anywhere else. In regard to Jackson's authority, it cannot be denied that Josephus, Antiq. B. I. ch. III. § 4, places the birth of Noah in Lamech's 182d year. But that whole passage has been so vitiated by transcribers, that it cannot be safely relied on, even when, as in this case, it agrees with the Hebrew. But in B. VIII. ch. III., which transcribers seem to have left unaltered, in dating the building of the temple 3102 years from the creation, and 1440 from the flood, he evidently supposes from the creation to the deluge, an interval of 1662 years, six more than the Masoretic copies give. Now, of these six years no account can be given, unless we suppose that in his Hebrew copy, instead of 182, he found 188 years. Perhaps he found both numbers in the Hebrew copies, and forgetfully wrote 182 in one place, and 188 in another. But, however this question may be settled, his evidence is of great weight. For, where he unquestionably follows the Hebrew chronology, he still gives 188 years to Lamech before the birth of Noah, thus proving, beyond a doubt, that this was the reading in some of the Hebrew copies of his time.

And

But, again leaving out of the question the later Chaldee and Arabic, the Masoretic text and the number 182 are supported by Onkelos, the Syriac, Jerome, and, what is of still more consequence, the Samaritan in the time of Jerome. though Jackson has silently neglected the striking testimony of Jerome in other places, on questions of greater importance, he must have the credit of having introduced it here. I have also still another witness in favor of the Masoretic reading; namely, the Ethiopian translator, who, as we have seen above, found the number 182 in the Septuagint itself.

In this case, though the authorities for the Hebrew are more numerous, and worthy of no small credit, yet, as Josephus favors the other reading, I shall give no positive decision, but, for once, avail myself of a privilege, by no means unworthy of a critic, the privilege of doubting.

3. Lamech is said, by the Hebrew, to have lived, after the birth of Noah, 595 years, by the Greek, 565; consequently, his whole age is, according to the former, 777, according to the latter, 753.

But in this instance, as no ancient version coincides with the Greek, except those whose evidence is excluded; as Josephus himself - even in that chapter of which the principal part has been remodelled by transcribers to make it conform to the

Septuagint differing from the Greek, makes the whole age of Lamech, 777; and, finally, as the Ethiopian translated from the Greek itself the numbers 182, 595 and 777, there can be no doubt that the Hebrew reading is the correct one.

ARTICLE VI.

THE COMMON SCHOOL SYSTEM OF NEW ENGLAND, WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF THE RECENT IMPROVEMENTS ADOPTED IN MASSACHUSETTS AND CONNECTICUT.

By Rev. Emerson Davis, Westfield, Mass.

"THE first colonists of Massachusetts and Connecticut, from which the other New England states derived their origin, were some of those men of learning, who were led to expatriate themselves by the joint impulse of promoting education, and of enjoying their religious opinions undisturbed." There were among them many learned and pious men; they were choice spirits, sifted from the best men of England at the close of the sixteenth century and beginning of the seventeenth. Many of them were trained in the cloisters of Oxford and Cambridge, and they united the learning of the best scholars of the age, with the piety and zeal of martyrs. It is said that the first founders of the Royal Society cherished for a time the purpose of coming to America, and of devoting themselves exclusively to the pursuit of science. Two of their number finally removed to the wilderness, and carried on a correspondence with the society at home.

Such men, coming to this country for such purposes, felt the necessity of making provisions for the education of all the children. The Puritans looked more mildly on death than on ignorance; and this feeling passed down from sire to son, and has not yet ceased to animate many of their descendants. It is believed that the first provision, that was ever made by law for general education, was made in the Old Bay State. In 1636, only 16 years after the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, a law was passed relative to the founding of Harvard College. "In 1642 a law was enacted requiring the selectmen of every

town, not to suffer so much barbarism in any family as that the parents and masters should not endeavor to teach, by themselves or others, their children and servants to read the English tongue, and to know the capital laws. The penalty for every such neglect was twenty shillings." The same law was enacted by the legislature of Connecticut in 1650. In 1652 the General Court of Massachusetts made it the duty of every town, containing fifty families or householders, to be constantly provided with a schoolmaster, who should teach the children and youth to read and write; and every town having 100 families was requested to set up a grammar school, and procure "some discreet person, of good conversation, and well instructed in the tongues, to keep it."

Previous to 1768, schools were sustained in Massachusetts by towns acting in their municipal capacity. Between 1768 and 1789, parishes were allowed to maintain schools by a tax upon the parishioners. The present district system had no legal existence until 1789. Up to this time there were many towns and parishes that had only one public school; many children were obliged to go three miles. The legislature deemed it "expedient to divide the territory of the towns into separate districts." The division is made by a vote of the towns; and each district forms a body corporate, having power to assess money for building a school-house, for the purchase of a library and apparatus, and for the transaction of all business pertaining to the maintenance of the school, except the raising of money for the payment of teachers. The same system substantially exists in all the New England states.

