plutarch is intended, in a measure, to supply this want. It includes sketches of the character and achievements of nearly forty of the most distinguished men in English history during the past century, beginning with Arkwright and Burke, and ending with Sir David Wilkie and the Duke of Wellington. In describing the career of statesmen (Dr. Taylor) has been careful to abstain 'from any manifestation of political bias or party feeling, and has therefore avoided giving any opinion on questions that yet remain within the arena of 'controversy. He has been more anxious to set forth facts as a narrator than to set himself up as a dictator to the judgment, or even a guide to opinion." This was a difficult course to pursue; but the tact of the author has been upon the whole equal to the exigency; and the ability with which Dr. Taylor can compress the material of a subject has enabled him to produce a book which will be welcomed in any circle of intelligent young persons to which it may be introduced. |