INDIANS' IDEA OF EDUCATION. Strew'd beneath the advancing banner, Of the Eagle's burning crest- There he ne'er shall charge again!"— BYRON. 403 OCTOBER THE SIXTEENTH. Indians' Idea of Education. "AFTER the principal business of a treaty between the government of Virginia and the Six Nations had been settled," says Dr. Franklin, "the commissioners of the former acquainted the Indians by a speech, that there was at Williamsburg a college, with a fund for educating Indian youth, and that if the chiefs of the Six Nations would send down half-a-dozen of their sons to that college, the government would take care that they should be well provided for, and instructed in all the learning of the white people. "It is one of the Indian rules of politeness not to answer a public proposition on the same day that it is made: they think it would be treating it as a light matter, and that they showed it respect by taking time to consider it, as if it were a matter of importance. They, therefore, deferred their answer till the following day, when their speaker began by expressing their deep sense of the kindness of the Virginian government in making them that offer; for we know that you highly esteem the kind of learning taught in these colleges; and the maintenance of our young men, while with you, will be very expensive to you. We are convinced, therefore, that you mean to do us good by your proposal, and we thank you heartily. But you who are wise must know that different nations have different conceptions of things, and you will not, therefore, take it amiss, if our ideas of this kind of education happen not to be the same with yours. We have had some experience of it; several of our young people were formerly brought up at the colleges of the Northern Provinces; they were instructed in all your sciences; but when they came back to us they were bad runners, ignorant of every means of living in the woods, unable to bear either cold or hunger, knew neither how to build a cabin, take a deer, or kill an enemy; spoke our language imperfectly; were therefore neither fit for hunters, warriors, nor counsellors; they were totally good for nothing. We are, however, not the less obliged by your kind offer, though we decline accepting it; and to show our grateful sense of it, if the gentlemen of Virginia will send us a dozen of their sons, we will take care of their education, instruct them in all we know, and make men of them.' This contempt of learning is, however, by no means universal among savage and uncivilized nations. For instance, the Africans who are brought to the West Indies have a high and reverential opinion of learning; they think this the grand distinction which the Almighty has made between the whites and them, and that it is by means of the superior knowledge and cunning which they possess in consequence of it, that they hold the reins of empire over their less enlightened brethren. 1. Why is it a rule of Indian politeness not to answer a public proposition on the day it is made? 2. What did the Indians allege as their reason for refusing to have their youth educated? 3. What do the Africans think with respect to education ? LESSON CCXC. OCTOBER THE SEVENTEENTH. Battle of Nevill's-Cross. On this day, in 1346, was fought the battle of Nevill'sCross, near Durham. King David of Scotland having invaded England with 50,000 men, the Queen of England, in the absence of her husband Edward III., assembled a powerful army, which was divided into four bodies; the first commanded by Lord Henry Percy; the second by the Archbishop of York; the third by the Bishop of Lincoln, the Lord Mowbray, and Sir Thomas Rokeby; and the fourth and principal division by Edward Baliol. The King of Scotland headed a chosen battalion of the flower of his nobility, and the French auxiliaries. The High-steward of Scotland headed the second line; and the third was commanded by the earls of Moray and Douglas. While the English were approaching, Lord Douglas and Sir David Graham skirmished with them, but were defeated with the loss of 500,men. The general engagement began between the archers on CARDINAL WOLSEY. 