There is a constant tendency to multiply districts. Families, residing two miles or a mile and a half from the school-house, are anxious to bring it nearer. If a district which has 100 dollars annually to expend for the support of a school is divided, each has 50 dollars. In order to save travel, the school is diminished in length one-half. There are in Massachusetts twice as many district schools as there ought to be. Small districts build small and inconvenient houses, employ cheap teachers, and are very reluctant to make any appropriations for the purchase of apparatus, libraries, or the necessary furniture of a school-room.

The schools in Massachusetts are supported by money derived, 1, from direct taxation;-2, from the income of school funds. Each town is required to raise $1 1-4 for each individual residing in the town between 4 and 16 years of age. If any town

raises a less sum, it forfeits its portion of the school fund for the year ensuing. This fund was created in 1835, from the unappropriated money received for the sale of lands in Maine, and from money due from the United States for military services; and is increased from time to time by adding to it half the proceeds, that may arise from the future sales of Maine lands, until the fund shall amount to one million dollars, which sum it may never exceed. At the beginning of 1840, the fund amounted to $437,592. The number of children in the state between 4 and 16 years of age is 179,268. The amount raised by tax for the support of schools, in 1839, was $477,221, or $2 2-3 to each child.

The number of children in Connecticut between 4 and 16 years of age, in 1839, was 82,676. The expense of the schools in that state is defrayed in three ways.-1. From the interest of the school fund, which was created in 1795 by the sale of lands in Ohio, called the Connecticut Reserve. In 1839 this fund amounted to $2,028,531. The interest of the fund amounts to $104,900, and is distributed among the districts in proportion to the number of scholars. 2. By half the income of what is called the Town Deposit funds, the principal of which is $764,670. A portion of the other half may be appropriated to the same object. There are, in some towns, local funds, which duce in all about $7000 annually. 3. If the income of the state and local funds are insufficient to defray the expense of the schools, the deficit is made up by a tax. In 1839, $18,000 were raised in this way.

pro

"It has not been the policy of Connecticut, to attach any other condition to the reception of a portion of the fund, except that it shall be expended for the wages and board of instructors, duly appointed and approved, and upon schools kept in all respects according to law." The Board of Commissioners have advised that some condition be annexed to the receiving of funds; either that the school shall be kept a certain number of months, or that a certain amount shall be raised by the people, or that the distribution shall be made in proportion to the actual attendance, rather than in proportion to the number of a suitable age to attend. The Commissioners say: "The fund does not secure its object, as it is now appropriated."

The people of Connecticut, at an early period of their history," embraced the idea of placing the education of their children beyond the reach of all contingencies, by investing the

means of its support in permanent funds, inalienably consecrated to this object. As early as 1743, seven new townships of land-the property of the state-were sold, and the proceeds devoted forever to the support of common schools; and to this fund were added, in 1765, certain sums due on excise on goods.”* In Maine, every town is required to expend, for the maintenance of its schools, a sum of money not less than 40 cents for each inhabitant the town contains. If there be 2000 inhabitants of all ages, they must raise and expend $800 for public schools, or they are liable to a fine, not less than twice, nor more than four times the amount of such failure or deficiency. Each town is required to make an annual return to the Secretary of State of the number of persons in the town between 4 and 21, of the number that attend school, and of the amount of money raised by tax, or otherwise, and expended for the benefit of the schools. Those towns that make their returns are entitled to their proportion of the school fund, which is derived from an annual tax upon banks. In 1838, it amounted to $49,415. Besides this, many towns have a school fund derived from the sale of school lands; a section in each township being reserved for the support of schools. Such a section was reserved in each town in most of the New England states. In many places it was sold and expended in building the first schoolhouse. Those towns in Maine that began to be settled about 1835, or that sold their lands, when the rage for speculation was at its maximum, secured a valuable fund. I know one town, having a population of 200, that receives from its fund an annual income of $136.

I am not aware that there has been any material alteration in the school laws of New Hampshire, within 5 or 6 years. Common schools are established throughout the state, and the towns are divided into districts, as in the other states. For a great number of years, $90,000 have been raised by a separate tax for the support of schools. Besides this, the interest of a State Literary Fund, which amounts to $64,000, $9,000 derived from a tax on banks are appropriated to the support of common schools. The number of children in New Hampshire, between 4 and 16, is not certainly known, but it is probably about 75,000.

Among the earliest acts of Vermont, were those providing

* Lectures of Am. Institute, 1838, p. 98.