Lastly, Let me mention the Thrift and good Husbandry of those that are over these Schools. For they cloath a Boy for 9s. 9d. ob. and a Girl for 10s. 7d.

It hath been the Custom of this Society to send yearly to their Correspondents abroad in the Country, Accounts of the good Progress of these Schools, with particular Intelligence of their Affairs, and the Success of the laudable Endeavours of this and other Religious Societies: And withal to convey to them divers little Books and Pamphlets, printed at their Charge, for the Use of Young Persons and others, in order to the promoting Christian Knowledge and Godliness. Thus in the Year 1715, this following was the Circular Letter sent to the said corresponding Members (one whereof the said Society favoured me withal.)
LONDON HOUSE,
Dec. 1715.

Reverend Sir,
THE Account of Charity Schools having increased to a large Volume, and the Variety of Methods used for promoting them in different Places, being in a manner universally known, from the Distribution which has been made of these Accounts to all Parts of the Kingdom, for above ten Years past, it has been now thought sufficient to presen the Well-wishers to this Design, with a View only of the Rules generally observed by the Trustees, the Masters, the Mistresses, and the Children; the Number of Schools; and the Number of Children taught in them; distinguishing those that are cloathed from those that are not.

But in order to make this Method more compleat, it is requested, That you would not only inform the Society of the Number of Children generally taught at those Schools, where the Account is silent for want of Information; but also of the Number of Children that have been educated, and placed out of all the Schools within your Knowledge from the first erecting of them; and that you would be pleased at the same Time to signifie, as near as you can, when each School was set up.

To prevent too great an Increase of Mechanick Tradesmen issuing from these Schools, it has been wished by some, that a greater Number than are provided for, were encouraged to go to Husbandry, or to Services at Sea; but the Circumstances of Places being so very various, there is hardly any Rule can be adapted to all Places; except the recommending it to the Consideration of the Trustees of each School respectively, to regard, as much as they can, the Publick Interest, in the Disposition they make of their Charity Children.

This Consideration has induced several Persons in the Seafaring Towns, to find means to teach some of the Children the Art of Navigation; and the Experiments that have been made in London have answered so well, that a charitable Gentleman has agreed to endow a School on purpose for teaching the Art of Navigation to such Children as are of the brightest Parts, being selected out of the Charity School of St. Dunstan's in the West, and five or six other adjacent Schools.

There cannot well be a surer Indication of the Divine Blessing on the Design of these Schools, than that most of them have been set up, and liberally maintained, whilst the Nation was engaged in a bloody and expensive War. And that, notwithstanding the unhappy Divisions that have prevailed of late Years, it has pleased God so to order it, that they have very rarely affected the Charity Schools. And when a flourishing School has been threatened with a Dissolution, from the intemperate Heats of those that should support it, Providence has wisely interposed, and made their Strife the Means of providing for a larger Num- ber of Children, and supporting two Schools instead of one.

But to prevent the Mischief that may accrue to this Design by our unreasonable Animosities, it is earnestly recommended to you to discourage, as much as possible, all Party Distinctions in carrying on this Work; and to restrain the Children from assembling together in any rude or disorderly manner, on Publick Days of Rejoicing; as being utterly inconsistent with that meek and submissive Deportment to every body, which will render them amiable to all their Benefactors, however they may differ in their Sentiments.

The Protestant Missionaries in the East-Indies continue their usual Application to further the good Work they were sent about; and do signify to the Society, in their Letter of the 17th of September, 1714, that 28 Persons have been admitted by Baptism into their Communion last Year; that their Schools consist of the same Number of Children as mentioned in their former Letters, viz. about Fourscore; which are as many, or rather more than the uncertain Fund they have will afford to maintain; that their Congregation increases so, that they are in great want of a larger Building to receive them, as well as of Houses to accommodate the Children under their Care, and to receive the Printing Press, the Foundry for Casting of Letters, and the Artificers belonging to each; and that they hope for Assistance from England, to erect these Fabricks that are so necessary. They have finished the Translation of the New Testament into the Malabarick Language, and printed as far as the Four Evangelists and Acts of the Apostles, and are going on with the rest. They have likewise begun to translate the Old Testament into Malabarick; and have, partly by their own Labour, and partly from the help of others, made themselves Masters of a Copy of almost all the Books of the Old Testament, except the Apocryphal, translated into Portugueze.

Notwithstanding this happy Progress, it has been thought necessary, for the Service of the Mission, that one of the Missionaries should come to Europe, to represent in Person what could not so well be done by Letter. And accordingly Mr. Ziegenbalgh being appointed for it, he is safely arrived at the Court of Denmark, where he has been graciously received by the King; and had such Assurances of his Majesty's Royal Favour and Protection, that he is now preparing to return by the next Ships to India.

How well the Court of Denmark are disposed to countenance this Mission, may be better known from the King's own Directions about the Management of it; and the Sentiments of a College, or Society, which his Majesty has lately erected at Copenhagen, on purpose to promote it; a Translation of which you will find in a little Book sent in this Year's Packet. Nor will you be less pleased to know the Industry and Zeal of the Missionaries at Tranquebar, from their Letter to the Reverend Mr. Lewis, late Chaplain to the English Garrison at Fort St. George; a Translation of which from the Portugueze, is likewise sent in this Year's Packet.

The Reverend Mr. Ostervald, an eminent Divine of the Church of Neufchatel, having transmitted to the Society a Work entituled, The Arguments of the several Books and Chapters of the Old and New Testament, with Practical Observations; and promised the same of the New: The Society is of Opinion, that it is highly deserving to be recommended to all Families, as useful for promoting Christian Knowledge; and have therefore procured the same to be translated; which is now in the Press, and with all convenient Speed will be published by Joseph Downing in Bartholomew-Close, London.