“The circumstances of the schools and libraries of this town,” said Mr. Darcy as they walked about the grounds, “demonstrate that the principle of the education of youth lies at the very foundations of private and social prosperity. The enemy of knowledge has always been superstition and bigotry. My last letter to Knightley dealt at length with this subject. The affairs of the poor are so wretchedly managed in nearly every other part of England, creating generations of poor, who beget children born to continue a life of indolence and want. These children here are educated on Lancaster’s method of instruction. As I understand it, this study has been proven remarkably successful, as judged from the rapid progress made by the students in reading, writing, and arithmetic, since beginning upon this plan.”

“Certainly,” replied Elizabeth, “the proof of the public liberality here in Newport and other places near-by is in every way exemplary and commendable; however, the generosity and forward-thinking of the principal families has been amply recompensed by the general comfort we see everywhere: the lack of want, the respectability and industry of all classes, as well as the evident increasing prosperity of the town, indicating—to my thinking—that this method should not be confined to this island, but must be the general rule for the Kingdom.”

Elizabeth was very impressed with everything they saw, and concluded with her husband that their own school could not do better than emulate—to whatever extent possible in the northern part of Derbyshire—the plan before them. Again, Mr. Darcy had recourse to his pocket-book, and Elizabeth assisted his notes by sketching the various buildings and their details.

The following day was spent in the environs of Ryde and the eastern shore of the island, where Lord Spencer had latterly built an house for summer residence. Mr. Darcy remarked that it looked more like a horse-barn than a nobleman’s seat. However, they were generally not to be disappointed, as the other grand houses in the neighbourhood were elegant and well-situated. Several very pretty thatched cottages were intermingled with the larger houses, which, with the shrubberies, hanging woods, fine groves of hardwoods, plantations of evergreens, and their fine views of the sea, assumed every advantage of the picturesque. On the road to the east, very agreeable views of Ryde, Spithead, Portsmouth, and St. Helens could be seen variously through the trees. Mr. Simeon’s property contained a lodge of a new and singular description in the stile of Mr. Repton, giving the grounds a very natural-looking unnatural ornament, and to the visitor a very gratifying view of an estate perfectly situated within nature, placing each to the best advantage of both.