the life of william carey-第35章

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Lancaster　taught　England　to　apply　to　the　clamant　wants　of　the　country；　and　to　improve　into　the　monitorial；　pupil…teacher　and　grant…in…aid　systems。　　Carey　had　all　the　native　schools　of　the　mission　〃conducted　upon　Lancaster's　plan。〃

In　Serampore；　and　in　every　new　station　as　it　was　formed；　a　free　school　was　opened。　　We　have　seen　how　the　first　educated　convert；　Petumber；　was　made　schoolmaster。　　So　early　as　October　1800　we　find　Carey　writing　home：〃The　children　in　our　Bengali　free　school；　about　fifty；　are　mostly　very　young。　　Yet　we　are　endeavouring　to　instil　into　their　minds　Divine　truth；　as　fast　as　their　understandings　ripen。　　Some　natives　have　complained　that　we　are　poisoning　the　minds　even　of　their　very　children。〃　　The　first　attempt　to　induce　the　boys　to　write　out　the　catechism　in　Bengali　resulted；　as　did　Duff's　to　get　them　to　read　aloud　the　Sermon　on　the　Mount　thirty　years　after；　in　a　protest　that　their　caste　was　in　danger。　　But　the　true　principles　of　toleration　and　discipline　were　at　once　explained〃that　the　children　will　never　be　compelled　to　do　anything　that　will　make　them　lose　caste；　that　though　we　abhor　the　caste　we　do　not　wish　any　to　lose　it　but　by　their　own　choice。　　After　this　we　shall　insist　on　the　children　doing　what　they　have　been　ordered。〃　　A　few　of　the　oldest　boys　withdrew　for　a　time；　declaring　that　they　feared　they　would　be　sent　on　board　ship　to　England；　and　the　baptism　of　each　of　the　earlier　converts　caused　a　panic。　　But　instruction　on　honest　methods　soon　worked　out　the　true　remedy。　　Two　years　after　we　find　this　report：〃The　first　class；　consisting　of　catechumens；　are　now　learning　in　Bengali　the　first　principles　of　Christianity；　and　will　hereafter　be　instructed　in　the　rudiments　of　history；　geography；　astronomy；　etc。　　The　second　class；　under　two　other　masters；　learn　to　read　and　write　Bengali　and　English。　　The　third　class；　consisting　of　the　children　of　natives　who　have　not　lost　caste；　learn　only　Bengali。　This　school　is　in　a　promising　state；　and　is　liberally　supported　by　the　subscriptions　of　Europeans　in　this　country。〃

Carey's　early　success　led　Mr。　Creighton　of　Malda　to　open　at　Goamalty　several　Bengali　free　schools；　and　to　draw　up　a　scheme　for　extending　such　Christian　nurseries　all　over　the　country　at　a　cost　of　？0　for　the　education　of　fifty　children。　　Only　by　the　year　1806　was　such　a　scheme　practicable；　because　Carey　had　translated　the　Scriptures；　and；　as　Creighton　noted；　〃a　variety　of　introductory　and　explanatory　tracts　and　catechisms　in　the　Bengali　and　Hindostani　tongues　have　already　been　circulated　in　some　parts　of　the　country；　and　any　number　may　be　had　gratis　from　the　Mission　House；　Serampore。〃　　As　only　a　few　of　the　Brahman　and　writer　castes　could　read；　and　not　one　woman；　〃a　general　perusal　of　the　Scriptures　amongst　natives　will　be　impracticable　till　they　are　taught　to　read。〃　　But　nothing　was　done；　save　by　the　missionaries；　till　1835；　when　Lord　William　Bentinck　received　Adam's　report　on　the　educational　destitution　of　Bengal。

Referring　to　Creighton's　scheme；　Mr。　Ward's　journal　thus　chronicles　the　opening　of　the　first　Sunday　school　in　India　in　July　1803　by　Carey's　sons：

〃Last　Lord's　day　a　kind　of　Sunday　school　was　opened；　which　will　be　superintended　principally　by　our　young　friends　Felix　and　William　Carey；　and　John　Fernandez。　　It　will　chiefly　be　confined　to　teaching　catechisms　in　Bengali　and　English；　as　the　children　learn　to　read　and　write　every　day。　　I　have　received　a　letter　from　a　gentleman　up　the　country；　who　writes　very　warmly　respecting　the　general　establishment　of　Christian　schools　all　over　Bengal。〃

Not　many　years　had　passed　since　Raikes　had　begun　Sunday　schools　in　England。　　Their　use　seems　to　have　passed　away　with　the　three　Serampore　missionaries　for　a　time；　and　to　have　been　again　extended　by　the　American　missionaries　about　1870。　　There　are　now　above　200；000　boys　and　girls　at　such　schools　in　India；　and　three…fourths　of　these　are　non…Christians。

