a new caufe, more powerful than all the reft; that should not • only increase the number of abfentees, but, in time, make the fashion almost general through our nobility and gentry; there is no one fo fhort-fighted, who must not immediately fee, that this would bring on the irretrievable ruin of this country.

That fuch a caufe has begun to operate moft powerfully, ⚫ cannot be doubted by any one, who has had an opportunity ⚫ of knowing what fwarms of young gentlemen have been fent, within these few years, from Ireland, to receive their first ru⚫diments of learning in the great schools of England. From the beft information I can receive, there are upwards of an ⚫ hundred from this country now at Westminster and Eaton ; ⚫ besides numbers at other schools of eminence. Whereas it is ⚫ not many years fince there were but four boys from Ireland at • Westminster, and not more at Eaton. Should this fashion • therefore continue to increase in the fame proportion (and there are powerful reasons to believe that it will, unless proper · means are used to prevent it) what muft the neceffary confequence be? Will not the greateft part of our nobility and gentry receive their whole education in England? for they who are trained in their fchools, will certainly finish their • course of studies in, their univerfities. And what is to be expected from young men, who leave their own country too early in life to have any love for it grounded upon rational principles; whofe waxen minds receive their firft and deepest ⚫ impreffions in another; whose first years of rational life are there employed, there form their acquaintance, their friendfhips, and their focial ties? What, I fay, is to be expected from them, but that they will look upon that as their country; ⚫ there fix their fettlements, where their dearest connections are, and, by marrying into English families, make a perpetual alienation, not only of themselves, but of their pofterity, for ❝ever, from their native country? And when we reflect also, how many stronger inducements on other accounts, how many ⚫ more powerful allurements they will have to detain them there; and that, in point of duty, they may plead an equal tie to the mother country, we shall have the more reason to believe that fuch will be the event.

Should the cafe be fo, what then must be the condition of this unhappy kingdom? Not only drained annually of its rents, without any return, but deprived of those members who have it most in their power to contribute to its advancement and whose presence and encouragement are abfolutely neceffary to diffuse a spirit of industry through the people. What, indeed, is to be expected, but a gradual decay of all the noble 'improvements made by the unwearied efforts of a truly PA

"TRIOTIC SOCIETY! (Such as cannot be matched in an equal fpace of time in any age or country) and a reftoration of the poverty, mifery, and barbarifm, in which the first of July, 1690, faw this land immerfed?"

Mr. Sheridan now proceeds to examine into the causes of the increase of this fatal cuftom. Having made it his business, he fays, to converse with many parents, who chose to give their fons an English education, he found two different motives to it, that were chiefly urged by different perfons. The firft was, a. view to laying the foundation of their fons future fortunes, by the opportunities which they should have of forming early friendships with the fons of great men, who might have it in their power to promote them as they advanced in life, and came themfelves into power. The fecond was, the want of public schools of reputation in Ireland.

It is obvious, then,' continues he, that nothing can put a ftop to that growing evil, whofe confequences are fo much. to be dreaded by us, but such a reformation in our schools as 'will put them at least on an equal footing with those in England. But if, at the fame time, a method could be found out, whereby not only that point might be effected, but our whole • fyftem of education fhould be rendered more complete in every branch, than is to be found either in the British dominions, or in any part of Europe; no one will hefitate to allow, that this would not only put an end to all apprehenfions of ruin from the cause before mentioned, but would be the most speedy and ⚫ probable means of making this country flourish, and of raifing it to a ftate of honour, wealth, and power.'

Nor would this be fo difficult a point to execute, Mr. Sheridan fays, as may be at firft imagined. The prefent course of education in the college of Dublin, he tells us, is in itself fuperior to that of any in Europe of the fame kind; and if it has not manifefted itself fo to the world by its fruits, it is entirely owing, firft, to a neglect of that part of education which is preparatory to it; fecondly, to a total want of that part to which should finish the gentleman.

Suppofe, therefore,' continues he, that these two defects were remedied; that the fchools were put upon as good a footing as those of our neighbours, and rendered fuitable preparatives to the excellent fyftem of the college; and that afterwards a method fhould be found to finish the education of a gentleman more completely here, than in any of the academies abroad: muft it not be allowed, that this would be the moft effectual method of keeping our youth at home, as there could be no doubt in fuch a cafe, but that the whole fyftem

• of

of education here, would be more perfect than any in the • known world?

But if to this fyftem there fhould be other ftudies added, of. • more importance and real ufe to British fubjects than all the reft; if the ftudy of the English language went hand in hand with thofe of Greece and Rome, and the long loft art of ora<tory were revived, (the great utility of which I fhall not now expatiate on, as I have already given my thoughts on that point to the public) can there be any doubt, that we fhould not only detain our own youth at home, but that we fhould draw num⚫bers from different quarters of the world, to receive their education here, either in whole, or in part?

