a public place, wherein the languages, the arts, or sciences, are taught. Thus we say, a grammar school, a writing school, a school of natural philosophy, &c.—The word is formed from the Latin schola, which, according to Du Cange, signifies discipline and correction; he adds, that it was anciently used, in general, for all places where several persons met together, either to study, to converse, or do any other matter. Accordingly, there were schola palatinae, being the several posts wherein the emperor's guards were placed; schola scutariorum, schola gentilium, &c. At length the term passed also to civil magistrates; and accordingly in the code we meet with schola chartulariorum, schola agentium, &c.; and even to ecclesiastics, as schola cantorum, schola sacerdotum, &c.

The Hebrews were always very diligent to teach and study the laws that they had received from Moses. The father of the family studied and taught them in his own family. The Rabbins taught them in the temple, in the synagogues, and in the academies. They pretend, that even before the deluge there were schools for knowledge and piety, of which the patriarchs had the direction.—They place Adam at their head, then Enoch, and lastly Noah. Melchisedec, as they say, kept a school in the city of Kajrath-sepher, otherwise Hebron, in Palestine. Abraham, who had been instructed by Heber, taught in Chaldea and in Egypt. From him the Egyptians learned astronomy and arithmetic. Jacob succeeded Abraham in the office of teaching. The scripture says, he was "a plain man dwelling in tents;" which, according to the Chaldee paraphraist, is, "that he was a perfect man, and a minister of the house of doctrine."

All this, indeed, must be very precarious and uncertain. It cannot be doubted but that Moses, Aaron, and the elders of Israel, instructed the people in the wilderness, and that many good Israelites were very industrious to instruct their families in the fear of God. But all this does not prove to us that there were any such schools as we are now inquiring after. Under Joshua we see a kind of academy of the prophets, where the children of the prophets, that is, their disciples, lived in the exercise of a retired and austere life, in study, in the meditation and reading of the law of God. There were schools of the prophets at Naioth in Ramah; 1 Sam. xix. 12, 20, &c. See the article Prophet.

These schools, or societies of the prophets, were succeeded by the synagogues. See the article Synagogue.

Charity-Schools are those schools which are set apart by public contributions or private donations for the instruction of poor children, who could not otherwise enjoy the benefits of education. In no country are these these more numerous than in Great Britain, where charity and benevolence are characteristic of the nation at large. The following is a summary view of the number of charity-schools in Great Britain and Ireland, according to the best information at present, 1795.

| Schools | Boys | Girls | |---------|------|-------| | At London | 182 | 4442 | 2870 | | In other parts of South Britain | 1329 | 19506 | 3975 | | In North Britain, by the account published in 1786 | 135 | 5187 | 2618 | | In Ireland, for teaching to read and write only | 168 | 2406 | 600 | | In ditto, erected pursuant to his majesty's charter, and encouraged by his bounty of L. 1000 per annum, for instructing, employing, and wholly maintaining the children, exclusive of the Dublin work-house school | 42 | 1935 | — | | Total of schools, &c. | 1856 | 33476 | 10003 |

Sunday-Schools are another species of charity-schools lately instituted, and now pretty common in Great Britain. The institution is evidently of the first importance; and if properly encouraged must have a very favourable effect on the morals of the people, as it tends not only to preserve the children of the poor from spending Sunday in idleness, and of consequence in dissipation and vice, but enables them to lay in for the conduct and comfort of their future life a stock of useful knowledge and virtuous principles, which, if neglected in early life, will seldom be sought for or obtained amidst the hurry of business and the cares and temptations of the world.

The excellent founder of Sunday-schools was Mr Raikes, a gentleman of Gloucestershire, who, together with Mr Stock, a clergyman in the same county, and who, we believe, was equally instrumental in the business with Mr Raikes, shewed the example, and convinced many of the utility of the plan. From Gloucestershire the institution was quickly adopted in every county and almost every town and parish of the kingdom; and we have only further to remark on a plan so generally known, so much approved, and so evidently proper, that we hope men of eminence and weight will always be found sufficiently numerous and willing to bestow their time and countenance in promoting it to the utmost of their power.