The works of George Berkeley, D.D. late Bishop of Cloyne in Ireland. To which is added, an account of his life [by J. Stock] and several of his letters to Thomas Prior, Esq., Dean Gervais, and Mr. Pope, etc

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A Proposai Uc. a Tabove ali, the want os interco urse with other places, render them in1 proper sit uations sor a seminary of religion and learning. It will not he amisi to infert here an observation I re member to haveseen in an abstract of the proceed ings, Sc. annexed to the dea n of Cante urγ's sermon, he re the society for the propagation of the go spei in forctgn paris; that the lavage Indians, who live on the continent, Willnot suffer their child ren to learn Englis or Dutch, test they should bedebauched by conversing with their European ne igh bours; whicli is a melancholy but strong confirmation of the truth of what hath been no is

A generat interco urse and correspondence with ait the Englisi colonies, both on the inands and the continent, and with other paris of America, hath been he re laid down, as a necessary circumstance, the reason whereos is very evident. But this circumstance is hard ly to be soland.

For on the continent, Where there are ne ither innS, nor Carri ages, norhridges over the rivers, there is no travelling by iand be tween distant places. And the Engli se ille ments are reputed to extend a long the seata coast sor the space of fifteen hundred miles. It is there re plain, there can he no convenient communication belween them, other Nise than bysea; no ad vantage theresere, in this potnt, can be gained by setiling onthe continent.

There is a nother consideration whicli equalty regarda the Continentand istands, that the generat course of trade and corresponden e lies Domati those colonies to Great-Britata alone : whereas, lar OUr Present pur- pose, it would be neces1ary to pitch upon a place, is such could be soland which maintains a constant intercourse with ait the other coloni es, and whose commerce lies chiesy or altogether not in Europe, but in Ame

rica,

There

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Τhere is hut one spol that I can find, to whicli this circumstance agre es; and that is the isses of Bemuda, other Nise called the Summer Isanri. Thesehaving no ricli commodi ty or manufacture, such as fugar, iobacco, or thelthe, where ithal to trade to England, a re obliged to heco me carriers for America, as the Dutch are for Europe. The Bermudans are excellentshipis righis and saliors, and have a great number of very good stoops, whicli are always pasting and repasting Dona ali paris of America. Theydrive a constant trade to the issands os Pamaica, Barbaries, Antego, Sc. vith butier, onions , Cabbages, and other roois and vegetabies, whicli theyliave in great plenty and persection. They have also sonte smali manufactu res of joiner's work and matting, whicli they eXpori to the plantations on the continent. Hence Bemudan sioops a re os tener feen in theporis of America, than any other. And in deed, by the best informationΙ could get, it appears they are the only peo ple of ali the Briti plantations, Who hold a generat corresponden ce with the rest. And, as the commerce of Bemuda reniters it a very fit place, where into erect a seminary, Q likewi se dotii ita siluation, it be ing placed belween Our plantations on the continent, and those in the isses, se as equalty tores pedi both. To which may be added, that it lies in the way of vesteis passing frona America to Great-Britain ali Whicli malles it plain, that theyouth, to be educated in a seminary placed in the Summer Plani, would have frequent opportunities of going thither and corresponding with their friend s. it must indeed he owned, that some will be obliged to go a long Way to any one place, Which We suppose resorted to, from ali paris of our plantations ; but is we were to look out a spol the nearest approaching to an equat distance Dom ali the rest, I belle ve it would be und to be Bermuda. It rema ins, that we see whether it enjoys the other qualities or cond:tions la id down as ii as. this.

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grees ; no part of the worid e oys a purer air, Or a more temperate climate, the great occan whicli en Virons them, at once moderating the heat

every day taken on their coasis, it would stem, that a seminary could nowhere be supplied with be iter provisions, or chea per than here. Abo ut sorty years ago, upon cut ting down many tali cedars, that mel- tered their orange-trees stom the north-west Wind, whicli somelimes blows even there, so as to affect that delicate plant) great part of thei rorange plantations sustered ; but other cedars a re since gro a Up, and nodoubi, a litile industry would again produce as great plenty of oranges,as ever was there heretosore. I mention this, hecause sonae have inferredfrom the present scarci ty of that fruit, for whicli Bermada was Once so mous, that there hath been a change in the soli and climate sor theworse. But this, as liath been observed, proceeded stom another cause, whicli is now in great mea sure talien aWay. Bermtida is a cluster os Mali issands, whicli lie in a very narro com

