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other science. The ftatues of Antoninus, Comodus, and their cotemporaries, are the fineft productions of the chiffel, and appeared but just before learning was deftroyed by comment, criticifm, and barbarous invafions.

What happened in Rome may probably be the cafe with us at home. Our nobility are now more folicitous in patronizing painters and fculptors than thofe of any other polite profeffion; and from the lord, who has his gallery, down to the 'prentice, who has his two-pennny copper-plate, all are admirers of this art. The great by their careffes feem infenfible to all other merit but that of the pencil; and the vulgar buy every book rather from the excellence of the fculptor than the writer.

How happy were it now, if men of real excellence in that profeffion were to arife! Were the painters of Italy now to appear, who once wandered like beggars from one city to another, and produce their almoft breathing figures, what rewards might they not expect! But many of them lived without rewards, and therefore rewards alone will never produce their equals. We have often found the great exert themfelves not only without promotion, but in fpite of oppofition. We have often found them flourishing, like medical plants, in a region of favagenefs and barbarity, their excellence unknown, and their virtues unheeded.

They who have feen the paintings of Caravagio are fenfible of the furprifing impreffion they make; bold, fwelling, terrible to the laft degree; all feems animated, and fpeaks him among the foremost of his profeffion; yet this man's fortune and his fame feemed ever in oppofition to each other.

Unknowing how to flatter the great he was driven from city to city in the utmoft indigence, and might truly be faid to paint for his bread.

Having one day infulted a perfon of diftinction, who refused to pay him all the refpect which he thought his due, he was obliged to leave Rome, and travel on foot, his ufual method of going his journeys down into the country, without either money or friends to fubfift him.

After he had travelled in this manner as long as his ftrength would permit, faint with famine and fatigue he at laft called at an obfcure inn by the way fide. The hoft knew, by the appearance of his gueft, his indifferent circumstances, and refused tọ furnish him a dinner without previous payment.

As Caravagio was entirely deftitute of money, he took down the innkeeper's fign, and painted it anew for his dinner.

Thus refreshed he proceeded on his journey, and left the innkeeper not quite fatisfied with this method of payment. Some company of dictinction however coming foon after, and ftruck with the beauty of the new fign, bought it at an advanced price, and aftonished the innkeeper with their generofity; he was refolved therefore to get as many figns as poffible drawn by the fame artist, as he found he could fell them to good advantage; and accordingly set out after Caravagio, in order to bring him back. It was night-fall before he came up to the place, where the unfortunate Caravagio lay dead by the road fide, overcome by fatigue, refentment, and defpair.

THE

THE BE E, N° VI.
BEE,

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1759.

SIR,

ON EDUCATION.

TO THE AUTHOR OF THE BEE.

As S few subjects are more interefting to fociety, fo few have been more frequently written upon, than the education of youth. Yet is it not a little furprizing, that it fhould have been treated almost by all in a declamatory manner? They have infifted largely on the advantages that refult from it, both to the individual and to fociety, and have expatiated in the praise of what none have ever been fo hardy as to call in queftion.

Inftead of giving us fine but empty harangues upon this fubject, inftead of indulging each his particular and whimsical fyftems, it had been much better if the writers on this fubject had treated it in a more fcientific manner, repreffed all the fallies of imagination, and given us the refult of their obfervations with didactic fimplicity. Upon this fubject the smallest errors are of the most dangerous confequence; and the author fhould venture the imputation of ftupidity upon a topic, where his flightest deviations may tend to injure the rifing generation.

I fhall therefore throw out a few thoughts upon this fubject, which have not been attended to by

others,

others, and fhall difmifs all attempts to please, while I ftudy only inftruction.

The manner in which our youth of London are at prefent educated is, fome in free schools in the city, but the far greater number in boarding schools about town. The parent juftly confults the health of his child, and finds an education in the country tends to promote this much more than a continuance in town. Thus far they are right; if there were a poffibility of having even our free fchools kept a little out of town, it would certainly conduce to the health and vigour of perhaps the mind, as well as of the body. It may be thought whimfical, but it is truth; I have found by experience, that they, who have spent all their lives in cities, contract not only an effeminacy of habit, but even of thinking.

But when I have said, that the boarding schools are preferable to free fchools, as being in the country, this is certainly the only advantage I can allow them, otherwise it is impoffible to conceive the ignorance of those who take upon them the important truft of education. Is any man unfit for any of the profeffions; he finds his laft refource in fetting up fchool. Do any become bankrupts in trade; they ftill fet up a boarding fchool, and drive a trade this way, when all others fail: nay, I have been told of butchers and barbers, who have turned fchoolmafters; and, more furprising ftill, made fortunes in their new profeffion.

Could we think ourselves in a country of civilized people; could it be conceived that we have any regard for pofterity, when fuch are permitted to take the charge of the morals, genius and health of those dear little pledges, who may one day be the guardians of the liberties of Europe, and who may ferve as the honour and bulwark of their aged parents? The care of our children, is it below the ftate? is it

fit to indulge the caprice of the ignorant with the difpofal of their children in this particular? For the ftate to take the charge of all its children, as in Perfia or Sparta, might at prefent be inconvenient; but furely with great ease it might caft an eye to their inftructors. Of all members of fociety, I do not know a more useful, or a more honourable one, than a school-mafter; at the fame time that I do not fee any more generally defpifed, or whofe talents. are fo ill rewarded.

Were the falaries of fchool-mafters to be augmented from a diminution of useless finecures, how might it turn to the advantage of this people; a people whom without flattery I may in other refpects term the wifeft and greateft upon earth! But while I would reward the deferving, I would difmifs thofe utterly unqualified for their employment: In fhort, I would make the bufinefs of a fchool-mafter every way more refpectable, by increafing their falaries, and admitting only men of proper abilities.

There are already school-masters appointed, and they have fome small falaries; but where at prefent there is but one school-mafter appointed, there should at least be two; and wherever the falary is at prefent twenty pounds, it fhould be an hundred. Do we give immoderate benefices to thofe who inftruct ourselves, and fhall we deny even subsistence to those who inftruct our children. Every member of fociety fhould be paid in proportion as he is neceffary; and I will be bold enough to fay, that fchool-mafters in a ftate are more neceffary than clergymen, as children ftand in more need of inftruction than their parents.

But instead of this, as I have already obferved, we fend them to board in the country to the most ignorant fet of men that can be imagined. But left

the

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