CHAPTERXXIII——EDUCATION
ThechieffeatureofthehistoryofWalesduringtheeighteenthandnineteenthcenturiesisthegrowthofasystemofeducation。
Themostdemocratic，themostperfect，andthemostefficientmethodisstillthatoftheSundaySchool。ItwaswellestablishedbeforethedeathofCharlesofBala，whosenameismostcloselyconnectedwithit，in1814。Itsoonbecame，anditstillremains，aschoolforthewholepeople，fromchildrentopatriarchs。Itslanguageisthatofitsdistrict。Itsteachersareselectedforefficiency——theyareeasilyshiftedtotheclasseswhichtheycanteachbest；and，ifnotsuccessful，theygobackwillinglytothe\"teachers’class，\"whereallareequal。ThereputationofagoodSundaySchoolteacherisstillthehighestdegreethatcanbewoninWales。Plentifultextbooksofhighmerit，andanelaboratesystemoforalandwrittenexaminations，markthelaststageinitsdevelopment。
TheLiteraryMeetingisakindofsecularSundaySchool。TherulesofalliterativepoetryandthestudyofWelshliteratureandhistory，andsometimesofmoregeneralknowledge，taketheplaceofthestudyofJewishhistory，andpsalm，andgospel。TheLiteraryMeetingsfeedtheEisteddvod。
TheEisteddvodpassedthroughthesamephasesasthenation。ItwasanaspectofthecourtoftheprinceduringtheMiddleAges。InTudortimesitwasusedpartlytopleasethepeople，butchieflytoregulatethebardsbyforcingthemtoqualifyforadegree——asuremethodofmoderatingtheirpatriotismandofdiminishingtheirnumber。InmoderntimestheEisteddvodisagreatdemocraticmeeting，anditisthemostcharacteristicofallWelshinstitutions。