there is, or ought to be, nothing preposterous in the notion, that out of a metropolitan population of a million and a half, some few persons might feel occasionally disposed to enter "en passant" the magnificent church of St. Paul's for the sole purpose of offering a brief prayer within a sanctuary which should be as sacred to the religious feelings of an orthodox English churchman as St. Peter's, or St. Sophia's, to those of a Catholic or a Mussulman.

Let us, however, just picture to our fancies the expression of countenance, which upon the application for admittance, and for the purpose supposed, by any such imaginary devotees, would be assumed by the nondescript and brutal Cerberus who sits at the door;-which, with its chain more resembles that of a debtor's prison, than the entrance of the house of GOD,-and imperiously exacts threepence from every one that would take the merest peep at the interior of a church, for the building of which the people alone had paid!

Such a demand, so enforced, would be enough to curdle the devotion of a saint!

In country villages, where comparatively primitive manners ought to be significant of greater religious fervour, the church is positively barred up, and never entered from one week's end to the other, and when its old oaken portals lazily turn on their rusty hinges, to admit a Sunday morning congregation to that solitary weekly service, the people that only half fill on such occasions the damp neglected edifice, might fancy themselves inhaling the cold and deadly atmosphere of a sepulchral vault !

Considerations not far removed from some of the above, must have unwillingly presented themselves to the mind of a very sincere and zealous member of the English establishment, when at the end of his able and interesting work on foreign churches, he places the following sentiment in the mouth of the imaginary companion that had accompanied him to England. "You have led me through a land of closed churches and hushed bells, of unlighted altars, and unstoled priests: Is England under an interdict?"

31

POPULAR EDUCATION IN ITALY.

(From the Kirchen Correspondent).

THROUGHOUT the whole Middle Age, popular schools, in the principal cities at least, appear to have been maintained in Italy. But they seem not to have been destined for the poor. Such were the so-called quarter-schools, whereof one existed in every quarter of a city. These establishments historians connect with the schools founded by the Roman senate.

The later institutes, wherein the poor were received, are the work of religious beneficence. Herein Rome set the pattern to other states. These poor schools date from the Pontificate of Clement VIII, towards the close of the sixteenth century: Joseph Calazanzio, who was afterwards canonized, and who bequeathed to posterity a name as distinguished for science as for virtue, founded the first public free-school in the Transtevere-a district of Rome, where the want of such schools was most palpably felt. This establishment flourished to such an extent, that in a short time, several sprang up under his direction. They were called schools of charity. Joseph Calazanzio, without giving scandal, admitted Jewish children to these schools. Besides receiving religious instruction and a pious education, the children was gratuitously furnished not only with books, but with everything appertaining to their bodily nourishment. Calazanzio made every exertion to keep the scholars under a wise and natural discipline. Even at the present day the teachers of this institution conduct the children home, on their quitting school.

From Rome, these schools spread over all Italy; but confined themselves to the education of poor boys exclusively. In the year 1655, the first poor school for girls was opened, and constituted on the plan above described. This occurred at the command of Pope Alexander VII. They were called Papal schools. That poor families might have the more inducement to send their daughters to these schools, bread was daily distributed among the children, and on the termination of their education, they received a small dowry. Subsequently at Rome, Viterbo, and Montefiascone, other girls' schools were established. Besides these institutions, an educational establishment for gratuitous instruction of poor girls was founded

at Rome in the year 1637, by St. Angela Merici, and the Ursuline nuns. A similar service was rendered by the brothers of Christian doctrine. The former taught writing to such children, as intended devoting themselves to the conventual life, and instructed the rest only in the catechism, reading, and manual labour. The latter made religions instruction its principal aim, but at the same time furnished primary tuition gratuitously, and taught the elements of Latin, grammar, and literature.

Rome does not now forget that for three centuries she led the way in the course of educational improvement. It numbers 372 primary schools, containing upwards of fourteen thousand scholars, under four hundred and eighty-two teachers. During the last twenty years the number of district-schools has increased by one third of these schools, the number is now fifty-five. Parochial schools also, together with five or six new institutes having the same object, have been opened. To these we must add a certain number of unauthorized elementary schools, containing about three hundred scholars under twenty teachers. For this progress in the system of education, Rome is mainly indebted to Pope Leo XII.

