possible, and the interest with the then annual school receipts being applied to the following purposes, viz. to place out deserving boys as apprentices, to reward those who obtain employment beyond the parish bounds, according to their length of service in one place, good character, &c. and to mark out good behaviour within the parish itself.

I apprehend that, in judicious hands, a fund like this might be turned to most beneficial account; and I should feel highly grateful to my predecessor, could I learn that be had made such a provision for his successor. It will indeed give influence to the Clergyman who in most cases ought to be preferred in the disposal of it, while it may be made the means not only of assisting the parish, by diminishing the number of claimants, but of encouraging the young to independence and industry, by removing them from the want of parish relief, and teaching them the value of a good name.

To those who are fearful of difficulties in the adoption of this plan, while they yet approve of it, I have a word to offer, as the results of my own experience, though short.

My school is a new one. I have not therefore the disadvantage of changing one system for another; and thus of making those pay for instruction who had previously been taught for nothing. But I am quite satisfied that any unpopularity of such a proceeding, had it been necessary, would have been overcome, or at any rate would have been worth encountering Some poor people feel and talk as if they thought the rich had some object in view in educating their children, which is beyond their reach to discover; so that when they speak of their little ones having attended school with regularity, they expect not only approbation but thanks; such people will keep their children from school, as they themselves will stay away from Church, to spite the Clergyman, and send them to school again when the quarrel has been

made up. Those who pay something for education, are led to set a higher value upon it. By this plan, the poor themselves raise a fund for the encouragement of industry and good management. This gives them provident ideas, while it certainly contributes to improve their moral feelings, and their future comfort. It does all this, while the poor are themselves, as I have reason to believe, highly pleased with the plan.

Let me add, that I make it a constant rule to have the penny paid every Monday morning; for to procure two-pence may startle, where a penny would be readily given.

The expences of my school are defrayed by subscription. Should there be any surplus of income, it will be added to the fund; should there be any deficiency, the Savings' Bank (though applied to with reluctance) will provide a remedy.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,

A NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CURATE.

LETTER FROM A FATHER TO HIS SON, AN

APPRENTICE BOY.

MY DEAR BOY,

Aug. 16, 1823.

I THINK I told you, in my last letter, that Edward the Fourth, died in the year 1483. He left three children, two sons and a daughter. The eldest son was named Edward, the next Richard, and the daughter's name was Elizabeth. The eldest son was therefore, now, Edward the Fifth; but as he was too young to govern, being only thirteen years of age, his uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, was appointed Protector. This was the same man who was afterwards Richard the Third, and is sometimes

called crooked-back Richard. He was born with a shrivelled and crooked form; and his mind was still worse than his body. Instead of taking care of his. little nephews, he determined to kill them, that he might be king himself. But, as these children had many friends ready to defend and protect them, their bloody-minded uncle thought, that, before he could kill them, he must get rid of their friends.

There was a powerful man, Lord Hastings, who was a great friend to the young king and his brother; and therefore crooked-back Richard was determined to kill him; and, for this purpose, he one day summoned him to a council in the Tower of London. When the council was assembled, Richard came in, frowning and looking very frightful, and all the lords of the council saw that something terrible was going to happen. Then, Richard shewed them all his bare, withered, arm, and said that Jane Shore, and her accomplices, had withered it by their witchcraft; which you know, was a mere pretence, because all stories about witchcraft are idle tales: and, besides, they all knew that Richard's arm was shrivelled when he was born. Lord Hastings said if they have done so, they deserve to be punished. "If," said the Protector, with a loud voice," dost thou answer me with ifs? I tell thee that they have laid a plot for my death; and that thou, thyself, art one of them." He then struck the table twice, and a number of armed soldiers immediately came in. Richard ordered them to take Lord Hastings away; and he made a vow that he would not dine 'till he had seen his head taken off. And his head was immediately struck off on a block of wood that happened to be near the place. The more we look back upon the history of our country, the more reason we have to be thankful that we live in times when no person, however high his rank, would be allowed to commit such dreadful barbarity. I have often made this remark to you before, and we see

fresh reason to repeat it, the more we consider the true state of things in former days and at present.

.

I mentioned Jane Shore. She was the wife of a citizen of London, a goldsmith in Lombard Street; and she had left her husband to live with the late king, Edward the Fourth. For this wickedness she was severely punished; yet, it was not because of her real crimes that Richard was enraged against her, but because she felt compassion for the late king's children, and was desirous of taking their part against their cruel uncle. It was formerly the custom for persons who had been guilty of any notorious crime, to do penance, as it was called; that is, to walk to church barefooted, in a white sheet, with a candle in their hands; Jane Shore walked in this manner through the streets of London to St. Paul's church; and, after this, every one was forbidden to give her any thing to eat or drink, or to take her into their houses; and, thus, she wandered about in the greatest misery and poverty; which she must have felt the more severely, from having formerly been accustomed to every luxury and splendour; and the sense of her own sins, no doubt, hung heavy upon her mind. Every body, however, pitied her, because, though she had been guilty of a great crime, yet she had been kind and generous when she had the power. But nobody dare assist her; and, after wandering about a long time, in rags and poverty, she at last sunk down and died.

The wicked Richard now began to think of taking possession of the throne; and, by his hypocrisy and false pretences, he persuaded many of the people to be on his side. And then the mayor and aldermen of London came and offered him the He pretended that he did not wish to be king; but this was only a piece of deceit, to hide his wicked design. He thought, however, that he could not reign in peace, as long as his nephews

crown.

lived; and therefore he determined to murder the young king, and his little brother, the Duke of York. He ordered Brackenbury, the governor of the Tower, to put them both to death. This merciful man refused to be guilty of such a crime; he was therefore removed from his office, and another person, called Sir James Tyrrel, was put into his place. This Tyrrel hired three cruel wretches to do the dreadful deed; they came at night, when the dear children were fast asleep, and they went into the chamber and smothered them both with pillows, whilst the wretch Tyrrel stood at the door. Then they buried the bodies at the foot of the stairs, and covered them up, and put the stone pavement in its place again, so that for a long time, nobody knew where the bodies were: they were found by some workmen under the stairs many years afterwards.

The reign of poor Edward the Fifth, you see, was very short, not many months; and indeed, as he was, during this time, shut up in the Tower, and was there cruelly murdered in his childhood, he cannot properly be said to have reigned at all.

And now, this wicked Duke of Gloucester was king, by the title of Richard the Third. His reign was so cruel and tyrannical that he was detested by all his subjects, and they heartily wished to get rid of him. This encouraged the Duke of Richmond to raise an army, and to endeavour to get the crown from the detested Richard. This Duke of Richmond belonged to the red rose party, that is, the House of Lancaster; and he had been obliged to quit the kingdom whilst the kings of the house of York were in power. Trusting that the people, from hatred of their tyrant, would support his cause, he came over from France with a small army, and landed at Milford Haven in Wales, without opposition. Richard, who was a bold man, soon prepared to meet him. Richmond had been joined by