405 each side, but the English being superior in the use of the bow, the Steward of Scotland advanced to the relief of his countrymen. The English archers, unable to bear this attack, fell back upon Lord Henry Percy's division, which was thus put into confusion, and would have been totally defeated, had not Baliol advanced to their relief with a body of 4,000 horse. The steward was then obliged to retire, by which means the flank of that division commanded by David, and which was then engaged with another line of the English, was left exposed to an attack. Baliol perceived the advantage; and without pursuing the steward, attacked the king's division, which was immediately cut in pieces. David was left with about eighty noblemen and gentlemen, but still maintained the fight with obstinacy; nor would he yield, even when wounded in the head with an arrow, expecting to be delivered by the steward and that line of his army which was still entire under the Lords Moray and Douglas. At last finding himself totally overpowered, he attempted to retreat, but was overtaken by the party under one John Cokeland. This captain, endeavouring to seize the king, had two of his teeth struck out by a blow of his gauntlet; but at last the king was obliged to give up his sword, and surrender himself. After he was taken, Baliol attacked and totally routed that division of the Scottish army which had hitherto remained entire under the Lords Moray and Douglas. In this battle the Scots lost a great number of their nobility, and 15,000 soldiers. Many persons of distinction were also taken along with the king; and had it not been that the escape of the Scots was favoured by the avarice of the English soldiers, who neglected the pursuit to plunder, scarce a single Scotsman would have returned. 1. What battle was fought on this day, in 1346? LESSON CCXCI.-OCTOBER THE EIGHTEENTH. Cardinal Wolsey. On this day, in 1529, King Henry VIII. commanded his once favourite, but haughty minister, Cardinal Wolsey, to resign the great seal of the kingdom, which the king de livered to Sir Thomas More, being determined on Wolsey's ruin. All the cardinal's goods were seized, and articles of impeachment were soon exhibited in parliament. The prosecution, however, was stayed, and he received the king's pardon; but while he was endeavouring to reconcile himself to his fallen state at Cawood Castle, his capricious master caused him to be arrested for high treason, and hurried from Yorkshire towards London. The agitation and fatigue brought on a disorder of which he died at the abbey of Leicester, Nov. 28. 1530. He founded Christ Church College at Oxford, and another at Ipswich. “This cardinal, Than man could give him, he died fearing God." SHAKSPEARE. 1. What did King Henry VIII. on this day, in 1529 ? 2. Where did Cardinal Wolsey die? 3. What colleges did he found? Death of Prince Poniatowsky. THE circumstances attending the death of this illustrious Prince, as related by his aid-de-camp, are as follows: On the 19th of October, when the French army began to retreat, the prince was charged by Napoleon with the defence of that part of the suburbs of Leipzic, which lies arest to the Borna road. For this purpose he had only DEATH OF PRINCE PONIATOWSKY. 407 2,000 Polish infantry assigned him. Perceiving the French columns on his left flank in full retreat, and the bridge completely choked up with their artillery and carriages, so that there was no possibility of getting over it, he drew his sabre, and turning to the officers who were about him, "Gentlemen," said he, "it is better to fall with honour." With these words he rushed at the head of a few Polish cuirassiers and the officers surrounding him upon the advancing columns of the allies. He had been previously wounded on the 14th and 16th, and on this occasion also received a musket-ball in his left arm. He nevertheless pushed forward, but found the suburbs full of the allied troops, who hastened up to take him prisoner. He cut his way through them, received another wound through his cross, threw himself into the Pleisse, and with the assistance of his officers reached the opposite bank in safety, leaving his horse behind in the river. Though much exhausted he mounted another, and proceeded to the Elster, which was already lined by Saxon and Prussian riflemen. Seeing them coming upon him on all sides, he plunged into the river, and instantly sunk, together with his horse. Several officers, who threw themselves in after him, were likewise drowned; and others were taken on the bank or in the water. The body of the prince was found on the fifth day, (Oct. 24. 1813,) and taken out of the water by a fisherman. He was dressed in his gala uniform, the epaulets of which were studded with diamonds. His fingers were covered with rings set with brilliants; and his pockets contained snuff-boxes of great value and other trinkets. Many of those articles were eagerly purchased by the Polish officers who were made prisoners, evidently for the purpose of being transmitted to his family; so that the whole produced the fisherman a very considerable sum. Prince Joseph Poniatowsky was nephew to Stanislaus Augustus, the last King of Poland, and became warmly attached to Napoleon, on account of the flattering prospect which the latter held out of the complete restoration of his country to its former rank among the nations of Europe. 1. What was the manner of Prince Poniatowsky's death? 2. Whose nephew was the Prince ? 3. Why was he so warmly attached to Napoleon ? |