HE education of youth is a subject on which, although much has been said, and perhaps much done in some places of this Kingdom, yet it must be confessed much remains both to be said and done, even in this enlightened province. The necessity and importance of education to youth ought to be strongly felt by every friend to virtue, and in pro. portion to the strength of this feeling ought their anxions endeavours to be used in order to promote and encourage this great, this important national

concern.

In most towns of this province there is a pretty good opportunity of children being educated so far as appears necessary for transacting the common affairs of life, but it is the country schools, of which I intend to speak, and I hope in this I shall have the concurrence of many of your readers. The country in general is so badly supplied with schools, and these conducted on so bad a footing that to all appearance, if some means be not employed to prevent it, the great mass of the rising generation, will degenerate into ignorance, and consequently into barbarism. In many places of the country there is no schoolhouse, and here the only means of educating their children is every summer (for in winter there is rarely any school) to entrust them to the care of some wandering school-inaster without knowing any thing either of his moral character or bis capacity; both may perhap. be good, but if so, then it follows that it is a national disgrace, that men of good character and abilities have no better provision for their subsistence than by wandering from place to place, and often so reduced in appearance as not to be fit to be seen in any respectable company. But to return, the number of children in these schools is often so large, and being stowed up in some barn, where they have neither air, light, nor proper necessaries, it is not to be wondered at, even were the, teacher's abilities very good, that their progress should be but small, besides the small pittance paid for wages in

BELFAST MAG. NO. VII.

these places will not afford any prospect of making a comfortable livelihood; therefore the number of school-masters is very much decreasing, although the encreasing population of the country and the improved methods of teaching would require a ve, great additional number. in places where

school houses are built, from the smaliness of the wages, and from the small number of scholars who attend in winter, the people are under the necessity of either employing a man whose capacity will not enable him to do better, or of wanting altogether instruction for their children; which I know is the case at the present time, in many places. In order to

remove

all these difficulties, in order to promote the happiness of the rising generation, who are entrusted by their Creator to the care of the more advanc ed in years, and in better circumstances, and for whose moral and religious education we all stand awfully respon sible, let us turn our attention to the means necessary for that great end. This can only be done by exciting a laudable exertion among teachers, and endeavouring to encrease their properly number, by paying men qualified a proper annual salary, and as there are many who are unable to be at the expense of paying properly for their children, I am contident there are many public spirited contribute gentlemen, who would

largely for this valuable purpose; the government of the country too, no doubt would assist, were the application to come through a proper channel, as the members thereof mus', in common with every reasonable man, be sensible of the great necessity there is for such an event, as well as the great benefits which arise to every well regulated community, from the proper education of youth. Were schools once regularly and conveniently established through the country, and properly conducted, a laudable emulation would arise among teachers, and they would take proper care to be duly qualified for their business, as they would then have the prospect of being rewarded for their trouble which is undoubtedly the best stimulus to exertion that can be used. If any of your numerous and respec-

M

table readers will add any thing to these hints, they will it is hoped meet with that success which every virtuous endeavour merits.

A FRIEND TO YOUTH.

Saintfield, Jan. 12, 1809.

deistical observations in private com panies, as well as from the instances of perjury, that so frequently trip the course of law in our courts of justice.

The party spirit, that some years since rendered oaths so common, and

SIR,

W

NATIONAL SCHOOLS.

HAT is the cause of the increasing immorality and irreligion of the present age, notwithstanding the rapid advances we are making in science and literature?

The system of education has been advancing gradually during the last 30 years, both in the useful and ornamental walks of northern literature; in the former of which our progress is, in a great measure, to be ascribed to the benevolent and ingenious MANSON. He contributed largely to the banishment of a difficult catechism, and the unintelligible cant of Hebrew names, and substituted in their room the allurements of emulation, the enlargement and culture of the soul, which have produced the fruits of temporal, and we trust, of eternal lite, to many of the most respectable inhabitants of your flourishing town. Profiting by his example, others have improved upon his plan, and mere classics have been superseded by a regular course of mercantile learning, scientific classics, and polite literature. These scattered rays I shall rejoice to see collected into one focus in the capital of the North, and thence diverging in well tempered lustre from the majestic brow of Donnard, to the towering cliffs of Mangerton.

