In my last I had occasion to bestow a just tribute of praise on the clafsical remains of antiquity. There is no reason to believe that the writers of antiquity, however, were lefs capricious in their taste than those of modern times; and we may therefore suppose that many works were then penned which abounded with affectation and unnatural conceits, just as at present. But when the fashion of the day changed, these writings would of course become antiquated and despised; no one would take the trouble to transcribe them; and as few copies of them would be made, these would decay and be finally lost. It is those writings alone which possefsed a more than an ordinary fhare of merit, particularly with respect to simplicity and unaffected ornaments, that have been preserved; and to this circumstance alone I am convinced we must ascribe that superior elegance which the remains of antiquity confefsedly pofsefs above the mafs of modern compositions. The same circumstance will tend to preserve the chaste writings of modern times to a remote antiquity; for purity of language, and natural ease of manner have a much greater chance of insuring this kind of immortality, than the greatest profundity of thought, or talent for accurate obser

manner of writing would produce an affectation very disgusting, and directly the reverse of what he so strongly recommends. It cannot be supposed neither that he means to recommend the now antiquated phrase," which was," as applied to animated beings. The writer has evidently thought his pupil was here in no danger of mistaking him; but when a critique of this sort is published to the world at large, there cannot be too much care taken to guard against mistakes.

VOL. xiv.

RR

vation. Just thoughts, where the mode of exprefsion is faulty, may be moulded into a more elegant form by succeeding writers; and then the original authors who suggested these will fall into oblivion. Hence then, my dear if you fhall ever have an ambition to become an author, and to have your name revered in future times, study to acquire that simplicity of stile which alone can continue long to please; and avoid, as you would do poison, those singularities of stile, and quaint conceits, which fafhion for a time blazons as the quintefsence of excellence; for arsenic will not more certainly put a termination to the natural life of the body, than these will speedily put a period to the literary existence of those writings in which they abound. To be continued.

ACCOUNT OF A SCHOOL INSTITUTED AT MADRAS, AND SUPPORTED BY THE Voluntary SuBSCRIPTION of the INHABITANTS OF THAT SETTLEMENT.

Limfitter Esq.

Introduction.

For the Bee.

THE plan was given and the superintendance of it undertaken by the reverend Dr Andrew Bell of St Andrews, one of the chaplains there. We hope this laudable example will soon be followed by all our other settlements in the east.

The particulars of the plan are more fully developed in the following extract of a letter from Egmore, Madras, September 13. 1792.

"THE conduct of the school, which is entirely in my hands, is particular. Every boy is either a master or a scholar, one to another; and often both. He teaches one boy, while another teaches him. It has a double advantage in forwarding their education, and saving the expence and incumberance of many ufhers. I do little more in school than enact and enforce general rules and principles, teach the school master and ufhers, and watch with a strict eye over their conduct.

"When the institution was founded, and I first took up my residence here, the native women, who had orders to bring their sons to be placed upon the foundation, considered them as committed to hard task masters,-given up to slavery, or immolated to an unknown and foreign deity, and went through all the ceremony of mourning for the sacrifice they had made. Now, they ply us with every species of importunity to have their younger sous admitted into the school.

A temporary provision is made for the admifsion of the sons of living officers as boarders, on their paying about twenty fhillings a-month. The institution is so popular, that we have already more than thirty boys, white and blue, of this description; though they are subjected to the same drefs, diet, and treatment as the poor objects of the charity. And this I consider as the great recommendation and pahegyric of the system.

"The boys on the foundation, when educated, are bound out to any profession, art, or trade, by which they may become useful to themselves and to the

May r. community. We have already saved from perdition, and given to the world a number of apprentices, clerks, apothecaries, mechanics, sailors, &c.

c. We profefs to teach only to read, to write, to spell, and to cypher. But when a scholar has made a certain progrefs, I have him instructed in bookkeeping, or geometry, navigation, &c. as he chooses to be a writer mechanic, or a sailor, &c. for hitherto they have had their choice of their profefsion. But the great lefson is, in opposition to the maxims and habits of the country, to speak truth, to give up deceit, to acquire an honest character, or as you say, to be good lads. The boys are attached to the school. I am not discouraged; but go on with redoubled exertion, expecting to be richly repaid by the succefs of my labours."

Notices of Tippoo Sultan and his Sons, extracted from the same Letter.

Tippoo Sultan has made his second payment to the allies. In a letter to this government he exprefses strongly his sense of the very polite and kind attentions which have been paid to his sons. In speaking of his attachment to the English, he says, "That his eyes are opened, and that none but God, and so great a Sardar as lord Cornwallis, could have opened them."

“ To his Vakeels, who attend the young prince, I had the honour to preach lately, when they came to our church. They are men of a liberal and enlarged mind, and are all ready to acknowledge Jesus as a great prophet. Gurrum Ally, who is carried every where

in a silver chair, from which he cannot move, by reason of the rheumatism in his legs, was heretofore ambafsador at Constantinople, and is a man of great political abilities, and of high character. It is remarkable, that though unacquainted with the language in which the serivce was read, he was deeply affected by the manner of its performance. It is not lefs worthy of notice, that of all the low train of these eastern princes, there has not been even 2 complaint of the least irregularity, or disturbance, or mifbehaviour.

"The princes and Vakeels gave a dinner lately at their own house, to lady Oackely, a few women and several men. It consisted of pilaus drefsed in the Seringapatam stile, and of fruits; or was wine ba nished from the board. The boys sat at a little distance from the table by lady Oackely, who, on this and every other occasion on which I have seen them, seems much pleased with the vivacity and pleasantry of the younger and fairer prince, who fhews a great fhare of good humour, and a great disposition to please, being of a mild and gentle nature. The elder prince who fhews more mind, is more silent and reserved; he looks of a stern disposition, and of a commanding aspect. We think we see the father in his countenance. Their pictures by a famous miniature painter here, (Smart,) are preparing at the desire of lord Cornwallis, for the father; and a duplicate, it is imagined, will be presented by them to his lordship."