VI. British and Foreign School in Spain.

The following article exhibits a dawn of hope relative to a nation hitherto the farthest removed from that cheering light which now gilds the horizon of the Christian world. If schools can be permitted in Spain, farewel to the Inquisition and all its ghost'y train. Light will surely make manifest; and sooner or later Spain will enjoy something more of Christianity than the mere name, She will ultimately taste the sweets of that rational liberty which is by nature the birthright of every man, and of that gospel which is intended to bless every nation under heaven.

"On the 9th of January last, a school, on the system of the British and Foreign School Society, was opened in the city of Madrid, under the patronage of the Duke del In fantada, and several other nobles of high distinction. The Scripture lessons, used by the Society, were translated into Spanish, and progress was made in the translation of the lessons in arithmetic and spelling. "A gentleman of the military profession having engaged to teach the system, whose talents qualify him for the undertaking, has been duly initiated in the method, and devotes his ardent endeavours to this important work."

VII. Southwark Fragment Schools.

"The Committee of the Southwark Sunday School Society, notwithstanding they have three thousand children, in twelve schools, already under their care, understanding there are at least two thousand more poor children, in such a state of wretchedness that they could not be brought within their schools, on Friday evening last called a public meeting at the Three Tuns Tavern, St. Margaret's Hill, to submit a plan for extending education even to these wretched outcasts; and, if possible, to stem the torrent of juvenile delinquency. C. Barclay, Esq. M. P. took the chair, and it was determined to form Fragment Sunday Schools, with a view to their instruction, and providing the loan of Sun

day clothes for all who may attend, including chimney-sweeps and others of the very lowest class of society."

VIII. Sunday School Society for Ireland.

The three following articles relate to the schools which have been lately established in Ireland; and the first of them to Sunday Schools, which have contributed so much to enlighten the lower classes in a sister kingdom. It is highly pleasing to see the

Bishop of Kildare at the head of this Society for Sunday Schools. The second of these bears testimony to the readiness with which those schools are received, which teach the Irish in their vernacular tongue; and while it is evident that they impart know edge to many who could receive it through no other medium, it seems scarcely less certain that the taste for knowledge thus far excited, will also lead some forward to seek an acquaintance with the English language. The last of these three articles testines to the effect of a knowledge of the divine word obtained through her vernacular tongue by a woman in the lowest situation of life, and sufficiently shews what may be expected from the perusal of the Scriptures by the most illiterate in a language with which they are thoroughly acquainted, when this shall be followed by a divine blessing.

Extract from the Seventh Report of the Sunday School Society for Ireland, of which the Right Hon. and Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Kildare is President.

"The expiration of another year imposes on your Committee. the pleasing duty of reporting the progress of the Sunday School Society. The period during which they have had the direction of its affairs has been marked by much distress and difficulty, affecting every rank in society in the United Empire, and falling with peculiar weight on that class, whose instruction your Society has been established to promote.. -The depression of trade and the diminution of employment have seriously affected the families of the labouring and manufacturing poor; the want of em

ployment of the parents, by causing either the removal of the family to other parts of the country, or by causing a want of suitable clothing for the children, has deprived the schools of many promising pupils. While it might have been apprehended that similar causes would have diminished the resources, and thus injured the funds of your Society, it is therefore with fervent gratitude that your Committee convey the pleasing information, that, during the past year, there has been a considerable addition to the number of the schools in connexion with your Society, and that at no former period were its funds in a more prosperous state than they are at present.

"The first work which engaged the attention of your Committee was the publication and the distribution of. the Report of the preceding year. From the conviction that the circulation of former Reports had materially conduced to the prosperity of your Society, they ordered an edition of four thousand to be printed upon sheets (in addition to the number of three thousand printed, as usual, as a pamphlet), which they were able to circulate in the form of a letter, throughout many parts of the United Kingdom. This cheap method in which the report and accounts were printed, and the opportunity of circulating it through the post office, placed it within the power of the Committee to make the public more generally acquainted with the objects, the views, and the uses of the Society. The increasing interest which the progress of your cause has excited in several parts of England, Scotland, and Wales, warrants your Committee in stating the encouraging fact, that these exertions have been highly advanta geous."

IX. Schools for the Irish language.

Extract of a letter from Mr. W. M. one of the Readers employed by the Baptist Irish Society, dated October 16, 1817. "Dear Sir,

"I lay before you the state of the schools, which I have iately visited. They are in the highest degree of prosperity that

can possibly be expected; and I may add, (what I never expect. ed to see in my day, that there is not the smallest opposition that I can learn from any of the priests; but on the contrary, many of them are requesting schools for their friends and favour. ites. An instance of this kind has lately occurred. You know that the parish of B. was the first place in which opposition was made to the schools: during the last two years, two priests have exhausted themselves in their attempts to suppress them. The present priest, who succeeds the other two, has applied to me, requesting a school for his nephew; and has promised that he would engage for the propriety of his conduct: this is considered here almost a miracle. I am sorry that his application was too late, as all the additional schools had been appointed. I told this to Col. P. who related to me the following anecdote of a conversation which he had with the same priest. The Colonel told the priest that he had heard he (the priest, had burnt the Irish Bible.' 'No,' said the priest, I give you my word that I never did; and am ready and willing to give you my oath; for let us say what we will, the Scriptures are the Word of God.' The Colonel would not suffer him to swear it, saying, his word was sufficient. "In my journey I visited O's school. ago I could not have imagined there would have been either house or inhabitant in this place; and now he has on his list 120 scholars; among whom (a circumstance I never saw before,) there is not one Protestant, nor one reader that has not less or more committed the scriptures to memory, both in English and Irish. There were ten children who repeated to me twelve chap ters each, six in each language; the Irish they spoke fluently, but the English with the tone that might be expected. There was not, however, one verse that was not correctly repeated; and what made it so gratifying to me was, that I considered they would repeat those chapters at home to their parents, many of whom do not understand a word of English!”

Twenty years

X. Anecdote relative to a poor woman taught to read the Irish

Scriptures.

"In my last short letter I mentioned some of the circumstances which have taken place on the mountain called Shrone Cham Crohan, relative to Mary R-- What I then wrote was but little of the wonderful work of the Lord; I hope, that through her instrumentality, a congregation of believers will be collected upon that mountain. She has never read or spoke one word of English, and but seldom has heard the scriptures read; yet the Lord has enlightened her understanding, and sealed the truth upon her heart, and given her a great memory and ready utterance; for as soon as the most intricate question is proposed by an adversary, she is able to answer though with meekness and fear. She is convincing many of their errors, even from their own catechism; but especially on the doctrine of Transubstantiation. She brings this so powerfully to their understandings, that many are convinced that when the priest administers the wafer to them they receive it to their ruin. At the commencement of her conversion, she withstood the priest, who kept, her more than an hour upon her knees.. I had this account from her own lips as follows: When she first saw the truth of the gospel, her first enemies were those of her own house; that is, her father and mother, (but, blessed be God, they are now reconciled to her, and entreated I would often visit them.) They insisted, when the priest came there to hear confessions, tha? she should attend; which she refused to do. To hear her state how trying she found it between her duty to God and the fear of man, is very affecting. However, the flesh being weak, she went. When it came to her turn, as is usual, the priest asked her, 'How long is it since you confessed?', She told him, What sins have you committed since? As to particular sins,' said she, 'I have none to mention; but yet Phave broken the Jaw of God, and, therefore, I am brought in guilty.' He paus ed, and then said, 'Are you ready to take your Lord?' (This is their mode of expression when they are about to administer