But let not mere theory, nor the glare of human learning dazzle our eyes so, that we shall not discover the gloom of infidelity, the false tapers of superstition, and the pitfalls of immorality, that encompass us on all sides. That religious impression has been on the decline for the last twenty years, we may see, from the general disregard of external ordinances, in the Northern Metropolis, from the thin attendance on public worship, from the general breach of the Sabbath, from the applause bestowed on loose

ness that ruled the hour, was not a cause, but a consequence of this consumption of the soul. The true cause we shall find in our system of education, in our neglecting, or making a secondary consideration of what ought to be a primary consideration, viz. the teaching Christian duty as a distinct integral, and at the same time, a constituent part of modern education.

For though neither the Assembly's Catechism, nor the Scriptures ought to be used as constant school-books, lest the difficulty of them, as elementary books, might give an early dis taste to light, life, and happiness, yet ought we not so fastidiously to reject our forefathers' prepossessions in favour of the Book of Life, as to banish it entirely from our schools. means, we have got rid of superstition indeed, but by the same new-fangled sweeping act, we have sent into exile all knowledge of the scriptures, domestic prayer, and religious impression. Religion is completely superseded by the news of the day, the rate of markets, speculation, embargo, farming, and slander.

By this

Now, the cure I propose, is the introducing of the Scriptures into the Schools, at least one day in every week, selecting such passages as are most suitable to their tender capaci ties, and most impressive of the pious and moral principles of truth, honesty, peace, love to God, and love to our neighbour. The giving and requiring, alternately, the necessary explanation of such passages, without meddling with the peculiar tenets of any church, could not fail to rescue the rising generation from the fangs of ignorant infidelity. I shall probably in your next number, develope a very simple plan of reform, for the education of youth, that has engrossed my thoughts for some years past, and that, if adopted by government, would, I trust, give new life, system, and energy to

SIMPLEX.

For the Belfast Monthly Magazine.

THE EFFECT OF GENTLE TREATMENT IN TAMING ANIMALS, EXEMPLIFIED.

THAT a gentler mode than is

generally pursued of taming, or as it is termed, of breaking animals, for the use of man, might be equally advantageous is usually allowed, but seldom practised. We are satisfied

with acquiring their services, without much regarding the means by which they are procured, and are unwilling to submit to the tedious course of milder perseverance, while we have in our power the speedier one of severe discipline, not reflecting how frequently, when the lash is witheld, the violence of their nature will break out, even on their immediate masters. I acknowledge that the conduct of a brute is the result of habit however impressed, but it is still a question, and will probably ever remain so, whether habits of patient submission, and endurance of abuse, could not as well be obtained, especially among the nobler species of creatures, whose spirited exertion adds so much to their value, by mild and gentle treatment, as by the harsher methods generally pursued. I am inclined to think that brutes as well as men, have feelings that may be wrought upon, and affections that may be turned to our advantage, if treated with indulgence; and this I shall attempt to establish in a popular manner. I will relate a story which happened almost entirely within my own knowledge, of a dog whose ferocions habits were totally removed, by familiarizing him with the very object on which his fierceness had been accustomed to display itself.

Joe, the subject of my story, was of a mixed breed between a Newfoundland-dog and a mastiff, and first saw light on board an American trader, where he also spent the first six or seven months of his life. About this age, he was given to a gentleman near Londonderry, and when leading on shore, for the first time in his life, either from his ignorance of creatures that he had never met with before,

91

or prompted by his natural ferocity, he darted from the hand that was leading him, and fastened upon the neck of a horse that was passing by, from which he was with great difficulty disengaged by his master, whose exertions, no doubt, were much strengthened by the dread of having to pay for the horse.

