REMINISCENCES.

I.

EDUCATION-FOREIGN COLLEGES FOR THE EDUCATION

No

OF ENGLISH CATHOLICS.

one ever discovered a passion for literature at an earlier hour than the Reminiscent. He was first sent for EDUCATION to a Roman-catholic academy at Hammersmith. During the two centuries, which immediately followed the reformation, the severity of the penal code had prevented the establishment, in England, of catholic institutions for education. The first, which acquired any thing like celebrity,was at Twyford in Hampshire; it had the honour of furnishing Mr. Pope with his first rudiments of learning: the school at Hammersmith and a few others followed. They were occasionally interrupted by informers; so that it was deemed advisable to break up the establishment at Twyford; and more than once, the apprehension of a domiciliary visit forced the master of the school at Hammersmith to send away, suddenly, all its inmates to their parents. But, after the middle of the last century, the catholic schools were seldom molested.

From Hammersmith, the Reminiscent was removed to an English catholic college in the university of Douay, under the care of secular priests. This was one of the seminaries which, as education at home was denied them, the piety of Roman-catholics formed on the continent. The principal of these were that at Douay, and one at

St. Omer's under the direction of the Society of Jesus ; -stirps ad promovendas bonas literas feliciter nata,—as Lipsius said of the Medici. The design of all these institutions was to educate, for the ecclesiastical state, a succession of youths, who might afterward be sent on the English mission. The catholic gentry availed themselves of them for the education of their children. They were excellently instructed in their religion; the classics were well taught, but the main object of them being to form members for the church, they were not calculated to qualify the scholars for business, the learned professions, or the higher scenes of life. Writing, arithmetic and geography were little regarded in them; modern history was scarcely mentioned, and little attention paid to manners.

But every care was taken to form the infant mind to religion and virtue: the boys were secluded from the world; every thing that could inflame their imagination or passions was kept at a distance; piety, somewhat of the ascetic nature, was inculcated; and the hopes and fears, which Christianity presents, were incessantly held in their view. No classic author was put into their hands, from which every passage, describing scenes of love or gallantry, or tending, even in the remotest degree, to inspire them, had not been obliterated. How this was done may be seen by any person, who will inspect father Juvençi's excellent editions of Horace or Juvenal. Few works of English writers were permitted to be read; none, which had not been similarly expurgated. The consequence was, that a foreign college was the abode of innocence, learning, and piety.

It has been questioned, whether this system of educa tion is perfectly free from objection;-whether the sud

den transition from the walls of this holy retirement, into the allurements of pleasure, which every youth must encounter, the instant he steps into the world, is not likely to make him rush into the opposite extreme of indulgence and dissipation; whether the strict state of coercion, in which these students were educated, did not tend to break their spirit ;-whether their imaginations were not too much subdued by the awful view of the eternal years thus incessantly presented to them ;-whether more of the world's morality ought not to be taught to all, who are to live in the world :—in one word, whether the general effect of the system was not calculated to produce a feebleness of mind and soul, that would shrink from contention, and give the palm to the less religious, but bolder adventurer,

"Vincentem strepitus, et natum rebus agendis."

"But, what is the end of our being ?" asked a priest, to whom, for the sake of obtaining his answer, the Reminiscent retailed these objections: "Is it, what is usu"ally termed, to succeed in life? to deserve the praise of elegance? to obtain renown? Is it not to save one's "soul? Can this be done better than by protracting innocence as long as possible? What can compensate "its early loss?—You say that all this purity will shrink "at the first touch of the world. Be it so; but the vic"tim will then only be in the situation in which he would, "in all probability, have been much sooner, if he had "been educated in a dissipated school. Besides,-is it "certain that this will be the case? Does experience "show that the habits of years are so soon overcome ?— "Admit however that it unfortunately happens,-who is "most likely to experience salutary compunction? and, *when sober years, the rétour de l'âge, as the French

"describe this period of life, shall come on, who is most "likely to return to religion and regularity,-he, whose "youthful years were strict and pious, or he, to whose "youth devotion was unknown? You say, that this sequestered education and these submissive habits dis

qualify for active life: but don't they teach obedience, "teach modesty, teach duty ?—Now, what is the rank, "what the pursuit, for which these do not eminently "qualify? But, let experience decide the question. The "exclusion of the catholics of this realm from all public, "and from most lucrative situations, and the general de"pression of their body, place them under many disad"vantages. Making due allowances for this circumstance, " and for the comparative proportion of their numbers, "you will find that they will not suffer in comparison "with their Protestant brethren. No, the more I think "of it," continued the good ecclesiastic, "the more I "feel disposed to advocate the strict precautionary discipline of our foreign colleges."-The Reminiscent sincerely rejoices that he was educated in one of them. The words " Douay college," it has ever been a pleasure to him to hear; they have ever brought to his recollection years of great happiness and scenes of great edification.

It may be added, that the world has unavoidably found some way into these establishments since the inmates of them have been settled in England, and that their plan of education has been materially improved. Reading, arithmetic, geography, and modern history, are systematically taught; and due regard is shown to manners.

On two accounts,-cheapness and universal equality of treatment, the foreign education, of which we are speaking, was entitled to the highest praise. The instruc

tion, the dress, the board, the pocket-money, the ornamental accomplishments of music, dancing, and fencing, every thing, except physic, was defrayed by the moderate yearly sum of 301. There was no distinction of rank when the late duke of Norfolk was at Douay college, he rose at the same hour, studied and said his lesson in the same classes, ate at the same table, and wore the same uniform as the other boys; the son of the duke de St. Carlos did the same at Stonyhurst; the grand Condé had done the same at the Loyolan College de Clêrmont.

But, whatever objection might be made to the retired and devotional habits of a foreign college, in respect to persons destined to the world, none could be made to them in respect to persons destined to the church. The fruits of their pious education always appeared in the conduct of the catholic priests serving on the English

mission.

In describing the general body of the clergy of Amiens, the biographer of the celebrated bishop of that city, says, that "they were all decent, and many exemplary." Higher praise belongs to the English catholic clergy. Who of them is not punctual in his attendance at the altar? or assiduous in his confessional? Who, not ready at the call of every poor man, to afford him spiritual succour? or to instruct his poor child? Where is the hospital, the workhouse, or the prison, into which, if it have a catholic inmate, the catholic priest does not cheerfully carry the comforts of religion?

With few exceptions, these servants of God, and benefactors of man,-for these honourable appellations they certainly deserve,-subsist by privations. Still-scanty as is their revenue, the poor generally have some share