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prospect of mahing a sortune by this smali trade, so it cannot be supposedio tempt the sellows of the college to engage in it, to the neglect of their peculiar business, whicli might possibly be the case elsewhere. Such as their trade is, lach is their wealth ; the inhabitanis heing muchpoorer than the other colonies, who do not fati to despi se them upon that account. But is they have lese wealth, they have withal test vice and expensive folly than their neighbours. They are represented as a contented, plain, innocent sori of people, free Dom avarice and luxury, asweli as the other corruptions that attend those vices. I am also informed, that they are more constant attendanis on divine

service, more hind and respectial to their pastor when they have one and shew much more humanity to their naves, and charity to one another, than is observed among the Engli h in the other plantations: onerea n of this may be, that condemned criminals, heing employed in themanufactu res of fugar and iobacco, were never transported thither. But, Whatever be the cause, the facts are attested by a clergyman of good credit, who lived long among them. Amos g

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Among a people of this character, and in a siluation thus circumstantia ted, it would stem that a seminary of religion and learia ing might very fitly be placed. The correspondence with other paris of America, thegoodnest of the air, the plenty and securi ty of the place, the frugali tyand innocence of the inhabitanis, ali conspiring to favour such a design. Thus much at least is evident, that young students would be there lessit able to be corrupted in their morais; and the governing part Nould beeasier, and bet ter contented with a sinali stipend, and a reti red academicat i , in a corner stom whence avarice and luxury are excluded, thanthey can be supposed to be in the naidst os a fuli trade and great riches, attended with ali that hi gh living and parade Whicli our planters amest,

and which, as weli as ali famion able vices, mould be far removed Domthe eyes of the young American missionaries, who are to te ad a life of po-verty and selsedental among their countrymen. Aster ali, it must be achnowledged, that though e very thing else mould concur with our Wimes, yet is a set of good go vernors.and teachers bewant in g, who a re acqua in ted with the methods of education, and have the geal and abili ty requisite sor carrying on a design of this nature, itwould certain ly come to nothing. An institution of this hin d mould be set on ot by men os prudence. spirit and geat, as weli as competent learn in g, who mould be led to ithy other motives than the necessity of piching Up a maintenance. Forupon this vlew, what man os merit Can be supposed to quit his nativocountry, and talie Up with a poor college-subsistence in another part of the worid, where there are so many considerable parimes actually void,

or Northier men, than benefices of many times their valuet

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And excepi able and worthy men do first engage in this assair, with a resolution to exert them lues in forming the manners of the youth, and giving them a proper education, it is evident the mission and the collegewill be but in a very bad way. This inconvenience seems the most dissiculi to provide against, and, is not provided against, it will be the mostlihely to obstruct any design of this nature. So true it is, that where ignorance or ill manners once talie place in a seminary, they are iure to bet, an ded down in a succession os illiterate or orthiesi men.

Eut this apprehension, which seems so weli grounded, that a collego in any part of America would either lie unprovided, or be worse provided han their churches are, hath no place in Bermuda; there being at this time severat gentiemen, in ali respects very weli quali fied, and in possession of good prefermenis, and fair prospecis at home, who having serious ly considered the great benefit that may ari se to the church and tomani ind seo in lach an underi aking, are ready to engage in it, and to dedicate the re mainder of their lives to the instructing the youth of America, and prosecuting their o n studies upon a very moderate subsistence in a reti rement, so sweet and so secure, and e very way so weli fit ted sor a place of education and study, as Bermuda. Thus much the writer hereos thought himself obliged to say of his asib aciates: sor himself, he can only say, that as he values no preser ment up-on earth, se much as that of being employed in the execution os this

design; so he hopes to make up sor other desecis, by the sinceri ty of his

In Europe, the protestant religion hath os late years considerably lostground , and America seems the liheltest place, wherein to malle up sorwhat hath been lost in Europe, provide d the proper methods a re talien: other i se the Stantse missionaries in the fouth, and the French in the

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Rome, and with it the usual hatred to protestanis, throughout ali the Ω- vage nations in America; which would probably end in the ulter extirpation of our colonies, on the sesely whereos depends Q much of the nation's wealth, and se considerable a branch of his majesty's revenue. But is this scheme were pursued, it would in ali probabili ty have much

greater influence on the Americans, than the ulmost endeavours of popis hemissaries can possibiy have, who stom the difference of country, langvage and interest, must lie under far greater dissiculties and discourage-ments than those, whom we suppose yearly sent out stom Bermuta topreach among their countrymen. It cannot indeed he dented, that the great number of poor regulars, inured to hard living, and brought up in an implicit obedience to their superiors, hath hitherio gi ven the church of Rome, in regard to her missions, great advantage over the reformed churches. But stom what hathbeen se id, it is, I thin k, evident, that this advantage may be over-balancea by our emplo ing American missionaries. Nor is the honour of the crorin, nation, and church of England uncon-

cerned in this scheme ; which, it is to he hoped, will remove the reproach, we have so long lain under, that we fati as far mort of our neighbours of the Romi communion in geat for propagating religion, as We surpassthem in the foundiaesi and purity of it. And at the fame time, that thedoing what may be se easi ly done, talies away our reproach ; it Will castno sinali lustre on his majesty's reign, and derive a blessing from heavenon his administration, and those who live under the influence thereos. Men os narrow minds have a peculiar talent at objection, being ne- ver at a tost sor semething to say against what ever is not of their o nVo L. II. Kkli propossing.