In the possession of his new master he watched the house, yards, and offices, kept intruders at a distance, and was considered by the maurauders round this gentleman's seat, as a most vigilant guard, and most terrible enemy to their pilfering. But surely if perfection is not the lot of man, we can hardly expect it in a brute. Joe's good qualities were sullied, and his vigilance and fidelity rendered almost useless to his master, by his fierceness. For though he lived in luxury, and meals were provided purposely for him, he could not repress his fondness for fresh mutton. The gentleman's sheep were found killed at night, and the delinquency was traced to Joe; he,like rational creatures might plead the force of a natural passion, but it would not be allowed him, and death or banishment must be the consequence of a repetition of his crime. Various plans were pursued to break him of this habit, and among others the following; he was muzzled, his limbs tied up, and in this condition laid across the door of an out-house, into which the sheep had been previously driven; they were then forced out; most of them sprung over him, dreading him even when fallen; but the ram could not pass this opportunity of revenging his slaughtered compan ions, and his own terrors, and stepping back, butted at him with all his might. This he was suffered to repeat as long as it was thought the dog could endure it. Joe was at length delivered from him, and untied; such was the severity of the discipline he underwent, that he was hardly able to limp to the kitchen fire; the rustics rejoicing in his downfall, and prophesying that he would never again inreddle with the sheep.

In this hope, Joe was again permitted to go his rounds. He still exerted his useful qualities in his master's service; he continued watchful and faithful, but he could not

command his passions. How long he looked over the wall of the sheep-fold before he leaped it, whether he Jistened with one paw on the top-stone, for the shouts of the servants exulting in his fallen state at the stable door, or whether he felt any compunction from the bruises he received there, or when he did make the spring, whether he avoided the ram that took such an ungenerous advantage of him, I do not know, but this I know, that sheep were killed, and the deaths again traced to Joe.

Here severity bordering upon cruelty had an opportunity of fully displaying its power, here the effect of violence upon natural habits might clearly be traced. The experiment was tried and it failed. It remains for me to tell how the feelings of this creature were so wrought upon by gentleness, that his nature was totally changed. I acKnowledge the change arose from accidental circumstances, but the greatest discoveries can boast no nobler birth, and if any one wish to try a new mode of treatment to brutes, this accident may serve as a model.

A lamb that was deserted by its dam, was brought into the house and put under the care of a woman servant; it was kept in the upper part of a hen coop, to secure it from the dog, who was observed to look at it very wistfully; and its safety was imputed to its being out of his reach. When the woman fed the lamb, she at first inadvertently gave what emained of its milk to the dog, and Joe began to attend the lamb's meals regularly, for the sake of what he left, and at length became so well reconciled to him, that he used to lick the milk that spilled about the lamb's chops. The woman observing this, improved upon the hint, and now purposely dropped milk upon the Jamb which the dog as regularly licked off his woolly coat, without attempting to offer it the least violence. It now became unnecessary to put the lamb out of Joe's reach, and before the spring was far advanced, the two slept together before the fire, the lamb frequently lying between the paws of the greatest enemy to his race. By the time summer had set in, the lamb, by having been a great pet

with the younger part of the family, became very troublesome in the house, and was sent along with others, to a sheep-walk about a mile distant. No sooner had it departed than Joe was missed, and no account was got of him for a day or two, when the family leared from the herd, that he had followed his favourite, and he and the lamb were found lying together, in the midst of the sheep. From that time his entire disposition seemed to have undergone a change: he is less apt to be sullen or sulky towards the domestics, and the youngest child plays with him, without exciting any apprehension for his safety. He now protects the sheep, that he used to worry, and attacks those strange dogs that venture in among the flock; and it may not be undeserving of being mentioned, that in one of these encounters, the lamb, now well grown, came to his assistance, and butted at the stranger, until he was forced to

flv.

This I acknowledge may be cosidered as a solitary instance, an which a change of conduct ought not to be founded; and the objection will be allowed its full force by me with respect to rational creatures, on whom the power of habit exerts itself differently, in different persons, according to their various capacities of reason or fancy; on some it acts with vigour, while others seem totally to reject its influence. But in regard to brutes, their instructive faculties seem nearly on a level, and of course an alteration in the habits of one, will be effected by the same means, that produced a change in those of another. It is well known that the harsh methods generally in use, will produce the same effects in one as another, and why may not a contrary mode of treatment be equally effectual ita each? S. Y. N.

To the Editor of the Belfast Magazine.

SIR,

N a volume of the

Off Perious of the Royal Irish Academy, I met the following curious description of some ancient trumpet-, which had been dug out of a bog, in the neighbourhood of Armagh, not many years ago.