INTRODUCTION.

TO THE READER.

THE Author begs to inscribe these pages to those for whose benefit they were written. In so doing he asks the indulgence of all, and the consideration of those who think that the state of things described in them does not answer to that in any one school that they know. Doubtless it does not in many respects, but still the picture may be a fair representation of school life generally, the more fair on this very account; and the writer has been careful to mingle many facts in with the characters and anecdotes of the tale.

Perhaps the romantic and imaginative Godfrey may be the first person excepted to, as an unusual character, and therefore not an example of any class of boys. The Author readily allows that his romance and imaginativeness

take a freer range than is usual and are carried farther; but he believes also that the ardent feelings and quick sensibilities of Godfrey, accompanied by moral cowardice, vanity, and instability, are the distinguishing traits of a numerous class, bringing with them capabilities of great good and great evil, of a noble or a little character.

One use of this tale, it may be hoped, will be to show how necessary it is that a Church Education should be brought to bear upon such temperaments, the sympathies of the Church to induce affection and confidence, the system and doctrine of the Church to restrain, to chasten, and confirm. A cold formal mode of treatment, an highly intellectual training, with religion, but without Church doctrine and guidance; and the ill organized and isolated tendencies of popular religionism which at once excite and neglect the feelings, all these injure and often ruin youths of this class in one way or another, increasing their positive faults, and not supplying their deficiencies.

We have seen good specimens of the old disciplinary schools of manners and scholar

ship, and of late have been blessed with a reform in education which has made Christianity its basis, and has brought the Master and the Pupil together in friendship and affection; but the old system reanimated by Church principle, and not merely superseded by a religious principle, is what is still rare. The second school of educationalists is still superseding the old set in our endowed seminaries, rather than the distinctively Church Schoolmasters whom we so much require; and this is doubly unfortunate now that our country is so divided, so much in need of the unity of the Church; and when there is great danger from German Theology.

This, however, is by the way; for this little tale is not addressed to the elder but to the younger generation. Its object is to guard, if it may be, against the inseparable dangers of education, to induce the reader to stand firm, to take a bold and manly part on the side of truth and honour and religion, to resist the stream of evil, to enter into the object of school, and to sympathize rather with the Master than with the idle and ungrateful

amongst his pupils, to pass school life so as that it may be a preparation and holy training for the trials of a University career, and the temptations of manhood; and so as that if accident or disease should cut off the boy in his youth, he may not appear before his Judge with the sins of manhood, but in the simplicity of childhood, and may give an account with joy, because he was ever mindful that he had an account to give. If the least assistance to such a course should be furnished by these pages to any one single soul, the writer's object, and the writer's prayers, will be fully answered; and if he should be happy enough to think that this is the case, he will endeavour to carry Godfrey Davenant through his University career on the same plan and with the same purpose.

In conclusion, he avails himself of this opportunity of returning his best thanks to the Rev. W. Gresley, for very valuable advice and suggestions.