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3Α Proposui, Vc. proposing. Aiad perhaps, it Will be seid in opposition to this proposiI,

that is we thought ourselves capable of gaining converis to the church, we ought to begin with in fideis, papists, and dissenters of ali denominations at home, and to mahe proselytes of these besore we thin k of rei gners ; and that there re our scheme is against duty. And further, that considering the great opposition, whicli is found on the part of tho who dister stom us at home, no successe can be expected among savages abroad, and that there re it is against rea n and experience. In answer to this I say, that religion like light is imparted without be-ing dimini med. That whate ver is done abroad, can be no hindrance or

gage in this assair, imagine they will not be missed, where there is nowant of schools or clergy; hut that they may be of singular service incolantries but thin ly supplied with et ther, or altogether de prived of both: that our colonies heing of the fame blood, langu age and religion, withourseives, a re in effect our countrymen. But that christian chari ty, notheing limited by those regards, dotii extend to ali man kind. And this may serve sor an an Mer to the first potnt, that our design is against duty. To the second potnt I an siser; that ignorance is'not so incurabie aserror; that you must puli down as weli as bulld, erase as weli as imprint, in ordor to malle proselytes at home: whereas, the savage Americans, is they a re in a state purely naturat, and unim proved by education, they arealso uia incumbered with ali that rubbim of superstition and prejudice, whicli is the essest of a wrong one. As they a re lese instructed, they arowithal lese concei ted and more lea chable. And not be ing violently attached to any false system of their own, are so much the sit ter to receive that whicli is true. Hence it is evident, that succese abroad ought notio be mea sured by that which we observe at home, and that the inferen ce,

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pose, severat Indians having returned to their lavage manners after theyhad been taught to write and read, and instructed in the christian religion ; a clear proos that their natural stupidi ty is not to be overcome byeducation.

In answer to this, I say, that the scheme now proposed hath never been tried, forasmuch as a thorough education in religion and morali ty, in duvine and human learning, doth not appear to have been ever gi ven to any savage American: that much is to be hoped from a man ripe in years, and weli grounded in religion and useful knowledge, while litile or nothing can be expected Dom a youth but stightly instructed in the elements of ei ther : that frona the mi arriage or gross stupidity os sonae, a generat incapacity os ali Americans cannot be Dirly inferred: that the shew as much natural sense as other unculti valed nations: that the em- Pires of Moico and Perti H ere evident proose of their capaci ty, in whichthere appeared a reach of politics, andia degree of ari and politonest which no European people were e ver known to have arrived at without the use of letters or of iron, and whicli seme perhaps have fallen stiori ofwith both those ad vantageia To what hath been Did, it may not be improper to adii, that youngAmericans, educated in an istand at sonae distance frona their own coun- try, wili more easi ly be hept under discipline illi they have alta ined a complete education, than on the continent ; where they might find opportunities of running away to their countrymen, and returning to their

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and habiis. It must neverthelest be achnowledged a dissiculi attempi, to plant religion among the Americans, so long as they continue their wild and rov- ing liis. He who is obliged to hunt for his dat ly food, will have litile curiosi ty or leti re to receive instruction. It would stem theresere theright way, to introduce religion and civit life at the same time into that part of the worid: either attempt Will assist and pro mole the other. Those there re of the young savages, Who upon triat are und lassiihely to improve by academicat studies, may be taught agriculture, or themost necessary trades. And When humandmen, Wea Vers, carpenters, and the like, have planted those useful aris among their savage countrymen, and taught them to live in stilled habitations, to canton Out their tandand tili it, to provide vegetable Od of ali hinds, to preserve flocks and herds of catile, to mahe CORVenient houses, and to Clothe themselves de

dispose them to sociat virtu es, and enable them to see and to stet the ad vantages of a religious and civit education. And that this vlew of propagating the gospei and civit lise among the se vage nations of America, Was a principat motive whicli induced thecrown to send the first Engli colonies thither, doth appear Dom thecharier granted by hing yames I. to the adventu rers in Virginia. Se Purchas , Pistrims, Vol. . b. I. c. 9. And it is now but just whatmight then stem charitable) that these mor creatures mould receive semeaduantage with respect to their spiritual interests, Dom those Who have so much improved their temporal, by setiling among them. It is most true, notwithstanding our present corruptions, that thereare to be Aund in no country under the sun men of better inclinations,