The TITLES of the Chapters; or a general The IMPROVEMENT of the MIND. THE Introduction. Page I T THE chief Design of the former Part of this Book is to lead us into proper Methods for the Improvement of our Knowledge; Let us now confider what are the best means of improving the Minds of others, and of communicating to them the Knowledge which we have acquired. If the Treasures of the Mind should be hoarded up and concealed, they would profit none befides the Poffeffor, and even his Advan tage by the Poffeffion would be poor and narrow, in Comparison of what the fame Treasures would yield both to himself and to the World, by a free Communication and Diffufion of them. Large Quantities of Knowledge acquired and referved by one Man, like Heaps of Gold and Silver, would contract a Sort of Rust and disagreeable Afpect, by lying in everlasting Secrefy and Silence; but they are burnish'd, and glitter by perpetual Circulation, through the Tribes of Mankind. THE two chief Ways of conveying Knowledge to others, are that of verbal Instruction to our Disciples, or by writing and publish ing our Thoughts to the World. HERE therefore I shall first propose some Observations which relate to the Conveyance of Knowledge to others by regular Lectures of verbal Inftruction, or by Conversation; I shall represent several of the chief Prejudices of which Learners are in danger, with Directions to guard against them, and then mention fome of the easiest and most effectual Ways of convincing Perfons of their Mistakes, and of dealing with their Understanding, when they labour under the Power of Prejudice. I shall afterwards add by Way of Appendix, an Effay written many Years ago on the Subject of Education, when I defigned a more compleat Treatife of it. CHAP. CHAP. I. Methods of Teaching, and Reading Lectures. a E that has learned any thing thoroughly, in clear and methodical Manner, and has attained a distinct Percep. tion, and an ample Survey of the whole Subject, is generally best prepared to teach the fame Subject in a clear and eofy Method; for having acquired a large and distinct Idea of it himself, and made it familiar to him by frequent Meditation, Reading, and occafional Difcourse; he is supposed to fee it on all Sides, to grafp it with all its Appendices and and Relations in one Survey, and is better able to represent it to the Learner in all its Views, with all its Properties, Relations and Consequences. He knows which View or Side of the Subject to hold out first to his Disciple, and how to propose to his Understanding that Part of it which is easiest to apprehend, and also knows how to set it in such a Light as is most likely to allure and to assist his further Enquiry. But it is not every one who is a great Scholar that always becomes the bappiest Teacher, even tho' he may have a clear Conception, and a methodical as well as an ex B2 tenfive |