To the above question is given the very curious answer--15 for Writing, 9 for Agriculture. Evidently there were some farmers of the old school in the forum! The character of the schools of the period is reflected in the following:-- "Whether a Public or a Private Education for youth is to be preferred?--Unan. for a private one, in favour of virtue." "Whether the use of well-composed forms, or extempore prayer in dissenting congregations be most agreeable to the Dignity of Religious worship, and the general Edification?--2 for Forms, 16 for Extempore." "Which is the greater Evil, to Educate Children _above_ or _beneath_ their probable station or Circumstances?--5 above Circumstances, 9 below." Here we get a hundred years' old opinion that in effect it is better to educate children above their probable station and let them take their chance in the competition of life than to educate them below it. This was evidently a vigorous reforming opinion for those days, considering that Board Schools were yet nearly a hundred years off! Fifty years even before the Reform Bill it was possible to get such an opinion as the following upon the suffrage:-- "If we could get a Reform in Parliament would it be expedient or just to exclude any Order of subjects from giving their vote for a Representative in the House of Commons?--John Fordham (Kelshall).--Yeas 2, Noes 7." That is seven out of nine were in favour of universal suffrage! Here is an instance of the logical and discriminating faculties which these forums called forth in such a high degree:-- "Is good sense or good nature most productive of Happiness--taking both the Individual and Society into the Account?--Good Nature to Individuals 13, Good Sense to ditto 8; Good Sense to Society 19, Good Nature to ditto 1." {30} The foregoing answer is a very nice discrimination and involved a "reasoning out" which is in striking contrast with most modern debates in which the facts can be read up from various almanacks. The meaning of it is of course that good nature between man and man and good sense in general society are most productive of happiness. The following is quoted of a different type:-- "Which of the three learned Professions--Law, Physic, or Divinity--has been most useful to Society?--Law 7, Physic 1, Divinity 9." This was rather hard upon the doctors, it must be confessed, but, then, society had no reason to be very grateful to a class of men who in those days dealt so largely in bleeding, blistering and purging! It would be interesting to know what sort of a vote would be given on such a question now. Probably it would be found that the doctors had pulled up a bit during the last hundred years. Here is another on the State and individual opinion:-- "Has the State a Right to take Cognizance of any Opinions whatever, either civil, political, or religious?--A, 6; N, 12." The following shows the financial insecurity of the times:--