Page:A Plea for the Middle Classes.djvu/20

 forced upon them contrary to the spirit of the whole scheme. For the sake of uniting it with the University and to remove all suspicion of party purposes in this undertaking, it has been considered best to offer the nomination of the head master of this school to the President, Vice-President, and Divinity Dean, and the two Deans of Arts, of Magdalen College, Oxford. That society has, as you will see, already promoted the plan in an unusually friendly way, and there is every reason to believe that it will be a very liberal patron as the scheme matures. The masters of the dependent schools will be in the patronage of the parent society, as will be specially provided in the statutes. It is impossible for me to give you in a letter anything like an adequate account of this part of the arrangements, but everything will be submitted to the chief of the contributors and have the signatures of the trustees and the Bishop of the Diocese, before passing into law. The first cost of all this, and the difficulties to be encountered, may perhaps startle some, who yet wish well to it; and I also should be alarmed at my present boldness in making this appeal, if I stood alone and unassisted; but everybody, apparently, feels alike on the subject, and every private letter I have written to friends has been successful, and brought a contribution, in no case under £10, and in many a much larger amount. Then several difficulties have already vanished. I have a good site offered me at the foot of a range of Downs, with the sea in front, and within a few minutes' walk of the beach; the locality also is most suitable, so near to Brighton that it gives promise of a large supply of boys from that populous town, while no place can be more healthy, and its being by the seaside and close to immense ranges of Downs will make it attractive to many parents in London and other inland places: and lastly, the Vicar throws no obstacle in the way, but is a contributor towards it, and promoter of it. On the whole, therefore, nothing seems wanting but funds, and they, I doubt not, will come in due time. For agents to work the scheme there need be no fear; if hereafter we should require the services of a large body of Clergymen at the smallest stipends, I feel convinced I could secure them. Here then I end for the present, leaving you to reflect on the sum and substance of this letter, which is, first, that the Church's neglect of the middle classes is a fact, awful in itself, and dangerous to the peace of society; secondly, that by neglecting them, we