As　from　the　first　Carey　drew　converts　from　all　classes；　the　Armenians；　the　Portuguese；　and　the　Eurasians；　as　well　as　the　natives　of　India；　he　and　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Marshman　especially　took　care　to　provide　schools　for　their　children。　　The　necessity；　indeed；　of　this　was　forced　upon　them　by　the　facts　that　the　brotherhood　began　with　nine　children；　and　that　boarding…schools　for　these　classes　would　form　an　honourable　source　of　revenue　to　the　mission。　　Hence　this　advertisement；　which　appeared　in　March　1800：〃Mission；　House；　Serampore。On　Thursday；　the　1st　of　May　1800；　a　school　will　be　opened　at　this　house；　which　stands　in　a　very　healthy　and　pleasant　situation　by　the　side　of　the　river。　　Letters　add　to　Mr。　Carey　will　be　immediately　attended　to。〃　　The　cost　of　boarding　and　fees　varied　from　？5　to　？0　a　year；　according　as　〃Latin；　Greek；　Hebrew；　Persian；　or　Sanskrit〃　lessons　were　included。　〃Particular　attention　will　be　paid　to　the　correct　pronunciation　of　the　English　language〃　was　added　for　reasons　which　the　mixed　parentage　of　the　pupils　explains。　　Such　was　the　first　sign　of　a　care　for　the　Eurasians　not　connected　with　the　army；　which；　as　developed　by　Marshman　and　Mack；　began　in　1823　to　take　the　form　of　the　Doveton　College。　　The　boys'　school　was　soon　followed　by　a　girls'　school；　through　which　a　stream　of　Christian　light　radiated　forth　over　resident　Christian　society；　and　from　which　many　a　missionary　came。

Carey's　description　of　the　mixed　community　is　the　best　we　have　of　its　origin　as　well　as　of　the　state　of　European　society　in　India；　alike　when　the　Portuguese　were　dominant；　and　at　the　beginning　of　the　nineteenth　century　when　the　East　India　Company　were　most　afraid　of　Christianity：〃The　Portuguese　are　a　people　who；　in　the　estimation　of　both　Europeans　and　natives；　are　sunk　below　the　Hindoos　or　Mussulmans。　　However；　I　am　of　opinion　that　they　are　rated　much　too　low。　　They　are　chiefly　descendants　of　the　slaves　of　the　Portuguese　who　first　landed　here；　or　of　the　children　of　those　Portuguese　by　their　female　slaves；　and　being　born　in　their　house；　were　made　Christians　in　their　infancy　by　what　is　called　baptism；　and　had　Portuguese　names　given　them。　　It　is　no　wonder　that　these　people；　despised　as　they　are　by　Europeans；　and　being　consigned　to　the　teachings　of　very　ignorant　Popish　priests；　should　be　sunk　into　such　a　state　of　degradation。　　So　gross；　indeed；　are　their　superstitions；　that　I　have　seen　a　Hindoo　image…maker　carrying　home　an　image　of　Christ　on　the　cross　between　two　thieves；　to　the　house　of　a　Portuguese。　　Many　of　them；　however；　can　read　and　write　English　well　and　understand　Portuguese。。。

〃Besides　these；　there　are　many　who　are　the　children　of　Europeans　by　native　women；　several　of　whom　are　well　educated；　and　nearly　all　of　them　Protestants　by　profession。　　These；　whether　children　of　English；　French；　Dutch；　or　Danes；　by　native　women；　are　called　Portuguese。　Concubinage　here　is　so　common；　that　few　unmarried　Europeans　are　without　a　native　woman；　with　whom　they　live　as　if　married；　and　I　believe　there　are　but　few　instances　of　separation；　except　in　case　of　marriage　with　European　women；　in　which　case　the　native　woman　is　dismissed　with　an　allowance：　but　the　children　of　these　marriages　are　never　admitted　to　table　with　company；　and　are　universally　treated　by　the　English　as　an　inferior　species　of　beings。　　Hence　they　are　often　shame…faced　yet　proud　and　conceited；　and　endeavour　to　assume　that　honour　to　themselves　which　is　denied　them　by　others。　　This　class　may　be　regarded　as　forming　a　connecting　link　between　Europeans　and　natives。　　The　Armenians　are　few　in　number；　but　chiefly　rich。　　I　have　several　times　conversed　with　them　about　religion：　they　hear　with　patience；　and　wonder　that　any　Englishman　should　make　that　a　subject　of　conversation。〃

While　the　Marshmans　gave　their　time　from　seven　in　the　morning　till　three　in　the　afternoon　to　these　boarding…schools　started　by　Carey　in　1800　for　the　higher　education　of　the　Eurasians；　Carey　himself；　in　Calcutta；　early　began　to　care　for　the　destitute。　　His　efforts　resulted　in　the　establishment　of　the　〃Benevolent　Institution　for　the　Instruction　of　Indigent　Children；〃　which　the　contemporary　Bengal　civilian；　Charles　Lushington；　in　his　History　extols　as　one　of　the　monuments　of　active　and　indefatigable　benevolence　due　to　Serampore。　Here；　on　the　Lancaster　system；　and　supe