ninth day.] EDUCATION. 251 



sour; and scepticism and discontent — sicknesses of 

 the mind — are often the results of devouring it. 



HAL. — Surely you cannot have a more religious, 

 more moral, or more improved population than that 

 of Scotland ? 



POIET. — Precisely so. In Scotland education is 

 not forced upon the people ; it is sought for, and it 

 is connected with their forms of faith, acquired in 

 the bosoms of their families, and generally pursued 

 with a distinct object of prudence or interest ; nor is 

 that kind of education wanting in this country. 



PHYS. — Where a book is rarely seen, a newspaper 

 never. 



POIET. — Pardon me — there is not a cottage with- 

 out a prayer-book ; and I am not sorry that these 

 innocent and happy men are not made active and 

 tumultuous subjects of King Press, whom I consider 

 as the most capricious, depraved, and unprincipled 

 tyrant, that ever existed in England. Depraved — 

 for it is to be bought by great wealth ; capricious — 

 because it sometimes follows, and sometimes forms, 

 the voice of the lowest mob ; and unprincipled — 

 because, when its interests are concerned, it sets at 

 defiance private feeling and private character, and 

 neither regards virtue, dignity, nor purity. 



HAL. — My friends, you are growing warm ; I 

 know you differ essentially on this subject; but 