The Grand Duchy of Tuscany, which abounds in so many institutions for higher departments of education, has not achieved less for popular instruction. Its two hundred and forty-seven parishes, possess two hundred and thirty schools. Florence alone numbers nine, whereof six are formed on the most recent methods of instruction. Two thirds of the children capable of instruction, enjoy the benefit of schooling.

The Lombardo-Venetian kingdom is in this respect in a still more flourishing condition. There the progress of popular education has been still more rapid, especially since the year 1822, when the government enforced the Austrian law, whereby all parents, without distinction, are compelled under a penalty to send their children to school. In the first ten years that this law was applied, the progress was so rapid, that the schools, which in the year 1822 numbered 107,768 scholars, exhibited in the year 1832 upwards of 166,767. If to these we now add the thirteen thousand seven hundred and fifty scholars, who attend four hundred and eighty-three paid schools, seven thousand six hundred and sixty-seven, who visit private establishments, all those who at the cost of benevolent individuals, are brought up in the private schools of the great cities, those who receive instruction in the orphan asplums, and in the institutions

for foundlings, those who are bred in thirty-six charity schools, and lastly, a thousand scholars, who repair to the eight primary schools of Milan, and to the new establishments at Bergamo, Cremona, Vicenza, Verona, and Venice, we have then altogether, two hundred thousand children, who, in the Lombardo-Venetian kingdom frequent the public schools. This will make one child in every eighth inhabitant. To bring about this result, the government has not had recourse to any imposts; it pays about two thirds of the expenses, amounting to nearly twenty-six million Austrian livres; the other third is paid by the parishes.-A CORRESPOndent.

JESUS AND MARY.

BEHOLD! the Mother of our God;
Her name it breathes perfume,
She bears the sceptre and the rod
Within her sacred womb.

Behold! the Virgin-house of gold
Contains this living stem,
The pride of courts could ne'er unfold
So rich, so rare a gem.

Behold! this Mother undefiled,

Most amiable, most chaste,
This mystic rose who sweetly smiled
As she her Son embraced.

Behold her now, with tearful eye,
Survey the mighty Cross:

Her Son-the Son of GOD-must die,
Oh how sustain His loss ?

This spotless victim comes to pay
For us sin's dreadful debt;
Prostrate on Olive's Mount He lay

O'erwhelm'd with blood and sweat.

His lovely face to earth was press'd,
He drank the bitter draught,
GOD's wrath for sin was here express'd

By death's most deadly shaft.

VOL. III.-NO. XIII.

3

To Calvary's Mount our Lord ascends,
To expiate our guilt;

His blood alone could make amends;
For us these drops were spilt.

When the GOD-man His life forsook,
Saints woke from their repose,
The trembling earth convulsive shook
As from their graves they rose.
Mary was lonely left on earth,
Her hope, her joy was fled,
The Son to whom she'd given birth
Hung on the cross-now dead.

She drank grief's bitter cup unmix'd,
A sword had pierced her soul,
She stood beneath the cross transfix'd-
All earth could not console.

Oh earth! oh heavens! be amazed!

The eye of CHRIST in death is glazed,
The hand that raised the dead is cold,
The sheep are scattered from the fold.

A garden, fill'd with rich perfume,
Contains a newly sculptur'd tomb;
They laid within that hallow'd rock

JESUS the Prince of Abraham's stock.

But hark, triumphant tidings come;
The faithful women tell

That CHRIST hath risen from the tomb,
He conquer'd death and hell.

Full forty days on earth He spends,
His last commands are given :

In clouds of glory then ascends
To claim His throne in heav'n.

Mary sought solace from on high,
Nor did she seek in vain,
Her Spouse the Comforter was nigh
To soothe her grief and pain.

Queen of Saints, thy hallow'd story
Fills my
soul with love and dread,
Whilst unfading wreaths of glory
Still surround thy sacred head.

Feast of the Conception, 1843.

S. M. S