CHAP. XI.

EDUCATION, AND SCHOOLS.

Melancholy condition of Greek Schools - Absurd mode of instruction by the ancient language-The children bastinadoed, by way of punishment -Thirst for education Introduction of the system of Mutual Instruction-Dr. Korck's flourishing School at Syra-Diligence and animation of the children—A Building erected for the School, at the expense of the inhabitants-Similar Schools set on foot in other Islands-Testimony to the labours of Dr. Korck, from the Courier de Smyrne-Subsequent disappointment. No part of Missionary effort appears to commend itself more universally to approbation, than the education of youth; and in no part of the world may more auspicious consequences be anticipated, from its due exercise, than in the Levant. It will be proper to offer some remarks in regard to the previous state of intellect in those countries; and afterwards to take a view of its present cultivation, and of the prospects of its future developement.

I do not remember to have visited any part of the East in which I did not observe Institutions dignified with the name of School: but,

after a very cursory inspection, the conviction was produced-this term is ill applied. On entering the apartment applied to such a purpose, it was usual to find a number of children, often of very squalid appearance, seated, each on his little rug, in oriental style, and acknowledging as preceptor an individual whose attainments were far from competent to the office which he had assumed. The child had first of all a лivaxídiov, writing-table, placed in his hands, on which were written the letters of the Alphabet. As soon as a sufficient acquaintance was obtained with these elements of language, the absurd method of imparting, or rather of perplexing, instruction, by means of Ancient Greek, was introduced. The sentence, "Ayios ó Θεὸς, ἅγιος ἰσχυρὸς, ἅγιος ἀθάνατος, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς—“ Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Eternal God, have mercy upon us!" was inscribed on the writingtable, and occupied the child's attention.* When

* This address to the Deity, which is frequent amongst the Greeks, and which possesses a species of rhythm, as the moderns pronounce it, I observed incribed on a stone at Mistra, near Sparta, in the following manner:

this sentence was read with sufficient freedom, the Psalter of the Septuagint was placed in his hands; and he was condemned to toil over it, often for three or more years, without a hope of any other result than that of reading what he could not comprehend. This pernicious custom, of teaching children to read by means of obsolete languages, is universal in the Levant. The Greek child has been condemned to labour upon the Ancient Greek, the Armenian upon Ancient Armenian, the Turk upon Arabic, the Jew upon Hebrew. The natural effect has been, to render the acquisition of knowledge odious and difficult, and to leave by far the larger portion of the Levantine population, for ages, in a state of semi-barbarism. Nor was any suavity of manner employed, on the part of the schoolmaster, to obviate the difficulties which absurdity of system presented. The law of coercion is applied, in Turkey, to all ages and to all circumstances. The instrument for inflicting the punishment of the bastinado, which by the Greeks is named páλayyas, and which is often seen in the court-yard of the Turkish Pashas, was an appendage of Greek schools. Whenever an offence was perpetrated, the little delinquent was thrown upon his back, his legs were elevated upon the bar of punishment, and blows of

considerable force applied to the soles of his feet. I once happened to enter the large School of the Armenians, at Smyrna, when one of the boys was just arriving at the very crisis of punishment. The master was raising his arm; and probably, in another second, infliction would have ensued. My unexpected entrance disconcerted the whole project. The rod of punishment instantly fell; the poor boy escaped from his perilous situation; and the master appeared perfectly ashamed of the position in which I found him.

It is a surprising fact, that under circumstances so discouraging, a large portion, even of the lower orders, were competent to read. I have heard it estimated, that no less than two-thirds of the population of liberated Greece had attained the art; and, without vouching for the accuracy of such a statement, I can assert, that, wherever I have met with Greeks, I have always found a considerable number who could read the books. which were presented to them.

One of the earliest effects of the Revolution has been, a very promising reformation of the mode of public instruction. The thirst for knowledge which existed during my visit to Greece was extraordinary. The ear was perpetually saluted by the

word πρоxо¬ǹ, which they employ to signify educational improvement; and, to express myself in the language of a friend, "there was quite a fever for education." The absurdity of the old system, which had been pursued, for the most part, by the priests, was universally acknowledged, and became a frequent topic of sarcasm and amusement. The system of Mutual Instruction, which has been so successfully employed in this country by Bell and Lancaster, was welcomed with delight; and, as soon as introduced, appeared to have admirable success. A very interesting school of this description was set on foot at Tripolitza, in a Turkish mosque, during the period which intervened between the capture of that city by the Greeks and its re-capture by Ibrahim Pasha. In Syra, in the year 1827, I found several small schools on this system, which appeared to proceed very usefully; and at Napoli di Romania a very flourishing one existed.

The Greek Government has uniformly patronised this method of public education. They have been solicitous to establish public free schools of this nature, in all directions; and I understood that it was their intention to leave no town, village, or hamlet, in the whole of their territory, without these means of acquiring elemental know