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all, in a declamatory manner. They have infifted largely on the advantages that result from it, both to individuals and to fociety; and have expatiated in the praise of what none have ever been so hardy as to call in question.

Inftead of giving us fine, but empty harangues upon this fubject; instead of indulging each his particular and whimfical fyftems, it had been much better if the writers on this subject had treated it in a more scientific manner, repreffed all the fallies of imagination, and given us the refult of their obfervations with didactic fimplicity. Upon this subject, the smallest errors are of the most dangerous confequence; and the author should venture the imputation of stupidity upon a topic, where his slightest deviations may tend to injure the rifing generation. However, fuch are the whimsical and erroneous productions written upon this fubject. Their authors have ftudied to be uncommon, not to be just; and, at present, we want a treatise upon education, not to tell us any thing new, but to explode the errors which have been introduced by the admirers of novelty. It is in this manner books become numerous; a defire of novelty produces a book, and other books are required to deftroy the former.

I fhall, therefore, throw out a few thoughts upon this fubject, which, though known, have not been attended to by others; and shall dismiss all attempts to please, while I ftudy only inftruction.

The manner in which our youth of London are at prefent educated, is, fome in freesc-hools in the city, but the far greater number in boarding-schools about

town,

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 he is right: if there were a poffibility of having even our free-schools kept a little out of town, it would certainly conduce to the health and vigour of, perhaps the mind, as well as 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 effiminacy of habit, but even of thinking.

But when I have faid, that the boarding-schools are preferable to free-fchools, as being in the country, this is certainly the only advantage I can allow them; otherwife, 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 last resource in setting up a 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 fchoolmasters, and, more fuprifing ftill, made fortunes in their new profeffion.

Could we think ourselves in a country of civilized people; could it be conceived, that we have a regard for pofterity, when fuch perfons 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 serve as the honour and bulwark of their aged parents? The care * of our children, is it below the state? Is it fit to

indulge

indulge the caprice of the ignorant with the ditpofal of their children in this particular? For the state 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 cast an eye to their inftructors. Of all profeffions in fociety, I do not know a more useful, or a more honourable one, than a schoolmaster; at the fame time that I do not fee any more generally despised, or men whofe talents are fo ill rewarded.

Were the falaries of schoolmasters 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 greatest upon earth. But while I would reward the deferving, I would difmifs thofe utterly unqualified for their employment: in fhart, I would make the business of a schoolmaster every way more refpectable, by increafing their falaries, and admitting only men of proper abilities.

It is true, we have already schoolmafters appoint ed, and they have small falaries; but where at prefent there is only one fchoolmafter appointed, there fhould at least be two: and wherever the salary is at prefent twenty pounds, it fhould be augmented to an hundred. Do we give immoderate benefices to those who inftruct ourselves, and fhall we deny even fubfiftence to thofe who inftruct our children? Every member of fociety should be paid in proportion as he is neceffary; and I will be bold enough to fay, that schoolmasters in a state are more neceflary C

than

50

than clergymen, as children ftand in more need of inftruction than their parents.

But instead of this, as I have already observed, we fend them to board in the country, to the most ignorant fet of men that can be imagined; and, left the ignorance of the master be not sufficient, the child is generally configned to the ufher. This is commonly fome poor needy animal, little fuperior to a footman either in learning or spirit, invited to his place by an advertisement, and kept there merely from his being of a complying difpofition, and making the children fond of him." You give your child to be educated to a flave," fays a philofopher to a rich man; inftead of one will then have two."

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flave, you

It were well, therefore, if parents upon fixing their children in one of thefe houfes, would examine the abilities of the ufher as well as the mafter; for, whatever theyare told to the contrary, the usher is generally the perfon moft employed in their education. If, then, a gentleman, upon putting out his fon to one of thefe houfes, fee the ufher difregarded by the mafter, he may depend upon it that he is equally difregarded by the boys: the truth is, in fpite of all their endeavours to pleafe, they are generally the laughing-stock of the school. Every trick is played upon the ufher: the oddity of his manners, his dress, or his language, are a fund of eternal ridicule. The mafter himself, now and then, cannot avoid joining in the laugh; and the poor wretch, eternally refenting this ill ufage, feems to live in a state of war with all the family. This is a very proper person, is it

not,

not, to give children a relish for learning? They must esteem learning very much, when they fee its profeffors ufed with fo little ceremony. If the ufler be defpifed, the father may be affured his child will never be properly instructed.

But let me fuppofe, that there are fome schools without thefe inconveniences, where the mafters and ufhers are men of learning, reputation, and affiduity. If there are to be found fuch, they cannot be prized in a ftate fufficiently. A boy will learn more true wifdom in a public school in a year, than by a private education in five. It is not from mafters, but from their equals, youth learn a knowledge of the world: the little tricks they play each other, the punishment that frequently attends the commiffion, is a juft picture of the great world; and all the ways of men are practifed in a public school in miniature. It is true, a child is early made acquainted with fome vices in a school: but it is better to know these when a boy, than be first taught them when a man ; for their novelty then may have irresistible charms.

In a public education, boys early learn temperance; and if the parents and friends would give them less money upon their ufual vifits, it woul be much to their advantage; fince it may juftlys faid, that a great part of their disorders arife from furfeit, Plus occidit gula quam gladius.

And, now I am come to the article of health may not be amifs to obferve, that Mr. Locke, fome others, have advised that children fh.u! inured to cold, to fatigue and hardship, from. youth: but Mr. Locke was but an indifferent

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