In order to accomplish this, Mr. Sheridan propofes that a fociety be established for the improvement of education, upon the, fame plan with the many other excellent focieties now fubfifting in Ireland. And furely,' fays he, there never was one be-, gun upon a nobler principle, that would answer more excellent purposes, or confer greater honour on its members. This is fo evident, that were a propofal of this kind to come from a perfon of weight and confequence, there is no doubt but that hundreds would immediately embark in it; and when I confider my own infignificancy, much I fear, that the meanness of the propofer may throw a difcredit on the defign. And yet Gentlemen, with your permiffion, I will endeavour to fhew, that I am not altogether unqualified for fuch a task. I know how difficult a point it is to fpeak of one's felf; I know with how bad a grace any thing in our own favour comes from our own mouths; and yet there are cafes where it is not only allowable, but neceflary not only pardonable, but praise-worthy. Whether mine be of that number, you will the better. judge, when you have heard what I have to fay. I know that, the course of life which I have led for fome years, feemingly fo different from the matter in band, will be far from prejudicing people in general, in favour of my abilities, to execute fuch a defign; but if I fhew that it is that very course of life which has afforded me the chief lights; nay, that I fhould not probably, had I purfued any other, have been able to make • fuch a propofal with any profpect of fuccefs, I hope what I fhall fay upon that head will not appear fuperfluous.'

"

Mr. Sheridan goes on to acquaint us, that the chief point he had in view from his earliest years, was to qualify himself for the education of youth; ever eflceming this to be one of the moft ufeful and honourable ftations in life; that in order to make himself master of the long loft art of oratory, the revival of which was the first neceflary step to the accomplishment of his defign,

he went upon the ftage: that a cafual neceffity he was under, after having taken the management of the theatre into his own hands, of laying out great part of his time in giving what affiftance and inftructions he could to fome young performers, threw new lights upon him, and became the means of first laying open to his view fome of the fundamental principles of the art, which being once known, it was not difficult, through time and application, to trace the whole system; and that it is now fome years fince he could have undertaken to fhew, that the art of oratory might have been taught in these kingdoms, upon as certain principles, and with as good a profpect of fuccefs, as it ever was by the rhetoricians of Greece or Rome, or as the arts of mufic, painting, &c. are now taught by their feveral profeffors.

After mentioning briefly the feveral hardships and difficulties he has undergone in the profecution of his defign, he goes on thus: I am willing to employ the refidue of my life, and re'mains of my health, in doing the best service in my power to 'my country. But in my present fituation I can no more venture to run any rifques. Before I take any farther steps, I must first have an affurance, that if my plan meets with ap⚫ probation, it will alfo bid fair for fuccefs. The best affurance I know of, would arife from the establishment of fuch a fociety as was before mentioned. If that were once accomplished, I would lay my plan before them, the ends propofed by which, amongst many others, are thefe: ft. To qualify every young ⚫ gentleman to make a figure proportionable to his talents, in whatever profeffion or fphere of life he fhall make his choice, ' or into which his lot fhall have caft him, whether it be the 'pulpit, the fenate house, or the bar; whether he feeks for glory in the field, or prefers the quiet of a rural life: 2dly. To qualify him in all the accomplishments of a gentleman to make a figure in polite life, and to affift them in acquiring a juft tafte in the liberal arts, founded upon fkill.-A fociety compofed of learned, wife, and honourable members, to clear away all the difficulties, and to build up an exact model, would fave the grand national council much trouble, and give them leifure to attend to the more preffing exigencies of the state.'

Such is Mr. Sheridan's design; a design of the most important and interefting nature; which cannot but be approved of by every generous, every benevolent mind; and to which, if his plan fhall be found in all refpects anfwerable, we heartily wish all the fuccefs and encouragement it deferves.

R
Twenty

Twenty Sermons on the following Subjects. I. II. III. Of the wif dom of God in the redemption of mankind. IV. Of the glory of God. V. Of the spirit of wisdom and revelation. VI. The favour of God the only happiness of man. VII. Of the happinefs of the just by faith. VIII. Of God no refpecter of perfons. IX. Of the profperity of the wicked. X. Of being renewed in the fpirit of our mind. XI. Of the affiftance of God's spirit communicated to all mankind. XII. Of St. Paul's more excellent way. XIII. Of our imitating the Divine Perfections. XIV. Of our imitating the mercy of God. XV. Of our imitating the holiness of God. XVI. Of the origin and finfulness of our thoughts. XVII. Of our meditations. XVIII. Of the living Jacrifice of our bodies. XIX. Of our love of God. XX. Of our Love of our neighbour. By Chriftopher Huffey, D. D. Rector of Weft-Wickham, in Kent, and Chaplain to his Grace the Duke of Dorfet. 8vo. 5s. Ward.

IN

N thefe difcourfes our Author acquits himself with some honour, as a practical Writer. As a Philofopher, we think him too ftiff in his manner; and as a Divine, too fyftematical. But our fentiments of him in these two laft views we shall fubmit to the judgment of the public, by the following abstract.

From Epef. iii. 10, 11. the Doctor takes occafion to treat of the wisdom of God, in the first and original defign and end of our redemption, according to the eternal purpose, which he purposed in Chrift Jefus our Lord. our Lord. He obferves, that as every intelligent Being, who knows and confiders what he does, proposes to himfelf fome end or other to which his actions tend; and as God ever foreknew what in time he intended to accomplish, fo this end, (viz. the plan of our redemption) must have been his eternal purpose, and therefore he muft, before the foundation of the world, have purposed our redemption in Chrift Jesus.

To illuftrate and difplay, in the fight of angels and men, God's most excellent perfections, which conftitute his glory, was undoubtedly one end and defign of God in fending his Son into the world; but this end was clofely connected and united with another, the falvation of mankind.

These two ends, propofed and confulted at the fame time by God, when he firft defigned and projected our redemption, I fhall now confider,

1. In fpeaking to the firft-I fhall obferve wherein the C glory of God doth confift, as it is difcovered and made known to us in Holy Scripture.