To Captain PIERCE, A&t. Sec. M. O. Asylum, SIR, THE obliging manner in which you have tranfmitted to me the refolutions of the prefident, vice-prefidents, and directors, of the Male Afylum, at the general meeting of 13th Jan. 1796, has my warmest acknowledgments; and I request you will in reply lay before them the accompanying letter. I fhall have no occafion to trouble you in the affair of my paffage to Europe, as, with the deepest fense of the honour done me, I do not conceive myself at liberty to accept this very honourable teftimony, which has been awarded to me, of the approval of my conduct in the charge of this charity. I am, Sir, Egmore, 18th Jan. 1796. Your most obedient fervant, (Signed) A. BELL. To the Right Hon. the Prefident, Vice-Prefidents, and Directors, of the Male Asylum. My Lord and Gentlemen, YOUR fentiments of the fervices. I have been enabled to render in charge of the Male Afylum, as expreffed at the general meeting after the annual examination of the school, in your Refolutions of 13th Jan. 1796, and conveyed to me by the acting secretary, Captain Pierce, are pleasing and grateful to me beyond expreffion. A teftimony of fuch high authority, and in fuch flattering terms, fup-. plies whatever was wanting to fill up the measure of my fatisfaction in the office I have fo long difcharged. When I have contemplated the uniform progrefs of the school, and feen the vices incident to the former fituations of these youths gradually vanishing, their morals and conduct approaching nearer and nearer every year to what I would have them to be, and the character of a race of children in a manner changed; I could not help imagining, at times, that I regarded the work, in which I had fo carneftly engaged, with the fond partiality of a parent, who beholds in a favourite child beauties and qualities which escape every other eye. The opinion, now folemnly announced to me, of thofe who have the best access to know, and are the best qualified to judge, removes from my mind all diftruft of this kind, and leaves my gratification unal layed by any other confideration than the neceffity of feparating myself for a while from this happy scene. But it is not the feelings of the heart which alone speak on this occafion. My fincere acknowledgments extend to the most important interefts of the fchool under your patronage. The attention you have fhewn to every propofal for improving the health, the morals, and the right education of these youths; and the countenance and fupport you have given to my unequal exertions, have enabled me to overcome difficulties, under which I might otherwife have funk; to furmount obftacles which often impeded my progrefs; and to reach that goal, of which I was at times afraid I should be constrained to stop short-the completion of that fyftem which, with your confent and approbation, I endeavoured to establish. The tender made to me, on the part of the directors, of their good offices" in providing a convenient paffage for me to Europe on any fhip I may wish to go on," I efteem as a fubstantial proof of their good wishes, and I fhould, if at liberty, be pround to accept this kind offer. When on the foundation of this institution, you conferred on me the honour of fuperintending this feminary, I entered upon the charge with the ftipulation, which you then granted to my request, of declining the falary you had proposed to annex to the office; and as I have never changed my opinion on that fubject, I hope for your further indulgence on this occafion, when, with the deepest sense of the delicate and obliging manner in which you have awarded to me a remuneration under another shape, I continue to decline the acceptance, from this charity, of whatever I could construe into a pecuniary emolument. The state of the school, the flourishing condition of its funds, and the fanction of your approbation, are the rewards of which alone I am ambitious to boaft. May ALMIGHTY GOD long profper your endeavours, and render this feminary a public bleffing, by training up the rifing generation to integrity and industry, veracity and temperance, and by inftilling into the infant mind the pureft principles of our holy religion, the best friend of our happy conftitution, and of the good order, the peace, and the welfare of fociety! I have the honour to be, My Lord and Gentlemen, With the greatest respect and confideration, your most obedient fervant, Egmore, 18th Jan. 1796. To the Rev. Dr. BELL. Reverend Sir, WE, the Mafters of the Afylum, who have had the honour of being under your direction during the time we have been employed as teachers, being apprised of the lofs we must shortly fuftain by your declining the arduous task of the tuition of this fchool, which you fo long upheld by your indefatigable attention in establishing the gentle and pious order which now fubfifts throughout the whole; we therefore moft humbly request, Reverend Sir, you will be pleafed to accept our most grateful acknowledgments for your unexampled affiduity in promoting our welfare, as well as that of the whole fchool. We have the honour to be, Reverend Sir, Male Afylum, 22d Jan. 1796. |