EDUCATION AS A SCIENCE. 661 



compound in their nature, they represent feelings of great intensity, 

 and they are specially invoked in the sphere of education. 



The Emotions of Self. " Self " is a very wide word. " Selfish," 

 " self-seeking," " self-love," might be employed without bringing any 

 new emotions to the front. All the sources of pleasure, and all the 

 exemptions from pain, that have been or might be enumerated under 

 the senses and the emotions, being totalized, could be designated as 

 " self " or " self-interest." But, connected with the terms self-esteem, 

 self-complacency, pride, vanity, love of praise, there are new varieties 

 of feeling, albeit they are but offshoots from some of those already 

 given. It is not our business to trace the precise derivation of these 

 complex modes, except to aid in estimating their value as a distinct 

 class of motives. 



There is an undoubted pleasure in hnding in ourselves some of those 

 qualities that, seen in other men, call forth our love, admiration, rever- 

 ence, or esteem. The names self-complacency, self-gratulation, self- 

 esteem, indicate emotions of no little force. They have a good influ- 

 ence in promoting the attainment of excellence ; their defect is ascriba- 

 ble to our enormous self-partiality : for which cause they are usually 

 concealed from the jealous gaze of our fellows. It is only on very spe- 

 cial occasions that persuasion is made to operate through these power- 

 ful feelings ; they are too ready to turn round and make demands that 

 cannot be complied with. 



A still higher form of self-reflected sentiment is that designated by 

 the love of praise and admiration. We necessarily feel an enhanced 

 delight when our own good opinion of self is echoed and sustained by 

 the expressions of others. This is one of the most stirring influences 

 that man can exert over man. It exists in many gradations, according 

 to our love, regard, or admiration, for the persons bestowing it, as well 

 as our dependence upon them, and according to the number joining in 

 the tribute. 



The bestowal of praise is an act of justice to real merit, and should 

 take place apart from ulterior considerations. But in rewarding, as in 

 punishing, we cannot help looking beyond the present ; we have in our 

 eye merits that are yet to be achieved. The fame that attends intel- 

 lectual eminence is an incentive to study, and the educator has this 

 great instrument at his command. 



Praise, to be effectual and safe, has to be carefully apportioned, so 

 as to approve itself to all concerned. As the act of praising does not 

 terminate with the moment, but establishes claims for the future, 

 thoughtless profusion of compliment defeats itself. Praise may oper- 

 ate in the form of warm, kindly expression, and no more ; in which 

 sense it is an offering of affection, and has a value in that character 

 alone. A pleased smile is a moral influence. 



Discipline, properly so called, works in the direction of pain ; pleas- 

 ures are viewed in their painful obverse. The positive value of delights 



